Junior Suites are a popular room category for the blend of extra space and not over-the-top pricing it affords guests, and on Freedom of the Seas, they added a few new rooms during her refurbishment.

I am a big fan of any new stateroom added during a refurbishment, because these new staterooms are new construction, and they generally get more storage space and a fresher look than rooms that have been part of the ship since the vessel launched.

During Royal Caribbean's recent upgrades as part of the Royal Amplification, new staterooms have been added to ships in places that did not have cabins.  Sure, it adds a little more revenue for the cruise line, but it also offers new cabin choices for guests.

On my Freedom of the Seas cruise in 2021, I booked one of the new staterooms on deck 11, to the left of the Vitality Spa in the forward area of the ship. The nice thing about this location is it is directly adjacent to the Solarium, which makes it very convenient to get to your room from the pool deck.

I stayed in stateroom 1152, which is a Category J3 Junior Suite which can accommodate up to 4 guests.

Despite the name "suite" in the room category, a Junior Suite is more like an extra large balcony than a true suite, but it does offer a lot more living space than you will get in a standard balcony room.

The stateroom measures 299 square feet of living space.

Walking into the room, you can quickly get a sense of the space and notice the fresh look the room has since it is new construction.

The first thing I noticed is just how much storage space there is in this cabin.

Like all Junior Suite rooms, there is a large closet where you can store clothes, hang up garments, and probably stash anything bulky.  

In addition to the closet, there is another full-size closet in the middle of the room, with drawers, dressers, and enough storage space for probably two weeks onboard.

I've noticed with Royal Caribbean's newer cruise ships much more storage space, and that trend has carried forward with its new construction cabins as well.

Another welcome trend is many more outlets, including USB outlets.  The desk area has both.

The bed is a Royal King, which could be converted into two twin beds if need be, along with a large sofa. 

According to Royal Caribbean the sofa can convert into a double bed, although I did not try it out.

Pro tip, there is a USB charger on the side of the phone next to the bed.

The bathroom looks similar to a balcony bathroom, although it has a full tub instead of a stand up shower.

Being a Junior Suite, your balcony is also extra large and it has a nice enclosed space to enjoy.  I prefer this set up because it means there is shade on the balcony during certain times of the day.

The balcony is indeed quite large, with enough space for two lounge chairs, a table, and two chairs. It measures 65 square feet.

You might notice the window washing equipment that was blocking part of the window.  This is a trade off of these new rooms being in a new location.  The washer unit is not always there, but it seemed to be stationed there when not in use.

Personally, I did not mind it since the balcony is wide enough to have most of it unobstructed, although I do not spend that much time on my balcony (especially on a short 3-night sailing).

Alaska celebrated the return of the first big cruise ship on Friday with the arrival of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship on a simulated voyage.

Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas pulled into Ketchikan to a warm welcome of state and local dignitaries.

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Lieutenant Governor Kevin Meyer, and City of Ketchikan Mayor Bob Sivertsen joined members from the cruise industry to celebrate Serenade of the Seas being the first large cruise ship to return to Alaska following the suspension of cruise operations due to the pandemic.

While Serenade is there on a test cruise, she represents the return of cruise ship passengers that the Alaskan economy so heavily relies on.

Since cruise operations from U.S. ports were suspended in March 2020, it is estimated that more than 300,000 American jobs have been impacted or lost, with a corresponding loss of over $39 billion in economic activity. 

Nearly 70 percent of the industry’s economic contributions in Alaska benefited local small businesses in 2019 — the highest percentage of any state in the country.

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski spearheaded the effort this year to find a solution for ships to sail from the United States to Alaska this year at a time when Canada had shut its borders to cruise ship traffic.

"I’ve been committed to help bring tourism back for the 2021 season and keep Alaskans afloat through the hardships created by the pandemic," Murkowski said during a press conference at the cruise ship pier.

"I want to thank the other members of the delegation for working with me to get my legislation, the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act, across the finish line. This legislation made it possible to begin to bring cruise ships back to Alaska – so that our communities can have a productive tourist season."

