Royal Caribbean Blog

Covid-19 cases on Royal Caribbean Group's cruise ships from the Omicron variant are on the downswing.

During Royal Caribbean Group's fourth quarter earnings call on Friday, cruise line executives talked about the relative low amount of Covid cases onboard cruise ships compared to society on land, as well as the fact cases are dropping as Omicron passes its peak.

Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty opened the call with investors by talking about the past quarter, and talked about how well its health protocols have been at keeping the vast majority of its passengers safe.

The cruise industry was firmly in the cross hairs of national media coverage last month when Covid cases began to go up onboard.

While the media was fixated on new cases on ships for a couple weeks, since then, cases have dropped significantly. Few media outlets have bothered to update their audience on that improvement with the same tenacity as the negative coverage.

Mr. Liberty proudly shared the precipitous drop in cases, "The good news is is that in the last several weeks, cases on board our ships have been declining rapidly and we now have returned to exceptionally low pre-Omicron levels."

He shared that over the last seven days, Royal Caribbean Group has averaged only "a handful of positive guest cases per cruise."

Mr. Liberty said that while Omicron was "particularly painful," it appears as though that is behind the company, "while the variant is not done, it appears that the worst is behind us."

With Omicron either peaking or past peak, new cruise ship bookings are up again.

"In the last week of January, bookings returned to pre-Omicron levels," Mr. Liberty shared. "We expect demand recovery to accelerate as the variant subsides."

Powerful protocols

Mr. Liberty credits the fact that Covid cases have remained lower onboard cruise ships compared to cases on land to the protocols Royal Caribbean Group has embraced.

"Our rigorous health and safety protocols, with 100 percent vaccination rate among our crew, and close to 100 percent vaccination rate among our guests, provide a safe environment where we can fulfill our mission of delivering amazing vacations."

"Our goal has been to making cruising one of the safest vacations anywhere in the world while providing an exceptional guest experience."

The company has been able to achieve that goal in carrying approximately 1.3 million guests since cruises restarted, and only having about 2,500 guests testing positive for Covid-19.

That represents a positivity rate of 0.19%.

"This positivity rate is still a small fraction of what it is in society at large, and nearly all cases on board were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms."

Mr. Liberty went on to point out the fact cruise line health protocols far surpass hotel and resorts protocols, "A few weeks ago, the prescriptive CDC Conditional Sail Order expired, demonstrating the agency's confidence in the overall effectiveness of the health and safety protocols of the cruise industry."

"Our own protocols continue to go above and beyond anything the framework provided and what consumers will find in any hospitality setting."

When will health protocols go away?

In case you missed our other article about it, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley talked about when health protocols could be rolled back.

He thinks as Covid cases continue to drop, Royal Caribbean will work with the CDC to remove protocols, "I think what we'll see is as we get into that environment, we'll start working with the CDC."

"We'll start removing many of the protocols that exist today, and it'll become easier and simpler for our customers."

Booking trends of new cruiser vs repeat cruisers

Another question Wall Street investors wanted to know is booking trends between new cruisers and core customers.

Mr. Bayley explained right before Omicron, booking numbers were getting quite strong, "as we moved into the fourth quarter of last year, our bookings started to exceed 2019 levels, both in volume and rate."

Both with the Delta and Omicron variants, the repeat customer would buoy new bookings considerably, as those new to cruise slowly regained confidence to book a vacation.

"As it relates to new to cruise and loyalty, loyalty certainly led the way....new to cruise lagged, I would say, four to six weeks when we look at our data."

"When we came out of Delta, loyalty was at the beginning skewed heavily and then and then new to cruise started to jump back in and it started to even out back to normal levels."

Mr. Bayley thinks Royal Caribbean International is particularly attractive to new cruisers in the United States because of the new ships combined with short cruises.

He also thinks Perfect Day at CocoCay plays a major role in attracting new cruisers, "We've got Perfect Day, as we know, an incredibly popular destination and that already is generating significant demand with a premium with new to cruise."

In short, Mr. Bayley feels new to cruise bookings are lagging coming out of Omicron, but they feel confident it's coming back based on what happened with the Delta variant.

Wall Street also wanted to know who is cancelling cruises, and not surprisingly, cancellations are tied to covid cases.

Mr. Liberty explained, "The majority of the people canceling were people who either tested positive for Covid before getting on sailing or somebody in their family who was traveling with them tested positive for Covid."

"We did see some of our customers shift their bookings from late December, early January into future periods."

As Covid cases subside, so too might Royal Caribbean's health protocols.

During a call with investors on Friday, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley answered a question about when protocols might go away.

The investor said since there are likely people who do not want to cruise because of testing or mask mandates, so he wanted to know what would be the impetus for Royal Caribbean to roll back those mandates.

Royal Caribbean currently requires a number of health protocols for passengers on its ships, including wearing of face masks while indoors, pre-cruise testing, social distancing and reduced ship capacity.

Mr. Bayley said that the health protocols provided a lot of reassurance during the height of the pandemic, but as countries begin to roll back restrictions, Royal Caribbean will also move towards a "new normal".

