Royal Caribbean Blog

More than a year after plans were announced, it looks like Royal Caribbean's joint venture is close to purchasing the Grand Lucayan resort in Freeport, Bahamas.

For months, the joint venture of ITM Group and Royal Caribbean Group has been negotiating the sale of the government owned resort so that the land can be turned into a new port destination.

The cruise industry shutdown coupled with the global health crisis complicated the deal since the buyers wanted to renegotiate the terms to find a more affordable price.

With both the Bahamas and Royal Caribbean Group incurring billion dollar loses, conditions rapidly changed and closing the sale had to go through a few rounds of new negotiations.

The Bahamas Tribune is reporting Bahamian Minister of Tourism Dionisio D'Aguilar has said the sale is "nearing the end of the journey."

Mr. D'Aguilar claims that commercial terms for the sale have now largely been agreed but did not disclose them.

Part of the deal includes an separate agreement with Hutchison Whampoa, controlling 50 percent owner of Freeport Harbour Company, for the redevelopment of Freeport Harbour via the addition of two new cruise berths.

"The terms have been essentially agreed and, having the sale of the hotel tied to Royal Caribbean and ITM first striking a deal with Hutchison Ports has made this transaction that much more complex. But I think all of the ducks have been lined up and we are nearing completion. I remain hopeful."

No estimated timeline was given for the Grand Lucayan sale's completion.

The Freeport project is one of two projects Royal Caribbean short listed to be completed since the cruise industry shutdown. The other project being the new cruise terminal in Galveston, Texas.

In March 2020, Royal Caribbean announced it would revitalize and expand the Grand Lucayan resort so that it could be transformed into Harbour Village.

It is unclear if or how those plans have changed under the new deal apparently struck to purchase the resort, but the original plans called for a a world-class beachfront destination.

Two phases of the project were announced that focused on the Grand Lucayan resort first, and then the surrounding area after.

Phase One of the Lucaya Property will consist of a beachfront destination – including a 526 room hotel, shopping village, spa and wellness center, water based family entertainment (including water and adventure theme park), a 40,000-square-foot convention center, adventure activities (such as zip lines and off-roading), restaurants and bars, entertainment and nightlife.

Phase Two – Harbour Village – will be at the cruise terminal in Freeport Harbor. The expected enhancements will allow visitors to enjoy numerous spaces with multiple shopping and dining venues, beach areas, shore excursions and more.

Additional plans for Freeport included a new transportation hub providing infrastructure for water ferries and ground transportation, including buses, vans, and jeeps. Holistica Destinations will partner with local business owners and entrepreneurs providing opportunities for guests to experience additional shore excursions in Grand Bahama.

There is something intriguing about the crew members that work on a cruise ship and what it's like to live and work on a cruise ship for months at a time.

Many cruisers are curious about what life is like for crew members onboard, as well as the nature of the lifestyle and daily routine for a crew member.

Just like everything, people will search the internet for answers to these questions, and I have assembled the top questions about crew members on a cruise that people are searching for on the internet.

Keep in mind that it is impossible to give an answer that encompasses all crew members' experience, just like doctors, mechanics, postal workers, teachers, and CEOs do not all make the same income, or work exactly the same way.

Do cruise ship employees get free food?

Yes, crew members receive free food for working onboard a ship, along with a cabin to sleep in (more on that later).

Similar to the guests, crew members have their own buffet style restaurant to get their meals from throughout the day.

Known as the crew mess, this restaurant offers prepared foods, ready-to-go foods, and ways to heat up food that crew members already have. There is seating provided as well in booths or tables.

Often there will be regional dishes from the crew members' home countries.

How many dining venues and where they are located, will vary from ship to ship.

Read more: Top 10 things you didn't know about what it's like working on a cruise ship

What are the highest paying jobs on a cruise ship?

Just like any job on land, how much someone makes doing their job will vary depending on a person's experience, what their employer is willing to pay, where they live, and other factors.

As you might imagine, the best paying jobs on a cruise ship are going to generally be held by the highest ranking crew members onboard: officers.