Royal Caribbean was equally happy to be able to return to Alaska as well. Russell Benford, Vice President, Government Relations, Americas, Royal Caribbean Group spoke about the significance of Serenade of the Seas sailing to Alaska, "Proud, resourceful Alaskan communities, which have endured almost two seasons without cruising, will once again welcome cruise visitors to this magnificent destination and I’m sure Alaskan business owners look forward to reigniting the tourism economy and providing for their families."

According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Nine large cruise ships are currently scheduled to operate in Alaska this year, with 78 sailings to take place through Oct. 21, 2021. 

Royal Caribbean has cruises planned to Alaska on two ships, Serenade of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas.

Assuming she passes her test cruise, Serenade of the Seas is scheduled to begin cruises next week.  Ovation of the Seas' first sailing to Alaska is August 13, although it is not yet known when her test cruise will be.

Royal Caribbean has updated its health protocols for cruise ships sailing from Florida in August.

The line had previously posted some protocols for August sailings, but updated passengers booked onboard with a full set of health protocols, which include face masks, social distancing, vaccine requirements and more.

The new protocols highlights protocols for both vaccinated and unvaccinated guests on sailings departing Florida homeports in August 2021. 

If booked guests do not wish to follow these protocols, Royal Caribbean says they are happy to provide them with a refund or move their sailing into the future when circumstances may have evolved.

The cruise line says these new protocols are especially important to unvaccinated children who are between the ages of 2 and 11.

Vaccine requirements

Royal Caribbean says it, "strongly recommends" all guests 12 years and older be fully vaccinated which means:

• The final dose was given at least 14 days before sailing.
• Proof of vaccination, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 vaccination record card, will be presented.

Fully vaccinated guests have no further testing or insurance requirements to sail.

Unvaccinated Guests 12 and Older

Guests who are 12 years and older and do not have or are unable to provide vaccination documentation will be considered unvaccinated and will have additional testing at their own expense and must follow health and safety protocols described below, including:

• Negative results from a pre-arrival PCR test for COVID-19
• A PCR test at the terminal
• Onboard antigen testing
• Mid-cruise antigen test (on 6+ night sailings)
• Disembarkation antigen test
• Travel insurance requirements
• Shore excursions required to visit ports
• Additional health protocols onboard 

Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 years

Children not yet eligible for the vaccine will undergo additional testing at no additional charge, as well as additional health and safety protocols, including:

• A PCR test for COVID-19 at the terminal
• Onboard antigen testing
• Disembarkation antigen test
• Shore excursions required to visit port
• Additional health protocols onboard

Mandatory insurance for unvaccinated adults

As previously reported, each unvaccinated guest 12 years and older departing from a Florida homeport on a Royal Caribbean International cruise must provide proof of a valid insurance policy that has a minimum of

1. $25,000 per person in medical expense coverage and
2. $50,000 coverage for emergency medical evacuation and no COVID-19 exclusions.

The insurance policy must name the unvaccinated guest as the policy holder or beneficiary and may be purchased from a travel insurance company of the guest’s choosing or through the Royal Caribbean Travel Protection Program, which includes this coverage. Insurance is required for sailings from August 1 through December 31, 2021 (except for bookings made between March 19, 2021 and June 28, 2021).

Face masks

When indoors, CDC guidelines require all guests 2 years and older to wear masks unless they are actively eating or drinking. 

In designated areas of the ship meant specifically for vaccinated guests only, masks can be removed.

Masks are not required in their stateroom when they are with their traveling party, outside on the open decks, or at Perfect Day at CocoCay, unless in a crowded setting.

Rules for areas of the ship

Dining: For Main Dining, Royal Caribbean will designate areas for everyone, including parents and unvaccinated children, and areas for vaccinated parties only. My Time Dining will not be available to parties that include unvaccinated guests. Some specialty restaurants will be open to everyone, while others will be for vaccinated parties only. If your clients prefer a buffet, Windjammer will be open to everyone for breakfast and lunch, and the food will be served by our crew. Royal Caribbean recommends that you make dining reservations via Cruise Planner before the cruise or the Royal Caribbean app once onboard. Grab-and-go cafes will also be available for everyone. ​

Bars and Lounges: Many bars and lounges will be open to everyone and others will be available to vaccinated guests only. There will be crew stationed nearby and signage to help direct guests.

