Covid-19 cases on Royal Caribbean Group's cruise ships from the Omicron variant are on the downswing.

During Royal Caribbean Group's fourth quarter earnings call on Friday, cruise line executives talked about the relative low amount of Covid cases onboard cruise ships compared to society on land, as well as the fact cases are dropping as Omicron passes its peak.

Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty opened the call with investors by talking about the past quarter, and talked about how well its health protocols have been at keeping the vast majority of its passengers safe.

The cruise industry was firmly in the cross hairs of national media coverage last month when Covid cases began to go up onboard.

While the media was fixated on new cases on ships for a couple weeks, since then, cases have dropped significantly. Few media outlets have bothered to update their audience on that improvement with the same tenacity as the negative coverage.

Mr. Liberty proudly shared the precipitous drop in cases, "The good news is is that in the last several weeks, cases on board our ships have been declining rapidly and we now have returned to exceptionally low pre-Omicron levels."

He shared that over the last seven days, Royal Caribbean Group has averaged only "a handful of positive guest cases per cruise."

Mr. Liberty said that while Omicron was "particularly painful," it appears as though that is behind the company, "while the variant is not done, it appears that the worst is behind us."

With Omicron either peaking or past peak, new cruise ship bookings are up again.

"In the last week of January, bookings returned to pre-Omicron levels," Mr. Liberty shared. "We expect demand recovery to accelerate as the variant subsides."

Powerful protocols

Mr. Liberty credits the fact that Covid cases have remained lower onboard cruise ships compared to cases on land to the protocols Royal Caribbean Group has embraced.

"Our rigorous health and safety protocols, with 100 percent vaccination rate among our crew, and close to 100 percent vaccination rate among our guests, provide a safe environment where we can fulfill our mission of delivering amazing vacations."

"Our goal has been to making cruising one of the safest vacations anywhere in the world while providing an exceptional guest experience."

The company has been able to achieve that goal in carrying approximately 1.3 million guests since cruises restarted, and only having about 2,500 guests testing positive for Covid-19.

That represents a positivity rate of 0.19%.

"This positivity rate is still a small fraction of what it is in society at large, and nearly all cases on board were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms."

Mr. Liberty went on to point out the fact cruise line health protocols far surpass hotel and resorts protocols, "A few weeks ago, the prescriptive CDC Conditional Sail Order expired, demonstrating the agency's confidence in the overall effectiveness of the health and safety protocols of the cruise industry."

"Our own protocols continue to go above and beyond anything the framework provided and what consumers will find in any hospitality setting."

When will health protocols go away?

In case you missed our other article about it, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley talked about when health protocols could be rolled back.

He thinks as Covid cases continue to drop, Royal Caribbean will work with the CDC to remove protocols, "I think what we'll see is as we get into that environment, we'll start working with the CDC."

"We'll start removing many of the protocols that exist today, and it'll become easier and simpler for our customers."

Booking trends of new cruiser vs repeat cruisers

Another question Wall Street investors wanted to know is booking trends between new cruisers and core customers.

Mr. Bayley explained right before Omicron, booking numbers were getting quite strong, "as we moved into the fourth quarter of last year, our bookings started to exceed 2019 levels, both in volume and rate."

Both with the Delta and Omicron variants, the repeat customer would buoy new bookings considerably, as those new to cruise slowly regained confidence to book a vacation.

"As it relates to new to cruise and loyalty, loyalty certainly led the way....new to cruise lagged, I would say, four to six weeks when we look at our data."

"When we came out of Delta, loyalty was at the beginning skewed heavily and then and then new to cruise started to jump back in and it started to even out back to normal levels."

Mr. Bayley thinks Royal Caribbean International is particularly attractive to new cruisers in the United States because of the new ships combined with short cruises.

He also thinks Perfect Day at CocoCay plays a major role in attracting new cruisers, "We've got Perfect Day, as we know, an incredibly popular destination and that already is generating significant demand with a premium with new to cruise."

In short, Mr. Bayley feels new to cruise bookings are lagging coming out of Omicron, but they feel confident it's coming back based on what happened with the Delta variant.

Wall Street also wanted to know who is cancelling cruises, and not surprisingly, cancellations are tied to covid cases.

Mr. Liberty explained, "The majority of the people canceling were people who either tested positive for Covid before getting on sailing or somebody in their family who was traveling with them tested positive for Covid."

