Royal Caribbean Blog

It’s Day 5 of my 7-night Alaska sailing onboard Radiance of the Seas on our voyage through Alaska's Inside Passage. 

I am happy to report the Internet appears to be back up and working! I’d like to officially lower my Internet reliability rating from a 6/10 to 3/10 based on the last few days.

Word on the street is that everyone will be getting a refund for 3 days because of the issues we’ve had. For the amount of time I have wasted trying to get connected, that feels justified.

Our morning today started at 6:30 AM again. Jet lag continues to be our friend as we get up early and start the day! The rough seas had thankfully calmed down by the time we were asleep, which is what the captain had told us would happen.

They weren't horrible last night and certainly not the worst I've experienced. In fact, the location of our inside cabin was fantastic for the waves last night. We had booked an inside guarantee cabin for this cruise, so we really lucked out with our stateroom since we didn’t choose this location.

I grabbed a coffee and we made our way to the Solarium. Since the Internet was still down, I started to panic about my sea day plans of working remotely. I connected to my phone’s LTE and created a hotspot to get a few things done.

Everyone else was clearly waiting for the ship Internet to work again because I had 2 people ask me if the WiFi was back on.

As I sipped my coffee and caught up on emails, Park Cafe had some tasty looking breakfast sandwiches, so I grabbed one of those while Sydney went to the Windjammer for breakfast.

The scenery was cloudy and overcast with Skagway being tucked away in the mountains.

Walking to Skagway

After breakfast and finishing up some work tasks, we bundled up and went ashore in Skagway.

There were 2 other ships docked in town today; for a city with a population of 1,200, this would be a huge influx of people!

It was cold and drizzly again as we walked off the ship and made our way to the city.

There were some golf-cart type vehicles that were offering rides, but this seemed to be mostly for older passengers and those with mobility issues. We opted to walk since the signage implied it was only 5 minutes to town.

Let me tell you - it was not 5 minutes to town.

We walked at least 20 minutes before we were in the city. Radiance of the Seas was docked behind another cruise ship, but even that walk would be longer than 5 minutes.

Stray Skagway Thoughts

As we walked along the port, we could see where the Skagway train starts, which is right at the start of the town.

Tickets were $133 if purchased in the port area. That was a little pricey for us. Also, the scenery from the ship was already so stunning, we decided to skip. We’ve heard great things about the train from cruisers who’ve done it in the past.

Word on the street is that one of the trains broke down today and passengers were issued a full refund. Guess we dodged a bullet.

The Skagway train crosses into Canada normally. Apparently, this year the train won’t be able to cross the border because of Covid movement restrictions. I am sure the ArriveCAN process for that would be horrendous anyway, so it’s in everyone’s best interest that it doesn’t cross.

When I came to Skagway 12 years ago, we did the Sled Dog Training Camp tour. This was amazing and I would highly recommend, especially for dog lovers and families. It was fascinating seeing how the huskies are raised and trained.

Broadway Street 

As we made our way into town towards Broadway Street, we immediately appreciated how quaint and charming it was. My dad suggested we go to the famous Red Onion Saloon, so we walked past that and saw it was pretty busy.

The town is very small and filled with shops along both sides of the street. You won’t need to look very far for jewelry if you’re in the market for some new bling! There are tons of jewelry shops around town that are eager to get you inside.

We started to notice a few people eating these huge bear claws. Sydney and I followed the aroma of cinnamon and sugar to Klondike Doughboy.

For $7, we indulged in a warm, doughy fry bread covered in cinnamon sugar. It was huge and easily shareable. This was the place to go in town, as it was pretty busy with cruisers.

Next, we wanted to check out the local supermarket to see how the locals live.

We were surprised to see reasonably comparative prices to what we have back home. But, we were shocked to see how sparse the fresh produce selection was.

Internet Hunt

Trying to find reliable Internet has become an unexpected storyline for this cruise.

Sydney and I saw there was one coffee shop in town, so we figured we would be able to get some WiFi there if we needed. At the very least, I was hoping to get a few things done for work.

I have 3 part-time jobs that I work remotely, including blogging for RoyalCaribbeanBlog. I’ve been lucky to have reliable Internet on my cruises earlier this year, so I didn’t anticipate any issues.

I prefer to be totally disconnected when cruising; but, I’ve been doing a lot of traveling during my husband’s deployment, which means I need to do work here and there to make sure I stay gainfully employed.

Anyway, the cafe did not have WiFi (is this becoming a recurring theme?). I had 3 people ask me whether the cafe had Internet, so everyone seemed to be in the same boat.

I guess this was a lesson learned that Internet should not be relied upon when cruising to Alaska.

I was able to get a few things done while Sydney made all the friends. We first met some crew members from the Norwegian ship who thought for the entire conversation that we were crew members too.

We also met a really sweet older couple who asked us more about our Semester at Sea voyage. They were interested in becoming Lifelong Learners  (cruisers who just join the voyage for fun but don’t take courses), so Sydney gave them her information to stay in touch.

It was pretty chilly and we had gone through pretty much the entire town by this point. We sampled some popcorn, tried the Klondike Doughboy and window-shopped in jewelry stores.

We also did some souvenir shopping right before we made our way back to the ship.

Afternoon Relaxation

The walk back to the ship took 20 minutes and it was raining more by this point. We were chilled and hungry, ready to head up to the Windjammer for lunch.

I felt better about the Internet debacle by this point because I was able to get in touch with my bosses and update them on the situation. Feeling a bit drained, I was ready for a relaxation afternoon.

Sydney and I have yet to find cozy hot cocktails on the ship. I’ve asked a few times and the best response was ‘We can make you a cocktail without ice?!”.

That one made us laugh.

Instead, we went back to the cabin to put on our swimsuits for the hot tub. We stopped at Latitudes and ordered some hot chocolate and asked for shots of Bailey’s in each. We created our own hot toddies!

The Solarium wasn’t very busy, which was great since the pool deck hot tubs were busier. We relaxed for a bit in the hot tub with our boozy hot chocolates.

