There's always something new and different happening with Royal Caribbean that it's hard to cover it all, but there were a few things over the last few days that I've summed up in a new post.

There are smaller updates from across the fleet that I think are kind of interesting, neat, or otherwise good to know.

If you ever have a news tip, feel free to email it to [email protected] for possible inclusion in a future update!

Royal Caribbean cancels Mariner of the Seas cruises in early 2023 to allow more dry dock time

Royal Caribbean informed guests with a Mariner of the Seas cruise booked in early 2023 their cruises have been cancelled.

Guests received emails today informing them that the ship will need more time for her scheduled dry dock, which impacts cruises between January and March 2023.

The specific dates cancelled are sailings between January 7, 2023 and March 27, 2023.

"Mariner of the Seas will need some extra time during its scheduled dry dock next year," the email said. "We known this news is disappointing and apologize for the impact."

Guests booked on a now cancelled cruise have the choice of rebooking to Jewel of the Seas sailings during the same time period:

• Nassau, Bahamas, Falmouth, Jamaica, and Labadee, Haiti on January 14th, February 11th, or March 11th
• Costa Maya, Mexico, Roatan, Honduras, and Cozumel, Mexico on January 28th or February 25th
• Nassau, Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay of February 7.

If guests choose a Jewel of the Seas sailing, they'll receive their original stateroom price protected, as well as $50 onboard credit for interior, ocean view and balcony staterooms. $100 for suites.

Royal Caribbean will also cover up to $200 in change fees for non-refundable transportation costs.

Guests also have the choice to re-book on any other cruise, or a full refund if they decide to cancel.

Mariner of the Seas was last refurbished in 2018 when she received her Royal Amplification updates.

Typically, cruise ships go in every 5 years for a dry dock. Older ships can sometimes go in more often than that.

UPDATE: The plot thickened when people booked on Independence of the Seas received a similar email that they are being moved to Mariner of the Seas.

What does it mean and how can two ships be cancelled for same timeframe? Share your ideas in the comments.

Royal Caribbean trademarks something related to Icon of the Seas

Royal Caribbean filed a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office that sounds like it could be related to the new Icon Class cruise ships.

Two trademarks were filed on February 10 for:

• This is not a cruise
• This is Icon

Trademark applications are notoriously vague, and simply filed to cover the category of cruise ship services.

Canada drops PCR test requirement for fully vaccinated

It just got easier for someone that is fully vaccinated to travel into Canada.

The Canadian government announced this week it fully vaccinated travelers entering Canada will not need to take a PCR test, beginning February 28.

Instead, fully vaccinated people entering the country can take an authorized rapid antigen test taken no more than one day before their flight or arrival at the land border.

Currently, travelers entering Canada must show proof of a negative molecular test taken within 72 hours of their departing flight or planned arrival at the land border. 

Australia hasn't seen a cruise ship in over two years, and Royal Caribbean is looking to ease their pain with extra loyalty points.

Royal Caribbean informed Australian residents that they would be able to take advantage of the Double Points promotion due to their government's halt of cruising.

In an email to Crown and Anchor Society guests, Royal Caribbean said any bookings made by Australian members through 31st March 2022 for sailings departing prior to 30th April 2023 will qualify for double points.

Australians don't need to do anything special to qualify for the promotion, as it will automatically apply the benefit.

Royal Caribbean said part of the reason it brought back the promotion was because many Australians were unable to go on cruises they had booked in the past, "Over the last year, we’ve received many comments and feedback on our Double Points promotion which you were unable to participate in due to the halt on domestic and international cruising for Australians."

"We also know Australians simply can’t wait to get back to enjoying the world class experiences onboard our ships."

Here is the breakdown of the points you will receive under the Double Points offer:

The Double Points promo was initially offered to everyone during the height of the pandemic in 2020-2021 as a means to spur new bookings and compel customers from cancelling cruises well into the future.

The program cut off new bookings that qualified for double points on September 30, 2021, but ever since guests have been clamoring for its return.

