Royal Caribbean Blog

Are you thinking of going on a Royal Caribbean cruise solo? It is not as crazy as it may sound, and a lot of people take this sort of vacation every year!

Going on a solo cruise means being able to do what you want, when you want to do it, and it has its own sets of perks (and hurdles). 

Cruising solo in a double occupancy world

There is no denying that cruise ships are traditionally configured for guests who are sailing with at least two people in each stateroom.

The cruise model is based on double occupancy, which means the profitability of a ship assumes two people per room. 

When cruising solo, you will likely become quickly familiar with the term, "single supplement fee", which means you are charged extra for cruising with just one person in a stateroom. The single supplement fee makes up for the lost revenue by not having a second person booked in the same room.

While single supplement fees are common, there are a few ways around this fee.

First and foremost, Royal Caribbean offers solo rooms on select cruise ships. Ten Royal Caribbean ships offer a limited amount of studio staterooms that are designed (and priced) for solo cruisers. These rooms do not come with a single supplement fee associated with the booking.

Another way around the fee is if you have at least 340 or more points in the Crown and Anchor Society (Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program).  If you are that high up in the system, the single supplement cruise fare is reduced to 150% from 200%.

One other way to get around the single supplement fee is on some rare sailings, the fee may be waived in order to encourage bookings. This is typically offered on last minute cruises, where the cruise line wants to quickly increase bookings.

Money saving tip: Pretend you are not solo

One of my best tips is to price out a cruise booking as a solo cruiser, as well as making up a second person in the room to see which option is cheaper.

Royal Caribbean's system sometimes penalizes solo cruisers so much with the single supplement fee, that it is not uncommon to find a lower price by paying for a phantom second guest who never actually shows up.

Essentially, you place your name and the name of someone else on the reservation. This could be a family member or friend who has absolutely no intention of sailing. It does not really matter, since this person will not be sailing, and there is no penalty or issue if a guest does not show up for the cruise.

While you will be paying for a second person that is not going on the cruise, in many cases this is still cheaper than a booking that only has one guest on the reservation. 

It should be noted that when you show up for the cruise without that second person, you will be refunded port fees and taxes for the second person, as well as still receive double Crown and Anchor points for cruising solo.

The best part about this tip? You get an even bigger stateroom than if you booked a studio cabin!

Best cruise ships for solo travelers

While there are ten Royal Caribbean ships that offer solo rooms of one kind or another, I think a few stand out for offering the best options for a solo traveler.

The Quantum Class of ships, which include Quantum of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, and Anthem of the Seas, offer not only standard studio staterooms, but also studio balcony rooms.

These Super Studio Ocean View balcony rooms offer a private balcony that measures 55 square feet, and is a rare commodity for any solo room.

If you want to try one of Royal Caribbean's biggest ships, check out Harmony of the Seas for their Studio Interior and Studio Ocean View rooms.  Harmony is the only Oasis Class ship to offer studio rooms, so if you want to cruise on the largest ships in the world, this is the one for you.

Solo cruising tips

Being alone on the cruise does not mean a week-long adventure where you talk to no one. Cruising solo can be a very fun and social adventure, and many readers share how much they enjoy sailing by themselves.

Going solo on Royal Caribbean is a bit easier than on other cruise lines, because of the variety of activities offered. Many activities and events offered throughout the day lend themselves to being friendly to someone cruising alone.

Daily trivia competitions, escape rooms, water slides, FlowRider surf simulator and shows are just as enjoyable for someone on a cruise solo, as it is for couples and groups.

Royal Caribbean also offers cooking classes, drink seminars, and even a Chef's Table experience that are very fun activities to enjoy.

Another good tip if you are alone on a cruise is to actively strike up conversations with the crew. Start up a conversation with your waiter or bartender, seek out and introduce yourself to the Cruise Director, and get to know your stateroom attendant. Not only are the crew friendly and open to conversation, but many of them are equally interested in socializing since their friends and family are not onboard either.

Shore excursions are another great way to meet other people and not feel so alone. Nearly all shore excursions are group excursions, so you will end up with others from your ship.  In fact, you might consider an activity or experience that pits people together (scavenger hunts, demonstrations, rides, etc) as an opportunity to be a part of the team.

Another trick for making the transition of a solo cruiser easier is to book a theme cruise.  There are a ton of groups that organize cruises, and invite anyone with the same interests to join them.  These group sailings are filled with people who do not know each other, and that means many more people than usual who are interested in getting to know their fellow guests.

