Royal Caribbean Blog

Another town is re-evaluating the role of cruise ships that visit its shores.

The town of Bar Harbor, Maine, is asking residents for their feedback on whether cruise restrictions need to be tighter, making it the latest port municipality to publicly evaluate the effect cruise tourism has on the local population.

According to News Center Maine, the port currently limits cruise travelers to 3,500 passengers per day in July and August and 5,500 per day during the rest of the year. But a recent survey is allowing local residents and business owners to weigh in directly with regard to whether those numbers need to be cut.

"I'm very interested to hear what a majority of our residents think and also to hear what the businesses think," said Town Councilor Gary Friedman, as reported by News Center Maine.

"Some believe that all businesses love cruise ships but that's just not true. Many of them don’t benefit and even feel that their businesses or hurt by the impacts of cruise visitation."

"... it's gotten overwhelming where it's impacting our quality of life here, as well as the businesses that cater to overnight guests," Friedman said.

It was not immediately clear when the survey would end or when the results would be shared.

Congestion is not a new issue for Bar Harbor, which sees about $1 million annually in revenue generated by the cruise industry. The town's official government website shows that a "Cruise Tourism & Traffic Congestion" study was conducted there in 2019 to analyze issues like parking shortages and the types of infrastructure needed to continue to welcome cruise passengers.

In 2020, Bar Harbor's town council voted to ban cruise ships for the entire year -- a move which was later found to have been unnecessary, thanks to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's no sail order and subsequent conditional sailing framework.

The port isn't expected to see any ships for the remainder of 2021, either.

As Bar Harbor reevaluates its cruise-related regulations, it becomes the latest port of call to question the effects of cruise ships and the large numbers of travelers they bring.

In recent years, Dubrovnik and Venice have placed limits on the size of cruise ships allowed to call and, as a result, they have also limited the number of cruise passengers permitted to visit at one time.

In November 2020, more than half of Key West voters leaned in favor of referendums allowing the local government to restrict cruise ship size and number of daily passengers.

That prompted two Florida state officials to introduce a bill that would undermine those policies. After passing in the Senate in April 2021, the bill died due to the state's likely inability to enforce it at a local level.

Juneau residents are also slated to vote on a referendum in October 2021 that could cut down on large cruise ships or limit the number of ships and passengers calling on any given day.

A bill proposed to block municipalities from limiting maritime commerce in Florida's major ports has been scrapped, for now.

In November 2020, more than half of Key West-based voters passed referendums limiting the size of cruise ships, the number of daily passengers and cruise lines with poor environmental records from calling on the island's cruise port.

Under the new measures, the maximum number of passengers in port will not be allowed to exceed 1,500 per day, and ships carrying more than 1,300 passengers will not be allowed to call. That effectively excludes all modern vessels from major lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line.

What is Senate Bill 426, the bill in question?

In response to the November vote, Republican Representative Spencer Roach and Senator Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) introduced a broad bill -- SB 426, "State Preemption of Seaport Regulations" -- that aimed to undermine the new Key West regulations and block similar types of restrictions from taking effect at the local level in Florida's other deep-water seaports.

The bill focuses on the economic benefits that come with seaport operations and proposes to restrict the ability of local governments to limit maritime traffic.

Boyd previously said that allowing cities to have their own rules about maritime commerce could cause problems for the Sunshine State.

"Allowing each local government in which a Florida seaport is located to impose its own requirements on the maritime commerce conducted in that port could result in abrupt changes in the supply lines bringing goods into and out of this state, thus disrupting Florida's economy and threatening the public's health, safety, and welfare."

Following pushback from the local governments at which the original bill was aimed, Roach and Boyd revised the bill several times -- so much so that it eventually targeted Key West, specifically.

Although the bill recently passed in the Senate, 25-14, officials have questioned whether the bill's limitations are constitutional at a local level.

The bill, as currently written, deals generally with maritime restrictions and would, therefore, likely not be enforceable with regard to individual municipalities, such as Key West.

As a result, the bill will not come before the House for a vote during the current session. But, as reported by the Miami Herald, Roach said he hopes to revise it and bring it back for consideration again next year.

What else is happening in Florida?

In early April, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis filed a lawsuit against the United States Government in an attempt to force the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies to allow cruise ships to resume sailing.

