Royal Caribbean Blog

Disembarking your cruise ship in a new port is an exciting feeling, especially when you have a shore excursion booked. Whether kayaking near glaciers, ziplining over the beach, or island hopping on a catamaran, countless shore excursions are at your fingertips on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Packing for your cruise entails planning what to wear on shore excursions, and the best outfit to wear varies greatly depending on the tour you book. Sightseeing tours of European cities will require a completely different dress code than a relaxing Caribbean beach day or active shore excursion in Alaska.

Let’s take a look at the outfits we recommend wearing on your Royal Caribbean shore excursion, from the most active of excursions to the most tranquil.

What to wear on active shore excursions

While it’s possible to spend an entire day in port lounging at the beach, some cruisers prefer to explore a destination through an active adventure. Active shore excursions have a casual dress code, with comfort and reliability favored over sporting the most fashionable looks.

Clothing: A nonabsorbent, lightweight fabric like polyester is best to wear on an active shore excursion. Polyester workout shirts and tank tops are great options, as they will keep you cooler when breaking a sweat.

Workout shorts tend to be the best option for bottoms, especially on particularly hot days. Wearing a swimsuit underneath your clothes will also be convenient if your shore excursion combines active adventures with time at the beach.

Footwear: Sturdy, waterproof sandals like Chacos are an all-around great footwear option for active shore excursions. Not only do they hold up well when hiking on rugged terrain, but they work well at the beach, too. Plus, as Chacos are waterproof, there’s no need to worry about walking around in wet tennis shoes and socks if your shore excursion has you walking near beaches, lakes, or streams.

If you prefer to wear tennis shoes over sandals, make sure you are packing a comfortable pair (preferably shoes you have already worn many times) to ensure no painful blisters await you!

Accessories: Bringing a lightweight backpack is recommended on active shore excursions, as you are able to carry the bag along with you without it being too heavy or cumbersome. In addition, it’s a good idea to make sure your daypack is water-resistant or waterproof if your excursion involves time in and around water, such as when kayaking or canoeing.

What to wear on beach shore excursions

One of the best parts of a Royal Caribbean cruise involves sunny days spent at tropical beaches. Whether the crystal clear waters of St. John or rocky shores of the Mediterranean, beach days make for an excellent shore excursion. Like active excursions, beach excursions have a casual dress code.

Clothing: A swimsuit is, unsurprisingly, important to pack for an excursion to the beach. There are no strict rules on what type of swimsuit to wear, so pack whatever you feel most comfortable wearing.

Casual, lightweight clothing is best to wear over a swimsuit on a beach excursion, such as a sundress, romper, shorts, t-shirts, or swimsuit cover up. Colorful, patterned clothing can be fun to wear to add to the tropical vibe of your vacation.

Be sure to wear clothes over your swimsuit and do not walk around the port in just a bathing suit! This may be culturally inappropriate in your port of call, so definitely remember to cover up prior to leaving the beach.

Footwear: Flip flops can be a nice choice of footwear for beach excursions, but are recommended only for strictly beach excursions. If an excursion simply brings you on a bus to a nearby beach and picks you up a few hours later, flip flops will suffice. Flip flops are a great choice for Perfect Day at CocoCay.

If the tour combines a few hours at the beach with activities like shopping, tubing, kayaking, or hiking, though, a more sturdy sandal or tennis shoe is recommended for maximum comfort. Packing flip flops in your daypack is always an option as well.

Accessories: Bringing a daypack to the beach is necessary in order to hold items like sunscreen, towels, sunglasses, and your personal belongings. Backpacks work well, but you may prefer a larger, waterproof beach bag, particularly if you will be carrying belongings for several members of your family.

What to wear on city shore excursions

Excursions that involve tours of cities and historic sites tend to require a slightly more formal dress code than what you’ll wear to the beach. While wearing heels and ball gowns is very much unnecessary, you may prefer to dress more fashionably than workout shorts and an old tank top.

Clothing: Consider wearing clothing like a sundress, jumpsuits, and semi-casual shorts when on a city excursion. Flowy, lightweight pants are another option that are a great choice on breezy summer days.

If your excursion involves visiting churches, particularly for those in the Mediterranean, be sure to research the church’s dress code. Many churches require shoulders and knees to be covered, meaning a sleeveless shirt, shorts, or short dress will not make the cut. Bringing a lightweight scarf to wear over your shoulders in the church is an option or you can pack a change of clothes in your daypack.

Footwear: Regardless of the city you’re visiting, comfort is key when exploring urban areas. City excursions often include more walking than a standard shore excursion, as it’s likely you’ll be wandering through picturesque streets, bustling plazas, historic museums, and archaeological sites.

Sandals with an ankle strap and closed-toed shoes are ideal when on a city-focused shore excursion. If you’re visiting somewhere like Rome or Florence, you may prefer to wear a nicer pair of sandals or closed-toe shoes like Sperrys in lieu of flip flops or running shoes, as it’s more likely you will be entering nice restaurants, churches, and museums during the day.

Accessories: A secure daypack is essential on a city excursion to ensure your belongings remain safe, especially if you’ll be traveling on public transport and visiting crowded tourist sites. Crossbody purses and backpacks with a secret pocket tend to be safer choices than handbags and over-the-shoulder purses.

Shore excursions in cold weather destinations

If you’re cruising to destinations like Alaska, Norway, Northern Europe, or the U.S. Northeast, it’s important to pack for many types of weather. 

Most Royal Caribbean cruises will not sail in the chilliest winter temperatures, as the more northerly destinations tend to offer cruises only during the warmer months of the year. Chilly weather can still arise, though, so be sure to research the average temperature of the ports you will visit before packing for your cruise.

Clothing: Layers are key when sailing to a destination that may encounter colder weather. It’s helpful to bring the following layers with you when you get off the ship at port:

• Base layer: t-shirt and jeans or yoga pants
• Warm layer: fleece, sweater, or down jacket
• Waterproof layer: thin rain jacket with a hood

Having multiple layers available ensures you will remain comfortable no matter the weather, which can change multiple times throughout the day in destinations like Alaska.

