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.

Certificate of Recovery from Covid-19

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: 

• Name of sailing guest
• Date of issuance of the Certificate of Recovery
• Medical services provider name

EU Digital COVID Certificate 

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.

• If a guest has already received two mRNA vaccines in mixed series at a minimum interval of 28 days, the CDC will consider that individual to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
• Guests who received the Janssen (aka Johnson & Johnson) vaccine before or after another COVID-19 vaccine should be considered to have received a valid, single-dose Janssen vaccination—not a mixed vaccination series—and are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
• 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.

"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

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean will now allow kids under the vaccine eligibility age to go on back-to-back cruises
• Alaska Senator introduces bill to permanently allow cruise ships to sail to Alaska without stopping in Canada
• Royal Caribbean releases cruise ship health protocols for U.S. sailings October 1-15, 2021
• Royal Caribbean pushes back final payment date and will allow kids to take antigen tests
• Royal Caribbean extends window of time to use future cruise credits through end of 2022
• Spotted: Royal Caribbean adds new way to add Covid-19 vaccine card in its app
• Here's a list of everything I ate on Odyssey of the Seas
• Royal Caribbean celebrates largest cruise ship to sail from New York area for the first time
• Is food included on a Royal Caribbean cruise?
• Royal Caribbean still hasn't returned to Labadee since cruise ships began sailing again
• Excursion Focus: Chacchoben Ruins in Costa Maya
• Nachi Cocom 2021 Cozumel excursion review

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

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.

Video: 8 Things I learned on my first Royal Caribbean cruise

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.

The questions everyone is still asking about going on a cruise in 2021

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.

Windjammer

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.  

Izumi Teppanyaki

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.

Cafe @ Two70

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.

Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade

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.

Main Dining Room

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.

Solarium Bistro

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.

El Loco Fresh

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.

Giovanni's Italian Kitchen

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.

Chops Grille

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.

Giovanni's Italian Wine Bar

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.

Wonderland

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.

Top 5 things I ate on Odyssey of the Seas

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:

• Main dining room
• Windjammer Cafe (buffet)
• Grab-and-go coffee shop (Cafe Promenade, Cafe Latte-tudes, or Cafe Patisserie)
• Pool deck quick food (El Loco Fresh, Boardwalk Dog House, Park Cafe)

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.

Main dining room

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).

Windjammer

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

Room service

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.

Drinks

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:

• tap water
• milk
• tea
• coffee (regular and decaf)
• lemonade
• iced tea
• flavored waters
• juices (at breakfast and not fresh squeezed)
• Hot chocolate (via instant packets)

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.

Snacks

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.

• Cafe Promenade, Cafe Latte-tudes, or Cafe Patisserie
• Park Cafe
• El Loco Fresh
• Boardwalk Dog House
• Sorrentos

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:

• Roast beef kimmelweck sandwiches from Park Cafe
• Pizza slices from Sorrentos/Cafe Promenade
• Cookies from Cafe Promenade, Cafe Latte-tudes, or Cafe Patisserie

Perfect Day at CocoCay

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.

• Skipper's Grill
• Chill Grill
• Snack Shack

Cups of water are available at no additional charge at these venues.

Labadee

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.

• Columbus Cove Cafe
• Cafe Labadee
• Dragon's Cafe

Cups of water are available at no additional charge at these venues.

More information

• What's included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare
• Cruise FAQ: Dining
• Ten Royal Caribbean dining mistakes

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!

A new bill aims to permanently circumvent U.S. cabotage laws so that cruise ships can always visit Alaska without needing to stop in Canada.

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced on Wednesday she will introduce a new bill to Congress that would permanently allow foreign flagged cruise ships to sail to Alaska without having to stop in Canada by creating a permanent exemption from the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA).

At the onset of the global health crisis, Canada banned cruise ships from its waters, and that meant in 2021 when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) began allowing cruise ships to sail again, cruises to Alaska were still not possible due to the PVSA.

Senator Murkowski wants this bill to become law to prevent the same situation that happened in 2020 and early 2021 from ever happening again, where Canada's ban on cruise ships greatly impacted Alaska's economy.

"While the PVSA is well-intentioned to protect American jobs and businesses, it had the unintended consequence of putting Alaskan businesses at the mercy of the Canadian government. It nearly wiped out Southeast Alaskan economies as we saw business after business ready to welcome visitors, but unable to because Canadians would not respond to our requests to allow foreign stops at their ports to meet the requirement of PVSA. We cannot let that happen again," said Senator Murkowski. 

Foreign flagged cruise ships (which are all of Royal Caribbean's ships) are required to make a stop in a foreign port when sailing roundtrip from the United States.

The law is part of the Passenger Vessel Service Act (PVSA) of 1886, and if left in place, cruises to Alaska from Seattle, Washington would not be able to legally sail.

The justification for both the PVSA is to protect the U.S. Merchant Marine (the licensed (officers) and documented (trades) personnel on the ships) and to protect U.S. shipyards that both build and repair the ships.