Casino: Given the casino’s physical constraints, there is not enough space to accommodate everyone. Given most of our adult guests are vaccinated, the casino will be open to vaccinated guests only.

Fitness and Spa: The Fitness Center will have dedicated operating hours for everyone as well as hours reserved for vaccinated guests only. Salon services will be available to everyone but given the enclosed space and longer length of spa services, the treatment rooms used to provide facials, massages and other services will only be available to vaccinated guests.

Entertainment: Entertainment venues will offer spaced seating and more showtimes throughout the cruise. Select showtimes will be for everyone and other showtimes for vaccinated guests only. Reservations can be made once onboard using the Royal Caribbean app.

Diamond Lounge for Loyalty Members: The Diamond Lounge will be open and operating at 50 percent capacity to allow for physical distancing.

Adventure Ocean and Teen Lounges: Youth spaces will be open to all children and teens.

Shore Excursions

Fully vaccinated parties have the choice of booking a shore excursion or visiting freely.

Parties that wish to go ashore and include any unvaccinated guests, including parents traveling with unvaccinated children, must book a shore excursion through Royal Caribbean.

Vaccinated parents wishing to go ashore freely can drop kids off at Adventure Ocean and reserve time for their child on the day they wish to go in port.

Other protocols

Check out health protocols from other ships already announced:

• Freedom of the Seas from Miami in July
• Serenade of the Seas from Seattle in July
• Cruises from Alaska in August
• Harmony of the Seas from Spain

Royal Caribbean sent guests booked on Alaska cruises in August a list of health protocols to expect onboard its sailings.

As ships are restarting operations, Royal Caribbean is sending out what health protocols for booked passengers on these sailings can expect and typically for each month.

The cruise line says these new protocols are especially important to unvaccinated children who are between the ages of 2 and 11.

This information only applies to sailings departing from Seattle in August 2021.

Vaccine requirements

All guests 12 years and older are required to 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 before sailing. 

Testing

At the terminal: Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 years are required to take a PCR test for COVID-19 when checking in at the terminal. Registration details for this test will be sent via email in advance. 

Prior to disembarking: Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 years are required to take an antigen test onboard within 24 hours of the end of voyage. Vaccinated guests who require an antigen or PCR test for entry into their destination country may receive one onboard at no charge. Registration details will be provided during the cruise. 

Face masks

When indoors, CDC guidelines require all guests 2 years and older to wear masks unless they are actively eating or drinking.

The CDC makes allowances for guests to remove their masks in venues and events dedicated to fully vaccinated parties. Royal Caribbean says vaccinated guests will find "plenty of these opportunities".

Masks are not required in your client's stateroom when they are with their traveling party or outside on the open decks, unless in a crowded setting. Updates will be shared as changes to CDC mask guidelines occur.

Dining

For Main Dining, Royal Caribbean will designate areas for everyone, including parents and unvaccinated children, and areas for vaccinated parties only.

My Time Dining will not be available to parties that include unvaccinated guests. 

Some specialty restaurants will be open to everyone, while others will be for vaccinated parties only.

Windjammer will be open to everyone for breakfast and lunch, and the food will be served by crew members.

Royal Caribbean recommends to make dining reservations via Cruise Planner before the cruise or the Royal Caribbean app onboard.

Grab-and-go cafes will also be available for everyone.

Other venues onboard the ship

Theaters and activity venues will offer spaced seating with options for everyone and for vaccinated guests only. You will be able to make reservations for shows via the Royal Caribbean app.

Spa services, except those offered in treatment rooms, are available to everyone.

The Fitness Center will have dedicated operating hours for everyone as well as hours reserved for vaccinated guests only. 

The Casino will be open to vaccinated guests only.

Youth spaces will be open to all children and teens.         

Shore excursions

Fully vaccinated parties have the choice of booking a shore excursion or visiting freely.

