Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain spoke openly about about the state of the industry in a recent video posted, seeing "encouraging" progress in the cruise industry.

With the cruise industry in the midsts of a 5-month long shutdown and more to come, a positive outlook is always a welcome change of pace.

Mr. Fain talked about the bright spots of good news coming out of cruising, that leads him to believe things are getting better.

"So we're not through this yet, but there are more bright spots and bits of good news than there have been for quite a while," Mr. Fain remarked, "We are closer to the other side of this crisis every day."

In addition to news about different vaccines and treatments, Mr. Fain was happy to see some European cruise lines successfully resume operations.

"In Germany, our joint venture company, Tui Cruises, has been operating cruises since late July. In Italy, MSC Cruises started operating last week and has attracted a lot of really very positive publicity. We understand Costa Cruises is starting operating there in just a few weeks."

Slow return of cruises

Mr. Fain emphasized the strategy of cruises starting back up "slowly and methodically", and the need to learn from these first cruises back.

For a few months, Royal Caribbean Group executives have emphasized the need to start cruises slowly and with the right procedures in place.

In early August, Mr. Fain spoke about this topic during an earnings call with analysts where he emphasized the importance of making sure cruises are safe before they start up again.

"It's fair to say that there is still a lot of uncertainty against this backdrop. We will not rush to return to service until we are confident that we have figured out the changes that we must make to offer our guests and crew strong health and safety protocols with the enjoyable experience that they rightly expect."

As a result of so many cancelled cruises, guests have the choice of turning their cruise deposits into future cruise credits that can be redeemed later, but you should be aware of a few important limitations on how these vouchers can be used.

For most people, future cruise credits are a flexible and lucrative way to hold onto their deposits and cruise fare costs, and turn them around to be used on a Royal Caribbean cruise in 2021 or beyond. Royal Caribbean has even given guests bonus credits when they cancel a cruise.

While future cruise credits work well for most people, you should be keenly aware of the FCC rules to ensure you know exactly if a future cruise credit is the right choice for you.

You cannot get more Future Cruise Credit if Royal Caribbean cancels your cruise later

In order to put traveler's minds at ease with so much uncertainty, Royal Caribbean introduced the Cruise with Confidence program where guests can cancel their cruise at any point up to 48 hours before the cruise in exchange for a 100% future cruise credit.

If you choose to cancel on your own, and later on Royal Caribbean cancels that sailing and offers guests 125% future cruise credit, you cannot take advantage of that more lucrative offer later.

Credits taken from the Cruise with Confidence program are not refundable at any point in time, even if Royal Caribbean subsequently cancels the cruise.

Additionally, Cruise with Confidence Future Cruise Credits have no cash value and cannot be exchanged for a refund.

So you can either cancel with the Cruise with Confidence offer, or see if Royal Caribbean will cancel your cruise later.

You cannot use future cruise credits between brands

While Royal Caribbean International is one of many cruise lines owned by the Royal Caribbean Group, your cruise credits cannot be used on another sister cruise line.

Cruise credits from a Royal Caribbean International sailing cannot be used towards a sailing on Celebrity Cruise Line, Silversea or Azamara.

You cannot use more than one future cruise credit per guest

This is the most surprising caveat for many guests, but you are limited to one FCC per guest.

At this time, only one FCC can be applied to each guest in a reservation. Future Cruise Credits are not stackable.

Royal Caribbean now allows guests to combine FCCs.

You cannot use future cruise credits towards taxes or fees

When Royal Caribbean calculates your future cruise credit, they based it on the total cruise fare paid by the guest, minus taxes and fees (those extras get refunded).  Similarly, you cannot apply a FCC towards those extra costs.

FCCs do not cover taxes & fees or other booking components - such as prepaid gratuities or transfers. Taxes/fees must be paid using another form of payment.

You cannot convert a Future Cruise Credit into onboard credit

Another common question is if you can apply a future cruise credit to a reservation, and use any leftover credit for onboard credit for that sailing.

If the value of your FCC exceeds the cruise cost, any remainder credit will be re-issued for the remaining balance in a new voucher. You cannot convert it to onboard credit.

Guarantee staterooms are a tempting offer: pay less for a cabin without the ability to choose the exact location, but is it worth it?

Many cruisers find the lower price very appealing, but are concerned they are making a mistake by playing roulette with their stateroom location.

Here is what you should know about guarantee staterooms on a cruise, and if they are worth giving a try.

What is a Guarantee Cabin?

A guarantee stateroom is when Royal Caribbean (and most other major cruise lines) give you a discount on a particular category of rooms in exchange for giving up the ability to choose your exact room.

This means once you book, you do not know the exact room assignment. At some point in the weeks leading up to the cruise, your stateroom assignment will appear.

In addition, the cruise line promises at least that category of room, which means there is a slim chance you could be upgraded.

