Kurt shares his review of a recent sailing on Enchantment of the Seas.
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You won't have to worry every again about your unredeemed Royal Caribbean Cruise with Confidence future cruise credit expiring.
The change applies to future cruise credits a guest has received during the pandemic between 2020 and early 2022.
As of June 1, 2022, Royal Caribbean announced that all unredeemed future cruise credits (FCC) offered under the Cruise with Confidence program will no longer expire.
Future cruise credits were given to guests as a kind of voucher to represent the amount paid for a cruise. Guests either elected to receive them in lieu of a refund when Royal Caribbean cancelled a cruise, or took them when they decided to cancel a cruise reservation during the pandemic.
Prior to today's announcement, each credit had an expiration date when it had to be redeemed by, which gave some guests concern that they would lose out on the value of their money paid because they are unable or unwilling to cruise before the end of this year.
Royal Caribbean hopes this change will provide more flexibility for anyone with a FCC, as most FCCs were set to expire at the end of 2022.
A cruise credit issued as part of the Global Sailing Suspension (when Royal Caribbean cancelled the cruise, instead of the guest), the portion of the FCC value that represents 100% of the cruise fare paid on the original reservation will no longer expire.
The incremental 25% bonus value, however, will maintain the current expiration date noted on the Future Cruise Credit and will remain active until this point.
All other FCC types remain unchanged and will continue to enforce the expiration date noted on the Future Cruise Credit.
The change in policy not only applies to Royal Caribbean International, but also Celebrity Cruises.
Royal Caribbean has made it quite easy to redeem a future cruise credit, whether you are booking directly or with a travel agent.
The easiest way is to let your travel agent redeem it by providing them with the Certificate Number and booking ID.
Read more: Top things you didn't know travel agents can do for your cruise vacation
If you book on your own, here's how to redeem a FCC for a new booking on Royal Caribbean's website:
Here’s how to redeem online for existing bookings:
Royal Caribbean's rules for cancelling a cruise are about to change.
There are two types of deposits a guest can make when booking a cruise: refundable and non-refundable.
Travel agents were alerted of the new policy change regarding non-refundable deposits. There is no change for guests that book refundable deposits.
Beginning with reservations made on or after June 1, 2022, if a guest were to cancel their non-refundable fare, the full deposit amount will be withheld by the cruise line. Any additional payments made will be refunded.
If a guest elects to change their original ship and/or sail date, then a change fee of $100 per person will apply.
The Future Cruise Credit component is being discontinued and will no longer apply when canceling under this policy outside of the final payment period.
Instead, the deposit amount will be withheld in-full.
Guests booked prior to June 1, 2022 are protected under the prior policy terms. Guests who booked a non-refundable fare prior June 1, 2022 can elect to request a Future Cruise Credit in the amount of the deposit paid per guest, less the $100 fee.
This policy change is especially important to note if you book a suite.
Royal Caribbean made suites non-refundable only a few years ago because of the high demand for them, especially when new sailings were announced. Prior to the non-refundable fares, suites would be booked up early by cruise fans and later decide if they would sail or not. To deter the practice of dumping suites closer to sailing, Royal Caribbean changed suite fares to non-refundable.
With this change, booking a suite well in advance comes with additional risk if you choose to cancel later, especially considering the deposit amount of suites tends to be higher than non-suite rooms.
Typically, the deposit amount for suites is double regular room fares.
Just like non-refundable fares found with airfare, rental cars, and hotels, these rates come at a reduced rate as an incentive to lock in plans.
In short, guests get a lower price and the cruise line gets more protection against a last-minute cancellation.
Refundable cruise fares cost more, but allow more flexibility when cancelling a cruise.
The exact price difference between a refundable and non-refundable fare can vary depending on the sailing.
Read more: Royal Caribbean refundable versus non-refundable cruise fares
In addition to the cruise fare changes, Royal Caribbean also tweaked the Best Price Guarantee program.
Effective immediately, the Best Price Guarantee onboard credit option value will be 100% of the price difference (previously 110%).
This change refers to the original Best Price Guarantee program and not the Cruise With Confidence program.
Read more: Do cruise prices drop?
You probably heard about the new suite neighborhood, shows, and restaurants Royal Caribbean added to Wonder of the Seas, but the cruise line also tweaked a few things that I really liked.
