The impact of covid-19 on the cruise industry has been felt from every angle, including Royal Caribbean's sales and promotions.

Like all cruise lines, Royal Caribbean typically runs many different promotions to drum up business.  Since the cruise industry shutdown, the target audience for these sales has shifted.

Royal Caribbean Director of Revenue Strategy, Brittany Briggs, answered a question from travel advisors about what is taken into account when promotions are developed, and how will that change moving forward.

Ms. Briggs said since cruises stopped, Royal Caribbean has shifted its sales to target people that have cruised before with the cruise line, in lieu of new cruisers.

"We have had to adjust due to the current times, as you guys are all aware, and we have taken into account and geared a lot of our promotions more towards our repeat cruisers."

She said that pricing and promotion have been geared to Royal Caribbean's base of support during these difficult times.

Furthermore, Ms. Briggs indicated that this trend of targeting repeat cruisers will continue as Royal Caribbean gets closer to returning to service.

Cruise fans have taken notice of significantly more offers that seem to appeal to someone who has cruised with Royal Caribbean.

Early in the shutdown, new sales began offering bonus instant savings for members of the Crown and Anchor Society, which is Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program. 

Most notably, Royal Caribbean unveiled an unprecedented offer with double Crown and Anchor points per night of any cruise in 2021.  Many repeat cruisers are drawn to the prospect of more quickly moving up the tiers of Crown and Anchor Society and reaping the rewards sooner. Prior to this year, the cruise line rarely offered ways to earn more loyalty points.

Ms. Briggs also mentioned that the manner in which Royal Caribbean elects a particular promotion is based on how that offer has performed historically.

"It's mostly driven based on historical performances, believe it or not, and how the promotion really resonates in the market, as well as the bookings that obviously drives in.

Strong demand by repeat cruisers has even surprised Royal Caribbean's executives. One of the few bright spots on Royal Caribbean Group's balance sheets has been bookings by repeat cruisers.

Royal Caribbean Vice President of Revenue Management Michael Goldner saw early on after cruises stopped that the people who were still booking are repeat cruisers, "New bookings, new reservations, mostly, not surprisingly, but mostly from Crown and Anchor guests."

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chief Financial Officer Jason Liberty was equally surprised by the demand, "Our loyalty guests have really just been absolutely incredible in their support, and you can really see their love of cruising as they begin to want to focus further out."

Royal Caribbean International President & CEO Michael Bayley also spoke about the loyalty of cruise fans, "I think we've really seen surprising demand from our loyalty members, and remember we've got close to 20 million loyalty members. Their response to various promotions that we've put into the market, just to understand what the demand looks like is been surprisingly positive. So, as we move into Q4 and into '21, we've been honestly surprised in terms of the demand that we've seen coming in, particularly from loyalty guests."

One company claims to have developed an indoor air cleaning system that can zap away 99.9% of airborne COVID-19 virus particles from any indoor space within 30 minutes.

AtmosAir is the manufacturer of this bi-polar ionization technology, and it has caught the attention of plenty of companies that have large indoor spaces, such as cruise lines.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings recently announced a partnership with the company to install the technology on 28 cruise ships in the family of cruise lines, including Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas. Virgin Voyages will also invest in it.

According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Royal Caribbean considered using AtmosAir's tech, but "decided there wasn’t enough available research to justify adopting it."

Patrik Dahlgren, Royal Caribbean Group Senior Vice President for Global Marine Operations told the outlet they decided to upgrade its indoor air filtration systems using traditional filters capable of trapping virus-sized contaminants.

How bi-polar ionization works

The AtmosAir Bi-Polar Ionization works differently from traditional air filtration. Instead of "catching" virus particles in the air, Bi-Polar Ionization sends charged ions out on air currents that damage the surface of the virus and inactivate it.

These ions travel into occupied spaces, bind with contaminants and pathogens, including coronaviruses, and break them down. Through naturally occurring chemistry, the contaminants are disinfected, and the air is purified to the level seen in most natural environments.

AtmosAir Solutions provided results of tests performed by the independent Microchem Laboratory, which evaluates sanitizing products, that found the technology reduced the presence of coronavirus by more than 99 percent within 30 minutes of exposure.

