Very soon, fully vaccinated guests won't have to bother with a Covid test on cruises less than six nights.

Included in Royal Caribbean Group's second quarter financial results was a mention of a policy change related to Covid-19 testing.

Starting Aug. 8, testing will be required for unvaccinated guests on all voyages and for vaccinated guests only on voyages that are six nights or longer. 

Up until now, all guests were required to get a Covid-19 test completed prior to their cruise, regardless of vaccination status.

The change in policy is a result of the the CDC ending its Covid-19 Program for Cruise Ships.

No further details on the policy change were part of the press release, but we should expect more information in the coming days.

A major change in policy

Covid-19 testing has been a cornerstone of Royal Caribbean's health protocols since cruises restarted in 2021.

Up until now, vaccinated guests had to get either a PCR or rapid antigen test up to 2 days before sailing. Unvaccinated children had to get a PCR test only up to 3 days before sailing.

Virgin Voyages was the first cruise line in the United States to drop testing. Norwegian Cruise Line has also eliminated testing for vaccinated travelers for all cruises sailing from any port except in the U.S., Canada, or Piraeus, Greece.

Eliminating testing for vaccinated passengers removes a major obstacle to pre-cruise stress, as many cruisers were concerned they weren't sure they would actually be able to sail until just a couple days before their cruise.

Mr. Liberty said the change is a move to be more like other forms of leisure travel, such as theme parks, casinos, or air travel. 

"We are continuing to adapt our protocols to align more closely with how the rest of society and other travel and leisure businesses are operating."

"This means that we're transitioning to the point where everyone will be able to vacation with us while always working with our destination partners to meet their regulations."

Testing expected to drop for longer sailings soon

If you'd like to see Covid testing drop also for longer sailings, it sounds like Royal Caribbean has a plan for it.

Speaking to investors during an earnings call on Thursday, Mr. Liberty said, "We also anticipate in the not too distant future that pre-embarkation testing for longer duration voyages will be reduced."

He later elaborated on changing testing requirements for longer sailings, "We're starting off here by doing the five days or less, and we're going to look at that."

"I think our our expectation here, call it in the next 45 days or so. And, of course, following local requirements, which will somewhat dictate in some of our destinations what those testing requirements will be, that the majority of the testing requirements will will be lifted, especially around the majority of our of our deployment."

Less testing should translate into more bookings

As soon as Royal Caribbean Group announced the change, the company expects bookings to spike as a result.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley spoke about the reaction in the marketplace to dropping testing for short cruises, "this kind of change I think will be seen very positively."

"We've got some distributors who have been anxiously awaiting changes as long as along with many of our customers."

"One of the calculations that we have is about 40% of all of the folks that are sitting on the byline. So people who've been waiting for the protocols to change."

"I think this easement and this change is going to be viewed very positively. So we're expecting to see an increase in bookings literally starting today."

Unvaccinated passengers too?

Depending on how much you want to dissect Mr. Liberty's words, it sounds like the company is looking to someday allow unvaccinated passengers of all ages onboard.

When Mr. Liberty said, "This means that we're transitioning to the point where everyone will be able to vacation with us while always working with our destination partners to meet their regulations," it sounds like it could point to allowing unvaccinated cruisers onboard.

Up until now, only unvaccinated guests under the age of 12 have been allowed on Royal Caribbean ships.

Time will tell.

Reader reactions

As soon as news came out of the change, many cruisers shared their thoughts on the policy shift.

Certainly anyone with a short cruise booked was happy to see the change. Cinthya Rod wrote on the Royal Caribbean Blog Facebook page, "Great news! For our next cruise will be awesome."

Beth Coddington likes where the policy is headed, "That's a step in the right direction."

A number of cruisers questioned the logic of picking 6 nights instead of 7 nights.

Mark Middleton wrote, "What’s the difference, for testing purposes, between a six and seven night sailing? Many are seven nights so would be easier for that!"

Greg Crouch added, "Seeing as most Royal Caribbean cruises are 7 nights it's not an enormous difference for most of us. Test the unvaccinated and not boosted by all means."

