There are currently no Royal Caribbean cruises sailing due to the current global situation, and the most commonly asked question these days is, "When will cruising resume?"

The answer of when cruises will resume sailing has two answers: the official answer and the real answer.

Officially, Royal Caribbean says the majority of its fleet plans to resume service on August 1, 2020. China sailings are scheduled to resume July 1st.

The longer answer is the August 1st date is a moving target, as Royal Caribbean has changed the time it intends to start cruising again two different times.

Hurdles to overcome

The reality is cruising will resume once conditions allow for cruise ships to resume service without a public health emergency hanging overhead. Just like friends and family wondering when movie theaters, sporting events, or school will resume, the answer to when cruises will definitely start up again is nearly impossible to answer.

"Legally, the pandemic has to no longer be a health crisis -- that's the easiest way," said Motley Fool contributing partner and podcast/on-air personality, Dan Kline.

There is also legal barriers that prevent cruises from starting up again, such as many countries closing off its borders to cruise ships as well as the United States' 100-day 'No-Sail Order' issued by the CDC.

Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed said on a recent webinar with travel agents that with the current climate, "things can change rather quickly," and that, "we all have to take it day by day."

When should you expect cruises to start again?

There is no "inside information" or secret algorithm to knowing when cruises will resume, because no one really knows.  By the same token, there is no way to know if your upcoming Royal Caribbean cruise this summer, fall or even next year is in jeopardy of being cancelled.

The answer I provide to readers who ask if their sailing is going to happen or not, is simply, "I don't know" because there is no definitive way to know what to expect. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

My guess is the further out your cruise, the better your chance of it occurring.

For now, you should take Royal Caribbean's date of operations to resume in August as the defacto answer, but prepare for more cancellations.

The answer of when cruises will resume may be better determined by looking out your window and seeing when life begins to return to some kind of normalcy. The sooner daily life starts back up, the less impediments (and social blame) the cruise lines will have to face in starting up again.

Many cruisers look at the CDC's 'no-sail' order as the major obstacle for Royal Caribbean to cruise again, but it is important to note that order can be rescinded at any time.

When do you think cruises will resume? Share your best guesses in the comments!

If you are looking for signs of the world resuming some level of normalcy, you may want to consider Florida Governor  Ron DeSantis has given the okay for some beaches and parks to reopen if it can be done safely, and north Florida beaches became among the first to allow people to return.

Beaches in the greater Jacksonville, Florida area reopened for the first time in a month, howeever they have restricted hours, and they can only be used for walking, biking, hiking, fishing, running, swimming, taking care of pets and surfing.

Gatherings of 50 or more people are prohibited and people must still practice social distancing.

With Florida being the home of so many cruise ships, the re-opening of beaches is perhaps a sign of the current global situation eking slightly back to normalcy.

The governor said it was important for people to have outlets for getting exercise, sunshine and fresh air.

“Do it in a good way. Do it in a safe way,” DeSantis said.

As you are likely aware, Royal Caribbean has shutdown all of its ships until at least mid-May due to the current health crisis.

In fact, all cruise lines have taken similar measures that aim to keep people safe, but the global voluntary suspension has disheartened plenty of vacations.

There are no cruises right now

For a month, Royal Caribbean has voluntarily shutdown its cruise ships around the world. 

Initially cruises were cancelled until mid-April, and then Royal Caribbean extended its suspension of cruises until May 12 (with Canada, New England and Alaska cruises cancelled through June 30, 2020.

On top of that, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended its “No Sail Order” for all cruise ships by 100 days. As of the writing of this blog post post, it is not crystal clear what impact that will have, but clearly there are no cruises to be offered in the short term.

How long could the shutdown last?

The short answer is, no one knows.

The new No Sail Order by the CDC sets a possible timeline for how long cruise ships could be out of service. Of course, that order only applies to US sailings and it is possible cruises could resume in other parts of the world sooner.

Royal Caribbean has not made any changes yet as a result of the no-sail order, simply stating they are aware of the order, "and are studying how best to respond to its provisions."

