It's Day 2 onboard the stunning Odyssey of the Seas. Today was a sea day on the calm Mediterranean as we make our way to The Holy Land!

We have sea days both today and tomorrow before reaching Cyprus for one day and then three full days in Israel.

I’m using these two days to get lots of sleep, take it easy and drink a ton of water. After plenty of wine and cocktails in Paris and Rome, I want to stay a little more hydrated before our big tour days in Israel! 

Our morning started late after Angie and I both slept in. I knew I needed to get some rest after the last five days of traveling and exploring; so, I am very grateful that we have these two sea days to relax before the busy port days come up.

When it comes to these longer itineraries, having a few sea days scattered throughout is essential for me to reset. 

After a restful night’s sleep, we decided to try brunch in the dining room at 11am. This brunch was served until 12:30pm, which was something new to us! Normally, we find the Windjammer to serve the latest breakfast option, usually until 11am on sea days; but we were pleased to find this brunch option available until 12:30pm.

The menu had an assortment of breakfast and lunch options - most of the options I recognized from the normal main dining room breakfast menu.

Angie and I had the French Toast while mom and dad both had omelets. I also enjoyed my morning latte using one of my daily drink vouchers. Everything tasted good to us. 

Bumper Cars

After we finished breakfast, mom suggested we head up to the Seaplex to try out the bumper cars. We thought that would be a fun way to start the day since the line was short. 

As we walked in, we kind of laughed to each other at how everyone was riding in a circle - going rather slowly - instead of actually bumping into each other.

There were only two cars left in the next group so we decided to ride together in the two cars. Angie got behind the wheel, as did my dad, and I brought my camera for blog content.

To start, those little suckers go faster than they appear!

Angie thought it would be a great idea to run into our parents at full speed, which was a horrible idea. She slammed into mom and dad's bumper car in a head-on collision!

Mom and I had the wind knocked out of us and exclaimed some not-so-family-friendly words. I also jammed my knee against the dashboard! I think mom and I took the brunt of the hit since we didn’t have our hands on the wheel to soften the blow.

Here are a few live-action stills from the video I took - mom's face says it all!

After we scolded Angie for her lapse in judgement, she turned into Driving Miss Daisy and we avoided contact with every car until the end of the session. It was a fun experience but also somewhat of a bust given the collision that was entirely preventable!

We laughed about it later but I definitely have a burn from the seatbelt and I am pretty positive I will wake up with a sore neck tomorrow.

Now, it makes sense why everyone was driving in a circle and NOT engaging in lots of bumping.

After we recovered from the bumper car trauma, I decided to go back to the stateroom and finally unpack my suitcase. I always unpack my suitcase and store it under the bed. Regardless of how long a cruise is, I put everything away because I hate living out of a suitcase.

Our suite has tons of space to unpack comfortably with six large drawers and a closet with about 20 hangers and a shoe rack. We also brought a collapsable, mesh hamper to use for dirty clothes and this fits perfectly in the closet. 

Icon of the Seas Reveal

Last night when we returned to our stateroom, we found an invitation to an Icon of the Seas reveal party for loyalty members.

As hard working gals of Royal Caribbean Blog, we knew we would need to check out this event in the Royal Theatre! Upon entering, there were servers with tons of different snack options. I was looking for any free cocktails that might be served (of course), but we got there right as it started so maybe there were some but they ran out.

I enjoyed a chocolate covered mousse ball while Angie had some strawberry whipped dessert as the presentation started.

We watched the first two episodes of Making an Icon and then they released the new episode that unveiled Icon of the Seas! Wow - it looks stunning!

Solarium Afternoon

Once the Icon of the Seas reveal event was finished, we made our way upstairs to the Solarium.

It was unfortunately quite busy in here, but we were able to snag a table and chairs near the side entrance. Mom and dad played cribbage while Angie tried out the Massager Taster event.

Since I am an adjunct instructor (in addition to blogging and my other corporate job), I had to get some grading done for class. I can’t complain about the office view though and the Wi-Fi onboard has been pretty good so far.

Angie came back from the Massage Taster event with her new favorite cocktail - The Lime & Coconut Cocktail!

I was inspired to head to the El Loco Fresh again for a quick snack, which consisted of cheese and chicken quesadillas with sour cream. I absolutely love this little place on the pool deck for lunch and it hit the spot, again!

As the sun was starting to set, we went back to our cabin to get ready for formal night. The sunset tonight was so stunning from our balcony that we had to take some pictures.

I also realized that our balcony has really nice furniture compared to a standard balcony with a plushy seat, back support pillow and padded footrest. I am definitely going to be spending some time tomorrow on the balcony enjoying the calm seas.

Tales of a Lost SeaPass

While heading out the door for dinner, I searched everywhere for my SeaPass card to no avail. I knew I must have left my SeaPass (on a lanyard) in the Solarium during our afternoon visit.

Before going to dinner, I made my way back to our chairs to find that everything was already cleaned up. I asked the gentleman sitting if he had seen my SeaPass, and he said no.

I then made my way to the Solarium Bar and asked the bartenders if anyone had handed in a lost SeaPass card. They said no and to check with the towel attendants, as that’s where left-behind items go on the pool deck and Solarium.

As I rushed to the towel stand, I realized in all my years of cruising that I have NEVER lost my SeaPass card! Walking up to the towel station, I saw a handful of lost and found items. Low and behold, my SeaPass was there in my lanyard.

Although I knew they could just make me a new SeaPass card if the key was really lost, it was a relief to just get it back and move on.

Coastal Kitchen for Dinner

We made reservations yesterday to dine at Coastal Kitchen tonight, as junior suite guests can dine here on a per-availability basis. We were told that reservations can only be made on a daily basis given the number of Pinnacle guests onboard.

I’ve heard from some people that they love Coastal Kitchen because it's a great, elevated dining option for suite guests; on the other hand, I’ve heard from others (like our very own Matt Hochberg) that Coastal Kitchen isn’t necessarily anything special or worth the hype.

After tonight’s experience, I’d have to agree with Matt that Coastal Kitchen isn’t something I’d rave about.

On a positive note, our waitress was very sweet and the dining space is really gorgeous with floor to ceiling windows. It was nice to be in a more intimate dining environment and try something new. However, the food wasn’t anything special even though we had expectations that it would be better than the dining room.

For dinner, dad and I ordered the rib eye steak while Angie ordered a pasta dish and mom ordered a seafood dish. The rib eye was excellent and Angie enjoyed her pasta. Mom wasn’t wowed by her fish or her lobster salad starter either. Dad and I didn't love the potatoes or ratatouille served with the steak and Angie felt her soup starter lacked flavor. 

Dessert consisted of a chocolate bar, cheesecake, creme brulee and apple blossom - most of these are available in the dining room. 

During dinner, the entire room felt a little too quiet and maybe even too stuffy for our liking. For reference, we are a pretty loud family so we don't ever feel like we need to keep it down with the commotion of the main dining room.

Everyone in Coastal Kitchen had their Pinnacle pins on; we joked that we need to order fake Pinnacle pins off Ebay so we can fit in better next time! Our eyes widened as we heard one couple say how they book two separate junior suites for cruises so they can earn four points per night of their cruise - and they’ve taken 62 cruises. Another couple responded, “You’ve ONLY done 62 cruises?”

As my mom stated, perhaps we are just more meat-and-potato folks. We might need to give Coastal Kitchen another try depending on the different menu offerings, but we were unfortunately not super impressed tonight with the experience. 

Tomorrow we are dining at Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, which is new to all of us! We’ve dined at the old Giovanni’s Table and Jamie’s Italian, but have not tried the reimagined Giovani’s Kitchen. 

Ciao from Roma, Italia! Our next live blog will be coming daily from Europe onboard Odyssey of the Seas.

I’m excited to share that I’ll be cruising for the next 12 nights on a much-anticipated cruise to the Holy Land; this cruise includes three days in Israel, along with stops in Limmasol (Cyprus), Santorini (Greece), Rhodes (Greece) and Chania (Greece)

During our time in Israel, Odyssey will dock overnight for two days in Jerusalem (Ashdod) and finish with one day in Haifa.

This is a special cruise, as it has been on my dad’s bucket list for years. We had to postpone this one many times due to the pandemic, but we are so thrilled to be onboard and heading to Israel!

For this cruise, I’m sailing with Angie, my sister and social media manager for Royal Caribbean Blog. We are also joined by our parents, but we won't make them work too hard during this cruise!

Europe is my absolute favorite place to cruise in the world; the European itineraries are jam-packed with so many destinations rich in culture. This is my eighth time cruising in Europe and my third time onboard a Quantum-class ship.

Traveling to Rome

Cruising in Europe is a great cruise choice for many reasons, but one of my favorites is the opportunity to explore new cities and countries before the cruise departs.

My sister and I traveled from Florida to Paris, France last week to spend a few days in the city of love. We met up with my dear friend, Rosina, whom I actually met at the teen club on a cruise more than 14 years ago! Although I’d been to Paris on a cruise once before, having a full four days to see this incredible city was the perfect start to our cruise vacation.

Yesterday, we flew from Paris to Rome on a cheap EasyJet flight where we met up with my parents at the airport. My parents' flight landed on Tuesday morning, just in time for our cruise to depart on Wednesday.

Personally, I would recommend arriving in an international cruise destination at least two days before. This gives you more time to get adjusted to the time zone and accounts for any potential delays you might encounter. Also, this gives you a full day to explore your cruise departure city!

After meeting up with our jet-lagged parents, we made our way into Rome and enjoyed dinner before visiting the Trevi Fountain, Colosseum and Spanish Steps.