Just like a job on land, everyone's salary is not public information, so I have to rely on job recruiting websites for some insight.

According to BestHospitalityDegrees, the top five jobs on a cruise for salary are:

1. Executive Chef
2. Cruise Director
3. Chief Purser
4. Hotel Director
5. Human Resources Manager

ZipRecruiter also notes that Cruise Ship Physician Assistant and Cruise Manager also rank well in terms of salary.

Do cruise employees hook up with passengers?

Despite what you may have seen on the television show, "The Love Boat", crew members are strictly prohibited from any kind of relationships with passengers onboard.

Royal Caribbean's cruise contract states guests are, "prohibited from engaging in physical relationships with crew members. Guests are not permitted in any restricted or crew area of the ship, including crew staterooms and corridors."

In fact, crew members are not allowed to go into passenger cabins unless there is an official reason.

Any crew member that is caught engaging in any kind of a personal relationship with a guest can be terminated immediately.

Do cruise ship employees get days off?

Crew members work very hard onboard, and their schedule is different than the 9-to-5 schedule many Americans think of when it comes to a work day.

Rather than getting full days off, crew members get large gaps in their schedule, but they work every day of their contract. This is because crew members work around the schedule of the cruise ship.

As an example, a stateroom attendant will work the morning to go through all of his/her cabins, and then take a few hours off in the afternoon, before returning for work in the evening.

Often crew members will disembark the ship while it is in port during the afternoon for a break to visit the port of call. Others may simple enjoy some downtime back in their cabin.

Read more: 8 cruise ship tips from a former employee

Do cruise ship employees share rooms?

Many crew members do share a room with another crew member, although it does depend on their rank or title.

The most common scenario is two crew members will share a cabin together, although on some ships larger cabins can accommodate a third crew member.

Crew cabins are basic and typically smaller than guest cabins, and offer the basics: bed, desk, closet, shelves, and a small bathroom.

Bunk beds seem to be the norm for crew cabins, as it maximizes the space available for them.

Officers, higher ranking crew members, and temporary crew may earn themselves a larger room, or even the opportunity to not share a cabin with someone else.

This may actually change somewhat once cruises begin again. One of the 74 recommendations of the Healthy Sail Panel is "Crew should be placed in single-occupancy crew cabins whenever possible to minimize extended periods of close contact with other crew members."

Do cruise ship employees pay room and board?

Cruise lines cover the cost of food and a place to stay for crew members working onboard.

On top of their pay, crew members on a ship can expect to receive a variety of benefits, such as:

• Accommodations
• Meals
• Medical care

A contract ranges anywhere from three to approximately eight months, depending on the position. Most senior management roles have 4-month contracts while most of the rest of the positions have 6-8 month contracts. Employees live onboard for the total length of their contracts.

Royal Caribbean has released a new round of 2022-2023 itineraries for sale.

This week, the "Other/Long Caribbean" for Winter 2022-2023 went on sale today, encompassing five cruise ships. These new sailings are available to book immediately.

Odyssey of the Seas will sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and offer a mix of 6-, 7-, and 8-night Caribbean sailings from November 2022 through March 2023.  

Once stateside, Odyssey will sail 8-night Southern Caribbean itineraries that visit destinations such as Labadee, Haiti; Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curacao and La Romana, Dominican Republic.

The Quantum Ultra Clas ship will alternate 8-night Southern Caribbean cruises with 6-night Western Caribbean sailings that visit island gems Falmouth, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas on every sailing.

Explorer of the Seas will offer cruises from PortMiami that anywhere between 6- and 9-nights long, including Southern Caribbean itineraries. The 8-night Southern Caribbean itineraries to the ABC Islands will have late stays in both Kralendijk and Willemstad on every sailing. Explorer will alternate with 6-night adventures that visit Falmouth; George Town; and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Grandeur of the Seas will begin sailing from PortMiami as well in November 2022, and offer 5-night Western Caribbean jaunts to Labadee and Key West, Florida, alternating with 9-night cruises to Castries, Bridgetown, Barbados; St. John’s, and Basseterre.

