Royal Caribbean Blog

After booking an Adventure of the Seas cruise for this summer, what should you be doing now to be ready?

In just the first week the new Adventure of the Seas cruises from The Bahamas have been on sale, they have sold extremely well. With the cruise booked, now is a good time to take care of a few things, and plan for a few others.

Adventure of the Seas will not only be the first Royal Caribbean ship to sail from North America in well over a year, but it will also include plenty of changes.

Expect changes

Royal Caribbean has promised to update its passengers with exactly what to expect about a month before the cruise.

"Travel requirements are fast evolving. We will communicate with you in the 30 days before you set sail, to ensure you know the latest travel requirements."

If your Adventure of the Seas cruise is in late June or later, you will have the benefit of others determining what exactly everyone needs to do before your sailing comes around.

In the meantime, here is what we do know about what to expect.

Check your passport

Before you do anything else, find your passport and check the expiration date.

Since you have likely not had to use your passport in over a year, you want to double check the passport expiration date to ensure it will be valid by the time your Adventure of the Seas cruise rolls around.

Royal Caribbean says your passport should be valid at least 6 months after you sailing’s return date.

If your passport is or will expire, turn around times for passport renewal is pretty quick.

If you do not have a passport, you need to get one before the cruise begins.  Unlike cruises from the United States, you need a passport in order to sail from The Bahamas.

Read more: Do you need a passport for a cruise?

Purchase flights

If you have not looked at flights yet, now is a really good time to purchase flights for your cruise.

You can book flights through traditional methods, but you should also look at booking your airfare through Royal Caribbean before booking anything.

Royal Caribbean has bought up space on a number of flights to Nassau, and is actually subsidizing fares.

This means you may find substantial savings compared to booking flights on your own.  Many cruisers have reported savings of $100 or more per person on flights booked through Royal Caribbean.

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

Book a refundable hotel room

Another easy task to get out of the way now is to book a hotel room in Nassau before (and maybe after) your sailing.

The best strategy is to fly into Nassau at least one day ahead of your cruise to ensure travel delays do not impact your ability to get on the cruise ship.

Nassau (and New Providence Island in general) has many hotels and resorts you can stay at.  

Booking a hotel now locks in a spot at a great resort, but be sure to book refundable rates so that you can cancel if there is a lower price later.

Bahamas travel visa

In order to go on this cruise, you need to get into The Bahamas first, which will require something new to all cruisers: a travel health visa.

To get a head start, you can go to The Bahamas website to complete the initial steps now.

You can create a profile and upload a photo of your passport.

In addition, you can add your trip details and other family members.  Doing all of this now means when it is time for your test results, you will be ready to drop the results in and submit them.

Get a vaccine in time

One of the requirements of summer 2021 Adventure of the Seas cruises is all adults must be fully vaccincated at least 14 days prior to sailing.

For guests 18 years of age and older, proof of being fully vaccinated for COVID-19 will be required. It is not yet known what the cruise line will require for proof of vaccination quite yet.

If you have not gotten a vaccine yet, be sure get one with enough time for the inoculation to take full effect.

Negative PCR test

In order to enter the Bahamas, you will need to get a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for that health visa.

The health visa is required no more than 5 days before arrival. You may want to start looking around for which testing options near you are available, and how long it will roughly take to get the test to be processed.  

The key is to find a place that can get you a negative test as quickly as possible.  Some locations can provide test results in a matter of hours, while others can take a few days. Moreover, some locations are free and some will require an insurance copay.

It is a good idea in the weeks and months leading up to your cruise to determine a location that can provide the results as quickly as possible, keeping in mind there may be an additional cost for the speed you need.

While there are exceptions, one to three days for COVID-19 test results seem to be standard across the United States.

You may need to research PCR testing locations that promise same-day results or provide rapid PCR tests analyzed on-site if the arrival of your test results could make or break your trip.

This article provides an excellent resource of a city-by-city guide of where to get a test done.

Complete the health questionnaire

Remember that health form you had to fill out in the cruise terminal? It's digital now!

Beginning 24 hours before your cruise sails, you can access Royal Caribbean's Health Questionnaire in the app to fill out.

