Royal Caribbean Blog

The days seem to be blending together to the point weekdays and weekends may not seem to differ all that much, but May is here, and that means warmer temperatures.  If the mercury is rising, then I have the perfect frozen drink to try.

The Love Connection is a blend of two favorite frozen concoctions in one.  It is one of those drinks that if you saw someone order at a bar on Royal Caribbean, you would probably ask the bartender to make one for you as well.

If you leave out the rum, this is also a fun drink for the kids!

Photo by Brian Robinson

If you are ready to welcome in summer, get your blender out and sip on the Love Connection.

Love Connection Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Bacardi Gold Rum
  • I would prefer Kraken Rum
• 1.5 oz Island Oasis Pina Colada mix [affiliate link, no extra cost to you but I get a finder's fee]
• 1.5 oz Island Oasis Strawberry mix [affiliate link, no extra cost to you but I get a finder's fee]
• 1.5 oz Island Oasis mango mix [affiliate link, no extra cost to you but I get a finder's fee]

Suggested music while preparing your Love Connection

• The Merrymen - Feeling Hot Hot Hot

Photo by Kris Leppien-Christensen

Love Connection Instructions

1. Blend 1/2 oz rum with each of the mixes and ice.
2. Layer each blend into a hurricane glass in the following order:
   1. Strawberry
   2. Pina Colada
   3. Mango
3. Serve with colorful straw

If you are anything like me, you look for any opportunity to sneak in a little cruise fun into your life, so here is how to get your phone in on the fun!

These pictures should fit most phone lock screens, and allow you to easily drop them in so the next time your alarm, phone call or text message comes across, there will be a little Royal Caribbean included with it.

All of these photos were taken by Royal Caribbean.

You can save any of these photos here, or download a copy of all the photos with this link.

How to change the wallpaper on your iPhone Lock screen

1. Launch Settings from the Home screen.
2. Tap Wallpaper.
3. Tap Choose a New Wallpaper.
4. Tap on the location of the new wallpaper you want to choose, and then tap on the image you want to use
5. Adjust photo scale and size to your liking.
6. Tap Set.
7. Tap Set Lock Screen if you only want to change the Lock screen wallpaper, Set Home Screen if you only want to change your Home screen wallpaper or choose Set Both to change the Home screen wallpaper as well.

How to change the wallpaper on an Android

1. Open your Android's Gallery app. You'll find it on the home screen or in the app drawer. 
2. Tap the picture you want to use.
3. Tap the More icon 
   1. It's at the top-right corner of the screen. You may have to tap the screen once to bring up this button.
4. Tap Set as wallpaper.
   1. This may be called Set lock screen, Set picture as, or Use as on different models.
5. Tap Lock Screen.
6. Adjust photo scale and size to your liking.
7. Tap Save or Done.
   1. This may be called Set or Set as Wallpaper on some models. 

The primary propulsion for Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas were mounted this week on the cruise line's next new cruise ship.

Photo by Meyer Werft

The multidirectional pods that drive the ship were added while the ship is under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

According to the shipyard, the duo are propelled at 41 megawatts and both pods can accelerate the ship to a maximum speed of about 22 knots.

Photos by Meyer Werft

Azipods can be rotated 360 degrees, providing the ship maximum maneuverability and are have been the standard form of propulsion for all of Royal Caribbean's new cruise ships in recent years.

Odyssey of the Seas will be the cruise line's second Quantum Ultra Class ship, and is scheduled to debuts in November 2020 when she sails out of Port Everglades, Florida.

There is a saying in the stock market of, "buy low" and airfare prices right now are one silver lining to the current global situation.  While there are no cruises sailing right now, it might not be a bad idea to buy flights for when sailings return in order to take advantage of some great pricing.

Just like the cruise lines, airlines have been scrambling to deal with a precipitous drop in demand and the result has been some pretty good airfare prices for later this year.

If you have a cruise planned in the second half of this year, or even next year, I have five reasons this might be a good time to snatch up an airline ticket.

