Before the global health crisis, the British Colonial Hilton was a popular shore excursion choice for many cruisers, so is the resort still a good choice now?

Nassau, Bahamas is one of those ports of call where planning ahead is important to ensure you have a good day ashore, and many readers want to know recommendations for a good tour option.

Having been to the British Colonial Hilton in the past, I wanted to know how it held up as an option to visit since the cruise industry restarted operations in 2021.

I purchased a day pass to the British Colonial Hilton for a visit in November 2021 while sailing on Odyssey of the Seas.

Overview

I bought a pass to the British Colonial Hilton through the third-party website, ResortForADay.com, which sells the day passes. You put a deposit down at the time of purchase, and pay the remainder balance upon arrival at the resort.

The price I paid was $85 per adult ($40 per kid), which is not cheap for a non-all-inclusive resort. However, that price does get you a $40 food and beverage credit per person for the adults ($20 for the kids).

Getting to the resort from the ship is super easy, because you can walk there. It is a short 10 minute walk out of the port area and along the water to the resort. It is essentially adjacent to Senor Frogs. You could take a taxi if you wanted, but the walk is pretty short.

The British Colonial Hilton advertises itself as offering the only private, white sand beach in downtown Nassau. There is also a pool you can use as well.

Day pass admission gets you:

• Beach access
• Beachfront swimming pool
• Lounge chairs, umbrellas & towels
• Non-motorized water sports: kayaks, snorkeling gear

When you arrive at the hotel, you walk into the lobby to check in.  You will need a printout of your reservation, form of identification, and a way to pay the remainder balance.  

Once check-in is complete, you are given a wristband and voucher for your food and beverage credits.

As advertised, you have access to sit wherever you like at the beach or pool.

The pool is rather large, although it lacks nearly any shade.

The beach area is wide, and there are chairs and palapas available.  Since this is a resort, hotel guests will be around and depending on the time of year, there may be more demand for chairs and umbrellas than other times.

Your food and beverage credit entitles you choice of food and drink off the menu, which helps offset the admission cost considerably. There are two issues with the food and drinks: first, the bar wasn't open at all. Instead, the towel attendant took food and drink orders, but it required you to go to his shack to place orders. He would deliver the food once it arrived. 

I can't say that is always the case these days, as I went on what seemed to be a slow afternoon in November.

In addition, the menu is not cheap. Most entrees are around $20 and a cocktail is around $15, which means that $40 credit goes very quickly.

Comments

Finding a great shore excursion in Nassau is tough right now with the port construction projects going on and the downtown area struggling to fully re-open since Covid. So a day at the British Colonial Hilton means a safe bet as to what you can do, which means something right now.

The day pass is not cheap, but in the grand scheme of Nassau excursions it comes in right in the median of tour prices, especially when you factor in the food and drink stipend you receive.

Considering the Atlantis resort is not accepting day pass guests until further notice, there is not much else that compares for families. Other Nassau resorts offering day passes all have minimum ages that preclude anyone travelling with younger kids.

The beach is great, and I thought the sand was quite soft and powdery, especially compared to the sand at CocoCay. 

If you are at all concerned a day at the British Colonial Hilton has changed or degraded at all since cruises restarted, the answer is no. I found my visit to be very much inline with past trips here, and it delivered on a conveniently located beach and pool day.

The two issues I have with the British Colonial Hilton is the lack of shade by the pool, and the high prices for food and drink. 

I got around these problems by grabbing a seat near the shuttered pool bar, which had shade, and only ordering enough food to use up my credits.

The food was pretty good, but overpriced.

If you want a beach and/or pool day while your cruise ship is in Nassau, Bahamas, the British Colonial Hilton remains a good choice, especially for families.

Cost: $85 per adult, $40 per child (ages 6-12. Children 5 and under are free).

Happy December! We cannot believe that we are already one full week into the month – there is so much going on with holiday preparation and shopping and baking!

The big news this week was the release of Alaska cruises for 2023.

Royal Caribbean announced it will deploy four ships to Alaska in 2023, although the specific ships will change in 2023 from the year prior.