The cruises have been barred from operating out of U.S. ports since March 2020, and DeSantis says it's time to put those who rely on the cruise industry for employment back to work.

The CDC revoked its no sail order in October 2020, replacing it with a conditional sailing framework, outlining what cruise lines would need to do in order to receive approval to restart operations in America.

Since that time, cruise lines have implemented new health and safety protocols, but the CDC has done little to allow ships to progress to the next step in the process -- non-revenue test sailings.

Another Royal Caribbean cruise ship will call Barbados home.

Rhapsody of the Seas will begin sailing from Bridgetown, Barbados in November 2022.

Royal Caribbean has plans for Grandeur of the Seas to sail from this Southern Caribbean island beginning this fall.

The new sailings are available to book immediately for winter 2022-2023.

There are a number of 5-, 7-, 8-, and 14-night cruises to choose from, visiting destinations such as Trinidad, Grenada, Guadeloupe and more.

On the on 14-night sailings, Rhapsody is offering overnights in ports like Aruba and Cartagena.

Second ship to sail from Barbados

Since the cruise industry shutdown due to the global health crisis, Royal Caribbean's relationship with the island of Barbados has strengthened.

Barbados was one of the few ports letting ships dock in its waters and exchange crew members in 2020.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley is the co-chair of a task force along with the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, which is aimed at working on the safe return of cruising to the Caribbean.

In addition, Grandeur of the Seas will begin sailing from Barbados in December 2021. At the time, it was the first Royal Caribbean ship to be announced to sail from outside the United States in an effort to get around the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ban on cruise ships from the United States.

The new sailings run between December 2021 and April 2022, although more sailings could be added if the sailings prove to be popular.

A variety of 7-night sailings are available to book immediately. There are three different itineraries, including two separate 7-night sailings and a 14-night sailing with stops in St. Lucia, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent, Grenada, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and more.

While there are not going to be any Royal Caribbean cruise ships operating outside of Singapore, you might be wondering where the rest of the cruise ships are located.

Royal Caribbean's cruise ships are in a state of warm layup around the world in strategically located areas to be near resupply ports.

This allows the ships to easily get into port to offload waste, bring on new supplies, and sometimes exchange out the skeleton crew working onboard.

During this period of no cruises, the ships primarily stay in place, but a few have changed locations from time to time.

This information was gathered, and accurate, as of April 27, 2021.

CocoCay

• Symphony of the Seas
• Oasis of the Seas
• Independence of the Seas
• Allure of the Seas
• Explorer of the Seas
• Freedom of the Seas
• Mariner of the Seas
• Navigator of the Seas
• Liberty of the Seas

St. Maarten

• Enchantment of the Seas
• Brilliance of the Seas
• Rhapsody of the Seas
• Vision of the Seas
• Grandeur of the Seas
• Adventure of the Seas

Barbados

• Serenade of the Seas

Southampton, England

• Jewel of the Seas

Gibraltar

• Anthem of the Seas

Cadiz, Spain

• Harmony of the Seas (in dry dock)

Limassol, Cyprus

• Odyssey of the Seas

Singapore

• Quantum of the Seas
• Radiance of the Seas
• Ovation of the Seas
• Voyager of the Seas
• Spectrum of the Seas

What are cruise ships doing while there aren't any cruises?

Quantum of the Seas is the only Royal Caribbean cruise ship operating right now, but the rest of the fleet is being manned by a skeleton crew while they wait to restart sailings.

This is referred to as "warm lay up", and it means the ship is operational and ready to quickly resume cruises again once they are given the go-ahead to do so.

By keeping the ships in warm lay up instead of cold lay up, they can more quickly get back into service when the time is right.  The downside to warm lay up is it costs Royal Caribbean more money to keep the ships operating in this state.

Read more: What does it mean when a cruise ship goes into cold lay-up?

During the cruise industry shutdown, most ships remain in place unless there is a compelling need to move, such as a dry dock.

If you track cruise ships on the internet, you might see one ship occasionally come into port to receive new supplies and unload waste. In the United States, PortMiami has been the most commonly used destination for ships nearby to resupply.

When will Royal Caribbean ships sail again?

Currently, only Quantum of the Seas is the only ship sailing, but more ships are preparing to restart operations.

Five ships will restart sailings this summer from outside the United States in June and July 2021.

