With cruises back in service for a few months, what should you know about what it's like to go on a cruise ship right now?
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Many companies talk about sustainability, but Royal Caribbean Group has done much in the last year to make it happen.
Royal Caribbean Group released its 13th annual sustainability report, which encompass everything the company is doing towards sustainability.
In short, Royal Caribbean Group reports they have met or exceeded nearly all of its 2020 sustainability targets.
The report is organized into four main sections conveying Royal Caribbean Group's strategic approach to sustainability, from emissions reductions to supporting employees and crew in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here is a look at the highlights from the report:
Royal Caribbean Group achieved its carbon reduction target of 35% and has committed to further reduce emissions 25% by 2025.
The company has a commitment to source 90% of wild-caught seafood and 75% of farmed seafood, served on Royal Caribbean Group ships from certified sustainable sources, a first for the cruise industry.
The company is working to achieve zero waste across the Royal Caribbean Group fleet.
Royal Caribbean Group ships work to ensure fresh water on their ships is used sparingly and efficiently.
You can view the full report online.
Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain was extremely pleased with the report, " "While I'm proud of the progress we have achieved, the importance of this area has grown exponentially. Consistent with our mantra of continuous improvement, we have significantly expanded our aspirations in this critical area and are setting even more aggressive goals for the coming years."
"We believe that what gets measured gets better. Sustainability is a core area for our business, and this report reflects our successes and challenges over the past year."
Royal Caribbean has released its health protocols for cruises departing the second half of October 2021 from ports in the United States.
The cruise line had released October protocols for sailings in the first half of the month, but now we have the protocols for the second half.
These protocols apply to any Royal Caribbean cruise ship sailing from a U.S. homeport between October 16-31, 2021.
Here is what Royal Caribbean has planned for passengers sailing in the second half of October.
All guests 12 years and older must bring proof of vaccination, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 vaccination record card, with the final dose of the vaccine completed at least 14 days prior to sailing.
Pre-Cruise
All guests 2 years and older must present a negative PCR or antigen test result.
Pre-cruise testing costs and scheduling are the guest's responsibility.
Embarkation Day
Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 will take a complimentary PCR test for COVID-19 during check-in. Registration details will be sent via email in advance.
Onboard
Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 will take a complimentary antigen test prior to debark. Depending on sailing length, there may be additional testing. Registration details will be provided onboard.
Families traveling with unvaccinated kids are required to purchase a tour through Royal Caribbean to go ashore, except at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Masks are required in the terminal, in select locations inside the ship, and may be required at various destinations. Guests under 2 years old don’t need a mask.
Masks are NOT required to be worn:
Masks ARE required to be worn:
Some venues and nightlife events will be for vaccinated guests age 12 and up, only. Masks won't be required in these venues. Vaccinated parents are invited to enjoy these experiences while their kids are at Adventure Ocean.
The Main Dining Room has areas for all parties (vaccinated and those with unvaccinated children.) My Time Dining will not be available to unvaccinated children.
Windjammer buffet and Grab-and-go cafes are open to everyone for breakfast and lunch and crew members will serve you.
Some specialty restaurants are for vaccinated parties only.
Theaters and activity venues offer spaced seating with options for everyone and vaccinated guests only.
Spa services, except those offered in treatment rooms, are available to everyone.
The Fitness Center has operating hours for everyone as well as hours reserved for vaccinated guests only.
If booked guests do not wish to follow these protocols and are booked on a cruise sailing in late October, Royal Caribbean will offer a refund or move their sailing into the future when circumstances may have evolved.
As expected, Royal Caribbean has updated its policy to consider cruise ship passengers fully vaccinated if they have a mixed series of mRNA vaccines.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance last week on mixed vaccines, which greatly affects residents of certain countries where the practice was encouraged, such as Canada or Germany.
As a result, Royal Caribbean has updated its rules for mixed vaccines from different manufacturers:
For sailings departing from the U.S., the CDC will now recognize a mixed series of mRNA vaccines (e.g., 1 shot of Pfizer with 1 shot of Moderna, in any order) as fully vaccinated. The doses must be administered a minimum of 28 days apart. The guest will be considered fully vaccinated 14 days after the final dose.
Guests who received 1 shot of Johnson & Johnson, with any other vaccine, are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after the Johnson & Johnson shot.
Guests whose two-shot regimen consists of 1 mRNA dose (Pfizer or Moderna) with 1 AstraZeneca dose will not be considered vaccinated. We continue to encourage the CDC and other U.S. government officials to re-evaluate this policy.
The change in policy mirrors sister company Celebrity Cruises, which updated its policy a few days ago.