Kelly Lene-Tarman shared her thoughts, "Instead of complaining about it only being 6 nights or less, or why not unvaccinated, etc., let's look at the positive in this. They are are doing this in small steps to see how it goes and if all works well, everyone will be welcome to cruise again!"

Royal Caribbean Group reported its second quarter 2022 earnings on Thursday.

While the company still had a net loss of half a billion dollars, operating cash flow and EBITDA were positive for the quarter.

Royal Caribbean Group saw this quarter as "meaningfully ahead" of their projections, due to accelerating and strong close-in demand, further improvement in onboard revenue and better cost performance. 

Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty saw two important takeaways from the fiscal disclosure, "We reached two important milestones in our recovery this quarter – returning our entire global fleet back to operations and delivering positive operating cash flow and EBITDA."

He also sees strong demand for cruises, "Consumers' propensity to travel and cruise remains strong. We continue to see a robust and accelerating demand environment for cruising and on-board spend. Cruising remains a very attractive value proposition for vacationers, and today we have an opportunity to further close the value gap to other land-based vacation offerings."

The second quarter loss of $0.5 billion is better than the $1.3 billion loss in the second quarter of 2021.

Second quarter by the numbers

Load factors (meaning how full were the cruise ships) in the second quarter were 82% overall. June sailings reached almost 90%, with Caribbean itineraries averaging over 100%.

Based on the continued strength in consumer demand, the company expects load factors will average approximately 95% in the third quarter and increase to triple digits by year-end.

Total revenues per passenger cruise day were at record levels and up 4% as reported and 5% in constant currency versus the second quarter of 2019.

Booking volumes received in the second quarter for the back half of 2022 sailings remained significantly higher than booking volumes received in the second quarter of 2019 for the back half of 2019.

The second half of 2022 is booked below historical ranges but at higher prices than 2019, with and without future cruise credits (FCCs).

For 2023, all quarters are currently booked within historical ranges at record pricing.

For the third quarter of 2022 and based on current currency exchange rates, fuel rates and interest rates, the company expects to generate approximately $2.9 billion - $3.0 billion in Total Revenues.

In terms of reducing costs, Royal Caribbean Group gave credit to the delivery of new, more efficient ships and past sales of less efficient ships, as well as actions taken to improve operating costs and margins that continue to materialize as operations ramp up.

Changing Covid protocols

Mr. Liberty mentioned an upcoming change in Royal Caribbean's Covid-19 protocols based on the CDC announcement  it would end its Covid-19 program for cruise ships.

As part of their earnings statement, Mr. Liberty said, "Last week, the CDC ended its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships. Based on this change, we are continuing to adapt our protocols to align more closely with how the rest of society and other travel and leisure businesses are operating.

This means that we're transitioning to the point where everyone will be able to vacation with us while always working with our destination partners to meet their regulations. Starting Aug. 8, testing will be required for unvaccinated guests on all voyages and for vaccinated guests only on voyages that are six nights or longer. "

A look at bookings

Second quarter 2022 bookings averaged 30% above 2019 booking volumes for 2019 sailings in the corresponding period in the second quarter with even greater strength in July. 

An interesting trend is that guests are still booking their cruises much closer to their sail date compared previous years. 

In addition, cancellation activity has now returned to pre-Covid levels.

Second half 2022 sailings are booked at higher prices than 2019, both including and excluding FCCs.

Europe has seen sluggish results due to Covid and the Russia-Ukraine war. Europe makes up about a third of the overall capacity.

As of June 30, 2022, the Group's customer deposit balance was $4.2 billion, a record high for the company. This represents an increase of about $600 million over the previous quarter despite the significant quarter-over-quarter increase in revenue recognition. 

Approximately 20% of the customer deposit balance as of the end of the second quarter is related to FCCs. Approximately 60% of the FCC balance accumulated since the start of the pandemic has been redeemed. 

Silversea's new ship comes with two years of no payments

Earlier this month, Silversea purchased the Crystal Endeavor for $275 million, but won't make any payments on it for two years.