• Adventure of the Seas from Nassau, Bahamas in June 2021
• Vision of the Seas from Bermuda in June 2021
• Odyssey of the Seas from Haifa, Israel in June 2021
• Anthem of the Seas from Southampton, England in July 2021
• Jewel of the Seas from sail Limassol, Cyprus in July 2021

The rest of the fleet is shutdown through the end of June 2021, although more cancellations are likely.

Royal Caribbean is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to receive permission to start cruises again.

During Royal Caribbean Group's fourth quarter 2020 earnings call with investors, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley reported 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.

Test cruises will be the opportunity for cruise lines to demonstrate they can operate in a safe manner through a variety of new protocols.

The reality is no one really know when exactly cruises will start, and that means Royal Caribbean's ships will remain idle around the world until the company is ready to start operations up.

When they do start cruising again, do not expect all 26 ships to resume sailings immediately. Royal Caribbean has said repeatedly it expects to start with a few ships that can sail to its private destinations first, and then expand operations from there.

Royal Caribbean Group CFO Jason Liberty noted the company could add a second ship outside of the U.S. soon, "We are already operating Quantum of the Seas in Singapore, and our second ship in the water could also be outside of the US."

The best expectation is for a handful of ships beginning at first, with a phased approach to bringing the entire fleet back.

Royal Caribbean has a deal to build a new cruise terminal in Galveston, Texas, but the longer the cruise industry shutdown goes, the longer it could take for Royal Caribbean to finish it.

The longer the delay in cruise ships resuming sailing from the United States could impact the new terminal. Royal Caribbean was set to open it by fall 2022, but now, it could be off by a year.

The Port of Galveston Board of Trustees has agreed to the contract amendment by approving a second amendment to the contract on Tuesday for the new Royal Caribbean cruise terminal.  

Although the due diligence period expired on April 9th, this second amendment formally waives the due diligence period and makes this a firm contract.  The due diligence period had given Royal Caribbean Group the ability to cancel the contract up to the April 9th date, but that leverage is now gone.

The contract maintains a target completion date of September 1, 2022 to complete the terminal, which is well ahead of the planned arrival of Allure of the Seas on November 13, 2022.  Allure of the Seas will be arriving from Barcelona, Spain.

To allow for the uncertainty around the resumption of cruising and potential difficulties getting financing for the project, the latest date when Royal Caribbean must complete the project and begin paying rent was extended three months to 9/30/2023.  

Royal Caribbean had asked for a 6-month extension but negotiations resulted in only a 3-month extension. The cruise line is obligated to begin paying rent when the first ship docks at the new terminal, but not later than September 30, 2023.  

Quoted in the Galveston Daily News, Port Director Rodger Rees said that ideally the extension won’t come into play at all. "I think the opening date of the terminal will depend on when the cruise lines commence cruising in the U.S.," Rees said.

"Construction will need to begin by July or August to have the terminal completed by November of 2022. If cruising commences much later than July or August, it will be tough to expect to have the cruise terminal finished by November of 2022."

Trustee Elizabeth Beeton was also quoted in the Daily News and pointed out that at this point there would be significant financial consequences if Royal Caribbean backs out. "If Royal fails to perform, they owe the port several million dollars," Beeton said. She said Royal Caribbean’s extension request wasn’t particularly significant.

In summary, the contract is now firm, Royal Caribbean intends to be ready for Allure’s arrival on November 13, 2022, but they have the contractual flexibility to delay completion to as late as September 30, 2023 if the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to block cruising in the United States and there are other roadblocks to financing the project.

The Port of Galveston has been working on their portion of the project throughout the Covid pandemic and remains on track to support the project with utilities, parking lots, road and traffic improvements, landscaping, dredging, and other work.

The Port of Galveston and the Royal Caribbean project team began bi-weekly project meetings several months ago.

The global health crisis caused the new port project to be delayed. Royal Caribbean announced a new cruise terminal deal in December 2019, with an anticipated completion date of November 2021.

In March 2020, Royal Caribbean asked Galveston to delay the start of construction by a year.

Allure of the Seas is scheduled to begin sailing from Galveston, Texas in November 2022.

Special thanks to Steve Ritter for his contributions to this article.

Facing another year without cruise ships, Alaska's small businesses are in grave danger, and Royal Caribbean is doing its part to help them out.

