Royal Caribbean has issued new safety protocols to its crew members that are working on its cruise ships to help stop the spread of COVID-19 outbreaks onboard.

In the wake of at least 14 crew members on Oasis of the Seas confirmed to be infected, Royal Caribbean has issued new safety guidelines.

According to Crew-Center.com, the letter passed to crew on Navigator of the Seas includes these 10 new rules:

1. Only crew that are assigned to work can leave their room
2. Crew that are not working MUST STAY in their room. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action up to termination.
3. Smokers are NOT ALLOWED out of their rooms to smoke. Smoking in the cabin is also NOT ALLOWED. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action up to termination.
4. Food and water will be delivered to your room, the menu selection will be on your television.
5. In-room movies will be available within few hours, please be patient as we need to add you into the system first.
6. Please treat the room with respect, keep it clean and tidy. This is still a guest stateroom.
7. Fresh linen and toilet paper will be provided.
8. The moment you experience and of the following symptoms call the nurse on duty: High Fever, Coughing, Breathing Problems.
9 We will continue with our twice-daily temperature check, your management team will come to you, DO NOT leave your cabin.
10. Keep your self healthy by practicing good hygiene and wash your hands as often as possible.

All Royal Caribbean ships are currently shut down from cruising with guests. There are only crew members onboard maintaining the ships until regular sailings resume.

Royal Caribbean reiterated its commitment to its crew members and their safety in a statement, “The health and well-being of our crew is our foremost priority. Crewmembers who exhibited symptoms were evaluated by our medical staff and remain under close supervision. In accordance with our health and safety protocols, our crew have been asked to self-isolate in cabins while we await confirmation of initial results from public health authorities.”

Royal Caribbean hopes to resume sailings on May 12, 2020 to some destinations.

There are a lot of cruise fans who are stuck at home and dreaming of the day they can get back onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise, so former Cruise Director Abe Hughes decided to offer a virtual cruise for them.

Dubbed "Virtual of the Seas", Hughes crafted a daily Cruise Compass to provide his friends at home activities that would not only keep them occupied, but were similar to the sort of activities you would find on a cruise.

Hughes is no longer a Cruise Director, although he does still work for Royal Caribbean in their sales department supporting travel agents near his home in the midwest.

Each day, there was a new Cruise Compass for anyone interested to read that had activities they could do at home, as well as collaborate online.  This included Sudoku, trivia, napkin folding and more.  

Each evening, Mr. Hughes hosted a Facebook Live session of his morning show recording that he used to do onboard the ship.

The idea proved so popular, that Royal Caribbean announced Virtual of the Seas will sail again, with a 4-night "cruise" that begins on March 30.

All aboard! We’re craving a change of scenery and are embarking on a virtual cruise. Join Abe Hughes starting tomorrow as he takes over for the week. Because when you can’t actually travel the next best thing is to go virtual from the comfort of your couch. #VirtualoftheSeas pic.twitter.com/t6Q6utGxPY

— Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) March 30, 2020

You can follow Abe Hughes on his Facebook page and join in on the second sailing of Virtual of the Seas!

Next week's Zoom conference call can have a Royal Caribbean feel to it with one of a dozen new Zoom backgrounds the cruise line released.

With more and more people relying now on virtual meetings held with the popular Zoom application, Royal Caribbean released new virtual backgrounds anyone can start using.

The virtual backgrounds include scenes from Perfect Day at CocoCay, the Coco Beach Club, Navigator of the Seas, Schooner Bar, Alaska, Royal Promenade and more.

The backgrounds can be downloaded via this link.

How to enable a virtual background

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. Click My Meeting Settings, if you are an account administrator or Meeting Settings, if you are an account member.
3. Navigate to the Virtual Background option on the Meeting tab and verify that the setting is enabled. 

Notes:

• If the setting is disabled, click the Status toggle to enable it. If a verification dialog displays, choose Turn On to verify the change.
• If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at either the Group or Account level, and you will need to contact your Zoom administrator.

You can refer to the full Virtual Background help document for specific requirements and options to enable it.

Royal Caribbean has asked the Port of Galveston to delay the start of construction on a brand new cruise terminal by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Daily News reports Port Director Rodger Rees delivered the request to the Wharves Board of Trustees, and it will be discussed at an upcoming meeting on Tuesday.

