UPDATE: This information is now out of date. Royal Caribbean has changed thier minds and has set up a form to take volunteer sign ups.

Ever since Royal Caribbean said it would need volunteers for its test cruises last week, there has been a flurry of interest, but the cruise line does not need the public help yet.

A week after sparking interest in new volunteers, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed, said the cruise line received an "enthusiastic interest" from the public to sign up as a volunteer, but Royal Caribbean has no need for public volunteers.

Ms. Freed told travel agents plans for its test cruises are still very much up in the air, and there is no way for the public to sign up for them.

"We don't know when these trials sailings are going to happen. We're working on a number of different game plans."

"We do know that we will initially have our employees and members of our operations team. But if we find the need to expand beyond our employee base, we are going to be honored to have some of our travel partners to help us on these cruises. So when that time comes, we will certainly let you know."

Ms. Freed said she received over 3,000 emails from travel agents, consumers, and repeat cruisers who were all interested in signing up as a volunteer.

As first reported by RoyalCaribbeanBlog last week, Ms. Freed talked about the possibility of volunteers being needed for test cruises and it sparked an avalanche of interest.

Despite Ms. Freed indicating details needed to be fleshed out on many aspects of these test sailings, that did not stop a lot of people picking up on the possibility of volunteer cruisers being required.

In addition, a multitude of media outlets picked up on the story, which poured gasoline on the fire of interest among cruise fans who have expressed a strong desire to get back onboard.

"We received an abundance of emails related to your willingness to wanting to volunteer for any upcoming trial cruises," Ms. Freed confessed to travel partners.  "And I have to tell you kept me very busy as well as many of our team members."

"But I do want to share with you, you do not need to send me any emails at this time."

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Michelle reached out to Royal Caribbean directly about signing up as a volunteer, but the cruise line gave her a similar answer that Ms. Freed shared.

In addition, over 500 people have overwhelmingly shared their interest in becoming a volunteer on the RoyalCaribbeanBlog message boards.

Royal Caribbean's sister brand Celebrity Cruises announced a major change on Tuesday that includes a number of add-ons that are now part of the cruise price, leading many cruise fans to wonder if Royal Caribbean might do the same.

Celebrity Cruises rolled out the "Always Included" plan, which means cruise fares now include automatically Wi-Fi, drinks and gratuity.  

The cruise line says they made this change in an effort to avoid "confusing promotions, complicated add-ons and limited-time offers."  

How Always Included works

Beginning November 17, 2020 all Celebrity Cruises sailings (except Galapagos cruises) will include WiFi, drinks, and gratuities.  

When you book a Celebrity cruise, your fare will include the classic beverage package, Wi-Fi for two devices, and gratuities as part of the price you pay for your stateroom. Prior to this change, these items cost extra, just like on Royal Caribbean.

You can optionally pay more for one of two upgrade packages that includes higher tier drinks, as well as other incentives.

In a statement, Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo called the Always Included plan a “new luxury” culture.

The appeal of this package is it includes a few commonly purchased add-ons that makes getting a sense of the "bottom line price" for a cruise a lot easier to understand.

Will Royal Caribbean do the same?

Including popular add-ons such as tips, a drink package and wifi is something that sounds appealing to Royal Caribbean cruise fans who would also like a simplified approach to cruise pricing.

Traditionally, Royal Caribbean's promotions tend to favor giving guests a discount on the cruise fare, and then allowing guests to add-on things like a drink package or wifi if they want it.

Prior to Always Included, Celebrity Cruises tended to offer promotions that offered cruise add-ons for free, while not touching the cruise fare.

In addition, Celebrity Cruises is usually grouped with other premium cruise lines, such as Princess or Holland America, whereas Royal Caribbean is a contemporary cruise line and tends to be grouped with Carnival and Norwegian.

Meanwhile, gratuities have been part of Royal Caribbean's cruise pricing in Australia for a few years because of the different customs surrounding tipping in that part of the world.