Related: Ultimate Alaska cruise guide

Footwear: When cruising in colder weather, replace flip flops and sandals with sneakers and boots. Sturdy shoes that keep your feet warm are essential, and water-resistant shoes are even better.

Colder destinations often tend to entail more outdoorsy excursions, whether walking on a glacier in Alaska or hiking the fjords of Norway. A pair of waterproof hiking boots or sneakers can be great footwear options to wear in port.

Accessories: Like on all excursions, it’s recommended to bring a daypack in order to have a secure place to store your belongings. Wearing a water-resistant daypack is highly recommended in cold-weather destinations that may encounter rain.

Additionally, wearing a warm hat, gloves, and wool socks may be helpful on the chilliest of days.

Have a cruise in Miami or Fort Lauderdale and need to find a place to get a covid test before you sail?

Prior to any Royal Caribbean cruise, every passenger must obtain a negative Covid test. While this policy has been in place since the restart of the cruise industry in June 2021, it is still a common cause for concern among many cruise passengers who are anxious about whether or not they can easily find a Covid test in their area.

Some cities in the US may have ample testing options whereas others may have more limited options. Additionally, as many passengers must fly to their cruise departure port one day ahead of their cruise, this gives them less time to secure a test in their area. This is especially true for those passengers arriving on international flights to the United States, as the Covid test they must take for entry into the US may be expired by the time they must board their cruise.

Therefore, some passengers may opt to book a Covid test appointment in their cruise departure port upon arrival as opposed to finding a test in their local area. Prior to my cruise last week on Freedom of the Seas, I wanted to try out a local Covid testing site in South Florida to see what options are available for those hoping for an easy way to secure a Covid test.

When searching for local Covid testing, TentTest.com was recommended to me, which offers rapid Covid-19 antigen testing with results in 15 minutes. They had a wide range of testing time slots available, all the way from 6AM to 10PM. This was a welcome change from the limited hours I had experienced in the past when testing at pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens.

I booked my Covid test appointment one week in advance, although the site also offers same-day appointments on the off chance that you are unable to book in advance.

Location

Tent Test is located around 4 miles from both Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades. The address of the testing location is 718 SE 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316.

The testing location is convenient for anyone flying or driving to Fort Lauderdale, and it is located just a few blocks from popular hotels that many passengers book the night before their cruise, including Hyatt House Fort Lauderdale and Holiday Inn Express Ft. Lauderdale Cruise-Airport.

While it may not be the most convenient option for those flying into and cruising out of Miami, its proximity to the Fort Lauderdale cruise port is favorable.

Testing experience

I took an Lyft to the Tent Test site, but I was running late due to traffic and a slightly delayed disembarkation from my cruise on Oasis of the Seas. Nervous that I would miss the test, I called Tent Test and explained the situation. Luckily they were extremely understanding and allowed me to push my test back a half hour without any issue.

It was easy to spot the correct building as I arrived due to Covid testing signage on both the windows and curbside. The testing proctor, Ed, opened the door as he saw me approaching and welcomed me inside.

I was seated in a comfy waiting area inside the testing site. As I was the only person being tested in the time frame I selected, my testing process was extremely quick and efficient.

Normally those being tested would be moved from the waiting area to a private room, but as there was no one else in the building I was able to be tested in the waiting area. The proctor briefly explained what the test would entail and conducted the nasal swab.

While some tests, such as the Abbott BinaxNOW Ag Card Home Test, are a self-swab test, the proctor swabs your nose for you at Tent Test. I usually prefer self-swab, especially after an extra painful PCR Covid test I received in Egypt last year, but to my surprise my test at Tent Test ended up being the least-painful Covid test I have done yet!

After a simple swab right at the entrance of both nostrils, the proctor took the test to their lab area and I waited fifteen minutes for my result.

I was given a paper hard copy of my negative test results, which were complete with everything Royal Caribbean requires to board the ship: your name, test type, lab’s address, CLIA number, date of test, and your negative result. I had no issues presenting my negative test results from Tent Test at the cruise terminal in Miami.

Testing price

The standard Covid testing price for one person at Tent Test is $65 per rapid antigen test. Discounts may be available in larger groups. Additionally, Tent Test providers can also arrange to visit you directly at your hotel or house. For pricing and more information on these options, it’s best to give Tent Test a call ahead of time at (561)-888-0637.

While the test is not free like you will encounter at places like Walgreens and CVS, I felt it came at a fair price compared to many other testing options. Covid testing at Miami International Airport, for example, ranges from $79 to $179. In addition, while Royal Caribbean offers limited testing directly at the cruise terminal, costs start at $99 per person.

Tent Test also makes a great backup Covid test option in case something goes wrong with your primary testing method. Before one of my cruises, for example, I drove to Walgreens for a rapid NAAT test only to find out the pharmacy had unexpectedly closed early and there was no one to proctor my Covid test. Luckily I was able to reschedule for the next day, but if I had to travel that same day I would have been out of luck for a Covid test.

In addition, while the at-home Covid tests are extremely popular options for passengers, occasionally the test results are found invalid or the test kits are missing an item. Having Tent Test as a backup option can be extremely helpful.

Overall, I would recommend Test Test as an option for those who must secure a Covid test in South Florida before or after their cruise. The entire process was simple and just about as enjoyable as a Covid test can be. My testing proctor Ed was very friendly as well, which made me feel welcome and comfortable at the testing site.

What are the current testing requirements for Royal Caribbean cruises?

While Covid testing requirements are subject to change, here are the current pre-cruise testing requirements for cruises out of the United States:

• Vaccinated guests must show a negative Covid-19 test result taken no more than 2 days before boarding day (PCR or antigen)
• Unvaccinated kids aged 2-11 must show a negative PCR test taken no more than 3 days before boarding day
• Unvaccinated kids’ pre-cruise test cannot be taken on boarding day (as they will receive an additional test at the terminal)

It looks like anyone doing more than Royal Caribbean cruise in a row does not need to take a Covid test again between sailings.