The technology is used at more than 7,500 locations across the United States, including Hilton and Marriott hotels, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Staples Center, Los Angeles International and more.

Royal Caribbean's air filtration plans

Royal Caribbean worked with the University of Nebraska Medical Center to develop an air circulation solution to keep guests safe.

They conducted a bioaerosol assessment on Oasis of the Seas.

This study involved releasing billions of 1µ aerosol-sized microspheres, each containing uniquely DNA barcoded inert virus surrogate, throughout the ship at certain pre-selected spaces (i.e., crew cabins, guest staterooms, and adjacent public spaces including the casino, Studio-B & Disco/Lounge) to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of the vessel’s indoor air management strategies, as well as to understand the spread of the aerosols through the HVAC system and in between the adjacent private and public spaces.

The study found that it was necessary to utilize a HVAC system on its cruise ships that changed the air in the room at least 6 times or more and used a filter with a MERV rating of 13. Doing this cleared the virus droplets from the air in about an hour.

This study confirmed that cross-contamination of air between adjacent public spaces is extremely low, and undetectable in most test cases, thanks to this powerful system.

Air filtration is just one part of what Royal Caribbean's plans are to handle airflow on its cruise ships.

The Healthy Sail Panel panel of health experts recommended 7 important steps to manage indoor air.

1. Use HVAC filters with highest level possible (MERV 8 to MERV 13)

2. Optimize airflow so that air is not recirculated.

3. SARSCoV-2 isolation rooms are consistently at negative pressure.

4. Maximize air changes per hour and filtration of air in staterooms, crew rooms, and public areas.

5. Isolation rooms in medical facilities on board should have 6-12 air changes per hour, be at a negative pressure to the adjacent area, and have 100% air exhausted to the outside.

6. Use portable HEPA filters in congregate areas.

7. Reducing indoor functions whenever possible in favor of outdoor activities.

The COVID-19 false positive on Quantum of the Seas earlier this week seems to have sent the media into a frenzy regarding the role testing plays, but testing is part of, not the complete, solution to curbing the spread on cruise ships.

Testing is at the front line of the new health protocols Royal Caribbean, and the entire cruise industry, have adopted in order to restart cruises, but they are not the silver bullet.

The Washington Post jumped on the recent false positive test as an opportunity to point out "why testing won't save the cruise industry from the coronavirus", and they are right.

Testing was never the be-all and end-all of the new protocols, and it is a good reminder that the cruise line plans to restart is not pinned on one hope.

Committing to 100% testing

While media pundits point out testing's shortcomings, the cruise industry has done something that no other sector of travel has done: commit to 100% testing.

A core recommendation of the Healthy Sail Panel to institute 100% testing of cruise ship guests and crew members. Neither airlines, resorts, or casinos have adopted such a task. In fact, no other industry in the world requires 100 percent testing.

The Healthy Sail Panel is an independent team of scientists and medical experts that the cruise lines hired to come up with a plan for cruises to be able to sail in a safe manner.

While no test is perfect, it remains a very important tool for cruise lines to utilize.

Testing isn't the only tool

Tests are helpful, but they are not perfect and that is why the cruise lines do much more than just rely on a smattering of tests.

As an example, a 83-year-old man on Quantum of the Seas took a test on Quantum of the Seas that came back as positive for COVID-19.

Immediately, Royal Caribbean's new plans kicked in, with isolation, contact tracing and the ship returning immediately to Singapore a day early.

After returning to port the man was transported to a local hospital where he took three different tests that all came back negative.

Testing cannot solve the problem of keeping cruise ships by itself. That is why the Healthy Sail Panel's recommendations take a variety of different steps to create a layered approach of several different operating protocols.