"Certainly, we see now with with Omicron that the decrease in positivity is really significant not only in the U.S. and certain states, but also on board of our ships."

As a result of the lower case counts, Mr. Bayley thinks Royal Caribbean will work with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to remove protocols.

"We believe that we're going to move into a much more positive environment. I think what we'll see is as we get into that environment, we'll start working with the CDC.

"We'll start removing many of the protocols that exist today, and it'll become easier and simpler for our customers."

Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said the company's focus remains on keeping guests and crew members safe at all times, "we're following the science, and based off of that, we're making changes to our protocols... to kind of help ensure that our guests and our crew are safe at all times."

Lowering the CDC warning

Mr. Bayley said he felt "quite positive" about the direction of Covid and its impact on cruise ships. In fact, Mr. Bayley indicated he thinks the CDC may change its stance on cruise ships and Covid.

On December 30, 2021, the CDC raised its warning against going on a cruise ship to its highest level, level 4.

The federal agency recommended avoiding cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status.

Mr. Bayley believes that warning will go away in the not too distant future.

"We also believe that in the not too distant future, the CDC Level four will be downgraded to Level three, and I think that will also be another positive step in the right direction."

Royal Caribbean Group posted its fourth quarter earnings on Friday, which includes a business update on how it plans to return to profitability.

As expected, the Omicron variant took a hit on Royal Caribbean Group's bottom line, which the company said impacted bookings.

Despite all the challenges, the company's plan for 2022 to be a "transitional year" to reverse its financial fortunes appears to be the plan.

Omicron impact

The Omicron variant of Covid-19 impacted ship operations and bookings during the fourth quarter.

Bookings in the fourth quarter were sequentially higher than the third quarter. Due to the impact of the Omicron variant, bookings decreased in December and remained lower over the holiday period, but have started to increase with each consecutive week since the beginning of 2022 and are now back to pre-Omicron levels.

"Following a record U.S. black Friday and cyber weekend, the spread of the Omicron variant resulted in a softening in booking volumes and an increase in near-term cancellations," said Naftali Holtz, chief financial officer. 

"Similar to our experience following Delta, we expect bookings to materially increase as we get further beyond the peak of cases. We are already seeing cancellations subside and bookings improve to pre-Omicron levels, and we have adjusted our sales and marketing efforts in anticipation of a delayed and extended WAVE period."

While Omicron caused several sailings to be cancelled, the good news is Royal Caribbean Group still expects to operate approximately 95% of its planned capacity in the first quarter of 2022.

Moreover, Royal Caribbean Group said service disruptions from the Omicron variant have recently become less widespread as Covid cases begin to drop.

Fourth quarter results

Royal Caribbean Group posted a $1.4 billion loss during the fourth quarter of 2021. They also posted an Adjusted Net Loss of $(1.2) billion.

Total revenue per Passenger Cruise Day in the fourth quarter was up 10% versus record 2019 levels driven by strong onboard revenue performance. 

Despite the impact from Omicron, total cash flow from ships in operation turned positive in the fourth quarter.

For the full year of 2021, Royal Caribbean Group reported US GAAP Net Loss of $(5.3) billion or $(20.89) per share compared to US GAAP Net Loss of $(5.8) billion or $(27.05) per share in the prior year. 

Cruise ship capacity in fourth quarter

In the fourth quarter, 12 additional ships returned to service.

Ships that operated the Group's core winter itineraries in the fourth quarter achieved a load factor of 65%, with 59% total load factor for the quarter.

More ships and higher capacities

The plan for Royal Caribbean Group going forward is to bring more ships back into service, and get more passengers onboard.

By the end of the first quarter of 2022, the Group expects that 53 out of 62 ships will have been brought back to service, with the rest of the fleet returning to operations before the summer season.

The delivery of Wonder of the Seas in January means the fleet is now up to 62 ships.

Royal Caribbean Group expects to return the full fleet before the summer season of 2022 and load factors approaching historical levels in the third quarter of 2022. 

Financial future

The Group expects total cash flow from ships in operation in the first quarter to be positive.   

Notwithstanding the impact from Omicron, the expectation is to be operating cash flow positive in late spring. They expect a Net Loss for the first half of 2022 and a return to profitability in the second half of 2022.

As of December 31, 2021, the company had approximately $3.2 billion in customer deposits. This represents an improvement of about $400 million over the previous quarter despite the significant quarter-over-quarter increase in revenue recognition and near-term cancellations due to Omicron, both of which reduce the customer deposits balance.

The customer deposit balance at year-end for Q2 2022 forward sailings was higher than the balance held at the end of 2019 for Q2 2022 forward sailings. 

Approximately 32% of the customer deposit balance is related to FCCs compared to 35% in the prior quarter, a positive trend indicating new demand. 

Royal Caribbean has made those future cruise credits you have accrued over the last two years easier to use.

Future cruise credits (FCCs) have been given out to guests by the cruise line for cancelled cruises, and up until today there was a date a customer had to redeem it by before they expired.

