HBO's Emmy Award-winning show, "Hacks" just premiered its second season, that has one episode predominantly shown onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

Photo HBO Max

Episode 4 in the second season is titled, "The Captain's Wife", and is centered around the main character's attempt to kickstart her comedy career by performing on a lesbian charter cruise.

Royal Caribbean fans would instantly notice the ship featured in this episode is Navigator of the Seas, which sails from Los Angeles down to the Mexican Riviera. 

Anytime a cruise ship is the focus of a television show or movie, cruise fans like to analyze how truthful the cruise experience is to reality.  In this episode, I found most of what they portrayed as accurate. As we'll see, there are a few things the show got right and a few areas they clearly took "poetic license" to make things look better.

Overall, I thought it was a very positive portrayal of Royal Caribbean and it was fun to see this week's episode prominently focus on a cruise ship. I'll let you be the judge.

Pool

Photo HBO Max

When the main characters arrive onboard, they start off at the Lime & Coconut pool bar, which is absolutely what the pool deck looks like today.

The pool deck is used quite a few times for the day scenes throughout the episode. It's clear they probably filmed while the ship was in port before the next sailing began, as the pool deck is the only area that actually looks like it does in real life.

"This is amazing! No wonder you love cruises, they're like the Vegas of the sea", Hannah Einbinder exclaims as soon as she boards the ship. I was glad to see cruise ships portrayed positively in this episode.  It's not uncommon for cruise ships to be the subject of stereotypes and clichés rooted in ships of the past.

Read more: Why the cliche about cruise ships is totally wrong

Solarium

Photo HBO Max

After getting onboard the ship, Einbender's character heads to the Solarium bar for a drink.

This scene is filmed in the Solarium, which is the adults-only area of the ship. The bartender even has a Royal Caribbean nametag on and the same shirt the bar staff wears on the pool deck.

Photo HBO Max

If you want to nitpick, there was no exchange of a SeaPass card after she got the drink, but it's perhaps because this a charter sailing. 

Something else accurate is she asks the bartender about if they can make mocktails. When Royal Caribbean revamped their drink menu in 2021, they added a focus on mocktails. 

Read more: 8 mocktails to try on your next Royal Caribbean cruise

"It's a ship, not a boat"

Photo HBO Max

A recurring joke is anytime one of the characters refers to the ship as a "boat", someone immediately corrects them that they are on a ship.

This actually a very important distinction that crew members and repeat cruisers alike will almost always correct people on, because it's basically insulting to refer to a cruise ship as a "boat".

Vernacular understanding often explains that a ship can carry a boat, but a boat cannot carry a ship. That is a vessel is a boat if it is small enough to be carried, and a vessel is a ship if it is large enough to carry one smaller than itself. 

Read more: The top 7 cruise ship things you're still saying wrong

Buffet

Photo HBO Max

All the interior shots are clearly on soundstages and not representative of what Navigator, or any Royal Caribbean cruise ship actually looks like. As I said before, I think they only had time to shoot while the ship was in port so they limited it to outdoor scenes.

The buffet certainly resembles the Windjammer buffet, although this version is quite narrower.

In short, there is indeed a buffet on the real thing, but there's more to it than we see.

Suite

Photo HBO Max

Jean Smart's suite almost looks like a real suite, but Navigator's interior motif is not nearly as nice as the show.

Besides the fact the room looks quite spacious, the room aesthetics are far different than the look of Navigator of the Seas' cabins. 

Photo HBO Max

It doesn't look that different from what Royal Caribbean suites sort of look like on newer ships, but it's certainly more modern looking than what you'll find onboard a real ship.

Piano bar

Photo HBO Max

In the evening, the main characters go to get a drink at a piano bar.

Navigator of the Seas has a piano bar, which is known as the Schooner Bar, but this is definitely not the Schooner Bar.

Photo HBO Max

Like the suite, this piano bar looks more modern and glitzy.  Unlike the Schooner Bar, there's no nautical theme at all present.