• Testing. 100% testing of passengers and crew for COVID-19 prior to embarkation.
• Mask-Wearing. Mandatory wearing of masks by all passengers and crew onboard and during excursions whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained
• Distancing. Physical distancing in terminals, onboard ships, on private islands and during shore excursions
• Ventilation. Air management and ventilation strategies to increase fresh air onboard and, where feasible, using enhanced filters and other technologies to mitigate risk
• Medical Capability: Risk based response plans tailored for each ship to manage medical needs, dedicated cabin capacity allocated for isolation and other operational measures, and advance arrangements with private providers for shoreside quarantine, medical facilities, and transportation.
• Shore Excursions: Only permit shore excursions according to the cruise operators’ prescribed protocols, with strict adherence required of all passengers and denial of re-boarding for any passengers that do not comply.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain has been a major proponent of testing, but admits it is not foolproof.

"Each individual step whittles away at the risk levels until you have architected a overall much safer journey."

"I compare it to a car. The brakes keep you safe, of course, and a seatbelt and you've got even better protection. Then add an air bag and you start to see the effect of a layered approach."

While cruise lines would love to keep the virus from ever getting on a cruise ship, their plans are also about mitigating the spread onboard to avoid the kind of free-for-all so many land-based locations are encountering on a daily basis with little to no government oversight.

Cruise lines have long been held to a higher standard than airlines or casinos, and it is important to remember how every protocol works together as a whole.

More information:

• Where Royal Caribbean cruising is right now
• Here's how to sign up to be a volunteer for a Royal Caribbean test cruise
• Top 14 things the CDC requires cruise ships do on test sailings

There is so much happening in the cruise world, and that includes quite a few changes recently with Royal Caribbean.

To help make it easier with what is going on right now with Royal Caribbean cruises, I have compiled a look at the most recent Royal Caribbean news, announcements and changes you should know about.

While there are no firm plans yet for Royal Caribbean's restart, there are a lot of changes to be aware of as we move into 2021.

Quantum of the Seas has restarted cruises

Despite the blemish of a false positive scare onboard, Royal Caribbean's first cruise ship has restarted sailing in Singapore.

Quantum of the Seas began her first sailings in December from Singapore, which are sailings to no where that are just 3 or 4 nights in duration and limited to residents of Singapore.

Of course, the cruise experience has changed considerably in order to adhere to a series of new health protocols and changes aimed at keeping guests and crew members safe.

Quantum of the Seas has a reduced capacity onboard, and has implemented mandatory universal testing during embarkation and debarkation, and enforced mask wearing, physical distancing and enhanced cleaning practices across the ship, among other required practices.

Another big change onboard is the introduction of a contact tracing bracelet called a "tracelet". All guests wear one and it helps identify who may have had close contact with anyone that tests positive for covid.

Volunteers for test cruises wanted

While Royal Caribbean has not announced any firm restart plans, it has been taking volunteer sign ups for its test cruises.

Part of the U.S. Center for Disease Control's (CDC) plan to allow cruise ships to restart operations is to conduct a series of simulated sailings, which require unpaid volunteers to pretend to be guests onboard.

These volunteers will help test out Royal Caribbean's new health protocols and ensure the new rules are working as intended.

So far, around 200,000 people have signed up to be a volunteer on a test cruise.

Read more: Top 14 things the CDC requires cruise ships do on test sailings

Cruises cancelled until at least March

Any chance of Royal Caribbean restarting cruises in North America will not happen until at least March 2021.

Royal Caribbean cancelled all of its cruises through February 28, 2021 with two exceptions: Quantum of the Seas in Singapore and Spectrum of the Seas in China.

In addition, the remainder of the Australia/New Zealand season has been cancelled — through April 2021.

Essentially, Royal Caribbean needs more time to meet all of the requirements to gain approval from the CDC to restart cruises.

It is not clear if more cancellations will be needed or not, nor when test cruises or any other progress with the Conditional Sail Order may occur.

Why can't cruise ships sail?

In places like the United States and Australia, cruise ships are prohibited from sailing because of strict government regulations.

The CDC has in place the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, which prohibits any cruise line from operating in the United States until it demonstrates it can operate safely and receive permission from the CDC to sail.

The Conditional Sail Order was issued at the end of October, and thus far, there has been little information what, if any, progress has been made on getting closer to cruises restarting.

Similarly, Australia has banned cruise ship travel until at least March 2021.

Read more: What does the Conditional Sailing Order mean for cruises to restart?

What is next for Royal Caribbean?

While Quantum of the Seas is sailing in Singapore, the company's primary focus remains getting cruises restarted in the United States.