Jewel of the Seas will arrive in Port Canaveral in November 2022 to sail 5- to 9-night cruises. Jewel even has cruises visiting Bimini, Bahamas. The ship will make late-night visits to San Juan and Oranjestad in addition to longer days in Bonaire’s Kralendijk. 

Jewel will also embark on 6-night adventures to western Caribbean destinations, including Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Falmouth; and Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.

Vision of the Seas will call Fort Lauderdale home in November 2022 and offer the longest sailings of the group, with 9-, 10- and 11-night cruises to destinations throughout the Caribbean. 

Vision’s 10-night itineraries visit a variety of popular ports of call, including San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis; Castries, St. Lucia; St. Johns, Antigua and private destination Labadee. The 11-night sailings take guests to exotic tropical locales like Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Colon, Panama; Cartagena, Colombia; Oranjestad; Kralendijk, Bonaire and Willemstad.

View the full Long Caribbean sailings:

• Explorer of the Seas
• Grandeur of the Seas
• Jewel of the Seas
• Odyssey of the Seas
• Vision of the Seas

The release of the Long Caribbean Winter 2022-2023 cruises follows the release other deployments, including 7-night Caribbean,  Short Caribbean, Northeast and China & Hawaii sailings a few weeks ago.

Over the next few weeks, more sailings will be released for the 2022-2023 season, although changes to the deployment schedule are possible.

Planning on booking a 2022 cruise? These stories will help:

• Eight Southern Caribbean Cruise Tips & Secrets
• Top 10 Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas hidden secrets
• The differences between Royal Caribbean's ships
• How to choose the right Caribbean cruise sailing

How do you know if you are cutting it too close when booking your flights home after your cruise is over?

Each week I answer questions our readers have sent to the RoyalCaribbeanBlog mailbag to answer for the benefit of everyone.

I'm looking at flights for my cruise, but I'm not sure what time to pick for a flight home.  What is the earliest flight I should pick after my cruise is over? - Ray V.

The issue with picking a flight after your cruise is you want to find a flight that gives you enough time to disembark the ship and get to the airport to make the flight on time, but at the same time, not booking a flight later in the day so you essentially spend all day in the airport waiting around.

Finding the right time for a flight home also has a lot to do with the port your cruise ends at, as some ports are significantly closer to an airport than others. Fort Lauderdale International Airport is literally next door to Port Everglades, while Orlando International Airport is about a 45 minute drive from Port Canaveral.

Read more: Why you shouldn't fly to your cruise the same day it begins

The first part of the decision is figuring out roughly what is the earliest time you could get to the airport.

Your itinerary will list a time your cruise ends, but that time is not an indication of what time you can get off the ship. Just because it says your ship will return at 6am, does not mean everyone can start leaving the ship at 6am. Moving thousands of people off a ship, moving thousands of pieces of luggage, sending thousands of people through customs and immigration takes time.

The disembarkation process is always a bit ambiguous because there are a few factors that are always unpredictable:

• What time exactly the ship will dock
• How long it will take local authorities to clear the vessel to disembark
• What time the ship will begin allowing guests off the ship
• How many other people will be ahead of you
• Delays in the cruise terminal

If you get up early, take advantage of the self-assist disembarkation process (where you take your own luggage off the ship), and things go as planned, many cruisers have been able to disembark early enough to make flights as early as 9am.

Read more: Self-disembarkation on Royal Caribbean cruises

You should also consider your group and realistically estimate how quickly you can move.  An adult couple can get up and in line a lot faster than families with kids, or large groups traveling together.

However, delays due to bad weather, customs taking longer than expected, medical emergencies, and a variety of other unexpected problems can easily back up the entire process.

Ultimately, you have to weigh the level of risk you deem acceptable in making a flight. No one wants to sit around an airport all day, but missing a flight because you are late is an even worse fate.

You should also consider the airport's proximity to the port, time of year (busy holiday seasons means longer lines at the airport), whether you have TSA PreCheck (or other program) to get through security, and other factors.