"We did see some of our customers shift their bookings from late December, early January into future periods."

As Covid cases subside, so too might Royal Caribbean's health protocols.

During a call with investors on Friday, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley answered a question about when protocols might go away.

The investor said since there are likely people who do not want to cruise because of testing or mask mandates, so he wanted to know what would be the impetus for Royal Caribbean to roll back those mandates.

Royal Caribbean currently requires a number of health protocols for passengers on its ships, including wearing of face masks while indoors, pre-cruise testing, social distancing and reduced ship capacity.

Mr. Bayley said that the health protocols provided a lot of reassurance during the height of the pandemic, but as countries begin to roll back restrictions, Royal Caribbean will also move towards a "new normal".

"Certainly, we see now with with Omicron that the decrease in positivity is really significant not only in the U.S. and certain states, but also on board of our ships."

As a result of the lower case counts, Mr. Bayley thinks Royal Caribbean will work with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to remove protocols.

"We believe that we're going to move into a much more positive environment. I think what we'll see is as we get into that environment, we'll start working with the CDC.

"We'll start removing many of the protocols that exist today, and it'll become easier and simpler for our customers."

Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said the company's focus remains on keeping guests and crew members safe at all times, "we're following the science, and based off of that, we're making changes to our protocols... to kind of help ensure that our guests and our crew are safe at all times."

Lowering the CDC warning

Mr. Bayley said he felt "quite positive" about the direction of Covid and its impact on cruise ships. In fact, Mr. Bayley indicated he thinks the CDC may change its stance on cruise ships and Covid.

On December 30, 2021, the CDC raised its warning against going on a cruise ship to its highest level, level 4.

The federal agency recommended avoiding cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status.

Mr. Bayley believes that warning will go away in the not too distant future.

"We also believe that in the not too distant future, the CDC Level four will be downgraded to Level three, and I think that will also be another positive step in the right direction."

Going on a cruise ship means new challenges, but how can you balance vacation fun with best health practices?

Covid-19 has changed not just the protocols onboard cruise ships, but how guests approach vacation.  So what should you do to better protect yourself along the way?

Since I'm not any kind of health expert, I reached out to Dr. Anthony Harris, M.D, M.B.A, M.P.H. to share his recommendations.

Dr. Harris is the CEO of Hfit Health, where he focuses on how to keep the workforce healthy and the public in general healthy from an exposure standpoint. His company has worked as a corporate medical director with multiple Fortune 50 Fortune 100 companies during the pandemic.

Most importantly, Dr. Harris has kept tabs on the best ways to travel safely with updated regulations.

Wear a K95 mask

Since face masks are required by Royal Caribbean (and other cruise lines) while indoors, your best bet is wear a K95 or KN95 mask.

While these masks are meant to be disposable, Dr. Harris says it's possible to wear them multiple times, "If we're talking about how long, it depends on how often and what environment you're wearing the mask. If they become soiled with either water or different materials, then you want to evaluate and make sure that it's not preventing the mask from performing normally."

"If your mask has not been any tremendous soil scenario, throw it in a paper bag and it'll be nice and fresh for you in the morning."

Moreover, you want to ensure you have enough masks for the entire cruise, "Don't bring just one. Bring some backups."

Read more: My best advice for going on a cruise ship in early 2022 during Omicron

Social distancing

While Royal Caribbean has instituted changes onboard its cruise ships to keep passengers spaced apart, you can avoid being close to other people when possible.

"Be mindful that if you don't have to be elbow and elbow with someone as you're sitting and talking about and enjoying the the views over the bow."

Prioritize being outdoors

When possible, try to spend more time outside than inside.

"We know that being outdoors dramatically decreases your risk of transmission," Dr. Harris recommended. "You're outdoors, you can be a little bit more open in terms of your social distancing and your risk goes down."

Dr. Harris said the reason why being outdoors is important is air movement. Covid is an airborne illness, and Dr. Harris says studies have shown the more air movement you have, the better you are in regards to your risk of transmission.

While you are indoors, Royal Caribbean has already adopted an air flow strategy that mirrors what Dr. Harris recommends, "a standard that we use in health care and facilities is about six times an hour."

Royal Caribbean adjusted shipboard settings to allow for the maximum air changes per hour and upgrading to MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) 13 filters throughout the system. 