Parties that wish to go ashore and include any unvaccinated guests, including parents traveling with unvaccinated children, must book a shore excursion through Royal Caribbean.

Vaccinated parents wishing to go ashore freely can drop kids off at Adventure Ocean and reserve time for their child on the day they wish to go in port.

Other protocols

Check out health protocols from other ships already announced:

• Freedom of the Seas from Miami in July
• Serenade of the Seas from Seattle in July
• Cruises from Florida in August
• Harmony of the Seas from Spain

The State of Alaska has pulled out of Florida's lawsuit to get cruise ships sailing again.

In a court filing on Thursday, Alaska's Assistant Attorney General filed a notice to withdrawal of Alaska's motion to intervene in the lawsuit against the  U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Alaska had joined Florida's lawsuit on April 21st, after Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) decided to join the effort to compel the CDC to allow cruise ships to sail again.

Alaska decided to pull out of the lawsuit because the temporary reprieve Congress passed to allow cruise ships to skip visiting Canadian ports as part of the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act requires CDC approval.

"Alaska is subject to the unique requirements of the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act that cruise ships visiting Alaska during 2021 must obtain a Conditional Sailing Certificate from the CDC and abide by all conditions of it," the statement explains.

According to Alaska, it filed its lawsuit at a time when the CDC had done nothing to approve any port agreements or ships to sail.  Since then, a lot has changed according to the state.

"Two days ago the CDC filed an affidavit stating that it has approved port agreements for four Alaskan ports, in addition to the port of Seattle, that conditional sailing certificates have been issued for five vessels sailing out of Seattle on Alaska-bound cruises, and that an additional vessel scheduled for Alaska-bound cruises has been approved for a simulated voyage out of Seattle."

"Given these changed circumstances, the State of Alaska withdraws its pending motion for permissive intervention under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(b)."

Despite removing itself from the lawsuit, Alaska "remains firm in its disagreement with the CDC’s legal position" and did not rule out rejoining the effort in support of Florida during the CDC's appeal.

The U.S. District Court in Tampa ruled in favor of Florida in the lawsuit, but the CDC has appealed the verdict.

In the meantime, Judge Steven D. Merryday denied the CDC's request to hold off on Conditional Sail Order injunction.

Governor Dunleavy was vocal in pursuing legal action against the CDC in the spring when there was no progress being made between the federal government and the cruise lines.

Alaska's economy is particularly vulnerable to a cruise ship ban, as a great deal of its tourism comes from cruise ships. Gov. Dunleavy says over the course of the two lost cruise seasons, Alaska will have a $3.3 billion loss in Alaska, "that's in a state with about a fifty six billion dollar GDP, so it's going to be significant."

At the time, Alaska wanted the CDC to drop the Framework for Conditional Sail Order (CSO), which prohibited cruise ships to sail in U.S. waters.

Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas is undergoing a CDC mandated test cruise right now, and Ovation of the Seas has no test sail date set yet, but CDC just waiting on confirmation from Royal Caribbean it has installed its laboratory testing equipment and tested its crew.

It has been 497 days since our last Friday Photos post, but since Royal Caribbean cruises are back, so are we with a new batch of reader photos!

Each week, I share a series of photos our readers have taken on a Royal Caribbean cruise and share it with all of you.

You can always send in your photos by using this form so that I can feature them in a future edition of Friday Photos.

Without further ado, here is this week's collection of cruise photos!

Our first photo this week is from Joseph Keiser.

He took this photo from onboard Symphony of the Seas in the Boardwalk neighborhood, looking back at the Ultimate Abyss.

Our next photo was sent in by Nicole Sulsenti from onboard Navigator of the Seas.

Nicole said she took this photo with her best friend, "We love Royal Caribbean and can’t wait till this is over so we can be back on a ship."

Scott shared this photo of a number of cruise ships as seen from Junkanoo Beach in Nassau, Bahamas.

There are four Royal Caribbean cruise ships in this photo, Navigator, Mariner, Brilliance and Grandeur.

Here is a fun angle in this photo by Amy Stover.