The reason why cruise fans loved the aura of double points is because it allowed them to move up the loyalty program tier significantly faster.

By earning more points, you can reach the higher tiers of Crown and Anchor Society faster, and there are some really lucrative benefits for reaching the Diamond and Diamond Plus tiers.

Complimentary alcoholic drinks, balcony discounts, complimentary photos, and reserved seating at shows are just some of the great freebies guests who reach the top tiers of Crown and Anchor Society can expect.

Moreover, this type of offer has rarely been seen.  Previous extra point offers were much more restrictive and have not been made available for a while.

In November 2021, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said the Double Points offer would return someday, but only "strategically".

"You'll see more of that coming, but it's not going to be a blanket open book."

As hinted at over the last few weeks, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) lowered its warning for going on a cruise ship.

The warning has gone from Level 4 to a Level 3 warning of "Very High" to "High".

A level 3 warning means those not fully vaccinated for Covid-19 should avoid cruise ship travel, but does not go as far as warning against cruise ship travel for everyone.

The four warning levels are as follows: 

Level 4: Very high level of COVID-19
Level 3: High level of COVID-19
Level 2: Moderate level of COVID-19
Level 1: Low level of COVID-19

It made the change based on its Travel Health Notice Level based on two factors:

1. Cumulative new COVID-19 crew case counts over the past 14 days
2. If cases among crew members are increasing, decreasing, or remaining the same.

A level 3 warning means cumulative new Covid-19 case counts over the past 14 days are between 1,000 - 2,000, and cumulative new symptomatic Covid-19 case counts over the past 14 days are between 500 - 999.

The CDC lowering the warning level was hinted at by Royal Caribbean executives in an earnings call with Wall Street investors on February 4.

At the time, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said he expected the change, "We also believe that in the not too distant future, the CDC Level four will be downgraded to Level three, and I think that will also be another positive step in the right direction."

Cruise industry reaction

Immediately after the warning was lowered, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) issued a statement supporting the change.

CLIA was extremely vocal in its criticism of the CDC's policies towards the cruise industry recently, but said this new change is a "step in the right direction".

"The decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to lower the Travel Health Notice threat level for cruise ships is a step in the right direction and recognizes the leadership and effectiveness of the cruise sector’s health and safety protocols that are unmatched by virtually any other commercial setting."

CLIA pointed to the fact the lowering of the warning is a direct result of the effective health protocols the cruise industry has employed to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, "Cruise ships  have medical, isolation and quarantine facilities on site, implement extensive response plans using private shoreside resources, and have created an environment where almost every single person is fully vaccinated.

"As a result, cases of COVID-19 are very low with the vast majority mild or asymptomatic—making cruise unequaled in its multi-layered approach to effectively mitigating COVID-19."

A change after harsher words

The CDC lowered its warning for travel on a cruise ship less than a week after the cruise industry slammed the CDC's guidance update.

On February 9, the CDC unveiled the terms of its voluntary Covid-19 program for cruise ships to follow. It was met almost immediately by backlash from cruise lines that viewed it as out of touch with society's approach to Covid currently.

Despite Covid numbers falling precipitously on ships (and on land), the agency continued to urge the public against cruise ship travel for the fully vaccinated because in their view, the chances of getting COVID on a cruise ship is "very high".

CLIA went as far as to call out the CDC for being "unnecessarily discriminatory" against the cruise industry.

CLIA also said Covid-positive cases on cruise ships have seen a dramatic drop lately, and that Covid cases on cruise ships are 80 times lower than on land in the United States.

Royal Caribbean is known for being a family cruise line, so which family-friendly cruise cabin should you pick for your vacation?

From time to time, I answer questions our readers have sent in here on the blog so that everyone can benefit from the advice.

We want to book a cruise for my family of 5, but we can't fit in one room. What's our best choice for a cruise ship cabin for my family? - Christy D.

The best cabin for any family will depend on a few factors in order to narrow down the choices.

