Royal Caribbean Blog

Despite Royal Caribbean's worldwide cruise shutdown that was just recently extended again, work continues on the cruise line's newest cruise ship, Odyssey of the Seas.

Odyssey is under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany and, the shipyard released a 360 photo of the build hall where Odyssey of the Seas and other ships are being worked on.

Viewable in the 360-view is Odyssey of the Seas, which recently had her last block added, along with the first phase of the AIDAcosma and other blocks of AIDAcosma nearby.

Odyssey of the Seas will be the cruise line's second Quantum Ultra Class ship, and is scheduled to debuts in November 2020 when she sails out of Port Everglades, Florida.

Royal Caribbean announced today it has extended its global voluntary suspension of sailings through June 11, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result of this new extension of cancelled sailings, Royal Caribbean expects to return to service on June 12, 2020.

This is the third time Royal Caribbean has cancelled sailings due to the health crisis, with the first set of cancelled sailings through April 10, then they cancelled all cruises through May 11.

Royal Caribbean had already cancelled all Canada, New England, and Alaska sailings through June 30, due to Canada closing all of its cruise ports.

There is a slight change to the policy on Future Cruise Credits for guests who had cancelled sailings between May 12 - June 11, 2020. They can choose between a 100% refund or 125% Future Cruise Credit. Future cruise credits must be redeemed by January 1, 2021 and sail by April 30, 2022. In addition, the deadline to request to change a future cruise credit to a refund deadline is December 31, 2020. 

Guests who had cancelled sailings between March 14 - May 11 must redeem their future cruise credits and sail by December 31, 2021.  They may request a future cruise credit to be changed to refund by December 31, 2021.

Any pre-purchased amenities and packages, such as internet, beverage, dining or RoyalUp upgrades, will be automatically refunded. Royal Caribbean Travel Protection will also be refunded.

Guests can opt-in to convert all Cruise Planner purchases into an Onboard Credit valued at 125% of the total amount paid. This offer is available to choose before it expires on May 4, 2020.

The announcement comes a day after Royal Caribbean reduced its U.S. workforce by 26%, and less than a week after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an extended “no-sail” order for cruise ships operating out of U.S. ports. The “no-sail” order could remain in effect through late July.

Competitor Carnival Cruise Line announced earlier this week it would cancel all of its worldwide sailings through June 30.

Helpful resources

• What should you do if Royal Caribbean cancels your cruise because of coronavirus pandemic?
• Should you reschedule your Royal Caribbean cruise in 2020 or 2021?
• How to cancel your Royal Caribbean cruise if you are concerned about Coronavirus
• More information on the Cruise with Confidence program

If there was a "Royal Caribbean Food Hall of Fame", I think it would be safe to say the flourless chocolate cake would be among the many inductees.

This dessert has been a staple of the main dining room dessert assortment for years, and is among the favorites of repeat cruisers. So much so, I received a special request for this recipe because it is so satisfying, and who would not want a little Royal Caribbean comfort food at home right about now?

Flourless chocolate cake Ingredients

Flourless Cake

• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
• 7 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar

Brandy Snap

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 Cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup corn syrup

Garnish

• Whipped cream
• 20 strawberries, sliced
• Chocolate ice cream, purchased
• 1 tablespoon chopped, unsalted pistachios 
• Mint leaves

Suggested music while preparing flourless chocolate cake

• Andy Williams - A Summer Place

Flourless chocolate cake Instructions

Serves 10

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Coat a 10-inch springform pan with butter and wrap the outside with a double thickness of aluminum foil to prevent water from seeping in.
3. Over a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter. Do not overheat. Set aside to cool, stirring for 5 minutes.
4. Using an electric mixer. beat eggs and sugar until creamy Gradually fold the chocolate into egg mixture, then add rum, vanilla extract and coffee.
5. Bring a large kettle of water to a boil. Pour mixture into prepared cake pan and cover with aluminum foil. Place in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up outside of pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
6. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool to room temperature in pan, transfer to a wire rack and chill overnight.
7. For the Brandy Snap, combine all ingredients and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll out to 1/4 inch flat on a sheet of parchment paper. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. While still warm, cut into 1 -inch wide strips and roll one end around a shot glass.
8. Slice cake and serve on chilled dessert plates, garnished with Brandy Snap, whipped cream. strawberries. a scoop of chocolate ice cream and mint leaf. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. 