The full policy has been posted on Royal Caribbean's website.
Earlier this summer, Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines announced they would not consider someone with mixed vaccines fully vaccinated, following a CDC policy change.
Not allowing mixed vaccines has been a problem for Canadian cruisers because the practice is widespread in that country.
Royal Caribbean also added information for guests who have recovered from Covid-19, as well as digital certificates.
For U.S. departures, Royal Caribbean does not grant vaccine accommodation for reasons related to recent recovery from Covid-19.
However, Royal Caribbean will allow a certificate of recovery for departures outside the United States.
Guests will show the certificate at time of boarding that verifies that either the guest was diagnosed with Covid-19 within the 90 days prior to their sail date or that they are sailing before the end date noted on the Certificate of Recovery.
For sailings departing from Cyprus, the Certificate of Recovery must be issued 30 days after the day of the first positive Covid-19 test and is valid for either 90 days or until the expiry date displayed.
The Certificate of Recovery must include the following details:
For sailings operating within the E.U only, guests may present an EU Digital COVID Certificate showing they have received a single dose of a 2-dose series of an approved COVID-19 vaccine after having previously been infected with COVID-19, where the Member State issuing the EU Digital COVID Certificate considers the vaccination course as completed.
In this scenario the certificate must clearly show 1 of 1 vaccine completed. The vaccine must have been administered at least 14 days before their sail date
The United States will lift restrictions on foreign nationals wishing to fly to the United States, which is good news for the cruise industry.
While cruises have been able to restart in the United States since earlier this summer, many cruise fans from other countries have been excluded from the restart.
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) issued a statement in support of the Biden Administration's plan to begin allowing fully vaccinated visitors from other countries in November.
Beginning at some time in November, foreigners will be allowed to enter the United States if they can show proof that they have been vaccinated for COVID-19 and that they have tested negatively for the virus within three days of their flight. This includes visitors from the U.K. and EU.
The travel ban has been in place for well over a year, and CLIA welcomes the change to start allowing travel to return, "CLIA joins our peers across the travel and tourism sector to express our appreciation to the Biden Administration for recognizing the importance of international travel to the U.S. economy and for establishing a path for international visitors to travel to the United States responsibly."
"The cruise industry is an important driver of international visits to the United States, prompting approximately 2.5 million international visitors to travel to the United States to embark on a cruise in 2019, representing nearly 18 percent of all U.S. cruise embarkations. International cruise visitors in the United States spend $4.5 billion annually on hotel stays, transportation, retail and other U.S. businesses, supporting nearly 60,000 American jobs."
"Our members look forward to welcoming international travelers, including from the United Kingdom and the European Union, back to the United States while continuing to prioritize public health."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will also require airlines to collect and provide passenger information to aid contract tracing.
There will be a few exemptions to the vaccination requirements for foreign visitors, such as for children not yet eligible to be vaccinated, according to a person familiar with the White House’s strategy, but full details of the policy have not yet been released.
The Trump administration had first issued the rules, which now apply to more than 30 countries, in March 2020. President Joe Biden upheld those rules in January, shortly after taking office.
Celebrity Cruises has updated its policy to now allow some mixed vaccines and recognize those passengers as fully vaccinated.
In an updated policy posted to Celebrity's website, it says the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidelines regarding mixed vaccinations, which prompted Celebrity to change their policy.
Earlier this summer, many cruise lines were forced to not recognize any passenger who had a combination of vaccines from different manufacturers, including Royal Caribbean. The reason being the CDC did not recognize any mixed combination of Covid-19 vaccines as fully vaccinated.
According to Celebrity, the CDC has "clarified their position regarding mixed vaccinations."
Celebrity has seemingly followed that guidance from the CDC in their updated policy and will now recognize a mixed combination of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines (Pfizer/Moderna) as fully vaccinated.
"For sailings departing the United States, to be recognized as fully vaccinated, guests 12 years of age and older, must complete a vaccine series with the last dose administered at least 14 days prior to sailing. The CDC will also consider a guest fully vaccinated with proof of vaccination that can include mixed doses of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines. Celebrity Cruise will not accept any form of Certificate of Recovery."
The issue of mixed vaccines affects residents of certain countries where the practice was encouraged by their governments, such as Canada.
A change to Royal Caribbean's policy has not yet been posted.
Celebrity also added a new option for passengers that lost their original vaccination card, but want to show an electronic copy instead.
Celebrity will now accept proof of vaccination from a passengers if that person can furnish proof from the government site or app.
Photos or photocopies of the original vaccination card are still not accepted.