Every cabin on a cruise ship has a capacity limit to it, which means a family of five or six will have less choices if you want to stay in the same room.

In addition, your budget will play a role in picking the right room for you.

A good starting point is to decide if you want to have everyone in the same cabin, or get separate cabins.

Family cabins

Royal Caribbean offers family-sized staterooms on many of its ships, usually with the word "family" as a prefix to the stateroom category title.

These rooms are designed for 5 or 6 guests, and come with more living space.

With extra beds and square footage, these family cruise ship cabins have what you would need to fit everyone in, and will cost less than a suite.

There can be two major downsides to these family rooms: the location tends to be at the very front or very back of the ship, which makes for longer walks to the elevators, as well as potentially a higher sensation of movement during rocky sea conditions.

In addition, many of these cabins only have one bathroom. Not every ship offers family cabins, and there are only a few to begin with.

Family-Connected Staterooms

Whereas family cabins are essentially larger standard cabins, the family-connected staterooms are individual rooms that can be booked together and have common doors removed to create a larger room.

Family-connected staterooms were introduced on the Quantum Class cruise ships, allow you connect three different staterooms to form one large shared space.  That also means three bathrooms for one space.

If this sounds like a great option, the issue may be simply finding them. As far as I can tell, they are only available on Quantum Class ships.

Suites

Suites are always going to be the biggest rooms on any cruise ship, and that extra living space can be very attractive for families.

Not only can suites accommodate 5 or 6 people, some of the larger suites can fit even more. The most expensive suite on Royal Caribbean can fit as many as 11 guests.

Of course, we're talking about suites, so this will not be an economical choice for many families.

Suite prices can vary significantly, but they are rarely a cheap option. Some families will split the cost to save on costs.

Connecting cabins

Rather than putting everyone in one room, why not get multiple cabins?

Booking more than one room is usually not as expensive as it sounds, especially compared to a suite.

Royal Caribbean offers connecting cabins that have a common door inside, which means you can open or close that door as you see fit.

Even if you don't book a connecting room, on some ships you can open up the balcony divider and get a common walkway between the rooms at that juncture.

If you don't need a connecting door, booking two (or more) cabins near each other without a common door opens up all sorts of possibilities that can really save money. Parents can book a balcony cabin, while their older children stay in an inside cabin across the hall.

Connecting cabins can be more economical, and provide one full bathroom per cabin.

Another advantage is there can be more separation between each cabin, since the connecting door can be closed. This is is especially helpful with young children who need quiet and darkness to sleep.

The downside to booking more than one room is connecting rooms are limited, especially if you book close to the sailing date.

In addition, booking more than one room will not get you the benefits of a suite.

Which should you pick?

Often the decision is made for you depending your budget and ship you sail on, but assuming you have a wide budget and lots of room choices, there are pros and cons to each option.

I generally recommend families get two connecting cabins because it provides separation between the rooms, and two full bathrooms. It's usually cheaper than a single-cabin approach, and gives parents what they want: to be in the same room as their kids, without having to sleep in the same room as their kids.

If you have older kids, or traveling on a multigen trip, being able to book multiple rooms that do not have to be connecting/adjoining will save a great deal of money.

Suites are fantastic, and if you can afford one, it's difficult to not enjoy all those wonderful amenities, especially on Royal Caribbean's Oasis or Quantum Class ships. Those ships have the Royal Suite Class amenities for suite guests, which means a higher level of service and perks.

Our last day on Brilliance of the Seas is also Super Bowl Sunday.

While we had excellent weather the first three days of the cruise, today started off notably worse. Clouds, wind, and a lot of ship movement.

I guess the motion got to me, because I woke up feeling nauseous. I tried my best to fight it off by getting up and walking around to get some food and fresh air.

Unfortunately, I was still not feeling great, so I went back to my room to sleep it off.  Finally, I gave in and took dramamine, which did the trick. There's no shame in knowing your limits.