You will be asked some basic questions about your traveling party and if anyone has not been feeling well.

This was a busy week with Royal Caribbean news, and we have a summary of all of the news from this week to make certain you did not miss any of it.

Ready to go on a cruise this summer?

The new Adventure of the Seas sailings from Nassau, Bahamas are available to book via Royal Caribbean's website, phone, or through a travel agent.

The new bookings are available to book immediately, beginning with the June 12 sailing. Sailings between June and September 2021 are open for booking.

Be sure to also check out these 20 Adventure of the Seas tips, tricks & secrets!

Royal Caribbean News

• Jewel of the Seas will sail from Cyprus in July
• Florida Governor calls for cruises to be able to restart from Florida
• Royal Caribbean Group CEO gives updates on Europe and Alaska 2021 cruise chances
• Alaska Senators asked White House to get CDC to moving on cruise ship restart plans
• Cruise industry calls on CDC to let cruise ships sail again
• Cruise industry wants you to tell your elected officials to let cruise ships restart
• Royal Caribbean launches first sale on add-ons since new summer cruises announced
• Royal Caribbean Group CEO answers common questions about cruises restarting
• Royal Caribbean Group CEO talks "question that everybody is concerned about" on a cruise ship
• Odyssey of the Seas successfully completes sea trials
• Miami-Dade Mayor asks CDC to allow cruise ships to restart
• It looks like a Greek ferry company bought Majesty of the Seas
• Cruise FAQ: Saving Money

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 399th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, featuring a look at the Mexican Riviera ports.

In this episode, Sheri gives us a preview of what to expect in all of the west coast cruise ports you can visit, and what there is to do in each one.

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: Things I'll never do again on a Royal Caribbean cruise

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 — Things I'll never do again on a Royal Caribbean cruise — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean announces Vision of the Seas will sail from Bermuda

Royal Caribbean announced its second cruise ship to restart North American cruises will be Vision of the Seas from Bermuda.

Vision of the Seas will sail from outside the United States so that it can offer cruises sooner and without approval from the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Just like Adventure of the Seas, sailings on Vision of the Seas will require all adults above the age of 18 to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

A Congressional delegation from Alaska has once again sent a letter on behalf of the cruise industry in order to get cruise ships sailing again.

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, all R-Alaska, sent a letter with colleagues to the White House COVID Response Coordinator, urging the Biden administration to be more transparent and timely in their efforts to develop guidance for the resumption of operations for the cruise ship industry.

In the letter, the Senators and Representative also pressed the White House for answers to a number of clarifying questions on current U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

In the letter, the CDC's inaction is squarely at the heart of the concern.

• When will the CDC provide more details related to the phases of its Framework for Conditional Sailing?
• What criteria does the CDC use to determine the next phase of reopening? What is the timeline?
• What more does the cruise industry need to do to assure the CDC it is ready for the safe resumption of operations?
• Does the CDC understand the economic impact its lack of communication and transparency has on the cruise industry and associated businesses and local communities? What is the Administration’s plan to create more open lines of communication between government and the private sector?
• Who is the official that has responsibility for the decisions about when and how the cruise industry can restart under the restrictions put in place by the CDC?
• What is the process, either within the CDC, or within the Administration to make and implement these decisions, and what other agencies are involved in the decision
  making process?
• When the Conditional Sailing Order was issued last October, there were no vaccines and the disease was on an upward trajectory. Today, we are in completely different
  public health environment. What is the CDC planning to do to address this very different set of circumstances?

The Alaska delegation has been vocal in recent weeks trying to get cruise ships sailing again, so that the 2021 Alaska cruise season can be salvaged.

The letter urged swift action, "The cruise industry has faced unique challenges amid this pandemic, and is one of the only industries that is completely precluded from resuming normal operations. This has created a dramatic negative ripple effect on the Florida and Alaskan families, businesses, ports and communities that rely on the cruise industry"

"If the CDC does not quickly commit to start communicating timely and effective guidance, as well as hold frequent and productive meetings with cruise industry stakeholders, it will have harmful impacts on another peak season for the cruise industry."