At the end of the scene, Jean Smart sings one of the songs instead of the piano player. This is definitely something that happens at the Schooner Bar, although rarely do the guests ever sound as good as Ms. Smart did in this.

Theater

Photo HBO Max

Jean Smart's character performs her comedy act onboard in the theater, which is a real location on Navigator of the Seas, but looks completely different in the show.

It's a shame they couldn't have filmed in the actual theater on Navigator of the Seas, because it's a beautiful space.

Aerial views

Photo HBO Max

Perhaps the most common mistake made about cruise ships on film is how they look. While they never name the ship in the episode, they use aerial shots of Symphony of the Seas.

Interestingly at the end of the show when the main characters disembark the ship unceremoniously, Navigator of the Seas is back in view from afar.

If there's one thing that annoys everyone on a cruise ship, it's the people that reserve pool chairs for the entire day.

Commonly referred to as "chair hogs", it's an unfortunate occurrence on cruise ships (and to be fair, many hotels and resorts as well). Basically, some people will leave their belongings on one or more loungers near the pool, and then disappear for hours before every using them.

Technically there should be pool attendants that look for the issue and remove the belongings, but in practice it rarely occurs.

All is not lost if you want to get a chair by the pool on your Royal Caribbean cruise. While we could complain about the issue occurring in the first place, I think the more practical solution is give you a way to beat the problem.

Speaking of the problem, it behooves me to point out that if the chair hog issue bothers you as much as it bothers me, don't be a part of the problem either. Utilize the strategies in this post and then relinquish your chair when you're not using it as a way to set a better example.

Read more: 8 things some cruisers do that annoy everyone else

Here are six easy ways to get a spot by the pool, despite the chair hogs you may encounter.

Get up early

While chair hogs are a problem, they don't get all the pool chairs right away.  In my experience, if you get yourself up to the pool in the morning, you can usually get a chair.

How early? Before 10am is usually a good rule of thumb to be able to get a chair. Shorter weekend cruises tend to attract more people to the pool, but you definitely want to get an early breakfast and then stake out your claim by the pool.

While sleeping in is a wonderful feeling, it will put you behind the eight ball in terms of getting a seat if you roll up to the pool deck later in the morning.

If getting up early is not going to happen (I'm looking at you Billy from CruiseHabit.com), then your next best option is to wait the chair hogs out.

As the afternoon progresses, people start to slowly leave the pool in order to prepare for dinner or their evening plans.  By 4pm, many chairs start to open up.

If your plan is to spend all day at the pool, then get up early for a chair. But if you just want a couple hours, you might see if you can sneak them in closer to dinner.

Rent a casita

Some people prefer to throw money at the problem, and Royal Caribbean offers casita rentals.

Available on a few cruise ships, these casitas come with a flat fee for use during the day.

Casitas are available on the pool decks of:

• Wonder of the Seas
• Odyssey of the Seas
• Oasis of the Seas
• Freedom of the Seas
• Navigator of the Seas

The price will likely vary, but we've seen prices of $199 for the day on a sea day and $149 on a port day.

Not only do you get two chairs to use, but the rental also includes towels, a cooler, storage for your belongings and a charging outlet.

You will also get two complimentary Welcome Drinks and four chilled waters with your reservation.

I'm sure there are some people not in love with the idea of spending money for pool chairs, but it is a sure-fire way to guarantee a spot for you on the pool deck.

Keep in mind the casitas on some ships are located on the upper pool deck, which means it is not on the same deck as the actual pool. You'll have to just walk down the stairs to the actual pool.

Hit the pool on port days

If waking up early and spending extra doesn't jive with you, then your next best bet is to hit the pool deck when your ship is docked in port.

On port days, many guests disembark the ship for their shore excursion and that means there is far less demand for the pool.

Port days will find the pool far less busy than on sea days, and that can be the perfect time to hit up the pool, as well as water slides or the FlowRider.

The downside to going to the pool on a port day is you are forgoing whatever activities you might be interested in while in port.  A good compromise is to do a tour in the morning, and then go to the pool after your excursion is complete.