Lastly, try meeting your fellow cruisers before you even get onboard by connecting on Facebook. It seems like there is a Facebook group organized for each sailing, so just search on Facebook for your ship name and sail date, and see what you find.  You might strike up a conversation with others booked on the same cruise, and end up making friends before you even get onboard.

Your thoughts

Have you done a solo cruise vacation? Any additional tips? Are you thinking of cruising solo on Royal Caribbean Does a solo cruise seem like something you would enjoy, or would you miss being with your friends or family? Hearing from you is half the fun, so if you have other thoughts or questions, please share in the comments!

If you purchased Royal Caribbean stock in the early months of the economic downturn, the last week has likely been a welcome sight.

Royal Caribbean's stock price (NYSE: RCL) has been shooting up over the last week, with the entire travel industry seeing big gains as investors see a near-term economic recovery. This hope has many believing a return to pre-shutdown prices could be on the horizon.

Royal Caribbean's stock price closed at $54.29 at the end of trading on Wednesday, marking a 9.54% gain on the day. After trading on Tuesday, the stock was up 14%, that followed a bounce back at the end of last week.

The cruise line's stock has been shooting upwards for the last week, beginning on the day when the cruise line announced over $1 billion in losses and another round of cancelled cruises through August.

The recent trend is great news for the cruise line, who has seen giant losses in its stock price following a wave of bad press related to cruise ships, and trepidation in the market regarding the future of travel.

Royal Caribbean's current plan is to resume sailings on August 1, with China sailings perhaps starting up in July.

Note: Matt Hochberg has no position in any of the stocks mentioned, nor does he own any cruise line stock.

It looks like overnight stays at Perfect Day at CocoCay will not be happening after all.

In the past, Royal Caribbean hinted at the possibility of offering cruises that had an overnight, or even longer, stay at its private island in the Bahamas.

Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed answered a question during a webinar on Wednesday that touched on the status of the cruise line's plans to offer overnight stays.

"It's something that we have talked about and we even did late night days in Perfect Day at Coco Cay, where we had fireworks and we had a concert." 

"But as of now, it doesn't look like we will be doing overnights because our guests, even with our late night stays, once they want to come back, they really do want to come back onto the ship and enjoy the fine dining and they want to enjoy the entertainment that we have onboard."

While overnight stays may be sidelined as an idea right now, cruises that feature multiple stops at CocoCay seem to be a hit with guests.

"Those have been more successful because people say, Oh, I didn't get a chance to really experience everything I wanted to do at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Maybe today I want to do the thrill side and the next visit I want to do the chill side."

Royal Caribbean announced today it has rehired over 100 employees that were laid off in April 2020 in order to help with the significantly long phone hold times.

Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed made the announcement during a webinar with travel advisors that it was aware of very long hold times, and the cruise line decided to bring back employees to help with the issue.

"I do want you to know that we're not just talking about it, that we're doing something about it. And over the weekend, we've called back over a hundred people that we had to lay off to come back, call center people and help us in the call centers. So many of them came in on Sunday and Monday of this week. They're in training right now because there will have been more suspensions since we had our layoff and they should be up on the phones this week and next week."

"So that should help on the long hold times. And again, I sincerely apologize to our value travel partners because this is not the kind of service we want to provide you. We want to give you excellent service."

A separate email sent to a travel agent specified that Royal Caribbean hired back 130 reservation agents.

Thanks to Katina Bradley for providing this email

Royal Caribbean has experienced longer than normal wait times due to the "snowball" effect of multiple cruise cancellation announcements, that has overwhelmed call centers. Compounding the issue was the lay offs the company made last month, which reduced call capacity.

One of the best things any American can do when cruising, is to have a passport, but what's the difference between the passport card vs book?

The decision of which passport option to choose will depend on how and where you intend to travel.

There are two choices to consider when getting a passport in the United States: a passport book or a passport card. Each has different form factors, and purposes for using.  A traditional passport book comes with pages for stamps and important documents to be included, whereas a passport card resembles a driver's license and fits easily into a wallet.

So what is the difference between the passport book vs. passport card? The answer lies in the sort of travel you intend to take.

Having a passport for U.S. citizens is optional for cruises that leave and return to the United States, and mandatory for cruises outside the country.  Both a passport card or a passport book is a valid form of identification for domestic cruises.

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

What is a passport card useful for?

The U.S. passport card is a less expensive passport option that looks similar to a drivers license, making them cheaper and more convenient. A passport card is valid for 10 years.

Passport cards are only for land or sea travel, which means you cannot use them for air travel.  In addition, you cannot use a passport card for cruises that depart from homeports outside the United States.

