Sailing alone on a mega cruise ship doesn't have to feel like you're alone the entire time.

I've taken many cruises by myself, including one on Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas as part of her first sailing in the west coast.

Royal Caribbean invited me to sail on the ship as their guest during a preview event.  It was a complimentary cruise, but I knew I'd be traveling alone since my wife and kids would not be able to make it.

The 4,905-passenger ship is the biggest cruise ship to ever sail from Los Angeles, and it feels like a floating city at sea. There's lots of areas to relax and enjoy, and I think many areas work just as well for someone cruising alone as they would for a family.

After exploring the ship over three nights, I found a number of good options for a solo cruiser on Ovation of the Seas.

It has the best cruise buffet

All Royal Caribbean ships have a buffet, but I think the Windjammer on the Quantum Class ships are the best ones.

I think most people that cruise solo prefer to eat at the casual venues, rather than go to a sit down restaurant. While I've grown accustomed to both, I admit the buffet is the easiest.

What I like about the Windjammer on Ovation of the Seas is how expansive it is, both in terms of seating as well as buffet stations.

I didn't measure it, but the Windjammer on Ovation feels larger than the ones on larger ships.

I especially love the fact it has outdoor seating at the rear, which was perfect for enjoying the comfortable weather that Southern California has to offer.

I also appreciate there are large communal tables in the middle of the seating area, close to the buffet stations. The advantage of these is you can slip in and take a seat.

I loved bar hopping each night

Regardless of if I'm alone or with friends, I like going around the ship each night to check out the bar entertainment.

One of the best things about a Royal Caribbean cruise is the live entertainers at different bars. It was actually the one thing I really missed when I tried a Celebrity cruise.

I think the two best bars with live music on Ovation were the Schooner Bar and Pub.

Once again, the seating arrangement makes these venues work well. In both cases, they're significantly larger spaces than the venues found on Voyager or Freedom Class ships, and there are lots of bar stools that are quite inviting for a solo cruiser.

One reason I gravitate towards a bar that has a performer instead of one that does not is because the focus is on the performance, and everyone in the bar seems to be a part of the show. It takes away a lot of the feeling of being alone.

By far my favorite was Darla Fox in the Pub.  She is easily the top one or two pub singers in the fleet right now, and it made planning my evenings quite easy with her on the schedule.

I didn't stay in them, but there are single-person cabins

Royal Caribbean provided me with a complimentary balcony cabin for this sailing, but it's worth noting Ovation of the Seas has the most solo cabins you'll find on any ship in the fleet.

Studio cabins are designed for someone cruising alone, as most cabins are designed for double occupancy.

Ordinarily, solo cruisers staying in a regular cabin have to pay a hefty single supplement fee to make up for the missing second passenger.

However, you'll find 16 windowless inside rooms, along with 12 balcony rooms meant for those cruising by themselves.

To illustrate the potential savings, these relatively small and affordable cabins start at $1,189.05 for a 6-night cruise from this fall, compared to $1,312.05 for a standard inside cabin with the supplementary fee.

The shows draw you in, so you don't feel socially isolated

Another benefit of going on a Royal Caribbean cruise is there's going to be a lot of shows throughout your sailing.

Each evening there's going to be at least one production show, along with various live entertainment.

There are three must-see shows on Ovation, and each is the perfect escape.

I think The Beautiful Dream is the best show of the bunch, as it's a journey through one man's unrealized yearnings as seen through his dreams.

It's a beautiful show, and perfectly takes advantage of Royal Caribbean's terrific production values.

In Two70, you'll find Spectra's Cabaret.  I had seen this show first on Anthem of the Seas, but there's a reason there's a copy of it on Ovation: it's that good.

I think this show works so well because it's held in Two70, so you get to combine the performances, and technology in the venue.

Lastly, Live. Love. Legs is where the cast gets to show off their vocal talents.

Just like the bars, I love going to shows solo because you don't feel like you're by yourself in a theater full of people.

Royal Caribbean is adding the biggest cruise ship ever to sail from Los Angeles, and it's the perfect reason to think about cruising the Mexican Riviera.