The exact discount you can expect for opting for a guarantee room depends on the sailing.  When you select a category of rooms, you are given the option of going with a guarantee room or choosing one, at which point you can see the savings by going with a guarantee.

Guarantee cabins are a tool the cruise line uses to help fill in the gaps of unsold staterooms. There are simply some rooms that are less likely to get booked, so guarantee rooms help close that gap.

When do you get your stateroom assignment?

There is no definitive timeframe when your cabin actually gets assigned.  It can happen at any point leading up your actual sail date.

Royal Caribbean states a guarantee room assignment is made at some point between 5-30 days before sailing.

Most of the time, a few weeks before the cruise your room is assigned. In some rare cases, the assignment process has taken up to a day or two before the cruise sails, but these are rare.

There is no notification when it occurs, you just have to log into Royal Caribbean's website and check if a room number now appears.

Is a guarantee cabin worth it?

It can be a good deal to book a guarantee stateroom, but it depends on the discount and your tolerance of cabins.

First and foremost, the discount should make you feel comfortable booking a guarantee.  If the price difference is negligible, then you are better off picking your own room.

Equally important is the idea you are okay with your stateroom being somewhere on the ship that is out of your control.  Cruise ship cabins are designed to be as well-appointed and noise-free as they can be, so the odds are you will not end up with an awful room.

If you are very particular about where your stateroom is, then a guarantee cabin is not for you. However, if you are flexible with the room location and want to get the lowest possible price (with maybe a chance at an upgrade), then going with a guarantee is not a bad plan.

Royal Caribbean Group announced it will cancel all sailings departing from Australia and New Zealand on or before October 31, 2020.

In addition, Royal Caribbean suspended China itineraries on Spectrum of the Seas through the end of September and Quantum of the Seas through October 1, 2020.  

The announcement made on Thursday morning in Australia matches the cancelled cruise status in North America and Europe.

Royal Caribbean issued a statement that the decision to cancel cruises in Australia was made out of a necessity for safety.

The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit is our top priority. As we work with health and government authorities toward this shared goal, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises will be extending the suspension of sailings to include those departing from Australia and New Zealand on or before October 31, 2020. We will be reaching out to our guests and travel partners to share further details and address any questions or concerns they may have.

The announcement comes weeks after Royal Caribbean Group executives hinted there was a chance cruises could resume first in Australia.

Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley noted that while cruise operations are suspended until November, Australia and China are the exceptions.

"It may well be possible that we'll resume operations in China and potentially Australia before the end of October."

Mr. Bayley was quick to add that "there's some possibility" of it happening, but far from a certainty.

Royal Caribbean is offering half off its popular unlimited alcohol packages on select sailings of Navigator of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas.

The new offer runs between August 26-27, 2020 and is applicable to just Navigator of the Seas & Symphony of the Seas sailings  from January 1, 2021 - August 30, 2021.

The cruise line says it will offer up to 50% off onboard prices of the Deluxe Beverage Package, and it "has limited inventory and is available on a first come first serve basis."

This is a new type of offer, as usually drink package discounts (and Cruise Planner sales in general) are usually offered for the entire fleet, but rarely with this deep of a discount.

It's our best selling Deluxe Beverage Package - but at half off onboard prices - making this our best deal ever. There's a limited quantity available for your clients' sailing at this special price, so book theirs today!

As of this posting, one RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader reported seeing a $44 per person, per day cost to the Deluxe Beverage Package for a January 2021 Symphony of the Seas sailing.

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.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain shared a new video where he spoke with the cruise giant's new Global Head, Public Health and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Calvin Johnson about Royal Caribbean is doing to tackle the challenges ahead with COVID-19.

Dr. Johnson was introduced in late July as the first Chief Medical Officer for Royal Caribbean Group, where he will be responsible for will tackling the needs of the global health and wellness policy, manage its public health and clinical practice, and determine the strategic plans and operations of its global healthcare organization.

Dr. Johnson started off by giving an update on what is new in testing, therapies, and vaccines.

"While vaccines are not an overnight bullet, they certainly are a game changer in terms of protecting us and protecting the individual," Dr. Johnson explained. "There are a number of vaccine candidates that are in what's called clinical trials."

"And those are the the scientific studies and tests of safety and their effectiveness that go through a few different phases to see and make sure that, one, they won't hurt people when they're taking their effectiveness."

"And two, that they'll be effective in getting our body to to generate an immune response to protect against, in this case, the coronavirus. "

Advances in testing

In addition, the important of testing was emphasized by Dr. Johnson, "testing is actually a very important tool in terms of coronavirus, both in terms of diagnosing it and in terms of helping us to contain the spread."

Mr. Fain specifically mentioned a new saliva test, which he feels will be a "game changer" for enabling fast and easy testing.