The inability to fly with a passport card makes certain scenarios a problem for the traveler.  If you were ever stuck in a country outside the United States, either due to being left behind on an excursion or an unexpected end to the cruise, it would be impossible to fly home with the passport card.

What is a passport book useful for?

A passport book allows international travel across air, sea and land. A passport book is valid for 10 years.

The best thing about a passport book is there are no restrictions with where you can travel to or from.

What is the difference between the passport card vs. book?

The appeal of the passport card is it is cheaper than the book, while providing a better option than relying on a birth certificate and state issued identification.

The reason why a passport book is a better idea is because it better protects you if you were ever stranded somewhere. Having a passport to protect against being stranded is a big reason why I recommend everyone get one.

Moreover, having a passport book means you can travel internationally via an airplane. Keeping in mind a passport is good for ten years for adults, you will have ample opportunity to recoup the investment of a passport book.

If you are looking to same money and do not want to carry the bulkier passport book, a passport card might be worth considering.  For most people, getting a passport book is a smarter choice.

The city of Haines, Alaska wants to expand its relationship with Royal Caribbean in order to get more cruise ships visit the city.

Haines Tourism Director Steven Auch said the city would like to see more ships on a regular basis.

According to KINY radio, Royal Caribbean had an agreement to bring ships to Haines for a few hours when they visit Skagway in summer 2020, but that was before the Alaska cruise season was put on hold.

Mr. Auch believes cruise ships would have a lot of support from businesses and the community to get more visits.

"Royal Caribbean wanted to make sure the community is interested.  Not only did the assembly pass a resolution but we received a flood of emails from the community in support of it," he added.

The 2021 Royal Caribbean schedule has ships headed to Skagway which will spend a few hours per day in the evening in Haines.

Haines would like to see Royal Caribbean make Haines one of their primary stops in 2022.

While some elements of life are starting to open back up around the world, cruise lines remain shut down for the time being and a big questions is what changes will Royal Caribbean make in order to keep guests safe once they resume sailing.

Royal Caribbean has not divulged any specifics of the plans and protocols in intends to introduce once cruising resume, but many believe wearing a mask onboard the ship might be included as part of the new rules.

On land, the requirement to wear a mask is one provision that many tourist-centric venues are taking, including theme parks. Shanghai Disneyland required all guests to wear a face covering when it opened back up again, and a similar rule is in place for when Universal Orlando reopens on June 5.  Disney's CEO recently said it's "likely" that Disney World and Disneyland will also require face coverings.

Keeping guests safe

Royal Caribbean has not announced what steps it will take once cruises resume to mitigate the spread of any illness onboard, but the company has said over and over again it is looking into what best practices it can employ.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chairman and CEO Richard Fain commented recently on the importance of guest health, "we are focused on all aspects of our safe return just to serve as strategy with special emphasis on safety security and health. We know that the public expects that we will elevate our health and safety protocols to a new level. We are prepared to make sure that we meet and exceed those expectations."

"We have been and are working on ways to up our game in this field to ensure that we use our ingenuity, our passion, and our innovation, raise the bar to new heights. We are calling our aspirational program the healthy return to service program. The program will have four main focuses: upgraded screening prior to boarding, enhanced processes and procedures onboard, special focus on addressing the destinations we visit, and procedures for dealing with any reports of exceptions."

Royal Caribbean has even gone to the point of trademarking a name for its own brand of face masks, which may or may not indicate a direction in policy.

Will you wear a mask to go on a cruise?

So the big question is how willing are cruise fans to wear a mask, especially if it means being able to go back on a cruise again.

I recently posed this exact question on Facebook to get a sense of what everyone thought: Would you cruise if wearing a mask is mandatory?

Of the 2,160 people that responded to the poll, over half of the respondents voted "no" to cruising if wearing a mask was mandatory.

About a third voted "yes", and 11% were unsure what they would do.

The comments from those that voted were "spicy", to say the least. The debate of whether or not they would wear a mask on a cruise extended to political/scientific arguments and name-calling.  Clearly, there are some strong opinions on this matter, that make the "can you wear shorts in the main dining room" debate seem trivial.

"If you need to wear mask, can't be safe, simple really."
 

"I would rather be on a cruise ship wearing a mask than confined to my home. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the comforts of home but I also enjoy the comfort of socializing and meeting new people and if I am required to wear a mask while cruising so be it!"
 

"Will only even consider a cruise if masks are mandatory. Not a chance I am getting on a ship with thousands of high risk strangers from all over for a week without them."
 

"I am a huge proponent of mask wearing. I answered 'no' because I won’t be cruising until it is safe to do so without a mask (I.e. there is a vaccine); I did not answer “no” because I disagree with Royal Caribbean requiring masks in the near future."
 