Ovation of the Seas is now offering cruises from LA, beginning with its first sailing with paying guests on Tuesday.

Adding a second ship to the market is a big deal, because it's not just a commitment to the west coast cruising market, but new hardware that offers more for cruise ship passengers to enjoy.

When any cruise line enters a market, it usually dips its toe with one ship, but when a big ship gets added, it's a power move.

Royal Caribbean invited me to be their guest on a preview sailing aboard Ovation of the Seas to experience the difference this ship will make.

A new way to go on a Mexico cruise

Starting this week, Ovation of the Seas will begin sailing 3-6-night cruises from the cruise terminal in San Pedro.

Royal Caribbean has been offering cruises on just one ship up until now on Navigator of the Seas. But the script is being updated with a big new ship.

I had an exclusive interview with Royal Caribbean International Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service, Vicki Freed, where she talked about how big her cruise line's plans are for the LA cruise market.

"When we come back, we come back in a big way," she proudly said.

"We are going to be introducing five different ships out of the West Coast."

"Our intent was to always come back to the Los Angeles area and soon to be the San Diego area."

California is is one of the top cruising markets, and bookings for the ship did quite well as soon as they went on sale.

I've taken a few cruises from Los Angeles, but a new ship with more to offer is a difference maker.  

The 4,905-passenger cruise ship is one of Royal Caribbean's biggest ships, and that means pools, restaurants, signature shows, and plenty of different staterooms to choose from.

By adding another ship, this adds more itinerary variation and prices to consider. Having two ships means you have the choice of short getaways or longer weeklong voyages.

Jennifer Keln is a travel advisor with MEI Travel, and she grew up in California.  She said Royal Caribbean's commitment has been a long, but welcome journey back, "Having lived on the West Coast most of my adult life, I’m so excited that we are finally getting newer, fun packed options out of LA!"

"The Quantum class ships will be my go to recommendation for families as they offer everything from bumper cars to the iFly skydiving simulator they are sure to keep the entire family busy and happy!"

Big ship with big features

One thing you'll notice when going on a big ship is how much there is to do onboard. It's what has made Royal Caribbean a market leader and recognizable brand.

Their big ships are the ones that have the greatest "wow" factor, and while the places you go on a cruise are important, the ship is equally important.

Ovation of the Seas has features such as bumper cars, North Star observation pod, Ripcord by iFly sky diving, and an immense theater on the back of the ship that is integrates technology and show.

If you're someone who likes suites, Ovation has a major advantage over Navigator because there are the Royal Suite Class options.

Royal Suite Class has Coastal Kitchen restaurant, Royal Genie services, and a dedicated sun deck. In terms of value for the price of a suite, there's more included with a suite on Ovation.

Plus, Ovation of the Seas has great dining onboard too.

You'll find a number of specialty and included restaurants to choose from, including Jamie's Italian, Izumi sushi, and Wonderland.

I think the difference with moving up to Ovation is you get more space for all of the fun ideas Royal Caribbean has.  Newer ships lean into the best offerings, along with more updated amenities. 

The aesthetics of the cabin are more modern on Ovation, as well as the amount of storage space and number of outlets you'll find.

More ships coming to the west coast

Ovation of the Seas is just the first foray, as Royal Caribbean has even bigger plans for Southern California.

Quantum of the Seas will also sail from Los Angeles later this year. In fact, for a short period, there will be three ships sailing from LA before Ovation shifts out.

And then in 2026, Royal Caribbean will expand operations to San Diego.

Serenade of the Seas will homeport from San Diego to offer a convenient new place to visit ports along the Baja peninsula.

Perhaps there are even more grandiose plans on the horizon.

During a question and answer event held aboard Ovation of the Seas, a travel advisor asked if Royal Caribbean had any plans to bring an Oasis Class ship to the Los Angeles market or have plans for building a new homeport in the Southern California market.

Immediately, Ms. Freed shot back, "I cannot answer that question," and then later joked she would get in trouble with the the cruise line's public relations department if she talked about that subject.  

I later asked her how she foresees the future of cruises from the west coast, and she can imagine quite a lot, "We have big ships and we have bigger ships coming."