Travel agents were advised today that Royal Caribbean has removed the "book/redeem by" deadline, and FCCs can now be redeemed anytime up until the expiration date listed on the certificate.

A FCC can now be redeemed on any Royal Caribbean International sailing departing on or before the expiration date. For example, if their credit expires on December 31, 2022, they can redeem their certificate on any sailing departing on or before the same date.

Royal Caribbean said the decision was made due to limited options for guests in light of the current global situation.

Royal Caribbean hopes this change will give guests more choice and more time to plan a cruise that can be booked with the FCCs.

Some other important notes about FCCs:

Multiple FCCs can be combined for one sailing.

If you are cruising with other guests on the same booking (reservation number), you can equally share the value of a FCC across all guests on that booking.

In addition, FCCs can be used with any promotion by the cruise line.

A welcome change

Sharla Manglass, a travel agent with MEI Travel, thinks this change will offer more flexibility for her clients, "This will give people more time to use them."

"And more time to sail, since a lot of people don't feel comfortable cruising right now."

Royal Caribbean has steadily pushed back expiration dates for FCCs given out during the pandemic.

While widespread cruise cancellations have stopped, the Cruise with Confidence program has been a popular option for Royal Caribbean customers who need to cancel a cruise close to the sail date for many possible reasons.

The program allows customers to get their money back in the form of future cruise credit if they choose to cancel for any reason, up until 48 hours prior to sailing.

Cruise with Confidence has been popular because of customers like knowing that they can cancel them due to Covid, or any reason.

The result has been a great deal of future cruise credits sitting idle as customers make a decision to sail again, or wait for the pandemic and its policies to change.

Read more: Top ways you cannot use your Royal Caribbean future cruise credits

Lots of credits out there

Prior to Covid, a future cruise credit was fairly rare, since cancelled cruises were few and far between.  But since then, many cruisers of all levels have dealt with them in one way or another.

During the height of pandemic when the cruise industry was shutdown, Royal Caribbean and other lines offered bonus FCC if a guest took the credit instead of a cash refund.

This strategy allowed the cruise lines to stay afloat, but it also has left lots of FCCs out there.

While cruise ships are back in service, there are still plenty of people who have a FCC and cannot use it yet for a variety of reasons.

Hopefully today's change will give these folks more time to find the right way to redeem it for them.

Planning a cruise? Check out these articles:

• What are the different types of cabins on a cruise ship?
• What to expect on your first cruise
• The unwritten rules of going on a cruise
• Is it worth it to book a short 3-night cruise?
• Which is the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship?
• Why you shouldn't book the cheapest cruise you can find
• How do I pick the perfect first cruise?

Royal Caribbean has updated its app so kids that are fully vaccinated can upload photos of their vaccination card.

Up until now, the app did not give parents the option of uploading a photo of their child's vaccine card in the app because there was legacy logic that did not ask for children's vaccine cards due to the Covid-19 vaccine being only available for kids 12 and up.

In the months since the vaccine has been approved for kids as young as 5, the app did not open up the option for kids vaccine cards to be uploaded, which meant an extra step of verification in the cruise terminal on embarkation day.

Now, the Royal Caribbean app allows the option for kids under the age of 12 to upload a photo of their vaccine card.

Thanks to RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader smokeybandit for noticing the 1.31.2 update added the function in Royal Caribbean's app.

Royal Caribbean's app is available on the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store.

Why you should submit a photo of your vaccine cards

By submitting your vaccine card via the app, you can speed up the check-in process.

Just like taking a selfie, it's necessary to take a photo of the vaccine card so that Royal Caribbean can verify a passenger's vaccination status. Those that do not upload a photo via the app, will have to wait for the port agent to take a photo.

Guests will still need to bring their vaccine card with them, but taking the photo at home will allow the embarkation process to move just a little bit faster since the terminal staff will not have to take time to take photos of everyone's card.

How to upload your vaccine card photo

The vaccine card photo upload is part of the four-step check-in process in Royal Caribbean's app.

You can upload a photo when you first complete the online check-in process, or go back later to add a photo.

The third step is to upload a photo of your vaccine card, along with entering the vaccine manufacturer and date of last dose.

After uploading a photo, the app will put it into a waiting status as it gets manually verified.

Don't worry that it remains in the "waiting" phase for a little bit. Eventually the card will either be accepted or you will be asked to submit it again.

There's plenty of cruise news out there, and I have a fresh look at some of the bigger stories from this week.

There are smaller updates from across the fleet that I think are kind of interesting, neat, or otherwise good to know.

If you ever have a news tip, feel free to email it to [email protected] for possible inclusion in a future update!

Coast Guard investigating SpaceX launch scrub due to Harmony of the Seas

A SpaceX cruise ship attempt to launch a rocket last weekend was cancelled due to Harmony of the Seas veering into the "exclusion zone", and now the United States Coast Guard is involved.

Prior to any SpaceX launch, there is an exclusion zone established so that no planes, ships, etc are able to enter the space, which adjoins against the second busiest cruise and shipping port in the country at Port Canaveral.

