Royal Caribbean Blog

The cruise industry is celebrating the announcement that Celebrity Cruises will have the first ship to sail from the United States next month, but there seems to be one significant concern that no one seems to have an answer for yet.

Celebrity Cruises will restart cruises from Fort Lauderdale on June 26, when Celebrity Edge sails away.

This is a momentous occasion that marks the return of the cruise industry to American waters, and certainly has a lot of cruise fans excited. 

Celebrity is able to restart cruises so quickly because it will require 95% of its cruise ship passengers to be fully vaccinated.

But Florida passed a law that prohibits any business from asking anyone to provide proof of a Covid-19 vaccine.  

So how can Celebrity require and verify its passengers are indeed fully vaccinated without violating Florida law?

In short, there is no clear answer yet what Celebrity or Royal Caribbean Group has planned.

Photo by Broward County’s Port Everglades

The law dictates that it is impermissible for any business operating in Florida to require patrons or customers to provide documentation certifying Covid-19 vaccination or post-infection recovery “to gain access to, entry upon, or services from” the business.

The new Florida law goes into effect on July 1, and carries with up to a $5,000 fine per violation. This means Florida's Department of Health could potentially impose a penalty of up to $5,000 for each customer denied access to a business for failing to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination. 

UPDATE: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was quoted by WFTS on Thursday in response to Celebrity's plans, "Companies doing business in Florida, including Celebrity Cruises, should immediately cease to impose such discriminatory policies upon individuals. Companies that violate this law would be subject to a fine of $5,000 each time they require a customer to present a 'vaccine passport' for service."

Freedom of the Seas is scheduled to run test cruises in June as well, and more Royal Caribbean ships will follow.  Whether test cruises or revenue cruies, Royal Caribbean will be requiring adults to be fully vaccinated in order to sail, so the same issue facing Celebrity Cruises is about impact every other ship operating from Florida.

Lots of theories, but no answers

Until there is an answer provided by Florida, the cruise line, or even the CDC, cruise fans are left to debate the possibilities on their own.

On the RoyalCaribbeanBlog message boards, readers have tossed around ideas how this could play out.

Ampurp85 wonders if the cruise line's international status factors in, "His law says companies in Florida cannot ask to see such a thing. Most cruise lines are international companies so it would not really apply to them."

smokeybandit thinks there is likely work going on behind-the-scenes to address the issue, "I'm sure both sides are busy trying to find wording that makes both sides look good when cruise lines sail from Florida with vaccine requirements."

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

The Memorial Day sale runs between May 27, 2021 – June 1, 2021 and is valid on sailings departing between : June 12, 2021 - May 31, 2022 (except Quantum of the Seas).

For Quantum of the Seas, it is valid on sailings departing  June 7, 2021 - May 31, 2022.

Royal Caribbean states guests can expect to see:

BEVERAGE: Up to 40% off

• Classic Soda Beverage Package: 30% off onboard prices.
• Classic Soda Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Over 35% off onboard prices.
• Dasani Water Cans: 40% off onboard prices.
• Deluxe Beverage Package: Over 30% off onboard prices
• Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Over 30% off onboard prices
• Refreshment Package: 30% off onboard prices.

SHORE EXCURSIONS: Up to 25% off

• Shore Excursions: Discount varies by ship

INTERNET: Up to 50% off

• The Key: Discount varies by ship.
• 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

DINING: Up to 60% off

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

ACTIVITIES: Up to 20% off

• All Access Ship Tour (Excludes GR)

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)
• Inky 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: Picture This Private Studio: Discount varies by ship.

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?

It looks like Celebrity Cruises will be the first cruise line to sail out of the United States with paying passengers.

Celebrity announced Celebrity Edge will sail out of Fort Lauderdale on June 26, 2021 to restart cruises to the Caribbean.

Edge will offer a 7-night itinerary alternating between Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave Celebrity the green light to restart cruises with passengers because the ship will have at least 95% of its passengers fully vaccinated, along with 98% of its crew members.

All Celebrity ships will sail with a vaccinated crew. U.S. guests ages 16 and older must be fully vaccinated and, as of August 1, 2021, all U.S. guests ages 12 and older must be fully vaccinated.

Celebrity also said eight of the 15 ships within the Celebrity Cruises’ fleet now have plans to return to sailing in 2021.

Read more: First Timers' Guide to Celebrity Edge

While Celebrity Edge will be the first ship (and cruise line) to restart cruises from the United States, she will not be the first ship in Celebrity's fleet to restart sailings.

