It's not your imagination: more people are booking up activities and things to do before their cruise than ever before.

If your approach to cruising has been to wing it and leave things to the last minute, you're likely going to face an uphill battle going forward if you want to try certain activities onboard.

One of the interesting anecdotes to come out of Royal Caribbean Group's quarterly conference call with Wall Street analysts was a revelation about how soon customers are booking things to do on a cruise.

Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty talked about a change his company is seeing in how far in advance people book up experiences once booked on a cruise, "Approximately 60% of our guests book some of their onboard activities in advance of their cruise, representing double digit growth in pre-cruise purchase penetration when compared to 2019 at significantly higher rates."

So not only are people booking things sooner, they're also willing to pay more for it.

Prices of shore excursions, drink packages, and just about anything you can reserve before a cruise have anecdotally gone up by cruise fans.  The exact price of these items varies from ship to ship and sailing to sailing, but without a doubt, prices are generally higher for 2023 cruises compared to a few years ago.

This is exactly what Royal Caribbean wants from a business standpoint, because people that book things early generate more revenue for the cruise line.

"Every dollar a guest spends before the cruise translates into about $0.70 when they sail with us, and over double the overall spending when compared to other guests," said Mr. Liberty during the call.

While the dollars and cents of the cruise industry business may not matter much to you, the trend of booking earlier should.

Royal Caribbean offers many different activities and things to do on a cruise, and these are quite popular.

Cabana rentals, shore excursions, culinary classes and more are popular among cruise ship guests, and Royal Caribbean sees more people booking them sooner.  This puts people that wait to the last minute at a disadvantage if they want to lock in these activities for themselves.

"Our guests are now engaging with us to book on board activities much earlier than in 2019."

"So far, guests booked on 2023 sailings purchased onboard experiences an average of more than two months earlier than in 2019."

For the company, they see this as a win-win for the company and passengers, "This translates into more revenue, stickier bookings and happy guests."

What's driving this change? Royal Caribbean thinks at least part of it is a consumer that is more comfortable making online purchases.

"The consumer at all different levels have gotten more comfortable using digital commerce to make their purchases," Mr. Liberty said.

Higher prices for cruises too

Besides excursions, wifi, and drink packages, the price for a cruise will cost you more than in 2019.

At the onset of the earnings call, Mr. Liberty talked about how cruise prices cost more today, "Pricing for our vacation experiences was higher than record 2019 levels when we operated with normalized occupancy."

North American itineraries in particular are trending up in terms of costs, which is where about 70% of its deployments are in 2023.

"From a cumulative standpoint, these itineraries are now booked at the same load factor as they were in 2019 and at higher prices," Mr. Liberty stated.

So far in 2023, Royal Caribbean Group has enjoyed busier than normal cruise bookings during wave season, which is an industry term for a popular time to book new cruises.

Demand has been so strong that even higher prices haven't diminished interest in new bookings.

"The demand is that is that strong that we're able to raise price across these different products and really not seeing a pullback from the consumer as we continue to do so."

"And that is really a reflection of what we've seen since our last earnings call, or really since the announcement of the protocols being dropped."

"Just acceleration and the propensity to cruise across all three categories of new to cruise, first to brand first cruise has returned and in many cases is better than what we saw pre-COVID."

More helpful information

• Should you buy pre-cruise purchases now or wait to buy it onboard?
• 45 ways to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• How much should I budget for a cruise?
• 30 Do's and Don'ts for the first day of your cruise
• The 20 worst cruise mistakes that will ruin your cruise vacation
• The best cruise itineraries for every type of traveler
• How to plan a Royal Caribbean cruise on any budget
• Best shore excursion in every Caribbean cruise port

Royal Caribbean Group posted its fourth quarter 2022 earnings on Tuesday with a smaller-than-expected loss.

The company reported a loss of $500.2 million in its fourth quarter and losses of $1.12 per share, which beat Wall Street predictions of of $1.37 per share loss.

Royal Caribbean Group posted revenue of $2.6 billion in the period, which met analysts' expectations.

The better results were a result of better pricing on close-in demand, strong onboard spend, favorable timing of operating costs, and lower interest expense.