What has been traditionally done may be a moot point, because since the cruise industry shutdown earlier this year, we have seen plenty of offers that were unprecedented prior to the shutdown, such as double Crown and Anchor Society points for all 2021 cruises and unprecedented flexibility in cancelling cruises.

Royal Caribbean Group (the company that owns both Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises) has posted billion dollar loses the last few quarters, which means getting revenue flowing again is a major priority.  Thus, anything is possible.

Depending on how well the Always Included change increases bookings, the decision for Royal Caribbean International to move in the same direction may wait to see those results.

Do you want more inclusive pricing?

Since Celebrity made its announcement, plenty of cruise fans have already begun wondering aloud if a similar promotion for Royal Caribbean makes sense.

A discussion on the RoyalCaribbeanBlog message boards seems to have intrigued quite a few people.

JLMoran thinks this is a really smart move by Celebrity, "This is very smart on their part -- they've clearly been looking at what people have traditionally chosen when they chose the Sail Better (3 perks) option and I'll bet it was always those three."

cruisellama also likes the change, "Great idea.  I've been a proponent of that approach since the nickel and diming started a few years ago."

FionaMG thinks this sort of pricing would not benefit the way her family travels, "This move would ensure a minimum spend from guests like us who normally spend peanuts on top of the basic cruise fare. Not sure I want to play that game."

Royal Caribbean is offering a discount on cruise add-ons, such as drink packages, shore excursions and more, with its new sale.

The Deals on Cruise Faves sale runs between November 11 - 17, 2020 and is valid on sailings from January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021.

Here is what is included during the sale:

BEVERAGE: Up to 50% off 

• Classic Soda Beverage Package: 40% off onboard prices.
• Classic Soda Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Discount varies by ship.
• Dasani Water Cans: 40% off onboard prices.
• Deluxe Beverage Package: Discount varies by ship.
• Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Discount varies by ship.
• Refreshment Package: 40% off onboard prices.

SHORE EXCURSIONS: Up to 40% off

• Shore Excursions: Discount varies by ship.

INTERNET: Up to 65% off

• The Key: Discount varies by ship. (Excludes MJ)
• VOOM Surf + Stream Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.
• VOOM Surf Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship. 

DINING: Up to 55% off

• Unlimited Dining Package on 3N – 9N sailings: Discount varies by ship. (Excludes MJ)

GIFTS & GEAR: Up to 20% off (Excludes OY, VY)

• Anniversary Decorations with Champagne
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Chocolate Cake & Strawberries
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Vanilla Cake & Strawberries
• Inky Beach Set
• Inky Beach Towel (TicTacToe)
• Inky Travel Set
• Red Wine and Cheese
• Royal Caribbean Beach Towel
• Strawberries with Champagne
• White Wine and Cheese

PHOTO PACKAGES: Up to 70% off

• Photo Packages: From 5 - 100 print and/or digital options: discount varies by ship. (See full terms for exclusions)
• Photo Package: Private Photo Session: discount varies by ship. (See full terms for exclusions)

To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's web site look for any available offers. Keep in mind that not all sailings may see the sale applicable, nor are all offers significantly cheaper than previously posted.

If you spot a better discount on something you already pre-purchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same item under this promotion.

Royal Caribbean announced it has cancelled its Australia and New Zealand cruises on or before January 31, 2021.

Guests on affected sailings in January have begun receiving emails to inform them of the change.

The new set of cancellations applies only to sailings out of Australia and New Zealand through January 31, 2020.

Royal Caribbean had planned to resume cruises on January 1, but announced it had to cancel the cruises to prepare for its new health protocols.

"We want to ensure we have ample time to focus on our healthy return to service initiatives and to let you make alternative holiday plans."

"Royal Caribbean International will be extending our suspension of sailings, beyond that of the Australian government’s, to include sailings departing Australia and New Zealand on or before 31 January 2021. This is to allow guests booked on January sailings to make alternative holiday arrangements."

Guests who were booked on affected sailings will receive emails with compensation offers and choices of what to do.

The email to guests also thanked them for their understanding.