Amy took this photo on Allure of the Seas on the last sailing in 2020.

Our next photo takes us to San Juan, Puerto Rico and another Oasis Class ship.

Paul Lee snapped this photo of Symphony of the Seas while the ship was docked downtown.

This is a really great shot from Jack of Brilliance of the Seas.

Jack took this photo from onboard Rhapsody of the Seas, which was following Brilliance of of Tampa Bay.

He took this photo right after Rhapsody passed under the Sunshine Skyway bridge.

One of my favorite areas on any Royal Caribbean cruise ship is Central Park, and here is a photo from Fran B.

I cannot wait for Oasis Class ships to restart cruises again so I can enjoy views like this once again!

This is a great shot of Oasis of the Seas by Dennis Nichols.

Oasis was docked in San Juan while Dennis took this photo.

Michael Kho took a photo of this important sign while at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

I always enjoy how Royal Caribbean makes signs like this fun.

Our final photo this week is by Nicole Waite.

She took this beautiful photo after waking up in Miami while onboard Navigator of the Seas.

Thank you to everyone for sharing photos with us this week.  If you want to share your best Royal Caribbean photos, use this form to send them in!

Royal Caribbean has released the health protocols for guests sailing on Harmony of the Seas from Spain in August.

Like other ships that have restarted sailings, Harmony of the Seas has its own set of protocols for passengers that will bee sailing when the first cruises resume.

Harmony of the Seas is scheduled to restart sailings from Barcelona, Spain on August 15, 2021.

Keep in mind these protocols could change, and protocols for European sailings may be different than protocols when the ship returns to the United States.

Here is what Royal Caribbean has outlined for guests sailing on Harmony.

Vaccines

All guests 18 years and older must present proof of full Covid-19 vaccination, with the final dose of the vaccine administered at least 14 days before the sail date. 

Guests younger than 18 years of age do not need to be vaccinated; however, if they are, they should bring proof of vaccination to board and follow the testing guidance for fully vaccinated guests. 

All crew onboard Harmony of the Seas will be fully vaccinated.

On the transatlantic crossing to the United States, all guests must present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, with the final dose of the vaccine administered at least 14 days before the sail date. Guests without proof of vaccination will not be permitted to sail. 

Proof of vaccination

Acceptable proof of vaccination must be in the form of the original vaccination record document issued by the country’s health authority or healthcare provider that administered the vaccination.

The vaccination record submitted must show that the guest is fully vaccinated. This means that the guest has completed the full cycle of required doses for the vaccine administered (e.g., received the second dose in a two-dose series) and that the guest has received the final dose at least 14 days before arriving at their cruise departure terminal in Barcelona.

Testing & Entry Requirements

Guests sailing from Barcelona, Spain will need to have the following documents when arriving to board the ship.

• Proof of Vaccinations: Royal Caribbean requires guests age 18 years and older to be fully vaccinated. Upon arrival at the port, vaccinated guests must display proof of vaccination - acceptable proof of vaccination must be in the form of the original vaccination record document issued by the country’s health authority or healthcare provider that administered the vaccination. The vaccination record submitted must show that the guest is fully vaccinated — this means that the guest has completed the full cycle of required doses for the vaccine administered (e.g., received the second dose in a two-dose series) and that the guest has received the final dose at least 14 days before arriving at their cruise departure terminal in Barcelona.
• Antigen Test Result: All guests age 2 years and older— including those who have been vaccinated — will need to take a complimentary antigen test on arrival at the port and present the negative test result.
• Passport/European ID Card: Guests of all ages must have a passport valid for at least 6 months after the date of return to the guest’s home country. EU Nationals may also present their European ID card.
• Health Questionnaire: Guests of all ages must complete the pre-cruise Health Questionnaire on the Royal Caribbean App the day before you board.
• Visa: should one be required to enter Spain and any of the ports of call included within the itinerary.

Boarding Day in Barcelona

All guests age 2 years and older must take a complimentary rapid antigen test at the terminal in Barcelona and receive a negative result in order to sail. Registration instructions will be emailed in advance — approximately 14-18 days before the sail date.