"2022 was a pivotal year as we successfully returned our business to full operations and delivered memorable vacation experiences to 6 million guests," said Jason Liberty, president and chief executive officer, Royal Caribbean Group.

"We also returned to positive Adjusted EBITDA and Operating Cash Flow by consistently growing revenue and controlling costs. Our teams have worked tirelessly to deliver the best vacation experiences, responsibly, and we are grateful for their extraordinary efforts."

Fourth quarter numbers

Here's a breakdown of Royal Caribbean Group's fourth quarter earnings:

Ship capacity (aka load factors) across the fleet were at 95%, with Caribbean sailings reaching 100%, and holiday sailings close to 110%.

For the entire year, load factors were at 85% full. This averages out every sailing, in every market, for the year.

Total revenues per passenger cruise day were up 3.5% as-reported and 4.5% in Constant Currency, compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.

Royal Caribbean Group incurred a $130 million hit as a result of a lawsuit stemming from the former owners of the cruise ship docks in Cuba. The company that owned a port terminal in Havana prior to the Cuban Revolution, sued the cruise lines under the Helms-Burton Act, which allows certain U.S. nationals with claims on properties confiscated by the Cuban government on or after Jan. 1, 1959 to seek compensation from the companies operating those properties.

Royal Caribbean Group said it, "continues to vigorously defend" against the lawsuit.

For the full year, the company reported Net Loss of $2.2 billion compared to Net Loss of $5.3 billion in the prior year. 

Predictions for 2023

The year started off quite well for Royal Caribbean Group with a record-breaking WAVE season, driven by strong demand. 

Demand is so strong that the company had its seven biggest booking weeks in its history since the last earnings call in November 2022.

Customers are returning to a more normal process of booking cruises in advance, which RCG sees as confidence for its business that the booking window returns to normal.

All those drink packages, shore excursions, and wifi purchases continue to exceed prior years driven by greater participation at higher prices, which the company sees as quality and healthy future demand.

North America sailings, many of which visit Perfect Day at CocoCay, are leading the way and are booked in line with record 2019 levels for the full year and ahead for the second quarter through the fourth quarter.

Bookings for European itineraries have been accelerating during WAVE and are now higher than 2019.

"Leisure travel strength continues as consumer spend is shifting towards experiences, with cruising remaining an attractive value proposition," said Mr. Liberty.

"The quality demand trends further exhibit the strength of our brands and the growing propensity to cruise."

Happy weekend! We hope you are in the midst of a wonderful weekend full of things to do to pass the time between cruises.  We have a summary of all of this week's Royal Caribbean news in case you missed any of it!

Royal Caribbean has provided an in-depth look at its new neighborhood aimed at young families, Surfside.

When Icon of the Seas debuts, Royal Caribbean thinks it will have the best family vacation in the world, and they totally mean it.

Part of that strategy is by creating a purpose-built neighborhood for families.

Royal Caribbean News

• I learned how to surf on a cruise ship
• Alaska cruise ports guide
• How a cruise is totally different from other kinds of vacations
• What my $870 per night suite on Liberty of the Seas looked like

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 486th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, Matt reviews his Liberty of the Seas sailing.

Matt sailed on Liberty of the Seas for the first time, and he compares the ship to other Freedom and Voyager Class ships and talks about what stands out about Liberty.

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.

New RCB Video: 12 things I'd tell anyone new to cruise ship travel

{"preview_thumbnail":"/sites/default/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/oFyBYxUGn3w.jpg?itok=Gjh1pnvC","video_url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFyBYxUGn3w","settings":{"responsive":1,"width":"854","height":"480","autoplay":0},"settings_summary":["Embedded Video (Responsive)."]}

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 — 12 things I'd tell anyone new to cruise ship travel — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

10 commandments of a great cruise ship vacation

Thou shall follow these 10 cruise commandments for a thoroughly awesome vacation.

While a lot of cruise advice could benefit you, there are a few core tenants of cruise ship travel that I think are a must for just about anyone.

In reflecting on the cruise tips and advice I dole out each week, I wanted to come up with the 10 most important pieces of cruise advice I would give to just about anyone. 

This regular cabin includes free ice cream and suite lounge access!

Have you ever heard of the Ben and Jerry Sweet on Royal Caribbean's Freedom Class ships?