Did you ever wonder why Royal Caribbean was the name picked for the cruise line? After all, it is not named after the founder of the company or the country or town it is based in, so why was this name chosen?

The name of the cruise line was achieved after a length discussion among the founding families.

As you might imagine, there were other names suggested and ultimately rejected. These include Pleasure Cruise Line, Holiday Cruise Line and Crown Cruise Line.

Royal Caribbean Line had been considered and rejected because the word "cruise" had to appear in the title.

The working title Royal Cruise Line aroused opposition from those who feared that it hinted at government involvement.  However, Ed Stephan and the partners felt that the word "royal" was essential, signifying a high level of service; moreover, the word had marketing appeal among republic-minded but royalty-conscious Americans.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line touched every base the partners wanted splendidly.

As a result, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line A/S - familiarly reduced to RCCL - came into formal being on January 31, 1969.

Picking the Crown and Anchor Logo

Now that the name was chosen, what about the Crown and Anchor logo? 

In the days when Song of Norway was being designed, Royal Caribbean adopted its hallmark logo, the anker med krone, or crown that became the company house flag.

Morits Skaugen had asked a designed to sketch an original that was instantly accepted by all partners in March 1969.

Examples of Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor in various stages of design development

A crowned anchor is featured in the cap badges of both the Norwegian Navy and Merchant Navy. Avoiding infringement of those necessitated a different design, so Royal Caribbean's crowned anchor is abstract, yet, at the same time, deftly stylized.

Obtaining permission from the authorities was not easy. Oslo's royal family is reluctant to franchise crown facsimiles as trademarks. Some said that final permission was given the personal imprimatur of His Majesty King Olav V.

The crowned anchor has proved widely and successfully applicable, whether adorning funnel, cufflink, calling card or doorplate.

Royal Caribbean has advised travel agents that a decision on more cruise cancellations could come in the next day or two.

Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed spoke to travel advisors in a weekly webcast and started off the call with an update on the impact of future sailings being affected by the recent 100 day 'No Sail Order' by the CDC.

Freed indicated that while Royal Caribbean "is still evaluating" what the 'No Sail Order' means to the cruise line, she said, "we are going to come out with a statement on our suspensions in the next day or so."

Later in the call, a question was asked about the possibility of Royal Caribbean offering cruises later this summer in Europe (and a similar question was asked about Alaska), and Freed answered, "We do hope to be cruising in August out of Barcelona, and that's why when we announce suspensions, we are only announcing at 30 days in advance.

"Things can change rather quickly with this coronavirus, so our goal is to be cruising in Europe, but again, we all have to take it day by day."

Royal Caribbean has already cancelled all of its sailings from March 14 through May 11, in addition to all Canada, New England, and Alaska sailings cancelled through June 30.

Carnival Cruises has already announced it will cancel its sailings through the end of June.

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

The Miami Herald reported the workforce reduction, as confirmed by Royal Caribbean chief communications officer Rob Zeiger.

The layoffs and furloughs are a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that has greatly impacted the entire cruise industry. Royal Caribbean has been under a voluntary global shutdown since mid-March that extends through mid-April, although that could certainly be extended as well.

The CDC has issued a 100-day no-sail order, and Carnival Cruise Line has already cancelled sailings through the end of June.

Royal Caribbean has stated it is "studying" the new CDC regulation before making any changes.

Royal Caribbean is offering past cruisers up to $425 combinable instant savings on new cruises booked between April 15 – 21, 2020, based on the length of the cruise and loyalty tier.