If you take a later flight, you can sleep a little bit later, enjoy a stress-free breakfast, and otherwise not drive yourself crazy with concern you might be late.

For cruises in the United States, the general rule of thumb has always been you are likely safe to book a flight after 11am, and noon or later is absolutely achievable.

Some cruisers will opt to stay an extra night in the city their cruise ends at just to avoid any hassle with getting to the airport (and get an extra day of vacation).

More mailbag questions:

• Why do I have to pay gratuities for my toddler?
• Will a Royal Caribbean sale actually save me any money?
• What's worth paying extra for on a cruise?

Cruisers have an extra month to take advantage of Royal Caribbean's flexible cancellation policy.

As a result of canceling most May 2021 cruises, Royal Caribbean announced it would also extend its Cruise with Confidence program by a month.

Cruises booked on or before May 31, 2021 for a sailing departing through April 30, 2022 are now eligible for Cruise with Confidence.

Prior to this change, Cruise with Confidence only applied to bookings made through April 30, 2021.

Under Cruise with Confidence, guests can cancel a cruise for any reason up to 48 hours before a sailing is scheduled to depart in exchange for a 100% future cruise credit.

It also covers the expanded Best Price Guarantee, which allows for anyone to get a lower price after booking a sailing.

All active bookings confirmed on or before May 31, 2021 for Royal Caribbean sailings through April 2022 (excluding Chartered sailings) are included in the Cruise with Confidence program.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed, informed travel agents of the extension during a webinar with travel agents, "Along with the suspension announcing, we have also extended our Cruise With Confidence program to allocate an additional month of reassurance for those considering a cruise vacation."

With each new round of suspensions, Royal Caribbean has followed up with an extension of the Cruise with Confidence program as a way to give consumers much more time to decide if they want to cancel or continue with a booking.

The Cruise with Confidence program was introduced at the beginning of the health crisis, and provides significantly relaxed rules concerning canceling a cruise if the situation changes for a guest.

Ordinarily, guests would incur a penalty for canceling a sailing beyond the final payment date, which is typically 90 days before a sailing commences. Cruise with Confidence provides a great deal more flexibility to change minds with no penalty.

How does Cruise with Confidence work?

Ever since Royal Caribbean shut down cruises in March 2020, it has offered guests increased flexibility in being able to change their minds due to the fluid nature of news and the global health crisis.

Essentially, Cruise with Confidence is the name of the program that allows guests to change or cancel a cruise up to 48 hours before their sail date with no penalty or change fees.

Guests can opt for a 100% Future Cruise Credit that is good for 12 months or more up until 48 hours before their sailing.

The program includes refundable and non-refundable cruise fares, and only excludes chartered sailings.

It is important to note that if you elect to cancel a cruise on your own with this program, and later Royal Caribbean cancels the sailing, you waive any right to receive any refund oft he cruise fare paid.

It is hard to believe, but Royal Caribbean's first Radiance Class cruise ship was launched 20 years ago this week.

The Meyer Werft shipyard shared some great photos of Radiance of the Seas being built to commemorate the occasion, so I thought it would be appropriate to share with all of you 20 secrets, tips, and tricks if you are sailing on any of the ships.

Whether you sail on Radiance of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, or Jewel of the Seas, here are some helpful tips to know about these amazing ships.

Read more: 50 Great insider Royal Caribbean tips for an awesome cruise

1. Outdoor dining

Among the many unique features on a Radiance Class ship is the outdoor seating at the Windjammer buffet.

Typically, the Windjammer is indoors on most Royal Caribbean cruise ships, but Radiance Class ships have an outdoor option as well on the back the ship. This means you can enjoy a breeze and a view of the ocean as you enjoy your food.

To access the outdoor seating, simply walk all the way to the back of the Windjammer

2. Glass elevators

Another fun Radiance Class feature are the glass elevators.

The elevators in the Centrum area face outwards to provide views of the ocean around you.  This means you get to enjoy a great view on your way up and down the ship.

