Royal Caribbean posted a new video update with the progress being made on the cruise line's next generation cruise ship.

Icon of the Seas is under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, and we have a closer look at  how the ship will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

This will be the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to be powered by LNG.

Traditionally, cruise ships are powered by diesel. The advantage LNG has over diesel is it is more energy-efficient and will reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

LNG is considered to be the cleanest-burning fossil fuel available because it has virtually zero sulfur dioxides and particulates, and a significant reduction in nitrous oxides.

Royal Caribbean's overall goal is to become emission-free.

The LNG fuel tank is 307 tons and 90 feet long, and were installed recently into one of the blocks that makes up the new ship. Royal Caribbean says the two LNG fuel takes are the largest in the cruise industry.

In addition, Icon of the Seas will utilize a shore power connection that removes emissions while connected at port.

Icon will have advanced waste heat recovery systems that repurpose heat to be used as energy across the ship.

Additional details about Icon of the Seas largely remain unknown. Royal Caribbean promises, " it will make waves with a mix of innovations and adventures cruising’s never seen before."

According to Royal Caribbean Group SEC filings in April 2021, the unnamed Icon Class ships will have a capacity of approximately 5,600 passengers.

The first of the revolutionary Icon Class is set to make its debut in fall 2023, and two other Icon Class ships are on order. The other two ships will be delivered in 2025 and 2026.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended its requirements for how cruise ships need to operate due to Covid-19, and the cruise industry has come out in support of the temporary extension.

The extension means the Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) will continue to remain in effect between November 1 and January 15, 2022, but the CDC says it will then expire.

While the CSO was at one time a major thorn in the side of the cruise lines who were eager to restart operations, the CDC began allowing ships to sail in June 2021 and since then, it has largely become a mere formality for ships to be able to sail from all major and minor cruise ports in the United States.

The Cruise Lines Industry Association (CLIA) issued a statement in support of the CDC's decision, as it provides a means for the CSO to transition to a voluntary basis, "Cruising has successfully resumed in the United States, with leading public health measures that have enabled our ocean-going cruise line members to effectively mitigate the risk of COVID-19 amongst cruise passengers, crewmembers and destinations."

"The changes to the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO), announced today, show that the Biden Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognize the cruise industry’s successful resumption of operations. We look forward to demonstrating the industry’s continued leadership in this final phase of the CSO, and to carrying out a smooth transition when the Order comes to an end on 15 January 2022."

In mid-January, the CDC says the CSO will transition to a voluntary program in which participation will be at the discretion of cruise lines.

"CDC wishes to stress that cruise ship participation in any future voluntary program would not be mandated; the scope and parameters of such a program would be subject to further discussion and information sharing; and cruise ship operators would be free to develop alternative pathways of detecting, mitigating, and controlling the spread of COVID-19 onboard cruise ships."

CLIA believes the industry is committed to a safe approach to cruising once that occurs, "The health and safety of cruise passengers, crewmembers and destinations remain the industry’s highest priority."

"CLIA ocean-going cruise line members will continue to be guided by science and the principle of putting people first as we work with the Administration and the CDC to expand on our progress and build additional confidence in cruising as one of the safest vacation options, during the pandemic and beyond."

In a statement to RoyalCaribbeanBlog, a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson also supported the CDC's move, "As our phased approach to healthy return to service continues fleetwide, we are pleased by the decision of the CDC to end the Conditional Sail Order after a two-month extension until January 15, 2022."

"Royal Caribbean Group will continue to operate in accordance with protocols that prioritize the health and safety of our guests, crews and the communities we visit, as we have done successfully from the United States since June."

What does the Conditional Sailing Order require?

In a nutshell, the CSO laid out a phased approach for cruise ships to restart operations from the United States through a series of steps in order to get approval to sail.

Introduced in October 2020, the full set of rules were not fully unveiled until spring 2021, but they provided cruise lines with requirements to ensure their ships would not put crew, passengers or communities served by the ships under unnecessary risk to Covid-19.

Cruise lines had the choice of mandating at least 95% of their passengers and 98% of their crew members be fully vaccinated in order to restart cruises quicker, or run test cruises with volunteer passengers to ensure health protocols onboard were effective.

