Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced their ambitious new panel of health experts earlier this week, which aims to get its first set of recommendations for both cruise lines by the end of August 2020.

The Healthy Sail Panel will is comprised of 11 subject-matter experts, who represent a diverse group of health advocates that have experience not only in their professional fields, but also working with government officials.

The Royal Caribbean Group spoke with members of the media on Tuesday, and provided a timeline of events for the panel.

Carol Cabezas, Azamara's Vice President and Chief Operating Officer indicated the panel would have their initial recommendations by the end of August.

"The panel has been together several weeks now. And the goal is to offer their initial recommendations by the end of August."

Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed echoed that timeline later in the meeting.

"We expect to get a first draft of a pretty good outline of what the changes we need to do by late August, they're going to be reporting back to us."

Open source transparency

While the Healthy Sail Panel is tasked with coming up with protocols for Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, their findings are going to be made available to any cruise line and company.

Ms. Cabezas indicated the work of the panel is going to be open source, which means it will be available to anyone who needs it or wants it at no cost. 

"We want to make sure we're completely open, very candid on what we're doing, how we're doing it."

The Royal Caribbean Group has made it clear that it wants this work to be transparent, and freely available for all to scrutinize and build upon, regardless of which company wants to benefit from it.

"The one thing we know about our industry when it comes to safety and security," Ms. Freed said, "there is no competition."

Adding to that point, Dondra Ritzenthaler, Celebrity Cruises Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service, mentioned how proud she was of the work being done by this panel, "I think this Healthy Sail Panel is not only going to assist us and make sure that in the cruise industry that we have the best protocols and set us up on the healthiest and safest vacation possible, but frankly, to help all of the all of the industries, no matter what it is, hotel or airline or cruise line."

What new protocols to expect

The question on everyone's mind is what new policies and procedures the panel will come up with, and while the panel is hard at work to come up with their complete set of recommendations, we do have at least a preview of what direction they might work towards.

Dondra Ritzenthaler, Celebrity Cruises Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service spoke about the potential enhanced health and safety standards that will may come out of the panel's work.

"Enhanced embarkation screening, temperature screenings at the pier, testing options for our guests and our crew. Obviously enhanced sanitation and disinfection protocols, use of technology, things like the UV light."

"Clearly, social distancing when we can, and one of the ways to do that is, of course, reduce the amount of guests capacity on board, reduce the capacity in different dining venues, in public venues, and then things like, maybe doing an extra show where we have additional show times and staggered embark and check in."

Ultimately, the panel will work through all the options and practices considered, and come up with the best course of action for the cruise lines.

Royal Caribbean revealed on Monday its new panel of experts who are working on a new set of health protocols to keep guests and crew safe from COVID-19 on its cruise ships, and social distancing will be one part of the approach.

The Healthy Sail Panel is a collaboration with Norwegian Cruise Line to create a rich list of health and safety standards in science, technology and engineering practices, that meet or exceed the requirements of global regulators, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Royal Caribbean informed travel agents that the panel will come up with the new protocols that could take the form of many things, including enhanced embarkation screening, temperature screenings, testing options for guests and crew, enhanced sanitization and disinfection protocols, upgraded air filtration, social distancing, reduced occupancy, and changes to dining and other initiatives.

While the specifics are still being sorted out, social distancing will be part of the general plan in one of many forms.

Initially, both Norwegian and Royal Caribbean expects to reduce the overall guest capacity on board its fleets to allow for easier social distancing.

Last week, Royal Caribbean divulged its ships would not sail at 100% occupancy in order to lower load factors for social distancing.

As of right now, reducing guest capacity is not expected to be permanent.

In addition, other forms of social distancing are being explored, including reduced capacity at dining and other public venues, staggered embarkation and check-in and the addition of more options for entertainment such as additional show times to allow for social distancing.

Will people still want to cruise?

Social distancing is just one aspect of what the panel will recommend, and it leads some to question if added protocols such as masks, social distancing and the like will take away the appeal of a cruise vacation.

In a written statement, Royal Caribbean thinks these added regulations will not impact demand.

"We continue to see consumer demand for the cruise product. We expect to provide the same core guest experience that makes cruising so popular, just in an adapted format. With the gradual reopening of other leisure experiences, consumers are having to adapt to the new normal and cruising will be no different."

"We are confident that our guests are eager to sail again and are counting on us to keep them safe and healthy, a responsibility we take very seriously."

In addition, cruise prices will not increase due to the work that needs to be done to the ships?