A major factor that may simplify things for all cruise lines is the imminent arrival of a new covid vaccine, which many health experts believe will have an immediate effect on the public health emergency in the first half of 2021.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain believes the combination of promising vaccines in scope, broader and faster testing, and treatment options available will help bring about the return of cruises sooner.

Many cruise fans are looking towards when test sailings might begin.  There was hope the first test cruises could start in December, but that may slip to January.  Neither Royal Caribbean nor the CDC have given any public hints on when to expect them.

When will cruises restart?

Quantum of the Seas is sailing in Singapore, and Spectrum of the Seas might restart in China as early as January 2021. Beyond that, it remains unclear when cruises will actually resume.

While the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order opens the door to cruises starting again, there is still not enough information available to wager a guess when cruises may actually start again from the United States.

Last week, Richard Fain said the company is getting "a clearer picture", but hopes for an early restart have been dashed. Nonetheless, he believes the outlook for cruises starting up again is getting better.

Mr. Fain also thinks the dispersal of a vaccine will allow Royal Caribbean to ramp up operations faster than they had previously thought, and that means more cruise ships back in service sooner.

Singapore's Health Ministry of Health has confirmed the cruise passenger on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas did not actually have COVID-19, despite testing positive for it onboard.

The National Public Health Laboratory conducted three different tests on the 83-year-old passenger after he returned to Singapore and all of those tests came back negative.

In the last and final test, the sample came back negative after two Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests also came back negative.

"The sample taken from the individual this morning came back negative for the virus. This follows two Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests conducted yesterday by NPHL, one on a re-test of his original sample, and the other on a fresh sample taken yesterday, which had also come back negative," the health ministry said in its daily preliminary update of Covid-19 cases in the city-state.

"We have rescinded the Quarantine Orders of his close contacts, who had earlier been placed on quarantine as a precautionary measure while investigations were ongoing," the health ministry added in its statement.

The man was on one of the cruises to no where on Quantum of the Seas when he complained to the ship's medical staff that he was not feeling well.  He was given a PCR test onboard and it came back positive for COVID-19.

As a result, the ship turned around and ended its cruise a day early.

Once back on land, the man was transported to a local hospital where his first two tests came back negative.  Today's final test confirmed the news.

Royal Caribbean issued a statement thanking the Singaporean government for their swift action:

"We welcome this news and we wish our guest a speedy return to health."

"We appreciate the guidance of the government and we will continue to work with them to refine our protocols, which are designed to protect the health and safety of our guests, crew and the Singapore community."

Even before Singapore conducted its tests, Royal Caribbean cancelled the next scheduled sailing in order to give the entire crew a new PCR test, as well as deep clean the ship.

Quantum of the Seas will resume cruises will continue as planned with the next scheduled sailing.

The passenger who tested positive for COVID-19 on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas has had two follow-up tests in Singapore and both tests have come back negative.

UPDATE: The passenger has tested negative in three different tests

Singapore's Ministry of Health said in two different tests, the results have been negative for COVID-19.  A third test is planned.

Quantum of the Seas had her cruise cut short once a 83-year-old passenger reported not feeling well to ship medical staff and a mandatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test came back as positive for COVID-19.

The ministry said the laboratory will conduct another test on Thursday to confirm if the passenger does indeed have COVID-19.

"An 83 year-old male Singaporean on board Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas tested positive for COVID-19 infection this morning, and was immediately isolated. He had reported to the medical centre with diarrhoea, and as part of the protocols was tested for COVID-19 using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test equipment on board the ship. His original sample has since been re-tested at the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), and has come back negative for COVID-19 infection. A second fresh sample tested by NPHL has also come back negative. NPHL will conduct another test tomorrow to confirm his COVID-19 status."

Once Quantum of the Seas returned to Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board Director of Cruise confirmed the passenger was evacuated off the ship and taken to a hospital for further testing. 

As a precautionary measure, all the identified close contacts of the case have been isolated.

As part of the routine post-arrival protocols, all passengers will undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing before they are allowed to leave the terminal at Marina Bay Cruise Centre. 