Cruise lines like Norwegian Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises opted to mandate the vaccine, while Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line chose the test cruise path in order to allow unvaccinated children onboard.

Royal Caribbean began test cruises in June 2021, and has successfully launched every one of its ships that has had to conduct a test cruise.

Simulated voyages applied a variety of new cruise line policies and rules to ensure they mitigate any potential spread of a virus onboard. Besides testing protocols, Royal Caribbean found the test cruises a good opportunity to prep the ship to return to service after many months of being shutdown.

The CDC now believes the protocols devised under the CSO has helped avert concerns it had earlier, "cruise lines, with CDC assistance, have resumed passenger operations and successfully developed and implemented health and safety protocols to manage COVID-19 that have averted overwhelming onboard medical facilities and burdening shoreside hospital resources"

Why the CDC extended the Conditional Sailing Order

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader smokeybandit reacted to the temporary extension by asking, "I want to know what difference another 75 days makes," which echoes many other cruise fans concerns about the CDC decision.

In the 54-page document the CDC issued regarding the CSO extension, it justified the temporary extension because of the upcoming winter season and anticipated increase in passengers and ships sailing from the United States.

"The winter season (November through January) has historically been the most active cruising season in the Caribbean and Central America, involving travel to countries currently listed by CDC as being under COVID-19 travel health notices where cruise ship travelers may be at increased risk for acquiring and subsequently introducing COVID-19 variants into the U.S.

"Additionally, cruise ship operators have informed CDC of their intended plans to increase the number of ships operating in U.S. waters this fall and winter."

The CDC added it was not "feasible" to pause the CSO in order to get a comment period, noting it would be "impracticable and contrary to the public interest."

The Bahamas will extend its order requiring cruise ship passengers be fully vaccinated if they are above the age of 12 until next year.

Since September 1, 2021, The Bahamas enacted emergency powers requiring only cruise ships be allowed into The Bahamas if everyone over the age of 12 is fully vaccinated, including private islands.

The order is set to expire on November 1, but it now appears it will be extended.

Tourism, Investments and Aviation Minister Chester Cooper told The Tribune that the Bahamian government will look to extend the policy until next year.

"We are taking action to extend that until 2022," Mr. Cooper said before going to a Cabinet meeting.

"We will be looking at it closely moving forward. We are actively in conversations with our various cruise partners.

"We believe vaccination is the right approach in order to be able to attract tourists to our shores in a balanced and responsible way."

Under the order, cruise ships visiting The Bahamas must ensure everyone who is at least 12 years old or older be fully vaccinated.

The order was first added by Bahamian Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis, but the new Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Philip Davis, supports extending it.

As a result of the order, cruise lines changed their protocols to require everyone above the age of 12 to be fully vaccinated on sailings from Florida. Prior to the Bahamian law, Royal Caribbean cruises from Florida had made exceptions for unvaccinated adults to sail.

Royal Caribbean was already requiring proof of vaccination from passengers 12 and older sailing from other U.S. ports. 

Travelers unable to show proof of vaccination are unable to sail.

Royal Caribbean not only visits Nassau, but operates a private island that is visited by so many of its ships operating in the region, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Hours after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced an extension of the Conditional Sailing Order, Royal Caribbean released its health protocols for cruises departing the United States in November 2021.

Guests booked on November cruises received an email with the health rules they can expect if sailing on a cruise ship in November.

Protocols have been released for ships sailing from the United States, as well a separate policy for ships sailing from Puerto Rico. You should, refer to Royal Caribbean's protocols online.

Here is the list of protocols for ships sailing from the United States (excluding Puerto Rico), including government mandates and CDC pre-cruise testing requirements. 

Vaccinations

All guests 12 and older must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before sailing.

Testing

Required Pre-Cruise Testing: Guests will need to meet the new requirements recently issued by the U.S. CDC.

Vaccinated guests 12 years and older are required to present a negative COVID-19 Test Result (antigen or PCR) for a test taken no more than 2 days prior to the sailing's departure date and before their arrival to the terminal.

Unvaccinated kids age 2 to 11 must show a negative test result for a PCR or antigen test taken no more than 3 days before boarding day. Kids’ pre-cruise test cannot be taken on boarding day, because that may affect the sample taken during the kids’ test at the terminal.