Ovation, Quantum, Radiance and Enchantment of the Seas will offer cruises to Alaska, with Enchantment of the Seas being the new option.

The new Alaska 2022 cruises are available to book between April and September 2022.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean requires unvaccinated kids get a PCR test before the cruise
• Royal Caribbean announces Hawaii cruises in 2023
• Celebrity Cruises changed their mind on requiring vaccines for kids
• Royal Caribbean pushes back when World Cruise segments will go on sale
• What to expect on a December cruise
• Royal Caribbean celebrates one year anniversary since cruises restarted
• Symphony of the Seas 2021 cruise recap
• I tried the Taste of Royal lunch experience
• Counterpoint: why we love The Key
• Why you should take a cruise to Bermuda
• The Importance of having a “vacation ring”

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 432nd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is available to enjoy, which lists Matt and Beci's top 3 things they like doing on Harmony of the Seas.

After sailing on Harmony of the Seas this past week, this week's podcast episode was recorded onboard the ship to share their experiences and what really stood out about this Oasis Class ship.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

New video: Navigator of the Seas 2021 Cruise Ship Tour 

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 — Navigator of the Seas 2021 Cruise Ship Tour — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

7 cruise ship main dining room rules to follow — Plus 1 to break

When you dine at the main dining room on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, there are certain expectations and rules to expect.

Etiquette at the main dining room on a cruise ship is not all that different from a land-based restaurant, but there are a few nuances that first time cruisers may be unaware of before they step aboard.

Here is my list of 7 main dining room guidelines you should know, as well as one well-known supposed rule that I think you can disregard.

One year ago, the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship restarted sailing since the pandemic, marking an important milestone on the cruise line's restart.

The global health crisis shutdown the entire cruise industry, and Royal Caribbean worked hard to create protocols for its eventual return to service.

Back in October 2020, Royal Caribbean announced it had reached an agreement with the government of Singapore to offer cruises to residents of Singapore.

These first sailings back were just 3- and 4-night cruises that had to follow all requirements and guidelines given by Singapore.

Exactly one year ago, Quantum of the Seas restarted sailing from Singapore marking the first ship to return.

For a while, Quantum of the Seas would be the only Royal Caribbean International ship to offer cruises, which remain to this day "cruises to nowhere" that offer no port stops.

The first sailings back on Quantum of the Seas included protocols that are now the cornerstone of Royal Caribbean's approach to cruising:

• Testing and screening
• Upgraded Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems that enhance filtration
• Stringent cleaning practices
• Reduced capacities for greater physical distancing
• Expert medical care and onboard facilities

Another big change onboard is the introduction of a contact tracing bracelet called a "tracelet". All guests wear one and it helps identify who may have had close contact with anyone that tests positive for Covid.

Since then, Royal Caribbean was able to restart cruises in other places, such as North America, the U.K. and Europe.

So far, 21 Royal Caribbean cruise ships have been able to restart sailing, and three more will rejoin the fleet later this month: Grandeur, Brilliance and Enchantment of the Seas.

A few months ago, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley pointed out that every single of the test cruises in the United States have "passed with flying colors", coinciding with the effective health and safety measures onboard.

Over half a million of guests have sailed with Royal Caribbean since the restart, and the company plans for more to do so in 2022.

Mr. Bayley gave credit to the hard working crew members who made this all possible, "This has been a herculean effort, and throughout it all, our crew have been the shining stars you’ve always known them to be. "

"Their commitment, positive attitude and smiling faces have made this all possible. And we can see the results of their impact in the feedback and record-setting guest ratings."

In fact, by spring 2022, all of the ships in the fleet should be back in service.

Royal Caribbean has changed the pre-cruise testing requirements for unvaccinated children.

Beginning December 17, 2021, unvaccinated guests age 2 - 11 will need to get a negative PCR test result before the cruise. Antigen tests will not be acceptable any longer for this age group.

This change is applicable to North America & San Juan departures on or after December 17, 2021.

PCR test must be taken no more than 3 days prior to sailing — but not on boarding day. Antigen tests are not accepted for unvaccinated guests.  