The Crown and Anchor Bonus is combinable with the April Splash Sale or a Crown and Anchor existing member discount.

April Splash Sale applies to new bookings made between April 15 – 21, 2020. Spring Sale offers instant savings of up to $200 USD per stateroom on select sailings departing on or after May 15, 2020. Savings amount determined by category booked and sailing length: On sailings 5 nights or less, $25 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $75 for Suites; on sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $100 for Balconies and $200 for Suites. Instant savings applied as instant rebate to the price of cruise fare at checkout. Instant savings do not apply to China departures.

Crown and Anchor (CAS) Bonus offer applies to new bookings made between April 15 – 21, 2020 to Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Crown & Anchor Society members. CAS Bonus provides up to $50 USD instant savings per stateroom on select sailings departing on or after May 15, 2020. Savings amount determined by sailing length: On sailings 5 nights or less, $25 savings; on sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 savings. Savings are not redeemable for cash and are non-transferable. When reserving, a valid Crown & Anchor Society membership number must be included in the reservation. Instant savings applied as a single instant discount from the total price of cruise fare at checkout.

Balcony and Suite Discounts are a per stateroom discount applicable on balcony and suite categories only available to Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Crown & Anchor Society members. Savings are not redeemable for cash and are non-transferable. When reserving, a valid Crown & Anchor Society membership number must be included in the reservation. Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle Crown & Anchor Society members will receive an increased discount for making a reservation for a sail date outside of six (6) months. Within six (6) months of sailing, if the guest cancels and reinstates the booking, applies a fare change, changes categories, or changes the ship or sail date of the booking, the discount will be automatically adjusted to the lower value.

Kids Sail Free applies to new bookings made between April 1 – 30, 2020. Kids Sail Free provides free cruise fare for 3rd guests and higher who are 12 years old or younger as of cruise departure date, booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualifying guests in a triple or quad-occupancy stateroom. Kids Sail Free applies to select 4-night or longer Alaska, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, CaribNE, Coastal, Europe, Hawaii, Repositioning and all 2020 Serenade of the Seas sailings departing between September 1, 2020 – December 17, 2020 and January 8, 2021 – May 17, 2021. Offer excludes 2020 Thanksgiving sailings (Sailings between November 21 - 28, 2020), 2021 President’s Day Sailings (Sailings between February 12 – 15, 2021), and 2021 Spring Break and Easter sailings (Sailings between March 13 – April 4, 2021). Taxes, fees, and port expenses are additional and apply to all guests.

BOGO60 and Kids Sail Free are combinable with each other as well as promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, instant savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, Shareholder Benefits, Crown and Anchor Balcony and Suite Discounts and CAS Bonus. April Splash Sale is combinable with BOGO60 and Kids Sail Free as well as with promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, Instant Savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, Shareholder Benefits, with Crown and Anchor Bonus but not combinable with Crown and Anchor Balcony and Suite Discounts. Crown and Anchor Balcony and Suite Discounts is combinable with Crown and Anchor Bonus but cannot be used with certain restricted fares and is not combinable with any other promotion or offer, including, but not limited to other dollars off and onboard credit offers, MyCruise® Upgrades, Companion Fare and Free Cruise promotions and benefits. Offers are not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Standard Group, Interline Rates, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, and Net Rates. Promo Code driven offers are based on select ships and sail dates and must be applied at time of booking; limit one promo code per booking.

Offer available to residents of United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and select countries in the Caribbean.

One of the most polarizing topics among cruisers these days is the role of dress codes on a cruise, especially formal night.

Dress codes apply to the suggested attire for attending dinner in the main dining room on a given day onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise.

The dress code changes daily, with a formal night or two included, but you might be wondering what is formal night and what should I wear on a cruise?

To formal or not...