3. Self-leveling pool tables

Self-leveling billiards tables are something you will only find on Radiance Class cruise ships.

When they work, these tables will move along with the ship to provide a stable playing platform if the ship is rocking back and forth.

The secret to these tables are the gyroscopes that always keep the top of the table level so the billiards balls do not roll around.

4. There's a movie theater

Radiance Class ships actually have their own movie theater onboard.

The cinema is located towards the front of the ship on deck 6, and shows movies throughout the day at no additional charge.

Seating is limited, so check the schedule and arrive early if you want to be there for a screening.

5. Rotating bar

Did you know the bar at the top of the ship in the Viking Crown Lounge actually rotates?

In the evening, the bartenders can activate the spin feature which slowly rotates the bar area around in a complete circle.  This usually coincides with the DJ music playing, and it is a neat little feature.

6. Retractable roof Solarium

The adults-only Solarium is my favorite spot on any Radiance Class cruise ship because it seems to be just the right size, with a large and inviting pool.

The Solarium is also enclosed with a glass roof, which is actually retractable.

Admittedly, Royal Caribbean seems to rarely ever retract the roof, but theoretically they could open it up if weather conditions permit to allow a more open pool deck feel.

When the roof is closed, it keeps the Solarium the perfect temperature for enjoying the pool.

7. Sailaway from the helipad

Just like Voyager and Freedom Class cruise ships, guests can go down to the helipad anytime they want during the cruise (weather permitting).

The helipad provides arguably the best vantage point on the ship, especially for sailaway.

To access the helicopter pad, go outside on deck 5 and then walk forward, climb up a set of stairs and continue walking forward until you reach the helicopter pad.

8. Dining package value

While Radiance Class ships are no where near as large as Royal Caribbean's newer ships, there are still plenty of great specialty restaurants onboard.

Royal Caribbean added more specialty dining in recent refurbishments to offer more specialty dining options.

If you think you might eat at more than 1 or 2 specialty restaurants, a specialty dining package might be a very good investment to save money.

9. Water slide for kids

For many years, the Radiance Class was the only Royal Caribbean ships with an actual water slide, and they still have one just for younger kids.

The kids slide is complimentary and is the perfect size for younger children to get some rides in during the day.

There are limited hours for the slide, so be sure to look at the schedule for when it is open.

10. You can relax in the thermal spa

A great way to indulge while relaxing is to purchase a pass to the ship's thermal spa.

The thermal spa is a special part of the Vitality Spa which offers limited-access via passes that good for the duration of the cruise.

If you buy a pass, you can enjoy unlimited time at the hot stone chairs, rainforest shower room, infrared sauna, and steam room.

There are two thermal spa pass prices: single and couples.  Price will vary depending on sailing.

11. Park Cafe

One of the best recent additions to most of the Radiance Class ships has been Park Cafe.

Located in the Solarium, you can find made-to-order salads, toasted paninis, pizza, pastries and coffee to enjoy.

Despite being in the Solarium, kids are allowed to come in and get food from Park Cafe too.

Best of all, Park Cafe is complimentary.

12. Fun activities onboard

If you like physical activity on a cruise ship, Radiance Class ships offer plenty of it.

You can tackle the 200-foot tall rock climbing wall, challenge the family to mini-golf, or hit the sports court and shoot hoops, play soccer, or engage in one of the many activities offered throughout the day by the sports staff.

Read more: Free Royal Caribbean onboard physical and fun activities

13. You can book solo rooms

If you are a single traveler, the Radiance class are one of the few Royal Caribbean cruise ships to offer solo rooms.

Studio rooms are designed for a single traveler, and do not come with a hefty single supplement fee.

Each of the Radiance Class ships have 3 Studio Interior rooms available to book on any given sailing.

Read more: Guide to Royal Caribbean's Single and Studio staterooms

14. You can open the balcony dividers

If you happen to have connecting or adjoining balcony staterooms, you can open up the balcony dividers between the rooms.