"We appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued loyalty. We will all come out of this stronger than ever. Stay healthy and safe. We miss our guests, and we’ll be ready to welcome you back soon."

Guests on the now cancelled cruises have the choice of three compensation offers:

125% Future Cruise Credit

125% Future Cruise Credit to book a new cruise by December 31, 2021 for sailings on or before April 30, 2022.

The FCCs will be sent via email by by December 18, 2020.

Lift & Shift

Select next year’s sailing with the same itinerary type, sailing length, stateroom category, and within the same 4-week window of the original cruise date, and you can take your existing reservation and move it to next year.

You must decide to move to a new sailing by November 25, 2020. If not, we will automatically issue you a 125% Future Cruise Credit.

Refund

If you prefer a cash refund, you can do so by requesting this option on-or-before March 31, 2020.

You can expect their refund to the original form of payment within 45 days from the cancellation date. 

FCC Used to Purchase: If you purchased your January cruise using a Future Cruise Credit and opt for a refund, the FCC will be reinstated for future use, under its original terms.

Royal Caribbean has released its Alaska 2022 cruises, which are available to book now.

In 2022, Royal Caribbean will send four cruise ships to Alaska, making it another big cruise season for the cruise line in the region.

Read more: Closer look at Alaska cruise 2022

New Alaska 2022 cruises are available to book between May and September 2022.

According to Royal Caribbean these new sailings are available for Crown & Anchor members on November 10, 2020, and the general public on November 11, 2020.

Ovation of the Seas returns to Alaska in 2022.  She will offer a transpacifc sailing from Sydney to Hawaii in April 2022, and then sail from Seattle and offer 7-night Alaska Glacier cruises.

Quantum of the Seas will also sail from Seattle, and offer 7-night Alaska cruises.  The Royal Caribbean website only lists one Alaska sailing for Quantum, so more could be loaded in later.

Both Quantum Class ships will vist scenic cities and towns along the Northwest coastline, including Victoria, British Columbia; Sitka, Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau, Alaska.

Radiance of the Seas returns to Alaska again to offer 7-10 night Alaska cruises that can also combine with Land Tours to offer immersive visits to Alaska, including in-land destinations such as Denali. Radiance of the Seas will sail from Vancouver, British Columbia.

Sailing alternating, open-jaw itineraries between Vancouver and Seward, Radiance will introduce a second northbound itinerary that includes a visit to Icy Strait Point – a port owned and operated by native Alaskans.

Rounding out the Alaska deployment will be Serenade of the Seas, which will sail out of Vancouver and offer 7-night Alaska cruises, as well as land tour options. Serenade even has a 7-night Multi Glacier Experience cruise for six weeks of the season.

Guests on board Serenade can extend their stay with Royal Caribbean’s signature CruiseTours, a series of 2- to 6-night pre- or post-cruise land tours led by local experts.

Radiance and Serenade of the Seas will further expand Royal Caribbean’s reach with a fresh take on 7-night itineraries anchored by visits to Haines, Sitka, Ketchikan, Juneau and Seward, Alaska.

View the full Alaska 2022 itineraries:

• Ovation of the Seas
• Radiance of the Seas
• Serenade of the Seas
• Quantum of the Seas

Be sure to consult the Royal Caribbean website or your travel professional for further assistance with itinerary options and booking.

More about Alaska cruises

• What is the best time to cruise to Alaska?
• What Is an Alaska Inside Passage Cruise?
• What to pack for a cruise to Alaska?
• Top 10 tips for planning your Alaska cruise
• 6 mistakes & 3 things we did right on our Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska

It is a new week and with it comes a new Odyssey of the Seas construction photo to share.

Meyer Werft shared a new webcam image of Odyssey of the Seas in Hall 6 of the shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

November 10 photo

Meyer Werft is back to updating its webcam just about once every week to show off the progress being made on Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship.

Odyssey of the Seas will be the second Quantum Ultra Class ship in the fleet, and the first to sail from North America and Europe.