Royal Caribbean Group announced it will support the Shop Local Alaska Program, which generates revenue for port town businesses. Royal Caribbean Group is the first major travel supplier to hop on board with the Shop Local Alaska program in support of keeping Alaska’s small businesses open for when cruise visitors return to Alaska.

This is an initiative by the BuyAlaska Program and Voyij.com, an online marketplace exclusively for Alaska businesses. It was created due to the uncertainty of the 2021 cruise season in an effort to allow local businesses to survive another year without cruises.

You can visit the Shop Local Alaska website at https://shoplocal.voyij.com.

Without cruise ships, Alaska will lose out on 1.3 million tourists who might have spent money in these small towns.

Royal Caribbean Group has agreed to raise awareness of Alaskan-owned businesses in port towns that are struggling to survive. 

The Shop Local Alaska Program will be marketed to guests of the company’s cruise lines — Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises — around the globe.

They will be able to browse virtual Alaskan stores and buy with confidence on  Voyij.com during this period when ships are not able to take them there. The site offers a wide variety of Alaskan products; from locally caught fish to beautiful Alaskan jewelry to Native Art to clothing of the North. Any Alaskan-owned business can list their products on the Voyij  Marketplace.

"Alaska is the premier destination place in the world,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy.

"I am committed to deploying all resources that result in increased partnerships like the “Shop Local Alaska” initiative that spurs Alaska’s economy and directly benefits small businesses across our state."

Why can't cruise ships sail to Alaska?

A combination of the ban on cruise ships from American and Canadian waters is what is putting the 2021 cruise season in jeopardy.

Both countries have policies in place at the moment that prohibit nearly all cruise ships from sailing to Alaska.

In the case of the United States, the Conditional Sail Order (CSO) does not allow cruise ships to sail from U.S. waters due to the global health crisis.

Even if the United States lifted that ban, ships would not be able to visit Alaska ports until Canada lifts its ban.

Canada's ban will prevent Alaska sailings out of Seattle via Canada because of maritime law.

The Passenger Vessel Service Act (PVSA) of 1886 requires foreign flagged cruise ships to call on a foreign port if sailing a closed-loop cruise form the United States.

This means, cruise ships cannot sail from Seattle and only visit Alaska ports.  Cruise ships must make a stop outside the country, and Canada is the only place between Seattle and Alaska.

Recommendations for wearing face masks among the full vaccinated just changed, which may have an impact on cruise line protocols.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Tuesday it has adjusted its guidelines for wearing of masks outdoors.

Specifically, if you are fully vaccinated, you do not need to wear a face mask outdoors unless in crowded settings.

CDC data showed as of this week, nearly 30% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated and more than 42% have received at least one dose.

Under the new guidance, fully vaccinated individuals can unmask while walking, running, hiking or biking outdoors alone or with members of their household.

The CDC says people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks during outdoor activities, such as walking, biking, running alone or with members of their household. Masks are not needed in small outdoor gatherings among fully vaccinated people.

As for unvaccinated people, the CDC says vaccinated people should wear masks at outdoor gatherings that include other unvaccinated people. 

There is also no need for fully vaccinated individuals to wear a mask at outdoor restaurants with friends from multiple households.

However, vaccinated people should  wear masks at indoor public places, such as hair salons, restaurants, shopping centers, museums and movie theaters.

What about masks on cruise ships?

Royal Caribbean has not announced its health protocols for cruises sailing from North America or Europe this summer outside of the United States, but face masks are almost certainly going to be required to be worn.

Onboard Quantum of the Seas in Singapore, wearing a face mask is mandatory.

On Quantum, guests are required to wear masks outdoors on the pool deck, unless they are in the pool, drinking, eating, or actively engaging in a designated activity (i.e. the Flowrider surf simulator).

Whether or not the CDC's updated guidance will change Royal Caribbean's health protocols in the short term remain to be seen.

Royal Caribbean's health protocols during the global health crisis have been shaped by the Healthy Sail Panel, a joint venture between the Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

The panel is made up of of scientists and public health experts, chaired by Governor Mike Leavitt and Dr. Scott Gottlieb.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain said cruise line protocols will change with the science, "As the science continues to progress, I think we will change and we will adjust to that. And I think we're now trying to predict the future. Remember, these cruises don't start till June."

Have a cruise on Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas? There is plenty onboard to enjoy for guests of all ages.