A number of Royal Caribbean cruisers have alerted us that the cruise line informed them while on a back to back cruise a new Covid test is no longer necessary.

Among the many people to tell us about the policy change is Royal Caribbean's top cruiser of all time, Mario "Super Mario" Salcedo.

"Just been informed that back-to-back cruisers no longer need to be Covid tested for the following cruise," Mr. Salcedo wrote in an email.

Read more: Back-to-back cruises tips and advice

Royal Caribbean's website has also been updated to note the change that fully vaccinated guests and/or guests with a valid certificate of recovery to not need a test.

New policy on Royal Caribbean's website

Old policy on Royal Caribbean's website

"Fully vaccinated guests and guests with a valid certificate of recovery do not require additional testing to board their subsequent sailing. Unvaccinated guests will require a new precruise test prior to boarding their subsequent sailing."

In addition, RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader CruiseGus shared a copy of his back to back cruiser letter from his sailing. 

Up until now, Royal Caribbean required passengers who were staying on for another sailing to get a Covid test done while onboard the ship.

Guests would head to a designed area of the ship to get a complimentary Covid test on the last day of the cruise.

What about people changing ships?

According to Royal Caribbean's website, guests who are changing ships on consecutive sailings or have a day or more inbetween subsequent sailings will not have a change in policy.

"If you are moving to a different ship for your subsequent sailing, or your subsequent sailing on the same ship departs the following day, you will need to meet the precruise testing requirements for your subsequent sailing. "

The website says complimentary testing will be conducted onboard for those passengers changing ships, with instructions provided while onboard.

To be considered back-to-back, the time between sailings must not exceed 1 day. 

For example, if Sailing A disembarks on Monday, Sailing B must embark on Monday or Tuesday to be considered back-to-back. 

Guests whose sailings are not considered back-to-back will be responsible for procuring their own Covid-19 test at their own expense to meet the precruise testing requirements for the subsequent sailing.

It’s the final day of our 7-night Alaska cruise! Can’t believe the week went so fast.

Today we’ve been at sea - sailing through the Inside Passage and making our way back to Vancouver.

The seas were rough last night so Sydney put on her patch and slept a solid 12 hours. She woke up feeling a little dizzy and had blurred vision, but she said she didn’t have any seasickness.

We saw lots of people onboard with patches behind their ears and heard of others who were seasick with the choppy waters.

I worked a little this morning while Sydney slept in. Surprisingly, the Internet connection was strong so I took advantage of this opportunity. I was worried once we went back into the Inside Passage that the Internet would drop again.

Covid Test Onboard

Since the connection was strong, I also decided to do my eMed Covid test in the cabin. I didn’t have any issues with the connection and got my negative test result quickly.

I wanted to take the test onboard the ship in case I had an unexpected positive result. In this case, I’m covered by Royal Caribbean’s Cruising with Confidence policy. It felt like the best option since there aren't really any testing options onboard for those of us needing one for travel requirements. 

I saw multiple people taking their covid tests onboard today, so I think there were a lot of us with the same idea. It also makes the disembarkation day much easier without having to worry about taking the test at the airport last minute.

I brought the Abbott home test, but there were other tests that people used as well. I know one couple who used their FlowFlex covid test and did their proctored test through www.azova.com. I saw another couple using the orange branded covid tests who said they followed the proctor link on the box too.

I didn’t realize you could have other tests proctored, but it appears that’s not the case. Both of these couples I met purchased tests in Alaska since they didn’t bring tests onboard and paid online for a proctor ($20)

Breakfast + Spa

We had a time change last night, so the 11:00 AM closing of the Windjammer crept up on us.

I waited in line to talk to the Internet representative to make sure I was on the list of passengers getting refunded for 2 days of internet that didn’t work. He processed the refund on the spot, which was nice. I saw a few others taking their covid tests in the Internet cafe area during this time too.

With coffee in hand, we made our way to the top deck to grab a quick bite to eat before they closed down the restaurant. Sydney and I made our way to the spa to try out the thermal suite!

Upon entry, we were given a locker and bathrobes to use throughout the spa.

We first started in the thermal chairs and made our way into the steam room, sauna and aromatic room.

It was pretty quiet in the thermal suite and that doesn’t exact fit our vibe. We have a hard time relaxing for an extended time because we like to be on the go. We are always laughing and chatting, so we struggled to be quiet.

It was fun to try everything out, but I am not sure if it’s something that I would pay to do just because I am not necessarily a spa person.

Egg Drop Challenge

This one was a first, but our ship had an egg drop contest! What a concept.

Teams enrolled on the first sea day and had one week to create an egg contraption. If your contraption successfully protected the egg from an atrium drop and the egg didn’t crack, your team won a prize.

The atrium was pretty busy with spectators. The entire floor and furniture surrounding the bar was covered to protect any scrambled eggs.

Some teams got really creative with how to protect their egg. Others clearly didn’t think about the impact of gravity, drag and force when their contraption plopped right to the ground. The very first drop got caught in some atrium wiring, which was pretty funny.

The cruise director, sporting a hard helmet for the ultimate egg protection, was having a great time hosting the event. One egg splattered all over the bar, which I am sure the bartender did not appreciate.

This was a fun event and we both enjoyed watching everyone try to protect their precious egg. I am wondering if this will be a new cruising tradition or if it was just a one-time thing?

Afternoon Activities

By late afternoon, Sydney had a card date with our ‘ship mom’ from dinner and I had a little bit of work to get done.

They enjoyed a few rounds of Phase 10. The ship finally entered back into the Inside Passage during this time, so the ocean was a sheet of glass again.

I was feeling deep gratitude for the Internet finally working reliably, which allowed me to get some time sensitive things done, including the covid test. I even created a hotspot with my computer so Sydney and I could have multiple devices connected at once. 