Harmony of the Seas entered that zone, which cancelled the launch. SpaceX was able to launch the rocket the next day.

The Falcon 9 rocket was carrying an Italian satellite into orbit

U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson David Micallef confirmed that the Coast Guard will look into what happened, "Our primary concern is the safety of mariners at sea, and we will continue to work with our federal, state, and local port partners to ensure safe and navigable waterways."

Singapore cancels two Quantum of the Seas cruises due to Covid-19

Two sailings on Quantum of the Seas from Singapore had to be cancelled due to Covid-19 cases among the crew.

According to the cruise line, 0.6% of the crew tested positive for Covid-19, and so the sailings were cancelled "in an abundance of caution."

The crew members that tested positive were immediately isolated. Close contacts were also quarantined and tested.

According to the Singapore Cruise Society, the affected sailings were the January 31, 2022 and February 3, 2022

The ship will under go a deep cleaning and disinfection during her time off.

Wonder of the Seas arrives in Cyprus

The newest and largest cruise ship in the world made a brief stop in Cyprus as it prepares to begin cruises.

Wonder of the Seas arrived in Limassol, Cyprus on January 31st in order to bring more crew members onboard.

Cyprus' Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos welcomed the ship upon her arrival, "The benefits for our economy and tourism are huge, when leading shipping companies dock in Cyprus. We welcome to the Port of Limassol the largest cruise ship in the world, the Wonder of the Seas of Royal Caribbean."

Wonder is now headed to Cadiz, Spain as a final stop before her transatlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The first sailing of Wonder of the Seas will be March 4, 2022.

Labadee sign painted

Labadee re-opened last week, and the sign that spells out the private destination's name has been repainted.

Prior to the pandemic, the letters had a colorful look to them, against a blue background.

Royal Caribbean repainted the letters with a green background and a white floral motif.

Royal Caribbean also shared new aerial photos of Labadee.

Royal Caribbean trademarks "Accessory Place"

In January, Royal Caribbean Group trademarked the phrase "Accessory Place".

According to the paperwork filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the trademark is intended to cover the category of retail store services featuring jewelry.

Royal Caribbean restarted cruises about eight months ago, and yet there are still some activities and entertainment onboard that have not returned.

The reason most of these activities have not resumed is due to social/physical distancing requirements. While we understand the rationale behind the decision, it doesn't mean we don't miss these fun things to do on a ship.

Here are just a few favorites that I hope can be brought back this year.

Pool Games

A staple on almost every cruise line is the belly flop competition.

Who doesn’t enjoy watching your passengers throw themselves into the main pool to see who will make the biggest splash?

And it’s not just the belly flop. Also missing are the hairy chest and the world’s sexiest man competition.

Quest

If you’ve never seen the Quest game show, you have missed out. It’s an adult themed scavenger hunt that not only has the teams participating but the audience too!

The cruise director will ask the teams to produce items (think “Let’s Make a Deal”) and if they don’t have it, they will look to the spectators to help them out.

Things can get a little racy, so if you’re easily offended, it may not be for you. It is such a hysterical show, even my 80-something year old grandmother was laughing harder than I’d ever seen.

Adventure Ocean

The kids club is open currently, but what is still missing is full capacity.

Pre-covid, you could drop your children off at Adventure Ocean and you may not see them again for the rest of the cruise due to all the fun they’re having.

These days though, you are required to make a reservation for a certain block of time to allow other guests access. It’s no surprise that the evening hours book up fast.

Main dining room seating

For now, the main dining room is only seating you with your immediate travel party, but I miss being able to sit with new friends for a meal.

Cruising can be a very social vacation, and to that point, there are many people who sail solo and like to meet new people. After meeting new friends at the pool or on an excursion, you may want to get together for dinner that evening.

As of right now, you are limited to sitting with people in your own stateroom, or those that have multiple rooms that were linked before the cruise.

Bar seating

Even though the “meet and mingle” gatherings aren’t available, you can still sit with new friends in the lounges. What you can’t do is sit at the bar itself.

Watching the bar staff make your martini can be part of the entertainment but to keep the distance between the bartender and the guests, the stools have “unavailable” signs placed on them.

Production shows

While you can still find Cats, Mama Mia and Grease on the Oasis class ships, what is noticeably absent are their other main theater shows.

Come Fly With Me, Blue Planet and Columbus! The Musical still remain dark. In fact, the main shows on most of the fleet have not returned. They are offering special guest entertainers in their places. I think this is due to a staffing issue.

This is probably what I hope comes back first. I enjoy having dinner and then going to the production shows with the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers. Even with the condensed 90 minute version of the Broadway shows, it’s still a bit too long for me. The 45 minute production shows are perfect.

Cooking classes

Prior to your sailing, you would find cooking classes in your cruise planner available for booking.

Two that spring to mind are the cupcake decorating class, which we did on one of our anniversary cruises and the sushi making in Izumi. These were very popular, unique activities that are definitely missed.

Ship tours

The behind the scenes tour was offered pre-cruise and could also be booked onboard. We did the tour on the Freedom of the Seas. It was held on the last sea day. The tour took you to the laundry rooms, the crew areas (we saw their “grocery store” named “Freedom Mart”), the backstage of the production and ice shows, the engine rooms and the bridge. After a nice lunch in the main dining room, we went to the galley to see the chefs in action. The tour ended with a toast in the champagne bar.

Abbreviated ship tours have also been a long-standing perk for higher tier Crown and Anchor members but they have also been suspended. One captain I spoke to recently said he hopes they never return but this is something I definitely miss. I never passed up an opportunity to visit the bridge.

As time goes on and we get the pandemic more under control, it is expected that these beloved activities will make their way back to the ships. In my opinion, it can’t come soon enough.

Booking a pre- or post-cruise hotel just got easier for Royal Caribbean's sister brand.

Celebrity Cruises announced its new Hotels by Celebrity option, where guests can book a four- or five-star hotel along with their cruise. There is no limit to the duration of how many nights you can book.

While the program is now available for Celebrity Cruises only, it may be coming to Royal Caribbean too. Jessica Suchman, Celebrity's Sales Training and Development Specialist, told travel agents in a webinar, "this will be a tool for all of our brands at Royal Caribbean Group, but we're beginning here with Celebrity Cruises."

In order to book a hotel through the program, you need to have a Celebrity Cruises reservation number.

The program offers refundable hotel booking options. 

You may reserve up to 9 rooms at a time, provided they all have the same check-in and check-out dates. For a booking of 5-9 rooms a different name for each room is required.

Within the results, guests can view the amenities for each specific hotel, and even filter by amenity and star level to further refine the search.

Offering hotels for before or after their cruise is an addition to the pre-existing option to book airfare for cruise guests.

Royal Caribbean Group has offered airfare booking through the cruise lines for years via the Air2Sea website. 

With added health protocols, spending a night or two in the departure city before the cruise begins has never been more important, and offering a hotel booking option offers a more complete vacation planning tool for guests.

Read more: Why you shouldn't fly to your cruise the same day it begins

You can use the Hotels by Celebrity website here.

Is there a question or two you aren't sure about Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship?

Wonder of the Seas is about to begin her inaugural season, and there's plenty of people who are excited to it out. New ships are always exciting because they offer the latest and greatest. Plus, people want to know what makes this ship different from others in the fleet.

Every ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet stands out from others in at least a few ways, and Wonder certainly has a lot of new additions and distinguishing features.

After scouring commonly asked questions on Google, here are some of the top questions people are searching for on the internet about Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas.

Is Wonder of the Seas bigger than Symphony of the Seas?

Yes, Wonder of the Seas is slightly larger than Symphony of the Seas, making her the biggest cruise ship in the world.

By bigger, we're talking about her gross tonnage, which is a nonlinear way to measure a ship's overall internal volume.

Wonder of the Seas is 236,857 gross tons, whereas Symphony comes in at 228,081.

Read more: Royal Caribbean ships by size

How big will Wonder of the Seas be?

Now that we know Wonder of the Seas is the biggest cruise ship in the world, how big is she exactly?

The new ship will be 1,188 feet long and 210 feet wide.

Wonder has a capacity of 5,734 passengers at double occupancy.

There are 18 decks and 2,867 staterooms to choose from, including interiors, balcony rooms, and suites.

An interesting fact about Wonder of the Seas is that there will actually be less suites on Wonder of the Seas than other Oasis Class ships. 

Why are there less suites? In order to make room for the new Suite Neighborhood, the amount of suites had to be cut back so there could be room for it all.

Read more: Why cruise ships are getting bigger

How much does Wonder of the Seas cost?

The construction cost to build Wonder of the Seas came out to 1.2 billion Euros or $1.35 billion.

The ship was built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Naizaire, France.

Where will Wonder of the Seas sail?

The first sailing with passengers of Wonder of the Seas is scheduled for March 4, 2022.

Wonder will spend just two months offering cruises from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida before heading over to Europe for a summer season.

Once in Europe, Wonder of the Seas will sail from Barcelona, Spain and Rome between April and October 2022.

After that, Wonder returns to the United States to offer year-round sailings from Port Canaveral, Florida in November 2022.

How many restaurants are on Wonder of the Seas?

There are more than 20 different places to eat on Wonder of the Seas. Some are included with your cruise fare, while others will cost extra.

Read more: What's included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare

Among the many restaurants on Wonder of the Seas, there is a brand new dining option in The Mason Jar Southern Restaurant & Bar.

The Mason Jar will serve Southern staples, beginning with freshly baked buttermilk biscuits and jalapeno cornbread. Brunch offers range from savory johnnycakes topped with barbeque pulled pork to the Sweet-Tooth Cinnamon Roll.

You will also find Italian classics at Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar to American sports bar favorites at Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, to New England-inspired dishes at Hooked Seafood.

Other Wonder of the Seas options include Wonderland, Asian-inspired flavors at Izumi, American steakhouse Chops Grille, American seasonal dishes at 150 Central Park, Johnny Rockets, Starbucks, Sugar Beach and more.

Here is a full list of restaurants on Wonder of the Seas:

• Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade
• Hooked Seafood
• El Loco Fresh and Cantina Fresca
• The Lime & Coconut 
• Izumi
• Wonderland
• 150 Central Park
• Johnny Rockets
• Starbucks
• Sugar Beach
• Chops Grille

What is the Broadway show on Wonder of the Seas?

Royal Caribbean has not yet announced the entertainment lineup for Wonder of the Seas.

In fact, it is not yet clear if there will be a Broadway show onboard Wonder of the Seas, although other Oasis Class ships have all had Broadway shows onboard.

When will Wonder of the Seas be available in Royal Caribbean's app?

Yes, but it is not clear when app support will become available for Wonder of the Seas.

Without question, Wonder of the Seas will have app support before her first sailing.  However, Royal Caribbean has yet to enable Wonder in the app, which also means the ability to check-in for the cruise remains unavailable.

Read more: Royal Caribbean app walkthrough and tips

Who is Wonder of the Seas' godmother?

Royal Caribbean has not yet announced the ceremonial role of the ship's godmother.

It is likely the godmother will be revealed closer to the official ship's christening, which has also not been announced yet.

What is the Vue?

A new feature for any Oasis Class ship is the Vue, which is a new cantilevered bar.

Royal Caribbean says the Vue will offer panoramic ocean views by day and a colorful mosaic canopy overhead by night.

The Vue is located on Deck 15 forward in the Solarium, and is where you would find the cantilevered hot tubs on other Oasis Class ships.

How many unique neighborhoods does Wonder of the Seas have?

Wonder of the Seas is the first Oasis Class ship to have an eighth neighborhood, with the addition of the Suite Neighborhood.

Located midship across decks 16, 17, and 18, the new Suite Neighborhood wraps around the funnel.

Suite guests will have a private sun deck on deck 18 to enjoy at their leisure, which offers a view of the back of the ship.  There are also loungers and various seating options near an exclusive plunge pool and bar.

Like all Oasis Class ships, suite guests also can dine at Coastal Kitchen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (Junior Suite passengers can only dine at Coastal Kitchen for dinner). Coastal Kitchen is a complimentary restaurant for suite guests that offers a Mediterranean-Californian fusion menu that changes daily.

Sailing on Wonder of the Seas? Here are more helpful articles:

• Wonder of the Seas tour
• What are the different types of cabins on a cruise ship?
• What to expect on your first cruise
• The unwritten rules of going on a cruise
• Royal Caribbean frequently asked questons

How does dining on a cruise ship work if you are vegetarian or vegan?

If you take a look at cruise ship marketing, odds are you will see an abundance of food. Cruise ships are known for their dining options, and for good measure. The cuisine on cruise ships is diverse and extra tasty. Whether you choose to eat at complimentary venues like the Main Dining Room or at specialty dining like Chops Grille, you will never run out of things to eat.

Those with dietary restrictions may be nervous about finding food they can eat on the ship. Will there be any vegan and vegetarian options? Will they have to survive on protein bars brought from home?

There’s no need to worry, as Royal Caribbean aims to provide plenty of dining options for vegetarian and vegan guests. With so many restaurants and dining options, though, it can be a bit confusing to keep them all straight. This list will help you pick the dining venues that are the most vegetarian and vegan-friendly.

Vegetarian and vegan options at complimentary dining

The Buffet

The Windjammer Marketplace is Royal Caribbean’s signature buffet onboard. The buffet has an abundance of cuisines available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options at the Windjammer for every meal. Whether pasta with marinara, a salad, fresh fruit, oatmeal, soup, or avocado toast, you’ll certainly be able to find something to eat. Plant-based milks are also available on request for cereal and coffee.

One of the best options at the Windjammer are the live cooking stations, where you choose what you would like and a crew member will cook right in front of you. My favorite has been the stir fry station, where you can choose a variety of vegetables and a spice level to be cooked with either rice or noodles.

Another popular vegetarian option at the Windjammer is the Indian food. More often than not there is a vegetarian curry option available at every meal, such as chana masala, paneer masala, or dal. Served with rice and pita, this is a go-to protein-rich option for vegetarians.

The only problem with the Windjammer is that vegan and vegetarian options are rarely labeled. In my experience, I end up asking the crew member if something has meat or not. As a flexible pescatarian this works fine for me, but for stricter vegetarians or vegans this is not totally ideal, as the crew member may not be aware of every ingredient in the dish.

On my most recent sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas, though, there was an entire vegetarian and vegan section, which included Thai curries, quinoa salads, sautéed vegetables, and even vegan desserts. However, I have not seen this on other ships.

Main Dining Room

The Main Dining Room is one of the best places onboard for vegetarians and vegans to dine with ease. Royal Caribbean has implemented a special vegan menu each night in the Main Dining Room. This makes it extremely easy for vegans to find a dish that works for them. There are usually two appetizers, one soup, two entrees, and one dessert to choose from on the vegan menu.

The best place to see the day’s vegan menu offerings is on the Royal Caribbean app, as they usually will not be listed on the paper menu. Here were the vegan menu options during a recent 7-night cruise on Harmony of the Seas:

Day 1:

Appetizer: Spring Onion “Falafel”

Soup: Butternut Squash

Entrees: Edamame-stuffed Portobello Eggplant & Pan-roasted Green Asparagus 

Dessert: Tahini Banana Soft Serve

Day 2:

Appetizers: Corn Fritters & Romesco Oat Spread

Soup: Caramelized Parsnip & Coconut Soup

Entrees: Penne Pasta & Grilled Eggplant

Dessert: No-bake Lemon Tart

Day 3:

Appetizers: Zucchini Fritters & Avocado and Melon Salad

Soup: Cherry Tomato Gazpacho

Entrees: Vegan Risotto & Crunchy Tofu Tacos

Dessert: Chocolate Chip Cookie

Day 4:

Appetizers: Raw Vegetable Salad & Rice Paper Rolls

Soup: Tomato Soup

Entrees: Vegetable Pakoras & Orzo Pasta Stew

Dessert: Wild Berry Bar

Day 5:

Appetizers: Green Bean Croquette & Vegetable Tempura

Soup: Creamed Broccoli Soup

Entrees: Butternut Squash Curry & Vegan Eggplant Burger

Dessert: Vegan Crème Brulée

Day 6:

Appetizers: Grilled Avocado & Polenta Fries

Soup: Potato Soup

Entrees: Vegan Carbonara & Fried Rice

Dessert: Peanut Butter Caramel Rice Crisps

Day 7:

Appetizers: Ciabatta Salad & Grilled Peach and Panzanella Salad

Soup: Tortilla Soup

Entrees: No-egg Omelet & Vegan Spaghetti “Bolognese”

Dessert: Toffee “Cheesecake”

While there is no separate vegan menu available for breakfast and lunch in the Main Dining Room, requests can be made to cater to your dietary needs. Vegetarian options are available on the menu for both breakfast and lunch. Vegetarian Indian food is also often available on request.

Park Cafe & Cafe at Two70

Park Cafe (Oasis-class ships) and Cafe at Two70 (Quantum-class ships) are two complimentary dining locations open for breakfast and lunch. They have similar food options and concepts.

One of the tastiest options available at these two venues is the Create Your Own Salad station. With several options of lettuce, vegetables, legumes, starches, and dressings, you can create a salad any way you like.

My go-to salad at Park Cafe is a bed of romaine and spring mix topped with bell peppers, kidney beans, Israeli couscous, corn, carrots, croutons, and balsamic vinaigrette.

Soups and sandwiches are also available and, in my experience, there has usually been a vegetarian soup and sandwich option each day for lunch. The soup is not labeled vegan, so you would have to ask a crew member whether it is vegan or not.

For breakfast at these two venues you can choose from oatmeal, a bagel station, breakfast sandwiches, wraps, and pastries.

Solarium Bistro

Photo by an average Vegetarian, Billy of CruiseHabit.com

Available on Quantum and Oasis-class ships, Solarium Bistro is a complimentary venue offering dishes with a Mediterranean flare. Solarium Bistro is open for breakfast with a similar selection of food you can find elsewhere on the ship, but the main meal is at dinnertime.

Vegetarians and vegans will enjoy the wide array of appetizers available at Solarium Bistro for dinner. From greek salad to hummus, baba ganoush, falafel, pita, moussaka, grilled vegetables, arugula salad, and barley salad, there is no shortage of flavorful Mediterranean cuisine at Solarium Bistro.

Appetizers are served buffet-style, so guests are able to try as much as they desire. Desserts are also available and include baklava, torta de mele, and chocolate nocciola.

Sorrento’s

Sorrento’s Pizza is a surprisingly easy place to eat vegetarian or vegan. Not only does Sorrento’s offer a variety of cold plates, such as grilled vegetables and olives, but you can actually order a custom pizza all for yourself with or without cheese and topped with vegetables. To order a custom pizza, simply talk to a crew member at Sorrento’s and they will begin making the pizza for you.

El Loco Fresh

El Loco Fresh is a complimentary and casual Mexican venue located on the pool deck of select Royal Caribbean ships. At El Loco Fresh you can build your own tacos with rice, beans, and a salsa/topping station. There are also cheese quesadillas and a nacho station available.

Other complimentary venues

Outside of the venues mentioned above, you can find more places to dine as a vegetarian or vegan on a Royal Caribbean ship. Venues like Cafe Promenade, Vitality Cafe, and Mini Bites offer small sandwiches, fruit and vegetable cups, and other snacks throughout the day. 

Best specialty dining for vegetarians and vegans

While the complimentary dining options available on Royal Caribbean are plentiful, specialty dining can be a nice way to enhance your cruise experience. Not all specialty dining restaurants offer the same amount of vegetarian/vegan options, though, but there are a few I feel are the best for those with dietary restrictions.

Izumi

Izumi Sushi & Hibachi is a nice option for vegetarians and vegans due to how customizable the menu is. A vegetable roll is offered on the sushi menu, and if you talk to the sushi chef they will likely be able to customize another vegan or vegetarian roll for you.