If the Health and Human Services Secretary  declares that there is no longer a public health emergency, then the order could get lifted immediately. Alternatively, the director of the CDC could decide to rescind or modify the order in response to new data on public health or other factors. If neither of those things happens, then the order would expire of its own accord 100 days after it's officially published in the Federal Register. 

 If all of this sounds vague, that is because it is and there is not any definite time when ships will certainly sail again.

 If July comes around and we are still in the midst of these issues, it is possible the CDC could extend the no-sail order once again.  However, if things improve quicker than that, the order can be lifted immediately. 

When should I reschedule my cruise?

The general consensus seems to be the later you schedule your cruise, the better your chances that your cruise will not be impacted by another round of cancellations.

I will be certain to share any news of cruises resuming on RoyalCaribbeanBlog. Conditions seem to be changing on a daily basis, and I believe it is important to consider things could improve drastically just as much as they could deteriorate.

The good news is there is little risk in booking another cruise in the sense Royal Caribbean provides the Cruise with Confidence program to allow you to cancel up to 48 hours before your cruise. This program is currently valid on sailings through September 1, but I imagine it would be extended out if necessary.

The later you book your cruise, the less likely daily life will still be impacted by the current crisis in the same way it is today. I would recommend putting a refundable deposit down to cover your bases, and if nothing else, give yourself something to do during this social standstill: you can start planning a cruise and provide a goal to look forward to at the end of all of this.  

If you do put a deposit down, be sure to book with a travel agent, as the travel agent community is truly struggling right now and could greatly benefit from your business.

When are you planning to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise again? Share your plans in the comments!

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its recommendations for cruise ship travelers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These new recommendations were released over the weekend, and are aimed at ensuring cruisers get home as quickly and safely as possible.

The CDC is coordinating these efforts with the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, port authorities, local and state health departments, and Department of State.

Most notably, the CDC recommends that cruise lines get passengers who have no symptoms or mild symptoms off the ship as quickly and safely as possible in the United States, and ensure they get home directly via chartered or private transportation.

The CDC specifically says commercial flights and public transportation should not be used.

Prior to this recommendation, the CDC said it was acceptable for passengers who exhibited no symptoms and passed a temperature check to travel on on commercial flights or public transportation, assuming they wore a face mask and self-isolated for 14 days once home.

Royal Caribbean has announced its refund policy for guests affected by canceled sailings between March 14 and April 10, 2020.

Royal Caribbean has voluntarily suspended its US sailings for 30 days due to the gravity of the public health crisis confronting the United States in the form of COVID-19.

Guests on affected sailings between March 14 - April 10, 2020 will automatically receive a 125% Future Cruise Credit that can be used anytime before December 31, 2021. Future Cruise Credits will be automatically issued on Monday, April 13, 2020 via email.

If a guest prefers a full refund instead of a Future Cruise Credit, they can get a 100% refund instead. Guests have up until December 31, 2021 to request a full refund. Refunds can be expected 30 days after submitting the request.

Refund requests can be done automatically via Royal Caribbean's form, or by calling Royal Caribbean.

Important update on all U.S. sailings departing between March 14th to April 10th, 2020. (1/3)

? https://t.co/n8sSjx3Vbl pic.twitter.com/QLGtHg8z8P

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) March 14, 2020

Important update on all U.S. sailings departing between March 14th to April 10th, 2020. (3/3)

? https://t.co/n8sSjxlwzV pic.twitter.com/qIl8X5rlq3

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) March 14, 2020

Any pre-purchased amenities and packages, such as internet, beverage packages, dining or RoyalUp upgrades, will automatically be refunded.

If you purchased air or hotel through Royal Caribbean, these will be automatically refunded to you as well.

Royal Caribbean International announced it will voluntarily suspend all operations of its cruise ships for 30 days due to the Coronavirus epidemic.

Beginning at midnight on March 14, Royal Caribbean will pause the fleet's United States sailings for 30 days. In addition, the global fleet will be suspened at midnight on March 15.

