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The Royal Caribbean app is getting updates all the time, and some cruisers have noticed a change to the option to upload a photo of your Covid-19 vaccine card.
In September 2021, Royal Caribbean added a new way for passengers to upload a photo of their vaccine card directly into the app to speed up the check-in process in the cruise terminal.
The ability to upload a photo is not yet possible for every ship, but it is being offered on more ships once available.
When the feature was added in September, the app would immediately move your status to green to indicate you are done, but now cruise fans are noticing it changes to a gray hourglass status instead to indicate your card is being validated.
RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader David Beers reached out to Royal Caribbean to get an idea of what this change means exactly, especially as it relates to checking in for a cruise.
Jheanell Pagon from Royal Caribbean's Executive Office indicated the vaccination submission status has been updated so that the cruise line can manually check the validity of the card being uploaded.
"After reviewing your correspondence with our Port Operations team, they advised they recently deployed a new feature in the Guest Check-in App to include a Vaccination Submission Status. So now, the status We are validating your card is the normal new status you’ll see once you enter your vaccine record during Online Check-in."
"Once submitted, it then takes us 24 to 48 hours to approve since we are manually checking the validity of each card."
Guests will still need to bring their vaccine card with them, but taking the photo at home will allow the embarkation process to move just a little bit faster since the terminal staff will not have to take time to take photos of everyone's card.
Royal Caribbean's app is available on the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store.
Happy Halloween! I don't have any bad Halloween themed puns to include here, just the latest Royal Caribbean news to catch up on before you hit up the neighborhood for candy this evening.
The cruise industry got mostly good news this week when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it temporarily extended the Conditional Sailing Order.
The CDC announced a temporary extension of the rules and requirements for cruise ships through January 15, 2022.
While the cruise industry has an additional few months of regulation, the CDC intends to transition to a voluntary program in January, giving the cruise lines a bit more flexibility.
The 2021 Alaska cruise season was a short one, but we were able to check it out before it ended.
This week's podcast episode has a review of Ovation of the Seas' final sailing to Alaska this year from someone who had never cruised to Alaska before.
Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.
Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — Things people do on a cruise that I don't understand at all — and don’t forget to subscribe here.
Royal Caribbean cruises are affordable vacations for guests of pretty much any budget, which makes them an attractive way to vacation.
Whether you are going all out, counting every last penny, or looking for a reasonable value, there are options that should fit into any family spending plan.
Here is a look at tips and tricks for how to plan a memorable cruise vacation on a low, moderate, and high budget.
Royal Caribbean Group's third quarter earnings call on Friday with analysts was full of tidbits that provided insight into what cruise fans and Wall Street investors alike should expect in the coming months.
After releasing its quarterly financials, a trio of Royal Caribbean Group executives took questions from investment firms about the company's health. Included on the call were:
While the call primarily dealt with discussing fiscal health and the financial outlook, some answers gave operational insight that is of interest to cruise ship guests.
There was a conscientious effort by Royal Caribbean to get more cruise ships back in service first, over trying to max out how full the ships were.
Anyone who went on a cruise this summer and fall definitely noticed the limited capacity onboard, which was almost always well before half full.
Mr. Fain talked about why they wanted more ships back sooner, "Like the pilot of a plane during takeoff, prioritizing speed over altitude, we have prioritized spreading the wealth."
"We have prioritized starting up more ships even with lower loads per vessel, rather than trying for higher load factors on fewer ships. We have been executing this in a financially and medically prudent manner."
He pointed out that in January 2022 the major booking season for cruise begins, and Royal Caribbean Group wants their core markets operating normally as quickly as possible. He believes with as many ships as they have ready to go in January, this will position the company well financially.
"That will put us in an excellent position to have a good wave period. Our bookings are already showing that the public has a great deal of pent up demand and is eager to travel again. We have a long period of poor bookings to make up for, but current booking trends give us a high level of confidence for 2022, especially from the summer on."
Royal Caribbean has been quietly increasing the capacity of its ships even as early as October, as evidenced by cruise passengers who reported seeing sailings with more than 50% capacity.
