Royal Caribbean Blog

If anything, a year without cruises has taught me how much I took a cruise vacation for granted, and now I am left yearning for the things that endeared me to cruising in the first place.

Usually, a bucket list has the connotation of being things you would love to do some day before you, well, "kick the bucket", and they are typically once in a lifetime experiences.  In most years, that would make sense, but I think right now so many of us have lowered our targets to simply getting back out to sea again.

With at least a few 2021 cruises on the horizon this summer, it looks like some of us may finally be able to get back to what we loved so dearly, and like many of you, I am still daydreaming about the possibility of getting back on a cruise ship.

With that in mind, this list is a cross between daydreaming and a low-ambition bucket list. After 15+ months of no cruises, getting your hopes up in general is a fool's errand.

I present my list of the experiences and activities on a Royal Caribbean cruise that I just cannot wait to do once again at some point this year.

10. Listen to live music in the pub

One of my all-time favorite forms of evening entertainment is going to the pub on a Royal Caribbean ship and enjoy the live music.

Live music is a major component of the Royal Caribbean cruise experience.  On any given night, there are usually a few live musical acts you can enjoy, but the one that I really love the most is the guitarist in the pub.

Usually the pub singer plays a variety of hits across different decades, and the rapport he or she strikes up with the crowd with jokes, stories, and requests really resonated with me.

I also think the backdrop of an old English pub with the music playing jives so well, and it's a great place to sit with friends and chat, while enjoy the tunes.

Read more: 50 things everyone should do on a Royal Caribbean cruise at least once

9. Getting to know the dining room staff

From my very first Royal Caribbean cruise, I relished the relationship with the main dining room waiters.

The main dining room is a beautiful location and it has a nice assortment of culinary choices, but I really like the service you can only get there.  Part of that is the fact you go there night after night, and the wait staff gets to know what you like.

Whether it is being brought a new drink without asking, checking if your favorite flavor of ice cream (coffee) is available, or performing a magic trick for my kids, the relationship with the dining room staff is something you just do not find anywhere else.

Just like parents who do not have a favorite child, waiters come with many personalities, but they all have something special about them that you can enjoy, and I really look forward to placing my next meal order.

Read more: Top 10 insider tips for Royal Caribbean's main dining room

8. Trying out the Floating Cabanas

Since this is a bucket list, I will include something I cannot wait to finally try out, which are the floating cabanas at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Right before the cruise industry shutdown, Royal Caribbean opened up the Coco Beach Club area, which includes floating cabanas.

I have stayed in plenty of beach cabanas at CocoCay and Labadee over the years, but the floating cabana takes the concept to a new level.

The floating cabanas are an attempt to bring a bit of Bora Bora to Royal Caribbean's private island, and each one has a private slide into the ocean, overwater hammock, dining area, freshwater shower & wet bar.

I was able to tour these in February 2020, but never actually spend the day in one, so I have one reserved when my family sets sail in June on Adventure of the Seas.

Read more: Coco Beach Club Floating Cabanas Photo Tour & Walkthrough

7. All the CocoCay food

Speaking of Perfect Day at CocoCay, the food on the island is something I still daydream about.

Traditionally, private island food was just typical barbeque eats, but when Royal Caribbean revamped CocoCay into Perfect Day at CocoCay, they elevated their food game considerably.

Tacos, Cuban sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, and mozzarella sticks are just some of the great food you can find on the island.  Then there is all the specialty restaurant-level cuisine you can find in the Coco Beach Club restaurant.

I would be remiss if I did not mention my all-time favorite: the "secret sandwich" at the Snack Shack. 

If you ask nicely, you can get a chicken parmigiana sandwich that is essentially a cross between the crispy chicken sandwich, mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce.

Read more: Top 10 Perfect Day at CocoCay secrets and tricks

6. Seeing the Caribbean water color

While I live in Florida, the color of the ocean in the Caribbean is something you do not get back in the states.

Whenever I am on a top deck, or on my stateroom balcony, I will quite often stare at the ocean for a while because the water colors there are incredible.  