Even after lunch, the pool deck usually doesn't get too busy on a port day.

Get a chair away from the pool

Let's say it's 1pm, you want to be outside and lay out in the sun on a sea day and renting a casita isn't in the cards. Now what?

There are usually lots of lounge chairs elsewhere on the pool decks, especially if you venture away from the pool.

Often there are unused chairs and loungers if you walk all the way forward or aft. I've found these chairs both in the sun and in the shade, depending on the location.

You won't be able to see the pool fun, but for many guests, it's just about being able to lay out and read a book, catch a nap, or enjoy the sun.

Look for a chair near the kid's pool

In my experience, chair hog's kryptonite is being near the kids area.

On ships that have Splashaway Bay or the H2O Zone, I've generally found more chairs available near these spots than the main pool.

Put on your noise cancelling headphones and enjoy the lounge chair you wanted, without nearly as much competition.

Book a suite

On most ships, there is reserved seating for suite guests somewhere on the pool deck.

This reserved area usually has enough loungers throughout the day. Whether it's worth it to book a suite on Royal Caribbean or not, one consideration may be how much you may take advantage of the pool deck.

Keep in mind the suite sun deck is for guests in a Grand Suite or higher, so Junior Suites don't count.

If your idea of a great cruise is spending all day by the pool, booking a suite might be a good investment.

There's plenty happening with Royal Caribbean this week, so here is a quick wrap-up of changes and announcements you should know.

Things move quickly in the cruise industry, so to keep you up to date with the news, this article has a few different things that have happened this week.

Let's take a look at this week's Royal Caribbean cruise news.

Odyssey of the Seas cruise cancellations

There's a bit of a log jam in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this fall, which has necessitated a few Odyssey of the Seas cruises to be changed.

Royal Caribbean alerted travel agents that Odyssey of the Seas cruises departing between December 17, 2022 and December 31, 2022 have been revised. Essentially, the departure dates have changed and that means anyone who was booked on one of these cruises needs to pick a new sailing.

Guests have the option of staying booked on the revised sailing, which departs a day earlier, re-book to other sailing minus change fees, or a full refund.

Royal Caribbean will reimburse passengers for non-refundable, pre-purchased transportation change fees incurred (such as flight, train ticket, or rental car). 

• If they stay on Odyssey: up to $300 USD per guest for Domestic changes, or up to $500 USD per guest for International changes.
• If they pick another sailing: up to $200 USD per guest for Domestic changes, or up to $400 USD per guest for International changes.

Coast Guard concludes investigation into Royal Caribbean SpaceX incursion

Remember in January 2022 when a SpaceX launch was cancelled because Harmony of the Seas got too close to the launch site?

The Coast Guard wrapped up its investigation of Harmony of the Seas moving within the safety zone.

Prior to any SpaceX launch, there is an exclusion zone established so that no planes, ships, etc are able to enter the space, which adjoins against the second busiest cruise and shipping port in the country at Port Canaveral.

The Harmony of the Seas’ crew got underway from Port Canaveral and began voyaging toward the Bahamas. Harmony of the Seas entered an established safety zone, designed to ensure the safety of the public during the Cosmo Skymed rocket launch, without proper authorization. The launch was ultimately cancelled due to the encroachment into the surveilled launch hazard area.

“We are committed to protecting the maritime transportation system as well as finding the best practices to manage the intersection of space and maritime operations,” said Capt. Janet D. Espino-Young, prevention division chief, Coast Guard District Seven.

The statement went on to say the Coast Guard may pursue administrative enforcement actions, but did not specify if it would do so. Such actions may include monetary fines and or future vessel control actions.

Cruise planner update for Grandeur & Enchantment of the Seas

Good news for anyone that is booked on an upcoming Grandeur of the Seas or Enchantment of the Seas sailing: expect the enhanced cruise planner.

Over the last year, Royal Caribbean introduced its next generation cruise planning software, called My Royal Cruise.

My Royal Cruise is a new look to the website guests access to browse options and add-ons for their sailing.