The transaction is fully financed through a 15-year unsecured term loan, guaranteed by the German export credit agency, Euler Hermes, and has no amortization payments in the first two years.

Silver Endeavour is scheduled to begin service winter 2022, spending its inaugural season in Antarctica starting November 2022.

Royal Caribbean Group has scheduled an earnings call with investors later this week, which means we might get answers to a few hot button topics.

Royal Caribbean Group will release its second quarter 2022 earnings on Thursday, July 28, 2022. They'll subsequently hold a conference call with Wall Street analysts to discuss the results in greater detail.

On Thursday, there will be a lot of data shared, including information helpful to not just investors.

It's common for policy shifts, direction, and even new projects to get further detail during these calls. With so much change right now in the cruise industry, these calls are some of the best opportunities to get answers.

It's impossible to know in advance which questions will get answers, but here is a wish list of questions cruise fans are eager to hear about during this week's earnings call.

Did Royal Caribbean become profitable again this quarter?

Whether you own stock or not, Royal Caribbean making money instead of losing money is important for the financial well-being of the company.

Since 2020, Royal Caribbean has been losing billions of dollars, but this might be the quarter where they turn the corner.

In the first quarter of this year, Royal Caribbean still lost a billion dollars, but operating cash flow turned positive in April 2022. Moreover, they said at that time they expected to return a net profit for the second half of 2022.

Of course, there are going to be any number of negative factors that could offset profitability, including inflation, oil prices, supply chain issues, and weaker demand for cruises.

A profitable quarter is an important step towards shedding all the debt they accrued over the last two years.

What does the end of the CDC cruise ship program mean for testing and vaccine requirements?

If we took a poll of possible questions to be answered, I think Covid-19 protocols would win in a landslide.

Ever since the U.S. government announced it would end its Covid-19 program for cruise ships, many cruise fans have wanted to know what this means for the current rules and requirements.

Specifically, what, if anything, will change as it pertains to pre-cruise Covid-19 testing and/or vaccination requirements.

Currently, Royal Caribbean requires all guests, regardless of vaccination status, to get a Covid test done up to 2 days before sailing. Not only does this add stress of trying to find a testing site and living in limbo until the test results come back, but getting a negative test to travel is not required of any other form of leisure travel.

Likewise, the requirement all passengers must be fully vaccinated if over the age of 12 is another big question. 

Some cruise lines have dropped testing requirements, such as Virgin Voyages and Margaritaville at Sea, but Royal Caribbean hasn't announced any changes.

In June, Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley said he expected pre-cruise testing, "is going to be around for another couple of months."

Read more: Royal Caribbean CEO talks when pre-cruise Covid testing and vaccine mandate will last

Any Icon of the Seas hints?

We're half way through 2022 and still have no idea what Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship will even look like.

Not only is the design of Icon of the Seas still under wraps, but there's no sense of when sailings might go on sale or other key details.

Royal Caribbean might be tempted to tip their hat at some details if it helps assuage analysts that a new ship will bring in lots of new business. Earnings calls are partially historical and forward looking.

While the past quarter's numbers are inflexible, Royal Caribbean Group executives can play up the future as rosy as possible in order to paint as positive a light as they can for better days ahead.

What has inflation's impact been on Royal Caribbean?

Something every company is dealing with is the rate of inflation on business.

From fuel to food to salaries, there's an impact to be felt on anyone's bottom line.

In the first quarter, Royal Caribbean said fuel and food costs were the primary inflationary problems they were dealing with.

In the short term, Royal Caribbean has 50% of its fuel hedged for this year and a smaller percentage for next year.

How to listen to the call

There will be full coverage of anything intriguing that comes out of Royal Caribbean Group's second quarter 2022 earnings call right here on RoyalCaribbeanBlog, but if you would like to listen on your own, here's how.

The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations website, www.rclinvestor.com.  The call begins at 10am Eastern Time on Thursday, July 28, 2022.