No testing required for guests under age 2.

Pre-cruise tests are at the expense of the guest sailing, as well as scheduling.

Royal Caribbean recommends guests use the at-home test they recently approved for use and now sell directly to passengers via RoyalCaribbean.com/HomeTestKit

Kids Age 2-11 Years: Additional Testing

In addition to the pre-cruise test, kids will take one or two more tests. 

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. This test is complimentary.

Prior to Disembarking: Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 will take a complimentary antigen test prior to debark. Depending on sailing length, there may be additional testing. Registration details will be provided onboard.

Guests under 2 years of age will not be tested.

Masks

Masks are required in the terminal, in select locations inside the ship, and may be required at various destinations. Guests under 2 years old don’t need a mask. 

Masks are NOT required to be worn:

• In open-air areas of the ship, unless you are in a crowded setting.
• In the pool or any activity where they may become wet.
• At venues designated for vaccinated guests only, such as select bars, lounges, restaurants and shows.
• In your stateroom when you are with your traveling party.
• While visiting our private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, unless you are in a crowded setting.
• By any guest under the age of 2.

Masks ARE required to be worn:

• While indoors in public areas of the ship, unless seated and actively eating or drinking.
• While visiting public ports of call, where local regulations may require them.

Some venues and nightlife events will be for vaccinated guests age 12 and up, only. Masks won't be required in these venues. Vaccinated parents are invited to enjoy these experiences while their kids not present.

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. 

Other venues

The ship’s venues are set up to easily allow for physical distancing and there will be signage to guide passengers.

Theaters and activity venues will offer spaced seating and more showtimes. Some activities, showtimes, or seating areas will be reserved for vaccinated guests only.

The Fitness Center has operating hours for everyone as well as hours reserved for vaccinated guests only.

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

Shore Excursions

Fully vaccinated parties may book a shore excursion or visit most ports freely — with the exception of those listed below, which will require tours for all guests who wish to go ashore, regardless of their vaccination status.

• St. Lucia (November visits)
• Barbados (November visits)
• St. Kitts (November visits)
• Antigua (November visits)

Families traveling with unvaccinated kids must purchase a local tour through Royal Caribbean if they wish to go ashore. This applies to all ports of call except Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Port Canaveral, Florida. 

Cruises from Puerto Rico

Explorer of the Seas is scheduled to restart cruises from San Juan, Puerto Rico in November and there are slightly different protocols for these sailings.

I've noted the major differences for cruises from Puerto Rico, but otherwise the same protocols for U.S. sailings apply.

For guests above the age of 2, Puerto Rico requires a negative PCR or antigen Covid-19 test result for certain travelers to enter depending on their vaccination status and point of origin.

If you’re flying in from the U.S.

• Vaccinated guests have no testing requirement to enter Puerto Rico.
• Unvaccinated kids age 2 to 11 must show a negative result for a PCR or antigen test taken within 72 hours prior to arriving at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan.

If you’re flying in from an international country

• All travelers age 2 and up, regardless of vaccination status, must show a negative result for a PCR or antigen test taken within 72 hours prior to arriving at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan.

If you are already in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico does not require a test from you.

Embarkation Day

To board the ship, you will need to bring a negative PCR or antigen test result to the cruise terminal. It can be the same result you used to enter Puerto Rico, provided you time it right.

• Vaccinated guests age 12 and older must show a negative result for a PCR or antigen test taken no more than 2 days before boarding day.
• Unvaccinated kids age 2 to 11 must show a negative test result for a PCR or antigen test taken no more than 3 days before boarding day. Kids’ pre-cruise test cannot be taken on boarding day, because that may affect the sample taken during the kids’ test at the terminal.
• Guests under 2 years of age do not need to complete a pre-cruise test.

Kids Age 2-11 Years: Additional Testing

In addition to the pre-cruise test, unvaccinated kids will take two more tests. Royal Caribbean’s test provider will administer these, at no cost to guests.

At the Terminal
Kids will take a complimentary PCR test when checking in at the terminal. Registration details will be sent via email in advance.