The Celebrity Millennium will start cruises from St. Maarten, beginning on June 5 with 7 night sailings to the Southern Caribbean.

Other ships restarting cruises outside of the United States this summer include Celebrity Apex from Greece, and Celebrity Silhouette from Southampton. Celebrity Summit will cruise from the United States on July 23, when she starts sailing to Alaska.

The US summer sailings also follow Celebrity news that beginning July 4, the mega-yacht, Celebrity Flora, will resume sailing the magical Galapagos Islands. She will be followed soon after by Celebrity Xpedition and 16-passenger Celebrity Xploration on July 24, and September 18, respectively. 

Read more: How is Celebrity Cruises different from Royal Caribbean?

What about Royal Caribbean?

Royal Caribbean International's restart will be slower than Celebrity Cruises, because Royal Caribbean is going about restart differently.

Unlike Celebrity, Royal Caribbean will not be able to reach the 95% mandate of passengers being vaccinated by the CDC to skip test cruises.

As a result, Royal Caribbean needs to conduct test cruises first, before applying for permission to restart revenue cruises with paying passengers.

Thus far, Freedom of the Seas will start test cruises in June, and Ovation and Serenade of the Seas will start cruises from Alaska in July and August, assuming they can complete test cruises and receive permission from the CDC in time.

The CDC has relaxed a few rules for fully vaccinated cruise passengers.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued updates its Operations Manual for Simulated and Restricted Voyages that primarily talk about what cruise lines are required to do as it pertains to guests onboard.

The new update covers a few changes in policies that either relax protocols, or give the cruise lines the choice to be less stringent.

In this round of updates, many of the rules focus on face masks for fully vaccinated passengers.

The first change is a cruise line can allow all passengers and crew they do not have to wear a mask outdoors.

Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may advise all passengers and crew that they do not have to wear a mask if outdoors. CDC still recommends that people wear a mask if they are not fully vaccinated and in a crowded area.

Second, the CDC has removed the suggestion to wear a mask outdoors in crowded settings.  Previously it said fully vaccinated passengers could gather outdoors or engage in outdoor activities, but would need to wear a mask if there was a "crowded situation".

Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may advise crew who are fully vaccinated that they do not have to wear a mask or maintain physical distance in areas of the ship that are inaccessible to passengers.

Another new option for cruise lines is there can be areas of the ship reserved for fully vaccinated passengers and crew that have no social distancing requirements.

The CDC even would allow self-serve buffets in an area reserved only for fully vaccinated passengers.

Cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may designate areas as only accessible to fully vaccinated passengers and crew where masks and physical distancing are not required (e.g., casinos; bars; spas; entertainment venues; and dining areas, including self-serve buffets).

For ships with at least 95% of crew and 95% of passengers fully vaccinated, cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may advise passengers and crew that they do not have to wear a mask or maintain physical distance in any areas.

Another big change is if cruise ships can attain at least 95% fully vaccinated passengers and 98% fully vaccinated crew members, a number of rules will become suggestions instead.

This includes many of the onerous rules that added a great deal of friction to the cruise experience, including:

• 6-foot social distancing at restaurants and bars
• Limiting seating capacity 
• Eliminate self-service buffets
• Install sneeze guards

Royal Caribbean International currently has no plans to meet the 95/98 mandate due to the amount of families on their ships.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain said earlier this week because Royal Caribbean is so family oriented and there are often large numbers of children, he does not think reaching 95% is possible.

The CDC also removed  the rule for fully vaccinated passengers on independent shore excursions have to wear a mask while indoors (unless local laws require it).

The changes are posted on the CDC's website.

This is the latest round of rule changes by the CDC over the last few weeks. Each time, the CDC has relaxed, adjusted, or otherwise removed rules. Many of the changes seem to be occurring following tight-knit conversations with the CDC.

Mr. Fain said the discussions between Royal Caribbean and the CDC has been fruitful as of late, "over the past weeks, that level of dialogue has improved one thousand percent and that dialogue has allowed us to understand their concerns. But in addition to that, dialogue has enabled the CDC to understand our concerns."

More Norwegian Cruise Line cruise ships are planned to restart cruises from the U.S. this year.

In addition to the recently announced Alaska restart, NCL posted new plans for eight cruise ships to sail from the United States later this year.

