With there being no actual Royal Caribbean cruises to go on currently, Royal Caribbean is inviting cruisers to have a virtual portrait of them taken from its private islands.

Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor posted on its Facebook page the opportunity for anyone to post an at-home selfie, and have the digital team at Royal Caribbean create a picture of them enjoying a day there.

You can choose between Perfect Day at Cococay or Labadee, Haiti, and this is totally free.

All you have to do is share a photo of yourself in the comments on the post, and the staff will transform you into a digital photo shortly thereafter.

Royal Caribbean sent an email to guests who are still waiting for a refund from a canceled cruise in order to apologize for the longer than expected time it has taken to process these requests.

Thousands of guests received emails expressing the cruise line's apology for how long it has taken, along with an explanation of why things have taken longer than expected.

Refunds were expected to take 30 days to process, but some refunds are taking up to 45 days.

In addition, Royal Caribbean has promised an update by May 6th, unless a refund has already been issued by then.

Currently, some refunds are taking up to 45 days. Please know that each and every request is receiving the same level of care and dedication. And rest assured, your refund will be honored and it is coming – it’s just taking a little longer than expected and we’re very sorry about that.

Royal Caribbean has cancelled dozens upon dozens of sailings since mid-March due to the global cruise suspension. Each time sailings have been canceled, guests have had the choice of a 100% refund or 125% Future Cruise Credit.

The delay in receiving refunds has prompted frustration among some guests, with plenty expressing their dissatisfaction with the delays online.

There are plenty of questions among cruisers in this time of a global cruise suspension, and Royal Caribbean shed a bit of light on some of these topics.

Earlier on Tuesday, Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed took questions from travel agents about a variety of topics that many guests are wondering about.

In addition to announcing a doctor's note is no longer needed for guests who are over 70 years old, a number of hot topics were hit during the question and answer session of the call, and here are the answers provided to concerns many readers have had as well.

Changes to buffets

One agent wanted to know how Royal Caribbean will handle guests going to the buffet once sailings start back up.

Royal Caribbean Director, Post Cruise Guest Relations & Shared Services, Laly Rodriguez, commented, "We're still ironing out some of the different details, as to whether there'll be folks serving. We might have different shifts for our buffets, and have different options taking place in our main dining venues. Those are still being worked out, but as soon as we know, you'll know."

Refunds

A very hot topic is when guests can expect to receive refunds for canceled sailings.

Ms. Rodriguez provided an explanation on the current refund situation, "When we first started with our global suspensions, we anticipated that refunds would take us about 30 days, but given the volume and being able to handle all the volume that we are receiving, it seems that we are closer to a 45 day window."

"We've been able to modify some of our processes, add things that we didn't have in the past, like bots processing the refunds; we've added resources to accounting; we've always been looking to speed this up"

"Your clients should be seeing their refunds in about 45 days, and hopefully with the next batches of suspensions that we've announced, the timing should get tighter and tigher."

In addition to the refunds being processed, Royal Caribbean will be sending a proactive apology communication to guests in order to explain how long it has been taking to get through all of the refunds promised.

"Seaface" mask trademark

Last week, I broke the news of Royal Caribbean's trademark of a name for a sanitary mask, and Ms. Freed was asked if there was any update on what this was all about.

There was not much information to share, but Ms. Freed had this to say, "Other than what I read on the RoyalCaribbeanBlog that we have a patent for it, I don't know anything else about it. I'm sure it will be adorable with Crown and Anchors, and whatever else designs we can come up with."

Ms. Rodriguez elaborated, "This whole situation has made us as a cruise line take on a bunch of other innovations that we've never thought we'd been in the business of taking on."

"This is one of a number of innovations that our team's are exploring as we look forward to safe and healthy and a fun return to cruise. So keep your eyes peeled for more hopefully."

Alaska cruises in 2020

When asked about cruises to Alaska this year, Ms. Freed offered an optimistic attitude, "Alaska's certainly a real possibility that we will be sailing there. The end of July, certainly I'm optimistic.

