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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.
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).
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Enchantment of the Seas
Ovation of the Seas
Quantum of the Seas
Radiance of the Seas
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.
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.
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].
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.
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.
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."
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.
This week's episode looks at why you might want to book a cruise at NextCruise
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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.
Will Royal Caribbean's new Icon Class cruise ships be the largest in the world?
When Royal Caribbean announced plans for a new class of cruise ship, they provided very few details, but becoming the new biggest cruise ship in the world wasn't part of the announcement.
It now looks like perhaps the Icon Class ships will be larger, according to recent comments made by a Royal Caribbean executive this week.
Travel Weekly is reporting the newly promoted Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations, Sean Treacy, indicated Icon of the Seas will be larger than the Oasis class cruise ships.
"Icon will be the biggest. It launches in the fall of next year and will be the first new ship class for Royal in a decade," Mr. Treacy said while onboard Wonder of the Seas during a trade event.
Travel Weekly went on to say a Royal Caribbean spokesperson confirmed the fact Icon of the Seas, which will be the first Icon Class cruise ship, will be larger, "Icon-class ships will be bigger than our Oasis class."
The disclosure by Mr. Treacy is the first public statement about the fact Icon will be larger than Oasis Class, although it's not clear in what aspect will Icon be larger.
According to Royal Caribbean's Form 10-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 5, 2022, it still lists Icon of the Seas has having slightly less passenger capacity than Wonder of the Seas or Utopia of the Seas.
In the filing, Icon and the other unnamed Icon Class ships have approximately 5,600 berths compared to Wonder and Utopia's 5,700 berths.
When Royal Caribbean first announced the Icon Class in October 2016, they estimated the ship would be able to handle approximately 5,000 passengers. Of course, the cruise line indicated at that time and for some time thereafter that the concepts were still being developed.
There are three Icon Class ships on order:
The keel was recently laid for Icon of the Seas at the shipyard in Finland, which signals the official start of construction.
Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley confirmed that Icon will initially debut in the UK, and then sail from Miami.
While Royal Caribbean has not announced yet what the ship will look like, itineraries, or other important features, they have hyped the vessel as a game changer.
“The ship is unbelievable," said Mr. Bayley in a recent interview. "It's an amazing ship. What’s fascinating about Icon is the sheer amount of product."
Bayley indicated Icon of the Seas will feature a combination of ‘tradition, evolution and revolution’ cruising elements from Royal Caribbean.
Favorites, such as the Schooner Bar, will continue to be found on Icon.
On the other hand, evolution elements revolve around continuously improving elements that cruisers love, such as entertainment venues and waterslides. Finally, revolution elements are ‘industry-firsts’ and are meant to be WOW factors for the company.
The days of Royal Caribbean cruise ships sailing at reduced capacity are limited.
It's no secret that the cruise industry is moving back towards normalcy with getting more ships back into service and more passengers onboard.
The only question cruise ship passengers had was when would full capacity return, and it looks like sooner than later this summer.
At last week's earnings call with investors, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said most ships should be back to full capacity again.
"And as we head towards Memorial Day weekend," Mr. Bayley explained to a Wall Street analyst during the call. "We're going to see significant percentage of our ship sailing at 100% and greater."
In fact, ships sailing at full capacity has already happened on select sailings, "we have ships now sailing at 100% and we've had ships sailing at 100% now for several weeks out of the Caribbean, into the Caribbean market and a short product."
Mr. Bayley further broke things down by saying the Oasis Class ships ship capacity has been around 80% or so.
In Royal Caribbean Group's quarterly results, the company as a whole (including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and SilverSea) had ships sailing in the first quarter averaging a capacity of 59%. Month-by-month, capacity generally went up with March capacity averaging 68%.
By the time Royal Caribbean gets to the third quarter of the year, they expect the entire company to be at "triple digits" in terms of capacity.
Cruise ships sailing full was the norm prior to 2020, so the experience this summer should be more familiar for long-time cruise fans.
Not only are full cruise ships a strong sign of demand for cruising, but it's what makes the cruise industry profitable.
Royal Caribbean Group Jason Liberty recently told Barron's the threshold for a profitable sailing is when a ship gets to 90% capacity in the current conditions.
"When you get to about a 90% load factor, you start to generate profit. Historically, that line of profitability can be lower, roughly 80%. But we have a lot more debt now. "
When Royal Caribbean can start making money instead of losing money, not only is the welfare of the company accounted for, but they can start doing more expansion and re-investment.
Many projects during the pandemic were put on hold, such as ship upgrades.