This Promenade View room is situated right above the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream parlor, and it comes with cow-themed decor, vouchers for free ice cream and highly-coveted suite lounge access - all for the same price as every other inside promenade stateroom onboard.

Best extras for a cruise under $10

When I sailed on Liberty of the Seas last week, I forgot to bring liquid soap and it reminded me of some cheap things to bring on a cruise that I always regret forgetting.

Underwear, toothbrush, sunscreen, are all examples of things you probably bring with you on any trip, but certain "good to have" extras for a cruise vacation aren't as obvious.

Before you hit the road to get on a cruise, double check you packed these under $10 things that will make your cruise better.

A cruise ship vacation offers an experience that in many ways is completely different from land vacations, which is actually a benefit.

Cruise lines consider their primary competition not other cruise lines, but rather, land vacations. To that point, they have ensured that the experience and value differs enough from their land-based alternatives in order to highlight the advantages a cruise has.

When comparing a cruise to a land trip, you'll find some inherit nuances and differences between cruises and other forms of travel. For many people that choose to cruise, these subtleties are a compelling rationale to cruise instead.

From value to entertainment to experiences, here are the major ways a cruise vacation is completely different from a land vacation.

Cruises are still the best value

When you consider that a cruise ship is a floating hotel that includes meals, snacks, shows, and transportation during your voyage, it's easy to see how much more value a cruise vacation has over a land vacation.

If you choose to visit a theme park or city, you'll not only need to pay for lodging, but also be on the hook for food and activities.

Cruises include much of that in their cruise fare.  There are certainly optional add-ons that will cost you extra on a cruise, such as specialty dining or excursions, but more is included with the base cost than on land.

To illustrate that point, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty told investors in November 2022 that the value gap is sizeable, "We've seen this 40% gap to land-based vacation [this year]. It used to be about 20%"

When travel insurance comparison site insuremytrip.com compared the price of a land vacation to a cruise, it noted customers were paying about 30% less for cruises, with the average land trip costing $6,426 — $1,469 more than the average cruise.

When you consider a mass-market cruise line like Royal Caribbean to land-based hotels and resorts, the value offered is hard to beat.

Part of that gap is because land resorts have seen their prices sky rocket, despite the global health crisis of the last few years.  Meanwhile, cruise ship prices did not move much at all during the same time.

While cruise ship prices are certainly on their way up now, a cruise vacation remains a terrific value.

People are more social on cruises

If you've ever walked through a hotel versus a cruise ship, you'll probably get more greetings and get to know your fellow passengers on a cruise ship.

So many cruise ship activities result in passengers participating together, such as shore excursions, shows, and even just sharing a table in a dining room.

The result is you're likely to strike up a conversation with a stranger on a cruise ship more than on land.

Similar to being at a bar on land, there's more opportunity on a cruise ship to be seated next to someone you don't know and that tends to breed conversations.

People that cruise a lot will tell you the friendships they've formed on cruise ships have been life changing in many cases. Passengers meet someone in a lounge or bar, and they become good friends and they end up cruising with.

Even if you don't find your BFF on a cruise ship, the nature of being with other people on a cruise ship in certain situations tends to lead to far more conversations with strangers than I've found when I'm on land.

Stateroom door decorations

One phenomenon of cruising is that some passengers will decorate their cabin door, which is something I've rarely (if ever) seen on land.

I'm not sure where or when this cruising tradition began, but a great number of passengers will bring print-outs, magnets, and all sorts of decor to attach to their stateroom cabin.

Many first time cruisers are unaware of this tradition, but I've seen plenty of them that love the idea and make plans to do it also on their next cruise.

Stateroom door decorations are a fun way to share your excitement about the cruise, as well as convey to others special occasions you're celebrating, or who you're cruising with.

In short, it's a fun excuse to celebrate being on vacation and you probably won't see the same at your land hotel.

Incredible customer loyalty benefits

If you compare a cruise line's customer loyalty benefits to any hotel or resort's program, I think you'll be shocked how much more cruise ship guests get.

