Count Royal Caribbean in among the cruise lines that will offer cruises from the UK this summer.

Royal Caribbean announced Anthem of the Seas will begin sailing from Southampton beginning July 7, 2021.

Anthem will offer a combination of 4-night cruises to nowhere in early July and 5- to 8-night British Isles cruises, starting 15th July, that feature visits to destinations such as Liverpool, England, Kirkwall in Scotland and Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

The new Anthem of the Seas sailings will go on sale April 7th.

All crew members onboard will be fully vaccinated, and at this time, the cruises are only available to be booked by UK residents above the age of 18 who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and those under the age of 18 with negative test results.

The cruise line says current health and safety measures, like others, may evolve as they are evaluated on an ongoing basis.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley celebrated the news of Anthem sailing from the UK this summer, "The UK is a place we hold near and dear to our heart at Royal Caribbean. We miss our UK guests and are as eager as they are to get back to cruising from Southampton."

"We are delighted with the UK government’s recent announcements regarding cruising and excited to set sail again with a phenomenal ship and favorite such as Anthem of the Seas. After a tough year, we all need a holiday, but no one more so than the emergency services, NHS, social care sector and armed forces who will have the long-awaited opportunity to get away and relax with total peace of mind."

Details on the health and safety measures to be implemented for the summer cruises in the UK will be announced at a later date.

With Anthem of the Seas restart, it becomes the 6th ship that will be able to restart cruises this year, following a number of ships Royal Caribbean has announced plans for new sailings this summer.

• Adventure of the Seas from Nassau, Bahamas
• Vision of the Seas from Bermuda
• Jewel of the Seas from Cyprus
• Odyssey of the Seas from Haifa, Israel
• Grandeur of the Seas from Barbados

Announcements like this have been the slow and methodical means Royal Caribbean has been able to resume cruises while the United States maintains its ban on cruise ships.

Thank you giveaway

In addition to announcing the new sailings, Royal Caribbean said it will also offer 999 staterooms to the UK's first responders.

As a way of saying thank you to the people who have worked so hard during the global health crisis, Royal Caribbean will offer 999 free staterooms on its first Ocean Getaways to those UK residents in these professions:

• Emergency services
• National Health Service (NHS)
• Social care sector
• Armed forces

To be eligible for one of the free sailings, UK residents must be able to show proof of an official Blue Light Card, which is available to those working in the emergency services, NHS, social care sector and armed forces. 

 Pre-registration for guests eligible for one of the 999 free staterooms open on 13th April, and final names will be drawn from a ballot by the end of April.

Pre-registrations will be entered into a ballot to be drawn by the end of April. F

Count Royal Caribbean in among the cruise lines that will offer cruises from the UK this summer.

Royal Caribbean announced Anthem of the Seas will begin sailing from Southampton beginning July 7, 2021.

Anthem will offer a combination of 4-night cruises to nowhere in early July and 5- to 8-night British Isles cruises, starting 15th July, that feature visits to destinations such as Liverpool, England, Kirkwall in Scotland and Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

The new Anthem of the Seas sailings will go on sale April 7th.

All crew members onboard will be fully vaccinated, and at this time, the cruises are only available to be booked by UK residents above the age of 18 who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and those under the age of 18 with negative test results.

The cruise line says current health and safety measures, like others, may evolve as they are evaluated on an ongoing basis.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley celebrated the news of Anthem sailing from the UK this summer, "The UK is a place we hold near and dear to our heart at Royal Caribbean. We miss our UK guests and are as eager as they are to get back to cruising from Southampton."

"We are delighted with the UK government’s recent announcements regarding cruising and excited to set sail again with a phenomenal ship and favorite such as Anthem of the Seas. After a tough year, we all need a holiday, but no one more so than the emergency services, NHS, social care sector and armed forces who will have the long-awaited opportunity to get away and relax with total peace of mind."

Details on the health and safety measures to be implemented for the summer cruises in the UK will be announced at a later date.

With Anthem of the Seas restart, it becomes the 6th ship that will be able to restart cruises this year, following a number of ships Royal Caribbean has announced plans for new sailings this summer.

• Adventure of the Seas from Nassau, Bahamas
• Vision of the Seas from Bermuda
• Jewel of the Seas from Cyprus
• Odyssey of the Seas from Haifa, Israel
• Grandeur of the Seas from Barbados

Announcements like this have been the slow and methodical means Royal Caribbean has been able to resume cruises while the United States maintains its ban on cruise ships.

Thank you giveaway

In addition to announcing the new sailings, Royal Caribbean said it will also offer 999 staterooms to the UK's first responders.