"We do not have plans to increase pricing at this time for enhanced health and safety measures. We expect to provide the same core guest experience that makes cruising so popular"

How can going on a cruise ship ever be safe?

Even the most dedicated cruise fan has questioned the safety of going on a cruise in the era of COVID-19, and the Healthy Sail Panel aims to address those concerns.

The collaboration between Royal Caribbean and Norwegian seeks to create comprehensive health and safety protocols for the cruise industry, which meet or exceed required global public health standards.

"As new insights emerge, we will continue to evolve protocols and standards as appropriate."

Getting a drink package on a Royal Caribbean cruise is a very popular choice, and if you are among the many that choose to purchase one, be sure to avoid these costly mistakes.

Buying a drink package for your cruise means a fixed daily cost that can add up to a substantial bill.  Even with that high package cost, you can easily break-even on your investment, but there are also some strategies for maximizing your drink package so that you get much more out of it.

Here are the top cruise drink package mistakes, and how to avoid them!

Not specifying a liquor

When you order a drink, it is very easy to simply order the name of the drink without telling the waiter or bartender which liquor to use.

More often than not, the drink will be served with a lower quality liquor, but you could get a higher quality alcohol that is included in your drink package.

Instead of ordering "a pina colada", order "a pina colada with Kraken rum" or "a martini with Grey Goose".

By specifying the liquor, not only do you get your preferred brand of alcohol served, but you can take advantage of higher quality booze included at no extra cost.

Paying for the drink package on the ship

The most costly mistake you can make with a drink package is waiting to buy it on your cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean charges the highest price for its drink packages on its ships, whereas it offers discounts regularly to guests who purchase their drink package before the cruise.

In the months leading up to your cruise, just log onto Royal Caribbean's website and purchase the drink package there.  

If timed during a sale, you could save 30-45% off the onboard price of that drink package.  Those savings can add up quickly!

Sharing the drink package benefits

Royal Caribbean is quite clear that sharing the drink package benefits with someone else is against the rules.  

This means you cannot (and should not) order a drink for a friend or family member who does not have the drink package.

Not only is sharing a drink package frowned upon, if you are caught, you could lose your drink package benefits entirely without a refund.

Forgetting all the beverages that come with a drink package

When you hear "cruise drink package", the first thing most people think about are soda or alcoholic beverages, but Royal Caribbean includes plenty of other drinks with their drink packages.

The Deluxe Beverage Package or the Refreshment Package both include soft drinks, espresso specialty coffees, premium teas, bottled water, sparkling water and juice with their drink package.

This means you can break even on your drink package cost without just drinking booze.

It also means you can enjoy a latte in the morning, shake at the gym, milkshake at Johnny Rockets, and afternoon tea without spending anything extra.

Not stocking up on bottled water

Bottled water is included with a drink package, and you should always order a water bottle to bring back to your room periodically to stock up on.

Not only will having bottled water in your room make for a convenient option when you need a drink in the morning, but you can also take these bottles off the ship with you when you go on an excursion.

While you certainly could just stop at a bar and get a bottle of water before heading off the ship, having a little stockpile makes getting ready for a fun day on shore easier. Plus, the crew are usually happy to give you an extra bottle or two if you ask.

Not using a drink package at restaurants

Did you know your drink package benefits work at Royal Caribbean's restaurants, including the specialty restaurants?

Some Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants have a special cocktail menu with drinks not available elsewhere on the ship.

If the restaurant has a special cocktail, usually it is on the drink menu that also includes the wines and other beverages available.

Specialty restaurants with particularly good drinks of their own include Sabor, Jamie's Italian, 150 Central Park and Wonderland.

Assume you need a drink package

While this article is about how to maximize a drink package, it is worth noting everyone does not absolutely need one.

Getting a drink package means you have a fixed cost to your drinking onboard, as well a great deal of convenience.  But if you will not drink enough during the cruise, then a drink package is not necessary.

Your cruise fare includes some basic beverages, including water, coffee, milk and tea. For a lot people, this is more than enough.

In addition, a drink package has a high upfront cost that is difficult for some to pay, even if it means a lower bill later.

Drink packages are a nice to have splurge, but far from a necessity, so have an honest conversation with yourself to determine if it makes sense to get one.

Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line announced on Monday they were teaming up to create a panel of health experts for the purpose of crafting a plan for cruise lines to resume service.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain spoke with one of the Healthy Sail Panel's co-chairmen, Governor Mike Leavitt, that shed more light onto how this panel was created, where it is going, and what its goals are in order to get cruise ships sailing again.