Welcome to this week's edition of the Royal Caribbean post round-up, where we summarize all of the Royal Caribbean news and information from this week into one handy-dandy post! There is plenty of great content to enjoy, so sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's round-up!
Royal Caribbean surprised a lot of people this week when they announced Wonder of the Seas would sail from the United States and Europe, instead of China.
The new plan is for Wonder of the Seas to debut from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, with sailings beginning on March 4, 2022.
Wonder of the Seas will sail from Fort Lauderdale just in time for spring break in 2022 and in Europe, sail from Barcelona for summer vacations in the Western Mediterranean in May.
Caribbean sailings are available to book immediately. European sailings will open for booking on September 22.
Read more: Wonder of the Seas: Itinerary, features, and more
The 422nd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, where Matt and Billy review their Odyssey of the Seas cruise.
After sailing on a 6-night cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, this week's episode looks at what stood out about Odyssey 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 — 8 Things I learned on my first Royal Caribbean cruise — and don’t forget to subscribe here.
Cruising may be back, but there are still some very commonly asked questions out there about what it's like to go on a cruise ship right now.
More than half of Royal Caribbean's fleet is back in operation, and Royal Caribbean is welcoming back more and more guests. So if you have questions about the experience, there's a comprehensive look at the top questions people want to know about being on a ship in 2021.
You will find answers to concerns about wearing masks onboard, testing requirements, limited capacity issues and a lot more.
Odyssey of the Seas is Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship in 2021, and included onboard are some terrific dining options.
Royal Caribbean has steadily improved its onboard food over the years, and Odyssey of the Seas represents some of the best culinary options you can find on any cruise ship.
In the name of research, I took it upon myself to sample as much of the great food you can eat on Odyssey of the Seas. I did not manage to eat everywhere, but I tried my best to hit up as many places as possible.
Here is a look at all the food I ate onboard the Odyssey of the Seas restaurants, and which items truly stood out as the best.
No Royal Caribbean can properly begin for me unless I eat lunch in the Windjammer because this is one of my personal cruise traditions. Every cruise I have been on has begun with embarkation day lunch at Royal Caribbean's signature buffet.
The Quantum Class Windjammer is massive, with plenty of buffet stations to choose from. Salads, soups, sandwiches, curries, cheeses, pasta and more.
Lunch on embarkation day would end up being the only time I ate in the Windjammer, but chalk that up to so many good choices.
Ultimately, I had to go with my all-time favorite food Royal Caribbean offers in the Windjammer, and that is Indian curry.
I had a serving of chicken curry and chana masala over a bed of rice. Combine the two, and you get some excellent flavors.
I was content with just that, until I saw Odyssey has an ice cream station featuring more than just vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. They had coffee ice cream, which is my all-time favorite flavor.
Perhaps there is no better crowd pleaser for dinner on any Royal Caribbean ship that the hibachi dinner at Izumi Teppanyaki.
On Odyssey, the Izumi sushi and hibachi are separate restaurants, which allows both restaurants to have plenty of space.
Before we get to the food, the views were outstanding given you can see the ocean behind the chef.
Besides our chef (Orlando) being really good, the food was even better. Freshly cooked meats, vegetables, and rice served with a heaping amount of garlic is a recipe for success.
I had the chicken option with my meal, and it really hit the spot.
If you are in a rush, the best place to get a good breakfast and coffee is at the rear of the ship in Cafe @ Two70.
Similar to Park Cafe on other Royal Caribbean ships, Cafe @ Two70 has a good assortment of grab-and-go breakfast, such as bagels, muffins, wraps and more.
Of course, they also have a good selection of coffees, which are valid if you have a Royal Caribbean drink package.
A iced caramel latte is the best way to start any day on a Royal Caribbean ship.
Following a fun day in the sun at Perfect Day at CocoCay, we decided to keep it casual and head to the SeaPlex for dinner at Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade.
I love that Royal Caribbean put Playmakers in the SeaPlex, because it perfectly compliments the sports action below, as well as better utilizing space in the upper part of the SeaPlex.
Between our group of friends, we ended up ordering nearly one of everything, and two items really stand out as the best of the best.
First, is the Pile On Nachos. Personally, I enjoy nachos that are overloaded with veggies, guacamole, cheese, and whatever else they pile on.
And then there is the Campfire Cookie, which is so darn good.
I know at the end of every meal you are thinking "I'm stuffed, there is no way I can eat dessert", but the Campfire Cookie is worth it.
Just like the Windjammer, I only made it to the main dining room once, but I do not regret my visit here at all.
I had breakfast on the first sea day, and I purposefully went here so that I could enjoy the aesthetics of the dining room. In short, it is a beautiful space and I love how Royal Caribbean altered the look of the dining room on Spectrum and Odyssey so that it fits in more with the flow of the ship.