"This new test we're hearing about this ability to do it based on saliva, that will really be a game changer because it's fast, it's easy, and allowed to do so many tests that we can really get this thing under control. Some people calling it a suitable vaccine"

Dr. Johnson also seemed excited about this new test, "This saliva... test is one where it's not very invasive to to get it....And we expect it to be increasingly accurate over time."

Cruises starting up again

Dr. Johnson also spoke about the efforts Royal Caribbean is making to get back to cruising, while keeping things as safe as possible for guests and crew.

Under his leadership, Dr. Johnson will be in charge of keeping 75,000 crew members and 4-5 million guests per year.

He believes technology will be an important tool to assess health status, and gather data.

"Another area, Richard, is analytics and using that that data in a way that really informs us about how we can improve and be more efficient, whether it's our public health inspections or whether it is again delivering direct care, all focused on preventing illness primarily, but certainly recognizing it early and preventing those negative outcomes."

Royal Caribbean will keep Grandeur of the Seas in the fleet instead of transferring her out to another cruise line.

The cruise line informed travel agents on Wednesday that it has cancelled plans to move Grandeur out of the fleet in Spring 2021 and send her to Pullmantur.

"With the recent news surrounding Pullmantur, Grandeur of the Seas will remain as a part of our Royal Caribbean International fleet. Once we have more information, we’ll be sure to share the details and look forward to many more memories to be made sailing on her!"

Royal Caribbean had planned to move Grandeur of the Seas, with the announcement made in October 2019 she would leave the fleet.

Since then Pullmantur Cruises has filed for bankrupcy protection and sold her ships off to be scrapped.

In light of this financial turmoil for Pullmantur, the move of Grandeur seemed unlikely to some, but today's news confirms Grandeur of the Seas will remain in the fleet.

The final sailing of Grandeur was scheduled for March 26, 2021, but new sailings will be announced.

Grandeur of the Seas is a Vision Class ship, and has been sailing out of Baltimore.  It is unclear if Grandeur will remain in Baltimore, or move to another port.  In conjunction with the announcement Grandeur was leaving the fleet, Royal Caribbean said it would move Enchantment of the Seas to Baltimore to replace Grandeur.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) removed from its website a 14 day quarantine recommendation for anyone returning to the United States following traveling internationally.

TravelPulse reported the change in policy based on the CDC's website now recommends that people, “Follow state, territorial, tribal and local recommendations or requirements after travel.”

Since the early days of the global health crisis, the CDC had added travelers quarantine themselves for 14 days after going out of the country, but that has changed at some point last week.

While the quarantine recommendation may be dropped, cruise ships are still the subject scrutiny, as traveling on a cruise ship is still listed as one of the "higher risk" activities one can take in regard to going to areas with high levels of COVID-19. The CDC has lumped in cruise ship travel with other higher risk activities such as attending a sporting event, being in a crowded restaurant, going to a large social gathering or being in an area of the world experiencing high levels of COVID-19.

"You may have been exposed to COVID-19 on your travels. You may feel well and not have any symptoms, but you can be contagious without symptoms and spread the virus to others. You and your travel companions (including children) pose a risk to your family, friends, and community for 14 days after you were exposed to the virus."

Many states have their own protocols in place for mandating quarantine following travel to or from those states, including Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Massachusetts requires anyone coming into the state to provide a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival or agree to self-quarantine for 14 days.

In addition, the CDC advocates wearing a mask when outside, hand washing and keep a sharp eye out for COVID-19 symptoms.

If you are like a lot of other cruise fans, you are trying to balance your desire to book a new cruise to make up for 2020, while being as financially responsible as possible.

One major lesson from all of these cancelled Royal Caribbean cruises this year has been predicting exactly what to expect and how it will impact our cruise plans is impossible.

So while there are a lot of challenges facing the cruise lines to restart operations, you can still plan a cruise vacation for 2021 without blindly committing yourself to costly penalties. With a few extra safeguards, you can book a cruise that if or when plans change, you will not lose money.

Book refundable cruise fare

No matter which cruise you book, be sure to put a refundable deposit down, and not a non-refundable deposit.

While a non-refundable deposit will save you some money, those savings are offset by the inflexibility and change fees it comes with.

If you want the easiest way to cancel and get your money back (not just a future cruise credit), then a refundable cruise deposit is the way to go. While some categories of rooms do not offer refundable deposits (i.e. suites), the vast majority of rooms available to book will have the choice of refundable or non-refundable cruise fare.

I always thought refundable cruise fare was the right choice in the past, but with so much uncertainty, refundable cruise fares are now a must-do.

Do not count on travel insurance for everything

Travel insurance is a smart investment for many people because it covers you when you go on your vacation and some calamity were to happen, but travel insurance is not a catch-all for vacation plan changes prior to the start of vacation.