You will be able to listen via the link provided close to the start of the call.

Happy Sunday! We hope you are having a great weekend! Now it’s time to sit back, relax, and catch up on all the Royal Caribbean news from the week!

The big news in the cruise world this week came when the CDC ended its voluntary Covid-19 program for cruise ships.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it will no longer report Covid cases on cruise ships, which includes the color-coded program that provided case numbers on individual ships.

In lieu of the program, the CDC will continue to publish recommendations, but it will ultimately be up to the cruise lines to implement their own protocols.

Royal Caribbean News

• CDC posts new Covid-19 recommendations for cruise ships
• 7 ways to have a great time in port without a cruise ship shore excursion
• UK vs. US cruising: What are the main differences?

Video: 10 Tips To Save Anyone Time on a Cruise Ship!

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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 — 10 Tips To Save Anyone Time on a Cruise Ship! — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Read our Mariner of the Seas live blog

We've been sailing on Mariner of the Seas this past week and sharing a daily look at what it's like onboard.

Matt and Angie are on an 8-night eastern Caribbean cruise that departed from Port Canaveral.

Guide to cruises to Greece

Have you dreamed of sailing to the Greek isles some day?

Whether you’re interested in touring the birthplace of the Olympics, swimming at world-renowned beaches, or strolling charming villages, visiting Greece is sure to impress.

Check out our Greek Isles cruise guide for everything you need to know for this type of sailing.

What's the difference between big and small Royal Caribbean cruise ships?

Does it really matter if you book a big cruise ship or a small cruise ship?

There are advantages and drawbacks to each size of ship, and it's important to know the differences between each one.

Before booking a cruise, you should know if you should choose a big ship or a small ship.

Next up in our port visits takes us to San Juan, Puerto Rico, but not until a bit later.

The schedule has is in San Juan later in the day, so the first half of the day is more akin to a sea day.

I started things off as usual, grabbing a cup of coffee from Starbucks and going up to the pool deck. The morning breeze and lower temperature makes sitting in the adirondack chairs my favorite spot on Mariner of the Seas.

The Crown and Anchor Society Top Tier event was held today in the Royal Theater.

The Top Tier event is where the ship's staff thanks the cruisers onboard with the most loyalty reward points. It's nice to be recognized for being a loyal customer.

Immediately after we went to Cafe Promenade for a "pizza brunch" event, where chit chatted with a slice of Sorrento's Pizza.

After the event, we headed to the main dining room for lunch. 

Since we weren't due into San Juan until later in the afternoon, I decided a nap was a good idea.

Mariner of the Seas pulled into San Juan right around 3pm, and docked downtown.

We had no tour booked, so let everyone else disembark first, and then walked off the ship to start our explorations. 

Read more: 7 ways to have a great time in port without a cruise ship shore excursion

It's very easy to walk around San Juan because the ship docks downtown and Old San Juan is fairly small.

We walked from the ship in the direction of the two Spanish forts, with a stop along the way anytime the kids spotted a stray cat.

Even at 4pm, it was very hot out still, so when we got to El Morro, it was great to have a very strong breeze to cool down.

We wanted to have dinner in San Juan, and tried one restaurant we had been to in the past, but they were at capacity. They recommended La Mallorquina, which happens to be the oldest restaurant in San Juan.

Their menu was primarily Puerto Rican food, but they had just enough variety for the pickier eaters to enjoy.

I went with mofongo, which is made with fried green plantains that are then mashed with garlic and topped with your favorite type of meat. 

Once the sun set, it became far more comfortable outside. We took the kids to Himalaya Ice to enjoy ice cream before heading back to the ship.

Back onboard, we went to watch sailaway. Whether sailing in or out, San Juan is very pretty. Since it was night, we got to see the city lit up on our departure.

We wrapped up our night with music in the pub.

Tomorrow we will be in St. Kitts.

Most people will look to book a tour of some kind to go on while their cruise ship is in port, but you don't need an excursion to have an enjoyable day.

Shore excursions are a popular way to see the top tourist sights that any port has to offer, and it's definitely the right approach for knocking out these must-see places.