I ordered an omelet just the way I like it, and it came out perfectly. The nice thing about eating in the dining room is the slower pace, so you can sip your morning coffee, check the news, and then have breakfast brought to you.
I wish I could have eaten dinner here as well, because of how impressive the space looks. Maybe next time.
An easily overlooked restaurant on Odyssey of the Seas is the Solarium Bistro, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and costs nothing extra!
I think most people are unaware it exists until perhaps later in the cruise, and I love how there is a much greater variety of choices than at other restaurants.
Read more: Top 10 Odyssey of the Seas hidden secrets
Solarium Bistro has long been an excellent choice for vegetarians, but I find plenty I like to eat here too. The Mediterranean salads are what draw me in every time, although the German sausages and bratwurst looked so darn good.
Just like the main dining room, you can have breakfast here and enjoy omelets cooked to order.
I am a sucker for fresh salsa on just about anything, and El Loco Fresh has plenty of it to go around.
Located on the pool deck, El Loco Fresh has quesadillas and burritos, but do yourself a favor and skip the pre-made ones and go right to the made-to-order area.
You are given a fresh tortilla, and you can load it up with rice, beans, chicken, beef and all sorts of toppings.
When I boarded Odyssey of the Seas, I knew dinner at Giovanni's Italian Kitchen would be at the top of my list of things I was looking forward to doing.
I sampled the menu on Freedom of the Seas, so I was eager to get back and try the food out again here.
Luckily, it did not disappoint. Truly the "problem" with Giovanni's is there are so many good items on the menu to choose from.
I think their pizzas are fantastic, and all their pastas are made fresh daily so it would be a crime not at least eat some.
Let us not forget about the appetizers, which are served family style and just try not to pick at them while it sits on the table.
To that point, I have to confess I just had to try the meatballs, which contain beef and pork. I do not eat pork, but they looked so darn good that I just had to give it a go and it did not disappoint.
This time around, I really liked the margherita pizza the best of all the pies we had. Whenever I go to an Italian restaurant, chicken parmigiana is my go-to order.
Along with the side of pasta, it hit the spot.
A last-minute decision was to go to Chops Grille, and it is one of those restaurants on any Royal Caribbean ship you can bet on being a solid meal.
Given it is a steakhouse, the steaks are what everyone orders when they visit and it is tough to beat their filet mignon (although I prefer the filet at the Coco Beach Club restaurant).
My personal favorite item on the menu is actually the tuna tartare, which has a lot of raw tuna and guacamole. Such a great combo.
Another great change Royal Caribbean made to Odyssey of the Seas compared to her sister ships was to transform Vintages Wine Bar into Giovanni's Italian Wine Bar.
In addition to the selection of wines, you can order food from Giovanni's Italian Kitchen. There are even two items only available at the Wine Bar: the arancini and lasagna bites.
A good tip to remember is if Giovanni's Italian Kitchen is ever too full to seat you on a whim, go next door to the wine bar for basically the same food.
Just like at Giovanni's Italian Kitchen, we also ordered a large sampling of food and got to revisit some favorites from the previous night.
I think Italian food fans are going to really enjoy so many options.
Our final meal on Odyssey of the Seas was Wonderland. We chose Wonderland because there was some friends with us that had never dined there.
Wonderland is a blend of over-the-top decor, odd looking food, and exploration inbetween. It may never be my favorite restaurant to dine at purely for the food, but I do think it is a fun experience.
Our waiter took us through the entire meal and provided fun entertainment as we went through the various courses. Nearly all of it looked odd, but most tasted better than it looked.
Now that I have listed all the restaurants I dined at while on Odyssey of the Seas, I wanted to list my top picks of what I enjoyed the most.
There was a lot of good food, so needless to say I did not leave the ship hungry or disappointed. So I wanted to share which dishes truly stood out as my personal favorites.
1. Pile On Nachos
2. Lasagna bites
3. Hibachi dinner
4. Margherita Pizza
5. Indian curry
You'll have a choice on a Royal Caribbean cruise to enjoy food included with your cruise fare, or spend extra on other food.
While not all the food on Royal Caribbean is included, there is enough food and drink for you to enjoy that is included so you will not need to pay extra for food. However, you may feel inclined to pay for drinks or meals anyway as a way to enhance your cruise.
Depending on the ship you sail on, the exact venues with complimentary (included) food will vary, but here are some basics you can expect on any Royal Caribbean ship:
Read more: Royal Caribbean food guide
The two primary places you will find the widest selection of food included with your cruise is in the main dining room and Windjammer.