The deep blues around the ship, turquoise near the beaches, and the overall clarity is something I really miss seeing.

Read more: Why you should book a balcony stateroom

5. Cruising from outside the United States

This year, I get to try something completely different and join my ship from another country.

Whether from Florida, Texas, or New Jersey, I have always gotten onboard a cruise ship from somewhere in the United States.

To be honest, this is a sign of the times more than anything else, but I am glad to have the opportunity to get on a ship.  After more than a year without any cruises, flying to the Bahamas to get on a ship is a small price to pay if it means being on a cruise ship again.

Read more: Summer 2021 Cruise Planning Guide

4. Cruising from the United States

While I am excited to try a cruise that begins in another country, I think many cruise fans are eagerly anticipating the return of cruises from the United States.

Americans are used to having a great deal of choices in which ships and embarkation ports to sail from, and while there are some options overseas, the cruise industry knows the path back to a full return goes through U.S. ports.

It is anyone's guess when cruise ships will be able to sail again from America, but perhaps no other announcement will be as singularly important to cruise lines' bottom lines and cruise fans' hearts as ships that can sail from the United States.

There has been a lot of back and forth between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the cruise industry, so when this might happen remains unclear. And then there are the legal and legislative challenges that are attempting to circumvent the CDC's power over the cruise lines.

Whether there are cruises from the U.S. this summer, fall, or winter, I think at this point many American cruise fans are ready for cruises at any point this calendar year.

Read more: No, nobody knows if the cruise you have booked will actually sail

3. Visit a new (to me) port

Getting back to a real bucket list item, I am excited to explore a port of call which is new to me.

Something I really liked about a cruise from my first sailing was the idea you would wake up in a new port and get to see what that city and country has to offer.

This year, I will get to explore Freeport in Grand Bahama Island, as well as some southern Caribbean ports later this year on a Barbados sailing.  I find it stimulating to learn about what there is to do in each port, and discover potentially a new favorite activity.

Read more: What you need to know about visiting Barbados on a cruise ship

2. Everything in Adventure Ocean

I love my kids, but the opportunity to drop my kids off at an incredibly well-run and supervised area is such a treat for both parents and kids.

My kids love it, because it is a few hours to play, make new friends, and see which counselors are their favorites.

As a parent, I relish the time alone with my wife to enjoy dinner and a show with just the two of us. 

Read more: Six things to know about Royal Caribbean's Adventure Ocean

1. Be more thankful

A year without cruises, in addition to the realities of a global health crisis that has taken so many people's lives, means not only is gettting back on a cruise a celebration, but also an opportunity to say "thank you" where it counts.

If there is a theme to these bucket list items, it is about being more appreciative of things we have, and not taking travel for granted. Moreover, being able to go on a cruise again is a very fortunate opportunity, and something not every can do.

The world has changed, and I am thankful for being able to take my family on a cruise vacation once again. And when I do, I will be certain to say "thank you" to the crew members who have suffered without the option to work for a long time, and a cruise line that has taken every possible step to not only remain in business, but return to a small level of operation.

I am not advocating gulping gallons of cruise line Kool Aid, but rather, be happy with what we have and appreciative of it all.

Carnival Cruise Line announced it has cancelled some of its July 2021 cruises, but there is still hope for some ships to sail from the U.S. in July.

Carnival says there is a a possible July restart in the U.S. on select ships from Florida and Texas.

There are three ships that are not cancelled for July, including Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze from Galveston, and Carnival Horizon from Miami. 

Carnival also said if there is an option to sail to Alaska, then the Carnival Miracle will takeover sailings for Carnival Freedom from Seattle.

All other July 2021 cruises are cancelled through July 31, 2021.  Guests booked on those sailings who wish to make alternate summer vacation plans may cancel without penalty by May 31, 2021 and receive a full refund. 

The cruise line is also giving guests the choice of canceling now instead of waiting to see what happens.  Guests booked on those sailings who wish to cancel without penalty can do so by May 31, 2021 and receive a full refund. 

Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy said the line is still working with the CDC for a July restart, "We continue to have constructive discussions with the CDC but still have many questions that remain unanswered.  We are working diligently to resume sailing in the U.S. and meet the CDC guidelines."