Each cruise line has a requirement to issue a plan or to develop a plan to demonstrate to various regulators that they have adapted to this new environment to assure as much safety as is possible. The job of the panel is to populate the thinking of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian so that when they think when they provide those plans, it has been populated with the best public health, engineering and scientific information available.

Many panelists worked for the CDC

In coming up with the panel of experts, the Healthy Sail Panel is made up of people with a variety of backgrounds, including working at the government department chiefly responsible for approving cruise ships returning to service.

Governor Leavitt noted that a majority of the panelists have worked at the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which provides insight into what the panel needs to address.

"The majority of them actually worked at the Centers for Disease Control in any capacity, from running major departments, to actually running the Center for Disease Control. Several of them have deep academic interest in this area. Things like ventilation, things like testing and sanitation are all very important subcomponents of how you deal with this new risk environment that we're dealing them."

Nothing is absolutely 100% safe

In creating the panel, the group had to recognize nothing in society is every completely safe, and you have to accept that risk before crafting a response for it.

"We put together this combination not just because of their subject matter expertise, but because they have had long experience in evaluating ideas and being able to come to an understanding that there's no place in our society that you can say is absolutely 100 percent safe. We all manage risks every day, whether we're walking across the street or opening a package of food. There's some kind of risk involved in all of that."

"The idea isn't that we can eliminate all of that. The idea is we can manage it and understanding that perspective and recognizing that it requires judgment to do this well. We look for people who had long standing judgment, experience, whose track record gave them credibility and who had some level of public health or scientific expertise or engineering that could assist in being able to evaluate new ideas and determine when we had actually done all we can do."

When will the panel be done?

While this new panel sounds great, everyone is wondering when cruises will resume again and how long this process will take.

Governor Leavitt characterized the panel's work as "complex", and did mention an August 15th date as a milestone date for an initial phase that aims to come up the basic changes that need to be made for cruise lines.

"We want to make sure that we do what can be done to eliminate risks. We need to, in fact, learn to adapt to this. So we're going to take one quick tour through everything. And that's what we're doing between now and August the 15th. And then we're going to present the the very evident changes that can be made to enhance safety, that can be incorporated in plans that the various cruise lines will then submit to regulators."

Following that date, Governor Leavitt indicated to tackle the more challenging and in-depth problems facing the cruise lines. 

"We'll then use the period of time after that to look at deeper innovations. We're already finding some very exciting ways to adapt technology, for example, to make it not only safer but more convenient and and to a large extent, a smoother experience generally."

Parallels between cruising and the NBA

Governor Leavitt sees a parallel between what cruise lines are doing to try to get back to cruising and the National Basketball Association (NBA) is doing to resume its season.

Mr. Fain asked if there was an outcome from this panel that protects crew and guests, and the work the NBA is doing encourages Governor Leavitt.

"We have seen interest in the National Basketball Association, for example, has begun to replay. And they're working their way back, demonstrating an ability and willingness to adapt as they go."

"And I look at what's happening with the NBA right now where they're they've consolidated all the games in one place where they could essentially create an isolation that where they could conduct their business in a more controlled way."

"Well, it's become evident to me that the isolation can be seen not as a disadvantage, but as a great advantage. And one of the ways in which will adapt will be to utilize that as an asset as opposed to seeing it as simply a liability."

Royal Caribbean Group announced on Monday a new collaboration with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to create a panel of health experts that will oversee development of enhanced cruise line health and safety protocols.

Known as the "Healthy Sail Panel", this group is comprised of top experts in public health, infectious disease, biosecurity, hospitality and maritime operations in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The panel is tasked with collaboratively developing recommendations for cruise lines to advance their public health response to COVID-19, improve safety, and achieve readiness for the safe resumption of operations.

Serving at the head of the new panel will be Governor Mike Leavitt, former Secretary of the U.S. Department Health and Human Services (HHS), and Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Healthy Sail Panel has been working for almost a month, and should have its initial recommendations by the end of August.

Both Norwegian and Royal Caribbean have pledged that their work will be “open source,” and could be freely adopted by any company or industry that would benefit from the group’s scientific and medical insights.

“This unprecedented disease requires us to develop unprecedented standards in health and safety,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. “Bringing aboard these respected experts to guide us forward demonstrates our commitment to
protecting our guests, our crews and the communities we visit.”