Requiring a PCR test before the cruise for unvaccinated kids is something Royal Caribbean required earlier this year, before adding antigen tests as an option.

Additionally, instead of taking a PCR test at embarkation, unvaccinated guests age 2 - 11 will receive a complimentary antigen test. 

Royal Caribbean believes this will allow for a faster start to the boarding process for families. Prior to this change, families would have to wait at least 40 minutes in the cruise terminal for their unvaccinated children to get a test and wait for the results.

There are no other changes to the protocols previously announced.

Royal Caribbean did not disclose if the change was a result of the omicron variant.

Testing has been one of the major pillars of Royal Caribbean's healthy return to service.

Between tests, mask wearing, and a vaccine mandate on its ships, Royal Caribbean has celebrated how effective its protocols have been since the restart of cruises.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain talked about the success his company's protocols have been in allowing cruise ships to sail safely. In fact, Mr. Fain believes going on a cruise ship is safer than many aspects of life on land.

"We wanted to be not only just as safe as the places, we wanted to be safer," Mr. Fain said while explaining the importance of setting ambitious goals. 

"We established a goal of being safer on board than a ship on Main Street."

"We've shown that an ambitious goal can be achieved based on hard work and an unemotional review of the facts and the science."

"We have had people test positive, but almost everyone around them is vaccinated, they've remained isolated cases. That's the goal where individual cases and no significant spread."

"Repeat this with a few hundred thousand or million cruisers, and that creates the trust that will drive our resurgence."

Just two days after announcing Celebrity Cruises would require kids to be vaccinated, the cruise line has put the change on hold.

On Tuesday, Celebrity Cruises announced children 5 years and older would have to be fully vaccinated in order to go on their cruise ships, beginning February 1, 2022.

In an email to travel advisors, Celebrity Cruises on Thursday, the cruise line said the change was paused.

"The below protocol has been postponed until further notice, while we continue to monitor global situations and lead our industry forward safely," the message said at the top of the email in conjunction with the previous policy announcement.

No other information was shared, nor an explanation as to why the planned change was paused.

Royal Caribbean announced no change to its vaccine policy since Celebrity's announcement.

On a webinar with travel agents yesterday, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed, said Royal Caribbean was monitoring the situation, but has not made any decision.

"At this time, we have not made any decisions on the vaccine requirements for children 5 to 11."

".But should we make a change to our protocols and require this, we will give you plenty of notice so that families can get their children vaccinated."

Royal Caribbean's current policy is to require all guests 12 and up to be fully vaccinated. Children below the age of 12 can sail with additional testing.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended last month that children 5 to 11 years old be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Coinciding with Royal Caribbean's 2023 Alaska cruises, the cruise line also released new sailings to and from Hawaii in 2023.

While Royal Caribbean does not offer regular cruises around the Hawaiian islands, it does offer open-jaw sailings as part of the repositioning between North America and Australia.

An open-jaw sailing is when a ship begins the voyage in port, but ends in another.

In 2023, six cruises will be available that either begin or end in Hawaii, and include stops to various islands along the way.

The 2023 Hawaii cruises are as follows:

Quantum of the Seas will sail from Oahu on a 10-night Hawaii to Vancouver cruise on April 28, 2023 and visit Maui (Lahaina) & Kailua Kona, before ending in Vancouver.

Quantum of the Seas will return to Hawaii on an 8-night Hawaii Cruise from Vancouver on October 2, 2023 with stops in Maui (Lahaina), Kailua Kona, and ending in Oahu (Honolulu).

Ovation of the Seas will start off the season on May 2, 2023 with a 9-night cruise from Oahu (Honolulu), and making stops in Maui (Lahaina), and Kailua Kona, before ending in Vancouver.

Ovation will then return in the fall with a 9-night cruise from Vancouver on October 6, 2023 making stops in  Maui (Lahaina), Napali Coast (Cruising), and ending in Oahu (Honolulu).

Enchantment of the Seas will offer a 10-night cruise to Hawaii when she departs Vancouver on September 24, 2023 and visit Kauai (Nawiliwili), Hilo, Hawaii (Kailua Kona),&  Maui (Lahaina), before ending on Oahu.