As a way of saying thank you to the people who have worked so hard during the global health crisis, Royal Caribbean will offer 999 free staterooms on its first Ocean Getaways to those UK residents in these professions:

• Emergency services
• National Health Service (NHS)
• Social care sector
• Armed forces

To be eligible for one of the free sailings, UK residents must be able to show proof of an official Blue Light Card, which is available to those working in the emergency services, NHS, social care sector and armed forces. 

 Pre-registration for guests eligible for one of the 999 free staterooms open on 13th April, and final names will be drawn from a ballot by the end of April.

Pre-registrations will be entered into a ballot to be drawn by the end of April. F

Two of Royal Caribbean's biggest cruise ships were spotted in Southampton over the weekend, giving locals in the area a glimpse of these popular ships.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Sarah Lynn stopped by the Port of Southampton to take a few photos of these ships.

Sarah went on a ferry that toured the cruise ships anchored off the South Coast of England, and took photos of the ships for all of us to enjoy.

A few Royal Caribbean ships have been positioned off the southern coast of England, and make periodic stops in Southampton for resupply.

It is noteworthy to mention that Anthem of the Seas just completed a refurbishment in Damen Shiprepair Brest in Brest, France.

Anthem was due for routine maintenance that focused on preventative upkeep work.

There are no major aesthetic upgrades to Anthem of the Seas announced, so this is purely a traditional dry dock to take care of "under the hood" work, such as painting and engine work.

Two of Royal Caribbean's biggest cruise ships were spotted in Southampton over the weekend, giving locals in the area a glimpse of these popular ships.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Sarah Lynn stopped by the Port of Southampton to take a few photos of these ships.

Sarah went on a ferry that toured the cruise ships anchored off the South Coast of England, and took photos of the ships for all of us to enjoy.

A few Royal Caribbean ships have been positioned off the southern coast of England, and make periodic stops in Southampton for resupply.

It is noteworthy to mention that Anthem of the Seas just completed a refurbishment in Damen Shiprepair Brest in Brest, France.

Anthem was due for routine maintenance that focused on preventative upkeep work.

There are no major aesthetic upgrades to Anthem of the Seas announced, so this is purely a traditional dry dock to take care of "under the hood" work, such as painting and engine work.

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance work in France.

In addition to the high profile Royal Amplifications, about every 5 years, Royal Caribbean ships undergo routine maintenance to address preventative upkeep of the ship.

Anthem of the Seas is at the Damen Shiprepair Brest, which is located in Brest, France photos of the ship undergoing the work was shared in a Facebook post.

Anthem of the Seas had her maiden voyage in April 2015, and she is due for scheduled maintenance this year.

There are no major aesthetic upgrades to Anthem of the Seas announced, so this is purely a traditional dry dock to take care of "under the hood" work, such as painting and engine work.

The Damen shipyard is no stranger to Royal Caribbean vessels. In October 2014, Oasis of the Seas arrived for maintenance work att their Rotterdam shipyard for a 14-day drydock that focused on modifications to her three Azipod main propulsion units and the four bow thrusters.

In addition, the Kvaerner Masa-Yards (now Meyer Turku) was where Enchantment of the Seas went for her lengthening, where the ship was cut in half and a new section added in the middle.

Royal Caribbean announced two upcoming sailings in June in order to assist with repatriating crew member efforts.

Vision of the Seas’ June 13th, 2020 and Anthem of the Seas’ June 20th, 2020 sailings are the two cancelled sailings that were announced today.

Royal Caribbean is using these ships to ferry crew members home due to local travel restrictions.

Unfortunately, local travel restrictions and commercial flights have made it extremely challenging to get our crew safely home. We’ve been working with our partners at Cruise Lines International Association and the CDC for months to get our crew safely home, and sailing to their home country is the best option.

As a result of the cancellation, Royal Caribbean is providing these guests with the option of a 125% Future Cruise Credit or a 100% refund.

Future Cruise Credits issued on these sailings should be received by Friday, June 5th, 2020.

The Vision of the Seas June 13th sailing was scheduled to be a 12-Night Mediterranean Greek Isles cruise from Barcelona.

The Anthem of the Seas June 20th sailing was scheduled to be an 8 Night Spain & Portugal Cruise from Southampton.

Royal Caribbean's plans to get crew members home was reported in the last 24 hours.

The crux of the matter that prevented crew from getting home sooner was evidently the CDC's rules for disembarking crew that included provisions such as requiring crew go home via chartered or private transportation.

In the letter from Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley to crew, it explains the legal entanglement that is created by sending crew home now, "The CDC will only allow us to disembark crew members if company executives, myself included, are willing to attest — subject to criminal penalties including imprisonment — that we will not use any public transportation and that each crew member will comply with certain conditions after disembarking the ships. We are happy to do all the things they requested, but the criminal penalties gave us [and our lawyers] pause."