Royal Caribbean has already cancelled its next sailing of Quantum of the Seas, which was scheduled to depart on Thursday.

Rapid tests are notorious for false positives. Earlier this summer, 12 TUI Cruise crew members tested positive for COVID-19, but follow-up tests showed those same crew tested negative.

New health protocols working as intended

While the suspected case of coronavirus may end up being a false positive, nonetheless, Royal Caribbean's new protocols have demonstrated it can work well.

In coordination with the Singaporean government, a "robust, tiered response plan" went into effect to not only isolate any one who may have come in contact with the patient, but also provide a means to get guests off the ship safely and quickly.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean emphasized the importance of these new rules, "That we were able to quickly identify this single case and take immediate action is a sign that the system is working as it was designed to do."

After just a handful of sailings, the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship encountered its a positive COVID-19 case onboard and while that is far from good news, the fact remains the new health protocols are working.

One passenger tested positive and was quickly isolated, with anyone that came in close contact tested and isolated as well.

There was no widespread infections on the ship, the ship was not held indefinitely in quarantine, and passengers were able to disembark after returning to Singapore.

The important takeaway is not that there was a positive case on a cruise ship, but instead that with around 1,000 passengers onboard, one case was discovered and isolated.

The cruise industry is under the microscope of public opinion, living under the shadow of well-known long-term quarantine events from early 2020 when the virus was first spreading around the globe.

Similar to how airports radically changed protocols after the September 11th attacks, the cruise industry has re-evaluated all of its protocols and come up with a new approach.

Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings teamed up to create a panel of health experts that would oversee development of enhanced cruise line health and safety protocols.

Known as the "Healthy Sail Panel", this group is comprised of top experts in public health, infectious disease, biosecurity, hospitality and maritime operations in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Serving at the head of the new panel will be Governor Mike Leavitt, former Secretary of the U.S. Department Health and Human Services (HHS), and Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Healthy Sail Panel came up with 74 recommendations for cruise ships to operate safely, that include masks, social distancing, testing and more.

In confirming the single case of COVID-19, Royal Caribbean seemed satisfied in the fact their system is working, "That we were able to quickly identify this single case and take immediate action is a sign that the system is working as it was designed to do."

Moreover, Royal Caribbean has said for a while these protocols will need to evolve, and be adjusted as necessary.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd Chairman and CEO Richard Fain has spoken about the need to learn what is working and what is not working, and make necessary changes.

"We'll start at one point and then gradually, as knowledge of the disease, as the testing, as the contact tracing, as vaccines come on board, that will gradually adjust."

"Our mantra is continuous improvement. And it means just that everything gets better, every chance we get."

Cruise fans react

The news of the positive case on Quantum of the Seas was not welcome news, but not totally unexpected either.

Many cruise fans shared their thoughts on the incident on the RoyalCaribbeanBlog message boards.

sk8erguy1978 echoed what so many cruise fans feel right now, "This is a bit of a blow. Hopefully the new procedures keep the case count to this one individual, proving they can limit an outbreak. But, this is a big win for the naysayers and those who believe ships are floating petri dishes."

twangster was satisfied with the how the protocols kicked in, "The encouraging view is that the protocols worked.  If there were around 1,000 guest on board, there was one case discovered and isolated."

Traveler saw the bright side of the incident, "For sure lesson learning needs to be done, but I see it as good results. We have a proof that even if you find one sick person on the ship its not the end of the world. "

One of the early reactions from many cruise fans has also been they see the role of vaccines becoming more and more likely to be required.

Neither Royal Caribbean, nor any cruise line has mentioned if a COVID-19 vaccine would be required, but it has not stopped many from speculating on it.

Oliver wrote, "Cruising is never going to happen without proof of vaccination."

AndrewPunch shared, "In my humble opinion, cruises won't start in the US till summer and require a vaccine passport".

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas returned to Singapore after one passenger onboard tested positive for COVID-19.

UPDATE: The passenger has tested negative in three different tests

An 83-year-old passenger has been identified as the passenger that reported not feeling well to the ship's medical staff.

Singapore Tourism Board Director Annie Chang told the Associated Press that the passenger complained of diarrhea.