"We would love to see a bigger ship out of the West coast. And we see it in our future."

If your cruise ship misses a stop, it's disappointing, but the passengers on Ovation of the Seas this week have had all sorts of cancellations.

Ovation of the Seas sailed to Alaska, but there's a bad storm in the Gulf of Alaska that has wreaked havoc on the original plan.

The ship departed Seattle on September 27 and was scheduled to visit Juneau, Skagway, and Sitka, Alaska, with a final stop in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Due to the bad weather, Royal Caribbean cancelled the visits to Sitka and Skagway.  

The storm hit the outer coast of the Southeast Panhandle the hardest, which is where cruise ships typically visit.  Winds were predicted to get up to 60 miles per hour starting Monday morning, with Juneau’s winds expected to peak at about 45 mph Monday night, according to the National Weather Service Juneau. 

High winds are troublesome because it makes docking difficult and even if a ship can dock, has a propensity to move gangways in a dangerous way.

Sitka and Ketchikan will be the port stops most affected by the storm that is expected to continue through Tuesday morning.

To make up for it, Royal Caribbean added Ketchikan instead, but the ship cancelled the visit there too about an hour before they were scheduled to dock in Ketchikan. 

Instead, Ovation is headed back south away from Alaska.

So there won't be any made up port visits, and instead, the ship is headed to Victoria for an overnight stay to conclude the cruise. This is a very unusual situation.  While ships might sometimes miss a port of call, to miss so many because of bad weather is rare.

Cruise lines use Victoria primarily as a port of call to satisfy maritime law, and often visits there last only a few hours. 

Passengers disappointed

"This is the most expensive ferry I’ve ever taken to Victoria," wrote Jay Li on the sailing's unofficial Facebook group.

While Jay's comment exudes some gallows humor, he and many of the people in the group understand the reality of the situation and how safety is the most important factor.

"As much as I want to complain, I’ll fight the urge. The cruise lines can’t predict the weather and it is for our safety."

Mary Smathers added, "Our Captain is just doing what he has to to keep us safe.  We are safe and blessed even though we didn’t get to see what we wanted to.   Make the BEST of it."

Andrew Mede wrote, "This weather is insane. Hats off to the captain for the the decisions he had to make. Having 100mph headwind hitting us. Yes we have missed ports (and it’s unfortunate for those who looked forward to visiting them) but the weather is not in his hands. He is in charge of 3500+ lives."

Compensation for the changed plans

While there's no requirement to offer any compensation due to weather, Royal Caribbean typically offers some to make up for the disappointment, and that's exactly what happened on Ovation.

Guests received onboard credit per cabin in the following amounts:

• Inside: $125
• Outside: $150
• Balcony: $175
• Suite: $400
• Third and fourth guests: $25 each

Weather in the late season is notoriously bad

September is one of the last months of the cruise season in Alaska and it can be colder and wetter than other months.

Alaska's weather is always unpredictable, but historically the anecdotal evidence suggests you can expect poor weather.  It's part of why you can also find better cruise deals on an off season cruise to Alaska.

Up to 20 days of precipitation are expected on average in September.

It also tends to get worse the later into September and October you get.

Another Royal Caribbean cruise ship is being deployed to the port of Los Angeles.

Starting on May 28th, 2025, Ovation of the Seas will begin sailing 3, 4, and 5-night cruises out of the San Pedro World Cruise Terminal.

Instead of being deployed to Tianjin, China, as previously announced, Royal Caribbean is moving the 4,905-passenger vessel to the West Coast.

Ovation of the Seas will join Navigator in the California area for the summer of 2025.

Around October 2025, Quantum of the Seas will replace her sister ship in the Los Angeles market.

Based on the port's schedule, Quantum will take her first cruise out of Los Angeles on October 2nd, 2025. 

During a call with investors on Thursday, Royal Caribbean cited high demand in California (rather than low profit in China) as the reason for the move.

The cruise line was previously absent from the Los Angeles cruise market for a decade, not entering the area due to declining profits and partially filled ships.

