Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean's first cruise ship to restart operations is back in service and offering cruises again after almost a week of being idle.

Quantum of the Seas departed the Marina Bay Cruise Centre to restart operations following a false positive test that temporarily shut her back down.

Last week, a passenger on Quantum of the Seas took a covid test onboard after not feeling well, and in an abundance of caution, the ship returned to port immediately and cancelled its next scheduled sailing.

After three tests in Singapore, it turned out the original positive test onboard was incorrect and the virus was never a threat on that sailing.

The 83-year-old man's original sample was retested and came back negative on Wednesday. A second fresh sample was tested and also found to be negative.

Quantum of the Seas has resumed her short "cruises to nowhere" from Singapore, offering 3- and 4- night cruises to residents of Singapore only.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain celebrated the rapid response from both the ship crew and the Singaporean government during the false alarm.

"The protocols and collaboration with the Singaporean authorities resulted in swift containment of any potential covid threat, some guest inconvenience, and a recognition that working together our cruises can operate and deliver great experiences."

Safe cruise strategy

In order to offer cruises in a safe manner, Royal Caribbean came up with sweeping changes to its ship that would facilitate all the necessary new protocols.

These multilayered health and safety measures were created based on science, data driven and developed with expert guidance from the Healthy Sail Panel, Royal Caribbean Group’s Head of Public Health and Chief Medical Officer and the Singapore Ministry of Health. 

Quantum of the Seas has a reduced capacity onboard, and has implemented mandatory universal testing during embarkation and debarkation, and enforced mask wearing, physical distancing and enhanced cleaning practices across the ship, among other required practices.

New to the cruise experience is Royal Caribbean’s Tracelet, a custom wearable required for all guests and crew on board Quantum of the Seas. The technology helps monitor physical distancing and the cruise line’s contract tracing procedures.  

For a healthier and safer adventure for all, guests and crew must wear masks on board and during signature experiences.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain has a new outlook on cruises restarting, and it is a significant departure from his outlook in the past.

Mr. Fain shared a video update with travel partners on Monday that acclaimed the approval and imminent distribution of new vaccines that he believes will be the primary way to get cruise ships sailing again.

His tone was still upbeat, but he now thinks the key to cruises resuming will be the arrival of a vaccine, and not only new health protocols.

"Previously, we expected cruising to resume based on creating a virtual bubble of safety on a ship, even if the rest of the country was experiencing significant spread," he admitted to viewers.

"Today we envision that the key, but not the exclusive factor, will be the vaccines rather than purely the protocols."

The nearly year-long cessation of operations has resulted in an enormous amount of waiting, and much more than anyone predicted, "We've waited a long time for this," Mr. Fain admitted. "We never imagined that it would take this long and we never imagined that we could survive with such a lengthy shutdown."

However, Mr. Fain believes cruises will be able to come back faster than previously thought due to the impact vaccines will have.

"Although the first cruises will be later than we expected, the resumption of cruising will ramp up faster and be more robust."

Mr. Fain was quick to point out that the new health protocols are still important, and touted the role they played in the recent false positive scare on Quantum of the Seas.

It is the first time Royal Caribbean has openly spoke about what happened last week, and it appears the situation that played out on Quantum of the Seas proved the importance of new protocols.

"The protocols and collaboration with the Singaporean authorities resulted in swift containment of any potential covid threat, some guest inconvenience, and a recognition that working together our cruises can operate and deliver great experiences."

The experience on Quantum of the Seas allowed Royal Caribbean to run through a real-world situation that luckily had no repercussions.

"The false positive gave us a real world chance to test our procedures, and they performed well."

"Such experiences really allow us to test our processes and prepare better for a full operation."

Mr. Fain also believes that once the public health threat is reduced because of the arrival of a vaccine, demand for travel will surge.

Many travel experts believe there is a lot of pent up demand by the public to get back to the fun things that so many people gave up on in 2020.

Mr. Fain said "demand will grow quickly" once cases begin to fall and cruises begin to open back up.

"People are tired and frustrated, and they want to get away from this Groundhog Day experience. The demand for new experiences will blossom."

The holiday spirit is spreading around the world, including on Royal Caribbean's cruise ships.

Over the weekend, Santa took a minute to hang ten and try his luck out surfing on Quantum of the Seas.

Video from onboard the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to restart operations has Santa showing off his surfing skills on the back of Quantum of the Seas, with his elves cheering him on.

Nick Weir is the Senior Vice President of Entertainment for Royal Caribbean and shared the video to give a sneek peak of the rehearsals happening onboard.