Guests booked onboard Grandeur of the Seas sailings departing on or after May 27, 2022 and Enchantment of the Seas sailings departing on or after June 24, 2022, will now see the My Royal Cruise platform with all their existing bookings seamlessly and automatically transferred.

Casino Royale makes change to free cruise program

Casino Royale is informing guests of its popular program of a change to how free cruises are earned.

According to TheStreet, Royal Caribbean's casino rewards program has changed how it offers free sailing offers.

"Our certificate program recently changed. We no longer offer prequalified certificates, that are based on the previous sailing. We still have a certificate program, but now they are based on the active sailing and are awarded at the end of the sailing," the company said.

The free casino offers are based on how much a person gambles in the casino. You earn points on slots at 1 point for every $5 fed through the machines. Tables earn at different and varying rates.

The first casino status level you can hit is at 2500 points, which means you're probably gambling about $12,500 in order to hit that threshold.

You have the entire year to earn that 2500 points which will qualify you at prime for the rest of the qualifying year and through the entire next year. Prime benefits include a free interior stateroom cruise, no convenience charge to get cash from the cashier or at the tables and also free drinks while in the casino.

Royal Caribbean sends first cruise ship in 3 years to visit Haines, Alaska

Another milestone in the cruise industry restart has been reached with the arrival of Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas to Haines, Alaska this week.

The arrival of Serenade to Haines is the first time in three years a large cruise ship has visited the port.

The last visit was in September 2019.

It's incredible to see how much progress Royal Caribbean has made in less than a year with its restart plans, but there are still a handful of issues the cruise line is working through.

Royal Caribbean is on the brink of having the last ship in the fleet restart operations (Rhapsody of the Seas), which is an important milestone for a company that was decimated by a "black swan" event in the form of the global health crisis.

While the cruise experience has improved rapidly with higher guest satisfaction scores, more ships back in service, and rolled back Covid protocols, there are still a few notable issues that Royal Caribbean is tackling.

It's important to note that these issues are not just Royal Caribbean problems. Nearly every form of travel leisure has their fair share of challenges. The reason why I'm bringing these issues up is to help anyone with a cruise manage expectations properly.

There has been many bumps on the road to Royal Caribbean's restart, but they've been able to navigate them well, and it stands to reason these issues are likely temporary as well.

Here are the challenges Royal Caribbean has to tackle at the moment, which anyone with a cruise this summer should be aware of.

Covid cases

Covid isn't gone by any means, and that means there are still Covid cases on cruise ships.

To be fair, there's always been some level of Covid cases on any Royal Caribbean sailing, but Royal Caribbean's protocols have limited the spread to ensure it doesn't become a ship-wide problem.

Covid cases are going to be an ongoing problem for a while, just like every facet of life.  Just like in society, we're learning to live with it, but that doesn't mean there won't be cases popping up onboard.

Based on reader feedback, it seems guests are reporting seeing or experiencing Covid cases on individual sailings and it's almost certainly a reflection of a general rise in Covid cases around the world right now.

YouTube vloggers Travel Spree unfortunately caught Covid and had to be isolated while on their Symphony of the Seas cruise.

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RoyalCaribbeanBlog message board user anxiouscruiser shared their experience testing positive for Covid while onboard Serenade of the Seas, "it sucks but I knew the risk when I chose to cruise. I just wish it didn't happen to us."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly review, there has been a week-on-week increase in the number of counties with high levels of COVID-19. As of May 11, 2022, the current 7-day moving average of daily new cases (84,778) increased 30.7% compared with the previous 7-day moving average (64,863).

In short, more Covid cases in society is going to likely translate to more Covid cases onboard cruise ships. Unlike on land, cruise ships at least have requirements and protocols that do their best to mitigate the spread of Covid.

What this all means is you should be cognizant of the fact there are more Covid cases, and take whatever precautions you deem fit. Perhaps that's wearing a N95 mask while indoors, or changing shore excursion plans to prioritize outdoor tours.