We still had our swimsuits on from the spa earlier today, so we made our way to the Solarium for the hot tub. Unfortunately, there is only one small hot tub in the Solarium and it’s been packed almost every time we’ve tried to use it.

We did grab a snack at the Windjammer since we had forgotten to grab lunch.

Sydney and I ran into our new ship friends, Mimi and her grandson Bret (who is our age), and we invited them to join us in the outdoor hot tub.

These hot tubs haven’t been as crowded, but the outdoor weather also hasn’t cooperated much. It was misting and rainy out, but we enjoyed the hot tub and getting to chat.

Final Dinner in the Dining Room

Tonight was our final night in the dining room. The menu tonight featured options of fish & chips, prime rib, roasted turkey, cheese tortellini and lamb.

I had one last bowl of French onion soup and Sydney had the lentil soup as a starter. She said the lentil soup was super good.

For dinner, Sydney had the cheese tortellini and I had the roasted turkey. These weren’t our favorite meals of the cruise, but they were good!

Dessert was a showstopper for me with the pavlova and caramel brownie, which was topped with a marshmallow meringue. It was super sweet - exactly as I like it! Two desserts is the best way to end a cruise. 

It’s always sad to say goodbye to new friends on the final evening. Sydney and I have been blessed with great servers who took good care of us. We also connected with so many people on this cruise and loved seeing familiar faces around.

Packing and Cruising with a Carry-On

Another sad part of the last cruise night is packing up your suitcase for the journey home tomorrow. Sydney and I had gotten pretty comfortable in our cabin over the last week, so it seemed like a tornado came through when we started to pack. 

Sydney heads to Seattle and Hawaii for the next week to continue her Masters Celebration adventure. I head to Minnesota tomorrow for a quick stop for my best friend’s baby shower before flying back to Florida on Saturday.

I opted to pack for this cruise using just a carry-on, which made it really easy to pack tonight. I used some packing cubes to utilize my small packing space. I think this made a big difference!

I had a few outfits that I didn’t even wear while other pieces were worn heavily. I had to purchase a sweater because I didn’t have something warm enough to wear with my leggings. I also bought some gloves in the first port.

Layering was key for me. I packed pieces that could be worn for dinner and during the day, like dark jeans and a jean jacket. I brought 3 dresses for dinners and then wore my dark jeans with various tops the other nights. Some days I didn’t even change for dinner.

I packed just one swimsuit, which was plenty for our hot tub visits. Casual clothes included sweat pants, a golf skirt, long sleeve t-shirt and a crewneck sweatshirt. I packed a pair of overalls, which I only wore once so I probably could have left that behind and opt for a heavier coat instead.

For the trip, I only packed 3 pairs of shoes, which included rain boots, dinner shoes and tennis shoes. I wish I had packed some slip-in shoes to wear around the ship, so I did buy a $5 pair of slippers from Old Navy in Vancouver to wear. I might leave these behind if I can’t pack them last minute tomorrow.

All of my cosmetics and toiletries I carried in my backpack with me. I still had room for my laptops, umbrella and 2 covid tests.

I really limited myself to just the essentials for this trip. It’s nice to not have so much clutter. Packing lightly forces you to only wear what you have packed because you don't have many options. I also think packing cubes made it easier because I can compress my outfits into time little dense cubes.

Granted, I think packing in a carry-on would be much easier for warmer climates. I also don't think I could do any trips longer than 10 days in a carry-on without doing some laundry. 

Disembarkation + Final Thoughts

Tomorrow we will get off the ship around 9:30 AM and my flight is at 2:00 PM. I plan to head straight to the airport and hopefully have a painless travel day.

Sydney is taking the Amtrak bus to Seattle before flying to Hawaii on her next big adventure.

We are both sad that our friend-cruise is coming to an end. It was so nice to be able to travel again, especially together.

Our friendship is really special and having this much time together again at sea was wonderful. We loved our time on the cruise and getting to meet such nice people was really a highlight.

Radiance of the Seas feels like she’s been well maintained and the crew are doing their best to get the ship back to a well-oiled machine. We had a few hiccups, but everything was handled with excellent service. I think this is to be expected with any cruise ship returning to service. We've met a lot of crew members onboard who are working for the first time onboard a ship.

That's the end of my live blog for Alaska. Until next time, happy cruising!

The search for a ceremonial role on Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship is headed to social media.

Royal Caribbean announced it is looking to find a godmother for Wonder of the Seas by searching through TikTok.

Wonder of the Seas is the newest Royal Caribbean cruise ship and the fifth Oasis Class cruise ship. She's currently sailing in Europe, but will return to Florida in November.

Every cruise ship has a godmother, which serves as a ceremonial position.  Other ships have had women hold the role, including renowned athletes, celebrities and royalty.

The godmother's job is to give the ship a blessing for the safety of the crew members and passengers who will sail onboard it.  She will also be present for the ship's  naming ceremony in Port Canaveral, Florida, in December. 

U.S. users of the popular video-sharing platform can now take part in the #SearchForWonderMom contest by nominating a mom who inspires those around them to discover, wonder and make memories. 

The call for submissions is open through Monday, May 16, at 11:59 p.m. ET, and the winner will be announced on Royal Caribbean’s TikTok this summer.

The winner and their family will set sail on an exclusive cruise to the cruise line’s private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.

They will also stay in the Ultimate Family Suite and receive first-class flights, three nights in a five-star hotel before the cruise and up to $1,000 in spending money. 

In addition, four finalists can enjoy all Wonder has to offer on a 7-night cruise in a balcony stateroom for up to four guests.

How to enter the contest

Think you might want to be the godmother? Here's what you need to know:

• Users must follow @RoyalCaribbean on TikTok.
• Submissions must be posted on TikTok and share why their nominee would be the ideal Godmother for the world’s largest cruise ship.
• Uploaded videos must use Royal Caribbean’s original #SearchforWonderMom contest audio track pinned on the cruise line’s profile.
• Entries must tag @RoyalCaribbean and include #SearchForWonderMom and #Contest
• Contest is open only to legal residents of the fifty United States, including the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico who are at least sixteen  years old at the time of entry. 
  • Nominees must be at least 21 years old.