The insurance companies almost always have clauses that exempt coverage for things like pandemics or "unforeseeable events". So while a broken bone is covered, a lot of the issues that can pop up due to the global health crisis are not.

The key is to be crystal clear on what your travel insurance plan covers and does not cover.  It can still be a good idea to get a travel insurance plan in case something happens, but do not assume that plan will be your fallback if you want to change plans later.

Consider waiting longer to book a cruise

If you want to have the most latitude in changing your mind later, waiting to a little bit longer to book your cruise might not be a bad idea.

In the past, booking a cruise as early as you can has always been the best strategy to get the lower prices, but that was before everything changed in 2020.

While waiting to book your cruise might mean not getting the most rock bottom prices, demand is still soft enough that you can afford to wait a little bit closer to your cruise to pull the trigger on putting down a deposit.

Talk with a good travel agent about prices, and if you see prices starting to creep up, consider putting down a deposit or see if prices drop again.

Book airfare with refundable options

The same logic about booking cruises applies to airfare. Normal demand for these forms of travel is not nearly what it used to be, so keep an eye on prices, and keep in mind there is no rush to plop down a deposit.

In addition, pay very close attention to what the airline is offering in terms of change or cancellation terms.

While the airlines have generally adopted far more flexible change policies, such as no fees on changed bookings during the pandemic, getting your money back is an entirely different issue.

Before you book a flight, consider if you ought to wait a little bit longer to ensure your cruise plans are firmed up, as well as what will happen if you book a flight and then want to change your mind.

If you are okay with a credit instead of a refund, most airlines seem to be offering this option.  Getting your money back is an entirely different issue, so choose your refundable or non-refundable airfare wisely.  

If you are fine with a voucher for the airfare credit, make sure you book your flight with an airline that offers many routes from your area to ensure you can actually use that credit before it expires.

Bottom line

Planning ahead is always a good idea in general, but these days you need to be extra careful about what and when you book.

The good news is the travel industry has adopted a great deal of new flexible terms, but waiting a little longer or choosing refundable deposits is the best means to avoid costly changes later.

Are you debating if an unlimited drink package on your Royal Caribbean cruise makes sense to buy? 

Drink packages have a high up-front cost, but promise savings compared to paying for drinks individually, so how do you know if a beverage package is worth buying?

The decision will be different for everyone, but here are some tell-tale signs that may signify it is a smart purchase for you.

You prefer name brand liquors

When you order drinks at home, do you specify the liquor brand to be used? If so, a drink package purchase might make sense.

Royal Caribbean's drink packages include many brand name liquors, such as Patron, Grey Goose, Bacardi and more. Not only are name brand liquors smoother, they cost more than the house brands.

If you know you will want a name brand liquor with your martini, margarita, or rum and coke, the Deluxe Beverage package includes that.

You will be cruising with a group

The more friends or family you are cruising with, the more likely a drink package will save you money in the long run.

Large groups on a cruise tend to congregate and spend time enjoying each other's company, and inevitably having a drink or two happens.

Whether you all enjoy cocktails with dinner, or beers by the pool, keeping up with the family is a lot more affordable with a drink package.

Spreading out your vacation cost is important

One of my favorite reasons to buy a drink package is to spread out the total cost of the cruise vacation.

When you buy a drink package before the cruise, you pay for it at the time of purchase. This means I can pay off the drink package on a different billing cycle than I did for my cruise deposit, final payment for the cruise, and onboard charges after the cruise.

The ability to budget better is a very compelling reason to buy a beverage package for the flexibility it provides.

You are a social drinker

My mom used to remind me in college that I do not have to drink to have a good time, and while sage advice, having a drink or two is not a bad thing either.

Going on a cruise is about spending time relaxing, being entertained at shows and performances, as well as spending time with friends and family.

If having a drink in your hand while you chit chat or see a show is something that you tend to do, a drink package makes this a heck of a lot more affordable habit.

Your cruise is visiting a private island

There is a good argument to make for buying a drink package if your Royal Caribbean cruise visits a private island because the drink package benefits work there too.

Royal Caribbean private destinations of Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee are amazing places to spend the day, and the fact Royal Caribbean extends drink package benefits to these locations adds a significant amount of value to the drink package equation.

Considering you will probably spend at least 8 hours at one of these ports, it is like having a bonus sea day worth of time to take advantage of what the drink package has to offer. Moreover, Royal Caribbean's beverages are the "only game in town", so that means you will have to pay Royal Caribbean for a coke, cocktail or beer.

You drink espresso-based coffee

While black coffee works well-enough for some people, there are many others who love a good espresso.

Lattes, macchiatos, or even just espresso shots are very popular, and included with the Deluxe and Refreshment packages.

If you might have one, two or more of these premium coffees every day of the cruise, investing in a drink package might make a lot of financial sense.