"We sincerely appreciate the continued patience and understanding of our guests and travel advisor partners and will share additional information as quickly as we can."

Carnival joins Norwegian Cruise Line in canceling some, but not all, of its July cruises. Unlike NCL, Carnival is holding back ships for a possible U.S. restart.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio told investors last week that a July restart for his company was "not possible."

"The July U.S. launch, at least for our company, is just not possible,” Del Rio confessed.

"It was possible back in early April when we proposed to the CDC 100 percent vaccination, so from April 5, 90 days would be early July so that was possible."

What will Royal Caribbean do?

Royal Caribbean has not announced what it will do about July sailings from the United States yet.

Royal Caribbean rarely gives any kind of warning when a new set of cancellations are going to occur, but with Carnival and NCL both announcing additional cancellations for July, it seems Royal Caribbean must be close to making a similar decision.

Of course, Royal Caribbean will sail a handful of ships in July from outside the United States from countries like Bermuda, Bahamas, Israel, Singapore, Cyprus and England.

The rest of the ships and sailings scheduled in July are all still to be determined.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a new set of instructions for cruise lines to engage in test cruises, but some of the requirements are truly bizarre.

From the start of the agency's mandated industry-wide shutdown, the cruise lines have been held to a completely different double standard.

While the new instructions for test cruises are an important step forward for cruises to resume in the United States, there are quite a few restrictions and rules included which seem odd considering nearly everyone will be fully vaccinated. And then there is the double standard cruise lines face compared to other aspect of life in the U.S. right now.  

Norwegian Cruise Line Holding's CEO Frank Del Rio recently lambasted the rules as "unfair" and "never consistent."

"If there was science-fact information, we would accept it," Del Rio said. "They never shared any data with us, any scientific data or any data, period, and so, look, it seems to me they make this stuff up as they go along."

The CDC released its "COVID-19 Operations Manual for Simulated and Restricted Voyages under the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order", which stipulates rules and  recommendations for test cruises and possibly revenue sailings under the Conditional Sail Order (CSO).

Here is a look at few of the rules for test cruises that may very well have to scratch your head after reading.

You have to wear a face mask outside on a cruise line private island

Making a stop at a private island is part of the test cruise instructions, and if passengers get off the ship there, the CDC says they must wear a mask.

Listed under the Technical Instructions for the simulated voyages, the CDC says "Mask use and social distancing must be observed on the island" in reference to cruise line's private islands.

Keep in mind test sailings will be at a reduced capacity, with no more than one ship in port at a time and as few as 10% of a ship's capacity passenger load.

The New York Times reported this week that the share of transmission that has occurred outdoors seems to be below 1 percent and may be below 0.1 percent, according to multiple epidemiologists.

The CDC says that unvaccinated people should wear masks in most outdoor settings and vaccinated people should wear them at “large public venues”; summer camps should require children to wear masks virtually “at all times.”

Interestingly, the CDC also issued similar guidance for summer camps: Masks must be worn at all times, even outdoors, by everyone, including vaccinated adults and children as young as 2 years old.  The exceptions are for eating and swimming. 

Of course, summer camps do not have to apply to the CDC for permission to operate.

According to the New York Times article, there is not a single documented Covid infection anywhere in the world from casual outdoor interactions, such as walking past someone on a street or eating at a nearby table.

"I wouldn’t call [the guidelines] excessive, Savannah, but they certainly are conservative," Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, told TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie.

"I think what you're going to start to see is really in real-time continually reevaluating that for its practicality. Because you’re right, people look at that and they say, 'Well is that being a little bit too far right now."

Wear masks by the pool

Another place outside you will have to wear a mask on a test cruise is at the pool when not swimming.

The CDC says cruise lines operating out of U.S. ports will be required to “ensure bathers wear masks while congregating outside of recreational water facilities (RWFs) and while seated on the pool deck area.”

Masks will not be required when swimming in a shipboard pool, but bathers must maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet while in a pool with anyone who is not a traveling companion.