You can read the full rules and requirements here.

Hi from the choppy Alaskan seas! It’s Day 6 of our 7-night cruise, so our time onboard Radiance of the Seas is coming to an end. I can't believe tomorrow is our last day. A week onboard a cruise always goes way faster than any other week at home, right?

Although we didn’t have a port today, we sailed through Tracy’s Arm Fjord early this morning. We set our alarms for 6:30 AM to make sure we didn’t miss any of the scenery.

The sight of the fjord in the distance was stunning as we woke up and waited in line for coffee.

There’s been a line each morning at Latitudes, but it seems to move fairly quick. I heard a few grumbles from the people behind me about the line each morning; however, I don't think it's been that bad. 

I love my morning latte, so it's a great way to start the day for me. 

With coffee in hand, Sydney and I made our way to the helicopter pad so we could go to the very front of the ship.

Tracy’s Arm Fjord

The helicopter pad was fairly busy with other cruisers - I was surprised to see so many people already out there since it was barely 7:00 AM. It was frigid cold at the front of the ship and I was wishing I had warn my warmer pants.

In the distance, we could see the ship making its way towards the glacier. This was further than my ship was able to make it last summer (due to icing), so I was already excited to see new scenery. 

It was too cold being at the very front of the ship, so we went up a few decks to 13 to watch the ship continue sailing through the fjord. The railing here was solid and covered, so it was less windy as well. 

The scenery is unreal; if you’re sailing through the fjord on an upcoming cruise, you’ll definitely want to set your alarm. I overheard a couple saying they had missed the fjord on their last cruise because they were staying in an inside cabin and didn’t know the scenery was so beautiful.

We took lots of pictures of the mountains and sipped our coffee. What a Wednesday morning! 

The ship inched closer and closer to a line of ice in front of the glacier. Obviously cruise ships aren’t meant to be ice-breaking ships, so we just sailed right up to the ice barrier. We could see the glacier in the distance and I was shocked to see how blue the glacier was.

The ship started to do a donut spin and then slowly made its way back to the sea and out of the fjord. Coming from Florida, it was fun to be bundled up on the deck and take in such a drastic change of scenery. 

Main Dining Room Breakfast

We decided to have breakfast in the dining room since we were already up. Tomorrow is a sea day, so we have no alarms set - we figured it was a good time to do another breakfast in the dining room.

The host sat us at a table with a window, which was incredible. We commenced the beautiful morning with mimosas - as one should! This was a perfect way to use a daily drink voucher too.

Sydney and I split a plate of French toast to start and each had a breakfast burrito. I think it was even better than the one I had the first morning! Sydney loved the burrito too.

With tummies full, our early morning wake up call made us sleepy. We opted to head back to the cabin for a mid-morning nap.

Unfortunately, the Internet was still down so I wasn’t able to get connected to anything. I had scheduled a meeting at work for 10:00 AM, but that had to be cancelled with no Internet or cell service to save the day.

Of course, most people aren’t as worried about the Internet as I am. With the live blog and other remote work that needs to be done, I’m more reliant on it working. 

During the nap, I received a call from guest services asking about our excursion experience in Ketchikan. I explained how the trolley left early without us, but we were given options from the excursion staff. He was very kind and helpful, expressing his apologies for that happening.

The Captain also made an announcement that woke us up again from our nap. He explained that no announcements can be made in the fjord to protect the wildlife there, so that’s why the cruise ship is very quiet while sailing towards the glacier. He also said we would have choppy seas tonight before making our way to the Inside Passage again. 

I really like about the Captain of this cruise- he is the most personable cruise ship captain that I’ve ever had. Each day, he acknowledges the crew members who are celebrating birthdays on the ship. He’s very down to Earth and I really enjoy his communication with us.

Hot Stone Massage Experience

I had my massage booked for 12:45 PM, so Sydney and I went upstairs to grab a snack at the Windjammer. She had plans to play cards with our dinner friends during my massage.

I have never had a massage on a cruise ship before; in fact, I can count on one hand the number of massages I’ve had in my life.

Since I have neck and shoulder pain from computer work, the spa manager recommended the hot stone massage. I went with her recommendation and hoped for the best.

I was taken into a little relaxation room to fill out some forms. The room was safari themed with large chase loungers. It was a little cheesy, but comfortable. 

My therapist met with me and talked to me about where I was having some discomfort. She also recommended that I do a seaweed wrap for another $200, but I politely declined and said the hot stone massage was a splurge.

The room had floor to ceiling windows. The massage felt wonderful everywhere with the hot stones. I had only been booked for 50 minutes - and the time felt like it flew by.

I did speak to the spa manager after my massage about a small concern I had regarding the session - she was very helpful and resolved the issue quickly. I greatly appreciated how she handled my concern with both empathy and professionalism.

In fact, for the inconvenience, she offered that Sydney and I could access the Thermal Spa for today and tomorrow. We are excited to try that tomorrow on our last day of the cruise.

Royal Caribbean Service

This cruise has had more kinks than others I’ve taken recently. I am sure with an older ship just returning to service after 2 years, this is bound to happen.

I think it’s important to be flexible and remember that traveling isn’t always perfect, especially as the travel industry works on its full comeback from the pandemic.

Royal Caribbean has been providing outstanding service and support when issues arise, such as the Internet not working, our shore excursion leaving without us, and my concern at the spa.

These are all minor issues for me, but it does remind me why I am loyal to a company that I believe values customer service and strives for excellence.

In fact, I received a second call today regarding our shore excursion experience and they confirmed we received a full refund for our tour. This was really generous of Royal Caribbean because we still enjoyed the lumberjack show even though we missed the trolley. 

Solarium Wave Pool

Sydney and I decided that we wanted to go to the hot tub after my massage, so we made our way to the Solarium.