Santa was onboard #QuantumoftheSeas for rehearsals yesterday. He brought four of his Elves, and his #Flowrider Sleigh... (way to go Sports Team!) pic.twitter.com/g3Au4UqJdT

— Nick Weir (@NickWeirShowbiz) December 13, 2020

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley shared the video saying, "Santa and his elves have boarded Quantum and we are ready to sail!"

The FlowRider surf simulator is one of the signature activities on Quantum of the Seas, and it is available on many cruise ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet.

Quantum of the Seas recently restarted cruises in Singapore with "cruises to nowhere" that are limited to residents of Singapore and are just 3- and 4-night sailings.

Good news, we are all one week closer to our next Royal Caribbean cruise!  In case you missed any of the Royal Caribbean fun from this week, here is our weekly round up!

Many cruise fans were happy to hear that Royal Caribbean has extended the opportunity to earn double loyalty program points on 2021 cruises.

The Loyalty 2X Points benefit has been extended as a result of some of the recently cancelled cruises in early 2021.

There is no change to existing 2021 cruises booked, as they already qualify for the benefit as well.

Royal Caribbean News

• Grandfather of toddler who fell from a Royal Caribbean ship has sentencing delayed
• Royal Caribbean says its app is required when cruises restart
• Here’s what ‘The Key’ is (and why some cruisers like it)
• New cruise planner sale on drink packages, excursions and more
• U.S. Congressmen demand answers from CDC about decisions to allow cruise ships to sail
• 10 mistakes travel agents see people make going on a cruise ship
• Where are Royal Caribbean's ships right now?
• Why cruise lines aren't relying only on COVID-19 testing
• Where Royal Caribbean cruising is right now
• Quantum of the Seas had a COVID-19 scare that turned out to be a false positive
• 7 things you should know about your cruise ship cabin
• Royal Caribbean says so many volunteers for test cruise is 'incredibly motivating'
• Royal Caribbean passes on virus-zapping air purifier

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 384th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, Matt and Billy make wishes for cruising in 2021.

Each year, Billy and Matt look back on the wishes they made for the year and make new wishes for the coming year.

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.

New RCB Video: 5 biggest changes on first Royal Caribbean cruise ship back!

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — 5 biggest changes on first Royal Caribbean cruise ship back — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Top 5 odd annoyances on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship

Every cruise ship has its quirks, including a few on Royal Caribbean that leave some guests baffled why it was designed that way.

In general, ship design is quite good across the fleet and the teams that sketched these vessels anticipated a lot of needs, but occasionally there is a peculiarity that we all seem to notice.

Here is a look at the top five odd annoyances on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that you may have encountered yourself.

One company claims to have developed an indoor air cleaning system that can zap away 99.9% of airborne COVID-19 virus particles from any indoor space within 30 minutes.

AtmosAir is the manufacturer of this bi-polar ionization technology, and it has caught the attention of plenty of companies that have large indoor spaces, such as cruise lines.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings recently announced a partnership with the company to install the technology on 28 cruise ships in the family of cruise lines, including Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas. Virgin Voyages will also invest in it.

According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Royal Caribbean considered using AtmosAir's tech, but "decided there wasn’t enough available research to justify adopting it."

Patrik Dahlgren, Royal Caribbean Group Senior Vice President for Global Marine Operations told the outlet they decided to upgrade its indoor air filtration systems using traditional filters capable of trapping virus-sized contaminants.

How bi-polar ionization works

The AtmosAir Bi-Polar Ionization works differently from traditional air filtration. Instead of "catching" virus particles in the air, Bi-Polar Ionization sends charged ions out on air currents that damage the surface of the virus and inactivate it.

These ions travel into occupied spaces, bind with contaminants and pathogens, including coronaviruses, and break them down. Through naturally occurring chemistry, the contaminants are disinfected, and the air is purified to the level seen in most natural environments.

AtmosAir Solutions provided results of tests performed by the independent Microchem Laboratory, which evaluates sanitizing products, that found the technology reduced the presence of coronavirus by more than 99 percent within 30 minutes of exposure.

The technology is used at more than 7,500 locations across the United States, including Hilton and Marriott hotels, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Staples Center, Los Angeles International and more.

Royal Caribbean's air filtration plans

Royal Caribbean worked with the University of Nebraska Medical Center to develop an air circulation solution to keep guests safe.

They conducted a bioaerosol assessment on Oasis of the Seas.

This study involved releasing billions of 1µ aerosol-sized microspheres, each containing uniquely DNA barcoded inert virus surrogate, throughout the ship at certain pre-selected spaces (i.e., crew cabins, guest staterooms, and adjacent public spaces including the casino, Studio-B & Disco/Lounge) to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of the vessel’s indoor air management strategies, as well as to understand the spread of the aerosols through the HVAC system and in between the adjacent private and public spaces.