CDC still thinks cruises have more in common with a prison than a resort

Once again, the CDC has repeated its believe that cruise ships are considered "residential, non-healthcare, congregate settings representing a global population."

The CDC defines a congregate setting as "a setting in which a group of usually unrelated persons reside, meet, or gather either for a limited or extended period of time in close physical proximity."

Some examples of a congregate setting include:

• Schools
• Nursing homes
• Correctional facilities
• Places of worship
• Hospitals
• Shelters
• Social settings
• Workplace settings

Since the CDC said it is residential and non-healthcare, the options that match somewhere you would stay overnight (hence residential) and not a hospital, would be correctional facilities or a nursing home.

Wristbands recommended to alert you that you are too close to someone else

Another "no one else does this, but cruise ships should do it" recommendation by the CDC is for ships to have passengers consider the use of wearable proximity alerting technology.

This would mean a passenger would be alerted by a sound when veering too close to someone else in an effort to promote social distancing protocols.

You cannot remove your mask for an entire meal

The CDC says you can remove your mask while eating or drinking, but not for the entire meal.

While the Order permits temporarily removing a mask for brief periods of time while eating or drinking, removal of the mask for extended meal service or beverage consumption would constitute a violation of this Order.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio called that notion "preposterous".

"As we read yesterday's pronouncements, even though everyone onboard would be vaccinated, in between bites of your meal and in between sips of your beverage, you have to put on your mask, take off your mask. Nobody should order soup because your mask might get sloppy. That to me is just preposterous."

For ships that are going to be sailing with fully vaccinated guests, Mr. Del Rio called it "incredibly stupid".

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, co-chair of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings′ and Royal Caribbean’s Healthy Sail Panel, said over the weekend he believes the CDC can start to consider lifting indoor mask mandates now, as more and more Americans are vaccinated. 

"I think we should start lifting these restrictions as aggressively as we put them in," said Gottlieb. "We need to preserve the credibility of public health officials to perhaps re-implement some of these provisions as we get into next winter, if we do start seeing outbreaks again."

Royal Caribbean is preparing to begin cruises from Haifa, Israel in June, but it still needs to get more of its crew members vaccinated.

Photo by Port of Haifa

The agreement between Royal Caribbean and the State of Israel is for everyone onboard to be fully vaccinated, which is easy enough for the passengers who are all coming from Israel.  Israel has among the higher percentage of vaccinated populations in the world.

But getting vaccines for crew members has been a bit of a challenge, and a new report points to the cruise line attempting to negotiate the sale of vaccines for crew.

According to TheMarker, Royal Caribbean has been negotiating with the Israeli Health Ministry to purchase vaccines from Israel's inventory for crew members for whom no vaccine option has been found.

The proposal is for Royal Caribbean to buy vaccines off Israel now, and then replace the vaccines with new supplies they have ordered from drug manufacturers at a later date when those shipments arrive.

It is believed it may take almost a year until the vaccines Royal Caribbean ordered will arrive.

When Odyssey of the Seas visited Haifa for the first time a few weeks ago, there were reports crew members received vaccines at that time, but Israel's Health Ministry denies that took place.

It is not clear what would happen if all crew members are not vaccinated in time for the first sailing on June 2.

Over the last few weeks, Royal Caribbean has been working with the Ministry of Health to purchase vaccines from Israel for its employees, although no solution has yet been found.

Israel's Tourism Ministry is a major proponent of bringing cruise ships to Israel, and wants Israel to become a regular cruise destination.

A Tourism Ministry source said, "This is a company that is an important strategic partner for tourism to Israel and for the Israeli economy, which is why the Tourism Ministry has joined the Transportation Ministry in its request to start cruise tourism from Israel and to help vaccinate the crews.

"The eyes of the entire tourism industry are on Israel and the way it is behaving and opening up tourism. This is a one-time opportunity to make Israel the world leader in this industry too."

Odyssey of the Seas is a brand new cruise ship that was delivered to Royal Caribbean this year. It can accommodate up to 4,180 passengers.