In fact, Royal Caribbean says outside air is pulled in as existing air indoors is exhausted on the opposite side of the ship 15-20 times per hour (and up to 12 times in staterooms). That's twice more than what Dr. Harris recommended.

The bottom line for Dr. Harris is just being aware of your surroundings, " be mindful, but don't be fearful, particularly when you're in those settings where you have adequate air movement to reduce your risk."

Read more: New study shows "exceptionally low" risk of airborne particles on cruise ships

Let the crew know if you aren't feeling well

If you should start feeling less than great, you call the medical center onboard.

"Don't hesitate if you should start having any symptoms whatsoever to go and get tested while you're on the cruise."

"You're going to protect the everyone else that's on the on the cruise with you, and you're going to allow the majority of people to enjoy their time without concern or fear around transmission."

Read more: What happens after testing positive for Covid on Royal Caribbean cruise ship

Myth: Should you take an antigen test if you recently had Covid?

I asked Dr. Harris about a concern a number of cruise fans have about testing positive well after recovering from Covid in a PCR test.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com reader Mark Elliott posted last week on our message boards what to do about taking a test months after you had Covid without getting a positive result.

Other readers recommended an antigen test instead of a PCR test, but is that a good idea?

Dr. Harris confirmed Mark's initial concern, "PCR can show that someone is positive for COVID beyond their period of infective infectiousness."

"If you're 10 days after the onset of your symptoms, you are generally no longer infected or infectious. And that's the standard that CDC still has that we use in the clinical community."

If you're past the 10 day period, Dr. Harris said an antigen test is fine, "After that 10 day period, if you can show, and if it's acceptable, a negative rapid test, that's okay."

"Because, again, you're not putting people at risk if you're outside that that time window in terms of exposure to others."

Should you test after your cruise is over?

Assuming you go through your cruise vacation and get home without feeling sick at all, should you still take a Covid test?

Dr. Harris says the answer depends on your situation, "Should everyone test as soon as they get home? Perhaps not."

"You live alone. You're not going to be around anybody with vulnerable predispositions, then you may not need to test."

"But certainly, if you're coming home to grandma and your 90 year old mother or somebody with pre-existing condition...then it's reasonable to go ahead and test."

When should you test exactly after your cruise? Dr. Harris says a test immediately and a few days later makes sense.

He recommends a test when you get home, and then again three days later.

Dr. Harris emphasized testing after the cruise is only necessary for some people, not for everybody, but definitely consider it if you have people in your household who may have pre-existing conditions."

What should you do if you test positive before or after the cruise?

What if you take your Covid test before the cruise and you test positive before you ever board?

Dr. Harris says the first thing to do is test again, "Is it a true positive? There are still some false positives out there. And so consider getting a second test."

If the second test comes back positive again, then you want to quarantine yourself.  Dr. Harris recommends looking for an Airbnb instead of a hotel room for the comfort level it provides.

"Certainly protecting others in that scenario means you're not getting on the plane to travel back to your house while you have a positive result from Covid, staying in place, and using the new guidelines."

After five days, if you test again and you're negative, you're good to travel home.

Read more: I had to cancel my cruise because I caught Covid, here's what happened

We recently took a Christmas cruise on Enchantment of the Seas out of Baltimore.  This was the first sailing of Enchantment out of Baltimore after their preliminary test cruise.  We had been hoping that a Covid vaccine would be approved for 5-11 years old age group as it would greatly simplify our trip.

The CDC did approve a COVID vaccine for the age group in early November, making mid-December the earliest a child could be fully vaccinated with the 14 day post vaccination period. This made our trip one of the first sailings where there be COVID vaccinated children ages 5-11 on board.  

As this age group was just approved for the vaccine, there was not the option to upload their vaccine card into the Royal Caribbean App prior to boarding.  We took a photo and had physical copies of everyone’s vaccine cards with us.  This was our first cruise since January 2020, so this was our first experience with the new COVID protocols as well.

Vaccinated people need to have a COVID test 1-2 days prior to boarding.  Unvaccinated children need a PCR test no more than 3 days prior to departure and an antigen test at the port.  Having everyone in the group vaccinated did simplify which test was needed and when it had to be done.  We had plans to arrive in Baltimore a few days prior to the cruise, so we brought our pre-purchased approved home tests to do in the hotel.  