Like all cruise ships, there are a few good tips and tricks to maximize your time and money onboard.

Here are my best tips for someone sailing on Vision of the Seas.

Park Cafe is a must eat spot

There is plenty of good food onboard Vision of the Seas, but a great spot for complimentary food throughout the day is Park Cafe.

Located in the Solarium, you can find some of the best quick grab-and-go food choices here. Soup, sandwiches, dessert and more are available.

Be sure to try the famous roast beef sandwich here at least once!

Park Cafe is also a great alternative to the Windjammer on embarkation day because it will be far less crowded.

And yes, kids are allowed to go to Park Cafe, even though it is located in the adults-only Solarium area.

Don't miss the events in the Centrum

Throughout the day and night, Royal Caribbean hosts events at the base of the Centrum.

The large open space is where you will find live music, demonstrations, game shows and more.

The great thing about seeing shows in the Centrum is you can quickly see what is happening from one of the overlooking decks.  If it interests you, pull up a chair and enjoy. If not, you can move on to somewhere else onboard.

Read more: Cruise Compass archive

Free sauna and steam room

The fitness center locker rooms have a free sauna, steam room, and very large showers for anyone to use free of charge. 

The showers are great for families, and the sauna and steam rooms are lesser-known amenities open to guests on Vision of the Seas.

Restaurants included with your cruise on Vision of the Seas

Wondering where you can eat with no additional cost on Vision of the Seas?

Here is a list of options:

• Windjammer (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
• Main Dining Room (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
• Cafe Latte-tude (Early morning until late night)
• Park Cafe (afternoon and late night snacks)

Read more: Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Save money with a specialty dining package

If you plan on eating at more than 1 or 2 specialty restaurants while on Vision of the Seas, you probably should invest in a dining package.

Specialty dining packages offer a fixed cost for some, or even unlimited, specialty restaurants during your cruise.

There are three specialty restaurants on Vision of the Seas that are included with the packages:

• Giovanni's Table
• Chop's Grille
• Izumi

Be sure to buy dining packages before your cruise to save even more money.

Keep in mind there may be some extra cost items at these locations, and Chef's Table is not included with the specialty dining package.

Overnight in Bermuda

Just for summer 2021 cruises, Vision of the Seas will not only sail from Bermuda, but also offer guests an overnight to explore Bermuda’s culture, history and cuisine.

The ship will offer an overnight stay in Bermuda, which means the ship acts like a floating hotel, where you can come and go as you please to provide plenty of time to enjoy everything Bermuda has to offer.

An overnight stay in any port is a special experience, and allows much more flexibility in making plans, as well as being able to enjoy the nightlife of the island.

Read Cruise Compass to see entertainment each night

There will be nightly entertainment around the ship, so be sure to read about what is offered in your Cruise Compass.

Each evening, your stateroom attendant will deliver a new copy of the next day's schedule.  You can also find the schedule in Royal Caribbean's app.

It is a good idea to read about what is coming up, so you can plan ahead for the must-see shows.

Download Royal Caribbean's app

Royal Caribbean's app has gone from "nice to have" to "must have" quite quickly, and it is your key for a smoother experience overall.

Not only does Royal Caribbean's app allow for a smoother and faster embarkation process, it makes managing your schedule super easy.

Royal Caribbean has even said that its app is required, so download the app before you leave home and ensure it is set up prior to arriving.

Read more: The Royal Caribbean App: Everything you should know

Register kids for Adventure Ocean on the first day

If you have kids, there is complimentary kids programming that is supervised and a lot of fun.

Children are separated into different age groups to ensure programming is appropriate:

• Aquanauts: 3-5 years old
• Explorers: 6-8 years old
• Voyagers: 9-11 years old
• Teens: 12-14, 15-17 years old.

Adventure Ocean is run every day, but you want to register them on the first day of your cruise.

There will be an open house held (usually in the early afternoon) of the first day of the cruise, so be sure to go up to meet the staff and meet the staff. Plus, it will save you time later.

Read more: Cruising with kids on Royal Caribbean

Make plans for your visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay

Summer sailings on Vision of the Seas will stop at Royal Caribbean's private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay, and it is a must-see destination.

The key to having an amazing day here is to pre-purchase any add-ons you want to try.