Using Royal Caribbean as an example, after just one cruise, you're entitled to a number of discounts that you can use every day of the cruise. The Crown and Anchor Society perks for Gold members include:

• 50% off coupon for any glass of wine, beer, or soda
• 25% off any coffee beverage
• 10% off any wine, beer or soda by the glass

Once you hit the higher tiers, the perks really start to come in, such as free photos, discounts on balcony cabins, wifi plan discounts, and even free alcoholic beverages every day of the cruise.

Read more: The Crown and Anchor perks you should use on every Royal Caribbean cruise

Good luck finding any kind of similar benefits at a land based resort or hotel, even at their top levels.

You're somewhere different every day

It's pretty obvious a cruise ship will take you somewhere different every day, but this is a really big advantage for a cruise ship vacation.

When you do a land vacation, you pick a city, town, or resort and you're there for the duration of the trip.  While that place may be wonderful, variety is the spice of life, and being able to move around and see other places means more opportunity to mix things up.

You could do a beach day in one port, but then take in the culture and history of another.  Or double down on the beach. It's up to you.

Not to mention the fact that if a hurricane is headed for where you're going on a cruise, the ship can go elsewhere.  On land, you're stuck.

Beyond the weather, a cruise affords you the opportunity to visit cities and places in short order that are otherwise difficult to get to on your own. A great example are Alaska cruises, which visit cities, towns, and glaciers that are so remote it would be a more difficult task to see them on land.

And while you could travel around on a land vacation to try to replicate the same experience on land, you only have to unpack once on a cruise!

You don't have to worry about where to stay

If there's one aspect of planning a land vacation that gives a lot of travelers anxiety, it's where to stay to ensure it's clean, safe, and a good location.

With a cruise, you don't have to worry about picking a hotel in a bad part of town, or that the hotel you chose is rated poorly.

Royal Caribbean wants to be the preeminent cruise line for families with young children.

Its next new cruise ship will come in at 250,800 gross tons, with the capacity to carry nearly 10,000 passengers and crew members.

When Icon of the Seas launches in early 2024, she'll be the first cruise ship in the fleet to have an area dedicated to young families.

Surfside is the name of the open air area on the back of Icon of the Seas, which is a brand new neighborhood concept.

Royal Caribbean envisions this area being a focal center for multi-generational families to enjoy time together, including kids, parents and grandparents.

Aiming for the family vacation market

The cruise line has gone on record already by stating it intends to make Icon of the Seas the very best choice for a family vacation, and not just a cruise vacation either.

"Icon will be the best family vacation in the world," is what Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider said about the plans for this ship.

Royal Caribbean intends to follow up on that bold statement by creating a purpose-built neighborhood for families.

Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO, said that young families are already a major group that sails with the cruise line, "younger families make up quite a large significant proportion of Royal Caribbean guests, and we see that number increasing over time."

"So this is a space that's very much dedicated towards a younger family."

Surfside has something for everyone, not just kids

The concept is not to build the largest kiddie area on a cruise ship, but a place where kids and their parents will want to go and spend time together.

Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty pointed to consumer research that indicated family time was more than just something exclusively for kids to enjoy, "In going through the research, we knew that families wanted to stay together through the course of the day."

"In order to be able to do that, we needed to make sure that there were experiences within that neighborhood to bring that to life. And also tailored to the different generations."

To that point, Royal Caribbean designed Surfside to not be a compromise while on vacation. Kids and adults could enjoy time in the space together.

Inside Surfside

The new area must have a connection to the water, a variety in food and beverage, and plenty to do.

Royal Caribbean came up with a vibrant design that is reminiscent of a "surfer town that evokes fun and imagination." At the same time, it has to offer a relaxing experience where you can hang out and just be close to the water.

There's pools for adults, pools for kids, restaurants and bars for kids and adults. The idea is there's enough to keep you entertained throughout the day.

To start with, there are three water experiences to choose from, with the idea that families can hang out together:

• Splashaway Bay: Kids water slides and water features
• Baby Bay: Water splash area for very young children
• Water's Edge: The pool pressed up against the glass on the very back of the ship 

Royal Caribbean also wanted to bring a few popular features from the Oasis Class ships, and one of those is the carousel from the Boardwalk neighborhood.

The carousel on Icon of the Seas will be beach-themed and feature 8 new characters.