During the Cruise

All unvaccinated guests aged between 2-17 years, must take a complimentary rapid antigen test towards the middle of the cruise. Once onboard, we’ll let you know where to go to take it.

Before Returning Home

All guests aged 2 years and older will need to take a complimentary COVID-19 test before disembarking the cruise. This result is required for re-entry into Spain and can also be used for re-entry into the guest’s home country, if needed. Additional details will be provided onboard.
 
Guests under 2 years of age will not be tested.

Masks

All guests 6 years and older, regardless of vaccine status, must wear a mask in all indoor and outdoor public spaces, unless seated and actively eating or drinking or sitting beside the pool.

Masks are not required to be worn:

• In your own stateroom
• In the pool or any activity where it could get wet
• At public ports of call, local mask guidelines apply.    

Temperature Checks

For cruises departing from Spain, daily temperature checks will be conducted on all guests and crew to comply with local and national guidelines. 

More changes likely

Please note that health protocols are expected to change over time. Guidance for other ports and sailings is still in development with federal, state, and local authorities. 

Royal Caribbean promises more updates as they become necessary.

Here is a look at the email sent to passengers booked on Harmony.

I have been fortunate enough to go on three Royal Caribbean cruises so far this summer from North America, and already there are some new lessons learned for cruising right now.

While the basic cruise experience pre-shutdown is still there, there are a few new, altered, or completely different ways to plan a cruise due to new protocols and ways the cruise line is operating.

If nothing else, you should expect changes early and often, so this post may even end up becoming outdated quite quickly with everything Royal Caribbean is doing to get ships operating again.

Based on my experience, here are the top eight new rules I've garnered from going on a Royal Caribbean cruise so far.

Check-in times are much closer to your sail date

Before the shutdown, you could count on online check-in for your cruise opening up 90 days before your sail date, but not anymore.

Right now, there is no pattern to when you can start checking in for a cruise, so you have to keep checking back periodically to see if it has opened.

First and foremost, expect online check-in to open up much closer to you sail date than 90 days. It is not uncommon to have check-in become available just a couple weeks in advance.

Keep in mind that what someone else on another sailing experiences for their check-in date opening may have no bearing on when yours could open up.

Regardless of when online check-in is available, try to get it done as soon as possible. Check-in times at the cruise terminal matter now, and the early check-in times go very quickly.

Don't expect protocols until a few weeks before your cruise

Because of the changing government regulations, new health protocols will likely not be available until at the most a month in before you sail.

Royal Caribbean is in the tough situation of wanting to share what the experience will be like with guests as early as they can, while at the same time trying to adhere to new guidelines and requirements from various health agencies.

In order to avoid creating confusion with changing protocols, Royal Caribbean is waiting until much closer to when a ship may sail to announce what guests can expect onboard.

It may not be idea, but most passengers are not keeping up with every change the cruise line makes, and as a result, the cruise line appears to be doing what it can to simplify messaging.

Windjammer will be closed for dinner until capacity gets up to at least 50%

After speaking with Royal Caribbean executives, it looks like the Windjammer buffet will remain closed for dinner until more guests are sailing again.

All of Royal Caribbean's ships are sailing at reduced capacity, although they have not divulged specific numbers for any ship.

Roughly speaking, the Windjammer will not re-open for dinner until at least half the ship is full again.  This means you may need to spend some extra time planning dinner before you cruise.

If you were someone that usually ate dinner at the buffet, consider specialty restaurant alternatives, going to the main dining room, or maybe just enjoying room service.

A lot of flights are getting cancelled

Never before can I recall so many flights being cancelled arbitrarily close to the departure date than right now.

Airlines are much further along in their recovery from the global health crisis (it helps when your industry gets bailed out with taxpayer money and never had any oversight by the CDC), but that does not mean their operations are smooth.

Anecdotally, a lot of cruise passengers are reporting last-minute flight cancellations for any number of reasons.

The best thing you can do is plan to fly in to your cruise at least one day ahead of time.  If you can manage it, two days in advance would be ideal (especially for sailings out of The Bahamas where there are few flights each day).