Mr. Rees specified that the delay is not official yet and that the port and Royal Caribbean must agree on new terms.

In the early days of the pandemic, Royal Caribbean announced it was taking certain steps to improve its financial situation, including reducing capital expenditures.

Mr. Rees also indicated that Royal Caribbean wants to build the new terminal, just not this year.

In December 2019, Royal Caribbean and the Port of Galveston signed a long-term agreement to build a $100 million 150,000-square-foot cruise terminal.

Prior to this proposed delay, the new terminal was slated to open in November 2021.

The new cruise terminal will be big enough to handle Royal Caribbean's largest cruise ships, including an Oasis Class ship or the new Icon Class ships slated to debut in 2022.

In coordination with the new terminal, the cruise line was planning on homeporting Allure of the Seas in Galveston, beginning in 2021.

Approximately 14 crew members on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas have tested positive for coronavirus.

The Miami Herald is reporting a recording by the ship's Captain confirms the presence of COVID-19 onboard.

Oasis of the Seas has no guests onboard. Royal Caribbean suspended operations for at least 60 days beginning in mid-March.

Crew-Center.com reports the crew that have tested positive will remain onboard, and other enhanced measures will take place to prevent the spread of the virus.

Royal Caribbean said in a statement: “The health and well-being of our crew is our foremost priority. Crewmembers who exhibited symptoms were evaluated by our medical staff and remain under close supervision. In accordance with our health and safety protocols, our crew have been asked to self-isolate in cabins while we await confirmation of initial results from public health authorities.”

Oasis of the Seas is currently sailing around The Bahamas.

The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has forced Royal Caribbean to cancel 30 days of sailings two times, which has impacted thousands of people who have had their vacation plans disrupted. 

The need to limit the spread of COVID-19 among the cruising public is an understandable safety precaution, and it is entirely possible more sailings may need to be cancelled in the future.

Many cruisers are wondering if their upcoming cruise will be cancelled, and if it does here is what you need to know.

Decide which refund offer you want

The first decision you will have to make if Royal Caribbean cancels your cruise is which refund option you prefer.

With the first two sets of cancelled cruises, Royal Caribbean has offered guests the choice of a 100% refund or a 125% Future Cruise Credit.

There is no wrong option, it boils down to do you prefer to get your money back in cash, or take advantage of a generous credit that can be applied to a cruise in the future.

If you know you will cruise again, the 25% bonus could mean moving up to a nicer stateroom or going on a longer sailing. Of course, a refund means money back in your pocket sooner and perhaps that is more of a concern in the short term.

Keep in mind all of these options are if Royal Caribbean makes the decision to cancel your sailing.  If you decide to cancel your cruise because of coronavirus before Royal Caribbean does, then you are subject to different terms.

Don't call

Unfortunately, Royal Caribbean's call centers have been inundated with people calling to get answers and solutions to a variety of concerns, which has resulted in significantly longer hold times.

Resist the urge to call Royal Caribbean immediately when your cruise is cancelled. The cruise line will provide you with ample time to decide on which refund option you wan to select, so there is no need to sit on an extended period of time on hold to get your choice made.

Better yet, if you used a travel agent, you will need to have them do this on your behalf.  I have always been a major advocate of using a travel agent, and in these times of long hold times, having a travel agent do the work is such a great benefit to the customer.

Pre-cruise purchases will be refunded

Cruise add-on costs are automatically refunded back to you, so there is no need to do anything when it comes to the drink packages, WiFi, dining packages or shore excursions you booked.

Some people prefer to cancel them immediately via the Cruise Planner site to get the ball rolling on the refund being processed, but I do not believe it is a critical decision to make.

Purchases made via the Cruise Planner are the first refunds to be processed, and seem to come back to the original form of payment well before the cruise fare.

Don't forget to cancel flights, hotels and transportation

While Royal Caribbean may have cancelled your cruise, do not forget to cancel other forms of transportation and arrangements you have made leading up to your cruise.

Flights, hotels, kennel reservations and car rentals are just some of the things that you will need to cancel on your own.

You will need to check with each provider to know the cancellation terms that are applicable to you. Luckily, most travel providers are offering flexible cancellation terms, but you may need to also decide between a credit or full refund.