There's also an arcade with over 30 different games to choose from, along with the Playscape area that was first introduced on Wonder of the Seas.

Close to it all

Surfside was also designed to ensure that all the kid activities were close by.

Surfside has 3 entrances, including a slide from Central Park.

Adventure Ocean and the teen club are also located right near Surfside. The idea is everything is connected, so you don't have to leave the space to get to another kid-centric area.

Eating and drinking around Surfside

Another goal of Surfside was to make it easy for everyone to find something to eat and drink while in the neighborhood. This includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch.

Royal Caribbean says they've re-imagined the family dining experience and placed those experiences within Surfside.

Next to Splashaway Bay and next to a deep water pool, you have Surfside Bites that's a quick grab and go.

Then there's Surfside Eatery, which is Royal Caribbean's first buffet just families.  You'll find all the family favorites from the Windjammer, but located within Surfside so you don't have to leave the neighborhood.

There's also a new specialty restaurant, Pier 7, which is described as a casual Boardwalk eatery.

The Lemon Post bar is also a new concept that is the first bar to feature an adult menu and a kids menu. This will serve traditional tropical cocktails, as well as mocktails.

Cabins within Surfside

Royal Caribbean has also come up with new stateroom options in the neighborhood that can cater to families of 3, 4, 5, and 6 people.

Read more: Guide to Icon of the Seas cabins and suites

The idea behind these new cabins is to offer spaces for parents and their kids to have to enjoy. This means staying together, but having space for kids and space for parents.

The Surfside Suite is one such cabin, which is a brand new kind of cruise ship stateroom. It has kids nook, where it can be closed off so parents can have privacy while still being able to see what the kids are doing in there.

The Family Infinite Balcony has a kids alcove with beds, TVs, and room to hang out. It also has a split bath so that families can have more flexibility.  The infinite balcony can actually double as a movie theater with its own projector.

Then there's the Ultimate Family Townhouse, which is 3-stories and can hold up to 8 guests.

It has its own cinema, karaoke, patio, white picket fence, table tennis, and mailbox.

It has slides to move you from decks, as well as direct access to Surfside (no hallway walk required).

How much does it cost? According to Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley, the average cost of the Ultimate Family Townhouse in 2024 is $75,000 per week.

See more about Surfside

{"preview_thumbnail":"/sites/default/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/5jEiu2OO9ys.jpg?itok=z1sKKNVq","video_url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jEiu2OO9ys","settings":{"responsive":1,"width":"854","height":"480","autoplay":0},"settings_summary":["Embedded Video (Responsive)."]}

Despite February having the fewest days of any month, there are still plenty of Royal Caribbean cruises you can sail on this month.

This article is an effort to share what you need to know about going on a Royal Caribbean cruise in the month of February, with important news, tips, and helpful information along the way.

With the exception of President's Day holidays in the middle of the month, February is generally a slower month in terms of demand for cruises since school is in session.

Deal hunters will find good prices in the first two weeks, and the last week.

President's Week can see more families hopping on a cruise since there is either a long weekend or the entire week off for many schools.

Ships sailing in February 2023

• Freedom of the Seas from Miami, Florida
• Anthem of the Seas from Cape Liberty, New Jersey
• Allure of the Seas from Galveston, Texas
• Symphony of the Seas from Miami, Florida
• Independence of the Seas from Port Canaveral, Florida
• Harmony of the Seas from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Mariner of the Seas from Port Canaveral, Florida
• Liberty of the Seas from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Adventure of the Seas from Galveston, Texas
• Explorer of the Seas from Miami, Florida
• Navigator of the Seas from Los Angeles, California
• Spectrum of the Seas from Singapore
• Grandeur of the Seas from Miami, Florida
• Enchantment of the Seas from Baltimore, Maryland
• Radiance of the Seas from New Orleans, Louisiana
• Serenade of the Seas from Tampa, Florida
• Voyager of the Seas from San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Quantum of the Seas from Brisbane, Australia
• Ovation of the Seas from Sydney, Australia
• Oasis of the Seas from Miami, Florida
• Brilliance of the Seas from Tampa, Florida
• Wonder of the Seas from Port Canaveral, Florida
• Odyssey of the Seas from from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Vision of the Seas from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Rhapsody of the Seas from Bridgetown, Barbados
• Jewel of the Seas from Port Canaveral, Florida

Health protocols for February 2023 cruises

Royal Caribbean's health protocols have not changed this winter, and they're fairly straight forward.