Prior to Disembarking
Kids will take a complimentary antigen test onboard before the cruise ends. Vaccinated guests who require a COVID-19 test for re-entry into their country may receive one onboard as well. Guests will be notified onboard about how to register for this test.

Guests under 2 years of age do not have test requirements to board the ship.

With less than week left in the life of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) policy that regulates how cruise ships can operate from the United States during the Covid-19 pandemic, the federal agency has temporarily extended it for an additional two and a half months.

The CDC has temporarily extended the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) until January 15, 2022, with minor modifications. 

The CSO is the CDC's phased approach to allowing cruise ships to resume operations from the United States. There are phases each vessel must go through before it can be approved to sail again with passengers from U.S. waters.

Many cruise ships have been able to resume operations from the United States since summer 2021, including many from Royal Caribbean.

It is being called a "temporary extension", and will commence once the current CSO expires on November 1, 2021.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky signed the Temporary Extension & Modification of the CSO on October 25, 2021.

The Temporary Extension & Modification of the CSO shall remain in effect until the earliest of

• The expiration of the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ declaration that COVID-19 constitutes a public health emergency;
• The CDC Director rescinds or modifies the order based on specific public health or other considerations; or
• January 15, 2022 at 12:01 am EDT.

Once the Temporary Extension & Modification of the CSO expires in January, the CDC said it intends for the the program to shift to a voluntary basis, where cruise lines and other stakeholders will work together without a federal mandate to do so to ensure proper protocols are followed.

The original CSO was issued on October 30, 2020 as a response to Covid-19 and the perceived threat of it spreading on cruise ships.

According to the CDC, the rationale for extending it has to do with the threat the virus still poses today, "considering the continued spread of the Delta variant, emergence of other COVID-19 variants of concern, breakthrough cases among the fully vaccinated, and possible additional surges of cases and deaths, CDC has determined a temporary extension of the CSO is necessary for foreign-flagged cruise ships operating on international itineraries."

The CDC did concede in its document it intends to let the CSO expire once January 15 passes, "After the expiration of this temporary extension, CDC intends to transition to a voluntary program, in coordination with interested cruise ship operators and other stakeholders, to assist the cruise ship industry to detect, mitigate, and control the spread of COVID-19 onboard cruise ships."

The extension has few changes to what the CSO had in it originally, although the CDC did take away a few restrictions and requirements including:

• Removed language referring to cruise ship operator protocols as “unproven and untested”
• Removed requirement to include any CDC travel advisory, warning, or recommendation relating to cruise travel in marketing material
• Removed requirement to limit voyage to 7 days
• Removed requirement for monitored observation period of passengers prior to embarking
• Modified to state that voyage may be ended and further action taken if a ship meets “red ship criteria” under Technical Instructions for Crew
• Removed previous requirement that cruise ship operator must immediately end voyage, cancel future voyages, and return to port if COVID-19 identified onboard.

In addition, the CSO adds that its instructions only apply on a voluntary basis for ships  arriving in, located within, or departing from a port in Florida, due to the Preliminary Injunction Order, entered by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on June 18, 2021.

Last week, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley hinted at the CSO becoming more guidance than regulation, "One of those next steps could be that the Conditional Sailing Order would just expire, and we would continue as we are voluntarily working with the CDC and operating with various protocols and guidelines that have been recommended."

Mr. Bayley believes the success cruise lines have had in getting back to service has been a result of the work with the CDC, "We've got 15 ships operating and the protocols are really working."

"Everything is operating extremely well, and that really was only possible through a lot of collaboration with the CDC and working with them and other health authorities around the world."

Royal Caribbean Group has scheduled its third quarter earnings to be released on October 29th, and there are more than a few questions cruise fans have that could be answered as part of this disclosure.

A lot has happened since the last earnings call, with many more cruise ships back in service, but executives have hinted that the next phase of the restart is moving towards a sense of normalcy.  So what should we expect going forward, and what does the current situation look like?

Earnings calls are hosted by Royal Caribbean Group's top executives, and it is a combination of disclosures, prepared statements and answering questions from Wall Street analysts. 

Royal Caribbean Group will host their call at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, on Friday, October 29, 2021.