During the call, Mr. Bayley mentioned Freedom of the Seas sailed at 85% occupancy.
"We've brought back significantly more capacity, ships, beds and berths, than any of our competitors by a significant amount. And what that means is that operationally and logistically, we've already climbed over that mountain and we've now got a large number of our assets available for booking. And more importantly, we've now gone through and absorbed all of those expenses."
So when might Royal Caribbean truly get back to full capacity across the board?
Mr. Liberty said somewhere around summer 2022 is the plan for now, "We are kind of preparing our business to maximize our revenues and profitability in this very kind of lucrative peak summer season."
One of the major obstacles to get more customers back on cruise ships are the Covid-19 protocols that are necessary right now, either as mandated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or by the cruise line. So when will those change?
One investor asked Royal Caribbean how they were thinking about vaccine mandates across different age demographics into next year.
In replying, Mr. Bayley provided a glimpse into Royal Caribbean's relationship with the CDC, as well as when protocols could change.
"I think what's what's happened over this past several months is that we've really got a a focused, collaborative effort and we found the relationship with the CDC has been very constructive."
"While the CSO comes to a kind of a technical end on January the 15th, we will continue our ongoing collaboration with the CDC in terms of the protocols that will voluntarily operate after the CSO expires."
"They certainly, and we, want to make sure that we're operating safely and they're also well aware that some of the protocols that we have in place will naturally fall away as the pandemic moves further and further in the rearview mirror."
"I think as we move into '22, hopefully what we'll see is is the protocols become easier and less cumbersome for our customers."
Royal Caribbean announced its first world cruise to sail in 2023, and if you were wondering who would realistically book a 9 month cruise that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, the answer was clearly a lot of people.
Within the first 10 days, the cruise was only bookable by repeat cruise guests, and Mr. Bayley indicated already it is 70% booked.
"Within seven days we were 70 percent booked and the average price of a balcony room is $75000 for the balcony. The Royal Suite sold within a week at $760000, and all of these suites have booked with non-refundable deposit."
Mr. Bayley admitted they were surprised how well it sold, "Even we were taken aback by the unbelievable response of our royalty customers. The fact that within a week we were 70 percent booked on a ship that carries around 2,100 guests and is on a nine month world cruise was just remarkable, and I think that's indicative of what we're we're seeing."
One investor asked Royal Caribbean for an update on its port projects that it had announced before the pandemic.
Mr. Bayley reiterated some of the short term projects that are still moving ahead, "We did obviously have a plan in place. Pre-pandemic, we pressed pause. We're now re-engaging on all of those plans in the immediate future."
Hideaway Beach
"We have an expansion taking place in perfect day with the addition of Hideaway Beach, which is a new experience that will open in late '22 for Perfect Day."
"The beauty of Hideaway Beach is that it is an adult only area as part of Perfect Day. It will allow us to increase our capacity by approximately 3000 people a day in late 22, which is, you know, obviously going to help improve our overall profitability and drive more more revenue, both both ticket and on board."
Nassau Beach Club
"We're close to finalizing the design and construction plans and the approvals for Beach Club in Nassau, which were we're hoping to start work on that very soon."
Galveston terminal
"We've got a Galveston terminal that's opening in '22 and that will accommodate our Oasis class ships and then future Icon. And of course, that gives us remarkable access into the Texas, Oklahoma and that whole region as a market for drive into."
Anyone with a Royal Caribbean cruise booked for early 2022 will now have more flexibility in changing plans, as well as when they have to pay it.
Royal Caribbean informed travel agents on Friday of a number of changes related to guest-facing programs, many of which have been well-received by guests.
Here is a breakdown of the major changes just announced.
The Cruise with Confidence program has been extended yet again.
The Cruise with Confidence program will expand to reservations confirmed on or before December 17, 2021 and sailing through April 30, 2022.
This program allows guests to cancel a cruise up to 48 hours before their sail date with no penalty in exchange for a 100% Future Cruise Credit.