The study found that it was necessary to utilize a HVAC system on its cruise ships that changed the air in the room at least 6 times or more and used a filter with a MERV rating of 13. Doing this cleared the virus droplets from the air in about an hour.

This study confirmed that cross-contamination of air between adjacent public spaces is extremely low, and undetectable in most test cases, thanks to this powerful system.

Air filtration is just one part of what Royal Caribbean's plans are to handle airflow on its cruise ships.

The Healthy Sail Panel panel of health experts recommended 7 important steps to manage indoor air.

1. Use HVAC filters with highest level possible (MERV 8 to MERV 13)

2. Optimize airflow so that air is not recirculated.

3. SARSCoV-2 isolation rooms are consistently at negative pressure.

4. Maximize air changes per hour and filtration of air in staterooms, crew rooms, and public areas.

5. Isolation rooms in medical facilities on board should have 6-12 air changes per hour, be at a negative pressure to the adjacent area, and have 100% air exhausted to the outside.

6. Use portable HEPA filters in congregate areas.

7. Reducing indoor functions whenever possible in favor of outdoor activities.

Royal Caribbean has a new sale on pre-cruise purchases, including drink packages, shore excursions, wifi and more.

The Deck the Deals sale runs between December 11 - 17, 2020 and is valid on sailings from March 1, 2021 - November 30, 2021. It includes all ships, except Spectrum of the Seas.

Here is what is included during the sale:

BEVERAGE: Up to 45% off

• Classic Soda Beverage Package: 40% off onboard prices.
• Classic Soda Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Discount varies by ship.
• Dasani Water Cans: 40% off onboard prices.
• Deluxe Beverage Package: 40% off onboard prices.
• Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: 40% off onboard prices.
• Refreshment Package: 40% off onboard prices.

SHORE EXCURSIONS: Up to 40% off

INTERNET: Up to 65% off

• The Key: 35% off (Excludes Majesty of the Seas)
• VOOM Surf + Stream Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.
• VOOM Surf Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship. 

DINING: Up to 55% off

• Unlimited Dining Package on 3N – 9N sailings: Discount varies by ship. (Excludes Majesty of the Seas)

ACTIVITIES: Up to 20% off

• All Access Ship Tour (Sailings from 4/1/21 - 11/30/21, excl. Grandeur of the Seas)

Gifts & Gear: Up to 50% Off (excl. Ovation & Voyager of the Seas)

• Anniversary Decorations with Champagne
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Chocolate Cake & Strawberries
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Vanilla Cake & Strawberries
• Inky Beach Set
• Inky Beach Towel (TicTacToe)
• Inky Travel Set
• Red Wine and Cheese
• Royal Caribbean Beach Towel
• Strawberries with Champagne
• White Wine and Cheese

PHOTO PACKAGES: Up to 70% off

•  Photo Packages: From 5 - 100 print and/or digital options: discount varies by ship. (See full terms for exclusions)
• Photo Package: Private Photo Session: discount varies by ship. (See full terms for exclusions)

Will this sale save me money?

In general, cruise planner sales have the potential to save money, but exact savings differ from sailing to sailing.

Royal Caribbean does not apply a flat discount across its sailings, but many items are cheaper to buy online before the cruise than once onboard.

To check if your sailing has this new offer available, log into the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean's web site look for any available offers. Keep in mind that not all sailings may see the sale applicable, nor are all offers significantly cheaper than previously posted.

If you spot a better discount on something you already pre-purchased, you should be able to cancel the purchase and then re-purchase the same item under this promotion.

More helpful information

• Should you buy pre-cruise purchases now or wait to buy it onboard?
• 45 ways to save money on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• How much should I budget for a cruise?

Two members of the United States Congress are demanding answers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) about decisions related to cruise ship operations.

The Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) sent a lettter to the CDC and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) asking why they have not received records related to decisions made surrounding the cruise industry.

In the letter, the Congressmen asked the CDC more than seven months ago for records related to "the dangers posed to the cruise industry" from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In particular, they were interested in knowing how the Carnival Corporation and its affiliated cruise lines, had responded to the pandemic. 

Essentially, the CDC dragged its feet and has only sent back  a single records production on July 10, 2020.  Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard has sent over more than 10,000 pages of requested information in the same time frame.

The CDC's response has been "completely unacceptable", according to both Congressmen.

"The documents are a key part of the Committee’s ongoing oversight efforts regarding the actions taken by both the Carnival Corporation and the CDC in response to the threat of COVID-19 on cruise ships," the members of Congress said in a statement.