Cheap prices for fall and winter 2020

Anecdotally, prices for cruises in the fall and winter are very low, even for usually high-demand holiday times.

With the airlines struggling to deal with very low demand to travel, there are some pretty good prices out there for flights, especially flights this year.

It seems many experts believe demand for flights will be low in the short-term, and that means airlines slashing prices in order to make up for the drop in demand.

Booking now is a good opportunity to take advantage of any flight deals for the months ahead, especially for the holidays. The general rule of thumb when booking flights to get the best deal has always been booking three weeks ahead of your departure—and six weeks ahead for most major holidays—booking now may put you ahead of the pack of people still cautious about travel.

Very flexible cancellation terms

If putting money down for a non-refundable flight sounds crazy right now, you should know most airlines have altered their change and cancellation policies to be incredibly flexible.

In order to convince the public to not wait to buy flights, many airlines are waving change fees for new bookings. The Points Guy has an ongoing list of airline policies for you to keep track of as you consider booking travel.

• JetBlue: Fees are waived through June 30 if you cancel or change your flight before Jan. 4, 2021. If you cancel, you'll get a travel waiver to use within 24 months of when it was issued. If you rebook, you may have to pay the difference in fare costs.
• Southwest: You can cancel or change your flight for no fee. If you have a nonrefundable ticket you'd like to cancel, you'll receive a travel credit. Unused travel funds are available until Sept. 7, 2022, but when you book, the standard expiration date -- 12 months -- will go into effect (even if it's before Sept. 7).
• Delta: Change fees are waived on all flights through Sept. 30, 2020, and any tickets purchased from March 1 and May 31. If you book a new flight, you might have to pay the difference in fare costs. If your new flight is cheaper, you'll receive a credit for the difference.

Some airlines are even providing free cancellation on new bookings.

This provides a great deal comfort in knowing if more cruises are cancelled, or local travel restrictions are in place, you can get a refund or credit for the flight.

New cleaning and passenger safety policies added

Airplanes have never exactly been known as the least sanitized places to be, so the airlines are taking extra steps to keep their passengers healthy.

New cleaning procedures on planes that use electrically charged disinfectants sprayed throughout the cabin are an example of one new method.  JetBlue announced the airline will be the first in the U.S. to require all customers to wear face coverings while onboard a flight. 

On some airlines, including Alaska, American, Delta and Spirit, you’ll see empty middle seats in an effort to keep passengers apart.

Airports are also doing their part, with new social distancing procedures. At Orlando International Airport, enhanced cleaning procedures and social distancing measures were put in place last month.

Prices are expected to go up soon

There is no hard evidence, but many travel experts think as the public becomes more comfortable with flying (and traveling) again, prices will go up to match demand.

Airfare prices can change at any point, so with the lower prices now, it makes more sense to lock in the price. As mentioned earlier, the more flexible flight cancellation terms provide added comfort in booking now.

The global cruise suspension has seemingly put all plans in flux, but Vice President EMEA at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ben Bouldin expects Anthem of the Seas to follow through with her 2020 visit to the UK.

Cruise Trade News quoted Mr. Bouldin from a webinar saying that he expects Anthem of the Seas to come to the UK in 2020 and to have her refurbishment once shipyards are open.

"This is the focus of a lot of my time right now trying to work out when Anthem of the Seas will come back. Nothing’s guaranteed but I do use the word when rather than if because I do expect Anthem to come to the UK."

"I do expect it to have a marine dry dock in Europe although we are of course at mercy of when they open up currently. When that’s done, we can evaluate what’s left in the season and the opportunities we have in terms of sailings."

The refurbishment work scheduled for Anthem of the Seas is not part of the Royal Amplified program. Instead, it is related to the continuous maintenance all Royal Caribbean ships undergo about every five years.

Anthem of the Seas was scheduled to sail from Southampton beginning in May 2020, and offer cruises to destinations in Europe through October 2020.

In addition, Anthem of the Seas is scheduled to sail from Southampton again in the summer of 2021.

Mr. Bouldin also touched on the fact he thinks Odyssey of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas are both still on schedule for delivery.