Alaska is especially vulnerable to another season of no cruise ships because of how much their economy relies on ships.

The entire cruise season was abandoned last year, and this year looks to be equally dire.

"The future of the cruise industry and thousands of good paying jobs at our states’ ports and supporting businesses are now at stake," they wrote in the letter.

Alaska's representatives to Congress have done the most to get cruises started again.

In February, they asked Canada to re-evaluate their ban on cruise ships. Then in March, they introduced a new bill to allow cruise ships to sail without having to stop in Canada.

Senator Murkowski grilled CDC Director Rochelle Walensky last week after the Director failed to provide any kind of timeline for cruises to restart and was unsure how that would even proceed.

Senator Murkowski says Alaska is one of the most vaccinated states in the country, with 18.9% of its population full vaccinated, and  28% having at least their first shot.

UPDATE: Royal Caribbean has reached out and informed me that the information posted earlier on Royal Caribbean's website was not completely accurate, and as a result, I have remove the content of this post.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean said the new protocols and changes for guests onboard is still being developed.

"We’re still working through our member benefits and this does not accurately reflect member experiences onboard. As a result, we’ve turned off commenting on this post and will delete shortly. We promise we won’t let our intern near the enter key any time soon again. Thanks!"

The goal of this site is to always deliver the most accurate information possible, and providing the wrong expectation for guests is anything but that.

When there is updated information, I will be sharing it with all of you immediately.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) held a press conference at Port Canaveral to show support for the cruise industry to move forward with restarting from Florida.

As the top cruise departure port in the country, Florida's economy has a direct connection to the cruise industry.

Gov. Ron DeSantis called for "a way forward" in getting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to lift the ban on cruise ships.

DeSantis criticized how long cruises have been shutdown without any end in sight, "I don't think you can just indefinitely shutter major, major businesses and cost all these jobs. So we want a way forward."

"We have people flying on airplanes, they're on buses, hotels, restaurants, theme parks, casinos, bars, you name it. But somehow the cruise is viewed as differently."

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody went as far to suggest considering legal action to fight back against the CDC's Framework for Conditional Sail Order (CSO).  She did not spell out any plan, but did indicate it was an option.

"We are asking that there be technical guidance that is given that would allow these ships to resume. And it's important that we start examining how we can push for a sooner rather than later resumption of this incredible, important industry," Ms. Moody said during the press conference.

"It's incredibly important as we examine all options and determine what our legal avenues are to push back against this government overreach to an end, to an industry that is so vitally important to the success of the state."

"We will take all legal action as necessary."

Executives from all the major cruise lines were present at the event, including Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley.

Mr. Bayley spoke about the frustration in dealing with getting any kind of information related to getting approval to sail again from the CDC, "We can't get any reliable information from the entity that's closed is that it's an intergovernmental agency review. Month after month after month, it's devastating."

"So we're in this bizarre situation where we're all Americans, we've got huge workforces in America, we buy all of our products in America, we supply our ships from America. Most of our customers are from America, and yet we cannot get any guidance."

Gov. DeSantis' press conference follows up on a series of public statements from the cruise industry to ask the CDC to restart cruises.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) sent a letter to the CDC to ask the CSO to be lifted by July so that cruises can sail again by then.  In addition, CLIA asked travel agents, cruise fans, and anyone in the industry to contact their government representatives to compel the CDC to change their direction.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman Richard Fain called the CSO "unworkable" earlier this week.

In speaking about the CSO during a webinar, he said it is now out of date, "It calls for a four-phased process but four-and-a-half months into that, we are still in phase one and we still don’t know what will be required for phase two."

"You can see that's pretty unworkable for us and for the CDC.

Royal Caribbean has released a new sale on drink packages, wifi, excursions and more.

The Sun-Soaked Savings sale begins today, and offers up to 45% off the onboard price of these items.

The new sale runs between March 26, 2021 – April 1, 2021 and applies to select sailings departing June 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022.