Don't rely on booking flights with Royal Caribbean through Air2Sea for the same day as your flight departs.

Cruise planner sales give the best prices

If you want a discount on a drink package, shore excursion, or something fun to do at CocoCay, be sure to purchase it during a Cruise Planner sale.

It was always a good idea to pre-purchase as much as you can to lock in discounts, but the importance of this strategy has gone up quite a lot due to higher base prices for these items than we saw in early 2020.

The good news is there is usually a Cruise Planner sale once every few weeks, and they are almost always offered over any major or minor holiday.

If you know you want something in the Cruise Planner, book it at the current price, and then cancel and rebook later if there is a price drop.

You can do eMuster from anywhere

One of the best innovations to come out of the cruise industry shutdown was eMuster, which allows passengers to do the guest safety drill from anywhere onboard the ship over the span of a few hours on embarkation day.

My advice is to multi-task the process, and go through the eMuster process in your Royal Caribbean app while you're doing something else onboard, such as eating lunch, enjoying the pool, or grabbing a drink at the bar.

Doing this allows you to be more efficient with your time, and get it taken care of sooner.

You can ask for printed menus

I love how Royal Caribbean is coming up with new ways to make its app more useful, but reading menus while in a restaurant missed the mark, in my opinion.

When you go to any restaurant on a Royal Caribbean ship right now, there are QR codes you can scan to get a copy of the menu.  Alternatively, you can ask for a printed menu.

I am all for keeping everyone healthy, but contact-based spread of Covid-19 is pretty darn remote, and Royal Caribbean's printed menus are now made of a material that is unconducive to spreading germs.

More importantly, reading a restaurant menu from a phone just is not easy, and I think a big part of the dining experience is holding a menu in your hands.

Book cruises early or they will sell out

While ships are sailing at limited capacity, sailings are selling out incredibly quickly.

Pre-shutdown, you could usually find at least something to book closer to your sail date at the last minute, but that just is not a thing right now.

Sailings from Florida are especially popular, so if you think you might want to go on a cruise soon, book it now.

One of the most popular beach destinations for cruise passengers in Cozumel has been Paradise Beach, but how does it stack up after the cruise industry shutdown?

With cruises restarting, many passengers want to know what their options are for shore excursions in port, and if certain favorite spots are still available. I was equally curious to see how Paradise Beach in Cozumel was, and if it was open and still the same great experience I remember.

Over many years, my family would choose to visit Paradise Beach because it offered an inexpensive beach day coupled with great service.  On my recent Adventure of the Seas sailing to Cozumel, I wanted to see if it was still as good as I remember it.

Description

Unlike some of the other popular all inclusive beach spots in Cozumel, Paradise Beach offers a "pay as you go" choice where you can sit down at the beach for a nominal fee ($3 per person) and then pay for select activities, food, and drink as you go.

Paradise Beach also offers an all-inclusive option, but I did not test out this offering.

It is a short drive from where Royal Caribbean cruise ships dock in Cozumel, perhaps 10 minutes by taxi.

When you arrive at the entrance, a waiter will greet you and escort you to wherever you would like to sit.  You can always move around, but for purposes of tracking your orders, you are supposed to order from the two waiters assigned to you.

At the time of our visit, Cozumel required everyone to wear masks, but once we got to Paradise Beach, the staff informed us we could remove our masks. The staff wore their masks throughout the day.

As the name implies, there is a large beach with lots of chairs set up to enjoy along the beach. There is seating with or without shade, and enough umbrellas for most families.

The beach itself is lovely, with soft sand. Some areas of the water are rockier than others, but it is easy enough to enter the water to avoid the big rocks.

Unfortunately the day we visited, Cozumel was inundated with sea grass, which is a temporary issue affecting Mexican beaches from time to time.  Long story short, periodically large amounts of sea weed come up on the beach.  This is the first time I experienced this issue in Cozumel, as it is more commonplace in Costa Maya. Regardless, there was a team of workers employed to remove as much of it as possible.