Cruise with Confidence was introduced at the beginning of the cruise industry shutdown in 2020, and was designed to give guests peace of mind that they can change their plans after final payment date.
Ordinarily, guests would incur a penalty for canceling a sailing beyond the final payment date, which is typically 90 days before a sailing commences. Cruise with Confidence provides a great deal more flexibility to change minds with no penalty.
Included with this extension is the Best Price Guarantee, which allows guests to reprice their sailing up to 48-hours prior to the sail date if the price drops.
Credits accrued from the Cruise with Confidence program must be redeemed by April 30, 2022 on sailings departing on or before December 31, 2022, or 1-year from the original sail date, whichever is later.
The final payment due date on sailings departing through March 31, 2022 will now have until 30 days prior to sailing to submit full payment.
The change was made to give guests more flexibility in deciding if they want to cruise without forcing a cancellation earlier.
Royal Caribbean said they will not inform guests directly of this change, so that travel agents can do so if they choose.
"Rest assured, no action is needed on your part, and no cancellations will occur until the new final payment date."
Ordinarily, final payment date for a cruise is 90 days before sailing.
One more extension is for Royal Caribbean's COVID-19 Assistance program, which covers passengers if anyone tests positive within 14 days of the cruise, or while onboard.
Vaccinated guests and children not yet eligible to be vaccinated who are sailing on or before April 30th, 2022 will have the following COVID-19 Assistance at no extra charge.
A new expansion at Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas will cater to adults.
In September 2021, Royal Caribbean teased a new expansion coming to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Hideaway Beach.
The announcement confirmed the expansion and name, but no other details.
During an earnings call with investors on Friday, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO confirmed Hideaway Beach will be an adults-only area.
"We have an expansion taking place in perfect day with the addition of Hideaway Beach, which is a new experience that will open in late '22 for Perfect Day," Mr. Bayley said while talking about port projects on the books. "The beauty of Hideaway Beach is that it is an adult only area as part of Perfect Day."
Mr. Bayley said the new area will increase the capacity of the private island by "approximately 3000" passengers.
Mr. Bayley also added that Hideaway Beach will help improve the cruise line's overall profitability and drive more more revenue, which seems to indicate Hideaway Beach will have an extra cost.
The choice of an adults-only was part of a survey sent to some guests in late September for what sort of activities they would want see added to the island experience.
Hideaway Beach will be located on the western end of the island in a cove area that is slowly being developed.
The western end of the island is undeveloped land, as well as backstage storage and lodging, but it appears those operations can be relocated.
This will be the first expansion of CocoCay since the pandemic, and first since the Coco Beach Club was completed in early 2020.
Not only is another Royal Caribbean cruise ship restarting sailing today, but a new homeport is making a return as well.
Explorer of the Seas will conduct her test cruise on Friday from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
It appears the test cruise will run between October 29 to October 31.
Explorer of the Seas will be the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to restart operations from San Juan since it shut down operations in March 2020 due to Covid-19.
Explorer will set sail from Puerto Rico with a seven-night itinerary, stopping in San Juan; St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI); St Croix, USVI; Phillipsburg, St. Maarten; Castries, St Lucia; Bridgetown, Barbados; Basseterre, St. Kitts; and returning to disembark back in San Juan.
This is another simulated cruises required by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) as part of its phased approach to cruise ships restarting in the United States.
Royal Caribbean has been systematically getting its cruise ships back in service by staffing them up, operating a test cruise, and then once they get approval from the CDC, beginning revenue sailings.
The purpose of a test cruise is to demonstrate to the CDC that the onboard health protocols can work, and keep crew members and passengers safe.
Explorer of the Seas is the latest Royal Caribbean cruise ship to undergo a test cruise, which have been successful on all the other ships that have conducted them.
If the test sailing goes well, Explorer of the Seas could be ready for her first scheduled voyage on November 7.
A simulated voyage (also known as a test cruise) is when Royal Caribbean operates its ships without paying passengers in order to demonstrate the Covid-19 protocols onboard are effective.
Test cruises also serve a dual purpose for the cruise line, as a way to give returning crew members a chance to prepare for paying guests later.
