Royal Caribbean has posted its initial Covid-19 health protocols for cruises that include the dropping of Covid-19 testing on short sailings for vaccinated passengers.

Last week, Royal Caribbean Group announced it would not test passengers on short sailings from the U.S.

Royal Caribbean's website has been updated with new rules for cruises departing from U.S. homeports on or after August 8, 2022 that do not visit Bermuda or Canada. 

Guests on cruises visiting Canada or Bermuda will still need to follow the current testing protocols until further notice.

Royal Caribbean said in a posting on its website, "We are currently developing updated protocols that provide for the continued safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit, better align with the travel and hospitality sector, and meet destination regulations. This means we’re transitioning to the point where everyone will be able to vacation with us."

New Covid policy changes

The major change is in testing for passengers sailing from the U.S. August 8 -  August 14th, 2022.

Fully vaccinated guests will only have to show a test result at boarding if the sailing is 6 nights or longer.

Unvaccinated children will still need to show a test result to board all sailings, regardless of length. However, they will not need to test again at the terminal.

Guests will now have the same test standard, regardless of vaccination status: You can show a negative test result from a supervised PCR or antigen test taken within the 3 days before your boarding day. 

Previously, unvaccinated children were required to only take a PCR test. Moreover, vaccinated guests had to get their test done within 2 days of sailing. This new change gives vaccinated guests more time to get a test completed and unvaccinated kids the choice to take a rapid antigen test instead.

Required testing for all guests, regardless of vaccination status, must be completed using a PCR or antigen test that is supervised by a healthcare professional or a home test kit that is conducted under live video supervision.

Tests must be arranged on your own and are at your own expense. 

Guests confirmed on U.S. sailings departing on or before August 7, 2022, should adhere to protocols previously communicated.

For those guests booked after August 14, 2022, please await the specific protocol details from the cruise line related to those sailings. 

No change in vaccination policy yet

There's been no change as of yet to the vaccination requirements, despite Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley confirming a change was coming.

"Additional information will soon follow, however, until then, current vaccine guidance remains unchanged."

The website does include language that points to a change, but no policy shift has happened yet, "We are continuing to work with our destination partners to evolve and finalize other travel protocols, as we begin transitioning to the point where everyone will be able to vacation with us."

"We look forward to providing more updates in coming days."

Last week, Mr. Bayley posted on Facebook that Royal Caribbean cruise ships will sail at 80% vaccinated, leaving the extra 20% for unvaccinated. 

Back-to-Back Sailings Testing

Celebrity Cruises also posted their new protocols, which include a mention of back-to-back sailings.

Testing for back-to-back sailings is not required for all sailings. Guests will be notified onboard if testing is required and will be provided testing at no cost if needed.

This back-to-back testing policy applies to sailings on any ships within the Royal Caribbean Group which includes Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and SilverSea.

Royal Caribbean's new cruise terminal in Galveston, Texas is nearing completion.

One of the few projects to continue work during the cruise industry shutdown of 2020-2021 was an expansion of Royal Caribbean's presence in Galveston. 

A construction update shared by the cruise line indicates they are 75% complete with construction.

The $125 million, 161,000-square-foot cruise terminal will cement the company's presence in the Texas cruise market for decades, not only with a larger building, but with increased capacity as well.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley posted on Facebook, "Texas will soon be able to welcome our Oasis Class ships – some of the largest in the world! And we’re kicking off with Allure of the Seas!"

The first Allure of the Seas sailing is scheduled on November 13, 2022 to coincide with the opening of Terminal 3 cruise terminal.

Not only can Terminal 3 handle Oasis Class ships, it will also be able to accommodate Royal Caribbean's new Icon Class ships.

Allure will sail 7-night Western Caribbean cruises to destinations like Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and Roatan, Honduras.

Inside the terminal

New cruise terminals are more than just a place to check-in and board your cruise. With the new building comes a smoother process, as well as enhancements in the embarkation and disembarkation procedures.

Royal Caribbean says it will be a state-of-the-art building that will be LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which means it will be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. 

Galveston's new terminal will also have a special area for suite guests with their own "plussed" seating area before boarding begins.

More sailings on Quantum of the Seas will have to skip scheduled glacier visits in Alaska this season.

Guests booked on late August and some September Quantum of the Seas sailings received an email from Royal Caribbean on Wednesday informing them due to "a speed limitation caused by a technical issue with one of the ship’s engines", planned visits to Dawes Glacier have been cancelled.