With each new cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's teams look for ways to improve the guest experience, and not just on a grand scale. Tweaking, swapping, and trying new ideas is part of the new build process. Often, these changes aren't heralded in reviews, but people that cruise a lot are sure to notice them when they run across it and say something like, "That's different."
Read more: Wonder of the Seas vs other Oasis Class ships
Besides the amazing new shows and areas you wont find any other Oasis Class ship, here are a few subtle changes Royal Caribbean made to Wonder of the Seas that I noticed (and most of them I liked).
The first time you use your cruise cabin bathroom, you'll probably notice it's missing that typical "ka-chunk!" sound the door makes when slamming shut.
The bathroom doors in your cabin are magnetically sealed on Wonder of the Seas. I assume it's so that the door is quieter when it closes, but I don't know that for a fact.
The bathroom doors use a magnetic element which pulls shut the the door when it's within about 1/2 -1” from closure.
Read more: 8 things you should know about your cruise ship cabin
Keeping with the "changes in the bathroom" theme, another pleasant change was my balcony cabin had two different showerheads.
Not all cabins have this, but there is a handheld showerhead and a standard showerhead that you can alternate between in the balcony room I stayed in. While you can't use them both at the same time, it is nice to be able to switch as needed.
Keep in mind if you do switch showerheads, the water coming out will likely be initially cold until the warm water comes rushing through the pipe.
Read more: A look at the big suites on Wonder of the Seas
A trend Royal Caribbean has embraced is adding USB outlets to more places, and that continues on Wonder of the Seas.
There are more USB outlets in bars than I've seen on any other Royal Caribbean ship. This is great for being able to charge your phone while you hang out (and not have to drag around a battery pack).
In the cabin, there are more USB outlets than normal. In addition to the USB outlets at your desk, they've finally added USB outlets near the beds.
Read more: The Mason Jar Southern food restaurant on Wonder of the Seas
One of my favorite cabin hacks has been to recommend bringing your own magnets with hooks, but Royal Caribbean has offered some hooks on Wonder of the Seas.
Below the television are a series of hooks that came installed already.
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Wall hooks are very helpful in a cabin because you can use them to keep apparel off the ground, and more importantly, free up drawer space.
Read more: My favorite Royal Caribbean cruise hacks
When we learned there would be no Jazz on 4 on Wonder of the Seas (it was replaced with a casino space), it seemed like an entertainment loss, but that's not the case.
Wonder of the Seas was designed with a high roller casino area in lieu of a jazz club to appeal to the Asian cruise market. When Royal Caribbean changed plans to keep Wonder of the Seas in the United States, they decided to keep the VIP room.
Royal Caribbean moved the jazz performers to Central Park to offer music each evening. There's also jazz music from time to time in Music Hall.
Read more: Interesting facts you might not know about Wonder of the Seas
More helpful articles
Happy Sunday and unofficial start to summer! Temperatures are rising, and so is the pace of cruise news to share with you this week.
Remember that sphere object that is going into Icon of the Seas? It got installed onboard the ship this week and we still have no idea what it is!
Royal Caribbean released a new construction update teaser that talks about the pearl-shaped object being added to Icon of the Seas.
In the video update, the object was placed about mid-ship, amidst the various blocks of Icon of the Seas during her construction progress.
The 456th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, previewing Matt's upcoming Alaska cruise.
Matt pushed back his plans a week to go on Serenade of the Seas, but he shares his plans for a back-to-back Alaska cruise on Serenade of the Seas.
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.
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 Best Cruise Ship Cabin Hacks! — and don’t forget to subscribe here.
With the full fleet back in service, there are Royal Caribbean cruises to enjoy in Alaska, the Caribbean, and Europe during the month of June.
If you have a cruise booked (or are thinking of booking a last-minute cruise) in June, here's the important info for taking a cruise this month.
How does weekending in The Bahamas sound?
Royal Caribbean offers short weekend cruises on select ships, which means a quick escape to the beach for a couple days before heading back to work.
Before you sail, we have a look at the ins and outs of taking a 3-night Royal Caribbean cruise.
The Alaska cruise season is short, but there are definitely times of the year where it costs less to sail there.