Following prepared statements by Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain, as well as Royal Caribbean Group Chief Financial Officer Jason Liberty, executives will take questions from Wall Street analysts. Quite often this question and answer session reveals a lot about where the company is now and what to expect going forward.

I reached out to Dan Kline, lead advisor/host of 7investing Now to get a better sense of what Wall Street is thinking ahead of Royal Caribbean's call this week.

1. Revenue

No matter which company is releasing its financials, revenue is going to be the biggest question from analysts.

Mr. Kline thinks the real question this quarter is how much did revenue grow quarter over quarter, and how much is it below the same quarter two years ago?

Wall Street expects there to be a loss, and a company losing money is not necessarily a bad thing if there are signs of progress being made. Mr. Kline's question is about determining if revenues are starting to increase again, and how that pattern matches up with pre-pandemic numbers.

"They are going to say future bookings are great, but at what price? I booked a room on a short Freedom of the Seas cruise for next fall at under $500," Kline noted. "If that’s typical, then they have a long way to normal."

As revenue grows, the gap between profit and loss narrows, and that means they can not only get back to making money but also pay off some of the major debts it incurred during the shutdown.

2. Debt

A major albatross around Royal Caribbean Group's neck for the foreseeable future will be the loans it took out to stay in business while all cruise ships were idle last year.

Mr. Kline wants to know on what the company will do to address that issue, "Are they working on refinancing the debt they took on during the pandemic?"

Whether paying off the loans or renegotiating the debt deals under more favorable terms, this will be an ongoing concern for investors.

3. Crew staffing

More and more Royal Caribbean ships are coming back into service, so are there any issues with getting crew members back?

The faster ships get back into service, the faster revenue can increase, and Mr. Kline wondered if getting ships back up and running fully is an issue, "Are they having trouble fully staffing as they open up more ships?"

Mr. Fain said at a convention in September the goal is to get back to full capacity as early as next year, "In our core markets, we expect to be essentially there by the end of this year."

While Royal Caribbean does not divulge passenger counts or capacity limits for its ships sailing, there has been plenty of anecdotal evidence from passengers that the amount of guests onboard is going up from what it was this summer.

4. Capital projects

Since the restart of cruises this summer, Royal Caribbean has quietly been working on other port projects that incur costs.

A new terminal in Galveston, beach club in Nassau, and possible expansion of port facilities in Freeport are at the top of Mr. Kline's list of questions.

"I’d be curious as to anything on capital expenditures specifically the Freeport and Nassau projects as well as amping up certain ships."

How you can listen to the earnings call

There will be full coverage of anything intriguing that comes out of Royal Caribbean Group's third quarter 2021 earnings call on RoyalCaribbeanBlog, but if you would like to listen on your own, here's how.

The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations website, www.rclinvestor.com.  

You will be able to listen via the link provided close to the start of the call.

Happy Sunday! We are so happy that you stopped by and hope you are having a wonderful weekend. Grab a mug of your favorite hot beverage, sit back, and check out the latest in Royal Caribbean news.

Royal Caribbean announced earlier this week its first ever cruise around-the-world.

The 274-night sailing will be held aboard Serenade of the Seas and will visit all seven continents, along with visits to more than 150 destinations along the way.

The price range for the full excursion is between $66,000 to $112,000 per person, plus taxes and fees.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean will accept cruise ship passengers with mixed vaccines
• Celebrity Cruises will accept mixed vaccines following CDC update
• Spotted: Royal Caribbean increasing capacity on its cruise ships
• Royal Caribbean Group CEO: Time to focus on how we come out of the pandemic
• A look at all of the Odyssey of the Seas restaurants
• From a former cruise kid: Why you should go on a cruise ship with your kids
• What Canadians need to know about cruise insurance

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

Royal Caribbean was finally able to start cruises from New York this year with an Oasis Class ship, and Rebecca sailed on one of those early sailings.

This week's podcast episode shares Rebecca's experience on Oasis of the Seas out of Cape Liberty.

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 RCB Video: 15 Little Things That Make a BIG Difference on Royal Caribbean

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 — 15 Little Things That Make a BIG Difference on Royal Caribbean — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

10 things everyone on a cruise ship should do before their cruise ends

The last day of the cruise leaves plenty of fun, but there are also a few things everyone should do before it all comes to an end.