Odyssey of the Seas is scheduled to sail in Spring 2021, beginning with a couple of early sailings in Southampton & Barcelona, and then spending the summer in Rome offering sailing Eastern Mediterranean cruises.

After her European opening, Odyssey will transition to the United States for her North American debut in November 2021.

There she will continue her inaugural year in Fort Lauderdale, FL with 8- and 6-night Caribbean itineraries.

While she was originally scheduled to begin sailings this month before construction delays impacted the timeline, Odyssey of the Seas is on scheduled to join the fleet for a Spring 2021 delivery.

Royal Caribbean Group confirmed in their third quarter business update that funds have been allocated for delivery of Odyssey of the Seas during the first quarter of 2021.

Odyssey will differentiate herself from other Royal Caribbean cruise ships by offering a "next generation SeaPlex" that will have the addition of this venue’s first Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade with club-level views of the competition below; a reimagined Adventure Ocean kids program and a maxed-out teen lounge with gaming consoles, music and movies.

Dining on Odyssey of the Seas will be top notch as well, with the ship offing Teppanyaki and Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar.

The cruise industry is undergoing a lot of changes that will fundamentally change how we approach cruises, and how we plan and book shore excursions is going to be among the most impactful.

While Royal Caribbean has not divulged its full list of new rules guests can expect when cruises resume in North America, limitations on shore excursions are a likely component to the cruise that could see big changes.

There are two compelling reasons to believe changes to how guests book and take shore excursions are coming, and what you should be doing now to prepare for it.

Healthy Sail Panel recommendations

The basis for the entire cruise industry's approach to a safe return to cruising are the 74 recommendations by the Healthy Sail Panel.

Over the summer, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings created the Healthy Sail Panel of health experts to create a framework for cruises to operate safely.

Five of the recommendations deal specifically with shore excursions, and a limitation on what tours guests can do is a major part of panel's recommendations.

Once guests get on a cruise, if the multi-layered approach to mitigating the spread of the virus does its job, that means the only real way to potentially introduce the virus on the ship is during port calls.

The panel recommends "during the initial return to sailing", any cruise line only allow guests to get off of a cruise ship if they, "participate in cruise line-sponsored or verified excursions as a way of limiting potential exposures in the destinations they visit."

Not only that, the Panel recommends should even go to the length of offering indoor excursions only if physical distancing, use of masks, and other recommended protective measures can be implemented.

What this all means is there are going to be limited shore excursions during the initial restart of cruises, and more competition among guests for tickets for tours.

It should be noted that Royal Caribbean has not yet formalized these Healthy Sail Panel recommendations into cruise line rules, but considering how heavily the cruise industry is leaning on the Healthy Sail Panel recommendations as their basis for being allowed to restart cruises, it is more likely (than unlikely) that these will become rules.

European cruises

The other big reason why you should expect a change in shore excursions is based on the first cruises that restarted in Europe.

MSC Cruises was the early champion of limiting tours to cruise line sponsored tours only, even going as far as to not allow one family back onboard the ship after they deviated from a tour.

Similar to the Healthy Sail Panel, MSC Cruises laid out a series of new rules and protocols aimed to keep guests safe onboard the ships, as well as prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes requiring guests only go ashore as part of an organized MSC Cruises’ excursion.

Just last month, Carnival Corporation brand AIDA Cruises prohibited a guest from returning from a shore excursion while in Catania, Italy because he left the organized tour group.

Both of these examples are important because the European cruises that have restarted sailing have largely been viewed as a success, due to the stringent new rules.

What you can do now

Shore excursions have always been a major part of the overall cruise experience, and in the next few months, how you approach planning tours is likely to change.

First and foremost, I would recommend not booking any shore excursions through a third party company until Royal Caribbean clearly specifies its plans for shore excursions.  If you feel compelled to still book a tour, be sure you can cancel for a full refund.

Next, you will want to keep an eye on the Cruise Planner site, where you can pre-book shore excursions prior to the sailing beginning.  If guests are going to be limited to cruise line tours, demand for them is sure to rise and that means excursions are likely to sell out faster than before.