In 2022, Royal Caribbean finally sent Navigator of the Seas, a Voyager-Class ship, to homeport in Los Angeles.

Sending a larger vessel signifies Royal Caribbean's commitment to the LA market

Although Royal Caribbean previously cited low bookings and profits as the reason for pulling out of Los Angeles, it seems the tides have changed.

Navigator of the Seas, built in 2002, has a capacity for 4,000 passengers, and she isn't large enough to carry all the demand in the area.

Ovation of the Seas carries nearly 1,000 more passengers and signifies that the cruise line is renewing a commitment to the LA market.

"We have strong ambitions to grow the West Coast in the US," Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean President and CEO, announced.

During the 2024 second-quarter earnings call, he informed investors that the cruise line wants to infuse more energy into California.

"It's the sixth largest economy in the world," he said.

In 2022, California reached a population of 39 million, expanding a huge market for the cruise line.

Bayley said that Navigator, which has been on the West Coast for two years, has been "performing exceptionally well."

Bookings are selling quickly, and the cruise line is responding to high demand.

Michael Bayley announced the move during a meeting for travel partners on Utopia of the Seas. The room erupted into applause. 

Adding another ship to the West Coast alongside Navigator and Quantum of the Seas is a strong indication of the cruise line's investment in the area.

Does this mean Royal Caribbean is moving away from China?

During the second quarter earnings call, an investor asked if moving Ovation away from China is a sign that China hasn't been a strong market for the cruise line.

Michael Bayley responded that, on the contrary, the cruise line has "very good market choices to make."

"Our belief in the long-term potential for China has not changed at all," he said.

Spectrum of the Seas, another Quantum-Class ship that started sailing out of Shanghai a few months ago, hasn't disappointed the cruise line.

Read more: All about Quantum Class ships

"It's performing very well and we feel good about the China market."

The 5,622-passenger vessel has been consistently filling sailings since it began sailing out of Shanghai in April of 2024.

Royal Caribbean was the first major cruise line to return to the China cruise market after industry shutdown in 2020.

Spectrum of the Seas was designed for the Asian market, and  Royal Caribbean is quite pleased with her performance in Shanghai.

However, Bayley did inform investors that "it hasn't reached the levels we're seeing in the American market."

Royal Caribbean was faced with a choice: continue investing long-term into China with Ovation of the Seas, or deploy to California and meet high demand there?

Ultimately, the cruise line "made the decision based upon maximizing performance."

However, this doesn't at all indicate a move away from the Chinese market.

In fact, Royal Caribbean is still committed to filling sailing there long-term.

Bayley hinted that guests will see more ships in China very soon. "We're quite committed to the opportunity there," he said. 

"And we'll be announcing in the future more deployments into China."

The demand for Royal Caribbean cruises is higher than ever

Royal Caribbean's bookings and profit in 2024 have been on fire.

Jason Liberty, President and Chief Executive Officer for Royal Caribbean Group, said during the second quarter earnings call that bookings are significantly higher than in the second quarter of last year.

Inventory is flying off the shelves, "despite the fact that we have significantly fewer staterooms left to sell."

Read more: "We are just getting started" Royal Caribbean reports $4.1 billion in revenue in second quarter

In the second quarter of 2023, Royal Caribbean carried 1,900,810 guests at 105% occupancy.

In contrast, the second quarter of 2024 saw 2,040,242 guests at over 108% occupancy.

The cruise line hit its profit goals 18 months ahead of time, exemplifying how Royal Caribbean is in high demand this year. 

Sailing and stateroom options are becoming more and more limited, due to the popularity of Royal Caribbean cruises.

For those looking to book a cruise in the upcoming months, booking as early as possible is your best bet.

Booking early is the smartest way to secure lower prices and a specific cabin category.

Prices for 2025 and 2026 will also continue to increase as inventory is selling out further in advance.

Go ahead and place the deposit on your 2025 cruise as soon as possible.

Read more: Royal Caribbean launches a half dozen new 2025 and 2026 itineraries in latest deployment

After crew members assisted a passenger who was having a heart attack, the US Air Force rescued a man in the open Pacific Ocean last Tuesday.