In addition, that passenger had been tested prior to boarding Quantum of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean said in a statement that the passenger was isolated, and other crew members and guests who had close contact were isolated and tested.

Quantum of the Seas returned to the Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore, and was eventually cleared to disembark passengers after 7:30pm local time.

Our friends at Singapore Cruise Society shared photos of Quantum of the Seas arriving back in Singapore.

Guests began disembarking off Quantum of the Seas in groups, and all will undergo an Antigen Rapid Test before returning home.

According to the Singapore Cruise Society, Royal Caribbean will cancel the next scheduled sailing of Quantum of the Seas, which is a 4-night sailing departing on December 10.

Once the positive test onboard had been reported, the ship's captain asked passengers to remain in their staterooms "in an abundance of caution".

The ship's return and ability to disembark passengers without a lengthy quarantine onboard is a testament to both Royal Caribbean's onboard protocols, as well as its agreement with the Singaporean government.

"That we were able to quickly identify this single case and take immediate action is a sign that the system is working as it was designed to do," the cruise line said in a statement.

A positive case of Coronavirus has been identified and isolated aboard the only Royal Caribbean cruise ship in operation.

UPDATE: The passenger has tested negative in three different tests

Cruise Critic is reporting a positive case of COVID-19 has been identified on Quantum of the Seas and as a result, the ship is headed back to Singapore as part of the government's protocols.

In addition, Royal Caribbean has isolated and quarantined the guests and crew that had close contact with the guest, per the cruise line's protocols.

Royal Caribbean confirmed the case and issued a statement regarding what is happening.

One guest aboard Quantum of the Seas tested positive for coronavirus after checking in with our medical team.

We identified and isolated all guests and crew who had close contact with this guest, and each of those individuals have subsequently tested negative for the virus.

The ship is returning to port today in accordance with government protocols, and will debark guests after a review of contact tracing is completed.

We are in communication with the Singapore government, and appreciate their guidance as we work together to protect the health and safety of our guests and crew.

We worked closely with the government to develop a thorough system that tests and monitors all guests and crew and follows public health best practices. That we were able to quickly identify this single case and take immediate action is a sign that the system is working as it was designed to do.

Quantum of the Seas resumed cruises last week, offering short cruises from Singapore and only to residents of Singapore.

Quantum of the Seas is equipped  with upgraded medical facilities where rapid SARS-CoV-2 tests can be conducted onboard to provide rapid, accurate onsite RT-PCR testing with results in under an hour, alongside a multitude of other evaluative tests. 

In addition, every guest on the ship is wearing either a contact tracing token or utilizing a contact tracing app to identify exactly who may have come in contact with someone that tests positive.

Multi-tiered plan to mitigate risks

Early on, Royal Caribbean said its plans had to accept risk and acknowledge there are no guarantees.

One of the co-chairmen of the Healthy Sail Panel's co-chairmen, Governor Mike Leavitt, talked about the realities of planning new policies and procedures with realistic expectations.

When Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings created the Healthy Sail Panel, they had to recognize nothing in society is every completely safe, and you have to accept that risk before crafting a response for it.

"We put together this combination not just because of their subject matter expertise, but because they have had long experience in evaluating ideas and being able to come to an understanding that there's no place in our society that you can say is absolutely 100 percent safe."

"We all manage risks every day, whether we're walking across the street or opening a package of food. There's some kind of risk involved in all of that."

"The idea isn't that we can eliminate all of that. The idea is we can manage it and understanding that perspective and recognizing that it requires judgment to do this well."

Response plan

Royal Caribbean developed a plan to respond to a scenario such as this, and coordinated these plans with the Singaporean government.

According to Royal Caribbean's health protocols, in the event a guest tests positive for COVID-19, a "robust, tiered response plan" goes into effect.

The tiers increase protocols and vigilance onboard while providing transparent updates to guests the whole way.

In partnership with local authorities, Royal Caribbean has developed transport protocols to ensure we can get guests home safely. 

In fact, Royal Caribbean identified early that being "stuck" in quarantine on a cruise ship was not something any guest wanted, and a result, Royal Caribbean has developed transport agreements with local authorities in a situation like this to get everyone home safely.