Here is what is included during the sale:

BEVERAGE: Up to 45% off

• Classic Soda Beverage Package: Discount varies by ship.
• Classic Soda Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: 45% off onboard prices.
• Dasani Water Cans: 45% off onboard prices.
• Deluxe Beverage Package: 30% off onboard prices
• Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Discount varies by ship
• Refreshment Package: Discount varies by ship

SHORE EXCURSIONS: Up to 40% off

• Shore Excursions: Discount varies by ship

INTERNET: Up to 55% 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 55% off

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

ACTIVITIES: Up to 20% off

• All Access Ship Tour (Excludes Grandeur of the Seas)

Gifts & Gear: Up to 45% Off

• Anniversary Decorations with Champagne: 45% Off Onboard Prices
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Chocolate Cake & Strawberries: 20% Off Onboard Prices
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Vanilla Cake & Strawberries: 20% Off Onboard Prices
• Inky Beach Set: 20% Off Onboard Prices
• Inky Beach Towel (TicTacToe): 20% Off Onboard Prices
• Inky Travel Set: 20% Off Onboard Prices
• Red Wine and Cheese: 20% Off Onboard Prices
• Royal Caribbean Beach Towel: 20% Off Onboard Prices
• Strawberries with Champagne: 20% Off Onboard Prices
• White Wine and Cheese: 20% Off Onboard Prices

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. 

SPA PACKAGES: Up to 30% off

Only on Allure, Anthem, Freedom, Harmony, Independence, Navigator, Oasis, Ovation, Odyssey, Quantum & Symphony of the Seas

• Spa Package: Up to 30% Off Onboard Prices

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

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

More helpful information

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

Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship has passed the last major stage of her construction.

Shipyard Meyer Werft announced Odyssey of the Seas has returned from her sea trials in the North Sea and the ship successfully passed all tests.

The ship is now back in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Translated from German, Meyer Werft seemed pleased with the results

Project Manager Thorsten Kroes von Bord said, "All systems work great and we have reached another important milestone for the ship with the successful test drive."

What are sea trials?

Sea trials are when a new cruise ship gets its systems tested out in order to ensure all of its features work, as well as push speed and steering to their limits.

Everything from the ship's propulsion, to navigation, to engines are tested before it can be ready to join the fleet.

Sea trials range in duration, sometimes one or two sessions is common.

The sea trials are conducted with a combination of Royal Caribbean crew members, as well as shipyard workers. 

When will Odyssey of the Seas be delivered?

With the sea trials complete, there may be some final tweaks and changes onboard before the ship is prepared for delivery.

No official delivery date has been announced by Royal Caribbean or Meyer Werft.

Until delivery takes place, the ship is still owned by Meyer Werft.  Like many other ships during the global health crisis, the delivery is likely to be a very low key event, perhaps even a virtual event.

Sister brand Celebrity Cruises took delivery of Celebrity Apex in a virtual delivery, where the cruise line took official command of the new ship via a video conference with officials from the shipyard.

Inaugural season

Odyssey of the Seas will debut for Royal Caribbean in Haifa, Israel this summer.

She will sail roundtrip from Haifa, Israel and offer cruises only to Israeli residents who are vaccinated.

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

Odyssey will then cross the Atlantic to begin its inaugural North American season in November, offering 6- to 8-night itineraries from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean.

Here are a list of the major features on Odyssey of the Seas that we know about:

• SkyPad bungee trampoline experience 
• SeaPlex - the largest indoor space for recreational activities at sea
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade with club-level views of the SeaPlex
• Reimagined Adventure Ocean kids program and a maxed-out teen lounge with gaming consoles, music and movies
• Teppanyaki restaurant
• Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar
• Two-level pool deck will feature two open-air, resort-style pools and four whirlpools with shady casitas and hammocks
• FlowRider surf simulator
• Skydiving with Ripcord by iFly
• North Star glass capsule
• Robot bartenders at Bionic Bar

A day after the cruise industry called on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to lift its cruise ship ban, they now want you to to help out too.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is imploring U.S. residents to email, call, and/or tweet elected officials in the House and Senate and tell them to urge the Biden Administration to lift the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO).

The new message is the strongest action yet by the group representing most of the cruise industry, including Royal Caribbean.

CLIA's goal is simple: have the CDC lift the CSO by July so that cruise ships can restart sailing from the United States.