Seeing the beauty of Alaska doesn't have to be super expensive, and here's our advice for finding the cheapest month for an Alaska cruise.
Labadee, Royal Caribbean's original private destination, remains a family-favorite place for a great beach day.
Packed with different beaches to choose from, thrill attractions, and even a few shore excursions, you will find lots to enjoy about this private peninsula in Haiti.
It's one of the most popular stops on Royal Caribbean's Caribbean cruises, and for good reason - Labadee has something for everyone. From zip lines to parasailing to luxury cabana rentals, there's no shortage of things to do in this tropical paradise.
If you want to make the most of your visit, here are some Labadee tips to share from my many visits.
Here's an overview of Labadee, and what areas are available to you.
After I rented my first cabana at Labadee, I have never been able to go back without having one because it was that impressive.
Guests visiting Labadee are able to rent cabanas at Nellie's Beach or Barefoot Beach (suite guests only).
These cabanas provide privacy, shade, personalized service, and even transportation around Labadee.
For families or groups, a cabana rental can make a lot of sense for the convenience it provides, along with the great amenities.
If you do want a cabana, be sure to prebook it. Cabana rentals go very fast, and they almost always sell out months or weeks before a cruise. Your best bet is to log into Royal Caribbean's site and reserve one so that you can ensure your family has it for when you arrive.
There are five beaches at Labadee, so it is a good idea to figure out which one you want to visit before you step off the ship.
Depending on whether you want to be close to the ship, want the prettiest water, or want the best views, there can be a few good choices to consider.
If you are a suite guest, your choice is simple: Barefoot Beach. This is a suites-only beach area and the place to go for anyone who has a suite cabin on the ship.
Families usually like to go between Columbus Cove or Adrenaline Beach for the views and open water.
Nellie's Beach is a quieter cove that can get busy as the day goes on, but also offers cabanas to rent.
Dragon's Beach is located near the cruise dock. This is a great place to watch those on the overwater zip line!
Which beach you pick can depend on a lot of factors, especially what time you arrive at the beach. Crowds will build as the day progresses and most guests tend to fill spots closest to the dock first, extending out towards Adrenaline Beach and Columbus Cove.
Regardless of which beach you end up going to, you should bring some cash with you for tips. Chairs are complimentary, but there are locals on Labadee who will help you set them up and it is customary to provide a tip for the assistance.
There is a complimentary ferry at the pier that will take you directly to Columbus Cove to save time.
Just like any port you visit, you will need your SeaPass card to disembark and for use on the island.
Your SeaPass card is what you will need for most transactions on the island. You can use it to order drinks, and gain access to certain activities. If you end up booking a tour or rent snorkel equipment, you will need it for that too.
Make sure you have everyone's card before you leave your stateroom.
While Royal Caribbean takes your SeaPass card on Labadee, many Haitians work on the island too, and they only take cash.
You will need cash for two things: tipping and souvenirs.
You will find helpful locals on Labadee to set up chairs and umbrellas for you, and even re-arrange them to suit your needs. While there is no cost for their services, a tip is expected.
In addition, there is an artisan market you can browse, along with crafts available to purchase at different spots. The Haitians working there cannot take your SeaPass card, so bring a few dollars with you rather than having to trek back to the ship to get some later.
The Artisan market is an open-air place to buy crafts and other handmade souvenirs.
While the people who sell their wares here are friendly enough, they are not passive artisans either. They are salesmen and women, so and will try their best to lock in a sale.
There is nothing wrong with browsing, but it is okay to say "no thank you" if something is not of interest. These storekeepers are proud of the work they have done, and will want to sell you something if they can, but they will respect if it is clear you are not interested.
The Royal Caribbean drink package benefits you purchased for your cruise ship work at Labadee as well.
This means if you have the Deluxe Beverage Package, you can enjoy unlimited alcoholic beverages, along with bottled water, sodas, and more. Likewise, the Royal Refreshment and Soda Package benefits also work on Labadee.
Just give your SeaPass card to any waiter or bartender while ordering, and you can enjoy the same sort of drinks as onboard.
Keep in mind that the island's drink selection may be more limited than on the ship, but they usually have a good assortment of favorites.