This new round of itinerary changes are a follow-up on cancelled visits to the glaciers for some August sailings that Royal Caribbean cancelled last month.

Previously, the August 1, 8, and 15 Alaska cruise sailings were impacted.

As a result of the "technical issue with one of the ship's engines", Quantum will skip visits to Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier and instead spend more time in Juneau, Alaska.

Quantum of the Seas is sailing 7-night Alaska cruises from Seattle.

Why the cancellation

In the email to booked guests, Royal Caribbean said Quantum of the Seas has four engines, but one of them needs to be repaired.

"One requires some repair and there's a delay in receiving the parts needed. Additionally, another engine is schedule for routine maintenance soon, which means we'll have to reduce our overall speed."

"Our ships can safely sail in these kinds of situations at reduced speeds, and while we're working to expedite the repair process, the global supply chain issues that we're all experiencing are complication the situation."

Royal Caribbean is offering onboard credit to guests booked as compensation for the change.

• $75 USD for Interior and Ocean View staterooms
• $100 USD for Balcony staterooms
• $200 USD for Suites

Alternative ways to see a glacier

While the glacier viewing at Dawes Glacier is not replaceable, there is still a way to see a glacier for anyone still booked on the cruise.

Juneau is home to Mendenhall Glacier, which can be accessed via helicopter, boat, or by driving to it by road to the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area.

Mendenhall Glacier is one of the most accessible glaciers in Alaska. 

You could see it from many spots in the park, such as from Nugget Falls, a 377 foot waterfall located near Mendenhall Glacier.

There are also helicopter tours you can book for a guided walk on the glacier or a dog sledding excursion.

Additionally, there are boat and kayak shore excursions that can take you close to the glacier.

Read more: Top 10 things to do in Juneau, Alaska

While in Skagway, there are more glacier viewing opportunities via shore excursions.

Helicopter tours leaving from Skagway generally visit either Chilkat Glacier or Denver Glacier. 

Upon landing on the glacier, most tours will either include a guided glacier hike or dog sledding expedition.

Read more: Top 10 things to do in Skagway, Alaska

Full letter

Here's a copy of the full letter Royal Caribbean sent.

Thanks to Dan Goodlife for sharing the email.

Have you ever wondered how much Royal Caribbean makes on average per cruise ship passenger?

Before the global health crisis, the cruise industry was a very profitable business, with revenues approaching record numbers. That took a major hit in 2020 and 2021, but Royal Caribbean posted numbers in its quarterly report that indicate it's on the verge of becoming profitable again.

With that in mind, it's sometimes fun to take a peek behind the curtain of the business and see the numbers breakdown.

If you care to look in the Form 10-Q that Royal Caribbean Group filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, there's some interesting takeaways from how your cruise fare is spent and how much of it comes back as profit.

Revenue per passenger

In Royal Caribbean Group's filing for the second quarter of 2022, we get a breakdown of revenue and costs that contribute and takeaway from the company's bottom line.

Just like any business, they aim to have more revenue than expenses. 

Keep in mind these numbers encompass all the Royal Caribbean Group brands, including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and SilverSea.

In the second quarter, Royal Caribbean Group carried 1,340,622 passengers. In case you're wondering, that amounts to 8,443,745 days of cruises.

The company breaks down its revenue across two types: "Passenger ticket revenues" and "Onboard and other revenues".

Passenger ticket revenues refers to the money you spend on your cruise fare.

Onboard revenues is the money you spend on cruise add-ons, such as drink packages, shore excursions, wifi, the casino and anything else not included with your cruise fare.

In the second quarter, Royal Caribbean Group revenue broke down as follows:

• Revenue    $1,418,203,000.00 (64%)
• Onboard spending    $766,039,000.00 (35%)

Total revenue for the quarter was $2,184,242,000.00 and total revenue per passenger came out to $1,629.28.

That's just the money coming in, so what about the costs of running a cruise ship?

The cruise operating expenses are the costs for running the ships themselves. There are additional overhead costs that the company has shoreside, which we are not considering for this article because we want to look at just the ship operating revenues.

Commissions refers to travel agent commissions paid for booking the cruise, as well as air and other transportation expenses, port costs that vary with passenger head counts and related credit card fees.

Payroll is the salary of all the shipboard crew members. 

Other operating expenses consist primarily of operating costs such as repairs and maintenance, port costs that do not vary with passenger head counts, vessel related insurance, entertainment and gains and/or losses related to the sale of ships, if any.  

I think the rest of the categories are self-explanatory.