No one wants the worst to happen while on a cruise ship, but this week's events show that Royal Caribbean staff is well-prepared.

User ChedderCheeseCheetah posted to the Royal Caribbean sub Reddit page that staff onboard Ovation of the Seas saved her dad's life.

"My dad had a cardiac arrest onboard the Ovation two days ago and RC staff responded immediately with excellent CPR and successfully resuscitated him with an AED, stabilized him, and kept him alive for 36 hours," she wrote.

The user shared on Reddit that her dad made it to the hospital safely. 

"[He is] safe and stable but still critically ill."

She credits the cruise line's crew members for making a difference. Without the quick response from Royal Caribbean crew members, ChedderCheeseCheetah's dad may not be alive today.

She commented that she wanted to sing their praises publicly because of this.

"I am just in awe of Royal."

Ovation of the Seas was hundreds of miles from land when the cardiac arrest occurred

Ovation of the Seas was on a 9-night one-way cruise from Honolulu, Hawaii to Vancouver, Canada when the medical emergency happened.

Built-in 2016, she has a capacity for a total of 4,905 guests and 1,500 crew members.

She became the first Quantum Class ship to offer cruises to Alaska in 2019. Ovation of the Seas is also the newest Royal Caribbean ship to cruise to Alaska.

Read more: Comparing the Royal Caribbean ships sailing to Alaska in 2024

The unnamed man who suffered the cardiac arrest was onboard celebrating his upcoming 40th wedding anniversary with his wife.

At the time, Ovation was located in the middle of the sea, with no time to sail to land.

The patient had to be stabilized by medical staff and then evacuated off the ship via helicopter.

After his evacuation, the wife remains onboard and will have to wait until the ship disembarks in Vancouver.

The rescue was coordinated by the United States Coast Guard and Air Force

The Reddit user ChedderCheeseCheetah reported that, after her father's cardiac arrest, medical staff onboard Ovation of the Seas resuscitated and stabilized him, then placed him in a medical coma for the helicopter recuse.

Once the US Coast Guard could get within range of the ship, they were able to send a helicopter to lift the father to a hospital in California.

ChedderCheeseCheetah said the United States Coast Guard and Air Force worked together to coordinate and complete the medical evacuation.

Videos show the evacuation involved a military-grade Pave Hawk helicopter and a C130 to refuel it in the air.

That way, the helicopter could fly hundreds of miles out to sea and back.

This rescue involved complex coordination between Royal Caribbean, USCG, and USAF. It is an impression accomplishment that the evacuation could take place to save this man's life.

Reddit user jpchopper added that the evacuation was "no small thing... and it's an even bigger accomplishment that they were able to coordinate all of this in 2 days."

ChedderCheeseCheetah also said she found it "funny but not funny" that her father is an Army combat veteran.

"[He] would be beside himself with pride at the job well done by our military men and women for this rescue. And he would have loved the helicopter ride if he hadn’t been medically sedated for it."

Many users resonated with the heartwarming story 

Many Redditers commented, sending their prayer to the poster's father and applauding Royal Caribbean staff members.

"I got the chills reading this," HurryAdventures8335 said. "It’s so amazing that everything turned out okay."

The Reddit post also served to connect passengers who are currently on the Ovation of the Seas cruise.

Mfhicks wrote to the original poster: "I am so glad you have shared this! My uncle sat with him [in the Main Dining Room] throughout the week and was very concerned when he wasn’t there a couple of days ago. 

"We would love to keep up with his progress and offer any assistance possible."

Users also pointed out that, in addition to the fast medical response, Royal Caribbean is doing its part to reimburse passengers on the current sailing and the next for the cruise ship delays.

"This couldn’t be cheap for Royal because they are reimbursing passengers for missed flights and hotel stays. They are doing the right thing and willing to absorb a loss for it," pharmecist commented.

At the time of this article, Cruise Mapper showed Ovation close to the North American West Coast, making its way to Vancouver.

The cruise ship's arrival at port was delayed by nearly 12 hours.

Guests booked on Ovation's next sailing also commented on Reddit that their cruise had been delayed.

A cat smuggled onto a cruise ship has a new home, and it almost ended very badly for one cat.

According to Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley, a guest smuggled on a cat on Ovation of the Seas. They aren't quite sure how it was brought onboard, but it was discovered on the ship.

Ovation of the Seas was sailing from Hawaii to Australia on a sailing in October.

"Meet Ovie! The cat smuggled onboard Ovation of the Seas by a guest!", Bayley wrote on his Facebook page.

Mr. Bayley thinks perhaps the cat was able to be brought onboard in a sweatshirt in order to evade security measures

"We assume he must have been sedated or something and he wouldn't beep, since Ovie isn't metal," Bayley wrote.

Per customs rules, the cat wasn't allowed off the ship in Australia or New Zealand.

Biosecurity agents from New Zealand found Ovie in a guest’s cabin, but Royal Caribbean International declined to identify the traveler.

Other than service animals, pets aren't allowed on Royal Caribbean ships. Emotional support animals have been banned since 2018.

As a result, the cat was to be euthanized, according to Mr. Bayley.

Thanks to the work of the Guest Services team on the ship, the cat was able to remain onboard the ship until a permanent solution was found. It took a few weeks, but Mr. Bayley said they were able to get the cat back to the United States.

One of those crew members from the Guest Services team adopted the cat, and it's now living in Florida.

The feline was "adopted by one of the Guest Service team members in Miami.  Ovie is now happily living in Miami."

Fans thankful for saving the cat

Mr. Bayley shared the story of Ovie's rescue on Facebook, and the comments were overwhelmingly" happy a positive ending came to the story.

"Love this. Not the cats fault. Love Royal. God Bless," wrote Phares Heindl.

"Love this so much! I hope Ovie and family have a magical life together!", posted Katina Bradley.

"This is amazing! Thank you for making sure this baby was not euthanized!," wrote Fox Forlenza-Owens.

One fan thought the cat had aspirations to become a cruise ship pet celebrity like Captain Kate's cat.

"She aspired to be a cruise cat like Capt. Kate McCue and Bug," wrote April Davenport.

Many people were also incredulous towards whomever brought the cat in the first place.

"What freaking idiot would “smuggle” a cat onboard?? People really are stupid," Greg Brockman posted.

"How irresponsible of the owners to think this was a good idea," Robyn Tindall added. 

Royal Caribbean is preparing to sail its second cruise ship to sail to Alaska this year.

Ovation of the Seas will begin her simulated voyage later today.

The test cruise for Ovation will take 5-nights and sail from Seattle, returning back to Seattle on August 4.

Ovation of the Seas will make one stop in Ketchikan, Alaska during her voyage.

The volunteers onboard are a mix of cruise line employees, travel agents, and volunteers. All passengers will be fully vaccinated. Royal Caribbean will have 100% of its crew members fully vaccinated on all its sailings.

Simulated cruises are part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) phased approach to cruise ships restarting in the United States.

Simulated voyages (also known as test cruises) are when cruise lines can operate ships with volunteer passengers in order to prove their new protocols work.

These are not cruises you can book, but rather, are limited voyages where a cruise line invites certain unpaid volunteers to help go through all the necessary steps and procedures to ensure cruise ships can be run safely.

Thus far, four other Royal Caribbean ships have successfully conducted test cruises: Freedom of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, and Allure of the Seas.

If Ovation's test cruise goes well, she will be ready for paying passengers to begin sailing on August 13, 2021.

Ovation will join Serenade of the Seas as the other Royal Caribbean ship to sail to Alaska this year.

Ovation will sail 7-night cruises beginning in August to Skagway, Sitka and Juneau, Alaska and through the famed Inside Passage. The cruise line recently extended Ovation’s Alaska season into October with four additional sailings. 

Test cruise requirements

Test cruises come with a variety of requirements that must be completed in order to demonstrate the ship can be operated in a safe manner with the new health protocols

While the ship is indeed conducting a cruise as if it were a normal cruise, the CDC wants the cruise ship to test out procedures and ensure it can handle any health situation it could encounter.

Each ship must conduct at least one simulated cruise, and each voyage must be between 2-7 days in length with a least one overnight stay, including through embarkation, disembarkation, and post-disembarkation testing.

Read more: Everything you need to know about Royal Caribbean test cruises

The CDC recommends a test cruise is at least 3 days with 2 overnight stays.

Passengers and crew must meet standards during the simulated voyage for hand hygiene, use of face masks, and social distancing for passengers and crew, as well as ship sanitation.

Royal Caribbean must modify meal service and entertainment venues to facilitate social distancing during the simulated voyage.

And then there is a laundry list of activities that the CDC says the ship needs to test across one or many separate test cruises:

• Embarkation and disembarkation procedures, as approved by U.S. port and local health authorities as part the cruise ship operator’s Phase 2A agreements, including procedures for terminal check-in.
• Onboard activities, including seating and meal service at dining and entertainment venues.
• Medical evacuation procedures.
• Transfer of symptomatic passengers or crew, or those who test positive for SARS-CoV-2, from cabins to isolation rooms.
• Onboard and shoreside isolation and quarantine, as per the terms of the cruise ship operator’s Phase 2A agreements, of at least 5% of all passengers and non-essential crew.
• Recreational activities that the cruise ship operator intends to offer as part of any restricted passenger voyages, e.g., casinos, spa services, fitness classes, gymnasiums.
• Private-island shore excursions if any are planned during restricted passenger voyages. The following measures must be observed on the private island:
  • Only one ship can port at the island at any one time.
  • A routine screening testing protocol must be implemented for island staff who are expected to interact with volunteer passengers or crew, unless they are fully vaccinated or have documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 90 days.
  • Mask use and social distancing must be observed in indoor areas while on the island.
• Port of call shore excursions if any are planned during restricted passenger voyages. The following measures must be observed on port of call shore excursions:
  • Shore excursions must only include passengers and crew from the same ship.
  • Cruise ship operator must ensure all shore excursion tour companies facilitate social distancing, mask wearing, and other COVID-19 public health measures throughout the tour while in any indoor areas.
  • Cruise ship operators must have a protocol for managing persons with COVID-19 and close contacts at all foreign ports of call. At a minimum, the protocol must include the following:
    • Disembarkation and housing of persons with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 needing shore-based hospital care and their travel companion(s) for the duration of their isolation or quarantine period.
    • Commercial repatriation of U.S.-based persons with COVID-19 and close contacts only after meeting criteria to end isolation and quarantine per CDC guidance. For commercial repatriation of foreign-based persons with COVID-19 and close contacts, cruise ship operators must consult with all relevant public health authorities.

Another Royal Caribbean cruise ship has a test sailing scheduled.

Royal Caribbean confirmed on Thursday that Ovation of the Seas has received permission from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to start test cruises.

Ovation is one of a half dozen ships within the Royal Caribbean fleet to have gotten approval to start test cruises so far.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley confirmed the news on Facebook, along with sail dates.

Ovation will sail from Seattle to Alaska on July 30 to August 4th.

"Onwards and upwards ship by ship," Mr. Bayley added with the news.

Simulated voyages (also known as test cruises) are when cruise lines can operate ships with volunteer passengers in order to prove their new protocols work.

Read more: Everything you need to know about Royal Caribbean test cruises

These are not cruises you can book, but rather, are limited voyages where a cruise line invites certain unpaid volunteers to help go through all the necessary steps and procedures to ensure cruise ships can be run safely.

Each cruise ship needs to be approved by the CDC in order to conduct test cruises.

During these test cruises, Royal Caribbean will go through a variety of scenarios to prove to the CDC that the ship can conduct sailings in a safe manner. Specifically, the new protocols aimed at preventing Covid-19 from getting onboard the ship are at the heart of these dry runs.

Each ship must conduct at least one simulated cruise, and each voyage must be between 2-7 days in length with a least one overnight stay, including through embarkation, disembarkation, and post-disembarkation testing.

According to the CDC, passengers and crew must meet standards during the simulated voyage for hand hygiene, use of face masks, and social distancing for passengers and crew, as well as ship sanitation.