Well, apparently everyone else had the same idea because there were 10 people crammed into the tiny hot tub. The pool was actually pretty comfortable, but just as we got in, the seas became a little choppy.

The Solarium pool was slowly becoming a makeshift wave pool. We tried to use the hot tubs outside, but it was cold and rainy so we only lasted maybe 2 minutes.

I grabbed a drink at the bar and we lounged for a bit in the chairs, but the choppy seas seemed to continue. The pool waves became more intense, so the lifeguards closed off the Solarium pool.

It was almost time to get ready for dinner, so Sydney and I made our way back to the cabin to freshen up for formal night.

Evening Activities

With just a carry-on for this cruise, I didn’t have too much room for formal attire. I’ve seen over the years that most people don’t dress very formal anyway - and it can take up so much room in your luggage. I chose to pack a simple black dress for both formal nights.

Sydney was started to feel a little seasick since she has a sensitive tummy, so she wasn’t very hungry. She heard that green apples were supposed to ease motion sickness, so our waiter brought her a plate of green apples to have before dinner. 

For dinner tonight, Sydney and I both ordered both the caprese salad and I asked for the onion tart as well. I ordered the beef tenderloin while Sydney tried the eggplant parmesan.

To her surprise, the motion sickness patch (and maybe the magical green apple) did start to work by the end of dinner and she was feeling better.

For dessert, I ordered the molten chocolate cake. I’ve loved this dessert for years and years - I’m glad it’s continued to be served! It was decadent tonight and I forgot to snap a picture.

Baked Alaska was on the menu tonight, which is very fitting of course for this cruise. Here's a picture of our dinner neighbor's dessert for good measure. 

One of the best parts of dinner was seeing all the whales out in the ocean. We saw so many that were spouting water and breaching. Apparently, whales like to breach during choppy waters so that might explain all of the activity. 

Some of the whales were so close to our ship and we could see their fins popping over the white caps. I love seeing everyone run to the windows and react to the whales breaching.

By the end of dinner, the seas had calmed down and we even saw a rainbow out in the distance. It was a perfect way to end dinner.

Since we had napped today, we had a bit more energy to make it to the show tonight. We sat with our dinner friends and enjoyed a variety show that featured a comedian and musician. 

Back in our cabin, we found disembarkation information and luggage tags - a sign of the times that the cruise is coming to an end.

Tomorrow’s Plans

To my surprise, the Internet came back up this evening. It’s been consistently working tonight, so that hopefully means that I can get a few work things done tomorrow during our sea day.

I am sure you're all sick of the Internet updates, but it does seem to be playing a role in our daily activities. At one point today, I saw 10 people waiting to speak to the VOOM Internet desk! I guess they are planning to provide a mass refund for the days that the Internet was down, so that is great.

I haven’t seen this reflected on my shipboard account, so I will need to get that settled tomorrow if it isn’t updated.

We have no alarms set tomorrow! I think we might try to have lunch in the main dining room, as that’s a first for me. I will be interested to see what's offered for lunch compared to breakfast and dinner options. 

There is also an egg-dropping contraption contest tomorrow. Sydney and I are pretty curious about what that could possibly entail, so we are hoping to check that out. I am sure it will be a hoot!

We are also planning to try the Thermal Spa sometime in the morning before meeting our dinner friends for a game of cards!

The last day of the cruise means I need to pack and hopefully take my covid test onboard if the Internet cooperates… but we all know how that’s been going.

Good night from Alaska and our little towel friend!

The minimum percentage of vaccinated passengers on a cruise ship has gone down.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced updates to its highly vaccinated program, which lists the requirements for cruise lines to follow.

Royal Caribbean is one of many cruise lines in the CDC's highly vaccinated program.

CDC will reduce the percentage threshold requirement for determining ‘highly vaccinated voyages’  from 95% to 90% of eligible passengers (90% of passengers who are 5 years of age and older).

The crew vaccination percentage will remain at 95% or greater for highly vaccinated voyages.    

Up until now, cruise ships in this program were required to sail with at least 95% vaccinated passengers.

By lowering the number of required vaccinated passengers, this opens up more capacity to unvaccinated children.

The CDC also made another change related to cabins used for isolating Covid-19 passengers.

Isolation rooms no longer need to have negative pressure but must still be in predesignated areas. The exception to transferring individuals to predesignated cabins if within 36 hours of disembarkation remains in effect.

Following these changes, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) issued a statement in support of the CDC changes.

"The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and its member cruise lines welcome the recent update to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships Operating in U.S. Waters."

"The CDC’s adjustment of vaccination and quarantine and isolation room requirements recognizes the highly protective measures in place on board cruise ships and is in keeping with the CDC’s lifting of any travel-related advisory against cruising. CLIA-member cruise lines continue to provide one of the highest levels of COVID-19 mitigation for the traveling public with higher-vaccination rates and higher frequency of testing than most any other setting."

"We look forward to the further development of the program to bring greater alignment across the travel and tourism sector."

Inside the highly vaccinated program

Royal Caribbean opted into the CDC's highly vaccinated program at the end of February 2022 once the CDC's Conditional Sail Order became voluntary.

The program regulates foreign-flagged cruise vessels operating in U.S. waters with a common set of Covid-19 protocols for guests and crew members to abide by.

Even before Royal Caribbean opted into the program, its ships were usually sailing right around the 95% vaccinated mark.

In late December 2021, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said a typical sailing has anywhere between 95 to 98 percent fully vaccinated onboard population.

Royal Caribbean Group held its earnings call with Wall Street investors and touched on a number of interesting things happening in the company that are beyond what you would find in the balance sheet.

Each quarter, the company holds a conference call to go over the quarter results and answer questions from analysts.

Most of the discussions are purely financial back-and-forth, but there are some interesting anecdotes worth noting for cruise fans.

After listening to the entire 2022 first quarter earnings call, here is the most interesting things to come out of the discussion.