"Odyssey will happen for sure. We are still seeing what her delivery date will be with the slow down in the shipyards, but she’s on her way for sure and we look forward to her being in Rome next summer."

"The same is true for Wonder of the Seas, which has plans to go to China and significant work is underway on that. Projects are in various degrees of process, but we hope to stay on course for the huge and exciting pre-development that we had."

Mr. Bouldin's comments echo comments made by Royal Caribbean earlier this week that also indicated Odyssey is on target.

There are so many great options on the main dining room menu that have become favorites over the years, including the Traditional Caesar Salad.

Caesar salads are not unique to Royal Caribbean, but the version served up in the main dining room are usually a must-order every night appetizer.

Did you know: Contrary to popular belief, Caesar Salad is not named after Julius Caesar, the famed leader of the Roman Empire, but for Chef Caesar Cardoni, famed Italian restaurateur, who created the dish in Tijuana, Mexico in 1924. The original dish called for coddled whole eggs. 

Traditional Caesar Salad Ingredients

Serves 6

Croutons

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup sourdough bread, cubed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Ingredients

• 3 heads romaine lettuce, washed, dried and cut lengthwise
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese 

Salad

• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 5 anchovy fillets, drained or 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt 

Suggested music while preparing your Traditional Caesar Salad

• Marshmello ft. Bastille - Happier

Traditional Caesar Salad Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 380°F
2. To prepare croutons, place bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss well to coat evenly. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Bake for 10 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Set aside to cool on a paper towel. 
3. To prepare Caesar dressing, combine all ingredients except oil in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. While processing, slowly add oil. Adjust seasoning, cover, and refrigerate.
4. Place romaine hearts on chilled plates, drizzle with Caesar dressing, and garnish with Parmesan shavings and croutons. Serve immediately. 

With there being no actual Royal Caribbean cruises to go on currently, Royal Caribbean is inviting cruisers to have a virtual portrait of them taken from its private islands.

Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor posted on its Facebook page the opportunity for anyone to post an at-home selfie, and have the digital team at Royal Caribbean create a picture of them enjoying a day there.

You can choose between Perfect Day at Cococay or Labadee, Haiti, and this is totally free.

All you have to do is share a photo of yourself in the comments on the post, and the staff will transform you into a digital photo shortly thereafter.

Royal Caribbean sent an email to guests who are still waiting for a refund from a canceled cruise in order to apologize for the longer than expected time it has taken to process these requests.

Thousands of guests received emails expressing the cruise line's apology for how long it has taken, along with an explanation of why things have taken longer than expected.

Refunds were expected to take 30 days to process, but some refunds are taking up to 45 days.

In addition, Royal Caribbean has promised an update by May 6th, unless a refund has already been issued by then.

Currently, some refunds are taking up to 45 days. Please know that each and every request is receiving the same level of care and dedication. And rest assured, your refund will be honored and it is coming – it’s just taking a little longer than expected and we’re very sorry about that.

Royal Caribbean has cancelled dozens upon dozens of sailings since mid-March due to the global cruise suspension. Each time sailings have been canceled, guests have had the choice of a 100% refund or 125% Future Cruise Credit.

The delay in receiving refunds has prompted frustration among some guests, with plenty expressing their dissatisfaction with the delays online.

There are plenty of questions among cruisers in this time of a global cruise suspension, and Royal Caribbean shed a bit of light on some of these topics.

Earlier on Tuesday, Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed took questions from travel agents about a variety of topics that many guests are wondering about.

In addition to announcing a doctor's note is no longer needed for guests who are over 70 years old, a number of hot topics were hit during the question and answer session of the call, and here are the answers provided to concerns many readers have had as well.

Changes to buffets

One agent wanted to know how Royal Caribbean will handle guests going to the buffet once sailings start back up.

Royal Caribbean Director, Post Cruise Guest Relations & Shared Services, Laly Rodriguez, commented, "We're still ironing out some of the different details, as to whether there'll be folks serving. We might have different shifts for our buffets, and have different options taking place in our main dining venues. Those are still being worked out, but as soon as we know, you'll know."