Luckily, the weather improved steadily as the day progressed. By the afternoon, the sun had come out and it warmed up nicely.

If you're wondering what it's like to be on a cruise ship for the super bowl, there's a few different super bowl themed events onboard, such as trivia.

The bulk of the events are really around game time, where the game is shown in various venues:

• Royal Theater
• Pool deck
• Pub
• Schooner Bar (one television in there)

Royal Caribbean bought the rights to the game and halftime show, but not the commercials.

In the theater there is dry snacks, such as popcorn and potato chips. 

Park Cafe offers its usual assortment of food, plus popcorn, hot dogs, tacos and more.

Most people were in the pub or Royal Theater. The chillier weather outside made the pool deck less popular, although there were blankets you could borrow.

It was fun seeing all the fans getting into the game, although I think most people were watching since it was the super bowl.

After the game, we had a few drinks around various bars before calling it a night since we have to get up early.

It was a fun cruise, and I think Brilliance shines with good live entertainment and lots of pool deck space.

Happy early Valentine's Day! Hope the holiday is filled with chocolate, flowers and a Royal Caribbean cruise! I'm spreading the Royal Caribbean love with our look at all the Royal Caribbean news from this week.

Royal Caribbean plans to roll back the Omicron mask protocols on its cruise ships.

Beginning February 15, 2022, the stricter mask rules will go away and that means guests will not have to wear face masks at venues designated for vaccinated guests only, such as select bars, lounges, restaurants, shows and Casino Royale. 

In addition, smoking will be allowed again in the casino.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean Wow sale offers discounts on cruise fare and pre-cruise purchases
• Royal Caribbean puts World Cruise segments on sale
• Cruise ship passengers are spending more money on their cruises than ever
• Royal Caribbean will give you extra onboard credit if you book a cruise with your future cruise credit
• All about Freedom Class cruise ships
• Should you pick Mariner of the Seas or Independence of the Seas?
• Matt live blogged from Brilliance of the Seas this weekend
• What is the most expensive suite on Royal Caribbean?
• Spring break cruise on Royal Caribbean: What to expect
• Norwegian drops mandatory face mask rule on its cruise ships

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 441st episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and we're previewing Wonder of the Seas.

In this episode, Matt lists what he's most excited to see, try, and eat on Wonder of the Seas next month.

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: Boarding day tips you need in 2022

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 — Boarding day tips you need in 2022 — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Will cruises to Alaska happen in 2022?

What should we expect for cruises to Alaska this year, given the challenges with Canada.

Four Royal Caribbean ships are sailing to Alaska in 2022, and the cruise line is set for a big season.

If everything stays the same as it is now, it appears the ship will be able to operate.

Cruise industry slams CDC for "discriminatory" view of Covid on ships

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance to the public for going on a cruise, and the cruise industry wants none of it.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) issued a statement blasting the CDC for being "unnecessarily discriminatory against
cruise".

CLIA points to the strong protocols and falling cases on ships as proof cruise ships are a safe manner of travel during the pandemic.

What to wear on a cruise formal night

Formal night conjures up many images, but what exactly should you wear on formal night?

Despite the name, formal night is not nearly as regal or proper as you might think.

Jenna shared advice and tips for what to wear on formal night. Fear not, ball gowns not required.

The port of call for this cruise brings us to Costa Maya, Mexico.

Brilliance of the Seas was scheduled to dock right around 8am, and all aboard wasn't until 4:30, giving us a full day of fun on shore.

We docked on schedule and the gangway opened up shortly thereafter. 

Coming into this cruise, I had no plans for what to do in Costa Maya.  I usually visit Maya Chan beach resort, but I'll be going there next month when we visit on Wonder of the Seas.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Steve Wilson stopped at Costa Maya the day before us while sailing on Adventure of the Seas and was going to try an all inclusive beach resort in downtown Mahahual (that's the name of the village Costa Maya is near) that advertised itself as limiting the amount of guests.

Along with my friends onboard Brilliance, I decided to give this place a try.