We stayed the night at Crowne Plaza - St. Peters due to its proximity to the city, airport and cruise port. I’d highly recommend staying in this area. 

Getting to the Port

After a restful night’s sleep, we took a private transfer that we arranged on Viator from our hotel to the port city of Civitavecchia.

There are multiple ways to get to the port from Rome, such as train, bus or taxi, but a scheduled transfer was both relaxing and convenient. Our private transfer was booked for $50 each while the hotel was charging $70 each for a large shuttle bus transfer. We saw the lobby filled with fellow cruisers waiting in a long line for the shuttles and taxis. 

The drive to Civitavecchia took about an hour, getting us to the port around 11:00am. Although we were slotted for a 12:00pm boarding time, there was no issue with us getting onboard earlier.

Embarkation was an absolute breeze - much smoother than any embarkation I’ve experienced stateside! Since this cruise is 12 nights, we had to take a self-monitored Covid-19 test and present negative results before boarding. We were not asked to show our vaccination cards when boarding.

Angie and I both brought Covid-19 home tests to Paris and took these at our hotel before flying to Rome. 

Getting Acquainted

Once onboard Odyssey of the Seas, we went straight to Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen to schedule dinner, which allows us to use our BOGO diamond specialty dining benefit.

We also made a reservation for Chops Grille for tonight to utilize all of the BOGO deals between the four of us.

Although the benefit states you need to dine on Day 1 or 2, we’ve found that most of the time you can prepay on the first or second day and then dine on a later date.

Since we are staying in a Junior Suite for this cruise, I also went to Coastal Kitchen to make a reservation for tomorrow night. We’ve never dined in Coastal Kitchen before, so we are excited to see what the hype’s about. 

Lunch started at the Solarium Bistro, but everything we tried was cold so we made our way to El Loco Fresh. I haven’t sailed on a ship with this dining option, so I was ready to try it out!

I really enjoyed my chicken burrito and Angie also liked her quesadilla.

We finished the meal with a creamy mudslide cocktail, made with ice cream fresh from the pool deck machine. It was divine!

The Suite Life

You might know me as the cheap cruise expert, but sometimes I do like to splurge. Although we originally booked a cheap inside cabin (per usual), we upgraded our room twice during the pre-cruise process.

We booked our inside cabin right when this itinerary was announced in 2020. Back in February, we repriced our cabins and saved $1,400 on our inside cabin while my parents saved $2,400 on their balcony stateroom. 

Book early and reprice often is always the way to go!

Just a few months ago, I upgraded us to a balcony guarantee for free since the price was slightly less than we paid. When we had the chance to bid on a suite during the Royal Up process, we bid $300 each and were awarded a mid-ship junior suite!

I’m anxious to see if the suite life is worth the price. For this cruise, we are paying right around $100 per person per day before gratuities.

Our room is equally gorgeous as it is spacious. After sailing almost exclusively in inside cabins, it feels like pure luxury.

We have a large balcony, bathtub, walk-in shower, and (the best part of all) a separate area with a toilet and additional sink. Our initial impressions of the stateroom were extremely positive - maybe I need to start upgrading myself more often!

The North Star

After making dinner reservations and finding our stateroom, we headed to Deck 14 for our North Star reservation.

I've heard before to make a reservation on the first day to try North Star - I’m so glad we did! We were able to get a reservation for 3:30pm and this allowed us to see the port and ship from above.

With a small group, we were launched into the air and given some really cool views of the ship and port area. Although I’ve sailed on both Spectrum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas, this was my first time trying the North Star!

Although it was a cool thing to do once, I wouldn’t say it’s an absolute must-do and I don’t know if I would pay to do it. While in port, you aren't able to go off the side of the ship like they are able to do at sea; therefore, the complimentary ride (available during port days) is shorter. 

Right by the launching pad of the North Star was the Lime & Coconut bar. We decided to try the signature ‘Lime & Coconut’ cocktail, served in a little Malibu bucket. The cocktail was sweet with creamy coconut. It was so good that Angie and I ordered a second round!

Chops Grille

Since my dad prefers eating dinner very early, I wasn’t on the top deck to watch our sail away. Instead, we had a 5:45pm reservation at Chops Grille.

I tend to order the same thing every time I dine at Chops Grille - and it’s becoming my new routine to dine there on the first night of every cruise. This allows us to use our BOGO specialty dining benefit and it also keeps me out of the main dining room for the first night.

I’ve learned that Royal Caribbean serves the same Day 1 menu in the main dining room on practically every cruise, regardless of where I sail - and it’s just not my favorite menu. 

Upon entering Chops Grille, we saw a familiar face at the check-in counter, but couldn’t quite put our fingers on it. We asked what ships the gentleman had worked on; he listed a variety of ships but nothing helped ring a bell.

Finally, he listed at the end of his long list “Spectrum of the Seas” and we all perked up. He was our waiter for our last family cruise from Shanghai to Japan in 2019 where we dined in the Silver Lounge each evening. It’s always fun to see familiar faces onboard and reminisce on cruising memories!

For dinner, we enjoyed the thick-cut bacon and crab cakes as starters, followed by creamy wild mushroom soup. Angie doesn’t love steak so she chooses the chicken while the rest of us enjoyed tender fillets and flavorful ribeyes.

We ended dinner with an assortment of desserts, including key lime pie, chocolate cake and red velvet cake. Everything was wonderful and tasted great. The key lime pie is a showstopper in Chops Grille for us!

I ended the evening with a quiet, relaxing night in the cabin working on this blog and editing photos. Tonight’s entertainment was a 50s and 60s Tribute show, which speaks to the general demographic of this itinerary based on my observations.

Angie attended the evening show with my parents and said she enjoyed listening to the music. Our parents have yet to return to their stateroom for the night - how the tables have turned!

Tomorrow is a sea day, which is very much needed after five busy days of exploring, touring and walking all over Paris and Rome. I plan to do a lot of sleeping and napping, along with catching up on some work. 

Stray Observations

One of the biggest observations we all made was the sheer number of guests wearing Pinnacle pins. For those who don’t know, this is the highest tier of loyalty one can reach with Royal Caribbean and these exclusive guests receive an engraved name tag. These are worn with great pride by Pinnacle members - or so I’ve been told!

I’ve truly never seen so many people wearing Pinnacle pins on a cruise. Our server tonight confirmed there is a supposedly a ‘record-breaking’ number of Pinnacle guests onboard, which explains this unique observation.

This could make it difficult for us to get Coastal Kitchen reservations, as Junior Suite guests are lowest priority and can only dine for dinner if there’s availability. 

As I mentioned, the demographics on this cruise are certainly on the older side - a stark contrast from my last cruise on Carnival Ecstasy, which was a wild weekend cruise to Mexico from Mobile, Alabama for Cruise.Blog. 

My parents are in their 60s and we would guess that’s the average age of most cruisers onboard. This tends to be more common based on my experiences in European cruising, especially on the longer itineraries.

My dad tried to order a Miami Vice twice and apparently the ship is out of the strawberry mix! We will see if this continues to be true in the coming days.

If you’ve cruised in the Caribbean, there’s a good chance you’ve visited Cozumel, Mexico. Between the gorgeous beaches, incredible snorkeling and proximity to Tulum and Cancun, this is a popular port for cruisers. 

In fact, Cozumel has over 3.6 million annual visitors just from cruise ship traffic alone!

As someone who loves to cruise, I’ve been to Cozumel probably a dozen times. At this point, it feels like I’ve done everything that the island has to offer. Now, one of my favorite ways to spend the day in Cozumel is at an all-inclusive resort.

With a day pass to an all-inclusive resort, you can access almost everything the resort has to offer while enjoying unlimited drinks and food. This can be a great option for cruisers who want to enjoy a low-key day in port while still enjoying the amenities of an all-inclusive resort. 

There are also day passes to all-inclusive clubs in Cozumel - including the Del Mar Latino Beach Club. 

Description

Del Mar Latino Beach Club is described as being the perfect place for those looking to enjoy a relaxing atmosphere with Latin Caribbean ambiance. 

With a regular rate of $39.95, this beach club offers a truly all-inclusive experience in Cozumel. Located within walking distance of the cruise ports, this exclusive club only allows a maximum number of 30 people each day. 

A daily pass to Del Mar Latino Beach Club includes unlimited food and drinks; you also have access to the pool, loungers, bathroom facilities and internet. 

Since this club is meant to offer a relaxing and intimate experience, Del Mar Latino Beach Club is fairly small. The beach club features a large pool surrounded by sun loungers and umbrellas. Del Mar Latino Beach Club also features a bar lined with high-top tables and chairs. 

We booked this beach club the week before our cruise; luckily, the club still had availability for the day that we would be in Cozumel. Since Del Mar Latino Beach Club caps the daily admittance at 30 people, reservations should be booked in advance to secure a slot. 

It appeared that the days leading up to our arrival were already booked, so we were excited to see our port day had availability. It was $8 for a deposit to reserve our slot for the day, in which the remaining balance would be due at arrival.  

Getting to the club

According to the information that was emailed with our reservation, the Del Mar Latino Beach Club operates from 9am to 5pm. 

When we arrived in Cozumel, we took our time in the morning getting breakfast on the ship since we had the full day. By the time we started walking to the club, it was pouring rain - so we waited in the Duty Free Shopping area for the rain to pass.

Our phones indicated that it was a short walk from the cruise terminal upon our arrival. The Royal Caribbean terminal is just a 5 minute walk to the entrance of the beach club. We walked outside of the terminal and, sure enough, we arrived quickly to Del Mar Latino Beach Club.

I felt safe walking in this area, especially considering there was a lot of traffic and a taxi would have probably taken just as long. 

When we arrived, we walked up to the bartender and checked in. They had a list with our names on there and we paid the remaining amount for the day. We were given wristbands to wear for the day.

All-inclusive experience

Upon arrival, we quickly made our way to the bar and ordered a round of piña coladas. There’s no better way to start a day in Mexico than with a cool, refreshing piña colada! It was delicious and creamy. 

After looking around the club, we decided to get in the pool. The pool is a decent size with plenty of room for everyone to sit comfortably. We had a gorgeous view of the ocean and the cruise ships nearby. 

The waitress came over to us multiple times during our time in the pool. My choice of drink is always a mojito and Del Mar Latino Beach Club’s mojitos were absolutely delicious! 

We also tried a Miami Vice, Chunky Monkey and Tequila Sunrise. There wasn’t a cocktail at this beach club that we didn’t enjoy! The drinks went down smoothly and we were having a wonderful time relaxing in the pool and listening to the music played by the DJ. 

As we lounged in the pool, we realized we did not bring towels with us off the ship. We reviewed the reservation notes and found that it did not state to bring towels; however, it also didn’t state that towels were included. We inquired with the staff about towels and they stated we could rent them for $5 each. This was reasonable, but we opted to just air dry after we enjoyed some time in the loungers. This was an oversight on our part and we should have brought towels just in case. 

After a few drinks in the pool, we had the munchies and decided to order food. Since everything was included from the snack menu, we ordered a variety of options. We tried the quesadillas, fried chicken tacos and chicken strips. 

Everything we ordered was hot, fresh and very tasty. We even ordered a second round of food because the portions were snack size and we enjoyed everything we tried. 

Throughout the day, we also made trips to the beach club’s bathroom facilities. These were well-kept and clean, which we appreciated. 

After 4-5 hours at Del Mar Latino beach club, we decided to walk back to the cruise terminal and head back to the ship after a wonderfully relaxing day. 

Final Comments

There are a few components that make an all-inclusive day pass worthwhile: fair price, attentive service, well-kept pools and freshly made food and drinks. 

We were very satisfied with our experience at Del Mar Latino Beach Club and felt all of these expectations were met.

To start, the price of $39.95 feels like a great value considering the drinks and food are unlimited. We had a tasty lunch and multiple drinks during the day, so the price of admission was very fair just in the amount of food and drink we consumed. 

We found the drinks and snack menu to have a wide selection to choose from. We tried almost every drink on the menu and agreed that the mojitos were the best, although everything tasted yummy. We also enjoyed everything we ordered from the snack menu - especially the quesadilla! 

The pool was well-kept and very comfortable; we saw a pool attendant come around and check the levels of the pool while we were swimming. The pool is also covered, which was nice since it rained a few times throughout the day. 

We were very impressed with the service provided as well. There was a waitress who attentively served us in the pool and brought us drinks throughout the afternoon. It was nice that we didn’t need to get out of the pool to get another drink. We were always served our drinks quickly!

The overall ambiance was very low-key and relaxing, especially with the wonderful ocean views and delicious drinks. With less than 30 people at Del Mar Latino Beach Club during our stay, it never felt cramped or crowded. 

Since this exclusive club is located near the cruise port, there isn’t a sandy beach to enjoy. If you are hoping to sit on a beach during the day, this might not be the best option. There is a man-made entrance to the sea from the club, but you’re essentially jumping right into the sea. I didn’t see anyone in the ocean during our time there, so I think most people stick to the pool. 

I would absolutely return to this beach club because of the incredible value and overall convenience to the cruise port. It was great being able to walk right to the club and not need to take a taxi. I live near the beach here in Florida, so I am fine sacrificing a beach day for a day at this exclusive and relaxing beach club. 

Even as Royal Caribbean continues to remain silent on the cruise line’s newest ship, newly released photos reveal what Icon of the Seas' bow will look like. 

Brand new pictures from the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland show tug boats transporting the bow for Icon of the Seas. The exciting series of photos, shared by finki.22 on Instagram, feature the arrival by barge of the massive new bow for Icon of the Seas. 

It was a busy day at the Meyer Turku shipyard! The Instagram caption states that tugboats arrived from Poland with the bow of Icon of the Seas. Earlier in the day, the same tugboats assisted the new Carnival Celebration out of the shipyard for its sea trials. In fact, the two ships have been under construction together at the Finish shipyard. 

As seen in the photos, the bow color is Royal Caribbean’s signature baby blue color, which matches the coloring of the hull. The cruise line’s newest ships have started to feature this new light blue coloring, with Royal Caribbean choosing to phase out its classic white-colored hulls. 

In the background of the photos, the construction for Icon of the Seas can also be seen. Construction on Royal Caribbean’s newest ship started in June 2021. 

Royal Caribbean continues to keep hush-hush regarding Icon of the Seas, leading many to speculate about the ship’s design, amenities and features. 

Thanks to finki.22 for posting these photos.

Parabolic Bow Design

The bow for Icon of the Seas is now confirmed to be Royal Caribbean’s first ship to feature a parabolic bow design. This is a functional design element that creates a curved indentation in the bottom of the vessel’s hull. 

With the arrival of Icon of the Seas’ bow, construction will enter its next phase of fitting the bow to the hull of the ship. 

This new bow design helps increase overall stability of the vessel by shifting the center of gravity forward. In addition, parabolic bows allow the ship to be less likely to capsize or heel. This is due to the bow creating an area of low pressure beneath the ship’s hull. 

Essentially, it’s unsurprising Royal Caribbean would choose this design for its newest ship; parabolic bows cultivate a smoother ride for cruisers. This is especially important for ships that are heavily-loaded.

Early reports from Royal Caribbean have stated that Icon of the Seas will be the biggest cruise ship in the world, so the parabolic bow is an effective design choice.

Icon of the Seas

Although we know Icon of the Seas will have a parabolic bow design, there has been very little information about the ship’s design released by Royal Caribbean at this point. The cruise line has done an excellent job creating hype and excitement about what Icon of the Seas could bring to the Royal Caribbean fleet. 

Within recent weeks, Royal Caribbean released a new video series about Icon of the Seas. The highly-anticipated series is titled ‘Making an Icon’. During the first video of the series, Royal Caribbean described its newest ship as “the most transformative ship the world has ever seen”. 

The series has promised to feature footage from behind the scenes of the ship’s design, construction and eventual launch of Icon of the Seas. Engineers and industry experts will be featured to talk about the revolutionary cruise ship, which Royal Caribbean claims will offer the best family vacation in the world.   

Along with the hype of its design and amenities, Royal Caribbean has also announced that Icon of the Seas will start sailing in late 2023 as the cruise line’s first LNG powered ship in its fleet. LNG powered cruise ships feature dual engines that utilize liquified natural gas to propel the ship. This makes the ships more efficient and environmentally friendly.

A huge media campaign has started for Icon of the Seas, with CEO Michael Bayley hinting at a fall reveal. In addition, Bayley already revealed that Icon of the Seas will first set sail from the UK. 

Icon of the Seas is the first of its kind for Royal Caribbean and the first of a new class of ships. Royal Caribbean has not released a new ship class in over a decade; instead, the company has continued to expand its Oasis-class and Quantum-class ships, including Wonder of the Seas in 2022 and Odyssey of the Seas in 2021.

At one point earlier this year, it was teased that a full-blown marketing event could be launched in New York City this fall. 

The CEO has also emphasized that the innovation and design of Icon of the Seas will be unlike anything Royal Caribbean has built before. Guests can expect incredible onboard thrills, water experiences like no other, and unparalleled entertainment.

Have you ever docked in a port on your Royal Caribbean cruise and wished you had more time to explore the city?

One of the biggest drawbacks of cruising is not having enough time in each port; in fact, this is often cited as one of the top reasons that people choose not to cruise and opt for land-based vacations.

Of course, one of the perks of cruising is getting to see multiple cities and countries in one vacation. It’s so nice to step onboard your cruise ship and unpack your suitcase just one time. Before you know it, you’re waking up in a new place every morning.

On the other hand, your time in port is usually limited on a cruise - ranging anywhere from just 6-9 hours at each stop. Also, you have little to no flexibility about what time you arrive and depart the port because you are at the mercy of the cruise ship to get there on schedule.

The best way you can spend more time ashore on a Royal Caribbean cruise is choosing an itinerary that features overnight ports. 

How does it work when a cruise ship stays overnight?

For some cities, when the sun goes down, the city comes to life! Cruisers have felt for a long time that they miss out on everything a city has to offer because the ship leaves too soon. 

Normally, cruise ships are chasing the sunset and heading out to sea in the evening. When the sun goes down, the ship is already sailing off to the next destination on the itinerary.

But when you have an overnight stop, you’ll get to spend multiple days exploring all the port has to offer while your ship stays docked throughout the night. 

With more flexibility offered in an overnight port stay, your excursion and exploring options become multiplied. Your cruise ship essentially acts as a floating hotel during an overnight port. The cruise ship will allow you to come and go throughout the day and night rather than having a strict all-aboard time after just one day of being docked in the port.

With an overnight port, you can explore throughout the day, come back for a quick bite to eat, and then head back ashore to experience the city’s nightlife. Maybe you head to the rooftop bar to see the night skyline or you might prefer to have dinner at a local restaurant! 

Ultimately, overnight ports allow cruisers to be more fully immersed in the culture of a destination. These port stops can occur mid-voyage or even at the beginning/end of the itinerary. 

Best Royal Caribbean Overnight Ports

To offer more flexibility and time to explore ports over multiple days, Royal Caribbean has started to incorporate more overnight ports in its itineraries. The cruise line has also announced itineraries that feature late-night departures and multi-stay destinations.

Adding these itinerary options certainly appeals to cruisers who want to see everything a city has to offer over the course of multiple days.

Bermuda

One of the most common itineraries to offer an overnight port is in Bermuda. Because of Bermuda’s location, there aren’t many options for port stops other than sailing down the east coast of the U.S. or down south to the Caribbean.

Most itineraries feature at least one overnight in Bermuda but some even offer two overnights. With plenty of shopping and restaurants nearby, you can spend all day and night exploring this country.

Royal Caribbean offers 2022 and 2023 summer sailings (May to October) to Bermuda from Cape Liberty (New Jersey), Orlando (Florida) and Baltimore (Maryland). Some ships sailing to Bermuda include Enchantment of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas.  

Lisbon, Portugal

Across the pond and nestled in the Portuguese hillside is the historic city of Lisbon. With little trams running through the cobblestoned streets, you can experience quintessential Europe with all of the architecture and culture of Lisbon. 

Because of Lisbon’s bustling nightlife, Royal Caribbean has incorporated overnight stays on some of its longer Mediterranean itineraries. An overnight stay in Lisbon means you can watch the sunset on a rooftop bar or enjoy a local Portuguese dinner in Lisbon. Even better, the cruise port is right in the city center so everything is close by!

Also, with Royal Caribbean’s itineraries offering two days in the city, you can even venture out to Sintra. This nearby city features UNESCO World Heritage Sites that include the Jeronimos Monastery and Quinta da Regaleira. It’s a real life fairytale!

Royal Caribbean has itineraries featuring overnight stays in Lisbon on Anthem of the Seas sailing from Southampton for summer 2022 and 2023. 

Iceland

If the Arctic Circle is more of your vibe, you’ll find plenty of itineraries that feature overnight stops in Iceland. Most of the itineraries will feature an overnight in Reykjavik, which is the capital of Iceland. 

Having multiple days allows you to explore the city’s museums and churches while still having time to take a dip in the Blue Lagoon.

Royal Caribbean also has numerous itineraries that feature overnight port stops in Akureyri, Iceland. This tiny Icelandic town is situated at the end of the Eyjafjordur and features a quaint old town and plenty of hot springs.

Because Iceland is a smaller country with tons to explore, having overnight stays allows cruisers to get an in-depth experience of the Arctic Circle. 

Itineraries featuring overnights in Iceland can be found sailing on Jewel of the Seas from Amsterdam throughout the summer of 2022 and 2023. Transatlantic and Arctic Crossing itineraries are also available on Royal Caribbean, including a 17 night crossing in August 2023.

Israel

One of the more culturally immersive Royal Caribbean Mediterranean itineraries features overnight ports in Israel. With up to 3 days in Israel, cruisers are able to see all of the wildly historical places in cities like Nazareth, Jerusalem and Bethlehem. 

With so many sites to see, most of which are located outside of the port city, it’s great to have multiple days to explore Israel while using your cruise ship as a home base each night. 

Haifa and Ashod are two of the most common cruise ports for Holy Land itineraries in Israel. These port cities give access to some of the most commonly visited biblical sites while also giving access to Tel Aviv and other cities in Israel. 

Royal Caribbean features Holy Land itineraries with overnights to Israel on Odyssey of the Seas through the summer of 2022 and 2023. 

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

You know all of your favorite celebrities are obsessed with Cabo - and for good reason! Cabo is an electrifying destination with plenty of nightlife located in Baja California.

With an overnight stay in Cabo, you can stay out all night partying in the nightclubs, indulging in a margarita (or two), trying local Mexican cuisine or dancing the night away. During the day, you’ll have two full days to explore the town by foot and sea. 

Royal Caribbean offers 5-night cruises with overnight port stops in Cabo San Lucas in September 2022, March 2023 and April 2023 on Navigator of the Seas from Los Angeles, California. 

Thailand

If Southeast Asia is on your bucket list, Thailand is a destination that can't be missed. I can speak from personal experience that visiting the Thai islands by cruise ship is a great way to immerse yourself in their culture. 

With an overnight stay in Phuket, you have so much flexibility to really explore the island, like visiting elephant sanctuaries, beautiful temples, and stunning beaches. 

Our second day in Phuket, we ventured out to Phang Nga Bay to see the floating village by boat. It was absolutely stunning to sail around the islands. 

One of the most dazzling cities in Asia is Bangkok, Thailand. The city has centuries-old temples coupled with brand-new skyscrapers and rooftop bars. There’s no city like Bangkok; lucky for Royal Caribbean cruisers, most itineraries feature an overnight stay in this fascinating port city.

From street food vendors to tuk tuk rickshaws that run the streets, you’ll have two full days on your itinerary to see everything the city has to offer. Don’t forget about all of the Thai temples, museums and Buddha statues. 

Look for overnight ports in Bangkok and Phuket on Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas, sailing from Singapore throughout 2022 and 2023. 

Penang, Malaysia 

Most Southeast Asian itineraries will feature a stop in Penang, Malaysia; if you’re lucky, your itinerary will feature an overnight stay in the northwestern Malaysian port city to give you even more time to immerse yourself in the culture. 

You’ll find the port of Penang is filled with a rich and diverse culture, mostly because of its location as a trading center among India, China, Britain and the Middle East. Plenty of local food stalls accompanies the many religious temples scattered throughout the town. 

Overnight stays in Penang can be found on Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas, sailing in January 2023 from Singapore. 

Port Vila, Vanuatu

Those sailing in the South Pacific will appreciate Royal Caribbean adding overnight ports on some of its most popular itineraries. 

Port Vila is the energetic capital of Vanuatu, where you can spend 2 full days exploring the island. From the French-inspired city to waterfalls and heritage centers, you might wish you had even a second overnight!

Royal Caribbean offers overnight sailings to Port Vila on its South Pacific itineraries. Quantum of the Seas has multiple itineraries sailing from Brisbane, Australia throughout the winter of 2022 and 2023.

Hawaii

Visiting Hawaii on a Royal Caribbean cruise is one of the best ways to explore multiple islands. Even better, you can find itineraries with overnight ports to have ample time to squeeze in everything you want to do on the islands.

Royal Caribbean’s itineraries feature overnight port stays in Maui and Oahu, giving cruisers extra time to explore the island. With Maui having so much to offer - from hiking to luaus and surfing on the beach - you’ll be thankful to have all the time to explore ashore. 

Itineraries to Hawaii are typically during the transition seasons when cruise ships are transitioned to Australia from Alaska. Quantum of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, and Ovation of the Seas all have Hawaii itineraries featuring overnights in Hawaii. Sailings are October 2022/2023 and April 2022/2023. 

Honorable Mention: Late-Night Departures

Even if your cruise doesn’t feature an overnight port stop, you might get lucky and have some late-night port departures. While you won't have two full days in a city, you can still experience some of the nightlife with port stays that last up to 14 hours.

In this scenario, your cruise ship will depart the port around 9-10pm instead of a more standard time like 6pm.

One of the places you can find late departures is the Greek island of Santorini, known for its picturesque blue rooftops and white villas on the mountainside. But, Santorini is best known for its unparalleled sunsets from the town of Oia. 

Instead of having a typical departure time of 5 or 6pm, Royal Caribbean has some itineraries that feature late-night departures of 9pm or 10pm in Santorini so cruisers can see the incredible sunset. 

Rhapsody of the Seas features late-night departures from Haifa to Santorini in the fall of 2023. 

Another popular city that features late departures is Le Havre, France. This European port city is the closest place a cruise ship can dock to Paris, even though it’s still 2.5 hours each way to get to the city. 

Because of the distance to Paris, which is surely a top destination for cruisers, Royal Caribbean docks in Le Havre from 8am to 10pm. Having 14 hours in the port allows you to explore Paris during your cruise and catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower.

Anthem of the Seas has late-night Le Havre departures on sailings throughout the summer and fall of both 2022 and 2023.  

Although one day is certainly not enough to see everything Paris and Santorini have to offer, Royal Caribbean’s late-night departures allow for more flexibility in port to experience even more of what the cities and countries have to offer. 

The end of U.S. government Covid-19 cruise ship protocols is here.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced the end of its voluntary Covid-19 program. As of July 18, 2022, the program is no longer in effect; rather, the CDC will provide general guidance to help cruise lines continue providing a safe and healthy environment for all passengers and crew members.   

The CDC will now take a general approach to providing health and safety guidance to the cruising sector, similar to how it provides guidance to all other travel sectors.   

In regards to cruise line protocols, it's important to emphasize that nothing has changed yet.

Most cruise lines protocols still include vaccination and testing requirements; however, the cruise lines now have the freedom to choose their own protocols with the end of the voluntary Covid-19 program.  

This new phase of pandemic guidance is a welcome change for the cruise lines, as the CDC will not replace the voluntary program with any other program.

This is a step towards a new normal for the cruise industry, which had been strictly regulated by the CDC since the onset of the pandemic. 

Cruise Industry Reaction

Shortly after the CDC made the announcement, the cruise industry had an overall positive reaction to the news. 

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the association that represents the cruise industry, released a statement fully supporting the CDC's decision to end the program.

The association gave the following statement in response to the change: "The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and its member cruise lines welcome the decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to end the CDC COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships Operating in U.S. Waters in favor of a set of guidelines for public health operations on cruise ships."

The association said it looks forward to reviewing the new guidance details that will be posted on the CDC website in the coming days.

CLIA continued, "This is an important step forward in the CDC aligning the guidelines for cruises with those it has established for other travel, hospitality, and entertainment sectors."

Finally, the association shared, "The sunsetting of the CDC Program, effective 18 July 2022, is a testament to the effectiveness of the industry’s comprehensive and robust protocols. In fact, cruising has become one of the safest forms of travel and among the most successful industries in mitigating the spread and severity of COVID-19, resulting in few passengers or crew becoming seriously ill or requiring hospitalization compared to hospital statistics for landside patients."

Voluntary Program Details

The CDC’s Voluntary Covid-19 was implemented at the expiration of the Conditional Sail Order, which expired in January 2022. During this time, the new omicron variant had been running rampant throughout the U.S. and cruise lines were navigating the spread of a more contagious variant both on land and at sea.

Today’s expiration of the program marks the start of a new era for the cruise lines, in which they can establish their own set of health and safety protocols.

Under the CDC's voluntary Covid-19 program, cruise lines had the option to opt into 3 different programs voluntarily: Not Highly Vaccinated, Highly Vaccinated and Vaccination Standard of Excellence. 

Royal Caribbean joined the ‘highly-vaccinated program’, which required 95% of passengers on each sailing to be fully vaccinated. The program also required that 95% of the cruise ship’s crew be fully vaccinated as well. The highly vaccinated program, along with its policies and protocols, went into effect on February 25, 2022. 

By adapting the highly vaccinated program, passengers onboard Royal Caribbean’s sailings were no longer required to wear masks onboard. Instead, the cruise lines shifted to masks being optional for passengers.

This was a welcomed change for Royal Caribbean cruisers, as masks were previously required indoors during any period in which passengers were not eating or drinking actively.

The CDC required cruise lines that opted into the program to provide vaccination status for each participating cruise ship. The 95% threshold for vaccination was also required for every single voyage on each participating cruise ship.

Participating ships were also required to document, surveillance and report onboard Covid-19 cases for each sailing to the CDC. Using this data, the CDC established a color-coding system to designate the spread of Covid-19 on each ship, which was published on a public dashboard. 

The end of the CDC's voluntary Covid-19 program reflects the travel industry's overall shift towards managing Covid-19 as a new normal.

Cruising to Alaska is one of the best ways to see everything this stunning state has to offer. From May to September, cruise ships will sail through the Inside Passage and through the beautiful, icy fjords of Alaska. 

Packing for a cruise to Alaska is vastly different than packing for a Caribbean cruise. For obvious reasons, the weather and scenery are complete opposites. You’ll trade sugary sand beaches in the Caribbean for snow-capped mountains and glaciers in Alaska. 

The weather in Alaska is undeniably best in the summer during the cruise season with more daylight, less rain, and warmer temperatures. However, you can still experience rain, snow, and chilly temperatures throughout the year. 

I’ve sailed to Alaska three times. The first time I sailed to Alaska was from Seward to Vancouver in July. The second cruise was roundtrip from Seattle to Alaska in August. The most recent time I sailed to Alaska was a round-trip cruise from Vancouver in May. 

Two of my three cruises had typical Alaska weather with chilly temperatures and rain showers throughout the week. I would say my first cruise in July was the coldest weather while my most recent cruise in May was slightly warmer, but still cold.

My husband and I lucked out with great weather when we cruised in August 2021 with 70-degree days and sunny skies all week. We were told multiple times that our good weather was unusually warm for Alaska, so I think this was just good luck.

Read more: When is the best time to cruise to Alaska?

Essentially, packing for Alaska will require some planning and preparation. Ensuring you pack layers and versatile clothing will be key for a successful cruise week. 

If you’re looking for outfit ideas for your upcoming Alaska cruise, look no further! Here’s our Alaska cruise outfit guide to help you perfectly plan both practical and versatile outfits.

Focus on Layers

When you start picking your cruise outfits for Alaska, focus on packing pieces that can be layered together. Focusing on layers will let you maximize your suitcase space, which is important since warmer clothes will be bulkier. With layers, you can also mix and match outfits depending on both weather and activities.  

For women, this could include packing leggings and dark jeans as outfit staples. Leggings are extremely versatile for an Alaskan cruise; from active excursions to exploring an Alaskan town in the rain, you won't regret packing black leggings. If it's super cold, you can even layer two pairs of leggings for extra warmth.

Also, leggings can be worn with a long tunic, a cozy plaid shirt, an oversized sweater, or fuzzy sherpa.

Leggings or dark jeans can easily be layered with a jean jacket to provide extra warmth. A jean jacket is a great piece to bring and can be worn while exploring ports for warmth or as a casual jacket onboard the ship. I prefer to wear a jean jacket on travel days since the airplane is normally cold.

When it comes to layering for men, versatile pieces that can be layered together will be the best option for Alaskan cruise outfits. 

For men, dark jeans and khaki pants can be a great option to wear both during the day and also onboard for dinners. When planning outfits for your Alaska cruise, it’s good to consider whether the pants you pack can be used for dinner outfits as well.

Long-sleeve knit or plaid shirts can also layer well under a rain jacket, providing both warmth and versatility. Half-zips are another great piece to consider packing because these layer well with an outdoor jacket but can also be worn with khakis onboard the ship. 

Read more: 50 tips for planning your Alaska cruise

Prepare for Rain

As much as you can hope for incredible weather during an Alaskan cruise, you should be prepared to experience rain throughout your vacation. Alaskan weather consists of gloomy clouds, foggy skies, and chilly rain, even in the summer. 

Packing a waterproof rain jacket is a must for your Alaskan cruise, along with an umbrella. I prefer to pack a black rain jacket because it goes with everything. 

If you are sailing at the very beginning or end of the Alaskan season, you might want to consider packing a waterproof coat with a warmer lining, like sherpa or fleece. A light puffer jacket would travel well for an Alaskan cruise as well. 

If you don’t pack a rain jacket and find that the Alaskan weather is too cold for you to handle, every port will be selling fleece-lined, waterproof jackets that are embroidered with 'Alaska'. These also make a great souvenir because they are reasonably priced, some are sold as low as $9.99. 

Here's an example of the souvenir jacket you can snag in the ports if you would rather purchase a coat during your cruise. I would guess at least 15% of the people on our cruise were wearing a jacket like this by the end of the week.

Don’t Forget Boots

When planning your Alaskan cruise outfits, you’ll absolutely want to consider which waterproof boots you’re packing. Unless the forecast is showing sunshine all week, these are essential for your Alaskan cruise.

You’ll want to make sure these boots are comfortable for walking and any other excursions you might have planned. 

For women, this could include Chelsea rain boots or classic Sperry boots. Both of these are perfect options for an Alaskan cruise and pair well with leggings and rain jackets. Hunter rain boots could also be a good option depending on how much space you have in your suitcase.

Men will also want to pack a waterproof pair of boots that can be worn during the day, such as Timberland Waterproof Boots. If you have any active excursions or you want to go hiking, you should consider packing comfortable hiking boots or duck boots that would pair well with your outdoor gear. 

Hats, Scarves, and Mittens

Imagine sailing through the Alaskan fjords and getting up so close to a glacier that you can hear the ice cracking and falling into the sea. It’s unbelievable to see the natural beauty of Alaska when you cruise, but your ears and hands won’t be enjoying the scenery as much unless you’ve packed properly.

As such, be sure to pack a pair of gloves and a hat for your Alaskan cruise, as your hands and ears will be cold both in-port and on the ship when sailing the Inside Passage. 

For women, a cute hat or warm headband is a perfect accessory for your Alaskan cruise! If it’s looking particularly cold, you can even pack a stylish scarf that you can wear throughout the week. 

For men, a beanie paired with a light scarf will be a great addition to your Alaskan wardrobe. A puffer jacket or vest can also be a versatile piece to add more flexibility to your wardrobe, especially if the weather is colder than anticipated.

Consider that you will likely be on the top deck of your cruise ship for whale watching or sailing through the Inside Passage, so it’s best to have a pair of gloves too. I had to buy a pair of gloves on my last Alaskan cruise because my hands were much colder than I expected.

Dinner Outfits

Packing for any cruise requires a little consideration about what to wear each night onboard the ship for dinners and shows. 

In my experience on Alaskan cruises, people are less concerned about what they wear at dinner each night because they’ve had a long day exploring the ports. The ship isn’t necessarily the destination as much because Alaska’s beauty and wilderness is really the draw for these cruises. 

As such, you will probably need to pack a few nice outfits to wear at night when you go to dinner or one of the shows. If this isn’t your thing, you can always enjoy a casual dinner at the buffet and not worry about packing separate dinner outfits. 

For women, I suggest packing a few dresses or jumpsuits for dinner. I love wearing a jumpsuit at dinner because it's comfortable, warm, and easily styled for formal night.

A sleeved midi dress or long-sleeve dress is perfect for evenings at sea. Typically, you only need one pair of nice heels, wedges, or sandals to wear for dinners at sea, so I prefer a classic pair of nude or black heels.

If you like to go all-out for formal night, you can definitely pack a more glitzy gown; however, this takes up more space in your luggage. With all of the warm winter clothes that are usually packed for an Alaskan cruise, you might not have as much room in your suitcase. 

For men, dinner outfits should also be a consideration, a pair of slacks paired with a button-up shirt and dress shoes is a great outfit for most nights at dinner. A blazer is another good versatile piece that can be worn in the evenings onboard your Alaskan cruise. 

Men can also consider bringing a more formal outfit; but again, this will take up more luggage space that might be better utilized by packing warmer clothes and boots. 