If your cruise doesn't visit Colombia or sail from Australia, pre-cruise testing is no longer required to sail.

At this time, only the following sailings have pre-cruise testing requirements:

Cruises from the U.S. and Caribbean with stops in Colombia

Guests age 18 and up who are not fully vaccinated will need to present a negative result for a PCR test taken within 3 days or an antigen test taken within 2 days prior to sailing.

Guests under the age of 17 and fully vaccinated guests do not have have any testing requirements.

Tests must be arranged on your own and are at your own expense.

Cruises from Australia

All guests aged 2 and above, regardless of vaccination status, must present a negative test result for a COVID-19  PCR test taken within 2 days before boarding day, or a self-administered Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) within 1 day before boarding, for sailings of any length.

February weather on a cruise

February should be a little bit warmer than January, but it's still typically more comfortable outdoors than other months of the year,

High temperatures in the Caribbean in February are in the 70s, although it can drop as low as the 60s in The Bahamas. The Southern Caribbean is going to be the warmest, with high temperatures in the low 80s.

There is a good argument for February having some of the best weather of the year in the Caribbean because of the lower humidity levels, low rainfall, and generally comfortable weather outdoors. It's great for doing outdoor shore excursions without feeling excessively sweaty after.

While the weather may be lovely in the tropics, winter storms are still very prevalent back at home, which is why you want to be sure to arrive at least one day before your cruise so that if your travel plans are interrupted, you don't miss your cruise.

Read more: Packing for a Royal Caribbean cruise in the Winter

Is it warm enough to swim? Yes, albeit it won't be the most ideal pool or beach swimming conditions.

Average water temperatures throughout the Caribbean hover around 80 degrees (27 C), which is on the cooler side for the year, but not drastically cooler than the summer months.

Is February a good month to go on a cruise?

The best thing about taking a cruise in February is you get to escape the winter cold that by now has become a tired trend.

Similar to January, you'll find low prices on cruises in February (if you can avoid the holiday in the month). This is especially true of 4- and 5-night cruises that leave on weekdays.

If there's a negative to taking a February cruise, it's getting to your cruise could be a challenge. With winter in full swing, snow and ice storms around the country can impact your ability to fly to your cruise on time.  

It's extra important to fly into your cruise departure city at least one day early to protect against travel delays.

Super Bowl on a cruise

Yes, you can watch the Super Bowl on a cruise ship. In fact, it becomes a kind of big party around the ship to watch the big game.

Since a lot of passengers will want to watch the game, Royal Caribbean typically shows the game all around the ship at many venues. Depending on your ship, the game can be shown in bars, the pool deck movie screen and even in the Royal Theater. Exact locations will be posted in the Cruise Compass for that day.

In addition to showing the game in various spots, there will be typical football watching snacks as part of a "tailgate party" offering.  These have included hot dogs, nachos, chips and more. 

Read more: Guide to watching the Super Bowl on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Best cruises in February 2023

Ready to pick a great sailing in February? It's the perfect month to getaway from the winter cold and enjoy a warm Caribbean beach instead!

Ideally, you'll book a cruise many months in advance to get the lowest possible rate, but a last-minute cruise deal for February still exists.

Here are a few picks for a great February sailing:

• 3-night Ensenada cruise on Navigator of the Seas cruise from Los Angeles February 21, 2023
• 5-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on Grandeur of the Seas February 5, 2023
• 11-night Southern Caribbean cruise on Rhapsody of the Seas February 5, 2023
• 4-night Bahamas & Perfect Day at CocoCay cruise on Freedom of the Seas February 21, 2023

Happy weekend! We hope you are enjoying a wonderful and relaxing weekend and managing to stay warm. Now it is time to sit back with a cuppa tea or java, and check out the latest in Royal Caribbean cruise news.

Royal Caribbean had good news to share this week with his affirmation the eMuster drill isn't going anywhere.

Royal Caribbean International's Senior Vice President of Marine Operations, Greg Purdy, confirmed that Royal Caribbean will not revert back its muster drill to the old drill.