Their argument to lift the order is based on data from almost 400,000 passengers that have sailed during the global health crisis with fewer than 50 confirmed cases of COVID-19 onboard CLIA member cruise line ships since resumption started last summer, based on public reporting. 

Moreover, the economic impact of the cruise industry being shutdown is claimed to be responsible for more than 300,000 jobs lost in the U.S. CLIA says the majority of those impacted are independent business owners or individuals employed by small- to medium-sized businesses. 

Cruise ships have been shutdown in the United States since March 2020, when the cruise industry volunteered to stop cruising in the early days of the global health crisis.  Since then, the CDC instituted a ban on cruise ships.

Since then, many other aspects of travel have either not been halted, or been allowed to restart, including airlines, hotels, theme parks, and casinos.

With the public's help, CLIA hopes to get an early-July restart in action that would be in line with President Biden’s forecast for when the US will be “closer to normal.” 

To make it easier, CLIA has set up a page where you can easily write an email or tweet, or call your government representative.

The cruise industry's stronger tone has come in the last few days.

Even Royal Caribbean Group Chairman Richard Fain has talked differently about the CDC, calling the CSO "unworkable".

In speaking about the CSO during a webinar, he said it is now out of date, "It calls for a four-phased process but four-and-a-half months into that, we are still in phase one and we still don’t know what will be required for phase two."

"You can see that's pretty unworkable for us and for the CDC.

CLIA President and CEO Kelly Craighead also spoke out this week to lead the charge in asking the CDC to lift its ban.

Craighead believes strict health protocols and the rapid pace of vaccination are what is needed for cruise ships to safely return to service, " the successful resumption of cruising in other parts of the world demonstrates that a return to cruising can and should occur here as well."

Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas packs a lot of family fun, activities and things to do onboard.

If you want to know the best ways to maximize your time and money, here are some of my top tips for anyone going on Adventure of the Seas.

These tips should ensure you have a great time onboard.

Adventure of the Seas got a refurbishment in 2018

In 2018, Royal Caribbean sent Adventure of the Seas for an extensive refurbishment that added a variety of new amenities onboard the ship.

The work was split between two dry docks: one in 2016 and the other in 2018, but the ship now offers water slides, new dining venues, new staterooms and a Suite Lounge.

Only ship with Izumi on Royal Promenade

So far, Adventure of the Seas is the only Royal Caribbean ship with an Izumi location on the Royal Promenade.

Izumi has been one of the fastest spreading specialty restaurants across Royal Caribbean, but on other Voyager Class ships, it has been added to either the top of the ship or near the Schooner Bar on Deck 4.

Only on Adventure can you enjoy sushi with a view of the comings and goings of the Royal Promenade.

How to avoid waits for the water slides

Perhaps no activity is as popular as the Perfect Storm water slides on Adventure of the Seas, but there are some easy ways to avoid a long wait.

Bring your bathing suit on embarkation day and change once you are on the ship to take advantage of the short lines for the slides. Most people are not even thinking about going on the water slide on the first day, so this is the best time to try it out.

Another good strategy is to ride the slides when they open up in the morning.  That first hour is usually not bad with lines.

You can also try the water slides while the ship is in port.  Many other guests are off the ship on tours, leaving less competition for the slides.

Try booking one of the new staterooms

During the ship's latest refurbishment, more than 100 new staterooms were added.

Chief among the new rooms are the oceanview panoramic staterooms on deck 12 that were added.

These rooms have an incredible view from anywhere in the cabin, with a floor to ceiling wrap around panoramic window that is 76 inches high by 103-321 inches wide. 

Restaurants included with your cruise on Adventure of the Seas

Wondering where you can eat with no additional cost on Adventure of the Seas?

Here is a list of options:

• Windjammer (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
• Main Dining Room (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
• Cafe Promenade (Early morning until late night)

Keep in mind there may be some extra cost items at these locations.

Read more: Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Specialty dining packages can save you money

If you plan on eating at more than 1 or 2 specialty restaurants while on Adventure of the Seas, you probably should invest in a dining package.

Specialty dining packages offer a fixed cost for some, or even unlimited, specialty restaurants during your cruise.