Like Royal Caribbean and Carnival, NCL is starting to get its plans set as it awaits approval for a seemingly inevitable restart process.

Here are the ships and deployment plans announced by NCL:

• Norwegian Joy will cruise from Miami beginning Oct. 19, 2021 with five to 11-day Caribbean voyages.
• Norwegian Breakaway will cruise seven-day itineraries to Bermuda from New York beginning Oct. 24, 2021.
• Pride of America will offer seven-day Hawaii interisland voyages from Honolulu beginning Nov. 6, 2021.
• Norwegian Bliss will cruise from Los Angeles for seven-day Mexican Riviera voyages beginning Nov. 7, 2021.
• Norwegian Encore will offer seven-night itineraries from Miami to the Caribbean beginning Nov. 14, 2021.
• Beginning Nov. 20, 2021, Norwegian Escape will cruise for the first time from Orlando (Port Canaveral), Fla., offering seven-day itineraries to the Caribbean.
• Norwegian Pearl will sail from Miami offering Panama Canal, Bahamas and Caribbean cruises beginning Dec. 23, 2021.
• Beginning Jan. 20, 2022, Norwegian Jewel will be the first ship in the fleet to offer roundtrip Panama Canal cruises from Panama City (Colón and Fuerte Amador).

NCL also announced restart plans in Asia and Australia.

• Norwegian Sun will sail for the first time in Asia beginning Jan. 28, 2022, offering a five-day Japan itinerary from Hong Kong, before sailing a variety of 11-day cruises from Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok.
• Norwegian Spirit will cruise 12-day Australia and New Zealand voyages from Sydney, and Auckland, New Zealand beginning Feb. 9, 2022.

Earlier this week, the cruise line said its restart plan is contingent on obtaining a Conditional Sailing Certificate from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Unlike Royal Caribbean, NCL's restart hinders on requiring every single passenger be fully vaccinated in order to sail, and that means children may not be able to sail initially.

These rules are in place through October 31, 2021. Norwegian will update guidance on requirements for future cruises closer to the fall.

NCL says it expects to be granted approval to sail by the CDC, "in the coming days".

NCL Bliss is currently the first scheduled Norwegian ship to restart operations from the United States, which will commence from Seattle beginning August 7, 2021.

Bliss will sail to Alaska.

More NCL cancellations

With this redeployment, NCL also cancelled a number of cruises.

NCL's summer sailings from Montego Bay, Jamaica on Norwegian Joy are cancelled so the ship can instead sail from Miami on the aforementioned Caribbean cruises. 

Just like Royal Caribbean canceling Vision of the Seas from Bermuda, the move was made to focus on U.S. sailings. Crew members on the Joy will be transferred to Alaska as NCL works to take advantage of what remains of the 2021 Alaska cruise season.

Other sailings have been cancelled to make the new deployment plans work:

• Pride of America through Oct. 30, 2021
• Norwegian Escape through Nov. 2, 2021
• Norwegian Jewel through Jan. 9, 2022
• Norwegian Pearl through Dec. 7, 2021
• Norwegian Spirit through Jan. 28, 2022
• Norwegian Sun through Jan. 18, 2022
• Norwegian Bliss Oct. 24, 2021 sailing 

Royal Caribbean will extend its flexible cancellation policy that allows more time to be able to change their mind about canceling a cruise at the last minute.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed, told travel agents the Cruise with Confidence program will be officially extended on Thursday, when the expiration date gets pushed back to July 31, 2021.

The popular program allows guests to cancel a cruise for any reason up to 48 hours before a sailing is scheduled to depart in exchange for a future cruise credit. Today's announcement means an additional two months of flexibility for guests.

It was scheduled to end on May 31, 2020 prior to the extension.

The Cruise with Confidence program was introduced at the beginning of the health crisis, and provides significantly relaxed rules concerning canceling a cruise if the situation changes for a guest.

Ordinarily, guests would incur a penalty for canceling a sailing beyond the final payment date, which is typically 90 days before a sailing commences. Cruise with Confidence provides a great deal more flexibility to change minds with no penalty.

Instead, Cruise with Confidence gives passengers booked on-or-before July 31, 2021 the option to cancel Royal Caribbean sailings scheduled to depart through April 30, 2022.

In addition, the Best Price Guarantee program will be extended to the end of July.

The Best Price Guarantee means you can take advantage of better rates up to 48 hours prior to sail date. Usually guests in certain countries can reprice cruises only up until their final payment date to take advantage of a price drop.