Conversely, the other factor that may reduce the need to book tours as soon as possible is the fact Royal Caribbean will sail with a limited capacity initially.

Each ship will have its own capacity (which has not been divulged by the cruise line), but less people on a ship means less competition than what we may be used to with shore excursion bookings.

Nonetheless, it is a good idea to plan ahead more than ever for shore excursions. Not only will it allow you to guard against a tour selling out, you will also be able to take advantage of pre-cruise sales that discount the shore excursion's onboard price.

The first sailings back will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay only, but eventually cruises will stop at other ports of call, and this strategy will be important.

Limited tours are not forever

If you are reading all of this and upset at the changes, take solace in the fact these protocols are not intended to be in place indefinitely.

Royal Caribbean and the Healthy Sail Panel have said many of the new protocols are intended to be temporary, and when conditions around the world improve, these protocols can be relaxed and/or removed entirely.

The Healthy Sail Panel was sure to note the limitation in shore excursions was only meant for the initial return to sailing.

If you own Royal Caribbean stock, today is a great start to your portfolio for the week.

Royal Caribbean, and the entire travel sector, saw enormous gains in pre-market trading that has continued through the day thanks to positive news about COVID-19 vaccine trials.

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said early data from its coronavirus vaccine shows it is more than 90% effective, which is better than expected results.

Royal Caribbean's stock was trading at around 25% higher than its opening price, and thee momentum started with pre-market trading nearly as soon as Pfizer made its announcement.

Not only did the news buoy Royal Caribbean's stock, but other cruise lines saw similar gains as well.  In fact, travel industry stocks across the board have seen large gains on Monday.

Vaccine test results

Pfizer says the interim analysis looked at the first 94 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among the more than 43,000 volunteers who got either two doses of the vaccine or a placebo.

It found that fewer than 10% of infections were in participants who had been given the vaccine. More than 90% of the cases were in people who had been given a placebo.

The vaccine is being developed with German partner BioNTech had an efficacy rate higher than 90% at seven days after the second dose, which means protection is achieved 28 days after a person begins vaccination. 

The vaccine requires two doses. 

The reason why the 90% mark is such good news is because the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it expected at least 50% efficacy from any coronavirus vaccine.

In a press release, Pfizer said it plans to seek emergency use authorization from the FDA soon after volunteers have been monitored for two months after getting their second dose of vaccine, as requested by the FDA.

Pfizer said it anticipated reaching that marker by the third week of November.

Next steps for the vaccine

Phase 3 of Pfizer's vaccine trial has 43,538 people enrolled since July 27.  As of Sunday, 38,955 of the volunteers have received a second dose of the vaccine.

42% of international trial sites and 30% of US trial sites involve volunteers of racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds.

The final goal of the trial is to reach 164 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection.

Pfizer's approach relies on a new technology called messenger RNA, or mRNA, to produce an immune response in the vaccine.

The mRNA vaccine approach uses genetic material called mRNA to trick cells into producing bits of protein that look like pieces of the virus. The immune system learns to recognize and attack those bits and, in theory, would react fast to any actual infection.

It is not clear yet if this vaccine will become a yearly or season shot, as it is not clear if the vaccine will provide long-term protection.

Royal Caribbean not counting on vaccine yet

While the vaccine may prove to be a major weapon in the arsenal for combating COVID-19, Royal Caribbean's plans to restart cruises do not hinge on the vaccine quite yet.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain expects tests to have a greater impact on cruises than the vaccine in the short term.

"The advances are so significant that I believe in the near term we will see more benefit from testing than we will from vaccines in the near term."

Fain thinks the impact of a vaccine will take time, and in the meantime, new and better testing will make a quicker difference.

"Vaccines are the ultimate weapon against this virus and their development has been nothing short of amazing. But I do think it's likely that a vaccine will be available before the end of the year. But getting enough for widespread distribution is going to take probably until sometime in the spring."