To book a spot, you have to email Jamie via his website.  A few emails and a PayPal deposit, and we were all set.

Jamie's at The Blue Reef Hotel is a short 8 minute or so taxi ride from the port area.

The Blue Reef is a hotel situated on the beach, and Jamie's is essentially the restaurant's operation that extends onto the beach. Judging by the neighbors, a lot of other hotels seem to be doing the same thing.

We got to the beach a little after 9am, and were greeted by Martín, who took us to our beach chairs situated under a large tent/palapa. 

Much like every other all inclusive I've been to, there is a primary waiter you deal with that takes your drink and food orders.

Your admission gets you access to the beach, as well as everything on the drink and food menu. 

The hotel has a rooftop pool that Martín told me was also open for our use.

The ocean is quite shallow near the beach, which makes it ideal for wading. There are nets set up around the beach to limit the amount of sea grass that comes ashore, which has been a real problem over the years for Costa Maya and Cozumel.

Luckily, the sea grass was not bad today with very little washing ashore.

The service was great, although it did not hurt that there was just one cruise ship in port. We rarely had to wait to get an order.

The food had your typical Mexican fare of quesadillas, fajitas, tacos and more. 

There was also plenty of Mexican beers, margaritas, and beach-approved drinks.

Overall, I really liked the service and the food was great. It was the sort of relaxing beach day I think most people could hope for in a shore excursion visit.

In the afternoon, we struck up a conversation with Karla, one of the restaurant's partners, who also operated another bar and hotel closer to the cruise port.

Karla invited us to come check out her bar before we went back to the ship and even arranged for taxis to bring us over. 

Her bar is a very short walk from the cruise terminal, located just down the main street near the fake Mayan ruins you see as you exit the port area, and then a left turn.

We walked into Catrina and found a very large pool with lounge chairs, next to the bar and restaurant.

We topped off our afternoon with drinks and laughs before we had to head back to the ship.

In all, it was a very satisfying day in Costa Maya and I think a good time was had by all.

Back onboard the ship, all the fun in the sun required a shower and nap. There are few gratifying feelings as a post-shore excursion nap on a cruise ship.

We departed Costa Maya, although I can't tell you when or how it was since I was asleep.

After I woke up, I decided to go to the Windjammer for dinner.

After dinner, I spent a little time in the casino. I would have spent more time, but we must have left lady luck back in Costa Maya.

I rounded out the evening in the pub, listening to Jimmy play songs for a few hours. He's not only very talented, but goes hours without a break.

Tomorrow is our last day onboard and it's also Super Bowl Sunday!

Stray Observations

The casino is offering squares to bet on for the Super Bowl.

I couldn't have asked for better weather on our sea day, as we spent the first day on Brilliance of the Seas traversing the Gulf of Mexico.

I got up at 8am, and went right to the pool deck to grab a table where I could work on some blog posts.  There was just the right mix of sun, breeze, and temperature.

Royal Caribbean's Chief Meteorologist James Van Fleet shared a great forecast for our sea day.

As the day went on, the temperature started to climb a bit, but in the shade it could sometimes feel a little chilly. 

I had some toast and smoked salmon for breakfast from the Windjammer.

I had no plans for the day, so I walked around the ship a bit more to check out more of what was happening around it.

There were plenty of activities offered, from the water slide to rock climbing, bingo, a stretch class and more. 

For lunch, I thought about going to the main dining room, but I first went to see what the Windjammer had. Sure enough, I never left because it was a great mix of choices.

I especially liked the fajitas bar, as well as burger bar.  There was even turkey burgers and grilled barramundi if you wanted something other than beef.

I took my food to the outside seating in the Windjammer, which was glorious.

After lunch, I took a walk through what used to be Rita's Cantina.

Brilliance of the Seas used to have a Mexican specialty restaurant called Rita's Cantina, located to the side of the Windjammer. It served your basic Mexican food, and also had a bar to enjoy various Mexican drinks, such as margaritas.