How does Cruise with Confidence work?

Ever since Royal Caribbean shut down cruises in March 2020, it has offered guests increased flexibility in being able to change their minds due to the fluid nature of news and the global health crisis.

Essentially, Cruise with Confidence is the name of the program that allows guests to change or cancel a cruise up to 48 hours before their sail date with no penalty or change fees.

Guests can opt for a 100% Future Cruise Credit that is good for 12 months or more.

Today's change means Cruise with Confidence is applicable to guests booked on-or-before July 31, 2021 on sailings departing through April 2022. This encompasses essentially all Royal Caribbean sailings available to book currently.

The program includes refundable and non-refundable cruise fares, and only excludes chartered sailings.

It is important to note that if you elect to cancel a cruise on your own with this program, and later Royal Caribbean cancels the sailing, you waive any right to receive any refund oft he cruise fare paid.

Another Royal Caribbean cruise ship will be returning to service this summer.

Hong Kong has given Royal Caribbean approval to restart cruises aboard Spectrum of the Seas with short sailings with no port stops.

Spectrum of the Seas would be the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to resume sailings in China, and there will be a series of cruises between July and November.

Similar to Quantum of the Seas in Singapore, Hong Kong has approved limited sailings with strict protocols onboard.

According to the Hong Kong Cruise Society, here are the sailing dates and itineraries:

• 2-night cruises: July 30 / Sep 05,17
• 3-night cruises: Aug 05,12,19,26 / Sep 02,07,10,23,30 / Oct 07,14,21,28 / Nov 04,11,18,25
• 4-night cruises: Aug 01,08,15,22,29 / Sep 13,19,26 / Oct 03,10,17,24,31 / Nov 07,14,21,28

The new sailings have not yet been released by Royal Caribbean.

Guests looking to book a sailing can only book oceanview or higher categories (no interior rooms). 

In addition, guests 16 years or older must be fully vaccinated and have received their second dose at least 14 days ago prior to boarding. 

Passengers must also provide a negative PCR test within 48 hours of boarding the ship.

Many of these protocols come from Hong Kong's government, which just approved "cruises to nowhere" on Wednesday.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah confirmed Royal Caribbean was one of the lines with permission to sail from Hong Kong.

Spectrum of the Seas was one of the first cruise ships to have her cruises cancelled due to the global health crisis, with her season cut short in China and moved to Australia for a short period of time before the cruise industry shutdown completely in March.

With Spectrum of the Seas restarting cruises in July, this adds another ship to the list of Royal Caribbean ships that will be able to resume operations, including Adventure of the Seas from the Bahamas, Anthem of the Seas from Southampton, and Jewel of the Seas from Cyprus.

Royal Caribbean also received permission to start test cruises on Freedom of the Seas in June.

The last Royal Caribbean International cruise ship to sail before the cruise industry shutdown will be the first one to restart operations.

Royal Caribbean has received permission from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to start test cruises in preparation for regular revenue sailings.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley shared the good news that Freedom of the Seas will sail her test cruises from PortMiami.

Royal Caribbean had teased over the weekend that it had submitted a proposal to the CDC in order to sail a test cruise, and just two business days later, they received permission.

According to the letter by the CDC shared by Mr. Bayley, the test cruise can commence on June 20-22, 2021.

The CDC also stipulated a few key requirements before the test cruises can begin:

• List how the maximum number of passengers on the first two restricted sailings.
  • There needs to be at least 10% of the maximum number of passengers on the first two restricted voyagers.
• Volunteers need to be advised of the CDC's Travel Health Notice for Covid-19 and Cruise Ship Travel prior to the cruise
• Freedom of the Seas must retain an approved color-coded status with the CDC leading up to the test cruise.
• CDC requirements related to testing and quarantine of crew and passengers
• Any deficiencies during the cruise must be documented
  • Essentially, a significant departure from the protocols that may occur onboard.

Read more: Here's how to sign up to be a volunteer for a Royal Caribbean test cruise

Simulated voyages (also known as test cruises) are when cruise lines can operate ships with volunteer passengers in order to prove their new protocols work.

These are not cruises you can book, but rather, are limited voyages where a cruise line invites certain unpaid volunteers to help go through all the necessary steps and procedures to ensure cruise ships can be run safely.

Each cruise ship needs to be approved by the CDC in order to conduct test cruises.