Finally, Radiance of the Seas will have the longest cruise, with an 11-night voyage beginning from Oahu on April 30, 2023 and visit Maui (Lahaina), Hilo & Hawaii (Kailua Kona) before ending in Vancouver.

What to see in Hawaii

A cruise to Hawaii means an opportunity to see the turquoise waters and colorful sands that combine with a rich Polynesian heritage to explore.

You can see the history of Pearl Harbor on Oahu, where you can tour battleships and see the memorial to that fateful day in 1941.

Cruise to Hawaii and head to the Big Island to scale volcanoes like Mount Kilauea and chase waterfalls on the slopes of Mauna Kea. Or enjoy the sun and surf on the remote shores of Kauai and Maui. 

Read more: Hawaii cruise on Royal Caribbean: Everything you need to know

Royal Caribbean's 274-night world cruise is selling so well that it will delay when it puts individual segments on sale.

Originally, Royal Caribbean planned to put shorter portions of the world cruise on sale so guests could join for part of the sailing.

However, Royal Caribbean told travel agents during a webinar that it would push that date back because of how popular the world cruise is currently.

In October, Royal Caribbean announced a new 274-night Ultimate World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas.

Brittany Briggs, Director of Revenue Strategy, Operations & Service, said those segments would now go on sale in February instead of December, "We did mention we are potentially going to open up these expeditions in December.

"But because the full world cruise has been performing so exceptionally well and we want you to continue to sell that to your clients, we have pushed the opening of the expedition to February of 2022."

Royal Caribbean wants to give guests more time to book the full sailing, "We do want to ensure that everybody that wants to stay on the world cruise has all of the availability to choose from."

From the beginning of when Royal Caribbean announced the world cruise, bookings were strong.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley told investors at the end of October that within the first few days, 70% of the of rooms were reserved.

"Within seven days we were 70 percent booked and the average price of a balcony room is $75000 for the balcony. The Royal Suite sold within a week at $760000, and all of these suites have booked with non-refundable deposit."

Mr. Bayley admitted they were surprised how well it sold, "Even we were taken aback by the unbelievable response of our royalty customers. The fact that within a week we were 70 percent booked on a ship that carries around 2,100 guests and is on a nine month world cruise was just remarkable, and I think that's indicative of what we're we're seeing."

This is the first ever world cruise for Royal Caribbean International, and it will visit more than 150 destinations in 65 countries and 11 great wonders of the world.

Serenade of the Seas will sail roundtrip from Miami on Dec. 10, 2023 and through Sept. 10, 2024.

Royal Caribbean has released its Alaska cruises for 2023 season.

The cruise line will send four cruise ships to Alaska in 2023, matching the amount of ships it had scheduled for the region prior to the truncated 2021 season.

The new sailings are posted on Royal Caribbean's website.

New Alaska 2022 cruises are available to book between April and September 2022.

Compared to the 2022 lineup, the only change is Enchantment of the Seas will replace Serenade of the Seas.

Enchantment of the Seas will sail from Vancouver and offer 7-night cruises, including some multi-glacier cruises that visit Hubbard Glacier in addition to Dawes Glacier.

Ovation of the Seas will return to Alaska in 2023, offering 7- and 8-night Alaska glacier cruises from Seattle.

Likewise, Quantum of the Seas will sail to Alaska and offer 7-night cruises from Seattle.

Both Quantum Class ships will visit scenic cities and towns along the Northwest coastline, including Victoria, British Columbia; Sitka, Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau, Alaska.

Rounding out the foursome of ships is Radiance of the Seas, which will sail from Vancouver and offer  7-10 night Alaska cruises that can also combine with Land Tours to offer immersive visits to Alaska, including in-land destinations such as Denali. 

Sailing alternating, open-jaw itineraries between Vancouver and Seward.

Be sure to consult the Royal Caribbean website or your travel professional for further assistance with itinerary options and booking.