Dinner in the Dining Room

The afternoon went by pretty quickly and before we knew it, it was time to get ready for dinner.

I challenged myself to do this cruise with only a carry-on and tonight I was feeling like my dinner outfit options were a little sparse.

Luckily, this is a cruise where people are busy all day on excursions and exploring, so there’s a wide range of attire in the dining room. I’ve been sporting some dark jeans the last few nights, as I saved my dresses for the formal nights mostly.

We started the meal with strawberry blondes, which were cocktails from the bar menu.

Dinner tonight had a really good menu in my opinion! I ordered the pork tacos for an appetizer, which is a favorite of mine, and the chicken cordon blu. I swapped the french fries for mashed potatoes and loved this as a comfort meal. 

Sydney opted for Caesar salad for a starter and requested a ‘DIY dinner option’ of tomato soup from the appetizer list and grilled cheese from the kid’s menu.

We’ve been really enjoying our new friends each night at dinner to the table next to us. While we aren’t sitting together, our tables are virtually right next to one another.

They loved Sydney’s idea of soup and grilled cheese, so they ordered the same.

For dessert, I ordered the Tres Leches while Sydney had the apple blossom. I wasn’t sure if I would like this cake, but it was delicious. The apple blossom seems to be a home-run dessert on every cruise I’ve taken, so I might opt for that the next 2 nights as well.

Tonight’s entertainment was a singer who gave tribute to Whitney Houston with shows at both 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM. We’ve both been tired by the end of the night, so we called it a night a little early.

It’s funny to see a lot of the older cruisers stay up late for the dancing and entertainment while we seem to be wiped by the end of the day.

Pre-Departure Covid Testing

We came back to our cabin to find a sheet that had information about covid testing upon arrival back in Canada. I'm slowly losing hope that this pre-departure testing to return to the US will be dropped before Friday.

If you're flying from Canada back to the US, you currently will need to show proof of a negative covid test. The test can be taken within 1 day of traveling. 

This is rumored to be changing soon, but I seem to have great luck of cruising right before changes happen (like my February cruise that missed the optional mask guidance by one day).

Our dinner friends said they totally forgot this was a requirement, but the concierge in the suites lounge has arranged for them to get tested at the airport before their flight.  

I brought my Abbott home tests to hopefully take the last day on the ship, but the unreliable Internet will determine if that happens. 

My strategy is to take the proctored test onboard the ship before disembarking. If I happen to get an unexpected positive result, then I am covered under Royal Caribbean's Cruising with Confidence policy. However, the Internet connection could prove to change my plans. 
 

Tracy’s Arm Fjord

Tomorrow, we are sailing through Tracy’s Arm Fjord in the early morning from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM. We have our alarm set and are looking forward to the glacier.

Last summer, Luke and I weren’t able to see the glacier because it was too icy for the ship to get there safely. We were able to get close and sail by icebergs - that was actually our favorite day of our Alaska cruise last summer.

We are expected to have better weather tomorrow luckily! I am hoping we can make it to see Sawyer Glacier, but I know the scenery through the fjord is incredible too.

I will be looking out for the specialty drinks tomorrow morning on the pool deck as we sail through!

Also, I booked myself a massage for tomorrow afternoon. Sydney has made plans to play cards with our dinner friends during my massage. I decided to treat myself for (almost!!) making it through my first deployment as a military spouse.

That’s all for today from Skagway!

Port Canaveral is one of the more popular cruising and vacation destinations in Florida, and is the gateway to cruise that many guests embark and start their adventure.  

If you're looking to get to Port Canaveral, here is a quick guide to knowing how to get there quickly and easily.

Royal Caribbean operates three cruise ships from Port Canaveral currently: Harmony of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, and Independence of the Seas.

Directions to Terminal 1

Royal Caribbean operates mostly out of the brand new Cruise Terminal #1, which is is located at 9050 Discovery Road Cape Canaveral, Florida 32920.

Driving to Terminal One is simple enough from most spots in Florida.  Most routes will take you to the Cape Canaveral/Cocoa Beach area via State Road 528, which is a toll road.  You should be prepared and either pre-purchase a SunPass or have exact change in your vehicle.

Directions from Orlando International Airport (MCO)

1. Take the North exit from the airport, staying to the right on SR 528 East.
2. Take SR 528 East all the way to Port Canaveral.
3. Upon approaching the port area, follow the signs indicating Port Canaveral Cruise Terminals B Side.

From Melbourne International Airport (MLB)

1. Exit east (left) out of the airport onto NASA boulevard and follow to U.S. Highway 1.
2. Turn left (north) onto U.S. Highway 1.
3. Travel approximately 20 minutes on U.S. Highway 1 passed the intersection of S.R. 520 in Cocoa about one mile to the S.R. 528 exit.
4. Exit and travel east on SR. 528 for approximately 10 miles, crossing the Indian River, Merritt Island and the Banana River to reach Port Canaveral.

From Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB)

1. Exit the airport south to the Central Florida Greenway (Toll Road 417).
2. Go south 23 miles to S.R. 528 (the Beach line Expressway) eastbound exit.
3. Go east (37 miles) to the Port. 

From Space Coast Regional Airport (TIX)

1. Exit and drive east three blocks
2. Turn south onto U.S. Highway 1 to the Beach line Expressway (S.R. 528) and follow this east to the Port.

From Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB)

1. Take I-95 south to S.R. 528 East and follow to the Port

Port Canaveral parking information

You can park directly at Port Canaveral at the parking garage that is adjacent to the cruise terminal.

Parking is $17.00 per day (Vehicles & RVs), including day of arrival and day of departure. 

When you drive to the terminal, you can either park first or drop off luggage first.  In either case, there is a multi-level parking garage where you can easily access to park your vehicle.

You will pay for parking upon entry into the garage, which means when your cruise is over and you drive home, there are no lines.

No cash is accepted for parking, so you will need a credit card to park  (American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover).

In addition to the parking garage, there are a few smaller surface lots near the parking garage. These are often used as overflow from the garage.