However, there is sometimes a port of call on a cruise where for one reason or another you opt not to book anything. Perhaps you've been there a few times already, or the weather doesn't look great, or you just need a break after port visits the previous couple of days.

Whatever the reason, there can be fun things to do in every port your cruise ship visits without a formal tour or plan.

Depending on the port, there can be more options than others. In some ports, the cruise ship will dock directly in a city, whereas others, the ship docks further away. Even the most rudimentary cruise ports usually have a few things worth doing, so I wanted to highlight suggestions for how to get off the ship and explore just a little bit without a plan.

Here's my list of seven ideas for how to have fun in a port without any excursion booked.

Drink for cheap at a bar

If you skipped a Royal Caribbean drink package but want to enjoy tropical drinks, going to a bar in port can save you a lot of money.

In the Caribbean especially, drinks will cost you significantly less than on your cruise ship. Not only is each beer and cocktail likely cheaper, there are usually better specials and larger drink sizes.

I have yet to find a port that a cruise ship visits without at least one bar somewhat near the port. Most ports that cruise ships visit have a port area, which is a secured area enclosed from the rest of the city or island. In this area, there are all sorts of vendors and bars are included.

Some bars are steps away from the security checkpoint to get back onto the ship, which means there's no way you are missing the ship and minimal effort to get to and from the bar.

Find free wifi

Whether you bought an internet package on your ship or you're ready for "real" internet that doesn't take a minute to load that funny gif your sister sent you, there's usually plenty of places in port offering wifi access.

Just like the drink at the bar tip I just covered, you can usually find complimentary wifi at many bars and shops in port.  Some will require a password, which usually means buying something. Stop in for a drink, but stay for the wifi.

A good idea is to ask a crew member onboard the ship for places to go with free wifi, as crew members regularly visit these ports and seek out the internet too.

Ask locals for a nearby beach

Depending on the port you visit, there can be a beach you could walk to from where your ship docks.

This isn't possible in all ports, but sometimes there is a nearby beach. A good idea is to ask a local in the port for suggestions. 

Keep your expectations in line, as the closest beach may not be the most pristine stretch of sand and water you've ever seen, but you also didn't have to pay for a tour either.

Here are a few easily walkable beaches from select Caribbean ports:

• Nassau: Junkanoo Beach
• St. Maarten: Great Bay Beach
• Cozumel: El Cid La Ceiba Hotel

Have lunch

A favorite to-do in any port if all I want to do is feel like I got off the ship and did something is to find a spot for lunch.

Just like the bars, there's usually a few restaurants in close proximity to where the cruise ships dock.

In cities like San Juan, Puerto Rico or Cozumel, there's far more choices than other ports.

Most serve up enough variety for the pickiest eaters. In fact, restaurants near the ships tend to offer more American food than authentic local cuisine, so don't worry too much about having to eat anything unusual.

If you are in the mood for authentic local cuisine, it would be a good idea to ask one of the vendors in the port for a suggestion. 

Be sure to bring cash, as credit cards are not always accepted.

Listen to live music

Another good idea for something different to do is find a musical act performing in port.

It's been my experience there are different musicians that perform in port for cruise ship passengers as they come and go.

Generally, you'll find most musical acts in the first few hours the ship docks and then again before the ship leaves because that's when foot traffic is highest in the port area.

Ideally, find a nearby bar you can sit at and enjoy the tunes. Be sure to bring some small change to tip the musician after enjoying the performance.

Go for a run

If you like to jog, maybe take a break from the cruise ship running track and go for a run in port.

It's a good idea to research in advance where you can safely run near the port. Not all ports may have an area you can start running. Many places cruise ships visit are industrial ports, or simply not in an ideal part of town.

If nothing else, a short taxi ride should get you to a park, boardwalk, or good starting point.

Go to a supermarket

One of my favorite DIY shore excursions is to go to a local supermarket and browse what they have.

This is a really fun shore excursion to do in a different country because it provides a lot of insight into the destination.