CocoCay has so many great things to do, including a water park, zip lines, cabanas to rent, beaches, and even a giant pool.

Read more: Perfect Day at CocoCay prices and costs

Be sure to check out what is available to book before your cruise.  If something is of interest, you should absolutely pre-book it to secure a spot. Many amenities can easily sell out, or cost more if you wait to book onboard the ship.

You should also know that there is plenty of great things to do at CocoCay without spending a dime extra. The island's beaches and pool are included with your cruise fare, along with most of the dining establishments.

Read more: Top 10 Perfect Day at CocoCay secrets and tricks

Whether it is the CDC, a lawmaker, or family member, people will bring up what happened to cruise ships in early 2020 as a reason why cruises should not restart now.

Similar to how some people still bring up what happened to the Titanic as all they need to know about not taking a cruise, the events at the beginning of the global health crisis involving a couple of cruise ships in Asia led to sensational headlines and those memories still dominate the discussion related to why cruise ships cannot sail again now.

Perhaps no one has been more focused on what happened in January 2020 than the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), who still cite events that occurred on the Diamond Princess and Grand Princess cruise ships in January 2020 as proof unrestricted cruise ship travel would be dangerous.

Pages 8 through 11 of the CDC's Conditional Sail Order go into great detail to document what happened on those ships more than 15 months ago.

What happened on cruise ships in January 2020, just like all around the world, were reflections of a naive society beginning to learn about how this new virus functioned and spread.

While the cruise industry struggles to prove it can safely sail from the United States, here is why what happened on cruise ships at the very start of the global health crisis will all but certainly never happen again.

Our knowledge of Covid is much different now

The principal problem with comparing what happened to a ship like the Diamond Princess or Grand Princess to a ship sailing today is that our knowledge of the virus is completely different.

In January 2020, very little was known about Covid, and the Japanese government simply isolated the ship and let the people and crew onboard sit there until the virus "burnt itself out", similar to how firefighters might let a fire burn to prevent it spreading elsewhere.

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated in January 2020 it was still trying to determine, "exact ways its spread and the incubation period."

Public health officials at the time said wearing masks were useful "but have a limited effect". 

Since then, everyone's knowledge of Covid and how it spreads and how to mitigate its spread has changed significantly.

Knowledge of how Covid works today makes the assumptions and treatment of it in January 2020 null and void.

New health protocols

Besides not really knowing much about Covid in early 2020, cruise ships back then had absolutely no protocols on place to mitigate the spread of the virus onboard.

Just like how airplanes, theme parks, and pretty much every facet of life had no safeguards in place, cruise ships were operating in early 2020 without the new strict protocols that any ship sailing today would absolutely mandate.

Royal Caribbean, and the entire cruise industry, has already committed to adopting sweeping new health protocols and changes onboard that would largely prevent the spread of Covid on a ship.

In just one ship sailing from Singapore, Royal Caribbean has committed to guests wearing face masks, universal testing of every single passenger and crew member, strict contact tracing, social distancing and more.

These, and other new protocols, will almost certainly be implemented on any ship sailing in 2021. This makes the conditions onboard ships from early 2020 completely uncharacteristic of what it will be like on a ship sailing today.

Moreover, these health protocols make cruise ships safer than many other forms of travel, where little to no testing is done of customers.

Read more: 5 ways the CDC proves it doesn't understand cruise ships

Agreements with ports

Just as important as the new health protocols, is the cruise lines are ensuring no ship can be isolated and left quarantined indefinitely by working with local governments for an emergency action plan.

Every cruise line is keenly aware the memory of those Princess cruise ships quarantined off the coast of Japan still resonates with many potential customers as cause for concern not to book.

As a result, Royal Caribbean has announced it has deals in place with local governments it sails from to ensure if there was a case onboard, the cruise line would get guests home safely.

For sailings on Quantum of the Seas from Singapore, Royal Caribbean partnered with Singapore's health authorities to ensure they can get guests home safely.  These transport agreements in Singapore are part of the plan to avoid being "stuck" on a cruise ship.

For sailings this summer from the Caribbean, Royal Caribbean has a "a robust, tiered response plan".