Taking a taxi

There are lots of taxis at Port Canaveral, as well as the airports in the area that can easily take you to/from Port Canaveral.

Ride-sharing programs, such as Uber or Lyft are also options that can save a lot of money compared to traditional taxis. These ride-sharing services allow people to use their own personal automobiles to provide car rides. Uber and Lyft are gaining in popularity among people headed to the cruise port as a less-expensive way of getting private car transportation to the port.

In either case, get a fare estimate before choosing which service is right for you.

Renting a car

In so many cases, a one-way car rental is the best optional economically because of the flexibility it offers, as well as the per-person cost. Most major rental car facilities have locations in the Cocoa Beach area and provide complimentary shuttle service to the port.

The larger the group, the better sense renting a car makes.  Check what the rental car rates will be for the time you are looking to go, but having a rental car offers not just a means of getting to the port, but also a way to see local attractions, enjoy a greater variety of restaurants and stock up on last-minute supplies prior to getting to the cruise terminal.

When reserving your car, be sure to indicate that you will return the car in a different location and look for locations in Cape Canaveral or Cocoa Beach.  The major rental car companies have locations within 5 miles or so of the cruise terminals.

A good tip for those renting a car is to first drive the car to the cruise terminal, drop off the luggage and everyone else in your party there.  Then, the driver should drive the rental car back to the car rental location and take the free shuttle back to the pier. The reason for this is many people opt to bring the car to the car rental location first and lines can develop for the shuttles since the shuttles aren't very big.  If just one person needs a ride back with no luggage, it can be much easier to hop into the first shuttle back to the terminal since you don't have to worry about fitting luggage or family.

Royal Caribbean Transfers

Royal Caribbean offers a bus service of its own (called transfers) to bring you to the port from Orlando International Airport (MCO). Royal Caribbean offers transfers in one way increments (you can book two one-ways to create a round trip). 

To purchase a Royal Caribbean Guest Transfer or for additional information consult your travel agent or the Royal Caribbean reservations department at 1-800-327-6700.

From an area hotel

If you are staying in a hotel prior to your cruise, the hotels in Port Canaveral and Coco Beach are very convenient to the port.

Take route A1A north and follow A1A all the way until you reach the port area.  Follow the signs for the terminal of your cruise.

Some hotels in Cape Canaveral will offer cruise and park deals, where you can pay for a one night stay at the hotel and receive complimentary parking for the duration of your cruise as well as shuttle service to the pier terminal.

What time to arrive to Port Canaveral

Since 2021, Royal Caribbean enforces check-in times for what time you can check-in for your cruise.

Up to 45 days before your cruise is set to begin, you can complete the online check-in process via Royal Caribbean's app.

It's important to adhere to the check-in time so you can avoid overcrowding, as well as be admitted right away into the terminal.

If you arrive early, there are a few restaurants and bars within walking distance to the left of the cruise terminal. Porters are available to take your luggage, and then you can hang out at either Fishlips or Grills while you wait.

Electric car parking at Port Canaveral

Port Canaveral will have six new FPL EVolution Level 3 fast charging stations.

The charging stations will be located in the Cove District parking lot.

The introduction of these charging stations is part of a broader initiative by Port Canaveral to align with its environmental stewardship goals, which also includes investing millions of dollars in stormwater improvements and environmental initiatives to ensure water quality and habitat protection. 

Guests can save up to 35% off on select pre-cruise purchases with Royal Caribbean's new Cruise Planner sale.

The latest pre-cruise sale runs between May 4, 2022 – May 10, 2022 and is valid on sailings departing between May 9, 2022 – March 31, 2023. 

Royal Caribbean states guests can expect to see:

Beverage: Up to 40% off

• Classic Soda Beverage Package: 30% off onboard prices.
• Classic Soda + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Over 30% off onboard prices.
• Spring Water Cans: 40% off onboard prices.
• San Benedetto Water Cans: Discount varies by ship.
• Evian Water Bottles: 40% off onboard prices.
• Deluxe Beverage Package: Discount varies by ship.
• Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Discount varies by ship.
• Refreshment Package: Discount varies by ship. 

Shore Excursions: Up to 25% off

• Shore Excursions: Discount varies by ship. 

Internet: Up to 50% Off

• VOOM Surf + Stream Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.
• VOOM Surf Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.
• The Key: Discount varies by ship.

Dining: Up to 55% Off

• Unlimited Dining Package on 3N – 9N sailings: Discount varies by ship.

Gifts & Gear: Up to 20% Off

• Anniversary Decorations with Champagne
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Chocolate Cake & Strawberries
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Vanilla Cake & Strawberries
• Inky Beach Set
• Inky Beach Towel (TicTacToe)
• Soft Octopus Travel Set
• Red Wine and Cheese
• Royal Caribbean Beach Towel
• Strawberries with Champagne
• White Wine and Cheese

Photo Packages: Up to 70% Off

• Photo Packages: From 5 - 100 Print and/or Digital Options: Discount varies by ship.
• Photo Package: Private Photo Session: Discount varies by ship.
• Photo Package: All Digital: Discount varies by ship.

Casitas: Up to 20% Off

• Casita Packages: 20% Off Onboard Prices.

To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's web site look for any available offers. Keep in mind that not all sailings may see the sale applicable, nor are all offers significantly cheaper than previously posted.

If you spot a better discount on something you already pre-purchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same item under this promotion.

More helpful information

• Should you buy pre-cruise purchases now or wait to buy it onboard?
• 45 ways to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• How much should I budget for a cruise?

Another Covid-19 protocols has been relaxed.

Royal Caribbean announced a change to its flexible dinner choice that would allow families with unvaccinated children to dine there once again.

In an email to travel agents, Royal Caribbean said unvaccinated guests seated with their traveling party are able to dine in My Time Dining once again.

Prior to this change, Royal Caribbean had restricted My Time Dining to vaccinated passengers only.

Here is the exact verbiage in the policy change.

"As we work through our health and safety protocols your clients can expect onboard, we wanted to share an update with you all. If unvaccinated guests remain seated with only his/her traveling party, we are pleased to share that My Time Dining is available to them."