You can browse the aisles and see what is for sale, who is shopping, how much things cost and how to buy things. What is the popular snack food? How are things packaged? You will learn so much by lurking in the supermarket.

Read more: 6 things that happen on a cruise that nobody talks about

You'll probably need to take a taxi to get a supermarket.

The first port of call on our Mariner of the Seas cruise is at Royal Caribbean's private destination in Haiti, known as Labadee.

This was a full day visit, so we got the kids up and going with breakfast in the Windjammer so we could get off the ship and enjoy our day.

I booked cabana at Barefoot Beach prior to the cruise, which is the area of Labadee reserved for suite guests. About a week or two before the cruise, the cabanas here appeared on the Cruise Planner site.

When we got onboard the ship on the first day, I stopped at the Shore Excursion desk to ask if this was going to be a problem since I was not in a cabana. The staff informed me they had decided to open up the Barefoot Beach cabanas to all guests to book, so we were good to go.

The ship was cleared at 8:30am and we walked off around 9am.

The sun was shining and we headed to Barefoot Beach. 

There are three types of Barefoot Beach cabanas: Beach, Hilltop and Over the Water. We booked an over the water cabana.

Cabana number 4 is to to the right of the beach, and has steps adjacent to the cabana leading into the water.

The water temperature was perfect, and as the morning went on, the temperature started to rise and being in the water became a necessity.

At 11am, the group met up at one of the bars to enjoy the signature cocktail of Labadee, the Labadoozie. 

Unlike the cabanas at nearby Nellie's Beach, lunch was served in Barefoot Beach at a buffet towards the back of the area.

You'll find your typical beach lunch here, with chicken, burgers, and hot dogs. I recall the Barefoot Beach lunch had different options, like lobster or steak, but not today.

We ate lunch, and then took my oldest daughter to try something new to us: Sip and Paint.

Available to book through Royal Caribbean, there is about a 90 minute painting experience where you can paint a object while enjoying beach cocktails.

It's located on a hill near the entrance area, which has a fantastic breeze that made it incredibly comfortable despite the afternoon heat. I wouldn't have minded a hammock up there for a nap.

Each person has a choice to paint a clay pot or a wooden boat. Paint and a smock are provided, along with stencils.

Adults are served rum punch, while kids get fruit punch.

This was a nice change of pace from the usual beach day fun, and my daughter really enjoyed getting a creative break inbetween beach time.

After the painting, it was back to the beach to enjoy the rest of our afternoon.

Unfortunately, my oldest daughter got stung by something while in the water. It wasn't clear if it was a jellyfish or beach lice, but it hurt her quite a bit.

The lifeguard showed up immediately with vinegar spray, but it didn't help.  So we took her to the nearby first aid station.

To my surprise, there was a doctor on duty who triaged the situation and cleaned the area on her leg, and used hydrocortisone cream on it before giving her benadryl and motrin to help with the pain. No cost for the care.

It a little while, but the pain started to subside a bit, but going back on the ship so she could properly shower and use more of the hydrocortisone cream was the best idea.

They took her on ATV back to the ship and the hot water of the shower helped a lot.

We went to the main dining room for dinner. Since it's a group cruise, there are a series of tables together for everyone in the group to dine together.

Whenever I eat in the main dining room for dinner, I ask for Indian curry and they had two wonderful vegetarian options. One was chana masala (chickpeas) and the other was something else that I did not know the name, but it was wonderful.

I also sampled one of my favorite things on the main dining room menu, spaghetti bolognese.

I also couldn't resist a bowl of French onion soup.

After dinner, the kids went to the room to watch some movies and the adults were back in the pub on the Royal Promenade to see the pub singer, Darla. A good time was had by all.

Tomorrow we will be in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Stray Observations

I really love Mariner's elevators show which floor is next.

The wifi speeds on Mariner are nothing special, but it's been very serviceable. Certainly good enough to get the basic internet stuff done.

We began our cruise with a sea day with a bright sky and lots to do onboard.