The news comes after both Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line went back to the traditional drill.

Royal Caribbean News

• Spotted: Royal Caribbean texts passengers with pre-cruise cabin requests
• Royal Caribbean takes Pickleball to the high seas
• When is the Best Time to Cruise?
• 10 things Royal Caribbean got right with Wonder of the Seas
• 10 things Royal Caribbean got right with Symphony of the Seas
• Guide to cruising with a birth certificate
• Can you get an all-inclusive Alaska cruise?

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 485th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where we discuss some of the top debated Royal Caribbean changes of the last few months.

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.

New RCB Video: The worst cruise ship cabins to avoid booking!

{"preview_thumbnail":"/sites/default/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/Chob2GiYNOE.jpg?itok=BRbmVspq","video_url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chob2GiYNOE","settings":{"responsive":1,"width":"854","height":"480","autoplay":0},"settings_summary":["Embedded Video (Responsive)."]}

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 — The worst cruise ship cabins to avoid booking! — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

15 things I look forward to every time I go on a cruise ship

There are just some things I love to do every single time I cruise.

Some cruisers can’t wait to watch shows each evening whereas others look forward to elegant dinners and tranquil evenings on their balcony more than anything else.

These are the top 15 things I look forward to every time I go on a cruise ship. 

I packed for a 7-night cruise with just a carry-on

How difficult is it to pack for a weeklong cruise with just a carry-on bag?

It's certainly possible, but you have to be strategic with how you choose the things to bring.

Here's how I packed for my 7-night Caribbean cruise with only a carry-on suitcase. 

After 100 cruises, here are 8 ways my cruising style has changed

After taking 100 sailings, Marcy's approach to a cruise has changed a bit.

From cruising more frequently to booking better cabins, she shares what's different now compared to her early days of sailing.

Here are the top ways Marcy's cruising style has changed after 100 sailings.

Fear not, Royal Caribbean's new safety drill isn't going anywhere.

When cruises restarted in 2021, Royal Caribbean lead the way with a new approach to the safety drill that gave guests more time and flexibility to getting the maritime safety requirement taken care of during the course of the first day of their cruise.

The change was widely heralded by passengers who loved the change because of how much easier the process became.

In the last few months, two major cruise lines announced they were reverting back from eMuster to the traditional muster drill that required passengers to stop their vacation and attend a safety drill meeting.

Norwegian Cruise Line announced their change last week that they, "have made the decision to reinstate synchronized muster drills on embarkation day across all vessels in the fleet."

Disney Cruise Line made a similar decision in November 2022.

"We don't really look backwards"

Greg Purdy is Royal Caribbean International's Senior Vice President of Marine Operations, and he unequivocally stated the cruise line has no interest in going back to an in-person muster drill.

"We have no intention of moving back," Mr. Purdy said when asked about other lines changing and if Royal Caribbean would do the same. "We are always looking for opportunities to improve. So if we see a way to improve our drill, we certainly will will pursue that."

"We're always open to change, but we're not so open to going backwards. So we will always look for moving forward and doing things if they're better to do for our guests and our crew."

The decision to stay with eMuster has a lot to do with the results it has produced.

He mentioned that Royal Caribbean has "extremely high percentage rates for guest participation", which is in part due to training of the crew members to facilitate it, as well as plenty of reminder announcements."

Mr. Purdy went on to say participation rates are higher with eMuster than the old way, "we're fairly aggressive about ensuring that you complete the safety drill prior to sailing. So we see rates typically upwards of over 97% on our ships for participation."

"That's actually better than the old traditional drill."

Technology has played a pivotal role in ensuring guest participation is higher because stateroom attendants have access to data if their guests have completed the muster drill yet.

"We're much more proactive and ensuring that you get to the drill or that if you have any questions that those are addressed."

Most importantly, guests get the important information while making the process easier overall, "This has been a real win for the guest and a win for those of our crew that are charged with with safety responsibilities in an emergency."

Mr. Purdy sees the eMuster as a good balance of explaining important information while giving guests a better overall experience, "we wanted to see how do we avoid crowds and how do we give people a more pleasant experience, but most importantly, an experience where the knowledge is transferred in a in a better way."