This allows families with unvaccinated children to have the choice to eat at My Time Dining for dinner.

Read more: My Time Dining versus Traditional Dining

Currently, Covid-19 vaccination is recommended, but not required, for children age 11 and under.

Up until now, the Main Dining Room, which spans multiple decks, designated areas for parents and unvaccinated kids, and areas for vaccinated parties only. My Time Dining was not available to parties that include unvaccinated guests.

One of many relaxed protocols

Royal Caribbean has slowly rolled back a number of health protocols on its ships following the passing of the Omicron variant and the cruise line's decision to enter into the CDC U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highly vaccinated program.

Having nearly everyone vaccinated against Covid onboard, Royal Caribbean has been able to remove or lessen certain Covid-19 protocols that were once universal across the cruise industry.

Face masks are no longer required at all indoors on Royal Caribbean ships for vaccinated guests, including in Adventure Ocean.

Masks were also made optional recently in the cruise ship terminals during embarkation or disembarkation, unless where local regulations require it.

Royal Caribbean has also done away with is separate areas for vaccinated and unvaccinated passengers. 

Hi from Sitka today! I am currently blogging from our cabin because the seas are a little rough tonight. Captain said 9-12 ft waves can be expected as we sail from Sitka to Skagway and we will be sailing at (nearly) full speed. The Internet has been down all day on the ship, which is a bummer.

Sydney and I started our morning early again at 6:30 AM and grabbed a latte at Latitudes. We made our way to the Solarium to watch as we pulled into Sitka. The scenery was incredible, as Sitka is tucked away in the forested, snow-covered mountains.

I enjoyed my morning coffee while Sydney walked around the top deck and took pictures. As we pulled into port, we headed to the Windjammer for breakfast. It was pretty busy this morning, but we could still find a table just fine.

Our plan for the day was to take the free shuttle into the city and then snag a taxi or Uber to Fortress of the Bear, which is a sanctuary and bear rescue in Sitka.

We got ready for the day and we were off the ship by 9:00 AM. The sun was actually shining! Praising the heavens above for good weather finally, we made our way through the cruise terminal and onto the free shuttle.

Our Uber and Lyft apps were showing that we could catch a ride for $15 from the city center to the sanctuary, so that was our plan when we arrived.

After getting off the bus, there was a taxi driver sitting there. She said it was $20 each way to get to the sanctuary. She scuffed at us when we said we were planning to take an Uber since that was a bit cheaper.

“There’s no Uber here” she laughed. Instead of trying to prove her wrong, we just gave in and had her bring us to the sanctuary. It took about 10 minutes to get there.

She also offered us a private tour for $100/hr with a 3-hour minimum. We laughed while politely declining. Here we are trying to save $10 by taking Uber (that might not exist) and she thought we might be interested in a $300 private tour.

I appreciate her business hustle, but that’s about as much as we spent each for this 7 day cruise, so she was definitely talking to the wrong cruisers.

DIY Bear Sanctuary: Fortress of the Bear

Entrance fees for the bear sanctuary were $15 normally but we received a military discount, paying only $10 each.

The sanctuary was self-guided, so we walked from the counter out to a walkway. Right away we saw three black bears and listened to one of the stand members talking about the rescue and its mission.

Each of the bears were orphaned as cubs and the sanctuary rescued them. Without the sanctuary, the cubs would have died in the wild.

The three of them have been raised together and live on an acre of land. They have plenty of area to roam, splash in the water and climb around. The staff said the bears are fed anywhere from 50 to 100 times a day depending on how hungry they are.

The sanctuary also had brown bears, which were much bigger. These were also rescued as cubs. With just 8 bears and a small staff, the sanctuary is able to have a very close relationship with the bears and understand their needs.

We got to watch the staff actually feed meat to the bears. It reminded me of my pups back home - they know instantly when it’s treat or meal time.

These bears are taught sign language to say ‘more’ and the staff tell the bears to ‘open’ their mouths before they get the meat. They also know ‘up’ and ‘paw’ commands.

Sydney took some amazing pictures of the bears during our time there.

They explained how the bears are taught these commands so they can easily check on their mouth, paws, legs bellies, etc. Similar to dogs, the bears are rewarded with meat for listening to commands and this allows the sanctuary to provide veterinary services regularly.

The staff also explained how the bear’s lifespan is doubled by living in the sanctuary compared to those living in the wild. Essentially, these orphaned cubs are raised to be very spoiled bears who have a great life with attentive service and care. Sydney and I joked it was an all-inclusive resort for the animals.

The bears were very intrigued to see all of us there, as it was the first cruise ship of the season! Sydney and I were equally as captivated by these huge creatures. Since they’ve been raised around humans, they were very comfortable with everyone there.

We loved learning about the bears’ behaviors and interactions with one another. You could tell the staff care deeply about these animals and want to provide them the best life possible.

Bald eagles were also hanging in the tree during our visit. Apparently, they’ve been known to steal the meat right from the staff members’ hands. They hang around hoping to get some food as well.

I’d highly recommend a visit to the sanctuary if you have time in Sitka. Multiple tour groups were shuffled in and out while we were there, but we enjoyed taking it at our own pace. As someone who hates zoos and aquariums, I absolutely loved our time at Fortress of the Bear.

Taxi services are more limited in Sitka, so you can ask the staff at the sanctuary to contact one of the drivers to come get you. We also learned that you can take the city bus for $1 to the sanctuary. Of course, this has a few stops on the way out and back; but, that would totally be worth it for $1!

Our dinner friends said they spent $75 on a Viator tour that included stops at the bear sanctuary, eagle reserve and the national park. They said the bear sanctuary was more worthwhile than the eagle reserve since Sitka was full of eagles. The totem pole park is right near the city and easily walkable.

We spent $33 each for our day and could have easily done the city bus to do it way cheaper. Still a great value compared to any excursion offered.

Sitka Wandering

After our two hour visit to the sanctuary, we took a taxi back to the city to walk around the waterfront and do some shopping.