"We are reaching out to our guests to help them work through this disruption to their vacations, and we are truly sorry for their inconvenience. We are also communicating with our crew to work out the issues this decision presents for them. We know this adds great stress to our guests, employees and crew, and we are working to minimize the disruption."

5:37 UPDATE: Cruises that depart US ports before midnight and international cruises will operate their scheduled itineraries. U.S. ships already at sea will finish their itineraries as planned.

6:56 UPDATE: Vicki Freed, Royal Caribbean International's Senior Vice President of Sales, Trade Support and Service, reports US sailings will resume operations on April 11, 2020.

8:24PM UPDATE: Royal Caribbean has released refund options for guests affected by this shutdown.

MARCH 14 10:57AM UPDATE: Royal Caribbean has decided to suspend the sailings of our fleet globally at midnight tonight. All current sailings will conclude as scheduled. Royal Caribbean expects to return to service on April 11, 2020.

Royal Caribbean joins a number of other cruise lines who also voluntarily shut down temporarily in hope they can reopen when the COVID-19 outbreak slows down, including Princess Cruises, MSC Cruises, Disney Cruise Line and others.

Prior to shutting down, Royal Caribbean attempted to provide confidence to consumers by greatly expanding the window to cancel a cruise up until 48 hours. 

Earlier on Friday, Norwegian Cruise Line also announced they would temporarily shut down until mid-April.

Royal Caribbean has updated its coronavirus protocols effective Monday, March 16, boarding will be denied to any person age 70 or older, unless the guest provides written verification from a qualified treating physician that certifies the person has no severe, chronic medical condition and is fit to travel.

In addition, boarding will be denied to any person with a severe, chronic medical condition, including those specified by the CDC.

Guests of all ages will be screened prior to boarding, regarding underlying health issues that may prevent them from sailing, i.e.  chronic heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, or cancer.

For guests 70 years or older, they can have this letter template filled out by a physician.

This new policy is in addition to the cruise line's enhanced screening policy that include mandatory temperature screenings, denial of boarding to anyone that has been to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Europe, Iran, or South Korea 15-20 days prior to embarkation.

Royal Caribbean has also implemented additional protocols that include professional medical treatment; isolation of unwell individuals from the general ship population; and intensified ship cleaning, air filtration, and sanitization procedures.

The United States State Department issued a travel warning to US citizens against going on a cruise ship because of Coronavirus fears.

The "fluid situation" prompted the warning on Sunday evening and noted an, "increased risk of infection of COVID-19 in a cruise ship environment" by the CDC.

The State Department emphasized this warning is particularly important to travelers with underlying health conditions, who may be more susceptible to the effects of COVID-19.

Moreover, the State Department cited recent issues with some passengers being subject to local quarantines, as well as the issue of some countries implementing strict screening procedures that have denied port entry rights to ships and prevented passengers from disembarking.

The full warning is as follows:

U.S. citizens, particularly travelers with underlying health conditions, should not travel by cruise ship.  CDC notes increased risk of infection of COVID-19 in a cruise ship environment. In order to curb the spread of COVID-19, many countries have implemented strict screening procedures that have denied port entry rights to ships and prevented passengers from disembarking.  In some cases, local authorities have permitted disembarkation but subjected passengers to local quarantine procedures.  While the U.S. government has evacuated some cruise ship passengers in recent weeks, repatriation flights should not be relied upon as an option for U.S. citizens under the potential risk of quarantine by local authorities.  

This is a fluid situation.  CDC notes that older adults and travelers with underlying health issues should avoid situations that put them at increased risk for more severe disease.  This entails avoiding crowded places, avoiding non-essential travel such as long plane trips, and especially avoiding embarking on cruise ships.  Passengers with plans to travel by cruise ship should contact their cruise line companies directly for further information and continue to monitor the Travel.state.gov website and see the latest information from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/index.html. 

This new warning is one in a series of events that have dominated the cruise industry over the last few weeks. The worldwide spread of coronavirus has prompted Royal Caribbean to allow cancellations up to 48 hours before sailing, as well as implement mandatory temperature screenings to the cruise check-in procedure.