Photo by Port of Haifa

Beginning this summer, Odyssey will offer cruises from Israel to destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Sailings this summer will visit ports in Greece and Cyprus, including Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos and Athens, Greece and Limassol, Cyprus.  

The cruises will be the first ever out of Israel by a major cruise line.

Read more: First look around Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas

Every cruise line does things just a little bit different from the rest, but there are at least a few industry-wide trends that Royal Caribbean simply does not do across the board.

Part of making each cruise brand stand out is adopting certain policies, incorporating a vision, and providing passengers with something that appeals to their base.  Royal Caribbean is no different, and has made a name for itself by offering a cruise vacation with its own flavor of offerings.

Some new cruisers, as well as people new to Royal Caribbean, may be surprised by some of the things Royal Caribbean does not do, which are found on other cruise lines.  There are any number of reasons why Royal Caribbean has not followed other lines with these trends, but when comparing lines, some of these omissions may stand out.

Here are the top five cruise industry trends I have noticed Royal Caribbean does not do, as well as one that they recently changed their minds about.

Ship within a ship

One of the hottest trends in cruises is the "ship within a ship" concept, which takes the suite level offerings to a new height.

Traditionally, passengers in suites enjoyed their luxurious amenities in their cabin, as well as a few perks sprinkled around the ship, such as a suite lounge, reserved seating and more.

A number of main stream lines, including Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), MSC Cruises, and Celebrity Cruises, have all adopted a new take on the suite life by dedicating entire sections of the ship exclusively to their top tier suite guests.

The idea is to give suite guests not just perks, but exclusive areas for them, including their own pool decks, restaurants, and concierge services.  Think of it like a mega velvet roped off area.

While Royal Caribbean has done more to offer its suite guests upgraded amenities for suite guests in recent years (Royal Suite Class), their ships lack a true "ship within a ship" offering that you find on some competitors.

Spectrum of the Seas does offer the closest thing to a ship within a ship concept, but that ship is heavily focused on the Chinese cruise market and sister ship Odyssey of the Seas did not retain that feature.

Read more: What is Star Class?

All-inclusive options

While a lot of people may think of cruises as sort of all-inclusive, they really are not, and Royal Caribbean purposefully leaves a lot of extra costs and options from the base cruise fare.

To be fair, main stream mass market cruise lines generally shy away from all-inclusive fares, but a number of cruise lines are starting to move in that direction in an effort to make pricing simpler for the guest.

Celebrity Cruises recently changed their pricing model to now include things like gratuities, wi-fi, drink packages and more. Likewise, Holland America Line also shifted to include shore excursions, beverages, WiFi and more.

Traditionally, Royal Caribbean's promotions tend to favor giving guests a discount on the cruise fare, and then allowing guests to add-on things like a drink package or wifi if they want it.

Cruise lines like Holland America or Celebrity are considered to be a premium cruise line, whereas Royal Caribbean is a contemporary line.  This means pricing and what is included traditionally differs to begin with.

That being said, cruise fares for certain countries include more in their base fare than in North America.  In the UK, drink packages and gratuities are often included with the cruise fare (albeit at a higher price).

Read more: Could Royal Caribbean follow Celebrity Cruises move to all-inclusive pricing?

Onboard brewery

A new trend many cruise lines are adding to their new cruise ships is an onboard brewery.

NCL recently developed their own brewery in partnership with Miami-based Wynwood Brewing Company by developing District Brew House. 

Onboard the NCL Bliss and Escape, you will find 24 rotating beers on tap, in addition to a wide variety of bottled beer, and even exclusive brews for NCL.

Carnival offers the RedFrog Pub, and even has its own private-label draft beer: ThirstyFrog Red.

The Carnival Vista has an actual working brewery onboard, and the Carnival Horizon has a combination Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse & Brewhouse.

Royal Caribbean has not gone in that direction quite yet.  At one time, they partnered with Chef Michael Schwartz to offer Michael's Genuine Pub on its Quantum Class ships, but their beers were all bottled and was more bar than brewery.

Kids partnerships programming

Partnering with a well-known children brand is a cruise industry trend that Royal Caribbean used to do, but went away from.