"No way. That’s the only deal breaker for me."
 

Your thoughts

What do you think about being able to cruise again, but having to wear a mask while onboard? Would you be willing to do it? Calmly explain your opinion without conspiracy theories or political conjecture in the comments below!

Royal Caribbean Cruises Chairman Ltd. Chairman and CEO Richard Fain issued a new video update aimed at travel agents that talked about what the cruise line is doing behind the scenes to keep guests safe once cruises resume.

Mr. Fain indicated that Royal Caribbean is working on a detailed set of protocols and procedures that aim to provide guests a level of confidence that cruising is safe.

While other companies are trying to get back to business as soon as possible, Royal Caribbean is opting to take the time to sort out the best possible approach.

"We aren't operating today, and therefore, we have the luxury of time to develop and to refine our ideas. We have the time to put together a blue ribbon group of experts to advise us and to help us chart the absolutely best course."

"So stay tuned. We will soon be talking more about our way forward, and when we do, I believe in fact, I'm confident, that you will say that we have used our time wisely."

Mr. Fain also indicated that Royal Caribbean is considering opening their headquarter offices in Florida sometime next month. Their offices in China have been open and operating for almost two months now.

As has become his trademark in each video, Mr. Fain offered a positive and encouraging outlook on what the future holds for us all.

"But this too shall pass. It will leave an indelible mark on our country and on our psyche. But it will pass because we are stronger than this disease. We are determined to take the necessary steps to bring it under control and to live our lives again, just as we did after September 11th."

"Onward and upward. Step by step together. Stay safe out there. Oh, and don't forget, washing your hands is still important."

You can view the other videos that Mr. Fain has produced over the last few weeks:

• View Fain's video from May 4
• View Fain's video from April 23
• View Fain's video from April 13
• View Fan's video from April 1
• View Fain's video from March 25
• View Fain's video from March 13
• View Fain's video from March 2

Going on a cruise vacation is a great choice, but you definitely want to avoid certain pitfalls and bad advice to ensure you do not have a terrible experience.

All too often, I hear from first time cruisers who make one of these rookie mistakes that costs them time, money or both. So prevent yourself from becoming "that guy" and heed this advice!

Booking a flight the same day your cruise leaves

Perhaps the most common mistake made by anyone is booking a flight that arrives to the city their cruise departs from on the same day the cruise is set to begin.

It may seem like the logical thing to do, especially if you are trying to balance your work commitments or save money on a hotel room. But flying in the same day means a flight delay/cancellation or lost luggage could ruin your entire vacation before it starts.

Instead, book a flight that gets you in at least a day before the cruise is scheduled to depart. You can book a hotel near the port or airport, and take advantage of not only an earlier start to your vacation, but an opportunity to explore the surrounding area.

Waiting to book shore excursions until on your cruise

The ports of call your cruise ship will visit offers plenty to see and do, but if you try to "wing it" and book something in the port or onboard your ship, you are denying yourself the opportunity to learn as much as possible about what is available to you.

Trying to figure out what to do on the ship or in port means less time to see all options, as well as price shop. You also risk the activity you really wanted to do selling out.

Take advantage of the weeks and months leading up to your cruise by learning about everything you can do online, and have it planned before you get on your cruise.

Intentionally break the rules

Perhaps the dumbest mistake to make is thinking the cruise ship rules do not apply to you and purposefully circumventing them.

Whether smoking on your balcony, skipping muster drill, sneaking in alcohol, or any other clearly stated rule that you choose to ignore out of spite or "for fun" is just plain wrong and puts others at risk, as well as has the potential to get you in trouble.

The rules are in place for a reason, and more importantly, you must abide by them while on Royal Caribbean's vessels. It is their way, or the highway (back home).

Not keeping track of your time while in port

While it may seem easy to think you have plenty of time to get back to your ship, you definitely do not want to forget the all-aboard time.

Royal Caribbean provides set hours for each port stop it makes, and you absolutely need to be keeping track of the local time, as well as how long it may take to get back to ensure you are back onboard before they pull up the gangway.

Keep in mind that the ship may be scheduled to leave at a certain time, but the all-aboard time is usually 30 minutes or more earlier. So if you are scheduled to be in port until 8pm, that means guests may have to be back by 7:30pm.

One more important tip, make sure you are on the same time as ship. A lot of times your ship will change timezones but may or may not adjust to local time, so make sure your watch/phone is in synch with the ship's onboard time.