You should also be aware drinks served in souvenir cups and/or fruits (i.e. pineapples) are not included with the drink package, although you can get a discount on them.
A fun new addition to Labadee is the floating bar on Adrenaline Beach.
You can swim up to the floating bar and climb aboard for a seat anywhere around the circular bar.
The floating bar is located underneath the zip line, which should provide for some fun views as guests enjoy a beverage at the bar.
And yes, your drink package benefits work here as well.
I generally do not think water shoes are necessary at beaches in the Caribbean, but Labadee's beaches can be tough.
While there is plenty of sand, rocks on the ocean floor are not uncommon and it is somewhere where you might consider getting a pair of water shoes.
In addition, the paved walkways and even that white sand can get very hot in the afternoon.
The star attraction at Labadee is the Dragon's Breath zip line, which is a 2,800-foot zip line over the ocean that takes guests across the span of Labadee.
It is not cheap (around $95 per guest), but it delivers some really impressive views down one of the longest zip lines over the ocean in the world.
Weather permitting, you will have the choice of a traditional zip line ride down, or a head-first Furious Flyer zipline.
If you have a Grand Suite or better while on your ship, you absolutely want to plan your day around spending time at the suites-only area known as Barefoot Beach.
It is located on the south side of the island and is a relatively smaller beach compared to Adrenaline Beach, and is more of a cove in shape.
Crowds on Barefoot Beach are not as prevalent as other areas of Labadee due to its exclusivity.
If you want to reserve a cabana at Barefoot Beach, contact your suite concierge. Your best bet is to email your suite concierge in the days before your cruise departs after you receive the welcome email from him/her.
It took me quite a few visits before I forced myself to walk down one of the nature trails, and it was so worth it!
When you get off the pier, there are a few walking trails to your left, and it provides nice views around Labadee.
It is probably a good idea to tackle the trails early in the day before the major heat hits in the afternoon.
Did you find these tips helpful? Be sure to save these tips for your future reference by bookmarking this page, or you can pin the image below to Pinterest!
What does a suite on the world's largest cruise ship look like?
Staying in a suite means enjoying the finest accommodations on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, which come in variety of configurations and prices.
When you book a suite, you're getting the most space available in a cruise cabin on board both inside and on your balcony. That means space to spread out and take full advantage of your home away from home.
In addition, a suite gets you additional benefits such as concierge service, priority boarding and departure privileges, and dedicated entertainment seating.
Whether you choose to book a suite or not, it's always fun to look at what these giant cabins look like, just so you can get an idea of what it gets you.
Royal Caribbean recently shared remarkable photos from some of the suites on Wonder of the Seas. Keep in mind this isn't every type of suite, but there's a few varieties to give you an idea of what it's like.
From the spacious to the stupendous, here's a look at some of the suites on Wonder.
Loft suites are the two-level cabins first introduced on the Oasis Class cruise ships that truly stand out for the fact it encompasses more than one floor.
This particular suite is a wheelchair accessible cabin (there's an elevator to bring the wheelchair up to the second level near the cabin entrance).
Royal Caribbean has accessible rooms are available in: Crown Loft Suite, Junior Suite, Ultra Spacious Ocean View with Large Balcony, Ocean View Balcony, Central Park View Balcony, Ocean View, Interior, Interior with Virtual Balcony
Here's a look at the standard loft suite on Wonder of the Seas, without the accessibility option.
The Crown Loft Suite (category L1) has two levels and has a Royal King bed upstairs and a sofa bed downstairs.
If you're looking to move up from a standard loft suite, the Royal Loft Suite provides more living space as well as Star Class benefits, such as your own Royal Genie.
Read more: What is the difference between suite concierge and a Royal Genie?
The Royal Loft Suite comes in at 1,524 square feet of living space, plus 843 square feet of balcony space. Compare that to 545 square feet in a Crown Loft Suite!
Another Star Class cabin is located on the end of the ship with sweeping views of the ocean and AquaTheater below it.
If you love a good balcony, this cabin arguably has the best one because of how massive it is.
On deck 8, the AquaTheater suite has 823 square feet of living space and an additional 772 square feet of balcony space. That's almost double the inside space.
Have you heard about the most expensive suite on Royal Caribbean?