While the beach is great, I prefer to spend my time by the pool.  Paradise Beach has a massive pool, and according to them, it is the largest heated pool in Cozumel.  

There is plenty of seating by the pool, but very little shade to be found.  Get a seat with shade early if this is important to you.

Just like the beach, the pool was well-maintained and it looked as good as it felt. 

I love the food in Cozumel, and Paradise Beach offers a menu that you can order from throughout the day. Unless you go with the all-inclusive option, you will pay for each item you order.  The prices are reasonable that it still makes sense for my family to go in this direction.

The guacamole especially is worth ordering while there.

The menu has tacos, nachos, quesadillas, pizza and a few other items. It is not a large menu, but has enough to cater to most tastes.

Comments

In short, Paradise Beach is about the same experience that I recall before the global health crisis hit.

The beach and pool are both well-maintained, with plenty of seating at either location. When we visited, Adventure of the Seas was the only cruise ship in port and that meant the venue was very uncrowded. 

My favorite feature of Paradise Beach is their pool, which is large enough that it does not feel like we are cramming in with other people.

The reason my family visits Paradise Beach is because an all-inclusive option is a poor value for my kids. They don't need, nor do I want them, to be consuming enough sugary drinks to "break even" on the all-inclusive cost. Moreover, I usually have a drink package on the ship.  The low investment cost is also really nice if the weather does not cooperate or we decide we want to go back to the ship early.

The good news is Paradise Beach survived the shutdown and is in operation again for cruise guests to enjoy.  And it remains a great choice for families, or someone who wants to do a partial beach day without the full day cost.

How to book: No reservations required or available. Just show up. Website

A federal judge has denied the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) request to wait on eliminating the Conditional Sail Order (CSO) while the appeal process takes place.

On Tuesday, the CDC appealed the decision for a preliminary injunction against the CDC in allowing the CSO to be waived for Florida ports. The CDC also wanted the injunction to be stayed before it goes into effect on July 18.

Judge Steven D. Merryday reiterated his feelings in a three page response to the CDC's request for a stay, saying the CDC had exceeded its authority, "a stay that would serve to extend the unwarranted, unprecedented, and injurious exercise of governmental power by one person, the Director of CDC — is DENIED."

The Judge actually bolded and put the entire word "denied' in capital letters.

Judge Merryday went on to say that his conclusion is the CDC can show no factor that outweighs the need to conclude an unwarranted and unprecedented exercise of governmental power.

He also called out the CDC's claim that their actions are about protecting the public health, "this action is not about what health precautions against COVID-19 are necessary or helpful aboard a cruise ship; this action is about the use and misuse of governmental power."

As a result, the CSO will be stopped by order of the court at 12:01 a.m. EDT on JULY 18, 2021. At that time, the CSO the measures promulgated under the conditional sailing order will become a recommendation or guideline, and not be required.

Why the CDC isn't getting its way

Judge Merryday took some time in his decision to outline the reasons why he is not granting the CDC a stay during the appeal.

It boils down to a few key issues for the judge:

1. CDC remains dismissive of the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act,
2. CDC remains dismissive of the manifest disjunction between the statute granting CDC authority and the authority CDC purports to exercise over the cruise industry
3. CDC remains dismissive of state and local health regulation and dismissive of the cruise industry’s self-regulation
4. CDC remains dismissive of successful cruise ship operation elsewhere in the world

He was also surprised the CDC did not want to take an opportunity to work on an alternative to the CSO, which was offered as part of the judge's original decision.

Cruise industry supporters will take solace in the words chosen by Judge Merryday, which paints the CDC in an unfriendly light as they squirm to find a way to get a favorable outcome.

Although CDC invariably garnishes the argument with dire prospects of “transmission” of COVID-19 aboard a cruise vessel, these dark allusions dismiss state and local health authorities, the industry’s self-regulation, and the thorough and costly preparations and accommodations by all concerned to avoid “transmission” and to confine and control the “transmission,” if one occurs. In other words, CDC can show no factor that outweighs the need to conclude an unwarranted and unprecedented exercise of governmental power.