We also made appointments at a CVS near our hotel for testing the day prior to our cruise leaving as a back-up plan, ensuring we wouldn’t have to scramble if there were any issues with the home test.  On various Facebook groups, people have reported that their test kit was missing the dropper bottle or it was empty.  Other people had reported that they couldn’t get a proctor when they needed to for the home test.  Another variable out of our control was the reliability and speed of the hotel Wi-Fi.  

As the home tests come in packs of three or six and we are a family of 4, we ordered the six pack, giving us two back up kits if needed for an indeterminate or defective test kit.  Thankfully the all test kits worked well for us and the hotel Wi-Fi was adequate. We were able to do two tests at a time using two phones. This cut down the time away from our vacation fun by half the time.  Major and I did our tests first and then we helped the kids with their tests when ours were done.  

As soon as we had confirmed negative test results in the Navica App, we cancelled the CVS appointments so they would be available for other people.  It was nice to have that backup, and not need to worry about getting a “Plan B” if there were any issues with the home test.  We have also heard about people having their CVS and Walgreen’s appointments cancelled last minute as well, so I’m glad that we didn’t need to find a “Plan C”.  

Once we arrived at port there was a mild bit of confusion with staff to find the correct line for us.  Staff immediately wanted to place us in the unvaccinated children line to be tested prior to boarding.  We had to explain that our children were fully vaccinated; this seemed to confuse them at first.  After several staff determined that we could be in the vaccinated line, we then had to find the correct vaccinated line as there was one for general boarding and the other for suite guests.  

Once through security, the check in person needed to take pictures of the kid’s vaccine cards and upload them to the Royal Caribbean system, since there was not an option to do this at home.  As they were using a new computer system, this took a bit longer than usual for check in.  However, with a bit of patience and help from one of the computer system trainers, we were on board in no time. 

When we arrived at our room there were two white Royal Caribbean logoed adult masks and two kids cloth masks with rainbow fish.  I thought that the kids’ masks were super cute.  There was also a small bottle of hand sanitizer in the room for us.  The kids muster station bracelets were already in the room as well, rather than us having to go to a check in station for them.  

All vaccinated guests receive fabric bands that indicate their status as vaccinated.  This is a “one size fits all” band and cinches up like a zip tie, so once it is on it can’t be loosened.  This leaves some annoying tails.  One strategy to deal with them is to place the band on the same side as your watch and tuck the tails under your watch band.  For the kids, we trimmed the tails, but learned you need to seal the raw ends as the bracelet will soon begin to unravel. 

After replacing a couple unraveled bands we tried fingernail polish which did the trick.  If you do need a new one because it broke or it is too tight, a quick stop at guest services (or the concierge if you are in a suite or Diamond and above) will fix that.  My daughter went through 3 bands during the course of the cruise.  

Vaccination status did not appear to affect the use of Adventure Ocean, however since we did not sign our kids up, I cannot comment on this.  As my son turned 11 on this cruise and my daughter is 9, they are starting to lose interest in Adventure Ocean and are enjoying the evening shows with us more.  We did not want to take a spot from someone else who would need it or want it more than we did.  

As the kids were vaccinated, they were free to roam the ship with us, we could sit in the main level of the theater and they could enjoy trivia in the Schooner bar with us. Unvaccinated families had to sit in the balcony of the theater and had different dining room floor as well.

The Park Café is in the Solarium, which was vaccinated only, so our children were able to go there.  That was their favorite place to grab a slice of pizza when they needed a midday snack after swimming.  

Speaking of food, we were also able to have our regular early dining time at the main dining room reserved for vaccinated guests.  We were able to be seated with our friends who also had vaccinated children the same ages as ours. 

Despite being a Christmas cruise, there were not as many children as I anticipated seeing.  Finding a table in the Windjammer could still be a challenge as several tables were not in use due to social distancing.  You would need to look for the card on the table to see if it was able to be used.  Sometimes that could take a bit of searching even with the smaller number of guests on board.  

Having everyone vaccinated allowed us to leave the ship at Nassau without a Royal Caribbean excursion scheduled.  We all needed to wear masks off the ship, per Bahamian rules.  We took our vaccine cards with us at Grand Island and Nassau. 

One thing that changed with COVID and was a nice addition was the ability to scan a QR code and order pool towels to be delivered to the room the morning of port rather than standing in a line to check in or check out towels when getting on or off the ship.  