Here's Royal Caribbean Group's expenses for the quarter:

• Commissions, transportation and other: $329,859,000.00 (19%)
• Payroll: $327,141,000.00 (19%)
• Food: $155,226,000.00 (9%)
• Fuel: $275,179,000.00 (16%)
• Onboard costs: $155,570,000.00 (9%)
• Other operating costs: $447,887,000.00 (26%)

Total onboard expenses for the quarter came out to $1,690,862,000.00. 

If you divide expenses by passengers, you come out with $1,261.25 expense per passenger.  Thus, when you subtract expenses per passenger from revenue per passenger, Royal Caribbean Group made $368.02 per passenger this past quarter.

How cruise ships make money

If we've learned anything from the economics of the past two years, it's Royal Caribbean is profitable when there's as many cruise ship passengers onboard.

Part of the reason Royal Caribbean Group is starting to see profitable days ahead is their ships are mostly sailing full again.

The company shared that over the quarter, its ships were sailing at about 82% full, with June just about 90%.

Here's a breakdown of how full the ships were based on the region of the world they sailed.

• North America: About 100%
  • Caribbean: 103%, with some ships reaching 107%
  • Northeast and West Coast (including Alaska): 90%
• Europe: 75% in June

A percentage in excess of 100% indicates that three or more passengers occupied some cabins.

As a high fixed-cost business, a cruise ship relies on getting as many passengers as possible onboard.

Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said on the post-earnings conference call with analysts to turn a profit, the company needs to maintain occupancy levels above 90%. In the third quarter, occupancy is slated to fall in the mid-90s range.

Pre-pandemic, Royal Caribbean had a profit margin of around 20%, and the amount of money guests were spending on add-ons was the driving factor.

According to Royal Caribbean Group executives, every dollar a guest spends before the voyage, translates into about $0.70 more on the dollar when they sail and double the overall spending compared to other guests.

Helping their cause, Mr. Liberty said guests are spending at least 30% more "across all categories" than they did in pre-pandemic 2019.

"The spending trends have been consistent across our customer base, even as we were approaching full load factors," Liberty said.

In terms of costs, operating expenses have gone up for the company. 

Mr. Liberty said that while food and fuel are the main categories that are susceptible to inflation, "there are some initial positive signs" with respect to inflation trends for food.

"Our most recent month-over-month FNB (food & beverage) inflation indicator has increased at the slowest pace thus far in 2022," Liberty said. "This, combined with direct conversations with our key suppliers, indicate inflation levels are peaking, so we should start seeing some relief in the coming months."

Regarding fuel, Liberty said the company continued to "optimize" consumption and has partially hedged its costs to below market prices.

Can you believe it's the last day of July already? It is the middle of Summer and there is a lot of Royal Caribbean news to catch up from during this week.

It looks like some unvaccinated passengers above the age of 12 will be able to go on a cruise soon.

We confirmed with Royal Caribbean an update shared by Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley that the line intends to open up space for unvaccinated adults without the need for an exemption.

Royal Caribbean promises an update next week, but a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean indicated that, "starting August 8th, 2022, we’ll be transitioning so that we can welcome all guests onboard our ships."

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean redeploys 4 cruise ships for 2023-2024 cruise season due to new speed restrictions
• Royal Caribbean executives talk higher demand for cruises & why cruises are better value than land vacations
• Royal Caribbean Group reports positive cash flow for first time since cruises restarted
• Mexican Riviera cruise guide
• Where to keep Seapass Card, phone, and cash when on a shore excursion?
• A new cruise planner sale began this week
• 10 Royal Caribbean cruise destinations not to be missed

New RCB Video: 6 cruise ship main dining room rules to follow — Plus 1 to break

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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 — 6 cruise ship main dining room rules to follow — Plus 1 to break — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 462nd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, featuring a review of the Mariner of the Seas group cruise.

Matt sailed on Mariner of the Seas with a group of friends for the first RoyalCaribbeanBlog group cruise of the year, and shares a look back at the fun they had 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.

Covid-19 testing will be dropped for vaccinated cruisers on shorter sailings

Royal Caribbean announced it will stop requiring a pre-cruise test for vaccinated passengers on shorter sailings.

Starting Aug. 8, testing will be required for unvaccinated guests on all voyages and for vaccinated guests only on voyages that are six nights or longer. 

Up until now, all guests were required to get a Covid-19 test completed prior to their cruise, regardless of vaccination status.

Why Wonder of the Seas might the perfect cruise ship for a first timer

Know someone that has resisted trying a cruise ship for one reason or another? Wonder of the Seas might be the perfect first cruise ship for them!