Staff shortages

Every company is dealing with not enough workers, and that includes cruise ships.

On some ships, certain venues or forms of entertainment are not yet open so that they can better utilize crew members. In other cases, there may simply not be enough crew members to manage every situation that can arise.

There's an interesting message board thread discussing the general issue on the Royal Caribbean Blog message boards.

While many guests are understanding of the general problems all business have in hiring, they also feel moving to full capacity with less than a full compliment of crew causes guest satisfaction problems, "I think we all understand the troubles of staffing right now, but Royal Caribbean should match their ships capacity with their staffing.," said carlosalonsor.

"I think Royal Caribbean just found it a bit harder to staff up than they expected to," smokeybandit opined. "For those who do want to return, lots of red tape to get them on board again. Then there are those who have found a happy life off a ship or those that are just hesitant to return for various reasons."

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Robert Joseph Dulo shared a similar issue with staffing shortages on Explorer of the Seas last week, "The staff and the ship could not handle the capacity with many service and food issues."

"I left them detailed survey responses and hope they look closely at them as my experience was similar to others that I talked to. I hope they make the appropriate changes or they will start to lose cruisers, especially me. They seemed to not be ready for higher capacity."

Even if Royal Caribbean could snap their fingers and hire everyone they need right now, there's still the issue of visa delays, quarantine rules in some countries, vaccine requirements, and more.

The good news is Royal Caribbean is indeed trying to hire as many new crew members as they can, with recruitment drives in countries around the world. It does not appear to be a problem the cruise line is not aware of by any means.

In the meantime, bring extra patience with you, along with sunscreen, a camera, and a good book.

Supply chain problems

Tangentially related to the first two issues, you may run into certain items not available onboard your cruise.

Primarily, we've seen this in the past in the form of certain brands of liquors not available. Remember the CocoCay-branded beer? That was an early victim of supply chain issues.

Just like staffing problems, this is not likely an issue that will go away overnight. In its first quarter 2022 earnings, Royal Caribbean Group said they're managing supply chain challenges, mainly related to fuel and food costs.

In my experience, how much of an impact it has on your sailing will greatly depend on which brands of types of food and drink you prefer, as well as general demand onboard. Each sailing has a different assortment of guests onboard, and the ships are doing their best to supply accordingly.

What this means for your cruise?

After reading about these issues, what should your takeaway be for an upcoming sailing?

Certainly the problems Royal Caribbean is facing are the sort of things the company has to mitigate and address in order to improve, but if your cruise is coming up in the next few weeks, it's possible it could impact your cruise.

At a minimum, it's food for thought. Throughout the restart of cruise operations, there have been hurdles for passengers to navigate. So while today's problems are a concern, it's not like there haven't been things Royal Caribbean has overcome in the past year.

It may also be an opportunity to gauge how comfortable you are with embracing a certain level of flexibility. Nothing is perfect, including cruise ships, so if the prospect of your favorite liquor not being available, or a longer wait for drinks at bar truly irks you, then perhaps you should put off your cruise until the situation improves.

As cruise fans, we love this kind of a vacation and no one ever wants to be disappointed. It's why I think it's critical to be as honest and up-front with what others are seeing so we can all make the right decision to sail or not.

The sort of problems Royal Caribbean has are also being dealt with at plenty of other land-based travel destinations. So the grass is not greener necessarily elsewhere.  But that doesn't mean a cruise right now is superb either.

An educated consumer tends to have a better experience overall, and this article is intended to ensure you are up-to-date with what's happening.

Stay up-to-date with all the Royal Caribbean news from this week with our roundup of all this week's news.

Could Icon of the Seas be even bigger than the Oasis Class cruise ships?

One Royal Caribbean executive recently said Icon of the Seas will be the largest ship when she debuts next year.

Sean Treacy, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations, said, "Icon will be the biggest. It launches in the fall of next year."