As my kids spent a great majority of time either in our room (the Royal Suite) or at the pool, there was not much time where they really needed to wear masks. 

The lifeguards enforced a limit of 10 people in the pool at one time.  They were also very good at not letting anyone hog the pool the entire time it was open.  At regular intervals the lifeguards asked guests who had been in the pool the longest to allow others who were waiting to have a turn swimming. 

Our lanyards served double duty holding our sea pass cards as well as our masks when we were at the pool or eating.  With the breeze on the pool deck, it was important to keep the masks secured to something.

When we left our room, we would do a quick “mask check” with everyone.  More than once we had to turn around to get a mask that someone forgot.  By the end of the cruise it was second nature for all of us. 

All in all, this cruising experience was very similar to previous cruises.  Very little has changed as wearing masks is part of our daily routine. 

There was better mask compliance and vaccination rate here than at my local grocery store.  With the staff quarantined prior to our sailing, we had a full crew available to serve.  We did not have any issues going to any of our ports and the weather was beautiful. 

Everything that I could have asked for in a cruise vacation happened.  We had a perfect, almost COVID-free vacation.  

There's a smattering of Royal Caribbean news to share from this week of interest to most cruise fans.

Just halfway through the week, and I have news tidbits to share.

New partnerships, construction updates, and deployment changes are all changes that can easily be summed up in this post as a quick way to catch you up on what's happening.

If you ever have a news tip, feel free to email it to [email protected] for possible inclusion in a future update!

New Covid testing partner

Royal Caribbean has a new Covid-19 testing partner in Quest Diagnostics.

Royal Caribbean has incorporated Quest Diagnostics as a pre-cruise and return home testing option. Quest Diagnostics is a lab with over 1,800 locations throughout the United States available to support testing needs.

You can visit QuestCOVID19.com for information on testing options.

The cruise line says guests can expect Quest to provide test results for most Royal Caribbean guests electronically (via email or through Quest’s secure patient portal, MyQuest) in 48 hours or less.

Hideaway Beach construction update

Construction is continuing at Perfect Day at CocoCay on a new adults-only beach.

Hideaway Beach is a new expansion on Royal Caribbean's private island that is scheduled to open at the end of 2022.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader twangster shared photos while Odyssey of the Seas visited CocoCay on January 24.

Wonder of the Seas is scheduled to begin sailings on March 4, 2022 from Fort Lauderdale.

Singapore cruises to expand to regional ports

Singapore was the first place Royal Caribbean was able to restart cruises after the shutdown of 2020, but they've only been short sailings to nowhere.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said yesterday that Singapore is working with various governments of countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to allow cruises to visit ports.

Up until now, cruises on Quantum of the Seas from Singapore have been limited to "cruises to nowhere" that have no port stops.

Royal Caribbean has cruises on sale for sailings from Singapore to Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam on board Spectrum of the Seas. 

The Spectrum of the Seas cruises are scheduled to sail beginning on October 21, 2022, with the voyages between three and nine nights, subject to receiving the relevant governmental approvals.

Royal Caribbean returns to Jamaica

Good news to share that Harmony of the Seas docked in Falmouth, Jamaica today.

Photos by Wayland Hostetler

This is significant because Harmony is the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to visit the island since 2020.

Royal Caribbean will keep its Omicron variant-induced face mask rules for its cruise ships through at least mid-February.

The cruise line informed passengers with cruises coming up that the new mask rules will remain in effect through February 14, 2022.

Since mid-December 2021, Royal Caribbean tightened its face mask rules due to the Omicron variant.

In an email, Royal Caribbean once again attributed the extension of the mask rules to Omicron, "With the recent uptick of COVID-19 in the world and added Omicron variant concerns, we feel it prudent to temporarily tighten our onboard health protocols to require masks indoors at all times, unless actively eating or drinking while seated."

Read more: What it's like to go on a cruise with Royal Caribbean's stricter mask rules

The policy requires cruise ship passengers to wear face masks while indoors, regardless of vaccination status except while eating or drinking. 

In addition to the stricter mask rules, smoking in the casino will also remain prohibited through February 14, 2022.

"We're sorry for any disappointment that this may cause," Royal Caribbean told passengers with a cruise coming up, "but hope you understand that health and safety come first.