To that point, he thinks eMuster is a "big step" forward for the cruise line, "we think that it really was a a huge step for us as a quality vacation in the world."

Improving on problems from the old drill

Mr. Purdy pointed out that the old way of the muster drill had its own deficiencies to contend with, "one of the things we saw with that in those early days was that people were dragging those life jackets around the ship."

And since everyone had to stop what they were doing and go up or down stairs to their muster stations with the old drill, it lead to accidents, "not only were they damaging the life jackets, but they were also tripping them a lot of trips and slips."

Of course, Royal Caribbean switched to having the life jackets staged at the muster station and stored in cabins. But there were more issues.

"We started looking even more...you still have these crowds that are just kind of following flows and going to a muster station, but still having slips and trips, not having a comfortable or easy experience."

Royal Caribbean then added safety videos to stateroom televisions, but the advent of apps on everyone's phones lead to the idea of a digital approach to safety drills.

"As people got more used to using their phones, that's when the idea came up saying, couldn't we have an even better transfer of knowledge if we start to leverage the tools we have, which are the apps and the videos."

"And let's think it through, how could we make this safer and also eliminate this kind of period of time that everybody's in this moving down in the masses without really understanding kind of what they're doing or where they're going?"

The other major improvement of eMuster over the old drill was comfort for guests. 

In the old way, people were lined up (often outdoors), which was problematic for elderly guests and young children.

"This is a situation that is counter to a good experience where we're ultimately transferring quality safety knowledge to the guests."

With eMuster, guests get the safety information in a better way, "they're able to have a more personal experience with the crew to ask them questions about the muster, to receive further instruction about donning the life jacket or or what should they bring."

Mr. Purdy went on to say surveys show that passengers are getting more of the important info with eMuster, "for us, this is really an improvement in the transfer of knowledge."

"We actually did surveys to test that, is their retention of knowledge better, and in fact, it was."

How does eMuster work?

If you haven't experienced Royal Caribbean's new muster drill process, it's quite easy.

Within the Royal Caribbean app, you navigate to the safety area and watch a short, animated safety video demonstrating how to properly put on a lifejacket.

Then you play a sound clip of the emergency horn sound, so that you know what to expect.

Finally, you locate your muster station and report there to check-in with a crew member.

Once you arrive at the assembly station, a crew member will give you a very brief safety demonstration. After this is done, they will scan your SeaPass, indicating that you have completed the eMuster drill.

If you don't have a smart device or prefer not to do things digitally, you can go right to your muster station and a crew member will lead you through the process.

Read more: What to expect with Royal Caribbean's new virtual safety drill

Working with the Coast Guard

Not only is eMuster a win with guests, but it's been a process approved by local authorities as well.

Mr. Purdy talked about how the U.S. Coast Guard and DNV maritime classification society to ensure everything is satisfactory, "we've had very good Coast Guard exams...the process seems to be very sound and working very well to maintain our crew knowledge and to keep our guests safe."

Originally developed to help with norovirus

While eMuster was first rolled out after cruise ships resumed service in 2021, the concept had its origins prior to 2020.

When Royal Caribbean began working on a new approach to muster drills, they envisioned a benefit for norovirus incidents, "I remember being in a meeting saying this may help us with Noro at the time, because we thought, wow, people won't be people be able to transmit anything to each other because we have a little more space now through on the first day of that vacation when people are traveling in and coming from all these different places."

When the global health emergency hit, then the benefits of a distributed muster drill process increased dramatically, "We had thought that people on ships in general, in all of our ship design and flows, we try and avoid crowds having to be bottlenecked or to just have have any discomfort."

What's next for eMuster?

I asked Mr. Purdy what improvements or enhancements we can expect from the eMuster process.

"I think a lot of the eMuster improvements that we see near term are more in the kind of the technology able to do it without the unit being on WiFi [in case of power or internet problems]."

"I think we're always also looking at how do we improve the training of our crew to be prepared to answer whatever kind of are the trending questions that are coming up from our guests."

Whether eMuster or the old drill, Mr. Purdy pointed out Royal Caribbean was always looking at ways to enhance and improve the process, "it's not like we implement it and then forget about it. We really do look at how do we continually improve it."