In short, they believe the thousands of documents needed are part of a greater "concern that Carnival and its nine affiliated cruise lines were ignoring the public health threat of the pandemic in its public-facing marketing materials".

The COVID-19 false positive on Quantum of the Seas earlier this week seems to have sent the media into a frenzy regarding the role testing plays, but testing is part of, not the complete, solution to curbing the spread on cruise ships.

Testing is at the front line of the new health protocols Royal Caribbean, and the entire cruise industry, have adopted in order to restart cruises, but they are not the silver bullet.

The Washington Post jumped on the recent false positive test as an opportunity to point out "why testing won't save the cruise industry from the coronavirus", and they are right.

Testing was never the be-all and end-all of the new protocols, and it is a good reminder that the cruise line plans to restart is not pinned on one hope.

Committing to 100% testing

While media pundits point out testing's shortcomings, the cruise industry has done something that no other sector of travel has done: commit to 100% testing.

A core recommendation of the Healthy Sail Panel to institute 100% testing of cruise ship guests and crew members. Neither airlines, resorts, or casinos have adopted such a task. In fact, no other industry in the world requires 100 percent testing.

The Healthy Sail Panel is an independent team of scientists and medical experts that the cruise lines hired to come up with a plan for cruises to be able to sail in a safe manner.

While no test is perfect, it remains a very important tool for cruise lines to utilize.

Testing isn't the only tool

Tests are helpful, but they are not perfect and that is why the cruise lines do much more than just rely on a smattering of tests.

As an example, a 83-year-old man on Quantum of the Seas took a test on Quantum of the Seas that came back as positive for COVID-19.

Immediately, Royal Caribbean's new plans kicked in, with isolation, contact tracing and the ship returning immediately to Singapore a day early.

After returning to port the man was transported to a local hospital where he took three different tests that all came back negative.

Testing cannot solve the problem of keeping cruise ships by itself. That is why the Healthy Sail Panel's recommendations take a variety of different steps to create a layered approach of several different operating protocols.

• Testing. 100% testing of passengers and crew for COVID-19 prior to embarkation.
• Mask-Wearing. Mandatory wearing of masks by all passengers and crew onboard and during excursions whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained
• Distancing. Physical distancing in terminals, onboard ships, on private islands and during shore excursions
• Ventilation. Air management and ventilation strategies to increase fresh air onboard and, where feasible, using enhanced filters and other technologies to mitigate risk
• Medical Capability: Risk based response plans tailored for each ship to manage medical needs, dedicated cabin capacity allocated for isolation and other operational measures, and advance arrangements with private providers for shoreside quarantine, medical facilities, and transportation.
• Shore Excursions: Only permit shore excursions according to the cruise operators’ prescribed protocols, with strict adherence required of all passengers and denial of re-boarding for any passengers that do not comply.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain has been a major proponent of testing, but admits it is not foolproof.

"Each individual step whittles away at the risk levels until you have architected a overall much safer journey."

"I compare it to a car. The brakes keep you safe, of course, and a seatbelt and you've got even better protection. Then add an air bag and you start to see the effect of a layered approach."

While cruise lines would love to keep the virus from ever getting on a cruise ship, their plans are also about mitigating the spread onboard to avoid the kind of free-for-all so many land-based locations are encountering on a daily basis with little to no government oversight.

Cruise lines have long been held to a higher standard than airlines or casinos, and it is important to remember how every protocol works together as a whole.

More information:

• Where Royal Caribbean cruising is right now
• Here's how to sign up to be a volunteer for a Royal Caribbean test cruise
• Top 14 things the CDC requires cruise ships do on test sailings

The man who dropped his granddaughter from the window of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship has had his sentencing delayed.

Telemundo reports instead of being sentenced on Thursday, his court date has been rescheduled to February 8, 2021.

Salvatore “Sam” Anello plead guilty to negligent manslaughter in October, and accepted a settlement that would allow for a reduced sentence.

In July 2019, 18-month-old Chloe Wiegand fell to her death after her grandfather dropped her from an open window on Freedom of the Seas.

Initially Mr. Anello said he would not plead guilty after his granddaughter fell from a top deck of Freedom of the Seas.  He then changed his plea in order to avoid jail time and serve probation instead.

Anello and her family have maintained that Chloe Wiegand's fall was an accident and not a crime.

According to the maternal grandfather's testimony, Chloe asked be raised up by her grandfather. He put her on a rail by a window, thinking the glass would hold her. However, the window was open.

Royal Caribbean said that surveillance video shows Anello leaning out the window for about eight seconds before lifting the girl by and out of the open window for 34 seconds before he lost his grip. 