Pushing back final payment dates

Another question asked was if Royal Caribbean would shorten or change the final payment date due to the current situation.

Royal Caribbean Account Executive Brittany Yochum spoke to this concern, "At this time, we're not pushing back any of our final payment dates, especially because we do have the Cruise with Confidence policy out through the end of August."

Odyssey of the Seas update

Just like readers here, travel partners were curious if Odyssey of the Seas has any kind of update on the progress being made.

Ms. Yochum provided a brief update, "She is still being built, and we are definitely working on our way to still having her be delivered."

President's Cruise

Another question asked as if there would be any changes to Royal Caribbean's President's Cruise on October 25 out of Barcelona on Allure of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean's manager of the Sales Training Team, Renee Didier, answered, "The President's Cruise is still in our scope, and of course we're going to look forward to welcoming our guests onboard. So right now, we are still planning that cruise."

Following a swirl of rumors online about policies guests can expect once cruising resumes, Royal Caribbean spoke briefly to travel agents about the issue of guests needing a doctor's note in order cruise.

Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed spoke at the beginning of her webinar by addressing the need for a letter from a doctor for guests who are 70 years old or older, or have a pre-existing chronic medical condition.

"We found out that CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) did actually change this requirement on April 3rd. So a health form is no longer required for those travelers ages 70 plus, nor are there restrictions for those guests with underlying health conditions."

"In our current environment, everything can change at a moment's notice, so this is very fluid. But as of today, there are no requirements for doctor's notes."

"We are working on our return to service protocols, and they may look very different in the next couple weeks or months. Until that's finalized, we can't say for sure this is never going to happen, but we will keep you informed."

Ms. Freed's comment comes less than a day after a few travel agents spotted an updated list of boarding & health protocols, which was quickly taken down after being prematurely posted.

The post sent ripples through social media as guests and travel advisors began to wonder if these policies would indeed enter into practice.

Prior to Royal Caribbean suspending global sailings in March, the cruise line issued a notice it would deny boarding to any person age 70 or older, unless the guest provides written verification from a qualified treating physician that certifies the person has no severe, chronic medical condition and is fit to travel.

"According to CLIA," Ms. Freed reiterated later in the call, "a health form is no longer required for those travelers ages 70 plus, nor are there restrictions for those guests with underlying health conditions."

The Meyer Werft shipyard has released a brand new photo of the progress being made on Odyssey of the Seas.

Odyssey of the Seas is under construction in Hall 6 of the shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

Meyer Werft updates a new photo around once a week with a look at the general progress being made.

Odyssey of the Seas had her last block added earlier this month, and purely from these webcam photos, it looks like progress is steadily being made to the ship.

Odyssey of the Seas will be the cruise line's second Quantum Ultra Class ship, and is scheduled to debuts in November 2020 when she sails out of Port Everglades, Florida.

The Port of Galveston met on Tuesday to approve Royal Caribbean's proposal to delay construction of its new cruise terminal by a year.

The Galveston Wharves Board Meeting took place on April 28, where the Board of Trustees took a vote on item E10 of the agenda, and voted 6 to 1 to approve Royal Caribbean's amendment to allow Royal Caribbean a one year delay in building Cruise Terminal 3.

The new target completion date for the terminal is September 1, 2022. Neither the Port nor Royal Caribbean wanted to cancel the contract and felt the best option was the one year delay.

The one dissenting vote expressed a desire to explore other options before committing a one year delay in the project.

In late March, Royal Caribbean asked the Port of Galveston to delay the start of the new cruise terminal by one year.

Terminal 3 will be built on 10 acres of land at Pier 10, and will be used by Royal Caribbean.

The plan for Terminal Three was announced in December 2019, with the added bonus of Allure of the Seas moving to Galveston to begin sailings shortly after the terminal opened in November 2021.

There was no verbal mention or discussion of one presentation slide indicating Anthem of the Seas possibly moving to Galveston at the current Cruise Terminal 2.

Regardless if you are going on your first or fiftieth Royal Caribbean cruise, maximizing the experience is something everyone wants to do.