Between each balcony is a divider that grants privacy for each guest, but if you know the person in the cabin next to you, you can ask the stateroom attendant to remove the divider.

Doing this little trick means you get to enjoy a much larger and open balcony.

Read more: Royal Caribbean Secrets: opening the balcony dividers

15. Look all the way down

I am not sure if all ships have re-opened this area, but at least on Brilliance of the Seas one of the coolest vantage points is open to guests again.

If you go to deck 12 in the Centrum, you can go to the Loyalty Ambassador area and peer all the way down the Centrum for some amazing views.

This area was previously closed when Royal Caribbean offered aerial shows, but those shows (and equipment) have been removed.

16. Must do: Sushi making class

If your Radiance Class ship offers the sushi making class, it is a must-do event.

As advertised, a sushi chef will instruct you how to easily make a few different sushi rolls, and then subsequently eat your creation!

You make enough sushi to constitute a meal, so come hungry and bring your camera. It is a fun activity that I really enjoyed doing.

Read more: Izumi sushi making class on Royal Caribbean

17. Best spot for evening drinks: Viking Crown Lounge

The Viking Crown Lounge at the top of the ship is beautiful, and worth taking the elevator ride all the way to the top.

The best part of the Viking Crown Lounge on Radiance Class ships is you get a fantastic view with your drink.  Grab a seat, and enjoy a view while the bartender prepares it.

As a bonus, during the day when the bar may be closed, the lounge is open and a very relaxing and quiet spot to read, or enjoy views of the ocean.

18. Aft balcony rooms

People that go on cruises a lot will wax poetically about the virtues of an aft balcony, and the Radiance Class ships are the perfect ships for these rooms.

Aft balconies refer to the balcony cabins on the back of the ship that face backwards, instead of to one side of the ship.

In many cases, these aft balconies provide expansive views around you, which is especially important if you are cruising on a Radiance Class ship in Alaska or Europe.

Aft balcony rooms book up quickly, so be sure to snag one before they sell out.

19. Best spot for evening fun: Schooner Bar

The Schooner Bar is an institution on all Royal Caribbean ships, but the layout of the Schooner Bar on Radiance Class ships might be the best yet.

LIke all Royal Caribbean ships, tthe Schooner Bar has a nautical theme that features a piano and views of the ocean.  Each evening, you will find plenty of live music to enjoy throughout the evening.

The bar area has stool seating that extends all the way around.

20. GTV

You may notice on the side of Radiance Class ships the letters "GTV", which you won't find on any other Royal Caribbean ship.

GTV stands for gas turbine vessel, which is an environmentally-conscious approach to ship propulsion.

The Radiance Class was the first ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet to have a General Electric gas and steam turbine as its primary source of power.  The power plant is more efficient and cleaner than traditional diesel-powered engines on most cruise ships employ.

England sees the global health crisis improving, and has announced domestic cruises could begin in May.

At a meeting of the  All Party Parliamentary Maritime and Ports Group, UK Maritime Minister Robert Courts announced domestic cruises in England could restart on May 17.

Mr. Courts indicated the option for cruises to restart from England would coincide with opening up vacation options for residents of England.

He indicated the decision would still hinder on certain factors remaining favorable, such as the current cases, vaccine rollout, and other factors.

A statement by the Department of Transport confirmed the news in a statement, "We are committed to restarting cruise travel when it is safe to do so, and we are working closely with the sector to prepare for a safe and successful restart."

"The restart of domestic cruises in England will be aligned with the wider resumption of the domestic tourism and indoor hospitality sectors."

"As set out in the Prime Minister’s road map, the earliest possible date for this step is May 17."

Andy Harmer, Director of Cruise Lines International Association UK & Ireland issued this statement, "We strongly welcome the announcement that cruise will be included alongside the restart of other domestic tourism in the UK."

"The industry has long planned a phased restart for cruise, with domestic cruises representing the first stage of this plan. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the Government, including through the Global Travel Taskforce in order to ensure the safe restart of international cruise in time for the summer season."