The concept of getting dressed up for a cruise on formal night is an interesting scenario, because there are many opinions on the relevance of formal night in the 21st century, as well as complacency with the requirement.

I polled some Royal Caribbean cruise fans on Facebook to get an idea of their thoughts, and get a sense of the rate of participation. I asked them simply, "Do you get dressed up for formal night on a cruise?"

In the 36 hours or so the poll has run, about 1,446 people have participated, and an overwhelming 1,008 of respondents answered"yes" to the question.

The next biggest grouping of answers were among the 302 that answered "occasionally", with 127 responding "never" and just 9 that said "rarely".

These results indicate quite a few cruise fans participate in formal night, which was a little surprising considering the anecdotal trends I have observed among cruisers who voice a desire for a more less-regimented approach to vacationing.

The roots of formal night

The concept of dress codes emanates from the early days of cruising on passenger liners that most of us recall looking like something out of the 1997 film Titanic. 

Royal Caribbean, and most other cruise lines, carried forward the concept of dressing up for dinner while onboard. It provides an opportunity for guests to dress to impress, get professional photos taken, and enjoy an evening of elegance.

"Dress codes have been around since the heyday of transatlantic liner service," says Billy Hirsch, writer and cruise historian at Cruise Habit, "Those in steerage and tourist class were there with a destination in mind, but those with first-class this accommodations were members of high-society and always looking to impress.  This wasn't only applicable at dinner - but all day long, with guests dressing their best even while enjoying lounge chairs on deck (which had to be rented at cost, by the way)."

"Though the class system largely went away and travel on passenger ships is now primarily recreational, the snob-appeal in cruise-line marketing combined with the tendency of tradition to live long at sea has meant that more formal dress has remained popular with many guests - though most seem content to don a bathing suit rather than a tuxedo when by the pool."

Dress codes on Royal Caribbean look nothing like they did a century ago, but there is some vestige of the past still part of the cruise experience today.

Today, Royal Caribbean lists three types of dress codes: casual, smart casual, and formal. These dress codes apply to the main dining room only, and offer suggested attire for men and women. Specialty restaurants have their own dress code that supersedes the main dining room dress code, and there are always alternative casual dining options that have no regimented dress code for those uninterested in participating.

All short itineraries (5-nights or less) offer a “Wear Your Best” evening onboard (in lieu of a formal night).  Royal Caribbean describes it as: Nighttime’s the right time to wear your best look.  That means a step up from your tropical dinner wear, and includes collared shirts, dresses, skirts, blouses and pantsuits.  Jackets, tuxedos/formal wear sports coats and blazers are also appropriate. 

Sailings that are 6-nights or longer still have formal nights.  This includes Harmony of the Seas and all sister ships sailing 6+ night itineraries.    

What should I wear on formal night?

Royal Caribbean's dress code suggestions are just: suggestions.

Their website lists for men to consider a black-tie look, with suits and ties or tuxedos. Ladies should consider cocktail dresses or evening gowns.

If you are asking does everyone dress up to that extent, the answer is a resounding no. If you walk the Royal Promenade or around the Centrum of a Royal Caribbean ship around dinner time on formal night, you will spot plenty of people dressed to these specifications, but many opt for a more casual (but still dressed up) approach. Collared shirts with no jacket or tie for men, or blouses and skirts or leggings for ladies is common as well.

There can be 1-3 formal nights during a sailing and is at the ship’s discretion.

Your thoughts

If you missed the poll, let us all know in the comments below what you think. Do you (or will you) dress up for formal night? Do you think dress codes should remain a part of the cruise experience?

Over the weekend, Arne Wilhelmsen passed away, a key founder of Royal Caribbean. His passing reminds us of his contributions to the cruise line that millions have enjoyed ever since.  

Arne grew up as the son of Anders Arnt Wilhelmsen, who was one of Norway's preeminent maritime leaders, and owner of Anders Wilhelmsen & Company.