"Despite the new requirement, we know you will still have a great time onboard."

At the end of the email, Royal Caribbean said, " If you prefer to not sail as a result of this change or would like to reschedule your cruise, we are glad to assist. Looking forward to seeing you onboard!"

This is the second time Royal Caribbean has extended the stricter mask rules since it was first implemented.

Masks are NOT required to be worn:

• In open-air areas of the ship, unless you are in a crowded setting.
• In the pool or any activity where they may become wet.
• In your stateroom when you are with your traveling party.
• While visiting our private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, unless you are in a crowded setting.
• By any guest under the age of 2.

Masks ARE required to be worn:

• While indoors in public areas of the ship, unless seated and actively eating or drinking.
• While visiting public ports of call, where local regulations may require them.

Read more: Face masks on Royal Caribbean: What you need to know

Mask rule matches other lines

Other cruise lines have added similar rules to combat the rise in Omicron variant Covid cases.

Carnival Cruise Line requires its passengers to use masks on all sailings until at least the end of January 2022. Carnival also banned smoking in its casinos until further notice.

Holland America matched Carnival's stricter mask rules and indoor smoking policy.

Norwegian Cruise Line also added a face mask rule for sailings through the end of January.

Beginning today, the U.S. government is giving away free Covid-19 tests, so naturally people want to know if these tests are acceptable for a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Beginning on Tuesday, the Biden administration soft launched the free at-home Covid tests that you can order directly from the U.S. Postal service. 

People can order four at-home tests per residential address, and they represent an easy and very affordable way to get a Covid test.

Royal Caribbean requires all passengers to take a pre-cruise Covid-19 test to bring with them to the cruise terminal.

• Vaccinated guests must show a negative COVID-19 test result for a PCR or antigen test taken no more than 2 days before boarding day. NOTE: Kids age 5 to 11 who have been vaccinated may present proof of full vaccination and follow the testing protocols for vaccinated guests.
• Unvaccinated kids age 2 to 11 must show a negative test result for a PCR test (not antigen) taken no more than 3 days before boarding day.
• Unvaccinated kids’ pre-cruise test cannot be taken on boarding day, because that may affect the sample taken during the kids’ test at the terminal.

Royal Caribbean does accept an at-home test, which can be conducted pretty much anywhere that you have a good Wi-Fi connection - hotel room, airport, vacation home - as long as it meets this criteria:

• You are fully vaccinated
• The test must have Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. FDA.
• The self-test process must happen under live supervision on a video call with a telehealth representative.
• The telehealth provider must issue you a result document that includes all the necessary information.
• International guests sailing from the U.S. are able to complete their testing using telehealth test kits, providing the kit has been authorized for use by the U.S. FDA.
  • Telehealth test kits obtained internationally that do not meet this requirement will not be accepted. 

So can you use these tests for your pre-cruise test? Probably not.

The third bullet point is the key factor, because the free rapid tests the government is distributing are generally not the type that are proctored.

As of right now, the only at-home test Royal Caribbean accepts is Abbott's BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test (not to be confused with the Abbott’s BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self Test).

Read more: I tried the at-home Covid-19 test that Royal Caribbean accepts

When ordering the free tests from COVIDTests.gov, there is no indication which test you will actually receive.

For now, your best bet is to order the tests anyway because they are free and sooner or later having access to rapid Covid-19 tests is going to be something you will likely benefit from having around.  If they are the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test, you're set, but if not, you can plan to buy those seperately.

You can purchase the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test from eMed.com or Optum. eMed sells a six pack for $150 for six Covid tests, or $25 apiece.

The good news is part of the initiative by the Biden administration to provide easier testing accessibility is you can save the receipt to get reimbursed by your health insurance company later.

There are plenty of challenges when traveling right now, so which of these are the top concern for cruisers?

Royal Caribbean, and other cruise lines, have had to adjust their health protocols and plans due to the Omicron variant. Some ships had to cancel cruises, itineraries changed, activity schedules altered and more.

I wanted to know which concern is the top one for most cruisers to get a sense of what potential issues are at the top of everyone's mind.

The point of running this poll was to really see which issues cruise fans thought about, and which concerns were less important.

I posted a Facebook poll with the question which of these options is your number one concern you have about going on a cruise ship right now?