Royal Caribbean has also taken additional steps onboard its ships and in the cruise terminals to stem the spread of Coronavirus by thoroughly sanitizing the cruise ship terminal before and after every sailing. They have also added extra medical staff on each sailing, special sanitizing of high traffic areas onboard the ship, and  complimentary consultations with medical experts for all guests & crew.

The warning comes on the heels of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chairman and CEO Richard Fain speaking last week on the issue, and reminding the public that the current situation is far from ideal, but will eventually get better again.

"We're all spending time worrying, and that's natural, because we're in a storm, and when you're in the middle of a storm, it certainly feels like it'll never end. But as with most storms, it gets worse before it gets better, but it's hard to remember that this too shall pass."

Will this warning affect your decision to cruise? Let us know in our comments!

Royal Caribbean sent an update to travel partners that it will add mandatory temperature screenings to the cruise check-in process in order to better protect guests and crew against the spread of coronavirus COVID-19.

Beginning on March 6, 2020, all Royal Caribbean International ships will conduct mandatory temperature screenings for all guests and crewmembers on embarkation day.

If your temperature is above 100.4°F or 38° C, you and those in your party will undergo a secondary health screening. Temperatures will be taken with a digital, no-touch thermometer.

If you require a secondary screening, this is what you can expect:

• Your temperature will be checked again.
• You'll undergo a pulse oximetry reading. This means, a small device will be placed on your finger to measure your oxygen level.
  • If you happen to have a chronic lung illness, like asthma, please bring a letter from your medical practitioner that indicates your normal baseline oxygen saturation levels. This will help ensure you are not denied boarding if you are healthy otherwise.
• Then, a medical professional will check you for flu-like symptoms, respiratory illness, etc., and would make a final assessment to understand if you're fit to sail.

If it is decided that we must unfortunately deny you boarding, you'll receive a 100% Future Cruise Credit for your cruise fare paid, and any precruise Royal Caribbean International purchases and taxes and fees will be refunded to your original form of payment.

In addition to these protocols, Royal Caribbean is also taking additional steps to stem the spread of coronavirus on its ships, including:

• Thoroughly sanitizing the cruise ship terminal before and after every sailing

• Special sanitizing of high traffic areas onboard multiple times a day

• Adding extra medical staff on each sailing

• Providing complimentary consultations with medical experts for all guests & crew

• Plus, the Captain will make two daily announcements during your cruise reminding everyone of how to stay healthy onboard

Royal Caribbean has updated its health screening protocols in an effort to combat Coronavirus (COVID-19) from impacting its cruise ships.

Until further notice, all ships in the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. fleet will adopt the following health screening protocols:

1. Regardless of nationality, we will deny boarding to:

Any guest who has travelled from, to, or through mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran, South Korea, and the Italian regions of Lombardy and Veneto in the past 15 days.

Any guest who has come in contact with anyone with 15-day prior travel to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran, South Korea, and the Italian regions of Lombardy and Veneto. The CDC characterizes contact with an individual as coming within 6 feet (2M) of a person.

Guests who report feeling unwell or demonstrate any flu-like symptom.

2. There will be mandatory specialized health screenings performed on:

Any guest who has travelled from, to, or through Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Italy (all regions other than Lombardy and Veneto) in the past 15 days.

Guests who are uncertain about contact with individuals who have traveled from, to, or through mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Italy in the past 15 days.

Guests presenting with fever or low blood oximetry in the specialized health screenings will be denied boarding.

All guests who are denied boarding due to these restrictions will receive full refunds.

In addition to these protocols, Royal Caribbean is also taking additional steps to stem the spread of coronavirus on its ships, including:

• Thoroughly sanitizing the cruise ship terminal before and after every sailing

• Special sanitizing of high traffic areas onboard multiple times a day

• Adding extra medical staff on each sailing

• Providing complimentary consultations with medical experts for all guests & crew

• Plus, the Captain will make two daily announcements during your cruise reminding everyone of how to stay healthy onboard