Senator Murkowski believes while the still serves its purpose in the Lower 48, it became readily apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic that Alaska needed an exemption due to Canada closing its borders. 

She will introduce the legislation next week, which would permanently exempt Alaskan cruises carrying more than 1,000 passengers from the PVSA.

"Bottom line, we need to reform the PVSA so that Alaskans’ ability to engage in commerce isn’t derailed by the government of another country."

This is not the first time a bill like this has become law.

Senator Murkowski along with Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) managed to get a bill passed earlier this year to provide temporary relief from the PVSA for just this year in the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act. That bill passed both houses of Congress and was signed into law by President Joe Biden in May 2021.

Royal Caribbean has changed its mind where it will send the soon-to-be largest cruise ship in the world.

Instead of being based in China, Wonder of the Seas will call Fort Lauderdale, Florida home, and begin sailing from Port Everglades 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.

Back in October 2019, Royal Caribbean had originally announced Wonder of the Seas would be homeported in Shanghai, China year-round.

The impact of the global health crisis meant a delay in Wonder's construction, and perhaps even the impetus for changing her homeport.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley talked about the change, "The momentum taking off across bookings and our returning ships in the U.S. and Europe is significant. With half of our fleet sailing again, we are encouraged by what we’re seeing. These regions are in the position to welcome a brand-new, innovative ship like Wonder of the Seas."

"Wonder will shine bright as the world’s newest wonder in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. And what’s in store is the ultimate vacation experience that highlights the very best of Royal Caribbean, reimagines renowned favorites and introduces new adventures every guest, no matter their age, can enjoy."

Port Everglades was the original homeport for Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class ships, as Terminal 18 was built specifically for Oasis and Allure of the Seas when they first debuted.

Wonder of the Seas will become the largest cruise ship world, and can accommodate 6,800 passengers and 2,400 crew members. She has a length of 362 meters and a width of 66 meters for a weight of 230,000 tons and a draft of over 9 meters.

She is the fifth Oasis Class cruise ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet, and has 100 cabins more than Symphony of the Seas.

Another major different for Wonder of the Seas is the addition of an eighth neighborhood: the Suite Neighborhood. Neighborhoods are how the cruise ship is differentiated for easier navigation by guests.

Royal Caribbean describes this as an area exclusively for suite guests onboard:

"The new neighborhood provides a private experience like no other, featuring world-class dining, a new sun deck for unparalleled ocean views, a private lounge and restaurant and much more. Moreover, loved ones can make it the getaway of a lifetime when they book the expansive and beloved Ultimate Family Suite."

Based on released deck plans, it appears this neighborhood could be part of Decks 17 and 18.

The ship will also have a cantilevered pool bar named The Vue, and Wonder Playscape – an interactive, open-air kids’ play area.

Royal Caribbean says the Wonder Playscape will be, "an underwater world studded with slides, climbing walls and more."

Wonder of the Seas recently completed her sea trials, and is at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Naizaire, France.

UPDATE: Wonder of the Seas will replace Allure of the Seas in Europe for summer 2022. Guests booked on Allure will get moved to Wonder.

Caribbean sailings are available to book immediately. European sailings will open for booking on September 22.

Royal Caribbean announced two changes to policies that will likely make things easier for all guests going forward.

An email update was sent to travel agents on Wednesday advising them of these changes.

The time needed to make final payment for a cruise has been pushed back, a change the cruise line has not done throughout the global health crisis.

The final payment due date on sailings departing between October 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021, will now have until 30 days prior to sailing to submit full payment.

The final payment date is typically 90 days before a sailing commences. 

No action is required on the part of guests or travel agents, and no cancellations will occur until the new final payment date.

Royal Caribbean says the change was made to "grant a little more time and flexibility."

This change comes just days after Royal Caribbean extended the time guests have to use their future cruise credits under the Cruise with Confidence program.

Royal Caribbean originally introduced the Cruise with Confidence program at the very beginning of the global health crisis, as a way for guests to cancel their cruise past the final payment date window.

By cancelling a cruise before the final payment date, they can get a full cash refund, if they booked refundable cruise fare.

Guests could still cancel a cruise past the final payment date even with this new final payment date window, up to 48 hours before their sailing without penalty and get a 100% future cruise credit.

Change for unvaccinated kids pre-cruise testing

According to the cruise line, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) has revised its pre-cruise COVID-19 testing requirement for unvaccinated kids.

This means unvaccinated kids ages 2 to 11 may present either a negative PCR or antigen test result.

The test must be taken no more than 3 days prior to sailing, but not on boarding day. 

Then on embarkation day, unvaccinated kids ages 2 to 11 will undergo a complimentary PCR test for COVID-19 at the terminal. Pre-cruise test cost continues to be the guest's responsibility and telehealth home tests are still not accepted for unvaccinated guests.

Royal Caribbean announced yesterday that unvaccinated kids would be able to do back-to-back cruises as well.