• Missed ports of call
• Government restrictions coming home
• Getting sick
• Cruise being cancelled
• Having to wear a mask onboard
• Less activities/entertainment onboard
• Getting quarantined
• Getting (and passing) a Covid-19 test prior to the cruise
• Other

In less than 24 hours, 2,893 people participated in this unscientific poll and the results were a bit surprising in some cases.

Quarantine

The number one concern among the respondents was having to quarantine onboard the ship because they, or someone in their family, tested positive for Covid-19 onboard the ship.

Passengers that test positive for Covid-19 are brought to an area of the ship with rooms dedicated for quarantining guests while they recover.

Jane Allen summed up the quarantine issue for many, "We could even live with quarantine if we could keep our balcony room, but to be locked in a room where we could not have doors open would be too much."

Dru Mason wrote, "I understand the reasoning behind moving positive cases to a deck specific to quarantine, however, I would be disappointed to lose my cabin."

Blanche Bryant wishes the quarantine process could allow for them to be in their own cabin, "I wouldn't mind the quarantine so much - if I could stay in my original cabin."

Read more: What happens after testing positive for Covid on Royal Caribbean cruise ship

Getting sick not high on the list

Actually catching Covid-19 as a concern ranked number 6 in the poll, which may be reflection of a cruise audience that is vaccinated (and possibly boosted), as well as perhaps the less-serious nature of the Omicron variant.

The surprising result in this poll for me was the fact having to get and pass a Covid-19 test before the cruise came in a close second in the results.

Pre-cruise test

Anxiety among people that have a cruise and need to find somewhere to get a test done, and then hope no one tests positive, ranked high because that would put their entire cruise in jeopardy.

Tracie Rohner found getting a test for her unvaccinated child is a major challenge, "Getting my two year old a PCR test 3 days prior to boarding. It is so hard to get a child tested if they aren’t over the age of three. Local pharmacy will not test two year olds. "

Charleen Rader shared it's been difficult to get tests done with regularity, "We ran into problems getting tested, places are changing their policies almost daily about who they will or won't test, make an appointment and hope they follow through."

Melissa Chin thinks the test coming back without feeling sick gives her concern, "Passing the test prior to boarding simply because of the potential of being asymptomatic. "

Mark Greenwald also thinks the potential for a last-minute cancellation because someone tests positive give him pause, "The pre-test is the most stressful."

"Knowing that all the excitement, anticipation, planning could be tossed out the winner 2 days prior, especially when there are flights, hotels, pet boarding involved, really ruins the excitement of the countdown. It's like a dark cloud."

Poll results

The poll was an interesting look in the different opinions on what worries cruisers the most. 

It seems the vast majority of respondents are planning to sail, but they certain think about potential pitfalls that could interrupt their vacation plans.

It's understandable why the answers were so widespread because how much of a risk there is will always subjective.

One sailing of Independence of the Seas has been cancelled due to Covid-19.

Guests sailing on the January 22, 2022 2-night cruise were informed today about the cancellation.

In the email, Royal Caribbean says the cruise was cancelled, "as a result of ongoing Covid-related circumstances."

If you're wondering why one two-night cruise was cancelled, it may have to do with two chartered sailings that were scheduled to sail before and after it.

An 8-night charter cruise on Independence of the Seas was supposed to set sail on January 22 was cancelled as well.

The January 14 sailing of Independence of the Seas had been a chartered 8-night sailing, known as "The Super Cruise XIV", put on by Capital Jazz.

On the charter website, the group said their charter was cancelled on January 7, "The supercruise program scheduled for January 14-22, 2022 has been canceled due to the recently issued CDC level 4 alert for cruise ships."

It also appears the January 24 cruise was a charter that was cancelled. This was the K-Love charter cruise, scheduled for January 24 - 29, 2022.

According to the K-Love website, it was cancelled due to Covid concerns, "Unfortunately, the current health and wellness challenges make it impossible to deliver the K-LOVE Cruise experience at this time."

In the case of both charters, it appears the group organizing the cruises cancelled the sailing.

Independence is the latest cruise ship to be cancelled due to Covid-19.

Royal Caribbean cancelled sailings on 4 ships last week due to Covid-19 cases among the crew.

Crew members that test positive for Covid-19 are isolated and quarantined.

If a cruise ship has too many crew members that test positive, the cruise line pulls the ship out of service so that it can give the crew time to recuperate before restarting cruises again.