Demand is higher than pre-pandemic

While Royal Caribbean Group lost another billion dollars this quarter, things are rapidly improving for the company's bottom line.

Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said the last two months have seen very high demand for a cruise ship vacation, "Over the past sixty days, demand has materially surpassed, both pre-Omicron and 2019, levels. 

"The robust secular trend of experiences over things, that propelled our business in the past years, is now recovering towards pre-Covid levels. Consumers are now re-engaging with the world, and as a result, spending on travel in 2022 is set to out pace pre-pandemic levels with consumers planning to travel more frequently."

"Cruise consideration is the highest it has been in two years, and nearing pre-pandemic levels, with the most significant recovery among those new to cruising."

Guests are spending more thanks to better cruise planner enhancements

If you've noticed more Royal Caribbean emails about buying a drink package or shore excursion, it's no accident.

Royal Caribbean invested heavily in its e-commerce system to provide better sales pitches to guests, and the result is now materializing in passengers spending more money than ever before their cruise begins.

The company reported in the first quarter, total revenue per Passenger Cruise Day in the first quarter was up 4% versus record 2019 levels. This was such a strong driver that cash flow from ships in operation was positive in the first quarter. 

Mr. Liberty believes more spending on pre-cruise purchases is the result of better software behind the scenes, "Our investment in a new pre-cruise planning system allows guests to better plan and book their onboard experiences. As a result, we continue to see increased penetration of pre-cruise purchases, which is leading to significantly higher total spend per guest."

Royal Caribbean Group Chief Financial Officer Naftali Holtz indicated strong consumer spending and "higher pre-cruise purchase penetration" is what's driving people to spend more on their cruise vacation.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said the increased spending has been, "wonderful", and attributed it in large part to the investment in better software, "The investment that we made in the software for pre-cruise revenue, which continued through the pandemic. We've really leveraged that now, and we've seen a significant increase in penetration and uptick with up-tick sales."

Mr. Bayley illustrated how important the purchases of these items before the cruise is to Royal Caribbean's bottom line, "one pre-cruise dollar gives us another $0.50 onboard spend."

Mr. Holtz added spending isn't limited to one or two categories, "It's everything...from spa to retail, shore excursions, casino, food and beverage."

"It seems like the consumer is really willing to spend on great experiences...make sure that we capture that spend as much as we can as they enjoying our cruises."

Digging into what the guest wants

Mr. Bayley talked about the level of sophistication Royal Caribbean has to be able to cater the pre-cruise sales to the individual person, "We've over time developed the sophistication and the ability to, not only use the analytics and the information that we know about the customer, to offer them products and experiences and services that we think they're going to like."

"In some cases, we've got customers who prefer gaming and dining. In other cases, we've got families who prefer shore excursions. And we now have the ability to tailor our communications and our promotions to those customers based upon what we think their key preferences are."

Cruise ship capacity

A big focus of the call was about increasing capacity as Royal Caribbean moves into the summer.

It's no secret that the cruise line is not only bringing more ships back online, but also allowing more and more passengers onboard in an effort to return to pre-pandemic passenger loads.

Mr. Holtz said all remaining cruise ships across the brands will be back in operation by June, we expect load factors of approximately 75 to 80%. Our low factor expectations reflect the higher occupancy we are seeing the Caribbean and lower expectations for repositioning voyages and early season Europe sailings."

He also added that capacity should reach "triple digits" by the end of the year. In short, expect pre-pandemic capacity by the time 2022 ends.

Mr. Bayley added full capacity should come faster on Royal Caribbean International, "we have ships now sailing at 100% and we've had ships sailing at 100% now for several weeks out of the Caribbean, into the Caribbean market and a short product.

"And as we head towards Memorial Day weekend, we're going to see significant percentage of our ship sailing at 100% and greater."

Interestingly, more people are booking suites rather than inside rooms, "From a cumulative standpoint, our load factors on sailings in the second half of the year are booked slightly below historical levels, with a greater mix of high yielding, suite inventory booked versus inside and outside state rooms."

Read more: Is a suite on Royal Caribbean worth it?

Capacity lower in Europe partially due to testing requirements

While demand for cruises in North America was exceptionally strong in the first quarter, demand for European cruises was lower, and perhaps the protocols could be at play.

When asked about what is impacting the lower numbers for European cruises, Mr. Liberty talked about the need to get a covid test to return to the United States as an issue.

He said they expect to have lower capacity in Europe due to maintaining price integrity, but also the covid test requirements to re-enter, "It is very much related to price integrity, but some of it's also, that relates to the testing requirement to come back into the U.S. for for Americans."

"The combination of those things weighs on the consumer in terms of their their travel expectations."

Mr. Bayley added, "many European countries now are stopping that requirement. So they're kind of freeing up the ability for the Europeans to travel around. And I think we're all hopeful that that's going to change fairly soon in returning to the United States."

Mr. Liberty said the Ukraine war has certainly weighed on reducing demand for European cruises, especially for Central and Northern European cruises.

Royal Caribbean Group posted its first quarter earnings on Thursday, which reported another billion dollar loss. 

The good news for the company is it expects a return to net profit for the second half of 2022. In fact, operating cash flow significantly improved throughout the first quarter and approached breakeven in March. Operating cash flow turned positive in April 2022.

Royal Caribbean Group had a first quarter 2022 operating loss of $1.2 billion. 

Cruise ships sailed with more passengers in the quarter, and total revenue per Passenger Cruise Day up versus record 2019 levels.

Royal Caribbean's quarter by the numbers

Royal Caribbean Group shared some interesting facts in its update to Wall Street.

First and foremost, Royal Caribbean Group expects a return to net profit for the second half of 2022.

Read more: Who owns Royal Caribbean?

By the end of the quarter, 90% of the company's worldwide fleet was back in service, with 54 out of 62 ships back in service. The plan is to return the full fleet to operations before the summer season of 2022.

Approximately 800,000 guests sailed on a Royal Caribbean Group ship in the first quarter.