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean allows crew members to freely get off the ship in ports again
• Royal Caribbean says cruise ships should be back to full capacity by summer
• Royal Caribbean updates: Land tour testing change, The Cove & more
• Excursion review: Pearl Island Beach Escape in Nassau
• Excursion review: De Palm Island Aruba excursion review
• A look at the best Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise deals in 2023
• Guide to cruises from Tampa
• Royal Caribbean room service guide & tips
• Five ways to find fitness on a Royal Caribbean Cruise
• Royal Caribbean Group releases 2021 sustainability report
• Must-eat foods on a cruise to Italy
• Beach Reads: Mental Health Awareness Month

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 454th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, which explains how and why to book a cruise onboard.

NextCruise is where you can go on your ship to book another cruise. Matt details what you need to know about booking a cruise onboard.

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.

15 reasons to book a cruise on Oasis of the Seas

There are a few different Oasis Class cruise ships, but the original is still a great choice to sail on.

Oasis of the Seas was upgraded in 2019 and offers plenty to see and do onboard. In fact, we came up with 15 reasons to book a cruise on Oasis of the Seas.

8 mocktails to try on your next Royal Caribbean cruise

Need a recommendation for a great non-alcoholic drink to try on your cruise?

There are lots of possibilities, but we have a list of 8 must-try mocktails when you go on your next cruise.

Where to eat like a local on your Alaska cruise

Besides seeing the amazing sights of Alaska, there are some great places to eat and have a drink.

Our in-house Alaska expert shares her top picks for food, beers, cocktails, or coffee at each stop along your Alaska cruise.

Why Freedom of the Seas is a great choice for a short cruise

Ever thought about taking a weekend cruise?

Freedom of the Seas sails short 3-night cruises from Miami, and here's why Freedom of the Seas is a great option for a cruise vacation.

The Alaska cruise season has just begun in 2022, and all this excitement might be the impetus you need to book a cruise to The Last Frontier in 2023.

While some may be able to turn around and book an Alaska cruise for later this season, many families need more time to plan out a trip. Not to mention the financial benefits of booking a cruise to Alaska well in advance.

Being just about a year away, we are in a prime point of the calendar to look ahead to 2023 and reserve an Alaska cruise.

Royal Caribbean will send four cruise ships to Alaska in 2023, and we took a look at the cruise pricing as it stands now to pick out some of the best prices you could get by booking right now.

Just like cruises to the Caribbean and Europe, Alaska cruise prices fluctuate all the time. But, the best prices are usually found when booking a year in advance. The Alaska season is short, so that means limited opportunity (and subsequently cabins) to reserve a sailing.

A look at Royal Caribbean's Alaska 2023 cruise prices

Our methodology is simple: I looked at the price for two adults to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska in 2023 and came up with the lowest price for each of the sailings in Royal Caribbean's 2023 Alaska season.

The search was conducted on May 12, 2022 and the prices were accurate as of the time of the search. It's doubtful the price would have changed much, if at all, between when the search was conducted and when the article was published.

In comparing the data across 84 sailings, I wanted to come up with the best possible prices to see what patterns could be discerned.

There also could be various other discounts that could be applied to alter these prices, such as Crown and Anchor, residency, and age discounts.

Cheapest cabin price for 2023 Alaska cruise

• Cheapest possible cabin (inside): Enchantment of the Seas 7-night Alaska cruise April 23, 2023 from Vancouver: $381
• Cheapest possible oceanview cabin: Enchantment of the Seas 7-night Alaska cruise April 23, April 30 or September 17, 2023 from Vancouver: $621
• Cheapest possible balcony cabin: Ovation of the Seas 8-night Alaska cruise May 11, 2023 from Seattle, Washington: $793
• Cheapest possible suite: Enchantment of the Seas 7-night Alaska cruise September 17, 2023 from Vancouver: $2,005

It's no surprise that the cheapest Alaska prices came exclusively during the shoulder season in April and September. 

Moreover, the fact the cheapest cabin was found three out of four times on Enchantment of the Seas is not surprise since Enchantment is the smallest and oldest ship offering cruises to Alaska in 2023.