"On the other hand, faster, cheaper and widespread testing will be much more impactful, much sooner. Widespread testing enables contact tracing, and it's the one two punch of testing and contact tracing that is so effective in limiting the community spread of the disease."

Royal Caribbean's cruise ships are safe from the wrath of Tropical Storm Eta, as any ships in the area have sought refuge in Bahamian waters.

Tropical Storm Eta made landfall over the Florida Keys, while impacting much of South Florida on Monday. 

Royal Caribbean Director / Chief Meteorologist James Van Fleet shared an update that Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruise ships are sticking close to shores of the Bahamas where the effects of the storm will be minimal.

Each of the ships have had their top decks locked down, anchors pulled up and bows of the ship pointed into the wind to minimize the impact.

Mr. Van Fleet shared that the ships are experiencing winds in the range of 40-65 knots, although he is expecting higher gusts.

Mr. Van Fleet also noted that the ships are "completely safe" in their current positions. He and his team discussed a variety of scenarios with the captain of each cruise ship to determine the best course of action.

Looking at the storm track and predictions helps Royal Caribbean minimize fuel consumption while there are no guests onboard.

So far my @RoyalCaribbean Ladies and @CelebrityCruise Sister’s in the #Bahamas are seeing winds right in the range we were anticipating, clocking between 40-65 knots. I am expecting some higher gusts so will share updates again tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/R8Ohln8fF3

— James Van Fleet (@JamesVanFleet) November 9, 2020

The maximum sustained winds of Tropical Storm Eta were 65 mph (100 km/h).  Its wind damage is not expected to be great, but it is bringing a significant amount of rainfall to South Florida. Radar estimates indicate that over a foot of rain has fallen over the past 2 days in some areas.

Eta could dump an additional 6 to 12 inches.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph Sunday night and made landfall on Lower Matecumbe Key around 11 p.m.

Royal Caribbean unveiled an unprecedented offer when it announced it will offer double Crown and Anchor Society points,

Never before has Royal Caribbean made moving up the ladder of its customer loyalty program so easy, and with this new policy came a lot of questions from guests on how exactly it all works.

With so many questions about this popular new incentive, here are answers to the most common questions you wanted to know about the double points offer.

What is the double points offer?

As the name implies, Royal Caribbean will give Crown & Anchor Society members double cruise points on sailings departing  January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022.

Loyalty 2X Points applies to new, individual, and named group bookings confirmed at prevailing rates, and existing bookings made for bookings made before  September 30, 2021 for sailings departing January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022.

How many points will I earn per night?

You will earn double the number of points per night as you would normally earn on a Royal Caribbean sailing.

Does my booking qualify for the double points offer?

This offer applies to named, existing bookings for sailings departing on January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022 booked before September 30, 2021.

Essentially, it is combinable with just about any 2021 or 2022 sailing.

In the first couple of days, there were exclusions, but those have been removed.

This benefit is being applied to existing bookings as well, so there is no need to rebook.

In addition, your Crown and Anchor Society member number must be added at the time of the booking to qualify for this benefit. 

Is double points combinable with other Crown & Anchor Society benefits?

Yes, the double points is combinable with your Crown and Anchor benefits, including the balcony discount.

When will I receive my double points?

You will get your double points just like you would before this offer, which is after making final payment in full and completing the sailing.

Typically Crown and Anchor Society points can take a week or two to be applied to an account.

What if my Crown and Anchor Society number is not on the reservation when I booked my cruise?

You must have your Crown and Anchor Society member number added to the reservation in order to take advantage of this offer.

Do all Crown & Anchor Society tiers qualify for the double points offer?

Yes, all existing members qualify for this offer, including Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle members.

Do I have to rebook if I already have a cruise booked to get the offer?

No, you do not have to rebook because this offer is automatically applied to existing bookings.

You just need to ensure you have your Crown and Anchor Society member number on your cruise reservation.

Just like an existing booking, the points will be applied upon the completion of the cruise vacation.