Final Thoughts

Nothing's worse than unpacking your suitcase in your stateroom and feeling like you've packed horribly for the upcoming week. With unpredictable weather these days, it's even more important to plan ahead and be purposeful with the outfits you choose to bring on your Alaskan cruise.

Properly planning for your Alaskan cruise will ensure that you've packed the essential pieces that will keep your outfits warm and comfortable throughout the day (that is, unless you're hoping to have a vacation shopping spree!).

More Alaska cruise tips:

• What is the best month to cruise to Alaska?
• How to choose the right Alaska cruise itinerary
• Best time to cruise to Alaska
• Best things to do on an Alaska cruise

Have you ever seen a group with matching bright orange t-shirts on your Royal Caribbean cruise? If so, you likely had volunteers and families from Autism on the Seas on your cruise. 

These volunteers help families with special needs children and adults have an incredible Royal Caribbean cruise by providing assistive services and care. 

Photo Credit: Autism on the Seas Facebook

Autism on the Seas is an organization that has a longstanding partnership with Royal Caribbean to operate regularly on cruise itineraries around the world. In fact, Autism on the Seas, founded in 2007, is a leading developmental disability service supplier to the cruise industry. 

The goal of this program is to provide the highest quality of assisted care to ensure families have a truly relaxing and rejuvenating vacation. 

Photo Credit: Autism on the Seas Facebook

Volunteers from Autism on the Seas make it possible for these families to have a vacation like no other by providing attentive, personalized care throughout their cruise.

While most cruisers have never heard of this awesome program, we are excited to share an insider perspective through one volunteer’s personal experience.

Meet Sydney: Volunteer on Autism on the Seas

As Royal Caribbean Blog fans, you might remember my cruising buddy, Sydney, from a recent Radiance of the Seas live blog to Alaska. Sydney and I were roommates on Semester of the Sea back in college, sailing 100 days to 4 continents while taking classes. 

When we sailed to Alaska, Sydney told me about her upcoming volunteer opportunity on Enchantment of the Seas. I couldn’t wait to share her experience with the program - even though I’ve cruised more than 30 times with Royal Caribbean, I had never heard of Autism on the Seas.

As you can imagine, volunteers for Autism on the Seas need to be highly qualified to provide the necessary and attentive care to those with special needs. Sydney first learned of the program back in college and was excited to apply, but she wasn’t accepted initially due to not having enough experience. 

The program encouraged her to apply again in the future, especially if she completed her master’s and had more experience in the special needs field. 

After Sydney graduated with her degree in Psychology & Childhood Studies, she completed her master’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis on Autism Spectrum Disorder from George Mason University. 

With more experience under her belt, Sydney reapplied to be a volunteer and was accepted. Once accepted, she applied to multiple itineraries and was offered a contract for a sailing on Enchantment of the Seas. 

This sailing was a 6-night Bermuda cruise with two overnights in Kings Wharf, Bermuda. 

Since Sydney was accepted into the program, she can now continue applying for future volunteer opportunities with the program.

How Autism on the Seas Helps All Special Needs Families

Just like we all need some vacation time, families who have special needs children also undeniably deserve to have an amazing cruise experience. Unfortunately for these families, it’s inherently more difficult to have a relaxing vacation when you have a child who requires special care. 

The program is not limited to autism, as any disability or special need is welcome to the program. There is no age limit, although most families have children or young adults. 

Photo Credit: Autism on the Seas Facebook

Autism on the Seas helps families by providing assistance on many cruise lines, but most commonly partners with Royal Caribbean. Families book their cruises through Autism on the Seas, which acts as a travel agency by organizing and planning everything for families.

Since this was Sydney’s first cruise with the program, she was assigned as a general volunteer to really get to know the program. Families are also able to request a one-on-one volunteer if they feel that would be more beneficial. While general volunteers float across families as needed, one-on-one volunteers are assigned to a single family and assist throughout the entire cruise. 

Volunteers offer respite sessions throughout the cruise, which allows parents to drop off their participants in a safe space. This gives parents and family members the opportunity to have some alone time.

The program provides assistance for three meals a day where volunteers are present to provide aid to families.

During sea days, two respite sessions are offered for around two hours each. Port days offer one respite session in addition to staff-supported shore excursions. The respite sessions are hosted in a safe space on the cruise ship; on Sydney’s specific cruise, this was in the conference center onboard.

Sydney’s Volunteer Preparation

In the months leading up to the cruise, Sydney was able to download the Autism on the Seas app to complete necessary training. The app had a checklist of tasks to complete as well. 

Transportation and accommodations before the cruise are not provided for volunteers, although volunteers get their cruise fare covered through the program. Because of this, Sydney applied exclusively for cruises that left from Baltimore since that is the closest port to her home in Virginia. 

Like any other Royal Caribbean cruiser, Sydney needed a negative Covid-19 test result before boarding. 

Read more: Guide to pre-cruise Covid test

The night before boarding, Sydney received an unexpected call that one of the other volunteers tested positive for her pre-departure test. That staff member was originally assigned to be a one-on-one volunteer with a specific family. 

Because she was unable to cruise now, Sydney was told by the program director that she would now be placed with the family and provide one-on-one care for the cruise.

On the day of embarkation, Autism on the Seas volunteers had a three-hour training to complete before meeting with the families. Those traveling with Autism on the Seas receive priority boarding as a perk and volunteers help families with luggage and embarkation. Families also receive priority disembarkation, which is staff assisted. 

Most families on this cruise had to reschedule multiple times due to the pandemic; therefore, this was a highly anticipated vacation by the five families cruising with Autism on the Seas this week. 

Cruising Support for Families 

Sydney said on the first night, before the first respite session, all of the volunteers decorated the conference center to be a welcoming, fun, and comfortable space for the kids. The program provides specific activities catering to each child’s needs and interests, making it a very personalized experience for each family. 

Kids are encouraged to spend respite sessions however they want. For example, if they want to be on their tablets during this time, that’s fine. Sydney said the volunteers are not there to teach anything, but rather provide care in a safe space. 

During evening respite sessions, the parents are able to attend the nightly entertainment in reserved seating while their children are under the volunteers’ care. The volunteers also help with activities throughout the cruise, like staff-assisted pool time.

Because Enchantment of the Seas is an older and smaller ship, the only ship activities in the schedule included rock climbing and trampoline jumping. 

Unfortunately, these were both under maintenance during Sydney’s cruise, so the volunteers had to get creative with assisted activities. Adventure Ocean staff even joined a few of the respite sessions to help the kids make slime and host a basketball tournament. 

While in Bermuda, the program offered a staff-assisted excursion to the beach. This allowed the parents and families to relax while volunteers spent time with the kids in and out of the water. Sydney said it warmed her heart seeing her assigned family having a truly relaxing beach day because she was providing care for their child. 

Before the cruise ended, the program hosted a Silent Hush Party with Royal Caribbean’s nightclub DJ. With headphones available for everyone, Sydney loved how this private event was available for the families. 

On the final night of the cruise, all of the individuals with Autism on the Seas received an award.  

Royal Caribbean Staff Elevate Experience

During her cruise, Sydney was blown away by the service provided from Royal Caribbean’s crew and staff. In fact, Sydney was so impressed with their attentive care that she wondered if crew members receive training on handling special needs children and certain situations onboard.

Most of the crew knew about the program and what it offers. Sydney said once the crew members spotted the program’s notorious orange t-shirts, many of them were excited to take care of the families and provide exceptional assistance. 

During dinner, Sydney said the waitstaff provided extremely personal service to the families as they learned more specifically about each family’s needs. 

Photo Credit: Autism on the Seas Facebook

For example, the waiters learned that Sydney’s family had a child who loved to play with straws - by the second night, the dinner table had plenty of straws for him to play with. Once the waiters knew the child hated condiments on his meals, Sydney said they were sure to respect this every night.

If one of the kids had a meltdown or made a mess, Sydney said the crew members would step in and provide assistance wherever they could. They offered additional support by going above and beyond. Sydney said their exceptional service made it easier to do her job as a volunteer. 

Photo Credit: Autism on the Seas Facebook

On the last night of her cruise, Sydney’s waiter was overcome with emotion and brought to tears when it was time to say goodbye. He was so grateful to meet everyone, especially learning more about the program and providing their dining service each night.

He even opened up about his niece in India that is diagnosed with Autism and could not wait to tell his sister about this program when connecting to WiFi again. 

Sydney mentioned that a common theme throughout the week was people coming up to her and opening up about a family member diagnosed with autism and how they would thrive with this program. She hopes more families learn about all the program has to offer.

Volunteer Arrangements and Daily Schedule

Autism on the Seas volunteers normally cruise in an inside cabin with one other volunteer, who could be either the same or opposite gender. 

Before the pandemic, the volunteers were normally assigned in a cabin with three other roommates. To reduce some of the risk, volunteers are only assigned one roommate currently. 

In Sydney’s experience, most volunteers with Autism on the Seas had cruised multiple times with the program, which shows how rewarding the experience can be for staffers.

Sydney was assigned a roommate of the same gender, who she described as very sweet and easy-going. All volunteers welcomed Sydney as a newcomer to the program and were eager to share their prior experiences. 

Volunteers typically work from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with free time here and there. During the free time, volunteers can do whatever they want. As such, volunteers enjoyed the cruise ship most evenings by grabbing a drink at one of the lounges. Volunteers can also get off the ship at port during their free time.

Most nights, Sydney was tired from working all day, so she opted to rest when she was able. 

Her and her roommate also had a medical scare when they both started feeling rundown. Sydney brought a COVID home test onboard, which came back negative.

The program leader also requested that the medical staff test both her and her roommate the following day, which was promptly done by the ship doctor coming to their cabin, and confirming that neither had Covid. 

Because everyone is a volunteer, all of the staff members were passionate to provide attentive care to the families. Sydney said it was obvious that all staff members wanted to be there, which is a key part of making this program successful. 

Sydney’s Final Thoughts

With her love of travel and extensive experience with special needs children, Sydney was eager to volunteer with Autism on the Seas. 

She found her volunteer experience to be both eye-opening and extremely rewarding. Although the days were intensive, very long and a lot of work, Sydney said she’s grateful she had the opportunity to volunteer. 

With the bright orange t-shirts, it’s hard to miss the volunteers working during a cruise. Sydney hopes more Royal Caribbean cruisers know about the program in the future, as she was often approached with people asking questions and staring while she was caring for the child. 

Because these families are looking to have a normal cruise experience like everyone else, she’s hoping more people learn about the program and understand all it has to offer. 

By the end of the cruise, Sydney said the families told the volunteers they were angels on earth. They were over the moon with their cruise experience and so grateful for Autism on the Seas, saying they will never cruise without the program again.

Sydney said hearing this made the long days worth it, as she knew she was making a difference and helping each family member make lifelong memories.

To learn more: https://autismontheseas.com

To donate: https://autismontheseas.com/donate

One of the most popular Royal Caribbean cruise ships for a quick getaway is Mariner of the Seas, which currently offers 5 and 8-night sailings from Port Canaveral, Florida. 

Royal Caribbean’s ships are known for featuring onboard thrills that are sure to leave you wowed - and Mariner of the Seas is no exception. If you are considering a cruise on Mariner of the Seas, look no further than our planning and overview guide. 

You will find everything you need to know about Mariner of the Seas to ensure you are prepared to have your best cruise vacation yet.

Mariner of the Seas Overview

As the final ship built in Royal Caribbean’s Voyager class, Mariner of the Seas first hit the seas in 2003. During her debut, Mariner of the Seas was one of the first cruise ships to feature a rock climbing wall on the ship’s funnel and an ice skating rink onboard. 

At launch, Mariner of the Seas was one of the largest cruise ships in the world. While no longer the case, Mariner of the Seas is a perfect ship for weekend getaways. At 139,000 tons, Mariner of the Seas is considered a midsized cruise ship. The ship features 15 decks and holds nearly 4,000 passengers at full capacity.

One of the prominent features of Mariner of the Seas is its dazzling promenade deck, which spans the length of the ship and features shops, restaurants and bars. 

In 2018, Mariner of the Seas underwent an astonishing $120 million refurbishment. The ship was retrofitted with some of Royal Caribbean’s most popular thrills, like the SkyPad, Perfect Storm slide and Flowrider. The refurbishment also included the addition of new specialty restaurants and exciting dining options for cruisers.  

In fact, this huge upgrade was fueled by Royal Caribbean identifying a new trend in the cruising market: millennials looking for quick getaways. As such, Mariner's refurbishment was carefully planned to add countless onboard thrills for a cruise ship sailing to tropical locations, which is a game-changing experience for those wanting a short getaway vacation.

Mariner of the Seas Pool Deck

You won’t need to be docked in port to feel like you’re relaxing in a tropical oasis. Cruisers will find plenty of opportunities to relax, take in the sun and unwind with a cocktail on Mariner of the Seas' pool deck.

The top deck of Mariner of the Seas has two main pools with multiple hot tubs surrounded by sun loungers. Most of the time, you can find reggae-style music playing on the pool deck. There are 2 decks of chairs that surround the pool, so you can choose to be right next to the pool or on the top deck overlooking the open sea.

A large movie screen shines above the pool deck and plays everything from music videos to cinema hits under the stars. 

A double decker pool bar is nestled near the pool for easy access - perfect for those relaxing on a lounger. On the upper deck near the pool bar, guests can find trendy couches and even comfy, padded chairs. 

If you are looking for some diner-style grub, you can dine at Johnny Rockets on the upper pool deck (for a fixed-price fee). Those looking for a quick and complimentary snack can grab a hot dog from Boardwalk Dog House. You can build your own hot dog with multiple topping options and plenty of meats to choose from. 

Sweets lovers will love the all-you-can-eat ice cream machine on the pool deck. Nothing could be better than a cool, creamy cone on a hot vacation day!

At the front of the pool deck is the adults-only Solarium. Only guests who are 16 years and older can enjoy the Solarium, which makes this a wonderful place to indulge in some quiet time. 

Daybeds with canopies can also be found in the Solarium, which are complimentary. These are posh and comfortable spots to relax.

The Solarium features a pool surrounded by padded loungers and two hot tubs. Those looking to grab a drink will appreciate the convenience of the Solarium Bar, situated perfectly between the two hot tubs. 

While some cruise ships feature Solariums that are covered by glass domes, guests can enjoy direct sunlight onboard Mariner of the Seas in this space. 

Mariner of the Seas Dining Options

If one thing’s certain on your cruise, it's that you won’t go hungry onboard Mariner of the Seas. With a combination of both complimentary and specialty dining options, you won’t have time to likely try all of the food available onboard!

Whether you choose to dine only at complimentary venues or treat yourself to an upgraded dining experience in one of the specialty restaurants, there’re endless options for grabbing a bite to eat. 

Complimentary dining onboard Mariner of the Seas include the following:

Main Dining Room: Like all of Royal Caribbean’s ships, the main dining room offers complimentary meals in a classic sit-down style. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all served daily in the main dining rooms. 

Windjammer Marketplace: Another staple on Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships. The Windjammer servers up breakfast, lunch and dinner in buffet style. There’s infinite options here from burgers and pizza to international cuisine like curry. 

Cafe Promenade: Located in the central Royal Promenade, guests can find complimentary coffee, tea, pastries, snacks, pizza and sandwiches 24 hours a day. Perfect for your late night cravings!

Boardwalk Dog House: The first-ever food truck at sea serves up gourmet hot dogs for everyone to enjoy. Everything from sausages to hot dogs are available including a variety of condiments, salads and sides. 

Specialty dining is also plentiful onboard Mariner of the Seas. Some guests prefer to dine only at complimentary venues while others appreciate the quality and service afforded through the specialty dining options. These restaurants serve the highest quality food available onboard, although guests will have to spend extra to visit these venues.

As the name suggests, specialty restaurants focus on serving one type of cuisine and doing it exceptionally well. If you’re looking to have a special celebration or indulge in a romantic dinner, consider booking a reservation at one of these restaurants.

Specialty dining options onboard Mariner of the Seas include the following options:

Chops Grille: Styled as an American Steakhouse, Chops Grille specializes in serving hand-cut meat with appetizers like Maine lobster, sides like gruyere cheese tater tots and desserts like tangy key lime pie. 

Jamie’s Italian: Thanks to a partnership with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, Jamie’s Italian transforms classic Italian dishes into a trendy Tuscan-inspired experience. Homemade pasta and an epic meat plank can be polished off with indulgent tiramisu. 

Izumi Hibachi & Sushi: Everything from fresh sushi to delicious teppanyaki is served at Izumi. This Asian-inspired dining option offers a variety of hot and cold appetizers, entrees and desserts. With a full hibachi experience, you will leave feeling both full and wowed. 

Chef’s Table: One of the most premium dining options onboard, Chef’s Table provides an intimate opportunity for guests to enjoy a 6-course meal crafted personally by the ship’s chef. A white cloth dinner table spotlights a multitude of delicate cuisine offerings. 

Playmakers Sports Bar and Grill: Located in the Royal Promenade, this sports bar offers your game-day favorite bar snacks and drinks. You can enjoy a signature Playmakers burger and finish off with a five-scoop Touchdown Sundae or warm, gooey Campfire Cookie. 

Johnny Rockets: This 1950s diner-style restaurant offers American style favorites like burgers, fries, onion rings and milkshakes. 

Ben & Jerry’s: Offering plenty of iconic ice cream flavors, Ben & Jerry’s is available for purchase in the Royal Promenade and serves up cones, sundaes and milkshakes. 

Mariner of the Seas Bars and Lounges

Cruising with Royal Caribbean means you will find a seemingly endless number of places to grab a cocktail. You can't say you went on a cruise unless you indulged in a fruity vacation drink! Mariner of the Seas has a huge variety of bars and lounges, each offering a slightly different vibe. 

Each night, you can find live music happening inside Mariner's bars and lounges onboard. The bars and lounges also host plenty of activities including trivia, crafting, karaoke and more. 

Bars onboard Mariner of the Seas include:

• Schooner Bar (Piano Bar)
• The Bamboo Room
• Wig & Gravel Pub
• Britto Pool Bar
• Solarium Bar
• Sky Bar 
• Ellington’s Jazz Club
• Viking Crown
• Boleros (Latin-themed nightclub and bar)
• Connoisseur Club 
• The Plaza Bar
• Cloud Nine
• Casino Royale Bar
• Star Lounge

For the best panoramic view, The Crown Lounge is the perfect spot to grab a cocktail. You can enjoy 180-degree views of the pool deck and open sea. On the other hand, Boleros is a great spot for live music and dancing. The Star Lounge is a transformative space that hosts everything from game shows to karaoke and nightly dancing. 

One of the most unique features on Mariner of the Seas is The Bamboo Room. This Polynesian-themed tiki bar is located in the Royal Promenade and serves up spirited sips with exotic fruits and spices. The throwback vibes and crazy good cocktails are not to be missed. 