Along with Arne's brother, Gjert, became a partner in his father's firm.  Arne was a graduate of Harvard Business School and had a solid grounding in New York shipping.

During Arne's tenure in the United States, he recognized new trends in American lifestyles, which became an important factor when his father was approached about a partnership to build two cruise vessels for the Caribbean.

Before a final decision could be made, Arne joined others in this proposed new partnership on a trip to Miami and met with retired Admiral and Miami port director Irwin Stephens.  The group discussed plans that would ultimately create the world's largest passenger port.

Fast-forward to April 1969, when the keel for Royal Caribbean's first ship, Song of Norway, was laid and eight months after that, the hull was launched. The launch marked an inexorable Miami countdown; delivery was less than a year away and the public had no idea that a new cruise line with a new kind of ship was coming.

The man to decide the marketing of Royal Caribbean fell to Arne Wilhelmsen.  He had many concerns, such as what customer groups should be targeted? What prices should be charged? How would travel agents best be enrolled? Which areas of the United States should be most assiduously cultivated?

Wilhelmsen urged an optimal price-payload balance even if ticket prices prevented the vessel from always sailing at full capacity. Pricing and product should match consistently, with only seasonal fluctuations taken into account.

Wilhelmsen, along with other executives, began their marketing campaign in person.  There were cocktail meetings, promotional film screenings, and persuasive sales talks.  Wilhelmsen also called on travel editors to help curate the Royal Caribbean message.

The launch of Song of Norway started off quite well. The first six cruises were kept purposefully below capacity to fine-tune hotel operations. But starting with the seventh, capacity shiploads were the norm. So insatiable was the demand that officers, compensated accordingly, often relinquished their cabins to passengers.

The fledgling cruise line enjoyed an incredible public response; positive word of mouth spread like wildfire. Advertising was unnecessary. Song of Norway's high degree of passenger satisfaction did the rest.

Over that first year, Song of Norway excelled, an incomparable debut. The company, its inspired first vessel and a cruising legend were off and running.

Royal Caribbean has come a long way since the debut of Song of Norway, and its success today can be traced back to the work of men like Wilhelmsen and the other families that worked to make a Caribbean cruise line into a reality.

This blog is dedicated to Royal Caribbean International cruise line, but did you know that they are owned by another company and are among a few different cruise lines operated by an umbrella corporation?

Royal Caribbean International is owned by Royal Caribbean Group (formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd).

It can be confusing to make the distinction between Royal Caribbean International (RCI) and Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) because the names are very similar, and decades ago, Royal Caribbean International used to be known as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, which means the acronyms are even confusing at times.

Royal Caribbean Group is the full or partial owner of a few different cruise lines:

• Royal Caribbean International
• Celebrity Cruises
• Silversea
• TUI Cruises (50% stake)

There are many people that make up the executives in Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, but Richard Fain is the most visible member, acting as the Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group.

Michael Bayley is the President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, and manages the cruise line operations.

The lines between the cruise line and the parent company can be confusing at times, as policies, news and announcements come from both companies.

A Brief History of Royal Caribbean

The full history of Royal Caribbean is too long to compile, but here is a breakdown of how Royal Caribbean Cruise Line went from a cruise line to a parent company.

In 1968, Royal Caribbean International was founded, with Song of Norway launching as the industry's first ship built for warm-weather cruising.

In 1997, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line purchased Celebrity Cruises. The decision was made to keep the two cruise line brands separate following the merger; as a result Royal Caribbean Cruise Line was re-branded Royal Caribbean International and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. was established as the new parent company of both Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises.

In November 2006, Royal Caribbean Cruises purchased Pullmantur Cruises based in Madrid, Spain.

Azamara Club Cruises was created in May 2007 as a subsidiary of Celebrity Cruises.

Royal Caribbean also has an interest in TUI Cruises, which began operations in 2009 aimed at a German-speaking market.

In July 2018, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. completed the purchase of over 66.6% of shares of Silversea Cruises.