The first time I sailed on Brilliance I ate here, and was disappointed with it, so it never was much of a favorite for me.  Over the years, it faded away, and is now just a Mexican themed part of the Windjammer seating.

I stopped by guest services onboard, and they told me there are 1190 passengers on this sailing.

Right around 1pm I contemplated what to do next, and taking a nap won out. 

I headed back to the pool deck to check out cocktails trivia, where all the questions were about drinks and cocktails.

Tonight was "dress your best", so I went back to my cabin to change.

There was a general trivia event at the Schooner Bar. Here's a question to challenge yourself: how many hearts does an octopus have?

At 5pm there was a top tier Crown and Anchor event for Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members.

I always try to attend these events, because I think it's important to attend events Royal Caribbean does to recognize loyalty.

Dinner tonight brought me to Izumi.

I had originally gone to take advantage of my Diamond Plus buy one get one offer, but I learned Izumi wasn't included with it. Oh well, you don't have to twist my arm to enjoy a meal at Izumi.

During the meal I walked outside to enjoy another perfect sunset at sea.

After dinner, we headed up to the Viking Crown Lounge. On Radiance Class ships, the bar actually spins.

We rounded out our evening in the pub enjoying Jimmy, who I've usually seen performing at Captain Jack's at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Tomorrow we will be in Costa Maya.

Stray Observations

Brilliance of the Seas has self leveling pool tables, but the seas have been so smooth it's impossible to tell if they are operational or not.

Guest Services told me there are 1190 passengers onboard.

I stopped by Adventure Ocean and they said reservations were not required since there are not many kids on this sailing.

Have a future cruise credit from a cancelled cruise? Royal Caribbean will give you extra onboard credit if you book a cruise this month.

At any given time Royal Caribbean has a myriad of promotions running, but I was surprised to see an offer for redeeming future cruise credits.

While Royal Caribbean has been cruising since June 2021 in North America, there are still quite a few unredeemed future cruise credits out there.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Rich Triplett alerted us to this offer.

The "Future Cruise Credit Kicker" runs the entire month of February, and will give you $100 onboard credit per stateroom if you book a cruise departing between March 1 – December 31, 2022.

This offer is combinable with all rates and promotions, meaning there are no blackout rules with it.

Onboard credits will be added to up to two weeks after the FCC has been redeemed on all valid bookings determined by booking creation, FCC redemption and sailing dates. 

More offers in February

In addition to the onboard credit offer, there are a few other promotions Royal Caribbean has running during February.

30% savings off cruise fare for all guests in the stateroom

30% Off Every Guest offer must be booked between February 1 – 28, 2022 (“Offer Period”). 30% Off Every Guest offer applies to select sailings departing on or after March 1, 2022. 

WOW Sale

WOW Sale applies to new bookings made between February 9 – 14, 2022. WOW Sale offers up to $400 USD to spend at sea (“Onboard Credit” or “OBC”) per stateroom on select sailings departing on or after March 9, 2022.

OBC amounts are per stateroom and determined by category booked and sailing length:

• Sailings 5 nights or less, $50 OBC for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $150 for Suites
• Sailings 6 nights or longer, $75 OBC for Interior and Ocean View, $100 for Balconies and $400 for Suites

2022 Kicker

2022 Kicker applies to new bookings made between February 1 – 28, 2022. 2022 Kicker provides instant savings of up to $150 USD per stateroom on select sailings departing between March 1 – December 31, 2022.

Savings amount determined by category booked and sailing length:

• Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $50 for Balconies and $75 for Suites
• Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies, and $150 for Suites

Crown and Anchor Bonus

Applies to new bookings made between February 1 – 28, 2022 to Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Crown & Anchor Society members.

CAS Bonus provides up to $50 USD to spend at sea (“Onboard Credit or “OBC”) per stateroom on select sailings departing on or after March 1, 2022.

OBC amount is determined by sailing length:

• Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 to spend at sea
• Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 to spend at sea.