We snacked on some chips while enjoying the weather. It was cloudy and overcast, but at least it wasn’t raining. I wish I had brought a slightly warmer coat, but I challenged myself to only pack a carry-on for the week.

There’s a nice sidewalk that goes right along the waterfront in the city, so we walked along the path towards the Totem Poles National Park. It was a lovely walk on the paved path, although it was a bit chilly. The national park has a nice trail through some wooded areas that leads to a small creek and bridge.

Once we arrived at the bridge, we turned back to town because we were getting a little hungry for lunch. We opted to do some shopping before catching the shuttle back.

There was a really cute store right across from the shuttle drop off. The employee was a fellow military spouse whose husband was in the Coast Guard and stationed there. She said it’s beautiful, but she was ready to move somewhere with more to do.

Come to find out she’s from Virginia (Sydney’s hometown) and will be moving to Panama City, FL (right near me). Such a small world!

We boarded the shuttle to head back to the ship. Sydney and I agreed that we’ve enjoyed getting up early, which is easy thanks for the time change, and spending our morning in port. It’s nice to come back and have lunch and relax before the evening.

Well, the world got even smaller when we found out the shuttle driver was also the trolley driver yesterday in Ketchikan. We laughed and told her that she had left us behind the day before! Of course, she apologized for leaving us behind.

I guess most of the tour drivers are seasonal workers in college who work in Alaska during the summer. She flew from Ketchikan last night to help drive the shuttles today.

Chill Evening

Sydney and I came back to the ship and grabbed a late lunch while sitting in the Solarium. At this point, my phone was almost dead and the internet onboard the ship still wasn’t working. I was annoyed with technology in general, so I opted to take a nap in the cabin instead.

After my power nap, I checked with the Internet Service desk and apparently the Internet was down because the ship has bad reception while inside the mountains. He said it should get better as we head out to sea, but it’s still been out most of the evening.

I am hoping to work while we are at sea on Wednesday and Thursday, but now I am second guessing if I will even have reliable service for that. If you’re planning to work remotely on the Radiance of the Seas’ Internet, I would definitely think twice.

The ship’s Internet would receive a reliability score of 6/10 in my book, so don’t count on doing anything time sensitive unless you’re in port and have service.

Sydney and I also stopped at the Diamond Lounge for the first time tonight. She grabbed us a few snacks before we went down to the Schooner Bar for a drink before dinner.

At this point, the Captain announced that the wind had picked up and our seas might be a little rough until 11:00 PM tonight. Sydney spent the first 4 days of our Semester at Sea in bed with sea sickness (along with most people) when we crossed the English Channel, so she popped some medication right way. I’ve got good sea legs apparently, so I opted for a mojito instead.

Dinner tonight was excellent. I started with the baked potato soup for an appetizer and then had the lasagna, which is a favorite RCL dish of mine. Sydney wasn’t feeling great at dinner, so she didn’t eat much.

I finished off my meal with Royal Chocolate Cake, which was full of rich, decadent chocolate.

Sydney and I called it a night early because of the rough seas. With the internet down all day, I wasn’t able to finish the live blog. We’ve had 2 busy days, so an early night was just fine with us.

Royal Caribbean recently updated its infant policy to expand the definition of a sea day as it relates to its minimum age for infant cruisers.

Royal Caribbean allows infants between the ages of six months and 12 months to sail, provided there aren't too many sea days.

The amended policy now considers visits to Perfect Day at CocoCay or St. Kitts and Nevis as a sea day as it relates to infants. As a result, sailings with three consecutive sea days require infants to be 12 months or older at the beginning of the cruise.

Families traveling with infants who do not meet this age requirement for sailings with 3 consecutive sea days within this new definition will be unable to board the ship.

Previous policy language

Updated policy language

This is a significant update as many families select Royal Caribbean for its family friendly environment as well as amenities and services that cater to kids.

What’s considered a sea day?

For parents traveling with infants, specifically under 12 months of age, Royal Caribbean has a number of policies that families need to be aware of. As part of its operational rules, Royal Caribbean had previously required infants to be 12 months or older for cruises with three sea days.

The infant policy as detailed on Royal Caribbean’s website states:

“For the purposes of this policy, any cruise that has 3 or more days consecutive at sea will require infants to be 12 months old on the first day of the cruise/CruiseTour.”

Port stops considered a sea day

A significant modification to the policy, the cruise line has added: “Stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay and Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis, are considered sea days under this policy. “

To provide cruisers with further clarity, they elaborate with examples: “…an itinerary with a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay followed (or preceded) by two consecutive days at sea, or a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay between days at sea, actually is considered to have three consecutive days at sea.”

What does this mean for families who have already booked?

This is a significant policy update, especially as it relates to cruisers who may lose their money on a cruise that is already booked. The site lists no exemptions for those cruisers with an existing booking or are able to provide a doctor’s note or medical waiver.

Royal Caribbean states: “Please be aware that guests traveling with a young infant that does not meet the infant policy will be denied boarding. “

The policy adds: “No refunds or other compensation shall be due from the cruise line to anyone as a result of the denial of boarding to an underage infant or other accompanying guests.”

Why did they make the change?

Royal Caribbean has not commented on the updated policy in a press release, but many understand the rationale for these restrictions to be related to access to pediatric care and the overall well being of its youngest passengers.    

Beyond workers, Perfect Day at CocoCay is a largely uninhabited island without major hospital facilities. The best medical care in the Bahamas is located in the capital Nassau, which is over 55 miles away by boat or plane.

The dual island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis has a population of just over 54,000 and has a few public hospitals. For some health care needs, inhabitants need to travel off island for more specialized care. Specific details on the level of pediatric care and beds are not readily available.

Impact on itineraries

Many of the cruise line’s four and five day sailings to the Bahamas that include Perfect Day at CocoCay also include a stop in Nassau before or after, which appears to be acceptable under the new policy.

Additionally, numerous cruises leave from Miami and Port Canaveral and arrive at Perfect Day at CocoCay the following day, causing no apparent impacts to these short term sailings.