According to the Independent, crew members will be tested and then required to undergo two weeks' quarantine onboard the ship before any cruise departures.

Cruise expert Gary Bembridge pointed out that this news applies only to England currently, and other parts of the United Kingdom will need to adopt the policy change too.

In very positive news the Maritime Minister says cruising will most likely be opening in May in England along with other travel. It is not all UK yet. They are now engaging with Scotland, Wales and NI. So, hopefully more good news to come on that front pic.twitter.com/hdVANxo3KB

— Gary Bembridge (@garybembridge) March 9, 2021

Royal Caribbean has not announced any potential sailings yet that would be able to take advantage of domestic cruises around England, although Royal Caribbean's UK Boss did say he thought they had "limited appeal".

Read more: Royal Caribbean UK Boss: UK only cruises have "limited appeal"

Israelis can now book the newly announced Odyssey of the Seas cruises from Israel.

The new sailings have been loaded into Royal Caribbean's website, and are available between June and October 2021.

Sailing from Haifa, Odyssey will offer sailings ranging in duration between 2- and 7-nights to destinations in Cyprus and Greece.

Ports visited include:

• Limassol, Cyprus
• Rhodes, Greece
• Mykonos, Greece
• Athens (Piareus), Greece
• Santorini, Greece

Interestingly, inside and oceanview rooms are not currently bookable.  Only balcony rooms and suites are offered as bookable options.

Read more: 13 Beautiful photos from Odyssey of the Seas conveyance

Royal Caribbean is working with Israel’s health and tourism authorities to offer the first to offer fully vaccinated sailings, where both crew and guests above the age of 16 will be vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Details on the additional health and safety measures to be implemented by Israel and Royal Caribbean will be announced at a later date.

Royal Caribbean's website noted at the bottom of the page that its health protocols are subject to change depending on the destination and time the cruise sails.

Health and safety protocols, guest conduct rules, and regional travel restrictions vary by ship and destination, and are subject to change without prior notice. Due to evolving health protocols, imagery and messaging may not accurately reflect onboard and destination experiences, offerings, features, or itineraries. These may not be available on your booked voyage, and are subject to change without prior notice.

Odyssey of the Seas is currently scheduled to be delivered to Royal Caribbean from Meyer Werft on March 24, 2021.

In addition to releasing the new sailings, Royal Caribbean has added Odyssey of the Seas to its app.

Odyssey now appears in the list of supported ships that can be found from within the app.

The app is available on the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store.

Royal Caribbean has officially cancelled its May cruises, further extending its voluntary shutdown until at least June.

Royal Caribbean made the announcement that none of its May cruises will be able to sail in order to provide more time to prepare to restart cruise operations.

This means its voluntary cruise shutdown extends through May 31, 2021.

There are few exceptions:

• Quantum of the Seas from Singapore
• Odyssey of the Seas sailings from Israel
• China Spectrum of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas sailings from April 30 through May and beyond

The decision to cancel cruises by Royal Caribbean matches other cruise lines that have cancelled their May sailings already, including Carnival Cruise Line,  Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line.

Cruise operations had been suspended through the end of April 2021, but will now be extended an additional month.

Read more: What you should do now that Royal Caribbean cancelled your cruise

Compensation

Guests affected by the cancelled cruises between May 1 - 31,  2021, have three options for compensation.

Lift & Shift: On or before March 23, 2021, move to a qualifying 2022 sailing on the same itinerary, sailing length, embarkation port, stateroom category and departing within 2-weeks of the original sail date and your client's cruise fare/promotion is protected.

125% Future Cruise Credit: To account for the inconvenience this has caused, guests are eligible for a 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) that is based on the total cruise fare paid at the guest-level if neither of the other options is selected. This will be automatically issued on or before April 16, 2021 if no other option is selected.

Taxes and fees, as well as any pre-purchased amenities or onboard packages, will be automatically refunded to the original form of payment within 45 days from the cancelation date.