I was happy to see quite a lot of activities offered onboard, so we started off with breakfast in the Windjammer once I could get the kids up and going.

There's a waffle station for breakfast, which is fantastic.

With the sea breeze on the pool deck, it was a nice start to the day and a lot of people decided to head up to the pool deck.

There's a Starbucks kiosk on Mariner of the Seas, so I decided to get an iced coffee from there. It's not included in my drink package, but I greatly prefer their iced coffee taste to what Cafe Promenade.

Our morning was fairly quiet, and we had our first group cruise event, where we played a Royal Caribbean edition of "Super Password", the classic 70's and 80's game show.

We had a conference room rented for our group, so we held our version in there.  For fun, here's a copy of the clues you can challenge your kids to:

1. Parade
2. Walkway
3. Sorrentos
4. Pub
5. Neighborhood

Can you guess it? Royal Promenade!

At lunch, we had a private meal in the main dining room and got to enjoy the same lunch menu as The Key guests receive, which is essentially Chops Grille.

I had the steak burger, and it definitely hit the stop.

I headed back to the room after lunch to relax for a bit and then it was time to do a bar crawl around the ship.

A fun group cruise event is to go from bar to bar and explore the ship, while having a drink in each bar and hanging out with each other.

We ended up going to seven bars in a little over an hour. The bar service on Mariner has been fantastic. Little to no waits at all.

Dinner is our second night of the three night dining package, and we headed up to Jamie's Italian.

I think the best part of the menu at Jamie's are the appetizers.

When we got out of dinner, I headed to the casino to spend a little money. The craps table was very kind to me, and I did well for myself.

Our evening entertainment was in the Royal Theater to see "Gallery of Dreams". I'm not sure if I've seen this show before, but it's a collection of popular songs that the cast sing and dance to. 

There was a lot of energy, and at the very least, I knew the words to almost all the songs.

Tomorrow is our first port stop, and we'll be in Labadee.

Stray Observations

I met Captain Panos!

There was silent disco held on the Royal Promenade for families in the afternoon

In case you're wondering, Playmakers had the right TV feed to be able to show the homerun derby.

It's time to sail on one of my favorite ships, Mariner of the Seas!

We're onboard for a 8-night cruise that visits a lot of ports, and this particular cruise has been a sailing we've been planning since last summer.

Mariner is based out of Port Canaveral, Florida, which is a little over an hour from our home.  Because we had a lot of friends coming in for this cruise and staying near the port, we decided to start our vacation a day early and we stayed at the Cape Crossing Resort & Marina the night before the cruise.

It's not on Merritt Island (one bridge before Port Canaveral when coming on the main highway from Orlando), but it was perfect for our family, since they offer apartment style accommodations.

Mariner was sailing from Terminal 5, which is unusual. Royal Caribbean ships in Port Canaveral usually sail from Terminal 1, but there were 2 other Royal Caribbean ships in port today.

We had a 10:30am boarding time, so upon arrival we parked the car in the adjacent garage and then walked in to check-in. One difference between Terminal 5 and Terminal 1, is you pay when you leave the garage at Terminal 5.

The check-in process was easy enough, and we only had to wait perhaps 15-20 minutes in the waiting area before boarding began. They boarded everyone based on Crown and Anchor Society status, which was a nice change of pace.

Once onboard Mariner, it felt very familiar walking onto the Royal Promenade. It's a ship we've sailed so many times that it has a homely feel to it.

My first stop was the specialty restaurant booking kiosk on the Royal Promenade to make our dining reservations. I booked a 3-night dining package, and you always want to book dining reservations as soon as possible when you get onboard.

Next up was lunch in the Windjammer.

In addition to booking dinners, we also took care of a few other "housekeeping" duties, such as completing muster drill. We watched the safety video and listened to the ship's emergency alarm on our phone, and then just had to report to the muster station to prove we knew where it was. The emuster process couldn't be easier.

The kids wanted to expel some energy, so the next stop was to the hammocks, climbing area, and swings on the back of the ship near the sports deck.