A review of some of Royal Caribbean’s current itineraries show an 8 night cruise from Baltimore on the Enchantment of the Seas, with three consecutive sea days based on the new interpretation. With a stop in Bermuda, followed by a sea day, stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay and then another sea day, it would be an issue for infants under 12 months of age.

Other policies that relate to infants

In addition to this recent change, other policies that relate to infants remain in place. Specifically, infants sailing on a cruise must be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise.

Additionally, transatlantic and transpacific cruises and those to Hawaii and select South American itineraries also require infants to be at least 12 months old as of the first day of the cruise/tour.  

For those families concerned, it is advised to reach out to their travel agent or Royal Caribbean directly to ensure a clear understanding of the impacts on any future cruise bookings as it relates to the new infant policy and sea days.

Royal Caribbean Group's first quarter 2022 earning call is scheduled for this week, and a lot of investors are going to be eager to hear about the financial well-being of the cruise giant.

Each quarter, every publicly traded company releases its financial results from the previous three months and then discusses what happened in-depth in a conference call that anyone listen to online.

Earnings calls are hosted by Royal Caribbean Group's top executives, and it is a combination of disclosures, prepared statements and answering questions from Wall Street analysts.

Royal Caribbean Group will host their call at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, on Thursday, May 5, 2022.

To get a sense of the top things Wall Street wants to know this quarter, I reached out to Dan Kline, Managing Editor, TheStreet.

Have they seen a rise in average prices?

You don't need to be an investor to know that prices for cruise fares have been trending up lately.

Cruise vacations have always been a tremendous value, but like so many things in life, prices tend to go up over time.

People paying more for a cruise might not be what the average cruiser wants to see, but it is a good indicator for investors who want to see how quickly Royal Caribbean Group can knock down the debt it accrued during the pandemic.

Are people still spending more onboard?

Ever since cruise ships restarted sailing in 2021, guests have been spending more than ever beyond their cruise fares, and an update on that trend will be important to track.

Sometimes referred to as "revenge spending", consumers have demonstrated a strong desire to make up for lost time over the last couple of years by buying up drink packages, gambling in the casino, and booking lavish excursions.

It's not just cruise lines seeing this trend. Airline and hotel stocks have been surging this year thanks in part to what some are dubbing the "YOLO economy".  United  and American Airlines both reported strong earnings last week. Shares of Marriott, Hilton and Wyndham are near all-time highs. Theme park owner SeaWorld is not far from a record high, too. 

For Royal Caribbean, the question will be are cruise ship passengers continuing that trend.

How much of the record bookings use FCCs?

An important indicator of Royal Caribbean's demand is how many bookings are being booked with cash or existing future cruise credits (FCC)

Future cruise credits are something given out when cruises are cancelled, and to get a better sense of the company's financial state, comparing the amount of cash the company has versus FCC is another common question.

Are there plans to retire more ships?

With Royal Caribbean taking on Odyssey of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas in less than a year, and four more ships on order in the next few years, will existing ships be shed?

The cruise company has always said they would be strategic with selling or transferring older ships out of the fleet.

Whether or not the resale market for cruise ships has improved since the depths of pandemic remains to be seen, and it's not clear what to expect from the aging Vision Class ships.

Do they plan to refinance more debt?

It will be a while before Royal Caribbean Group can emerge from under all those loans it had to take out during the pandemic, but they're going to need to be creative to avoid it becoming a massive boondoggle.

No one expects the debt to disappear tomorrow, but investors will want to hear about how Royal Caribbean Group plans to handle it all.

How you can listen to the earnings call

There will be full coverage of anything intriguing that comes out of Royal Caribbean Group's first quarter 2022 earnings call on RoyalCaribbeanBlog, but if you would like to listen on your own, here's how.

The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations website, www.rclinvestor.com.  

You will be able to listen via the link provided close to the start of the call.

Royal Caribbean has filed two new trademarks that are likely intended for areas of its private island in The Bahamas.

It's no secret that Royal Caribbean intends to expand Perfect Day at CocoCay, having already talked publicly about plans for an adults-only area of the island.

Trademarks filed last week with the United States Patent and Trademark Office confirm one name and signal the name of potentially another new area.

Here's what Royal Caribbean filed and what it could mean, keeping in mind that not everything Royal Caribbean trademarks ends up being used.

Hideaway Beach

Already announced by Royal Caribbean as a project, Hideaway Beach was formally trademarked with a filing on April 27.

Hidewaway Beach will be an adults-only expansion of Perfect Day at CocoCay. It will be located west of the island’s pier, adjacent to CocoCay’s Thrill Waterpark. 

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley confirmed the area will be an adults-only area. In March 2022, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider said the timeline for opening is mid to late 2023.

The trademark filing describes Hideaway Beach simply as, "Recreational services, namely island resort services". Trademark descriptions are usually quite vague.

Little else is known about what this new area will offer beyond the fact it will be limited to adults.

Secret Cove

Royal Caribbean also filed a trademark for Secret Cove on April 27.

Just like Hideaway Beach, the trademark lists in the description Secret Cove as being, "Recreational services, namely island resort services."

Royal Caribbean has not announced or referred to anything yet named Secret Cove, but a crew member YouTube video might share insight into what it could be.

Martina, a Royal Caribbean crew member onboard the Serenade of the Seas, posted a YouTube video from December 2021 that refers to an area of CocoCay beyond South Beach called "Secret Cove" that was being used as a crew member-only beach.

"This is the place to relax, to be ourselves, and to get a little bit away from the work," she says in her video.

She describes it as a place for crew members to hang out and enjoy time off.

Whether or not Secret Cove is intended to remain crew-only or become another new expansion area for cruise ship guests remains to be seen.

It's also entirely possible the trademark refers to something else completely unrelated to CocoCay.

Today was the third and final night of our Bahamas cruise on Freedom of the Seas. We spent the day at Perfect Day at CocoCay while docked next to Mariner of the Seas.