While Bayley said he hopes the threat of criminal prosecution will be removed, he said, “we have decided that the importance of getting you home is so great that we will sign these documents as they are written today to help get you off the ships.”

Thanks to Katina Bradley for alerting us to this announcement.

Royal Caribbean announced two upcoming sailings in June in order to assist with repatriating crew member efforts.

Vision of the Seas’ June 13th, 2020 and Anthem of the Seas’ June 20th, 2020 sailings are the two cancelled sailings that were announced today.

Royal Caribbean is using these ships to ferry crew members home due to local travel restrictions.

Unfortunately, local travel restrictions and commercial flights have made it extremely challenging to get our crew safely home. We’ve been working with our partners at Cruise Lines International Association and the CDC for months to get our crew safely home, and sailing to their home country is the best option.

As a result of the cancellation, Royal Caribbean is providing these guests with the option of a 125% Future Cruise Credit or a 100% refund.

Future Cruise Credits issued on these sailings should be received by Friday, June 5th, 2020.

The Vision of the Seas June 13th sailing was scheduled to be a 12-Night Mediterranean Greek Isles cruise from Barcelona.

The Anthem of the Seas June 20th sailing was scheduled to be an 8 Night Spain & Portugal Cruise from Southampton.

Royal Caribbean's plans to get crew members home was reported in the last 24 hours.

The crux of the matter that prevented crew from getting home sooner was evidently the CDC's rules for disembarking crew that included provisions such as requiring crew go home via chartered or private transportation.

In the letter from Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley to crew, it explains the legal entanglement that is created by sending crew home now, "The CDC will only allow us to disembark crew members if company executives, myself included, are willing to attest — subject to criminal penalties including imprisonment — that we will not use any public transportation and that each crew member will comply with certain conditions after disembarking the ships. We are happy to do all the things they requested, but the criminal penalties gave us [and our lawyers] pause."

While Bayley said he hopes the threat of criminal prosecution will be removed, he said, “we have decided that the importance of getting you home is so great that we will sign these documents as they are written today to help get you off the ships.”

Thanks to Katina Bradley for alerting us to this announcement.

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.

The Port of Galveston will meet on Tuesday with the Board of Trustees to discuss a variety of topics, including Royal Caribbean's proposed construction delay of Terminal 3.

The Port Director's Report has been posted in advance of the meeting, and it includes a few interesting talking points that will be covered in the meeting.

Galveston is working with Royal Caribbean on the possibility of receiving Anthem of the Seas at the current Cruise Terminal 2. There is no dates associated with this plan, just the posting of the idea.

A decision will need to be made during the meeting on approving Royal Caribbean's request to delay the new Terminal 3 by one year. In late March, Royal Caribbean asked the Port of Galveston to delay the start of the new cruise terminal by one year.

If approved, the target completion date would now be September 1, 2022.

The conceptual plan for the East End Cruise Corridor (shown below) includes not only the new Royal Caribbean Terminal 3, but an additional 4th cruise terminal at the current Del Monte terminal.

Terminal 3 will be built on 10 acres of land at Pier 10, and will be used by Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean has reiterated that Galveston is an integral part of Royal's strategic plan.

The plan for Terminal Three was announced in December 2019, with the added bonus of Allure of the Seas moving to Galveston to begin sailings shortly after the terminal opened in November 2021.

Many thanks to RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Galveston Steve for alerting us to this news.

The Port of Galveston will meet on Tuesday with the Board of Trustees to discuss a variety of topics, including Royal Caribbean's proposed construction delay of Terminal 3.

The Port Director's Report has been posted in advance of the meeting, and it includes a few interesting talking points that will be covered in the meeting.

Galveston is working with Royal Caribbean on the possibility of receiving Anthem of the Seas at the current Cruise Terminal 2. There is no dates associated with this plan, just the posting of the idea.

A decision will need to be made during the meeting on approving Royal Caribbean's request to delay the new Terminal 3 by one year. In late March, Royal Caribbean asked the Port of Galveston to delay the start of the new cruise terminal by one year.

If approved, the target completion date would now be September 1, 2022.

The conceptual plan for the East End Cruise Corridor (shown below) includes not only the new Royal Caribbean Terminal 3, but an additional 4th cruise terminal at the current Del Monte terminal.

Terminal 3 will be built on 10 acres of land at Pier 10, and will be used by Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean has reiterated that Galveston is an integral part of Royal's strategic plan.

The plan for Terminal Three was announced in December 2019, with the added bonus of Allure of the Seas moving to Galveston to begin sailings shortly after the terminal opened in November 2021.

Many thanks to RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Galveston Steve for alerting us to this news.