The CDC requires ships starting back up to go through a series of steps that prove the new health protocols onboard and simulate a few scenarios to ensure the ship and crew are prepared for any Covid-19 issues that could occur.
The CDC gives cruise lines the option of completing these requirements over one or multiple sailings, but thus far, Royal Caribbean has always completed its test sailings in just a single voyage.
Some cruise lines required at least 95% of its passengers be fully vaccinated, but Royal Caribbean has not and that is because of the line's dedication to families.
Royal Caribbean has been adamant that it wants families to be able to cruise, including children who are not old enough to get the Covid-19 vaccine.
As a result, Royal Caribbean decided to take the extra time to do test cruises so that it could continue to welcome children onboard its ships.
Royal Caribbean International's senior vice president of Hotel Operations, Mark Tamis, called the decision "obvious" given how many kids sail with Royal Caribbean, along with the cruise line's dedication to remaining a family brand. "A good 20 to 25 percent of our guests are kids."
Royal Caribbean Group released its third quarter 2021 financial results, which reflect a $1.3 billion loss while restarting more than half of its ships.
In fact, Royal Caribbean Group was able to get two-thirds of its ships back in operation, although the Delta variant of Covid-19 delayed booking progress.
The company championed a few key statistics from the quarter before diving into its financials:
Royal Caribbean Group posted a $1.3 billion loss for 2021, compared to a $1.3 billion loss in the third quarter of 2020.
The Company also reported Adjusted Net Loss of $(1.2) billion or $(4.91) per share for the third quarter of 2021 compared to Adjusted Net Loss of $(1.2) billion or $(5.62) per share in the prior year. The Net Loss and Adjusted Net Loss for the third quarter of 2021 are the result of the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business.
The good news is 11 more cruise ships returned to service, which means there are now 40 cruise ships across all the Royal Caribbean Group brands operating today. This represents 65% of the fleet capacity have restarted cruises.
The Company also reported Adjusted Net Loss of $(1.2) billion or $(4.91) per share for the third quarter of 2021 compared to Adjusted Net Loss of $(1.2) billion or $(5.62) per share in the prior year. The Net Loss and Adjusted Net Loss for the third quarter of 2021 are the result of the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business.
Cruise ships that operated the Group's core Caribbean, Alaska, and Europe itineraries in the third quarter achieved a load factor of 44%. Core itineraries exclude sailings during the early ramp-up period of up to four weeks and also exclude specialized itineraries implemented during the COVID period (e.g., Singapore, Cyprus).
Total revenues per Passenger Cruise Day in the third quarter was up 12% versus record 2019 levels driven mainly by strong onboard revenue performance.
Royal Caribbean Group says it will move load factors up to 65-70% during the fourth quarter.
The Group expects all ships on core itineraries in the fourth quarter will be cash flow accretive even when including start-up costs.
By the end of the year, the Group expects that 50 out of 61 ships will have returned to service, representing almost 100% of core itinerary capacity and approximately 80% of worldwide capacity.
The remaining ships are expected to return by the spring of 2022 and return to historical load factors in the third quarter 2022.
They believe Mainland China cruises will resume in the spring, albeit with lower load factors.
Royal Caribbean Group highlighted the fact the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a plan to transition the Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) to a voluntary program.
Mr. Fain said of the change, "We are very pleased with the continued and constructive partnership with the CDC and the U.S. government's COVID-19 interagency group."
"This is a great example of how close collaboration between the cruise industry and the CDC results in health and safety protocols that have demonstrated cruising can be one of the safest forms of vacation," Fain continued.
While the Delta variant had a negative impact on cruise bookings, Royal Caribbean Group said booking volumes have improved "significantly" since the slowdown.
The Company attracted more bookings in the third quarter compared to the second quarter. September was particularly strong, with new bookings for 2022 sailings more than 60% higher than the monthly average during the second quarter.
Sailings for the full year 2022 are booked within historical ranges and at higher prices than 2019.