Things to do on Mariner of the Seas

I’ve sailed on Mariner of the Seas three times and each time was a wonderful and unique experience. This cruise ship is perfectly sized - not too big and not too small - and definitely offers a little something that everyone can enjoy. 

Even before her recent refurbishment, Mariner of the Seas had plenty of activities to keep cruisers busy; during her initial debut, she was the best that the cruise industry had to offer. After Royal Caribbean added some of its signature features during refurbishment, Mariner of the Seas now has enough amenities and onboard thrills to rival some of the newest mega ships at sea.

When you first look at Mariner of the Seas, you can’t miss the colorful Perfect Storm waterslides on the top deck. Made of two twisting slides, Typhoon and Cyclone sit three stories above the top deck and allow cruisers to go for a daring, dueling race from the top. You’ll even jet off the side of the ship while twisting and turning down the slides.

Centrally located is the SkyPad, which offers cruisers a virtual reality experience while jumping on a gravity-defying bungee trampoline. The SkyClimber is nestled nearby and features an enclosed climbing structure. 

The sports deck is located on the back of the ship and packed with plenty of opportunities to be active, including a rock climbing wall, mini golf course, laser tag, basketball court and Flowrider surf simulator. There are also hammocks and swings that fill in the surrounding areas - the perfect spot to catch your breath.

Deck 15 is home to Royal Caribbean’s newest escape challenge called The Observatorium while Studio B Ice Skating is located on Deck 3. Additionally, guests can enjoy outdoor movies, the casino, trivia, board games, fitness classes, dance lessons, ping pong and crafting. 

Adventure Ocean

Those cruising with kids on Mariner of the Seas will definitely want to check out Adventure Ocean. This is Royal Caribbean’s childcare program that accommodates even the littlest cruisers starting from 6 months old and all the way up to 17 year olds. 

Adventure Ocean on Mariner of the Seas focuses on giving kids the freedom and flexibility to follow their interests. Everything from craft stations to video games and science experiences are available for kids participating in Adventure Ocean. This is a great opportunity for your kids to have supervised fun and socialize with other cruising kids. 

The Adventure Ocean program is broken into 4 different age groups. This allows kids to have the most suitable programming based on age and developmental skills. Additionally, Teens have access to The Living Room, which is a trendy lounge meant to be a space for organized events or simply a fun spot for teens to meet and hang out. 

The breakdown is as follows:

• Babies (6-36 mo)
• Aquanauts (3-5 yrs)
• Explorers (6-8 yrs)
• Voyagers (9-12 yrs)
• Teens (13-17 yrs)

Adventure Ocean is complimentary for ages 3 and up, however there is also a $7 hourly charge that applies after 10PM. Nursery drop-off is also an extra charge for babies up to 36 months. 

Entertainment

When it comes to entertainment, Mariner of the Seas has two main venues: the Royal Theater and Studio B Ice Rink. 

The Royal Theater will host a variety of shows that are sure to leave guests wowed. From comedians to musicians and magicians, the evening shows are dazzling. Mariner of the Seas has one big production show called Gallery of Dreams, which tells the story of a young artist who travels the world and brings his sketches to life. 

Studio B also has one main production show called Ice Under the Big Top, a fierce and spectacular ice skating show featuring acrobatics, clowns and romantic antics. 

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Themed parties, live music and club DJs also keep the entertainment flowing throughout the day on Mariner of the Seas at a variety of venues.

Wellness and Relaxation

Mariner of the Seas features Royal Caribbean’s signature Vitality Spa and Fitness Center. Cruisers can indulge in a variety of spa treatments and attend various seminars in the Vitality Spa. Everything from massages to anti-aging treatments, wraps and acupuncture are available for purchase. 

Spa treatments are available for purchase both onboard and before boarding in the cruise planner. Guests can choose from a variety of treatments that vary based on length and technique. Of note, spa pricing is dynamic based on the sailing day and port. Sea days are inherently more expensive because of increased demand while port days usually offer discounted services. 

The Fitness Center is attached to the Vitality Spa and houses plenty of exercise equipment for complimentary use. Classes are also offered for an extra cost and include pilates, spin, sculpting and yoga. Cardio and strength training courses are available at no cost while spin and yoga are not complementary. 

Deck 12 also offers an outdoor running track for those looking to either run or walk along the top deck. 

Mariner of the Seas Staterooms

When you are booking your cruise on Mariner of the Seas, you’ll want to understand the different types of cabins available - and there’s a lot to choose from! Layouts and size can differ greatly onboard, so a little research can help you be prepared for what to expect when you board Mariner of the Seas. It’s also important to choose a cabin that fits your budget and your travel needs. 

Some people book staterooms with the intent of only using their cabin as a place to sleep and shower. Others like to use their stateroom more than that for relaxing and rejuvenating - the choice is yours. 

Regardless of which stateroom you choose, all cabins onboard Mariner of the Seas come with basic living amenities like a bed, shower, vanity and television. You will also find a chair or couch, closet, nightstands and cooler. North American and European outlets are standard in the cabin, although you will probably find it useful to have some sort of electronics or USD extender. 

Interior Cabins

Interior (or inside) cabins are the most basic staterooms available onboard Mariner of the Seas. These cabins do not have any sort of window, meaning you won’t get any natural light. These cabins have all the necessities you need for sleeping and showering. While smaller in space, you will find ample storage. \

Interior cabins provide an excellent value option for budget travelers or those looking to splurge on dining, drinking and exploring on excursions. You can also nap at any time of the day!

Interior Promenade

One of the most unique features of Mariner of the Seas is the central promenade. A twist on the standard interior cabin is upgrading to an interior promenade cabin.

These are technically inside cabins with the same amenities, but feature a window overlooking the ship’s bustling promenade. 

Oceanview Cabins

One step above interior cabins is oceanview cabins. While similar in size, oceanview cabins have a porthole window that gives cruisers views of the sea. There are plenty of oceanview cabins around Mariner of the Seas that can be found in a variety of locations on the ship.

Balcony Cabins

The most picturesque cabin on any cruise ship is one with a balcony and Mariner of the Seas is no exception. These cabins each come with a private balcony overlooking the sea. Each balcony comes with 2 chairs and a small table. These are more expensive than oceanview and interior cabins, but you can still snag a balcony cabin for a reasonable cost. 

Suites

The biggest and most luxurious cabins onboard Mariner of the Seas are the suites. These will give you the most space on board with some amazing amenities included, like access to the ship’s concierge lounge and priority boarding.

Onboard Mariner of the Seas, guests can book 1 and 2- bedroom Grand Suites, along with the Owners Suites and Royal Suites with Balcony. These incredible cabins will cost a premium, but offer the best accommodations onboard Mariner of the Seas. 

Royal Caribbean announced that the cruise line has extended its health protocols for European departures.

Health protocols have been extended for European sailings that depart on or before July 31, 2022. Travel advisors and passengers were notified of the update this week. 

The existing protocols have been extended without any notable changes to vaccine, testing and onboard health requirements.

Vaccine Requirements

Royal Caribbean requires all guests 12 years and older to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Guests must provide proof of vaccination with the final dose being administered no later than 14 days before sailing. 

Guests must have received their most recent vaccine dose no more than 9 months (270 days) ago. This includes either a booster dose or the final dose of the original vaccine series (or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson).

For clarification purposes, Royal Caribbean states that guests who have received a booster vaccine dose will qualify as up to date regardless of the amount of time that has passed since the dose was administered. 

Vaccines must be on the list of EMA-approved vaccines, which include Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and Nuvaxovid.

Children age 11 years old and under do not require Covid-19 vaccinations to cruise. Those aged 5 to 11 can choose to provide vaccination proof to be considered up to date for their sailing and follow health protocols of up to date guests. Children who have received only one dose of a vaccine will not qualify as fully vaccinated (unless they received Johnson & Johnson). 

The health protocols also encourage guests to be “up to date” on their Covid-19 vaccination per the European Medicines Agency (EMA). 

Of note, for sailings departing from Stockholm, the age requirement states that all guests 18 years and older are required to be fully vaccinated. 

Testing Requirements

All guests are required to present a negative Covid-19 test prior to boarding European departures. 

• Fully vaccinated guests must show a negative result for a PCR or antigen test no more than 2 days prior to boarding
• Unvaccinated guests must show a negative result for a PCR or antigen test no more than 1 day prior to boarding. 

Royal Caribbean continues to recommend that guests traveling from the United States take advantage of eMed antigen testing kits that provide supervised virtual video visits and can be accessed 24/7. 

Notably, guests traveling back to the United States are no longer required to present a negative Covid-19 test prior to flight departures. 

Depending on the departure port, testing requirements can vary slightly, so it's best to confirm country-specific policies before sailing. 

Onboard Testing

Royal Caribbean requires that unvaccinated guests (by EMA standards) or those not up-to-date with their vaccines will require additional testing during European sailings.

• Onboard testing will be at the expense of guests if they are 12 years or older and considered to be unvaccinated or not up-to-date. Tests are $55 USD each
• For unvaccinated guests age 6-11 years old who require testing, onboard testing will be complimentary
• Guests who are 2 years and younger will not require any testing
• Guests will receive registration information once onboard. Guests 12 years or older (6 years and older for Italian ports) will have additional requirements during the cruise. Additionally, these guests might be required to test prior to disembarking depending on country requirements

Masks

Royal Caribbean states that masks for fully vaccinated guests are optional onboard. The cruise line continues to recommend masks for unvaccinated children while onboard.

Guests under 2 years old will not be required to wear a mask at any time. 

In terminals, masks are optional unless required by the country’s local policies and regulations. 

Some destination ports might have masking requirements in place, which will need to be followed by guests. 

Policies remain subject to change.