Additionally, if you redeemed your Cruise with Confidence Future Cruise Credit on a sailing that is now cancelled, their original FCC will be reinstated, plus 125% of any amount paid by the guest on the cancelled reservation.

Refund: If you prefer a cash refund, you can do so by requesting this option on-or-before June 30, 2021.

You can expect their refund to the original form of payment within 45 days from the cancellation date. 

If you redeemed a Cruise with Confidence Future Cruise Credit on an impacted sailing and would now prefer a refund instead, Royal Caribbean will process this request in the amount of any new funds paid above the original certificate and, in turn, will reinstate the Cruise with Confidence FCC for future use.

Cruise Planner Purchases: If you had purchased any cruise add-ons, such as shore excursions, drink packages, wifi and more, you could opt to convert your Cruise Planner purchases  to an Onboard Credit valued at 125% of the total amount paid. This offer expires on March 23, 2021.

Still more time needed

Why are cruises being cancelled still?

There are a few reasons, but the most visible rationale is cruise lines are still waiting to begin test sailings.

Before Royal Caribbean can start offering cruises again, it needs to hit all of the steps outlined by the CDC.

The CDC added all of these requirements to allow the cruise lines to test out its proposed new protocols, while protecting the health of the public in the interim period.

The three phases of getting permission to restart passenger cruises are:

1. Testing crew members
2. Simulated cruises to test out new protocols
3. Apply for a Conditional Sailing Certificate

It is unknown how long it will take Royal Caribbean to complete all of the necessary steps and subsequently obtain permission to cruise again.

On February 22, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley told investors that Royal Caribbean has been in "regular communication" with the CDC and expects to get technical instructions on what each ship needs to do in order to prepare itself for test cruises.

He also added that they were expecting instructions from the CDC soon, "We're literally expecting the technical specifications any day soon."

RoyalCaribbeanBlog has reached out to the CDC for an update on technical instructions but has not received any response.

Hope for the future

While May cruises seemed like an inevitably they would be cancelled, there is a lot of optimism among cruise fans that we are closer to cruises restarting that not.

Mr. Bayley's comments about the CDC provided a boost to many that the cruise lines are not getting the "cold shoulder" from the CDC.  While "any day" did not specify exactly when technical instructions might arrive, the sentiment echoed by him points to a fruitful relationship.

Moreover, the rollout of the vaccine to Americans has been impressive, and case numbers are down across the board. With the global health crisis heading in the right direction, this adds more clout to the notion that perhaps the public's appetite for things to open back up is increasing.

Just yesterday, Royal Caribbean sent an email survey to many guests asking about their comfort level with going on a cruise given the current situation.

Royal Caribbean sent out a survey to a large collection of guests with a cruise booked in the future to get a better sense of their comfort level given the current global health crisis.

Throughout Monday, many Royal Caribbean cruise fans reported receiving a survey in via email that asked many questions about a specific upcoming cruise they have booked, and their thoughts on why they booked, as well as expectations for the cruise.

Many of the questions asked guests about their feelings on if they will be vaccinated, why they booked, protocols onboard and more.

Royal Caribbean uses guest surveys quite a lot to get feedback from guests.  This particular survey seemed to be sent to a very wide range of guests, as opposed to many surveys in the past which were far more targeted.

There were many questions, but here is a look at the ones that were specific to the Covid-19.

First, they wanted to know what compelled you to book a particular cruise.

The survey also asked what level of Covid-19 protocols do you feel will be in place on the cruise.

Then the survey went into greater detail to determine which health protocols you expect to find onboard.

The role of the vaccine came up in the survery, asking if you plan to get the vaccine.

As well as if you plan to get the vaccine as soon as you can.

Lastly, the survey wanted to know if you expect to be vaccinated by the time the cruise sails.

The survey also asked questions about general travel plans coming up in the next year, as well as what someone looks for in a cruise.

The survey did not ask any questions that hinted at protocol changes. Rather, it seemed to be geared towards "taking the temperature of the room".

The survey comes after it was revealed the Healthy Sail Panel is re-evaluating its health protocol recommendations.