Be sure to also contact any third-party shore excursions you may have booked to get refunds on deposits.

The question on every cruise fan's mind right now is when will Royal Caribbean sail again? When will vacations resume, when will the coronavirus pandemic dissipate and when will life return to a semblance of normalcy?

These are all tough questions to answer because there are so many unknowns, and many decisions that could influence when Royal Caribbean could sail again depend on unclear situations.

Royal Caribbean has cancelled all of its cruises from March 14 - July 31 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Royal Caribbean has extended its voluntary suspension of sailings a few times in order to help slow the spread of coronavirus.

Even if Royal Caribbean wanted to begin sailings again immediately, they face a logistical issue with so many countries restricting their cruise port traffic and forbidding cruise ships from entering.

Mexico has closed its borders to all international travelers arriving by cruise ship until April 20; St. Maarten has banned marine traffic until further notice; Jamaica has closed its seaports to incoming passengers. As you can see, there are very few places a cruise ship could go.

In addition, the airline industry has effectively shut down, with international travel impractical for most.

Any date of resuming service is at best a guess by Royal Caribbean, but further delays are possible.

Cruise ships from Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Celebrity Cruises and more joined together for an impromptu show of support for each other during a time when all cruise lines have halted sailings until the coronavirus threat passes.

Photo by Liam Davison

Celebrity Cruises Captain Kate McCue shared a video on Instagram of Captains and bridge crew from across different cruise companies engaging in a horn salute every day at 7:30pm.

"On March 20th we started something special. With ships from different companies congregating in the same "neighborhood" it was a perfect opportunity to celebrate our solidarity."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Captain Kate McCue (@captainkatemccue) on Mar 25, 2020 at 11:22am PDT

Captain McCue calls this movement "#HopeFloats" and it is about letting everyone know that they are safe onboard, and that they wish the same for everyone around the world.

"We sound our horns, to let our crew and the world know that while we are strong, safe, and healthy on board, we are thinking of those at home and hoping the same for them."

These ships are massed together in the Caribbean as cruise ships wait for cruise lines to resume operations.

1) Wondering where the @RoyalCaribbean Ladies have gone during this time? I’ll take you on a little tour with me as I check on the Fleet. pic.twitter.com/iL7ML1Ki79

— James Van Fleet (@JamesVanFleet) March 19, 2020

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd's brand new headquarters that is under construction will remain under construction for while longer.

The Miami Herald reports the construction work for the cruise line's $300 million corporate headquarters in PortMiami is on hold due to uncertainty over the coronavirus.

In May 2019, Royal Caribbean announced plans to expand and renovate its corporate campus on the southwest corner of Dodge Island. 

Work on the site will cease, with the exception of the parking lot adjacent to the building that will be completed as planned, according to the Miami Herald.

Work will resume "at the appropriate time," according to Royal Caribbean.

Once complete, the new campus will be landscaped with indigenous flora and sport a soccer field, volleyball court, basketball court, and fitness center for employees.  It will include a new parking garage and built-in sustainability features, such as electric car chargers, photovoltaic cells, and rainwater collectors.

At the heart of campus will be a 10-story, 350,000 square-foot building influenced by the graceful utility, fluidity, and innovative designs evident in the company’s ships.   

The new corporate headquarters would include a fitness center, a day care, a cafeteria, an auditorium and a maritime innovation center for the design development and renovation of cruise vessels.

Prior to the announced pause, the new headquarters was scheduled to open at some time in 2020.

Royal Caribbean, along with other cruise lines, will not qualify for government assistance as part of the roughly $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package that was passed by the United States Senate.

Despite the fact president Donald Trump has mentioned offering support for the cruise lines, the current stimulus package stipulates only U.S.-incorporated companies with a majority of workers based in the U.S. are eligible for assistance. 

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, the parent company of Royal Caribbean International, is incorporated in Liberia.

Royal Caribbean referred requests for comment by CNBC to industry trade group Cruise Lines International Association, which did not return a request for comment.

To be eligible for relief, a company must be “created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States” and “have significant operations in and a majority of its employees based in the United States.”

Should the cruise lines be bailed out by the United States?

— Royal Caribbean Blog (@theRCLblog) March 26, 2020

A vote on the stimulus package is headed to the House of Representatives on Friday.