These 10 tips for everyone to do before their cruise ends will expedite your final morning onboard, as well as avoid billing issues or problems afterwards.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain has a new video update where he says he is done talking about the Covid-19, and it's time to move on.

The new video update is aimed at travel agents, but provides important insight into what he and the cruise line are thinking about at the moment.

In a new video update, Mr. Fain shares why now is the time to look past the pandemic and focus on cruises in 2022.

In fact, Mr. Fain declared he is going to stop talking about the disease, which is in itself significant since he began issuing these video updates during the cruise industry shutdown due to Covid-19.

"The time has come to look forward," Mr. Fain firmly stated. "The time has come to focus on how we come out of the panic and out of the pandemic, rather than how we should live during it."

"We all need to think differently. Our future becomes clearer every day."

Mr. Fain's message comes as the Royal Caribbean Group has re-opened its headquarters in Miami. While the disease will remain a concern, he feels society has a much better grasp on it becoming controlled, especially with children on the brink of being able to get vaccinated.

"It will continue to produce variants that vex us, but now we understand the main drivers. We know how to control the disease as it moves from totally uncontrolled spread with a high level of fatalities to a more ubiquitous, ongoing disease that impacts a declining number of people."

"There are likely to be more variants, but they are not likely to upset our ongoing progress, and all of this progress still isn't going to eliminate COVID, but it should bring it down from being a terrifying pandemic."

Mr. Fain also shared a recent map of Covid cases by county in the United States, and contrasted the case loads to cruise ships, which he believes have an advantage over land based comparables.

"The vast bulk of the people are vaccinated. We can control our sanitation, including air filtration, etc., and we can establish strict protocols. As a result, we can make ships safer than shore based alternatives," Mr. Fain explained.

"Although the CDC doesn't do a comparison, I believe a fair reading of all the data taking into account all the factors would color this ship blue, which is the lowest category of risk. Certainly better than the bulk of counties in America, and that's why I'm going to stop talking about the disease."

Mr. Fain also talked about a surge in new bookings coming from online rather than travel agents. To that point, he believes now is the time for travel agents to double their efforts to work on selling cruises since the market is showing signs of people wanting to travel again.

Read more: Top things you didn't know travel agents can do for your cruise vacation

Mr. Fain pointed to demand returning in the form of more visitors to Royal Caribbean's website, along with more calls and bookings made directly with the cruise line.

"We need you, our travel partners, to reach our full potential. Of course, there still will be many who prefer to buy buy online, and the internet does make that very easy."

"Simply put, we need you and we need your personal touch. We need you and your knowledge, and the clients need you to help them understand the complexities."

They say all good things must come to an end, and that includes cruise vacations.

As your time left onboard begins to wane, there are a few important things to do before it's time to head off the ship and end your vacation.

Doing so will not only expedite your final morning onboard before you disembark, but avoid regrets or billing problems later.

Here are ten things every cruiser should do on the last day of their sailing before their cruise comes to an end.

Check the bill

Setting your bill is a good idea on the last day of the cruise so you can review everything on there looks to be correct, as well as render payment.

If you have a cash account, you will want to get that squared away before heading to bed. Likewise, if you are sharing a cabin with someone and need to split the bill, or otherwise change how you pay it out, this is the time do so.

If you want to deposit any cash to offset your charges, you can also do this now.

If by chance you still have extra onboard credit that is refundable, you can go to Guest Services to refund it as cash.  If your onboard credit is non-refundable onboard credit, go down to the casino and cash it out at one of the slot machines as a cash advance against your account.

This can all be done at Guest Services, although keep in mind that lines for Guest Services on the last day can sometimes get long. The best time to visit Guest Services on the final day is during the day. Everyone seems to go there in the evening.

Remember, get any accounting issues settled while onboard the ship. Calling after the cruise is much more time consuming and difficult.

Read more: Cruising 101: SeaPass Account

Return towels

Royal Caribbean will charge you $25 per pool towel you take that is not returned, so now is the time to bring it back.

The cruise line added this charge after years of guests taking towels and leaving them on shore excursions rather than bringing them back onboard.