At 1pm, Adventure Ocean opened for registration.  Basically, you sign your kids up for Adventure Ocean and provide any necessary information to the staff.   If your kids are new to Adventure Ocean, it's also an opportunity to meet the staff and see the play area.

Our cabins were ready at 1:30pm. We have two connecting balcony cabins on deck 7, near the forward elevators.

The cabins looked great, and it has just enough living space for us to enjoy. 

Our first official RoyalCaribbeanBlog group cruise meetup was at the Bamboo Room to say hello to everyone.

The Bamboo Room is such a fun bar, and this was our first opportunity to meet new people that we've never sailed with, as well as see past cruise friends.

Our luggage was delivered to the room, so we unpacked all of our stuff before sailaway.

We headed up to Ellington's in the Viking Crown Lounge to enjoy sailaway. Our group had reserved the space there, and we had the perfect (climate controlled) view of sailaway.

While I prefer the conveniences of Terminal 1, being further back in the port meant a lovely view when we departed since we got to pass all the other cruise ships in port.

Dinner took us to Chops Grille.

We had a large group for dinner (12 in total), and the service was fantastic. The meal progressed nicely, and the food was terrific.

After dinner, we went to the pub for music. The pub singer onboard, Darla, came highly recommended from many other cruisers and she did not disappoint.

Tomorrow is a sea day, and we have a lot of fun activities planned to really get the cruise feeling going.

Stray Observations

The new drink package cups are also here on Mariner of the Seas.

I spoke with the hotel director, who indicated the ship is at 98% crew member staffing. All the bars and restaurants we visited have had minimal waits.

Here is the onboard pricing for the deluxe beverage package if you waited to book onboard. It's always a good idea to book a Royal Caribbean drink package online before the cruise.

Happy Sunday! We hope you are having a great weekend! Now it’s time to sit back, relax, and catch up on all the Royal Caribbean news from the week!

Did you know Royal Caribbean has its own meteorologist who's job it is to monitor the weather for all the ships in the fleet?

James Van Fleet is a former TV weatherman, but now works just with Royal Caribbean to give the captain of each ship weather information.

Although meteorology is heavily based in science, Mr. Van Fleet shared the ambiguities and uncertainties associated with weather forecasting.  

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean updates: Return to Asia, cruise cancellations, help for travel agents, & more
• We'll be live from Mariner of the Seas next week!
• Last-minute things to do 3 days before your cruise
• How many people does it take to sail a cruise ship?
• Does Elon Musk's Starlink internet make this the best cruise ship to work remotely right now?
• Alaska cruise outfits: ideas of what to wear
• 10 Ways to splurge on your cruise
• Beach Reads: Disability Pride Month

Video: Is a 3-night Cruise worth it?

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — Is a 3-night Cruise worth it? — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 461st episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where Matt lists the top 3 things to do in the ports of call his cruise will visit next week.

Mariner of the Seas is headed to CocoCay, Labadee, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, and St. Croix. Matt shares a few recommendations of what to do in each port.

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.

Rare cruise ship cabins that get booked very quickly

There are a handful of cruise ship cabins that will almost always get booked up super quickly because of how valued they are among people that cruise a lot.

Due to either their location or unusual layout, these staterooms are in-demand because they offer something special you don't usually get, which adds to their value.

Whether you want to book these rooms for yourself, or are simply curious about what they offer, here's a look at a few rare cruise ship cabins that are not only different from the rest, they will be booked quickly.

How one group helps families with Autism cruise on Royal Caribbean

The group Autism on the Seas travels with families on Royal Caribbean cruise ships to provide special needs children extra assistance during their cruise.

The goal of Autism on the Seas is to provide the highest quality of assisted care to ensure families have a truly relaxing and rejuvenating vacation. 

Guide to Royal Caribbean Suites

Think it's time you tried a suite?

Suites cost more than other cabin categories, but they also provide significantly more living space, along with some fabulous benefits.

If you think you'd like to move up to a Royal Caribbean suite, here's everything you need to know about these kind of accommodations.