While guests visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay yesterday encountered thunderstorms and rain, we were welcomed onto the island today with sunny skies, light cloud coverage, and a slight breeze.

My parents and I enjoyed a light breakfast in the Windjammer and walked around the running track a few times as Freedom of the Seas docked at CocoCay.

We got off the ship around 8AM and headed to Chill Beach. This is my preferred spot to relax on CocoCay due to the quieter atmosphere and plethora of chairs and umbrellas available. While we initially picked chairs right against the water, it was far too sunny so we decided to move back into the shade.

Next up was a swim at Oasis Lagoon, where we visited the swim up bar and enjoyed a cocktail. The water in both the pool and ocean today was quite chilly!

I had to make a brief stop back to the ship mid-day, and I couldn't believe how empty it was! Nearly everywhere onboard was empty around 11AM.

I headed back to shore around 11:30. It was noticeably more crowded during the afternoon than the morning, but it did not feel too crowded at CocoCay, even though there were probably around 7,000 - 8,000 passengers on the island. If you're looking for that quiet island-feel, though, make sure to get off the ship as soon as the gangway opens.

I wanted to show my parents as much of Perfect Day at CocoCay as possible, so we took the tram to South Beach. Here I grabbed a small lunch of mozzarella sticks from Snack Shack and went to find a shady place to sit.

Unfortunately South Beach does not have nearly as much seating as Chill Beach. All chairs with umbrellas were taken so we opted for a few chairs in the sun. While walking on the beach, I noticed the area of the beach that had been reserved for crew members has been converted into daybeds.

The far end of South Beach has a sandbar far into the water where visitors can walk out to and encounter warm water and great views. It was amazing how far you could walk into the water! I hung out there for a while, which had far warmer water than the main beach.

Next up after South Beach was a trip back to Oasis Lagoon, which had transformed from a quiet pool into a huge party. While it was not as insanely loud as the party at Oasis Lagoon when I visited the island on Wonder of the Seas during college spring break, there was definitely a high-energy party atmosphere!

It seems to be nearly impossible to find chairs near Oasis Lagoon once afternoon hits, but luckily there is a nice grassy area where we were able to lay down our towels.

After much fun in the sun, we got back onboard around 3PM and walked around the promenade deck with some incredible ocean and island views. The sprawling promenade deck is by far my favorite aspect of Freedom of the Seas.

Sailaway was at 5PM and we watched it from the helicopter pad. The helicopter pad is my favorite sailaway spot, and we watched as Mariner of the Seas departed for Port Canaveral, Florida followed by our own departure from Perfect Day at CocoCay.

We had dinner tonight at Izumi Hibachi. I had reserved this dinner ahead of time on the Cruise Planner app and was excited to show my parents what I think is the most fun restaurant in Royal Caribbean's fleet.

Unsurprisingly, it ended up being a ton of fun! We were seated with four other guests and our chef put on a fantastic show with jokes, the scrambled egg “snake,” and song and dance. The food was delicious as usual, including the She’s a Geisha cocktail that I just have to get every time I eat at Izumi.

Dinner ended around 7PM and we wanted to catch our final sunset on Freedom of the Seas. We were headed directly west, so the sunset was best viewed from the front of the ship. Therefore we walked to the helicopter pad again where we were rewarded with gorgeous ocean views as we sailed toward Miami.

We then spent some time relaxing on the upper pool deck, shopping for souvenirs, and watching a bit of karaoke.

It was a Perfect Day at CocoCay today, both on the island and onboard the ship, and all too soon it was time to pack our bags and get ready for departure tomorrow. A 3-night cruise definitely feels short, especially when there is no sea day, but it was a wonderful trip overall, filled with exciting days in port and near perfect weather the entire cruise.

Keep an eye out on the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube channel for our upcoming full ship tours of Oasis of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas. Thanks for following along on my live blogs!

Greetings from Alaska! We arrived in our first port of the cruise today in Ketchikan. Mother Nature welcomed us with cloudy, foggy and rainy weather as we pulled into port.

With a time change on our side, Sydney and I were up early at 6:30 AM. Others clearly had the same idea of getting a specialty coffee at Latitudes because the line was at least 10 people long.

The warm latte was perfect to sip on as we watched us pull into port from the heated Solarium. 

Outside looked like cuddle-up-and-watch-a-movie kind of weather. Everyone was wandered around the ship in their cozy clothes.

Sydney and I made a few calls home before having breakfast in the Windjammer. We had purchased tickets for the Trolley and Lumberjack show last night since the forecast was looking bleak. The excursion was scheduled for 9:45 AM (this is an important detail for later!), so we enjoyed a nice breakfast and took our time getting ready.

We bundled up with jackets, hats and gloves because we had seen even a few snow flakes from the top deck as we pulled into Ketchikan.

When the excursion leaves you behind

Sydney and I got off the ship around 9:35 AM and made our way to the terminal meeting place. We took a few pictures with the ship and started looking around for our excursion.

After looking around a bit, Sydney asked one of RCL’s excursion staff members where we should meet for the Trolley. We showed them our tickets and the crew member looked concerned and responded, “Oh… the tour has already left”. 

We looked at our watches and it was 9:42 AM, so the trolley shouldn’t have even left the cruise port yet because it was scheduled to depart at 9:45 AM.

The crew member stated the meeting time was 9:30 AM and we told her we were in the terminal within probably 5 minutes of that time. We didn’t see the trolley or anyone holding the sign while we waited before asking for help. 

She said she would try to call the trolley back, but then the other crew members stated the trolley wouldn’t be able to return to pick us up. We asked if we could go meet the trolley somewhere, thinking it hadn't gone very far. That wasn't an option, unfortunately. 

Apparently, the tour only had 8 people booked for today. We bought tickets last night but she said 2 people must have bought tickets early this morning as well. The lists are printed the night before for excursion runs, so the total number of participants wasn’t updated from 8 to 10 people.

When 8 people showed up, the trolley tour decided to leave early because that matched the list total. Bummer for us.