Carnival has a partnership with Dr. Seuss® and offers kids programming onboard that includes a special onboard character parade, interactive story time, arts & crafts activities, character breakfast featuring their favorite Dr. Seuss friends and more. 

MSC Cruises partners with LEGO®, which include larger LEGO play areas, building contests, video games and more.

Royal Caribbean has a partnership with Dreamworks Entertainment for many years, but ended the brand partnership in 2019 in order to focus on offering its own take on what kids could do onboard.

Royal Caribbean said the decision was made as part of its regular process of reviewing and refreshing their onboard offerings.

Read more: Cruising with kids on Royal Caribbean

Celebrity Chefs

Royal Caribbean at one time dipped their toe into the celebrity chef pool, but they have generally shied away from this hot trend in cruises.

Specialty restaurants are very popular with passengers, and some lines have sought celebrities to make their offering stand out.

Carnival's new Mardi Gras will have Shaq's Big Chicken restaurant to capitalize on American's love affair with the fast-food chicken sandwich. Emeril Lagasse will also have a restaurant on the Mardi Gras.

Carnival also has a partnership with Guy Fieri, which serves up Guy's Burger Joint.  MSC Cruises partnered with Roy Yamaguchi to bring Asian Market Kitchen to MSC Seaside.

Royal Caribbean still has a partnership with Jamie Oliver to offer Jamie's Italian on its ships, but the newest ships in the fleet and most recent refurbishments have focused on revamping its in-house Italian specialty restaurant Giovanni's Table.

Other celebrity chef partnerships on Quantum and Anthem of the Seas have since ended.

The trend they changed their minds about: Waterslides

Strangely, Royal Caribbean did not have giant water slides on its ships for many years, while Carnival, Norwegian and just about every cruise line included waterslides on their ships.

We may never know why Royal Caribbean resisted adding waterslides onboard, but it was a noticeable omission among families. Sure, the Radiance Class had one kiddy slide, but compared to the other ships, it was a lacking feature.

A few years ago, Royal Caribbean decided to change that and begin adding waterslides to its existing ships, and incorporating them into the designs of new ships.

Today, Royal Caribbean offers a few different water slides on its cruise ships, and most of its larger ships have at least a couple slides to enjoy.

Read more: Which Royal Caribbean ships have water slides?

Happy Mothers Day! All the moms out there deserve a big hug, thank you, and hopefully a new cruise booking too.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has given cruise lines new instructions for test cruises and even sailings from the United States.

The CDC released the next two phases of its Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) that will allow for the "eventual resumption of U.S. cruise industry operations."

The new instructions cover the test cruises that cruise ships would need to conduct in order to start sailing passenger sailings under a COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean begins vaccinating crew members in Miami
• Royal Caribbean says kids may be able to cruise under CDC's 95% vaccinated restart plan
• Norwegian Cruise Line CEO says July cruises from U.S. "not possible"
• Royal Caribbean releases new Enchantment of the Seas 2022-2023 sailings from Baltimore
• Norwegian Cruise Line warns it could move cruise ships from Florida due to vaccine passport ban
• Royal Caribbean will begin hiring crew members from India again later this month
• New renderings released of Royal Caribbean's new cruise terminal in Galveston
• Florida Governor signs bill banning vaccine passports possibly affecting cruise ship restart
• Florida Governor thinks cruise lines don't need ability to require vaccine proof from passengers
• Texas joins lawsuit against CDC to get cruises restarted
• What’s New & Coming to Royal Caribbean in 2021, 2022 & 2023
• What it was like to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise in the 1970s
• What is the difference between Royal Caribbean's Voom Surf and Voom Surf and Stream?

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 405th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available,which takes a look at the big cruise news outside of Royal Caribbean.

This week, Ashley and Matt look at all the cruise news happening with other cruise lines.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

New RCB Video: 10 Cruise ship mistakes travel agents see people doing all the time!

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — 10 Cruise ship mistakes travel agents see people doing all the time! — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Summer 2021 Cruise Planning Guide

This summer there were will be at least a few ships sailing from ports in the Caribbean and Europe, and I have important tips and things to know about reserving and planning for these summer sailings.