There are four specialty restaurants on Adventure of the Seas that are included with the packages:

• Johnny Rockets
• Giovanni's Table
• Chop's Grille
• Izumi

I would not recommend eating at Johnny Rockets with your package (pay for it individually instead), and save your credits for the big three choices.

Be sure to buy dining packages before your cruise to save even more money.

Two days in a row at Perfect Day at CocoCay!

Special just for the summer 2021 cruises from Nassau, Adventure of the Seas will offer the rare double dip to Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.

Adventure will spend two consecutive days at Perfect Day at CocoCay, which means lots of time to explore and enjoy Royal Caribbean's little slice of paradise.

A good strategy is to pre-book anything you want to do at CocoCay to avoid it selling out. 

Read more: Do's & Don'ts of Perfect Day at CocoCay

Read Cruise Compass to see entertainment each night

There will be nightly entertainment around the ship , so be sure to read about what is offered in your Cruise Compass.

Each evening, your stateroom attendant will deliver a new copy of the next day's schedule.  You can also find the schedule in Royal Caribbean's app.

It is a good idea to read about what is coming up, so you can plan ahead for the must-see shows.

Download Royal Caribbean's app

Royal Caribbean's app has gone from "nice to have" to "must have" quite quickly, and it is your key for a smoother experience overall.

Not only does Royal Caribbean's app allow for a smoother and faster embarkation process, it makes managing your schedule super easy.

Royal Caribbean has even said that its app is required, so download the app before you leave home and ensure it is set up prior to arriving.

Read more: The Royal Caribbean App: Everything you should know

Try to learn to surf

Adventure of the Seas features the FlowRider surf simulator, which allows anyone to try stand up surfing.

The FlowRider is complimentary, although you can reserve private time for an extra cost to give you lots of reps without waiting.

Just like the water slides tip, the best time to check out the FlowRider is on embarkation day or while the ship is in port.

Read more: Everything about the Flowrider on Royal Caribbean ships

Go to the helipad during sailaway

My favorite part of any Voyager Class ship is the helipad at the bow of the ship.

You can walk to the helicopter pad and enjoy unobstructed views that are perfect for sailaway.

To access the helicopter pad, go outside on deck 5 and then walk forward, climb up a set of stairs and continue walking forward until you reach the helicopter pad.

Register kids for Adventure Ocean on the first day

If you have kids, there is complimentary kids programming that is supervised and a lot of fun.

Children are separated into different age groups to ensure programming is appropriate:

• Aquanauts: 3-5 years old
• Explorers: 6-8 years old
• Voyagers: 9-11 years old
• Teens: 12-14, 15-17 years old.

Adventure Ocean is run every day, but you want to register them on the first day of your cruise.

There will be an open house held (usually in the early afternoon) of the first day of the cruise, so be sure to go up to meet the staff and meet the staff. Plus, it will save you time later.

Read more: Cruising with kids on Royal Caribbean

Try mini-golf at night

Mini-golf is a great family activity, but nighttime is a great time to try it out.

There is very little shade on the mini-golf course, so going at night means it will be more comfortable to play.  Moreover, there are less people to contend with at night, so no waiting to put.

You can go ice skating

Did you know there is an ice skating rink on Adventure of the Seas? And you can go skating on it?

Adventure of the Seas has an ice skating rink in Studio B where one of the ship's best shows is performed during your cruise (more on that later), but guests can also don a pair of ice skates and hit the ice rink too!

Check the Cruise Compass for open skate sessions during your sailing.  Royal Caribbean will provide you with complimentary ice skate and safety equipment rentals. 

Be sure to pack long pants and socks.

Peek-a-boo bridge

It may sound weird, but there is something called the Peek-A-Boo bridge feature, where guests can peer into the bridge at almost any time.

The observation window allows guests to look down onto the bridge and observe what the officers are up to in their daily navigational duties.  

To reach the Peek-A-Boo bridge, head up to deck 11 and walk past the sliding doors that go forward of the Solarium and do not seem to lead anywhere.

Don't miss the Tutti Salad Bar

On sea days, do yourself a favor, and go down to the main dining room for lunch.