Whether they think they'll be bored, overwhelmed, or stuck at sea, Royal Caribbean designed Wonder of the Seas to address all those concerns.

Anthem of the Seas Guide & Review

Anthem of the Seas is a popular Royal Caribbean cruise ship because of her innovations and fun itineraries.

If you have a cruise booked on Anthem, here's a full rundown of what to expect onboard!

For the first time in two years, unvaccinated guests of all ages will be allowed to sail on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship later this summer.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley posted on social media the news about the change in testing coming next month, in which Covid testing for vaccinated passengers on short sailings will no longer be required.

Mr. Bayley also said, "Unvaccinated guests will be required to take one test within 3 days of departure. We will also continue to operate highly vaccinated cruises with a vaccinated population greater than society and which continues to exempt kids 12 and under and we will welcome unvaccinated guests over 12 and guests with a certificate of recovery within 90 days to travel keeping in mind our ships will typically sail with 80 percent plus vaccinated guests onboard. "

I reached out to Royal Caribbean's communication department to get confirmation on the Facebook posting.

Royal Caribbean confirmed for RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com that starting August 8th, 2022, unvaccinated guests of any age will be allowed onboard.

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean verified the change in policy, "starting August 8th, 2022, we’ll be transitioning so that we can welcome all guests onboard our ships."

"We will maintain a high percentage of fully vaccinated guests onboard all our sailings, far above the general population."

"Vaccination and testing requirements may vary by port of departure, ports of call, and age group. We are working through this with our destination partners."

Up until now, only unvaccinated guests under the age of 12 have been allowed on Royal Caribbean ships.

The change in policy is a result of the the CDC ending its Covid-19 Program for Cruise Ships.

No further details on the policy change were shared, but Royal Caribbean said further details will be released the week of August 1.

A major change in policy

Allowing unvaccinated passengers on ships is a big change, as this segment of the population has been left out of the cruise industry restart until now.

Ever since cruises restarted in the United States in 2021, all cruise lines have required anyone eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine to be vaccinated in order to sail on a cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean is the second line to change its policy, following Virgin Voyages announcement last week that it would allow up to 10% of passengers on any given sailing to be unvaccinated for Covid-19.

In a statement to investors on Thursday, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said the change is a move to be more like other forms of leisure travel, such as theme parks, casinos, or air travel. 

"We are continuing to adapt our protocols to align more closely with how the rest of society and other travel and leisure businesses are operating."

"This means that we're transitioning to the point where everyone will be able to vacation with us while always working with our destination partners to meet their regulations."

Mr. Liberty told investors during an earnings call on July 28th that the close work between the cruise industry and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allowed this progression in policy to occur.

"The other major milestone for the group, and the industry, is related to the CDC ending its program for cruise ships, as we are now transitioning to the point where everyone will be able to vacation with us."

"After two years of successfully working with us, the CDC has transitioned from enforcing protocols and policies for the cruise industry to suggestions and recommendations to be in line with the travel and tourism sector."

"That speaks to the great work we've done together as an industry."

A new Royal Caribbean cruise planner sale has begun with savings on pre-cruise purchases.

The new sale begins on July 29, and promises up to 35% onboard prices.

The sale runs between July 29, 2022 – August 3, 2022 and is valid on sailings departing between August 1, 2022 – May 31, 2023.

Here's a look at what sort of discounts you might be able to find:

Beverage: Up to 40% off

• Classic Soda Beverage Package: 30% Off onboard prices
• Classic Soda Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Over 30% Off onboard prices
• Spring Water Cans: 40% off onboard prices.
• San Benedetto Water Cans: 40% off onboard prices.
• Evian Water Bottles: 40% off onboard prices.
• Deluxe Beverage Package: 30% Off onboard prices
• Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Discount varies by ship.
• Refreshment Package: Discount varies by ship.

Shore Excursions: Up to 25% off

• Shore Excursions: Discount varies by ship.

Internet: Up to 50% Off

• VOOM Surf + Stream Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.
• VOOM Surf Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.

 Dining: Up to 50% Off

• Unlimited Dining Package on 3N – 9N sailings: Discount varies by ship.