Not putting your phone into airplane mode

Want to avoid coming home to a cell phone bill in the thousands of dollars? Make sure once you get on your ship on embarkation day, you put your phone into airplane mode.

Your phone connecting to the ship or island cell tower can mean huge roaming charges, since the local carriers will charge your carrier exorbitant prices for the privilege of using their network.

After getting onboard the ship on day one, be sure to switch your phone over to airplane mode to avoid it connecting to any cellular network. You can still use the ship's wifi while in airplane mode.

Looking at only price when picking a sailing

The cost of a cruise is a major factor to consider when picking the right vacation, but it should not be the only consideration. Looking purely at the price may mean you pick a cruise during a time of year that compromises on the weather.

Prices are typically low during the fall months because of hurricane season, as well as prices for Alaska cruises in May and September will be cheaper, but you may find significantly colder and/or wetter weather waiting for you.

While there is never a sailing that is guaranteed to have great/perfect weather, be sure to weigh the cheapest month to go on a cruise versus what you are giving up by going during those times.

Not considering travel insurance

Travel insurance is an optional add-on to consider, but completely ignoring it is a big mistake.

While not for everyone, travel insurance is something that if you ever need it, will feel like the best money you ever spent. People who have higher risk factors, such as chronic health issues or sensitivities, would be well suited to consider travel insurance.

While most have health insurance, that coverage may not extend to situations outside your home country, especially on cruise ships.

In addition to the health issues, travel insurance can protect you in case of any other type of catastrophe, including cancellation, a missed connection, lost or delayed baggage, or a dental or legal problem.

Not leaving clothes out for the last morning

When your cruise is nearly over, you will need to pack everything up and place your luggage outside your door the night before the cruise ends so that it can be delivered to the cruise terminal to pick up later. Be very certain to leave one last outfit out to wear off the ship!

Inevitably, there is always someone who just packs everything up and then realizes the next morning that they have nothing to wear.  

Avoid the walking off the ship in your PJs by ensuring you leave something else out to wear on that last morning.

Wait until your kids are older to cruise

One bit of advice that I always disagree with is that your kids should be a certain age before taking them on a cruise.

Royal Caribbean allows children as young as six months old to go on a cruise, and I do not believe there is any age too young to start taking them onboard with you.

The cruise line offers tremendous child care programs and activities for families to enjoy on a cruise. It is far from an adults-only experience, and many ship offerings were designed with kids in mind.

In addition, traveling together with children and enjoying a vacation together as a family is time well-spent, and positive experiences, even if the kids do not remember them precisely as adults later on, are worth having together.

Think you are a Royal Caribbean know-it-all? Do you regularly challenge friends and family with random cruise facts?

Step right up and try your hand at these ten Royal Caribbean trivia questions to see how well you know our favorite cruise line (and no cheating)!

1. CocoCay has been a private destination for Royal Caribbean for many years. Which cruise line did Royal Caribbean acquire in which Royal Caribbean assumed the lease of the island?

• Carnival Cruise Line
• Admiral Cruises
• Disney Cruise Line
• Celebrity Cruises

2. What was the original name of Empress of the Seas?

• Song of Norway
• Sun Viking
• Sovereign of the Seas
• Nordic Empress

3. Which Royal Caribbean ship had the first Sabor location onboard?

• Allure of the Seas
• Liberty of the Seas
• Navigator of the Seas
• Freedom of the Seas

4. Which deck on Oasis of the Seas was Izumi originally located?

• 16
• 15
• 14
• 12

5. What was the first Broadway show ever on a Royal Caribbean cruise?

• Cats
• Hairspray
• Chicago
• Saturday Night Fever

6. Who is the Godmother to Quantum of the Seas?

• Kristin Chenoweth
• Steffi Graf
• Shania Twain
• Gloria Estefan

7. Which ship was the first to have first rock climbing wall at sea?

• Sovereign of the Seas
• Radiance of the Seas
• Vision of the Seas
• Voyager of the Seas

8. What real world attraction is North Star based on?

• Big Ben
• Empire State Building
• London Eye
• Eiffel Tower

9. On the side of Radiance Class ships, the letters GTV are largely printed. What does GTV stand for?

• Gas Turbine Vessel
• Gas Turbo Vessel
• Gas Transmission Vehicle
• Good Times Vessel

10. Which Royal Caribbean ship is Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd Chairman and CEO Richard Fain's wife the godmother of?

• Enchantment of the Seas
• Grandeur of the Seas
• Monarch of the Seas
• Splendour of the Seas

Once you have your answers set, challenge your friends and then score each other with this answer sheet.

Share your scores in the comments, along with which questions you may have missed!