Typically, Royal Caribbean discounts its oldest and smallest ships because there is less demand for these vessels, regardless of where they are sailing to. When compared to the two Ovation Class ships or even Radiance of the Seas, Enchantment has the least activities and things to do onboard.

Average cheapest price for 2023 Alaska cruise

Next I wanted to get an idea of what the average price is for each sailing when comparing the lowest price for each cruise ship cabin category.

Across all ships

• Inside cabin: $744.04
• Oceanview: $896.61
• Balcony: $1,428
• Suite: $2,544

Enchantment of the Seas

• Inside cabin: $757.41
• Oceanview: $907.85
• Balcony: $1451.41
• Suite: $2549.82

Ovation of the Seas

• Inside cabin: $757.47
• Oceanview: $908.51
• Balcony: $1433.81
• Suite: $2565.43

Quantum of the Seas

• Inside cabin: $758.85
• Oceanview: $907.51
• Balcony: $1433.75
• Suite: $2562.33

Radiance of the Seas

• Inside cabin: $765.66
• Oceanview: $916.48
• Balcony: $1452.78
• Suite: $2565.74

Most expensive cheap cabin price for 2023 Alaska cruise

In case you're wondering how much of a deal the cheapest cabin prices were listed earlier, here are the top weeks you can expect to find the highest price among the lowest fares available.

• Inside cabin: Ovation of the Seas 7-night Alaska cruise July 21, 2023 from Seattle, Washington: $1,001.00
• Oceanview cabin: Ovation of the Seas 7-night Alaska cruise July 17, 2023 from Seattle, Washington: $1191.00
• Balcony cabin: Radiance of the Seas 7-night Southbound Alaska cruise July 21, 2023 from Seward, Alaska: $1987.00
• Suite:  Ovation of the Seas 7-night Alaska cruise July 21, 2023 from Seattle, Washington: $3423.00

The highest prices for a 2023 Alaska cruise will be found right in the middle of prime season during the month of July.

July is when it is warmest in Alaska and every school is off for summer break. This means the most people possible have the opportunity to take a vacation, and mid July is exactly when we see the highest prices for an Alaska cruise.

Moreover, three out of the four highest prices are found on the newest cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas. Ovation offers the latest features of all the Royal Caribbean ships sailing to Alaska, which carries the highest wide-appeal.

I was surprised to see Radiance of the Seas coming in with the highest price for a balcony cabin given that Radiance is older and smaller than either Ovation or Quantum of the Seas. Plus, Radiance is sailing an open-jaw from Seward to Vancouver, which usually turns off a lot of people.  Perhaps the itinerary is particularly appealing to many, along with the fact Quantum Class ships have a higher percentage of balcony cabins.

Should I wait to book a last minute Alaska cruise?

The alternative to booking a year in advance is to wait for a last minute cruise.

There can be good deals for Alaska cruises closer to sailing, but you run the risk of there not being that lucrative of a deal.

If you really don't care about your cabin type or week you sail, you might get lucky with a last minute booking, especially if you can cruise in the shoulder season when many others are unable to go.  The months of April, early May and September are in that shoulder season when the temperatures are lowest and school is still in session.

If you look at 2022 Alaska cruise prices, there are some low prices available, primarily on Radiance of the Seas open-jaw sailings. Prices at the time this article was written were as low as $240 per person, although that's for an interior cabin at the end of August. That price jumps to $863 per person if you want a balcony room.

Many cruise fans advocate a balcony cabin is a must-do when sailing to Alaska.

Generally speaking, waiting to book a 2023 Alaska cruise at the last minute is not a great idea, unless you live close to the west coast. Expensive airfare prices alone might offset any savings you get from a last minute cruise fare.

Welcome to a new week of Royal Caribbean news, which has a few tidbits and updates you should know about.

There's a lot happening in the world of cruising, and this week's update aims at catching you up on a few changes that we've seen over the past few days.

If you notice something different, be sure to email any news tips over to [email protected].