Gifts & Gear: Up to 20% Off

• Anniversary Decorations with Champagne
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Chocolate Cake & Strawberries
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Vanilla Cake & Strawberries
• Inky Beach Set
• Inky Beach Towel (TicTacToe)
• Inky Travel Set
• Red Wine and Cheese
• Royal Caribbean Beach Towel
• Strawberries with Champagne
• White Wine and Cheese

Photo Packages: Up to 70% off

• Photo Packages: From 5 - 100 Print and/or Digital Options: Discount varies by ship.
• Photo Package: Private Photo Session: Discount varies by ship.
• Photo Package: All Digital: Discount varies by ship. 

Casitas: Up to 20% Off

• Casita Packages: 20% Off Onboard Prices

Spa: Up to 30% Off

• Spa Packages: Discount varies by ship

To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's web site look for any available offers. Keep in mind that not all sailings may see the sale applicable, nor are all offers significantly cheaper than previously posted.

If you spot a better discount on something you already pre-purchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same item under this promotion.

More helpful information

• Should you buy pre-cruise purchases now or wait to buy it onboard?
• 45 ways to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• How much should I budget for a cruise?

Four additional Royal Caribbean cruise ships scheduled to sail in 2023 has been moved elsewhere.

Guests that were booked on Brilliance of the Seas for her summer 2023 sailings received an email today that their sailings have been cancelled.

Royal Caribbean's original plan was for Brilliance of the Seas was to continue offering sailings departing from Tampa, Florida through April 29th, 2023 and begin its European season on May 15th, 2023, before making its way back to Tampa, Florida in November 2023.

The International Maritime Organization recently shared new speed regulations that Royal Caribbean must adhere to and as a result, they've repositioned some of ships for the upcoming 2023/2024 season.

Brilliance will now sail from Vancouver, British Columbia starting April 3rd, 2023 and Sydney, Australia beginning October 23rd, 2023.

Enchantment of the Seas will now take Brilliance's place in Florida and Europe and will offer similar itineraries.

The original plan for Enchantment of the Seas was to offer sailings departing from Vancouver, British Columbia on April 3rd, 2023 and Sydney, Australia on October 23rd, 2023.

Instead, Enchantment of the Seas will now continue offering sailings from Baltimore, Maryland through April 20th, 2023 and begin a European season with departures from Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, Athens (Piraeus), Greece, and Venice (Ravenna), Italy starting May 15th, 2023, before making its way to Tampa, Florida in November 2023. 

Starting July 28th, 2022, we'll automatically move your clients to the new Enchantment of the Seas sailing departing on the same day as their original Brilliance of the Seas cruise. They'll receive like-for-like accommodations onboard Enchantment of the Seas, and their amenities will remain the same.

Guests that were booked onboard Enchantment or Brilliance of the Seas have 3 options:

• Automatically move to the Enchantment or Brilliance of the Seas sailing departing on the same day as their original cruise
  • Their new sailing will still offer the same beautiful ports as their original cruise, and it'll depart from the same destination. 
  • Move them to a like-for-like stateroom and their original stateroom category price will either be protected at their original cruise fare rate or reduced to the current cruise fare rate (whichever is lower).
• Re-book any other Royal Caribbean International sailing
  • Royal Caribbean will waive any non-refundable deposit change fees.
  • No price protection
• A full refund of any paid portion of your cruise fare (including non-refundable deposits) and any pre-paid amenities to the original form of payment within 14 business days

Guests have between now now and August 18th, 2022 to decide. If the person does nothing, they'll remain booked on the alternate Enchantment of the Seas sailing.

Voyager and Adventure of the Seas

Another swap was announced for Voyager of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas.

Due to the same International Maritime Organization speed regulations, Voyager of the Seas was to offer sailings departing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida through November 4th, 2023, and Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida beginning November 10th, 2023. Instead, Voyager will now sail from Galveston, Texas beginning May 9th, 2023.

Adventure of the Seas will now take Voyager's place in Florida place and will offer similar itineraries.

Guests will be automatically moved to the new Adventure of the Seas sailing departing on the same day as your original Voyager of the Seas cruise. They'll receive like-for-like accommodations onboard Adventure of the Seas, and their amenities will remain the same.

Just like Brilliance and Enchantment, guests have the choice of the automatic move, a move to another ship, or a full refund.

Another ship moves away from Europe in 2023

Brilliance of the Seas is the second Royal Caribbean cruise ship to be redeployed away from Europe.

Earlier this month, Serenade of the Seas had her summer 2023 cruise season cancelled.

Serenade of the Seas was to offer sailings departing from Copenhagen, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden starting May 21st, 2023. 

Instead, she'll be homeported in Florida in summer 2023.

Unlike Brilliance, Royal Caribbean cancelled Serenade's European season due to the war in Ukraine.