More about Alaska cruises

• What is the best time to cruise to Alaska?
• What Is an Alaska Inside Passage Cruise?
• What to pack for a cruise to Alaska?
• Top 10 tips for planning your Alaska cruise
• 6 mistakes & 3 things we did right on our Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska

Celebrity Cruises announced on Tuesday it will require children 5 years and older to be fully vaccinated in order to go on their cruise ships.

In an update to travel agents, Celebrity Cruises Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Dondra Ritzenthaler announced the policy change that affects guests between the age of 5 and 12.

Effective February 1, 2022 all guests 5 years of age and older must be fully vaccinated, at that time unvaccinated children between the ages of two and four years old will be required to bring a negative Antigen or PCR test conducted within three days of boarding. 

Previously, children between the ages of two and eleven years old were required to bring a negative Antigen or PCR test conducted within three days of boarding.

There has been no change to the Royal Caribbean International vaccination policy.

"The COVID-19 global pandemic has not only changed the way we all do business, it has altered operating protocols and safety expectations in almost every aspect of the travel industry," Ms. Ritzenthaler explained in an email.

"Since the beginning of this crisis, Celebrity Cruises has kept one goal tantamount above all others: to offer the safest cruise vacation options in the industry. That's why we enlisted a panel of experts to advise up on adjusting our already exemplary health and safety protocols to new industry-leading standards. That's why we continually update our protocols to ensure we are staying ahead of global situations. It's all in an effort of leadership in safety, ensuring our guests and your clients will enjoy their bucket list vacation with zero worries. With these enhanced protocols, we've transported hundreds of thousands of guests across the globe safely."

Celebrity joins Disney Cruise Line in requiring kids to be vaccinated in order to cruise.

Starting on January 13, 2022 guests on Disney Cruise Line between the ages of 5-11 must be fully vaccinated to be eligible to cruise.

Celebrity was already requiring 95% of its passengers be fully vaccinated in order to sail, which is a step beyond what Royal Caribbean required.

Royal Caribbean did not require that many passengers to be vaccinated so that it could allow families to cruise with them.

In April 2021, the CDC gave cruise lines two choices: skip test cruises if 98% of crew and 95% of passengers are fully vaccinated, or conduct simulated sailings first.

Royal Caribbean decided to go with the simulated sailings because of its commitment to families.

Earlier this summer, Royal Caribbean International's senior vice president of Hotel Operations, Mark Tamis, said the decision to allow families to cruise was an easy one, "Once there were two clear paths, 95% or under 95%, it wasn’t even really a consideration."

According to Tamis, more than 1 million children sail on Royal Caribbean ships each year, "We're the largest family cruise brand in the world, so it was pretty obvious that we would just go down this path."

Will Royal Caribbean change their vaccine requirements?

No change has been announced by sister company Royal Caribbean International regarding their vaccine policy for kids.

As of right now, Royal Caribbean only requires guests age 12 and older must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination, with the final dose of their vaccine administered at least 14 days before sailing. Kids age 5 to 11 who have been vaccinated may present proof of full vaccination and follow the protocols for vaccinated guests.

Guests under age 12 who are not vaccinated will complete additional COVID-19 testing requirements depending on the length and departure port of their sailing.

Two weeks ago, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley was asked about a policy change during a question and answer session.

"if and when we do make the changes, we need to give everybody time. So when we announce we give people obviously plenty of time."

"What we do know is that for 12 to 17, where we we do say that everybody has to be vaccinated, still in the United States, only 48 percent of 12 to 17 year olds have been vaccinated."

"From 5 to 12, everything that we've learned and seen statistically is only currently thirty five percent of parents are going to get there five to 12 year old vaccinated, currently. We think that's going to change. So we want to move to five and up. We're just kind of looking at the data and we'll probably continue to look at the data for a little bit longer before we make the decision."

"We're watching it and as soon as we think we've got a sensible way forward, we'll obviously down everybody, you know, we'll give everybody time as well."

UPDATE: Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed, said on December 1 there is no update to Royal Caribbean's policy.

During a webinar, she reiterated that no change in policy has been made, "At this time, we have not made any decisions on the vaccine requirements for children 5 to 11."

"We are still just in a wait and see, we're evaluating it....no decision has been made."