One thing is certain for these summer 2021 cruises, and that is there will be changes and new protocols in place that are new to any cruiser.

With that in mind, our Summer 2021 Cruise Planning Guide shares advice, tips, and news you should be aware of for cruises in summer 2021.

Royal Caribbean will once again start hiring crew members from India.

Less than two weeks after announcing the cruise line would temporarily halt hiring crew members from India, later this month the policy will revert back.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley posted on Facebook that the hirings will once again commence, beginning on May 21st.

"We are starting crewing from India on May 21st," Mr. Bayley announced in his post, and said "enhanced protocols" will be used for these crew members.

Crew coming from India will undergo a rigorous set of testing and quarantine procedures to ensure they can safely join a ship:

1. PCR Test
2. 14 day quarantine
3. PCR Test
4. Charter flight
5. PCR Test
6. Given a Covid-19 vaccine
7. Quarantine
8. PCR Test

Mr. Bayley said these protocols will be in place at least for a "short time", although these sort of enhanced protocols will be used for crew members coming from other countries where new Covid-19 case counts are surging.

Since the additional quarantine requirements will take up more time than the usual onboarding process, crew contracts will be extended by 2 months.

Large scale vaccinations for crew

In addition to vaccinating crew members coming from India, Royal Caribbean has been systematically bringing ships to PortMiami to get crew members vaccinated there.

In less than a week, crew members from Explorer, Liberty, Navigator, Freedom, Independence and Mariner of the Seas have all received their first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Reports are more ships are to arrive soon as well for their jabs.

Mr. Bayley also celebrated the World Health Organization approving Sinopharm vaccine, which is China's vaccine option that is more easily available in China and other nearby countries.

A WHO emergency listing is a signal to national regulators that a product is safe and effective. It also allows it to be included in COVAX, a global program to provide vaccines mainly for poor countries, which has hit supply problems.

The WHO had already given emergency approval to COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and, last week, Moderna.

We have a new idea of what Royal Caribbean's new cruise terminal in Galveston will look like once completed.

The Terminal 3 cruise terminal is under construction, and a new artist concept rendering of the building and surround area has been released.

Construction of the terminal was delayed due to the global health crisis, but work began in April 2021 on the 10 acre parcel of land that will soon be home to Allure of the Seas.

Terminal 3 will be built at Pier 10 for exclusive use by Royal Caribbean, and it appears Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc.are the architects chosen to work on the project.

If the firm's name does not sound familiar, their work certainly speaks for itself, as they have worked on a variety of terminals and cruise projects.

Their work includes:

• Terminal A in PortMiami
• Port Everglades Terminal 25 & 18
• MSC Ocean Cay Marine Reserve Private Island
• Cape Liberty Cruise Terminal
• Disney's Castaway Cay Private Island

The main building has the Royal Caribbean logo prominently featured against many shades of blue around a circular design.

The cruise terminal is estimated to cost $100 million and encompass 150,000 square feet of space.

When the project was announced, Royal Caribbean said the new terminal would be large enough to handle Royal Caribbean's largest cruise ships, including an Oasis Class ship or one of the new Icon Class ships.

The facility will feature state-of-the-art technology, including mobile check-in and facial recognition to expedite guest arrival. The terminal will be designed and developed sustainably to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental) certification standards.

The contract maintains a target completion date of September 1, 2022 to complete the terminal, which is well ahead of the planned arrival of Allure of the Seas on November 13, 2022.

Royal Caribbean did ask the Port of Galveston for some extra buffer time to complete the terminal in case the cruise industry remains shutdown longer than anticipated.

Royal Caribbean had asked for a 6-month extension but negotiations resulted in only a 3-month extension. The cruise line is obligated to begin paying rent when the first ship docks at the new terminal, but not later than September 30, 2023.  

Original Concept Art for the Galveston Cruise Terminal 3

The plan for now is for Allure of the Seas to arrive on November 13, 2022.