Bookings in the first quarter were higher than in the fourth quarter of 2021, and throughout the first quarter, bookings improved each week. In March and April, booking volumes have been significantly higher than the same period in 2019.

Looking to the future, 2023 is booked, "within historical ranges at record pricing."

The supply chain issues the entire world is dealing with is no stranger to Royal Caribbean Group.  The primary issues facing the cruise giant is mainly related to fuel and food costs, as well as transitory costs related to health and safety protocols, which are expected to weigh on 2022 earnings.   

First quarter results

Royal Caribbean Group posted a $1.2 billion dollar loss in the first quarter. The Company also reported Adjusted Net Loss of $1.2 billion.

The Net Loss and Adjusted Net Loss for the quarter are primarily the result of the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business.

Cruise ships sailing in the first quarter averaged a capacity of 59%. Month-by-month, capacity generally went up with March capacity averaging 68%.

Total revenue per Passenger Cruise Day in the first quarter was up 4% versus record 2019 levels driven by continued strong onboard revenue performance. The term "onboard revenue performance" refers to passengers buying extras for their cruise, such as drink packages, wifi, or excursions.

In fact, spending onboard was so strong that cash flow from ships in operation was positive in the first quarter. 

Royal Caribbean Group Chief Financial Officer Naftali Holtz said getting back to profitability is the focus now, "Our near-term focus is to return to full operations and profitability as we execute on our recovery and build for long term success."

Bookings

Booking volumes in the first quarter improved consistently week-over-week and reached typical Wave levels at the end of the quarter.  The term "wave season" refers to the sales period in the beginning of the year when cruise ship bookings are generally the best of the year.

Bookings have now been surpassing comparable 2019 levels for the last two months with particularly strong trends for North America based itineraries. 

The amount of cancelled cruises the company was seeing subsided to pre-Omicron levels in February.

Effect of the Ukraine War

Bookings for Europe sailings improved throughout the first quarter but softened due to the war in Ukraine with a bigger impact on Baltic itineraries.  

While bookings for Europe are now exceeding 2019 levels for the same period, the situation in Ukraine is expected to weigh on load factors in Europe this summer. 

Future cruise credits

As of March 31, 2022, the company's customer deposit balance was $3.6 billion. This is a $400 million increase from the previous quarter.

Approximately 27% of the customer deposit balance is related to FCCs compared to 32% in the prior quarter, a positive trend indicating new demand. To date, approximately 56% of FCCs have been redeemed.

Ready to catch up on this week's Royal Caribbean news?

There's always a lot of changes happening, big and small. In order to keep everyone up-to-date, this post has a wrap up of what's new this week.

Check out all of the updates so far this week.

Wonder of the Seas begins European cruise season

Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship arrived in Barcelona and is ready to begin her summer cruise season in the Mediterranean.

Wonder of the Seas will begin offering 7-night cruises from Barcelona and Rome beginning May 8th.

During her time in Europe, the ship will visit destinations such as Florence, Naples and Capri, Italy; Provence, France; and Malaga, Spain.

Wonder’s western Mediterranean sailings will continue through October.  In November, Wonder will return to the U.S. to sail from its new year-round home in Port Canaveral, Florida, 

New Galveston cruise terminal ahead of schedule

Progress is so good at Royal Caribbean's new cruise terminal in Galveston that construction is actually ahead of schedule.

During a webinar with travel agents on Wednesday, Royal Caribbean Director of Sales for the Central Region, Galen Matthews, provided an update.

"We are super excited that the Galveston terminal construction is actually ahead of schedule," Ms. Matthews shared. "The terminal is now 50% complete and the berth expansion is about 80% complete."

"We will be open for business and ready to receive your clients for the first Allure of the Seas sailing, which is on November 13, 2022."

Terminal 3 cruise terminal will cost $125 million, and is located at Pier 10 for exclusive use by Royal Caribbean.

Executive moves

Two notable Royal Caribbean executives have announced they are departing the company.

Royal Caribbean International Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations, Mark Tamis, is leaving Royal Caribbean International. His replacement will be Sean Treacy, who was working as the Senior Vice President of International Sales.

Mr. Tamis has worked as the head of Hotel Operations since February 2015. He came to Royal Caribbean after serving as senior vice president, Guest Operations with Carnival Cruise Lines.

In addition, Vice President of worldwide port operations, Captain Hernan Zini is also leaving the cruise line to go work for Amazon.

Captain Zini also served as Vice President of talent management for Royal Caribbean Group. Many cruise fans may remember him best as the fleet captain and being the start-up Captain for Allure of the Seas when she first debuted.

Royal Caribbean will look for a new person to be appointed to Captain Zini's former role.

New crew member recruitment drive in Antigua

Just days after Royal Caribbean announced it would hire more crew members from Barbados, the cruise line said it will also do a hiring push in Antigua & Barbuda.

Royal Caribbean Group Vice President of Government Relations in the Americas, Russel Benford, announced the news at the Seatrade conference last week.

Royal Caribbean hopes to hire thousands of people from the Caribbean islands during an employment fair in June.

Openings in operations include

• storekeepers
• cruise staff
• youth staff
• sports staff
• laundry and restaurant attendants
• bar waiters
• wait staff, bakers
• butchers
• casino
• entertainment
• photographers

Glacier visits

Royal Caribbean's first ships of the Alaska cruise season are visiting glaciers this week.

Photos of Radiance of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas are checking out the Southeast Alaska glaciers, and there's new photos of both ships.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader twangster shared this photo of Radiance of the Seas, as seen from Serenade of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean Chief Meteorologist James Van Fleet posted photos of Radiance as well.

Both @RoyalCaribbean Serenade of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas up close in the Glaciers today in Southeast Alaska. Staff Captain Fredrik sending pics of Radiance making her way in this morning from the Bridge of Serenade. pic.twitter.com/rjuQ8dfkIj

— James Van Fleet (@JamesVanFleet) May 4, 2022