At first, the crew members told us we could do one of the following: either take a later trolley only and miss the show or do a later lumberjack show and skip the trolley.

They said the later lumberjack show could include a crab feast, but it was $199. I think they could tell we were not pleased with either of these options and questioned how the excursion could have left without us when they had our names even on the list. 

Finally, they said we could do the lumberjack show at a discounted rate - first it was 30% and then they upped It to 50%. This felt reasonable, so we accepted that offer.

We had an extra hour to burn so we shopped in the terminal and walked to a coffee shop in the freezing drizzle.

At the end of the day, this was probably just a series of unfortunate events on both sides. We should have been off the ship sooner to be at the meeting place right at 9:30. The excursion certainly shouldn't have left early and without checking the list of passengers who were booked. With such a small group, once everyone showed up, we were already out of luck. 

I am glad Royal Caribbean gave us options and they wanted to make up for the unfortunate instance happened. Of course, we were bummed we couldn't do the trolley but at least we had options. 

Sydney and I joked that 'travel is back!' and all of the unexpected that comes along with it - that's part of the fun. Our semester abroad was filled with the unexpected and unplanned. It's best to just go with the flow, especially traveling in this post-pandemic phase.

Excursion round 2

We figured that there would be transportation included to the show since it was raining. But, at the designating meeting place and time, they instructed us to all walk 3 blocks for the show.

Here's us in the cold rain walking to the lumberjack show.

This was no big deal for us, but certainly took us by surprise because we figured the sticker price of $59 would include transportation. If we had older family members with us, I wouldn’t have been very pleased with walking in the rain. 

As we arrived at the show, I saw a ticket stand at the venue where tickets were being sold for only $37 - for the same show and time!

Had we known this, we would have just done that from the start. The excursion didn’t even include transportation so there was literally nothing that made the excursion worth $20+ more!

Luckily, the venue was covered and had heaters. It was still very chilly and I opted to purchase souvenir gloves to be more comfortable.

The show was fun and very interactive. It was cheesy, which would make it a great option for families with kids. I am glad we opted to do the show since there wasn’t much else that appealed to us in town, especially considering the weather.

I wouldn’t say the show was worth $60, but it would be a nice activity for the $37 tickets sold at the venue.

Creek Street

After the hour show, we briskly walked in the cold rain to Creek Street. I had visited this area with my husband last summer, and it was a beautiful spot to stroll and shop. We also had gorgeous weather last year, keep in mind.

Sydney and I walked into a few shops but after sitting in the rain at the lumberjack show for an hour, we were both pretty chilly and ready for lunch.

We did make one last stop to an art shop where the owner told us how her roommate in college did Semester at Sea 30 years ago, so that was a fun coincidence.

It was a quick walk back to the ship luckily. Ketchikan is very walkable right off the port area and it really is a lovely town. Last year, Luke and I grabbed lunch at a taphouse that had great food (cheese curds for us Midwesterners), craft beer and fun cocktails.

There’s also plenty of jewelry shopping and other local shops to enjoy. If you forget a coat for the cruise, you can find pretty nice coats for $10-$20 in the shops. We had to do this 12 years ago when we took an Alaska cruise and it was much colder than we anticipated.

Slow Afternoon

After the excursion debacle and the cold weather, Sydney and I grabbed lunch at the Windjammer. We made our way to the Solarium where I plopped myself down on a chair with 3 towels and napped.

We heard that people who did the Misty Fjords that they had rough seas today, so I was grateful we didn’t choose that excursion. It was nice to come back to the ship and take it slow.

I strongly believe the scenery that can be seen from the ship is equally as gorgeous and scenic as the excursions offered to the fjords and glaciers.

Of course, if you want to do something particular or see a glacier, you will have to venture to those places specifically. Overall though, the scenery from the cruise ship is captivating and stunning on its own.

We’ve seen whales and dolphins from the ship too! Even just sailing the Inside Passage is great for me and I don’t feel like I need to do any special excursions to see more scenery.

Dinner in the dining room

Our first night in the dining room felt a little disorganized and chaotic. The servers seemed to be a little frazzled, perhaps because they had a much larger crowd this sailing than the last one.

Last week was the first sailing on Radiance of the Seas since the pandemic restart and 800 passengers sailed from California to Canada. This week, we have 1,600 passengers, which is around 60% capacity. I am sure that was stressful the crew to transition to a busier ship. 

Tonight, we had great service in the dining room and the experience was much smoother.

We stopped at the Schooner Bar to grab a cocktail for dinner since the night before it took a while to get our drinks. One of the bartenders looked very familiar... and then it clicked - Luke and I had met her last summer on our cruise! She was from Colombia and gave Luke recommendations for an upcoming training he had in her home country. She remembered us, so that was another fun coincidence of the day. 

Sydney had the lavender daiquiri and I had a strawberry mojito - both were excellent. 

For dinner tonight, Sydney and I both started with French onion soup and had beef short rib for entree. Sydney’s short rib was fattier than mine, but it had great flavor and it was very tender.

We both polished off the meal with Mississippi Mud Pie, which was excellent.

Comedy Show and Solarium

We had finished dinner just in time to make the 7:00 PM comedian show. Since we had missed both showtimes for the Tango show, we were excited to experience the entertainment.

The theatre was pretty full and we both liked the comedian, who was decently funny. With an older crowd onboard, the jokes were definitely geared towards the greater audience.

The internet connection has been great in the Solarium, so Sydney and I made our way up to the top deck to relax as the sun begins to set. There’s virtually no one in here; as I blog, Sydney as the hot tub to herself.

Tomorrow’s Plans

We arrive tomorrow in Sitka for our second port. Sydney did a little research and found that there is a bear sanctuary just 5 miles from the town.

A free shuttle is provided from the ship to the city center, which is a nice option. We plan to look at either a taxi or see if they have Uber or Lyft available for us to get to the bear sanctuary.

The weather outlook seems to be a bit more promising with only a slight change of light rain showers tomorrow in the afternoon. Hoping we get lucky with some better weather than today!

That’s all for now! Good night from Alaska.