Not only is there a special menu available to order from, but the center of the dining room has a large salad bar area where you can pick your favorite ingredients to make a fresh salad, just the way you like it.

The balcony dividers do not open on Adventure

If you have had adjoining balcony cabins on other Royal Caribbean ships, you might have been able to open up the balcony divider to create a giant balcony. Unfortunately, that is not possible on Adventure of the Seas.

The first three Voyager Class ships (Voyager, Adventure & Explorer) balcony dividers are not physically possible to open because they are bolted shut. 

Restrooms with a view

If you go to the men's or ladies restrooms on Deck 11 near the Windjammer, you get a nice view.

A floor-to-ceiling window greets guests in the public restroom outside at these restrooms only.

Free sauna and steam room

The fitness center locker rooms have a free sauna, steam room, and very large showers for anyone to use free of charge. 

The showers are great for families, and the sauna and steam rooms are lesser-known amenities open to guests on Adventure of the Seas.

Try one of the culinary classes

Adventure of the Seas offers some fun ways to learn to make food on your cruise.

The Cupcake Decorating class is a way to be creative with sugar and frosting, and then you get to eat your creation!

The sushi making class is a combination of meal and learning, where you get to learn from a sushi chef how to make traditional and modern sushi specialties.

You can sign up for either of these classes before the cruise on the Cruise Planner site, or once onboard your ship.  Both classes have an extra cost.

Ever since the cruise industry shutdown in March 2020, executives have been looking for ways to restart cruises safely, but there is one concern that is at the top of everyone's mind.

During a webinar with travel agents this week, Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain spoke on a variety of topics, including how the cruise line is working with governments to ensure everyone onboard and in the communities they visit safe.

In his discussion, Mr. Fain touched on the one question that he says everybody is concerned about: an outbreak on a ship.

Between Royal Caribbean, the Healthy Sail Panel, and government officials, Mr. Fain said the issue of how to handle a case onboard is at the top of the list of tasks associated with cruises restarting.

"We don't want to have a situation where somebody has a case, because you don't go anywhere without somebody having a case on land or sea, but where somebody can have a case and infect other people."

"You end up in a situation where you have an outbreak and that disrupts the vacation of everybody on board."

"We had preplanned programs for taking care of that...we have contact tracing of amazing sophistication, so we're able to catch the case early, isolate it, and not disrupt either the vacations of the other guests, but also not cause a problem to the local community."

This plan that Mr. Fain refers to has been a success so far with local governments, and he believes the buy-in from government is allowing more ships to return to service this summer.

"It's been very successful. And you can see this, the momentum is building. It is very much speeding up. More and more places are seeing the value of this and seeing that the system works. And so we're moving forward."

Role of vaccines in cruises this summer

While Royal Caribbean says it has not made a determination on if the Covid-19 vaccine will be required across the fleet, ships that have been announced to restart cruises this summer all require it.

Will vaccine be required for all sailings in the future or simply those specific international homeport?

Mr. Fain said right now it depends on the port.

"It's determined on a case by case basis in cooperation, in dialogue with the local authorities."

However, the role of vaccines today, June, or later this summer could change.

"As the science continues to progress, I think we will change and we will adjust to that. And I think we're now trying to predict the future. Remember, these cruises don't start till June. And so we're starting on this basis that they will require vaccines, but that could change tomorrow."

"We do respond to the facts and the evidence, and so we started out on the new cruises that we've announced and they are going to require initially vaccines. But we don't know how long that will be a feature."

What about the CDC?

The road to cruise ships restarting in the United States runs right through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Mr. Fain spoke about the status of things with the CDC.

Taking a slightly different tone than previous comments about the CDC, Mr. Fain called the current situation with the Conditional Sail Order as "pretty unworkable".

Fain cited the fact four and half months after the Conditional Sail Order was announced, cruise ships are still in phase one.

"You can see that's pretty unworkable for us and for the CDC. And we think that that the science is simply moved ahead of the Conditional Sail Order."

"It's now out of date. And we, and the Healthy Sail Panel, and I think others in the industry, feel that the time is to move on in light of the dramatic changes we've seen in three areas, the vaccine, the testing and the contact tracing."