The main dining room is open for breakfast and dinner every day of your cruise, and for lunch on sea days. The main dining room is a sit down restaurant where you have assigned seating.
For dinner, there are two types of main dining room seating: traditional and My Time Dining.
Traditional dinner is when you pick between early or late seating. Every day your dining time is the same, and your waiters and table mates are the same.
My Time Dining offers flexible dining times, where you can reserve times in advance or show up and wait for an available table. You will likely have different waiters and table mates every day, unless you request otherwise.
Read more: My Time Dining versus Traditional Dining
Nearly all the food available in the main dining room is included with your cruise fare, with the exception being alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, and some upcharge items at dinner (steak or lobster).
The Windjammer Cafe is the classic cruise ship buffet, and it is open for all meals every day of your cruise (the Windjammer is currently closed for dinner in 2021 while there is limited capacity, but will eventually re-open for dinner).
The Windjammer offers the widest selection of foods to eat, with different buffet stations you can walk up to and pick from.
All the food you see in the Windjammer is included. Just like the main dining room, alcoholic drinks and soft drinks cost extra.
Read more: Guide to Royal Caribbean's Windjammer Cafe buffet
There is a service charge for room service, where you pay $7.95 per order. Whether you order one or ten items, the service cost is the same.
You can order a continental breakfast option that has no service fee in the morning, which consists of coffee, tea, and assorted breakfast choices.
Royal Caribbean includes some beverages with your cruise fare, which cover the basics to keep you refreshed and hydrated.
The drinks included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare are:
Read more: What drinks are included with your Royal Caribbean cruise?
All other drinks cost extra, including alcohol, soda, and juices.
Royal Caribbean offers guests beverage packages that can be purchased to save money on these extra drinks. Drink packages are worth it if you drink enough every day of your cruise to "break even" on the package cost.
Besides meals, there is also a good assortment of food you can munch on between meals.
Depending on the Royal Caribbean ship you sail on, the exact venues will vary, but there are some common options for something small to eat that has no additional cost.
These locations are open most hours of the day and night, and you will find sandwiches, pizza, desserts and much more.
Not only are these grab-and-go restaurants included, they offer some very tasty choices that many cruise fans really enjoy.
Some top favorites include:
Perfect Day at CocoCay is Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas, and there is a surprising amount of food included with your visit to the island.
Lunch is served at the island, and there are a few different dining venues you can go to that should be close enough to anywhere you are relaxing.
Not only is there a lot of food included at Perfect Day at CocoCay, it is really good too.
Cups of water are available at no additional charge at these venues.
Royal Caribbean also has a private destination on the coast of Haiti, called Labadee.
Just like CocoCay, lunch is served for all guests to enjoy.
Cups of water are available at no additional charge at these venues.
The weekend is here and every Friday, I share our readers' favorite Royal Caribbean photos so that we can all enjoy a quick "virtual trip" back on a cruise.
This is a fun opportunity to highlight cruise photos RoyalCaribbeanBlog readers have taken, and for a little bit of time, take a mental escape onboard.
If you want to share your Royal Caribbean photos, use this form to send them in!
Our first photo is from Steve Cohen, and it is from the brand new Odyssey of the Seas.
Steve went up to the pool deck to share what it looks like at night.
Next up is a photo from Sky Sessions of Tom on the FlowRider.
This was a birthday surf session, with Allure of the Seas in the background.
Here is a photo of Independence of the Seas departing Port Everglades.
This photo was taken by Sandy back in 2015, and you can see the Goodyear blimp in the background.
This is a great photo of Brilliance of the Seas taken by Mark Greenwald.
Brilliance was off the coast of Grand Cayman in 2019, which requires tender service to shore.
The art on Royal Caribbean always stands out when you are onboard, including this art display in the atrium of Navigator of the Seas.
Andrea Vrsek took this photo of the area near Guest Relations on the Royal Promenade and it is indeed lovely.
Hiram Perrand took this photo of the sunset, as seen from the aft of an Oasis Class ship.
Hiram did not specify which ship it was, but it's still a beautiful view to see on any ship!
I really like this photo of Mariner of the Seas in Nassau, taken by Beth Dewey.
Dusk photos are always special because you get the night lighting on while there is still some day light.
We have another night photo, this one of Allure of the Seas.
Christian Goulet took this photo of the top pool deck, along with Central Park lit up below.
Our final photo is by "cruise genius", and it is of Mariner of the Seas sailing away from Port Canaveral.
This photo was taken from nearby Jetty Park.
That wraps up this week's edition of Friday Photos. If you want your Royal Caribbean photo featured here, use this form to send them in!