I love to share cruise tips, tricks, and advice, so that everyone can benefit from saving time or money (or both).

With that in mind, I have some of my favorite expert-level Royal Caribbean cruise hacks that repeat cruisers swear by.

More storage with magnetic hooks

While storage space on Royal Caribbean's newer ships has gotten better, you will find somewhere to stuff all of your things still at a premium.

One great trick is to invest in magnetic hooks that hold up things like jackets, dresses, hats, swimsuits, and pretty much anything you may have.

Since the cabin walls are all made of metal, you can stick magnetic hooks pretty much anywhere and greatly expand your storage options.

Here are some magnetic hooks you can order. (This link contains an affiliate link, which means I get a commission for purchases made. There is no additional cost to you.)

Plan for signature activities on embarkation day

One easy way to tell who has cruised before is to spot which guests are already hitting up the FlowRider, pools, and water slides on embarkation day.

It may not occur to new cruisers that these activities are open on embarkation day, or that lines for them are nearly non-existent.

In order to take advantage of the rock climbing, ziplining, or mini golf, be sure to pack (or wear) sneakers and athleisure wear.

If you are interested in aquatic activities, pack a bathing suit, flip-flops, and sunscreen in your backpack. You can typically find a bathroom near the pool areas to change in if your room is not ready yet.

Read more: 15 things to pack in your cruise carry-on

Skip a port day

Visiting the ports of call your ship will take you to can be a real highlight, but if you have been to these before, or perhaps do not see anything tremendously appealing, you could always stay onboard.

Royal Caribbean's ships offer a ton to do onboard, and long lines can make it difficult to "do it all" during sea days.

Long-time cruisers will often stay onboard during a port day in order to take advantage of discounts at the spa, wide-open pool decks, and short lines for signature activities.

Book early and reprice often

The tried and true strategy for cruisers who live in a country that allows price adjustments (United States, Canada, and others) is to book a cruise as soon as they know they want to go on that sailing, and then re-price if the fare drops.

Royal Caribbean allows cruisers to reprice their cruise at the lower cruise fare if the price for that cruise goes down at any time before the final payment date. As long as the price drops for the same ship and sail date that has been booked previously, and it is before the final payment date, guests can reprice their cruise as many times as they want.

Unfortunately, residents of the United Kingdom cannot use this strategy since local laws prevent price adjustments.

The final payment date for Royal Caribbean cruises is 75 days prior to the sailing date for 1-4 night cruise vacations and 90 days prior to the sailing date for 5-night or longer cruise vacations. The payment schedule for groups is different from that of individuals. 

The strategy of booking early and then taking advantage of price drops ensures you always have the lowest price, as opposed to trying to time a price drop later (which may or may not happen).

Arrive to the cruise terminal early

Royal Caribbean provides everyone with a boarding time in the afternoon, but many veteran cruisers will say in practice, boarding times are much earlier than what is stated. Royal Caribbean does this to help break up crowds.

When boarding does commence, Royal Caribbean will board their ships with Suite guests first, followed by guests based on their Crown and Anchor Society status, and finally, all other guests. Regardless of your status, the earlier you check in, the sooner you will board the ship.

The advantage of arriving at the cruise port early is you will likely find shorter lines, and board the ship sooner. That means your vacation begins sooner, and you will have more time on embarkation day to explore and have fun. 

Read more: 15 Royal Caribbean boarding process tips for a fast embarkation

Use breakfast room service as a wakeup call

While room service has a fee, there is still a complimentary continental breakfast option.

Not only does it mean you get coffee, danishes, and some fruit to start your morning delivered to your room for nothing extra, but a lot of cruisers will order breakfast room service as a sort of wake-up call.

Prior to the breakfast being delivered, room service will call ahead to ensure someone is awake, and that provides a good impetus to get up and ready and start the day.

Special requests at the main dining room

One of my favorite tips for the main dining room is not to assume that what you see on the menu is what you are limited to ordering.