Traditionally, the hibachi option includes egg and butter in the fried rice. The hibachi chef will ask guests if they have any dietary restrictions prior to cooking, so be sure to let the chef know what you can and cannot eat.

I’ve found that the vegetarian hibachi option has varied greatly by ship. On some ships, I was given just the fried rice and sauteed vegetables. On other ships, the chef cooked a tofu udon noodle dish in addition to the fried rice and vegetables.

Vegetarian appetizers include edamame beans and a ginger salad, and for dessert you can choose between mochi ice cream and crispy red bean sesame balls. The options are not labeled for dietary restrictions, so be sure to check whether the ginger salad dressing and sesame balls are vegan. The mochi ice cream contains dairy.

Jamie’s Italian and Giovanni’s Table/Kitchen

Royal Caribbean’s Italian specialty restaurants are one of the best specialty dining choices for vegetarians. Pasta and pizza are easy dishes to make vegetarian or vegan and Royal Caribbean’s Italian restaurants offer several options for those with dietary restrictions.

My favorite vegetarian Italian meal is the eggplant parmesan with penne pomodoro at Jamie’s Italian. The eggplant is not breaded, so there is no need for vegans to worry about the eggplant including eggs. The dish comes topped with cheese, but this could be removed for vegans.

In addition to pasta with marinara sauce, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen has an elaborate pizza menu which can be customized to fit dietary needs for both vegetarians and vegans.

Some pasta may be made with egg and sauce with cheese, so it’s a good idea to inquire about whether or not the pasta and marinara sauce at the Italian specialty restaurants are vegan. 

Playmakers

Royal Caribbean’s premiere sports bar is another great venue for vegetarians, and it has several dishes that can be customized for vegans as well.

Vegetarians can start their meal by snacking on Pile On Nachos, Playmakers Fries, Jalapeño Poppers, and the extra tall Crispy Onion Ring Tower. Vegans can request the fries without cheese and garlic sauce.

Both vegans and vegetarians can enjoy the Playmakers Impossible Burger. The plant-based burger is topped with lettuce, tomato, onion rings, and cajun mayonnaise on a brioche bun. While the burger patty is plant-based, vegans should order the burger without mayonnaise and check with the staff whether the bun and onion rings are vegan.

Johnny Rockets

Vegetarians and vegans will have no trouble dining at Johnny Rockets onboard as the menu features a vegan burger. The Streamliner burger is topped with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mustard on a wheat bun.

Apparently the buns at Johnny Rockets are not vegan, so either double check with the waiter or order the burger without the bun if you are concerned.

The menu also features grilled cheese as well as fries and onion rings.

150 Central Park

Located within Central Park on Oasis-class ships, 150 Central Park is an elegant dining venue that sources local ingredients for its dishes. The venue features several vegetarian appetizers, such as Caesar salad and roasted organic beet salad. It also has a vegetarian entree of cauliflower “steak”.

Vegans can eat at 150 Central Park by making substitutions to the selections, such as asking for no cheese and no yogurt.

Specialty dining with less options for vegetarians and vegans

Some specialty restaurants onboard do not offer as many options for vegetarians and vegans on their menus, although dietary accommodations can likely be made upon request.

Restaurants such as Portside BBQ, Chops Grille, Sabor, Samba Grill, and Wonderland do not have any entrees that are vegetarian or vegan, although there are vegetarian/vegan side dishes available.

The best bet for dining at a specialty restaurant without any specific vegan/vegetarian main courses is to call or walk into the restaurant and ask if they are able to accommodate your dietary needs. The chef may be able to make something vegetarian or vegan for you to enjoy.

Perfect Day at CocoCay

Perfect Day at CocoCay is one of the most frequented cruise ship ports in the Caribbean, and as it is a private destination, food and drinks are complimentary on the island (with the exception of the Coco Beach Club).

Chill Grill and Skipper’s Grill are the two best dining options for vegetarians and vegans at CocoCay. Both venues serve the same food in a buffet-style, and include a taco bar with rice, beans, and a salsa station, salads, a portobello and mozzarella sandwich, fresh fruit, dessert, and smaller side dishes like corn on the cob and french fries.

Snack Shack is another popular dining spot at CocoCay, but its menu is more limited for vegetarians and vegans, with salads, mozzarella sticks, and french fries available.

If you’re spending the day in the Coco Beach Club, you’ll have the opportunity to dine at the Coco Beach Club restaurant. This venue has more upscale offerings compared to the complimentary venues on the island.

The only entree available for vegetarians at the Coco Beach Club is a caesar salad, but Royal Caribbean states that “You’ll find gluten free and vegetarian options available at the Coco Beach Club as well as options to suit most dietary needs,” so it’s possible you are able to request a separate dish.

The appetizer spread will definitely be a favorite for vegetarians and vegans, though, as it features freshly made hummus, baba ganoush, vegetables, and pita. Desserts include exotic fruit salad, tropical fruit sorbet, and Bahamian rum soaked cake.