The Port of Galveston has been working on their portion of the project throughout global health crisis and remains on track to support the project with utilities, parking lots, road and traffic improvements, landscaping, dredging, and other work.

Will Florida's new law that prevents a company from asking for proof of a Covid-19 vaccine create a problem for cruise lines trying to restart cruises?

While Florida's Governor does not think there is an issue with the new law, at least one cruise line has said it is indeed an issue.

During the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) earnings call with investors, CEO Frank Del Rio described the new law as "an issue".

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed a new law that prohibits businesses from being able to ask for proof of a vaccine from their customers.

Senate Bill (SB) 2006 specifies the new law prohibits "a business entity from requiring patrons or customers to provide documentation certifying vaccination against or recovery from COVID-19."

Mr. Del Rio believes this may come down a legal issue between state and federal jurisdiction, but he also said there is a possibility their cruise ships would have to sail from another state.

"At the end of the day, cruise ships have motors, propellors and rudders, and God forbid we can operate in the state of Florida for whatever reason, then there are other states that we do operate from."

"We can operate from the Caribbean for ships that otherwise would've gone to Florida. We certainly hope that doesn't come to that. Everyone wants to operate out of Florida, it's a very lucrative market, it's close drive market."

Mr. Del Rio indicated NCLH is having discussions with the Governor's office, but thinks this is "a classic state versus Federal Government issue".

Governor DeSantis doesn't think cruise ships need to ask passengers for proof of a vaccine, because of how well cruise operations are doing overseas.

On Tuesday, Governor DeSantis dismissed the notion cruise ships need the ability to require a vaccine, "These cruise ships are sailing in other parts of the world where they don't even have vaccines available and they're doing it safely and people are having a good time on it. So so they can do it."

It was not clear if he was talking in general terms, or in reference to the federal guidelines.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) presented its instructions for cruise lines this week on how to apply for test sailings and restart cruises, which include a few possibilities of requiring a Covid-19 vaccine to sail.

The CDC will allow cruise lines to skip a test sailing if they can ensure 95% of the passengers are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. 

Even if cruise ships engage in test sailings, volunteer cruisers onboard these simulated voyages need to be vaccinated as well.

Norwegian Cruise Line has already committed itself to requiring 100% of its passengers and crew members to be vaccinated, and submitted a plan to the CDC about a month ago.

Thus far, NCLH has not heard back from the CDC.

"We want clearance for 100%," said Del Rio after being asked about Florida's law. "And as of today, which is a little over a month since we submitted our proposal to the CDC, we've not yet heard back from them. And that is very disappointing."

The chances of cruises from the U.S. this July seem unlikely, given recent comments from Norwegian Cruise Line.

Speaking at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. quarterly earnings call, CEO Frank Del Rio told Wall Street analysts a July restart in the United States is "just not possible".

"The July U.S. launch, at least for our company, is just not possible,” Del Rio confessed.

"It was possible back in early April when we proposed to the CDC 100 percent vaccination, so from April 5, 90 days would be early July so that was possible."

"But today we're in early May, and we're looking past that."

While he did not say exactly which dates would be practical, he did indicate they need about 90 days to get a ship ready to restart.

"Our team is working through the new guidance, but at first glance, however, it appears the path forward is a bit rockier and a bit steeper than originally expected."

Royal Caribbean has not commented on the fate of July cruises from the United States.

Mr. Del Rio also said he was disappointed in the new CDC rules for test sailings in the United States “at first read” and found them onerous and in part “preposterous."

"I'm disappointed, at first read. I'm going to give the CDC the opportunity to explain and clarify, and we have a call with them this afternoon."

The new guidelines from the CDC were released on Wednesday and include requirements such as mask wearing, vaccines for volunteers, social distancing, and more.

According to Del Rio, Norwegian plans to start off with a 100% vaccination mandate for cruise ship passengers.

In response to a question about how the CDC has treated the cruise industry, Mr. Del Rio responded, "We're perplexed. We're flabbergasted. We're outraged."

"We're willing to vaccinate every single person onboard a cruise ship. There isn't another venue on earth -- not a school, a factory, your office -- that can make that claim."