After the initial accident occurred, Royal Caribbean issued a statement that the company was "deeply saddened by the tragic incident."

"Our hearts go out to the family. We have made our team available to assist them with the resources they need. Out of respect for their privacy, we do not plan to comment further on the incident."

Royal Caribbean released video and images in January in response to the lawsuit to prove Anello knew the window was open prior to holding his granddaughter up to it. Anello has repeatedly said that he did not know the window was open. 

There is so much happening in the cruise world, and that includes quite a few changes recently with Royal Caribbean.

To help make it easier with what is going on right now with Royal Caribbean cruises, I have compiled a look at the most recent Royal Caribbean news, announcements and changes you should know about.

While there are no firm plans yet for Royal Caribbean's restart, there are a lot of changes to be aware of as we move into 2021.

Quantum of the Seas has restarted cruises

Despite the blemish of a false positive scare onboard, Royal Caribbean's first cruise ship has restarted sailing in Singapore.

Quantum of the Seas began her first sailings in December from Singapore, which are sailings to no where that are just 3 or 4 nights in duration and limited to residents of Singapore.

Of course, the cruise experience has changed considerably in order to adhere to a series of new health protocols and changes aimed at keeping guests and crew members safe.

Quantum of the Seas has a reduced capacity onboard, and has implemented mandatory universal testing during embarkation and debarkation, and enforced mask wearing, physical distancing and enhanced cleaning practices across the ship, among other required practices.

Another big change onboard is the introduction of a contact tracing bracelet called a "tracelet". All guests wear one and it helps identify who may have had close contact with anyone that tests positive for covid.

Volunteers for test cruises wanted

While Royal Caribbean has not announced any firm restart plans, it has been taking volunteer sign ups for its test cruises.

Part of the U.S. Center for Disease Control's (CDC) plan to allow cruise ships to restart operations is to conduct a series of simulated sailings, which require unpaid volunteers to pretend to be guests onboard.

These volunteers will help test out Royal Caribbean's new health protocols and ensure the new rules are working as intended.

So far, around 200,000 people have signed up to be a volunteer on a test cruise.

Read more: Top 14 things the CDC requires cruise ships do on test sailings

Cruises cancelled until at least March

Any chance of Royal Caribbean restarting cruises in North America will not happen until at least March 2021.

Royal Caribbean cancelled all of its cruises through February 28, 2021 with two exceptions: Quantum of the Seas in Singapore and Spectrum of the Seas in China.

In addition, the remainder of the Australia/New Zealand season has been cancelled — through April 2021.

Essentially, Royal Caribbean needs more time to meet all of the requirements to gain approval from the CDC to restart cruises.

It is not clear if more cancellations will be needed or not, nor when test cruises or any other progress with the Conditional Sail Order may occur.

Why can't cruise ships sail?

In places like the United States and Australia, cruise ships are prohibited from sailing because of strict government regulations.

The CDC has in place the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, which prohibits any cruise line from operating in the United States until it demonstrates it can operate safely and receive permission from the CDC to sail.

The Conditional Sail Order was issued at the end of October, and thus far, there has been little information what, if any, progress has been made on getting closer to cruises restarting.

Similarly, Australia has banned cruise ship travel until at least March 2021.

Read more: What does the Conditional Sailing Order mean for cruises to restart?

What is next for Royal Caribbean?

While Quantum of the Seas is sailing in Singapore, the company's primary focus remains getting cruises restarted in the United States.

A major factor that may simplify things for all cruise lines is the imminent arrival of a new covid vaccine, which many health experts believe will have an immediate effect on the public health emergency in the first half of 2021.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain believes the combination of promising vaccines in scope, broader and faster testing, and treatment options available will help bring about the return of cruises sooner.

Many cruise fans are looking towards when test sailings might begin.  There was hope the first test cruises could start in December, but that may slip to January.  Neither Royal Caribbean nor the CDC have given any public hints on when to expect them.

When will cruises restart?

Quantum of the Seas is sailing in Singapore, and Spectrum of the Seas might restart in China as early as January 2021. Beyond that, it remains unclear when cruises will actually resume.

While the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order opens the door to cruises starting again, there is still not enough information available to wager a guess when cruises may actually start again from the United States.

Last week, Richard Fain said the company is getting "a clearer picture", but hopes for an early restart have been dashed. Nonetheless, he believes the outlook for cruises starting up again is getting better.

Mr. Fain also thinks the dispersal of a vaccine will allow Royal Caribbean to ramp up operations faster than they had previously thought, and that means more cruise ships back in service sooner.