It now will be at least March before you can get on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean announced on Wednesday it has cancelled January and February 2021 cruises that were scheduled in order to provide more time to prepare to restart cruise operations.

There are two exceptions: Singapore sailings onboard Quantum of the Seas, and Spectrum of the Seas’ China departures between January 24 - February 28, 2021. 

In addition, the remainder of the Australia/New Zealand season has been cancelled — through April 2021.

Cruise fans may have hoped there would be a chance for cruises to begin in 2021, but unfortunately Royal Caribbean needs more time to prepare for all of the new requirements that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has placed on all cruise lines to demonstrate the new health protocols are effective at preventing the spread of any disease on a cruise ship.

In a statement sent via email, Royal Caribbean said it needs more time to get things right, " As we strengthen our continued partnership with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), please know that we are taking a very thorough approach and, therefore, require a little extra time."

Cruise operations had been suspended through the end of December 2020, but will now be extended an additional two months.

Read more: What you should do now that Royal Caribbean cancelled your cruise

Compensation

Guests affected by the cancelled cruises between January 1 - February 28,  2021, have three options for compensation.

Lift & Shift: Select next year’s sailing with the same itinerary type, sailing length, stateroom category, and within the same 4-week window of the original cruise date, and you can take your existing reservation and move it to next year.Option expires on December 16, 2020.

125% Future Cruise Credit: To account for the inconvenience this has caused, guests are eligible for a 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) that is based on the total cruise fare paid at the guest-level if neither of the other options is selected. This will be automatically issued on or before January 15, 2021 if no other option is selected.

Taxes and fees, as well as any pre-purchased amenities or onboard packages will be automatically refunded to the original form of payment within 45 days from the cancellation date. 

If you previously opted to take advantage of our Cruise with Confidence policy, the 100% FCC will stand, and this new option is ineligible.

Additionally, if you redeemed your Cruise with Confidence Future Cruise Credit on a sailing that is now cancelled, their original FCC will be reinstated, plus 125% of any amount paid by the guest on the cancelled reservation.

Refund: If you prefer a cash refund, you can do so by requesting this option on-or-before March 31, 2021.

You can expect their refund to the original form of payment within 45 days from the cancellation date. 

If you redeemed a Cruise with Confidence Future Cruise Credit on an impacted sailing and would now prefer a refund instead, Royal Caribbean will process this request in the amount of any new funds paid above the original certificate and, in turn, will reinstate the Cruise with Confidence FCC for future use.

Cruise Planner Purchases: If you had purchased any cruise add-ons, such as shore excursions, drink packages, wifi and more, you could opt to convert your Cruise Planner purchases  to an Onboard Credit valued at 125% of the total amount paid. This offer expires on November 13, 2020.

More prep time needed

While the CDC lifted the No Sail order at the end of October, the new regulations and requirements imposed on the cruise industry to be able to restart simply means Royal Caribbean needs more time to meet the new requirements.

Before Royal Caribbean can start offering cruises again, it needs to hit all of the steps outlined by the CDC.

The CDC added all of these requirements to allow the cruise lines to test out its proposed new protocols, while protecting the health of the public in the interim period.

The three phases of getting permission to restart passenger cruises are:

1. Testing crew members
2. Simulated cruises to test out new protocols
3. Apply for a Conditional Sailing Certificate

The entire cruise industry has adopted a sweeping range of new protocols outlined by the recommendations made by the Healthy Sail Panel earlier this summer.  There are 74 recommendations on how cruise ships can be operated safely during the currrent global health crisis.

Royal Caribbean has expressed it can operate in a safe manner, and is eager to prove the Healthy Sail Panel recommendations can work effectively.

The framework for sailing again is not simple, and the CDC admits the rules can change in terms of what is needed to get cruise ships operating again from the United States.

It is unknown how long it will take Royal Caribbean to complete all of the necessary steps and subsequently obtain permission to cruise again.

For its part, Royal Caribbean has been adamant about taking as much time as it needs to get everything right.

"But it's fair to say that there is still a lot of uncertainty against this backdrop, " Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain said during a conference call with investors in August. "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."

"We believe that our health is healthy. Return to service program will help get us there."