Read more: Everything you need to know about Royal Caribbean test cruises

Mr. Bayley celebrated being able to get its first ship back in the water for operations, "After 15 months and so much work by so many during very challenging times.  To all our colleagues, loyal guests and supporters all over the world I am proud and pleased to share some bright and wonderful news!"

"Onwards and upwards team!"

Royal Caribbean issued a statement, welcoming the opportunity to get back to cruising, "After 15 months of hard work and collaboration, today’s approval of our simulated cruises is the latest promising step in our path to return to sailing in the U.S.

"We look forward to welcoming our crew, loyal guests and supporters from around the world this summer. "

Freedom of the Seas was one of the last cruise ships to return to port once Royal Caribbean announced it would halt all cruises due to Covid-19.

The ship was actually denied entry to San Juan, Puerto Rico to finish its sailing, and had to tack on an extra few days to get to Miami instead.

CDC's test cruise requirements

If a test cruise sounds like a great vacation, you should be aware of all the important steps Royal Caribbean must follow and complete during a test sailing.

While the ship is indeed conducting a cruise as if it were a normal cruise, the CDC wants the cruise ship to test out procedures and ensure it can handle any health situation it could encounter.

Each ship must conduct at least one simulated cruise, and each voyage must be between 2-7 days in length with a least one overnight stay, including through embarkation, disembarkation, and post-disembarkation testing.

For what it's worth, the CDC recommends a minimum voyage length of 3 days with 2 overnight stays.

Passengers and crew must meet standards during the simulated voyage for hand hygiene, use of face masks, and social distancing for passengers and crew, as well as ship sanitation.

Royal Caribbean must modify meal service and entertainment venues to facilitate social distancing during the simulated voyage.

And then there is a laundry list of activities that the CDC says the ship needs to test across one or many separate test cruises:

• Embarkation and disembarkation procedures, as approved by U.S. port and local health authorities as part the cruise ship operator’s Phase 2A agreements, including procedures for terminal check-in.
• Onboard activities, including seating and meal service at dining and entertainment venues.
• Medical evacuation procedures.
• Transfer of symptomatic passengers or crew, or those who test positive for SARS-CoV-2, from cabins to isolation rooms.
• Onboard and shoreside isolation and quarantine, as per the terms of the cruise ship operator’s Phase 2A agreements, of at least 5% of all passengers and non-essential crew.
• Recreational activities that the cruise ship operator intends to offer as part of any restricted passenger voyages, e.g., casinos, spa services, fitness classes, gymnasiums.
• Private-island shore excursions if any are planned during restricted passenger voyages. The following measures must be observed on the private island:
  • Only one ship can port at the island at any one time.
  • A routine screening testing protocol must be implemented for island staff who are expected to interact with volunteer passengers or crew.
  • Mask use and social distancing must be observed on the island.
• Port of call shore excursions if any are planned during restricted passenger voyages. The following measures must be observed on port of call shore excursions:
  • Self-guided or independent exploration by passengers during port stops must be prohibited.
  • Shore excursions must only include passengers and crew from the same ship.
  • Cruise ship operator must ensure all shore excursion tour companies facilitate social distancing, mask wearing, and other COVID-19 public health measures throughout the tour.
  • Cruise ship operators must have a protocol for managing persons with COVID-19 and close contacts at all foreign ports of call. At a minimum, the protocol must include the following:
    • Disembarkation and housing of persons with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 needing shore-based hospital care and their travel companion(s) for the duration of their isolation or quarantine period.
    • Commercial repatriation of U.S.-based persons with COVID-19 and close contacts only after meeting criteria to end isolation and quarantine per CDC guidance. For commercial repatriation of foreign-based persons with COVID-19 and close contacts, cruise ship operators must consult with all relevant public health authorities.

Carnival Cruise Line appears to be ready to start the first of its test cruises in a matter of weeks.

During a meeting of the Board of Trustees of Galveston Wharves, the Port of Galveston said Carnival plans to run its test cruises from the port, although no exact date was set.

The Galveston County Daily News reports Carnival has informed the port of its plans.

According to the report, the Port of Galveston and local health officials say they are close to signing a port agreement with the State of Texas.  Royal Caribbean recently signed similar agreements with Port Canaveral and Port Everglades.

It also appears that Carnival will follow Royal Caribbean's plan to not make the optional 95% vaccinated cruise ship passenger mandate in order to skip test cruises.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave cruise lines the choice of going through the test cruise option outlined in the Conditional Sail Order (CSO), or skip them if they can reach 98% of crew and 95% of passengers fully vaccinated.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain said yesterday in a video update that Royal Caribbean International cannot meet that goal of 95% vaccinated passengers because of all the families with young children who go on a cruise. 