All cruise lines are working around the issues caused by Covid, as the Omicron surge has seen cases rise everywhere. Almost 900,000 people testes positive for Covid-19 in the United States on Thursday, which is almost 10 times the amount that tested positive a few weeks ago.

Unlike land-based businesses that have barely any health protocols, cruise lines have the most stringent and most scrutinized industry of all, reporting directly to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with their testing protocols and numbers.

Royal Caribbean, and other lines, require mask wearing, pre-cruise tests, and social distancing. All crew members are fully vaccinated, and all passengers 12 years old and older are required to be fully vaccinated.

Will my cruise be cancelled?

Royal Caribbean intends to sail as many of its ships as possible going forward, so you should plan on your booked cruise to happen until something changes.

Covid-19 is impacting all businesses in a way that it can wreak havoc on having proper staffing levels.

The bottom line is any scheduled cruises you have scheduled now are still planned to happen.

In a press conference today, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, Chairman of the Council for Norwegian Cruise Line’s SailSafe program, & Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings President and CEO Frank Del Rio, provided an update and answered questions from travel agents relating to Omicron and the future of cruising.

This briefing comes just days before the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) expires on January 15. With this new phase, cruise lines will move from mandatory to voluntary protocols.

Noting the success of the cruise lines, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky expressed her approval of cruise ship performance under the CSO, saying "the industry has stepped up".

In a decidedly optimistic tone, Dr. Gottlieb, who is also co-chair of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line’s joint Healthy Sail Panel, discussed a number of cruising topics especially as it relates to the spring and summer season. Here are some of the key points from the discussion.

Why is the cruise industry being singled out?

An important part of the discussion today related to why the cruise industry is being held to a higher standard than other recreational activities such as theme parks, hotels or airlines.  

Dr. Gottlieb noted that cruising, unlike many other leisure activities, has testing, protocols and vaccinations requirements. It is a tightly controlled environment. When you go to a hotel or restaurant, there is no way to measure risk.

The cruise industry is the only one that has rigorous testing and reporting for Covid. Consequently, the media and some politicians grab hold of this, sensationalizing the issue. The companies’ commitment to health and safety has paradoxically provided the data and information to create fear in some cruisers' minds.

When will Omicron Peak?

Dr. Gottlieb expressed his opinion that Omicron is currently peaking, especially on the East coast and more specifically, in some areas like New York, which may already be starting their decline.

There are some regions of the country, such as the Midwest and Southwest that are a little farther behind in terms of their curve and will peak in another 2-3 weeks.

This latest wave was very quick to spread and should have a similarly rapid pace in decline, which would be good news for consumer confidence and the cruise industry.

Omicron’s Decline and Other Variants

“Pandemics don’t last forever” Dr. Gottlieb noted. And, while it is hard to predict the future, he said that the broad consensus among experts is that this is the last major wave of infection.

With a combination of immunity from previous infections, effective vaccines, boosters, added to a growing number of therapeutics being produced, the future looks much better.  Additionally, scientists are working on variant specific boosters that will help to restore protection against infection and transmission.  

Looking to spring, Dr. Gottlieb feels like the numbers will decline significantly. And at this point, if we see another variant, it should not be serious like Omicron.

What will Covid will look like in the future?

As we look further out, Coronavirus will become endemic, perhaps by fall, and will begin to act more like the seasonal flu showing up in late winter. In fact, it should be less virulent than the flu, as it will mutate less.

Continued improvements in medicines and greater immunity will mean that the virus will have less of an impact over the long term.

Foretelling the end, Dr. Gottlieb says it won’t end in a “giant bang, but rather a whimper”.

It is safe to travel this summer?

As part of the discussion, Mr. Del Rio inquired about cruising this summer to Alaska and Europe, adding that travel agents have been getting a lot of inquiries about these destinations. Dr. Gottlieb is confident about cruising this summer, and he is planning a cruise, along with his young children.

In terms of sailings, a yes to Europe, especially Western Europe as they have been following a similar pattern to the United States in this last wave. The numbers should be much lower by summer, as should be the case in Alaska.

There are a few areas of concern though. He is more cautious as it relates to regions with less immunity, either through lower spread or less effective vaccines. He cited possible concerns with developing nations who have not had the same access to vaccines, as well as  China, which has had far less infection outside of the area of Wuhan.