OBCs are not redeemable for cash and are non-transferable. When reserving, a valid Crown & Anchor Society membership number must be included in the reservation.

Our live blog is back with a cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas for a 4-night sailing from Tampa, Florida.

Brilliance of the Seas restarted cruises from Tampa in December 2021, and I've been eager to get back onboard a Radiance Class ship. I really enjoy the layout of these smaller ships. I'm often asked which is my favorite small ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet, and Brilliance is always my answer.

This is a 4-night Western Caribbean cruise with just one port stop in Costa Maya.

Since the cruise departs from Tampa, I'm able to drive to the port in just about an hour travel time from my home in the Orlando area.

Of course, I took my pre-cruise Covid test two days ago and it came back negative.  I used the at-home test that Royal Caribbean accepts, and it couldn't be easier. No waiting, and the entire process took 20 minutes from start to finish, and I never had to leave my desk.

Since I booked this cruise only a few weeks ago, check-in times were limited by the time I went to get one.  At first I had a 1:30pm check-in time, but I managed to subsequently get a 1:00pm check-in time.

Read more: 7 things worth checking again on a Royal Caribbean cruise

The drive to Tampa was uneventful and I parked via the valet parking option. $80 total, and I get to drive right up to the terminal and hand my keys to the attendant and be on my way.

As expected, they were enforcing the check-in times and I entered a line for the 1:00 check-in time.  Luckily, it moved very quickly and I completed the entire check-in procedure in under 30 minutes.  In fact, I spent more time waiting to get through the line outside than the actual check-in procedure.

I boarded Brilliance of the Seas and headed right away to the Windjammer for lunch.  I hadn't eaten lunch yet, so I figured for the benefit of the entire ship it was a good idea to eat before I got hangry.

I love the outdoor seating in the Windjammer on Brilliance of the Seas at the back of the ship.

The staterooms opened up right around 1:30pm, so I went down to my room to drop off my stuff.

For this cruise I'm booked in a Category 2M - Spacious Ocean View Stateroom.

I haven't stayed in an ocean view cabin since Majesty of the Seas in 2017, and I was pleasantly surprised how much living space there is inside.

The distance between the couch and the bed is substantial. The room is anything but cramped.

After catching up on some blog posts, I realized I hadn't finished the muster drill, so I went to complete that.

I had done the first two steps (watch the safety video and listen to the emergency siren) while I was still at home, so all I needed to do was go to my muster station to check-in.  

I then walked around Brilliance of the Seas a bit to explore a bit. Being back on a Radiance Class ship, it was an adjustment after so many significantly larger cruise ships, but it felt like being home and the ship looks great.

Sail away was at 5pm, and I headed to one of my favorite Brilliance of the Seas secrets: the helipad.

We had a beautiful day to sail out of Tampa, with temperatures in the low 70s, no clouds, and a very light breeze.

We even saw a few dolphins as we departed.

When your ship departs Tampa, it takes a few hours to exit the harbor, as you travel towards the ocean and finally make it to the ocean when you pass under the Sunshine Skyway bridge.

In the time before we made it to the bridge, I decided to stop at Izumi for "pre-dinner" and get some sashimi to hold me over until dinner.

I was able to walk in without a reservation when they opened and get a table.

After I finished my sushi, I enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the pool deck.

Roughly two hours after we set sail, our ship passed under the Sunshine Skyway bridge.

Dinner brought me and some friends onboard to Giovanni's Table.

Food was great, and the pasta of the day had a spicy flavor to the sauce.

We concluded our evening with music in the King & Country pub.

Tomorrow is a sea day.

Stray observations

The water bottles on Brilliance have these aluminum water bottles with a screw top. 

The stricter face mask protocols are still in place on Brilliance of the Seas. One policy I noticed that I had never seen before was you had to mask up when ordering at the bar outdoors.

I had heard from other guests they were expecting around 1300 passengers on this sailing, but I'll need to go to Guest Services and verify the number.