In the event that a guest or crew member tests positive for SARS-CoV-2 onboard, a robust, tiered response plan will be activated and is in accordance with guidance from local authorities and leading public health experts. The tiers increase protocols and vigilance onboard, while providing transparent correspondence to guests throughout the process. In partnership with local authorities, Royal Caribbean has developed transport protocols to ensure impacted guests get home safely. Thanks to rapid technology-enabled contact tracing, potential exposure to other guests and crew can be promptly identified and an action plan enabled.

Concerned this sounds like all talk, and if a case were to really happen onboard governments would balk? We already know that will not be the case.

In December 2020, there was a positive case on Quantum of the Seas sailing from Singapore.

It turned out to be a false positive, but the ship was allowed to immediately return to Singapore and all guests were able to disembark safely and in a timely fashion.

The vaccine

On top of all the protocols and agreements, vaccines are something that did not exist in early 2020.

While Royal Caribbean is still deciding if it will require the vaccine or not across the fleet, ships sailing this summer will definitely require it for adults onboard in the interim.

Moreover, vaccine requirements or not, a lot of people are getting the vaccine anyway, and that greatly mitigates the at risk population onboard.

At the very least, the first cruise ships sailing this summer will require adults onboard to be vaccinated, as well as every single crew member. 

Read more: Everything we know about if Royal Caribbean will require a vaccine

Real world proof ships can sail safely

Not only is everything listed here backed up by input from leading public health officials, this approach to safely cruising is already happening in parts of the world since summer 2020.

Based on public reporting, almost 400,000 passengers that have sailed during the global health crisis with fewer than 50 confirmed cases of COVID-19 onboard Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) member cruise line ships since resumption started last summer.

This has demonstrated the new health protocols work, and more importantly, no cruise ship has been left isolated in a manner like those ships in early 2020.

Among the changes Royal Caribbean will have for guests sailing this summer on Adventure of the Seas from a new homeport is a different check-in area.

Adventure of the Seas will begin offering cruises from Nassau, Bahamas in June 2021, and this is a brand new offering for both Royal Caribbean and the Bahamas.

Traditionally, guests report to a cruise terminal for the check-in and boarding procedure, but it appears that will not be the case for guests on Adventure.

A passenger sailing on the June 12 sailing of Adventure of the Seas reported being told the British Colonial Hilton resort in downtown Nassau will be used as a staging ground for check-in and boarding.

Doug Swallow shared the information after talking to Royal Caribbean about purchasing airport transfers.

"The hotel is being used as the staging point for boarding the ship since there are no facilities currently at the pier," he posted on Facebook.  "The hotel is one of the closer things to the pier itself."

Confirming the change is Michael Maura, the Nassau Cruise Port’s chief executive, who told The Tribune he is meeting this week with executives from Nassau Airport Development Company, the Lynden Pindling International Airport operator, to discuss the transfer of incoming cruise passengers to the downtown Nassau cruise port.

Mr. Maura said Royal Caribbean is planning to use a reception room in the British Colonial Hilton resort for check-in.

Passengers’ bags will go from there to the cruise port, where they will be screened before being placed on the vessel.

Luggage scanning equipment will be installed to screen passengers’ bags is due to arrive on New Providence in “the next couple of weeks”, according to Mr. Maura.

Nassau Cruise Port is working extensively with the cruise lines and Bahamian  law enforcement to determine the flow, handling and other details required for this.

Bahamian companies, with manpower and forklifts, will be hired to deal with bags belonging to 1,500 Royal Caribbean passenger.

Adventure of the Seas will be the first Royal Caribbean ship to sail from North America in well over a year, beginning with her June cruises.

Check-in process outline

During a webinar with Bahamian officials, Royal Caribbean's Associate Vice President, Gaming & Onboard Revenue, Elisa Shen, outlined the plan right now for guest embarkation.

Ms. Shen warned these are subject to change.

On the day of the cruise, Royal Caribbean will offer an opportunity for guests to drop off their luggage at the British Colonial Hilton before their official check-in time.

That way, guests can tour Nassau without being encumbered by their belongings while they wait for their official check-in appointment.

Check-in times at the British Colonial Hilton will range between 1pm and 7pm.

Ms. Shen added that guests at the airport on the day of the cruise could drop off their luggage with Royal Caribbean. Guests coming to Nassau a day or more prior to the cruise can drop off luggage at the hotel.

At their appointment, times guests will report to the British Colonial Hilton where they will get an antigen test. Upon testing negative, guests will then be taken directly to the ship.