Carnival plans to run simulated cruises out of Galveston in coming weeks, port officials just announced at Wharves Board of Trustees meeting. No exact date set. #GalvNews https://t.co/WmJIb7EinP

— John Wayne Ferguson (@JohnWFerguson) May 25, 2021

The Port of Galveston was told by Carnival's President that standard would be difficult, since vaccinations aren't yet available for children under 12 . That's a significant portion of their normal customer base.

Royal Caribbean is also planning to start test cruises soon, although the location nor the ship to be used has been shared publicly. 

Royal Caribbean applied to be able to start at least one test cruise last week, and the cruise line expects that authorization to be granted "shortly".

The simulated voyages are the test sailings mandated by the CDC in order to receive permission for a cruise ship to sail from the United States.

Under the CDC's Framework for Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO), cruise lines must first get an agreement with each port for the health and safety of crew, passengers and port personnel.

Test cruises are when cruise lines can operate ships with volunteer passengers in order to prove their new protocols work.

There are only a few days left before Royal Caribbean's flexible cancellation policy is no longer available to book.

UPDATE: Royal Caribbean has extended Cruise with Confidence through July 31, 2021.

The Cruise with Confidence program was introduced right as the cruise industry was shutting down for an indeterminate amount of time due to the global health crisis, and with cruises on the precipice of returning, this program may no longer be offered.

Cruise with Confidence officially ends after May 31st, 2021, which means if you want to have your sailing qualify for its benefits, you need to book on or before May 31, 2021.

A cruise that was booked on or before May 31, 2021 is entitled to a 100% future cruise credit if you decide to cancel any cruise that sets sail from now through April 30th, 2022.

The policy covers any cruise reservation made on or before May 31, but if Royal Caribbean does not extend the program again, guests will no longer be able to take advantage of it on sailings booked beyond May.

As long as you cancel at least 48 hours before your sail date, Royal Caribbean will provide you with a 100% future cruise credit. Future Cruise Credits are valid to book by April 30th, 2022 and sail by September 30th, 2022.

It is possible Royal Caribbean may extend Cruise with Confidence again, but as of right now, it is set to end as an included benefit for new cruises booked at the end of May.

Royal Caribbean has already sunset one of its popular cancellation program, Lift & Shift, which allowed guests to defer their cruise by a year.  Lift & Shift ended on February 1, 2021.

The chief benefit of Cruise with Confidence is someone can cancel their cruise up to 48 hours before their cruise with no penalty or fees. 

Once the program ends and you were to book a cruise without Cruise with Confidence, you would be subject to the standard cancellation terms, which include penalties for canceling beyond the final payment date as well possible additional penalties if you booked a non-refundable cruise fare.

In addition to Cruise with Confidence, the enhanced Best Price Guarantee program is set to expire on May 31, 2021.

The Best Price Guarantee program allows guests to take advantage of better rates up to 48 hours prior to sail date. Usually guests in certain countries can reprice cruises only up until their final payment date to take advantage of a price drop.

Just like Cruise with Confidence, guests must be booked on or before May 31st, 2021 for sailings that depart on or before April 30th, 2022 and they can request the difference of their booked rates versus any rate reduction.

The difference in pricing will be added to the booking as an onboard credit, inside final payment, and it’ll be applied within 14 business days, and a new confirmation will be generated with the Onboard Credit value.

What you should do before Cruise with Confidence ends?

If you are thinking of booking any cruise between now and April 2022, it may make a lot of sense to at least put a deposit down now to not only lock in the price of your cruise, but also ensure you can cancel it under Cruise with Confidence up to 48 hours before the sailing.

The flexibility this program provides is a great "safety net" for anyone with a cruise booked who is unsure what the cruise world may look like closer to your sail date. In short, there is very little risk when your booking is protected with Cruise with Confidence since you can change your mind at any time.

Of course, there are still some other means to retain some level of flexibility to change your mind later even without the program. 

• Book refundable cruise fare so you can cancel before final payment date for a 100% refund.
• Consider a "Cancel for any reason" travel insurance plan

Ultimately,if you were thinking about booking a cruise for 2021 or 2022, you might consider booking it before Cruise with Confidence ends to have access to the flexibility it provides.