Go through your stateroom and ensure any towels you tossed in the corner are brought back to the towel station and double check with the crew member there that your account is all set.

Give out extra tips

If you wanted to reward a specific crew member or two with extra gratuities, the last day is a good time to do it.

Whether your stateroom attendant, favorite bartender, or waiter, the last day is the perfect opportunity to say thank you one more time.

I've often thought I would just see them on the final morning, but you would be surprised how difficult it can be to track down a crew member.

If you prefer to give out cash tips to your stateroom attendant and dining room staff, you can opt to do that by going to Guest Services and asking to pay cash tips and remove the automatic gratuity from your account.

Read more: Why do I have to pay gratuities for my toddler?

Pack

Perhaps the least fun thing to do on your last day, but a necessary evil is packing everything back up.

I have to remind myself packing on the last day is better than trying to pack it all up on the final morning when you are groggy and extremely displeased with the fact you have to get off the ship.

Find some time in the afternoon to pack up as much as you can.

Be very certain to leave out sometime to wear the last morning of the cruise, otherwise you may have to wear your pajamas off the ship.

Read more: Top 9 bad mistakes to make on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Leave luggage out

If you want assistance with getting your luggage off the ship, Royal Caribbean will deliver your bags from your stateroom to the cruise terminal.

The key is to leave your bags out by a certain time on the final night of the cruise, usually 10pm.  Check the paperwork left in your stateroom on the last day to confirm what time bags need to be out in the hallway by.

Also be sure to affix the luggage tags provided to you in your stateroom on the last day so that your luggage gets delivered.  It is also a good idea to take a photo of the luggage tag so you don't forget which number is yours.

Even though I mentioned it in the previous tip, I will mention it again: make sure you leave clothes to wear for the next morning, as well as any medication and toiletries.

Read more: What's the earliest time I can get off my cruise ship when it's over?

Get your photos

If there is something I forget the most on the last day of the cruise, it is to print and pick up the onboard photos.

Remember all those photos you posed for onboard? The last day is when most people go to order prints and pick them up.

The final evening of the cruise will see likely a swarm of other guests doing the same thing, so ideally, try to hit up the photo area a little earlier in the day before everyone gets there at night.

Regardless of when you go, you can easily use the self-service kiosks to order prints.  The machine will give you a time to pick up the prints, so be sure to get there before it's too late.

Read more: Is a Royal Caribbean photo package worth it?

Book another cruise

If you had a great time onboard, maybe a stop at NextCruise to book another vacation makes sense.

NextCruise is where you can go to book a new Royal Caribbean cruise, and they will give you the added benefit of reduced deposit and extra onboard credit.

Just like Guest Services and the photo area, the last day tends to be quite busy at NextCruise. You can book a reservation via the sign up sheet out front, or hope for an open slot as you walk by.  The earlier in the day, the more likely there will be times available to chat.

If all else fails, NextCruise is usually open the final morning of the cruise. Be sure to check with the staff for exact times.

Listen: Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast Episode - Booking another cruise onboard

Cash in casino chips

Assuming you don't go back one last time to double down, be sure to cash out your casino chips.

Royal Caribbean is quite specific that if you fail to cash in your casino chips or vouchers, they are not eligible for cash after the cruise ends.  It is quite common for guests to leave these items in their pocket and forget to cash them out later.

Whether you won big or this is all you have left, be sure to get the cash for them.

Take a Covid test

If you need a negative Covid test result to get back into your country of origin, make sure you have a test done onboard the last day of the cruise.

Royal Caribbean will provide a complimentary Covid test to any passenger that requests one, but you need to schedule it earlier than the last day. My advice is ask to book one on the first day or two of the cruise so you can be in the schedule.

Just be sure to show up for the Covid test on time, as testing is limited.

Check-in for your flight

If you are flying home after your cruise, it may make sense to complete the online check-in for your flight (especially if you are flying Southwest Airlines).

You can purchase a 24 hour pass for Royal Caribbean's internet onboard to do this (assuming you didn't buy a Voom package before). Suite guests can usually get the assistance of the Suite Concierge to help complete it.

If you need to print out a boarding pass or other paperwork, speak to Guest Service or the Suite Concierge.