Refunds

A very hot topic is when guests can expect to receive refunds for canceled sailings.

Ms. Rodriguez provided an explanation on the current refund situation, "When we first started with our global suspensions, we anticipated that refunds would take us about 30 days, but given the volume and being able to handle all the volume that we are receiving, it seems that we are closer to a 45 day window."

"We've been able to modify some of our processes, add things that we didn't have in the past, like bots processing the refunds; we've added resources to accounting; we've always been looking to speed this up"

"Your clients should be seeing their refunds in about 45 days, and hopefully with the next batches of suspensions that we've announced, the timing should get tighter and tigher."

In addition to the refunds being processed, Royal Caribbean will be sending a proactive apology communication to guests in order to explain how long it has been taking to get through all of the refunds promised.

"Seaface" mask trademark

Last week, I broke the news of Royal Caribbean's trademark of a name for a sanitary mask, and Ms. Freed was asked if there was any update on what this was all about.

There was not much information to share, but Ms. Freed had this to say, "Other than what I read on the RoyalCaribbeanBlog that we have a patent for it, I don't know anything else about it. I'm sure it will be adorable with Crown and Anchors, and whatever else designs we can come up with."

Ms. Rodriguez elaborated, "This whole situation has made us as a cruise line take on a bunch of other innovations that we've never thought we'd been in the business of taking on."

"This is one of a number of innovations that our team's are exploring as we look forward to safe and healthy and a fun return to cruise. So keep your eyes peeled for more hopefully."

Alaska cruises in 2020

When asked about cruises to Alaska this year, Ms. Freed offered an optimistic attitude, "Alaska's certainly a real possibility that we will be sailing there. The end of July, certainly I'm optimistic.

Pushing back final payment dates

Another question asked was if Royal Caribbean would shorten or change the final payment date due to the current situation.

Royal Caribbean Account Executive Brittany Yochum spoke to this concern, "At this time, we're not pushing back any of our final payment dates, especially because we do have the Cruise with Confidence policy out through the end of August."

Odyssey of the Seas update

Just like readers here, travel partners were curious if Odyssey of the Seas has any kind of update on the progress being made.

Ms. Yochum provided a brief update, "She is still being built, and we are definitely working on our way to still having her be delivered."

President's Cruise

Another question asked as if there would be any changes to Royal Caribbean's President's Cruise on October 25 out of Barcelona on Allure of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean's manager of the Sales Training Team, Renee Didier, answered, "The President's Cruise is still in our scope, and of course we're going to look forward to welcoming our guests onboard. So right now, we are still planning that cruise."

Following a swirl of rumors online about policies guests can expect once cruising resumes, Royal Caribbean spoke briefly to travel agents about the issue of guests needing a doctor's note in order cruise.

Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed spoke at the beginning of her webinar by addressing the need for a letter from a doctor for guests who are 70 years old or older, or have a pre-existing chronic medical condition.

"We found out that CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) did actually change this requirement on April 3rd. So a health form is no longer required for those travelers ages 70 plus, nor are there restrictions for those guests with underlying health conditions."

"In our current environment, everything can change at a moment's notice, so this is very fluid. But as of today, there are no requirements for doctor's notes."

"We are working on our return to service protocols, and they may look very different in the next couple weeks or months. Until that's finalized, we can't say for sure this is never going to happen, but we will keep you informed."

Ms. Freed's comment comes less than a day after a few travel agents spotted an updated list of boarding & health protocols, which was quickly taken down after being prematurely posted.

The post sent ripples through social media as guests and travel advisors began to wonder if these policies would indeed enter into practice.

Prior to Royal Caribbean suspending global sailings in March, the cruise line issued a notice it would deny boarding to any person age 70 or older, unless the guest provides written verification from a qualified treating physician that certifies the person has no severe, chronic medical condition and is fit to travel.

"According to CLIA," Ms. Freed reiterated later in the call, "a health form is no longer required for those travelers ages 70 plus, nor are there restrictions for those guests with underlying health conditions."