Royal Caribbean must modify meal service and entertainment venues to facilitate social distancing during the simulated voyage.

Royal Caribbean sent guests booked on Alaska cruises in August a list of health protocols to expect onboard its sailings.

As ships are restarting operations, Royal Caribbean is sending out what health protocols for booked passengers on these sailings can expect and typically for each month.

The cruise line says these new protocols are especially important to unvaccinated children who are between the ages of 2 and 11.

This information only applies to sailings departing from Seattle in August 2021.

Vaccine requirements

All guests 12 years and older are required to bring proof of vaccination, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 vaccination record card, with the final dose of the vaccine completed at least 14 days before sailing. 

Testing

At the terminal: Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 years are required to take a PCR test for COVID-19 when checking in at the terminal. Registration details for this test will be sent via email in advance. 

Prior to disembarking: Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 years are required to take an antigen test onboard within 24 hours of the end of voyage. Vaccinated guests who require an antigen or PCR test for entry into their destination country may receive one onboard at no charge. Registration details will be provided during the cruise. 

Face masks

When indoors, CDC guidelines require all guests 2 years and older to wear masks unless they are actively eating or drinking.

The CDC makes allowances for guests to remove their masks in venues and events dedicated to fully vaccinated parties. Royal Caribbean says vaccinated guests will find "plenty of these opportunities".

Masks are not required in your client's stateroom when they are with their traveling party or outside on the open decks, unless in a crowded setting. Updates will be shared as changes to CDC mask guidelines occur.

Dining

For Main Dining, Royal Caribbean will designate areas for everyone, including parents and unvaccinated children, and areas for vaccinated parties only.

My Time Dining will not be available to parties that include unvaccinated guests. 

Some specialty restaurants will be open to everyone, while others will be for vaccinated parties only.

Windjammer will be open to everyone for breakfast and lunch, and the food will be served by crew members.

Royal Caribbean recommends to make dining reservations via Cruise Planner before the cruise or the Royal Caribbean app onboard.

Grab-and-go cafes will also be available for everyone.

Other venues onboard the ship

Theaters and activity venues will offer spaced seating with options for everyone and for vaccinated guests only. You will be able to make reservations for shows via the Royal Caribbean app.

Spa services, except those offered in treatment rooms, are available to everyone.

The Fitness Center will have dedicated operating hours for everyone as well as hours reserved for vaccinated guests only. 

The Casino will be open to vaccinated guests only.

Youth spaces will be open to all children and teens.         

Shore excursions

Fully vaccinated parties have the choice of booking a shore excursion or visiting freely.

Parties that wish to go ashore and include any unvaccinated guests, including parents traveling with unvaccinated children, must book a shore excursion through Royal Caribbean.

Vaccinated parents wishing to go ashore freely can drop kids off at Adventure Ocean and reserve time for their child on the day they wish to go in port.

Other protocols

Check out health protocols from other ships already announced:

• Freedom of the Seas from Miami in July
• Serenade of the Seas from Seattle in July
• Cruises from Florida in August
• Harmony of the Seas from Spain

The cruise industry remains shutdown, but regular maintenance continues for ships to keep them operational when cruises do begin again.

Ovation of the Seas is in dry dock currently in the Tuas Shipyard in Singapore for her routine refurbishment.

Unlike amplifications, this is a "technical dry dock", where the ship undergoes maintenance work to ensure she can continue to operate normally. Every five years, cruise ships go in for this sort of maintenance.

Ovation of the Seas was launched in 2016, so it is her turn to undergo work now.

Our friends at Singapore Cruise Society found photos of Ovation of the Seas entering dry dock and shared a glimpse of Ovation in position to get work done.

Pictures By Vincent CLS and shared by Singapore Cruise Society

No changes have been announced for the ship as part of this refurbishment, and I expect this will be just "under the hood" type maintenance, similar to when you bring a car in for a tune-up.

While Royal Caribbean has put all Royal Amplifications on hold indefinitely, scheduled maintenance work continues on its cruise ships.

So far Anthem of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, and Explorer of the Seas all had their five year dry docks take place while the cruise industry was shutdown.