Change for Covid testing on Alaska land tours

Royal Caribbean has changed the Covid-19 testing policy for guests that have booked a cruisetour add-on to their Alaska cruise.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader melmar02 shared an update that testing is no longer required prior to the land tour, although testing remains for the cruise portion.

"Cruisetours: Testing is no longer required prior to the land tour, but cruisetour guests must still meet the pre-cruise testing requirements."

"It's recommended guests bring an eMed Test Kit to take at the end of the land tour. Guests who don't bring their own test kit will have a test made available through a local medical service provider at their own expense. "

The cruise tours are optional tours that take guests into the interior of Alaska before or after their cruise.

Cove

Remember that Royal Caribbean trademarked the term "secret cove" that sounds like it could be a new area for Perfect Day at CocoCay? 

A few days later they made another registration for "The Cove", which is also described as " intended to cover the categories of recreational services, namely island resort services."

There's been no word from Royal Caribbean what any of these trademarks may be utilized for, but it's something to keep an eye on.

New Zealand will reopen borders to cruise ships this summer

Good news for anyone cruising down under: you'll be able to visit New Zealand again.

Our friends at Cruise.Blog shared an update that New Zealand will reopen its maritime borders on July 31, 2022.

While Australia had re-opened its borders to cruise ships, New Zealand was still holding out.

CLIA Australasia issued a statement in support of the change,"Today’s announcement is a huge breakthrough for the many New Zealanders who depend on cruise tourism, including travel agents, tour operators, food and produce providers, port workers and many other industry suppliers."

"The suspension of international cruising over the past two years has had a huge impact on the New Zealand travel industry and we now have an opportunity to work on a revival."

Royal Caribbean ship opens new Sitka cruise terminal

The arrival of Ovation of the Seas to Sitka on May 7 not only signaled the start of the Alaska cruise season, but also the opening of  newly constructed Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal.

The new terminal is a 40,000-square-foot timber-framed facility featuring local retail shops and restaurants, an outdoor covered terrace and a departure point for land- and water-based shore excursions.

The 1,300-foot dock is designed to accommodate two 1,000-foot neo-Panamax-class cruise ships, with a total capacity of 8,000 guests.

The terminal has six retail stores and two restaurants, all locally owned. A shuttle for cruise guests between the terminal and downtown Sitka is designed to load up to four 60-passenger motor coaches at a time.

Crew members can now disembark cruise ships in port during their time off once again.

One of the many Covid-19 protocols on cruise ships prohibited crew members from visiting ports of call, but that rule has been changed.

Ovation of the Seas crew member Chris Wong shared a video update recently that crew members are getting once again free flow.

"We have just been told that we are officially getting once again free flow surely for crew members, which means we can go back out into port, just like it was pre-pandemic days."

"Since the restart, crew shore leave or any crew members to go out into port was not allowed."

He explained that small changes were made over the last few months, but it just wasn't the same, "towards the end of last year, they slowly started allowing crew to get off again. But it was a very it was in a very controlled environment. These were bubble tours. So it wasn't really the same thing. And to be honest, it wasn't that much fun."

Mr. Wong cited a crew newsletter email that explained the new policy, "we're thrilled to announce that our shore leave pilot was a success. And beginning May 1st, free flow shore leave will be extended to all ships and participating ports of call."

"As we ease back into free flow, capacity limits of 250 crew per port will be implemented."

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Mr. Wong added that the updated policy excludes turnaround ports, which do not have capacity limits.

Mr. Wong was visibly excited for the change because being limited to staying on the ship during a contract meant missing out on some real fun that one can have while working on a cruise ship, "this is certainly a lot better than how it used to be."

"I cannot wait to just visit the first port of call wherever it will be, to walk off the gangway and to just be able to walk around wherever I want and not, you know, having to think, oh, am I allowed to go there?"

"This is a really big deal for us crew members."

Royal Caribbean has been slowly relaxing certain protocols for crew members and guests alike.

Following the Omicron variant, Royal Caribbean began to slowly open up shore leave for crew members in February. This week's update follows up on that initiative even further.