"As cases have come down, demand has come surging back. Consumers are showing their resilience and desire to vacation, and the growing affinity of Royal Caribbean's leading brands, ships and crew. Although there are many uncertainties going forward regarding COVID-19, as well as cost and supply chain pressures, we continue our pathway forward and anticipate positive cash flow for the Group by spring of 2022 and generating positive earnings for the full year 2022," said Jason T. Liberty, Executive Vice President and CFO.
As of September 30, 2021, the Company had approximately $2.8 billion in customer deposits. The comparable figure for the three brands at the same time in 2019 was $3.1 billion. This represents an improvement of about $400 million over the past quarter despite the $300 million of revenue that was recognized during the quarter.
Approximately 35% of the customer deposit balance is related to FCCs compared to 40% in the prior quarter; a positive trend indicating new demand. Customer deposits for second quarter 2022 forward sailings are higher than at the same time in 2019.
Royal Caribbean is bringing back some of the perks it had previously altered for its VIP treatment program guests can purchase.
RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader, Teresa McChane, received an email from Royal Caribbean before her Freedom of the Seas cruise this coming weekend with a look at her benefits for purchasing The Key, and there are two notable changes.
First and foremost, the option for early check-in at the cruise terminal has returned.
According to the email, guests who bought The Key can arrive to the cruise terminal between 11:00am - 11:30am instead of at the appointment time they received after checking in for their cruise online.
If passengers that purchased The Key are not able to make the early access window, they should arrive within their appointment time and will receive priority access into the terminal.
There will be a signage for guests who bought The Key at the cruise terminal so they can get their priority access.
In addition, the embarkation day meal is back in the Main Dining Room, which features a welcome lunch provided by Chops Grille.
The embarkation day lunch is available between 12:00pm - 1:30pm.
Finally, Royal Caribbean has also brought back the private debarkation á la carte breakfast, replacing the "grab and go" breakfast option.
A few weeks ago, Royal Caribbean brought back The Key to its ships, but with more restrictive changes than what is shown for this upcoming sailing.
Instead of true early access, guests still had to arrive at their booked arrival time.
Royal Caribbean had also swapped the embarkation day welcome lunch in the main dining room for complimentary room service for the duration of the cruise and 25% off onboard dining purchases.
The complimentary room service and 25% off onboard dining purchases benefit still remains, even with the welcome aboard lunch offered again.
The price of The Key varies, and starts at $25.99 per day, per person, although there can be discounts available to bring that price down.
All guests over the age of 6 in the same room must purchase The Key.
Royal Caribbean Group announced on Wednesday a new initiative to make its cruise ships as eco-friendly as possible by reducing net zero emissions by 2050.
"Destination Net Zero" is the name of the new program that the company is calling its collective effort.
There are two primary objectives in its pledge to pursue science-based targets:
A comprehensive decarbonization strategy is behind how Royal Caribbean Group will get there, and executives feel now is the time to get moving on that goal.
"Decades ago, we set out on a course to advance sustainability; our vision now is to realize carbon-free cruising over the next two decades," said Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain.
"Today we are announcing the most important destination of all in our company's history – Destination Net Zero – an ambitious strategy to cut emissions, protect our oceans, and ensure the viability of the hundreds of destinations that our guests and crew members care deeply about."
Over 18 to 24 months, Royal Caribbean Group will develop goals to be validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
The work will begin following the publication of SBTi's marine transport methodology. Science-based targets show companies how much, and how quickly, they need to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to help limit global warming.
The company will set key milestones to ensure they are making progress, one of which will be the delivery of a net zero cruise ship by 2035.
Thanks to optimized hull design and system upgrades such as AC chillers utilizing 30-40% less energy, Royal Caribbean Group has consistently delivered a new generation of ships 20-25% more efficient than their predecessors.
To reach their goal of net zero emissions, Royal Caribbean Group will pull a lot of levers, including a few already announced. SilverSea Cruises will launch the first hybrid-powered ship set to debut summer 2023, and a wind farm in Kansas will offset up to 12% of the company's scope 1 and 2 emissions per year.
Destination Net Zero's four-pronged approach includes: