Royal Caribbean Blog

Among the many new additions to Oasis of the Seas is a signature escape room experience, known as Mission Control: Apollo 18.

Guests participating in the escape room try to solve a series of puzzles before time runs out, that requires them to man their stations from Mission Control and successfully launch Apollo 18 to the moon. 

The flight director of the renowned Apollo program, Gerry Griffin, applauded the immersive experience’s level of detail, including the escape room’s resemblance to Johnson Space Center's Apollo Mission Control Center in Houston.

Griffin toured the new escape when Oasis of the Seas resumed sailings in November.

This new video coincides with the Apollo 16 splashdown anniversary, in which astronauts John W. Young, Thomas K. Mattingly II, and Charles M. Duke Jr. were inside the Apollo 16 Command Module as it touch downed in the central Pacific Ocean to conclude their lunar landing mission on April 27, 1972. 

Image Credit: NASA

Apollo 16 was the tenth crewed mission in the United States Apollo space program, the fifth and second-to-last to land on the Moon, and the second to land in the lunar highlands.

While Royal Caribbean's official stance is the cruise line plans to resume operations on June 12, but that seems to be a moving date and we are all wondering when exactly cruises will start up again.

While no one knows for certain when Royal Caribbean will be able to resume sailings, I was curious what cruise fans thought about the prospect of sailings beginning again.

There are plenty of obstacles and challenges to cruise ships sailing again, and it seems everyone has their opinions.

In a Facebook poll that ran over the weekend, 944 people responded to the question "When do you think Royal Caribbean cruises will resume?" and here are the results!

• By June: 35
• By July: 221
• By August: 114
• By September: 50
• By October or later: 524

Comments in the poll varied from wishful thinking, to pesimistic predictions and everything in between.

By far, the majority of people thought cruises would resume October or later, and it seems like alot were emphasising the "later" part of that option.

"For the US, sadly I say late June, Early July. July 4th might be symbolic. It all depends on the CDC do not sail order. That's really the watermark."

"I’m guessing modified itineraries (that have not even been announced yet) may start this summer, as early as July. Simple FL to Caribbean itineraries will dominate to start. And, initial cruises may be the 3, 4, and 5 night itineraries to make sure people are on and off board quickly; in essence preventing incubation on board."

"I hoped for May, but July seems logical for the East coast US. Other locations may differ based on destinations and origins."

I found it interesting to see what people thought, given the worldwide impact of the current situation. It seems at the very least, the further out you go, the more optimisim there is for cruises to resume.

When do you expect Royal Caribbean cruises to resume? Share your predictions in the comments!

The Port of Galveston will meet on Tuesday with the Board of Trustees to discuss a variety of topics, including Royal Caribbean's proposed construction delay of Terminal 3.

The Port Director's Report has been posted in advance of the meeting, and it includes a few interesting talking points that will be covered in the meeting.

Galveston is working with Royal Caribbean on the possibility of receiving Anthem of the Seas at the current Cruise Terminal 2. There is no dates associated with this plan, just the posting of the idea.

A decision will need to be made during the meeting on approving Royal Caribbean's request to delay the new Terminal 3 by one year. In late March, Royal Caribbean asked the Port of Galveston to delay the start of the new cruise terminal by one year.

If approved, the target completion date would now be September 1, 2022.

The conceptual plan for the East End Cruise Corridor (shown below) includes not only the new Royal Caribbean Terminal 3, but an additional 4th cruise terminal at the current Del Monte terminal.

Terminal 3 will be built on 10 acres of land at Pier 10, and will be used by Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean has reiterated that Galveston is an integral part of Royal's strategic plan.

The plan for Terminal Three was announced in December 2019, with the added bonus of Allure of the Seas moving to Galveston to begin sailings shortly after the terminal opened in November 2021.

Many thanks to RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Galveston Steve for alerting us to this news.

Everyone's favorite stay-at-home cruise fun continues today with a brand new virtual vacation getaway.

Royal Caribbean announced the next Virtual of the Seas sailing depart today, with a 7-night internet itinerary to enjoy, hosted by Cruise Director Abe Hughes.

The next sailing will pretend to visit Perfect Day at CocoCay twice, Labadee and more.

The idea behind a virtual cruise is every day, Mr. Hughes posts on Facebook various activities, photos and even a Cruise Compass for helping to pass the time while many of us are stuck at home.

The activity started out as a fun excuse to talk Royal Caribbean, but has taken on a life of its own with so many cruise fans clamoring for some virtual fun wherever they can get it.

You can follow along each day on Abe Hughes' Facebook page.

Lots happened this past week, and I do not want you to miss out on any of the news or helpful posts.  So here is a look back at everything posted here in just the last few days.

Royal Caribbean was busy filing trademarks this week, and perhaps these new applications shed light on what cruising will look like once it resumes.

Most notably, the cruise line filed a trademark for a face mask known as "SEAFACE", as well as another trademark for "EMUSTER".

Trademark applications do not have much information in them, but it stands to reason if Royal Caribbean took the time and money to file for a trademark, there is likely some seriousness to pursuing these concepts.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society Member Ambassador was let go in the recent layoffs.
• Richard Fain spoke about the first steps Royal Caribbean will need to take in order to re-open.
• The one question everyone wants to know: when will Royal Caribbean resume sailings?
• Six big questions cruisers are asking about, that Royal Caribbean still has not answered.
• The ongoing debate: can you wear shorts in the main dining room?
• Here is an inside look at how Wall Street sees Royal Caribbean's future.
• The shipyard where Wonder of the Seas is being built is slowly reopening.
• The company that created Royal Caribbean's escape rooms has launched a virtual escape room.
• Royal Caribbean is reportedly working with Morgan Stanley to raise new financing.
• Here are 10 fun Royal Caribbean upgrades under $50.
• Here is how to make the Poke Bowl from Izumi at home.
• 10 Surprising things you didn't know the Royal Caribbean concierge can do for you.
• A new learn to play casino table games option has been added to the Cruise Planner.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 351st episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, that features Erin's story of a memorable sailing on Grandeur of the Seas.

Erin decided to go on a cruise with a sorority sister, along with their respective kids, and created quite a few memories in the process.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

How Royal Caribbean cut a cruise ship in half

One of the truly incredible engineering feats is when a cruise line cuts a cruise ship in half, adds a new section in the middle, and welds the halves back together. 

While not a common practice anymore, Royal Caribbean endeavored to lengthen its first cruise ship, Song of Norway, in 1977.

Here is the full story of how Royal Caribbean undertook this major (and dangerous) operation.

Royal Caribbean has filed a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for "EMUSTER".

The trademark potentially indicates a move by the cruise like to moving towards electronic muster drills.

It is important to note that trademark applications do not necessarily correlate with actual policy or procedural changes.

No other information was included with the trademark beyond the name, but it certainly fosters a certain level of intrigue.

The muster drill is a compulsory drill required of all guests to gather in designated areas around the ship in order to understand where to go and what to do in the case of a real emergency.

Currently, the muster drill involves large groups of guests lining up in close proximity to each other while being counted and briefed on what to expect in the case of an emergency.

Much like Royal Caribbean's recent trademark filing for "SEAFACE" mask, this could be another change the cruise line is preparing for resuming cruise service once the voluntary global cruise suspension ends.

In the last week, Royal Caribbean has filed trademarks for "SEAFACE", "TOUCHLESS", "CRUISE SAFE", "EMUSTER", and "ROYAL PROMISE".

In an email to Crown and Anchor Society members, Royal Caribbean announced its Member Ambassador was among the many cruise line employees let go as part of layoffs.

Molly Paolini had served as the face of Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program since being appointed to the role in July 2019.

Last week, Royal Caribbean reduced its workforce by 26% through a combination of permanent layoffs and 90-day furloughs with paid benefits.

Royal Caribbean Director, Onboard Branding, Communications & Loyalty, sent an email to Crown and Anchor Society members announcing Molly's departure.

For those who know Molly, you quickly perceived how passionate she was about representing the Crown & Anchor Society. Most of all, I know getting to know you was one of her favorite aspects of the job. The new ideas and dedication she contributed to this family were inspiring — and that type of commitment will continue, you have my word.

Ramos emphasized the she and her team are still available to answer questions and ensure perks and benefits are available to guests.

Guests can still reach Royal Caribbean by their Facebook page, signing in to a Crown & Anchor account, or reaching out to the dedicated Loyalty Call Center at ‌1-800-526-9723‌.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd Chairman and CEO Richard Fain released a new video update that speaks to what to expect as we start to reach a peak in the current global situation.

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As one in a series of videos produced for travel agents, Mr. Fain speaks of the changing nature of our world, and what we can do to prepare for reopening.

"And even as we reenter the reopening process, it will need to be gradual. We can't just squander all the containment we've achieved by suddenly opening everything up without careful thought."

"Opening too soon, or without proper controls, will allow the resurgence of the disease. Alternatively, opening too late or with too many restrictions, will cause more economic pain and suffering. Either extreme causes a totally unacceptable level of human suffering."

"At Royal Caribbean, we're using this time of the suspension to learn as much as we can about this disease, and how to contain it. We're using this time to consult with experts in the field. We're trying to understand the science. We're using this develop new ways of doing things to protect the health of our guests, and our crew. Our objective is to make our ships not just good enough, but the best they can be."

Mr. Fain suggested three perspectives on the things Royal Caribbean and its partners need to do to lead to reopening.

1. Do what our governments tell us we need to do.
2. Understand that our world has changed.
3. A critical role for travel agents to provide expertise to clients.

"What was reasonable a month ago, is no longer adequate."

Mr. Fain reiterated that there is a new normal now, and Royal Caribbean is committed to rising to that challenge. He also mentioned the cruise line will provide more details "in the near future."

In addition, the cruise line is putting together "an information pack on testing" to collect the best information out there in an easy to understand manner, based on consultations with medical experts. 

The hope is this information pack is one step in a series by Royal Caribbean to support the travel agent community in gearing up for the resumption of cruises.

You can view the other videos that Mr. Fain has produced over the last few weeks:

• View Fain's video from April 13
• View Fan's video from April 1
• View Fain's video from March 25
• View Fain's video from March 13
• View Fain's video from March 2

Shipyard Chantiers de l'Atlantique announced it will resume production with a limited number of workers present.

The shipyard in France is where Royal Caribbean's next Oasis Class ship, Wonder of the Seas, is scheduled to be built.

Beginning on April 27, the shipyard announced it will start slowly resuming work around the shipyard, in shifts that will limit crew members distance.

Initially, the work will be on a voluntary basis among the workers, with a maximum of 50% of the workers on site. This will extend until May 11.

On May 11, if all production activities are operational, tertiary activities such as design offices will go on mixing on-site and from-home work.

Wonder of the Seas is scheduled to debut in 2021, although there has been no official word yet from either Royal Caribbean or the shipyard, if there will be a delay in delivery.

Puzzle Break has been the company behind the incredibly fun escape rooms on Royal Caribbean cruise ships, and they just announced a new virtual escape room, "The Grimm Escape."

Since it is not practical to go to a physical escape room currently, Puzzle Break is now offering the same experience in a guided, virtual experience.

Beginning today, the new virtual escape room is available for companies, groups and teams of all sizes.

Puzzle Break’s The Grimm Escape is an online version of one of its most popular escape challenges. When a team signs on for the new game, they are greeted by an online guide (dubbed the fairy godparent), who introduces the story, begins players on their journey, and provides hints to teams that require assistance.

The Grimm Escape costs $25 per person, and so far virtual game slots are selling out within 12 hours of availability. Groups can range in size from five to 100 players.

The game is available to be booked for up to 6 players, and you can grab your tickets here.

To participate, you simply need a desktop or laptop computer that can run Zoom client for meetings, a webcam and microphone, and pencil and paper.