The menu is a starting point, but the wait staff is willing and able to accommodate many different special requests.

Whether customizing menu items, coming up with allergy or dietary preference-friendly options, you should feel free to inquire about other options.

Most dietary requests can be handled onboard the ship, and with 24 hours notice, the waiters can usually accommodate most needs.

If you have a dietary restriction, then you may want to let Royal Caribbean know about them upfront.

Royal Caribbean can accommodate dietary needs such as food allergies, gluten-free, Kosher, low-fat, and low-sodium.

In addition, vegetarian meals (including Indian-style vegetarian) are available on all menus in the main dining room. Guests do not need to make a special request for these meals.

Lactose-free/soy milk, Ensure, and Kosher meals are available at no extra charge. All you have to do is notify Royal Caribbean at least 45 days prior to sailing (90 days for European/South American itineraries).

You may also send an e-mail request to [email protected]; please include in the e-mail the guests' names, booking number, ship name, and sail date. It's best to make requests like this at least 90 days in advance of your sailing.

What are some of your favorite Royal Caribbean vacation hacks? Let us know in the comments!

With thousands of cruisers receiving Future Cruise Credits to use due to canceled sailings, Royal Caribbean has added new options to its cruise booking process to simplify redeeming a Future Cruise Credit.

The new feature on RoyalCaribbean.com makes it easy for guests to apply the credit in multiple ways for new and existing bookings – for example, upgrading the stateroom, paying off existing bookings, or towards bookings already paid-in-full (receiving a statement credit). 

The online functionality introduced today provides a little extra flexibility to guests – redeeming FCC can be done in two clicks from the homepage, meaning no need to call.  The function is now front-and-center on RoyalCaribbean.com for guests, as well as within CruisingPower.com for travel partners, who continue to support their clients. 

When making a booking via Royal Caribbean's website, there is now a new option at checkout to redeem a Future Cruise Credit.

Similar to using a gift certificate at a retail website, below the credit card information is an option redeem a Future Cruise Credit.

In addition to the the option during the checkout process, Royal Caribbean's website main menu includes a link to redeem a Cruise Credit.

Once you go to that link, a self-service page provides another way to redeem the credits.

It should be noted that travel agents can also redeem Future Cruise Credits as well, and can help bypass these steps and save time for guests.

Thanks to Allen Agor for alerting us to this change.

Royal Caribbean sent an email indicating it will honor its Future Cruise Credits for a longer period of time so that guests can have more options to consider when using their credits.

Originally, Royal Caribbean advised that you had until December 31st, 2021 to re-book and sail using your 125% Future Cruise Credit. 

So, instead of selecting a sailing the departs on or before December 31, 2021, you may now select a sailing departing on or before April 30, 2022. 

This provides an extra 4 months of sailings to choose from, although the credit must be applied by December 31, 2021 to the sailing.

Royal Caribbean says the decision was made to give guests more flexibility in properly planning a cruise.

Guests who have already received a 125% Future Cruise Credit will not receive an updated email, but the change has been made in Royal Caribbean's system.

Among the many new additions to Oasis of the Seas is a signature escape room experience, known as Mission Control: Apollo 18.

Guests participating in the escape room try to solve a series of puzzles before time runs out, that requires them to man their stations from Mission Control and successfully launch Apollo 18 to the moon. 

The flight director of the renowned Apollo program, Gerry Griffin, applauded the immersive experience’s level of detail, including the escape room’s resemblance to Johnson Space Center's Apollo Mission Control Center in Houston.

Griffin toured the new escape when Oasis of the Seas resumed sailings in November.

This new video coincides with the Apollo 16 splashdown anniversary, in which astronauts John W. Young, Thomas K. Mattingly II, and Charles M. Duke Jr. were inside the Apollo 16 Command Module as it touch downed in the central Pacific Ocean to conclude their lunar landing mission on April 27, 1972. 

Image Credit: NASA

Apollo 16 was the tenth crewed mission in the United States Apollo space program, the fifth and second-to-last to land on the Moon, and the second to land in the lunar highlands.