The Ultimate Family Suite is massive on Wonder of the Seas, offering kid-centric design and 1,134 square footage indoors and 212 on the balcony.
The location of the suite is different on Wonder of the Seas compared to Symphony of the Seas, too. Whereas on Symphony the suite overlooks the sport area, the Ultimate Family Suite on Wonder faces the forward and starboard sides of the ship.
If you're ready to book this bad boy, it won't come cheap. The price will vary depending on the sailing, but prices usually begin around $25,000 and go up quickly from there.
There are many benefits that come with a suite on Wonder of the Seas, including access to the Suite Neighborhood sun deck.
Exclusively for suite guests, the sun deck offers a special area to enjoy ocean views that has a plunge pool, lounge chairs, and a bar.
Wonder of the Seas is the only Oasis Class cruise ship that has its own suite neighborhood, which required the company to put fewer suites on the ship so that they had space for the area.
More information
Royal Caribbean has a new face for its customer loyalty program.
In an update to members of the Crown and Anchor Society, Royal Caribbean announced it has hired a new Director of Loyalty.
Courtney Brant will serve as Royal Caribbean's "face of the Crown and Anchor Society", which has traditionally been a role that gives frequent cruisers a singular point of reference for communication.
In the email sent to Crown and Anchor Society members, Ms. Brant shared a brief message, "I’m absolutely thrilled to join not only Royal Caribbean, but the Crown & Anchor Society family too. I can’t wait to get to know our loyal members on a personal level and help create incredible vacation memories for you all."
Prior to becoming the Director of Loyalty, Ms. Brant worked at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings for four years, where she served as a Senior Manager of Loyalty and Revenue Marketing prior to moving to Royal Caribbean.
At the onset of the pandemic, Royal Caribbean laid off the previous person to hold the position, Molly Paolini. She had served in the role between July 2019 and April 2020.
You can expect Ms. Brant to act as a figurehead for Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program.
The Crown and Anchor Society has a lot of fervent fans that not only love to cruise, but their status in the program and the benefits it provides quite seriously.
In the past, one of the chief responsibilities was to keep Crown and Anchor members updated on everything Royal Caribbean, planning special events and more.
Matt is headed to Alaska on a back-to-back cruise on Serenade of the Seas, and talks about what he has planned onboard.
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Another week of Royal Caribbean cruise news to catch up on, and we have the latest morsels of updates you should be aware of over the past few days.
Not every piece of Royal Caribbean news is significant enough for its own article, so this weekly wrap-up has the happenings we've noticed.
You can always email anything you spot to [email protected].
Here's a look at this week's goings-on.
The Harmony of the Seas had a small incident on Thursday when she backed into the pier during the docking procedure in Falmouth, Jamaica.
RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader BobNoxiousUSA shared photos from onboard the ship.
In a statement by Royal Caribbean, the ship incurred very minor damage of no consequence as a result of the incident, "During arrival into Falmouth, Jamaica, Harmony of the Seas made contact with an extension part of the dock."
"There were no injuries to guests or crew and only minor cosmetic damage to the ship’s stern. The sailing will continue as scheduled."
Royal Caribbean is actively working to hire as many new crew members as they can, given the staff shortages noted by people that have been on cruises recently.
The company has been holding job fairs in Europe since April to get more crew members, which have taken them to countries such as Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Croatia and more.
In addition, Royal Caribbean Group signed a deal in Trinidad and Tobago to hire more crew. The goal is to hire 2,000 people from the islands to work on Royal Caribbean Group ships.
Royal Caribbean Group signed a new deal to provide zero carbon technologies and solutions.
Earlier this week, Royal Caribbean Group and Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center for zero carbon shipping, which is part of the company's overall Destination Net Zero goal to reduce net zero emissions by 2050.
The Moller Center explores viable de-carbonization pathways; facilitates the development and implementation of new energy technologies; builds confidence in new concepts and their supply chains; and defines and matures viable strategic pathways to the required systemic change.
"Collective action is imperative as we deploy our Destination Net Zero strategy to decarbonize our business and catalyze innovation for our industry," said Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO.
"By joining the Center Royal Caribbean Group aligns itself with a network of like-minded companies with an unrelenting drive to find solutions for a sustainable future."
This is a long-term strategic collaboration between the two companies