“We compete for the vacationing consumer’s business every day, but we never compete on health and safety standards,” said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “While the cruise industry has always had rigorous health standards, the unique challenges posed by COVID-19 provide an opportunity to raise the bar even higher.”

Fain and Del Rio said they initiated the panel to assure the plans they will submit to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other regulators apply the best available public health, science and engineering insights. The work of the panel will be shared with the entire industry and regulators.

Meet the panel

The panel’s members are globally recognized experts from various disciplines, including public health, infectious disease, biosecurity, hospitality and maritime operations.

Governor Mike Leavitt

Mike Leavitt was a three-term Governor of Utah and served as Administrator of the EPA and Secretary of HHS under President George W. Bush. He is the founder of Leavitt Partners, a firm that provides investment support, data and analytics, member-based alliances, and direct services to clients to support decision-making strategies in the value economy.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb

Dr. Scott Gottlieb was the Commissioner of the FDA from 2017-2019 and served as the agency’s Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs from 2005- 2007. He is a physician trained in internal medicine and is currently a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Helene Gayle, M.D., M.P.H.

Dr. Gayle is CEO of the Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation’s leading community foundations. Prior to this role, for almost a decade, she was president and CEO of CARE, a leading international humanitarian organization. An expert on global development, humanitarian and health issues, Dr. Gayle spent 20 years with the CDC, working primarily on HIV/AIDS. She worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, directing programs on HIV/AIDS and other global health issues. She also launched the McKinsey Social Initiative (now McKinsey.org), a nonprofit that builds partnerships for social impact. Dr. Gayle serves on public company and nonprofit boards, including The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive Company, the Brookings Institution, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, New America, the ONE Campaign, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the Economic Club of Chicago. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Public Health Association, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Julie Gerberding, M.D., M.P.H.

Dr. Julie L. Gerberding is Executive Vice President and Chief Patient Officer for Merck, leading all aspects of strategic communications, global public policy, population health and patient engagement. A former head of the CDC and a world-renowned public health expert, Dr. Gerberding is deeply committed to achieving sustainable global health impact and tackling some of the most challenging health priorities of our time. This includes addressing critical issues such as affordable access to important therapies, advocating for health policies that promote and sustain innovation of new medicines and vaccines, and improving maternal mortality through the Merck for Mothers program — a public-private partnership helping to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal to reduce maternal mortality. Prior to joining Merck, Dr. Gerberding served as the Director of the CDC from 2002-2009 and was the first female to hold that position. While at the agency, she led more than 40 emergency responses against crises such as anthrax, SARS, bird flu, foodborne outbreaks and natural disasters. Previously, Dr. Gerberding was a tenured faculty member in Infectious Diseases at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). She continues as an Adjunct Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF.

Steven Hinrichs, M.D.

Dr. Steven Hinrichs is Professor and Chair in the Department of Pathology and Microbiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and the Director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), and Director of the University of Nebraska Center for Biosecurity. In his position as laboratory director, he has been responsible for the development of a statewide program for the rapid identification of biological agents of mass destruction. He is principal investigator of multiple national awards from the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) and the CDC and the U.S. Department of Defense for the development of an outreach program to extend training and expertise in the early recognition of biological warfare agents. Dr. Hinrichs received his MD from the University of North Dakota and is board certified in Anatomical and Clinical Pathology. His research laboratory focuses on molecular diagnostics and the role of viruses in cancer. Dr. Hinrichs has published over 130 papers in basic science and medical journals.

Michael Osterholm, M.D., Ph.D.

Michael Osterholm is one of the nation’s foremost experts in public health, infectious disease and biosecurity. As the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, he is an international leader on the world’s preparedness for pandemics. He has led numerous investigations into internationally important disease outbreaks, including foodborne diseases, hepatitis B in healthcare settings and HIV infection in healthcare workers, and he is a frequent consultant to the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, the U.S. Department of Defense and the CDC. From 2001 to 2005, Dr. Osterholm served as a special advisor to the Secretary of HHS on issues related to bioterrorism and public health preparedness. From June 2018 through May 2019, he served as a Science Envoy for Health Security on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. He has also been appointed to the National Science Advisory Board on Biosecurity and the World Economic Forum’s Working Group on Pandemics, among other prominent advisory positions.

Stephen Ostroff, M.D.

Dr. Ostroff brings years of experience in public health, having served at high-level positions at the FDA and the CDC. He was the Acting Commissioner of the FDA from 2015-2016, and before that served as the FDA’s chief scientist. Ostroff joined the FDA in 2013 as chief medical officer in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and senior public health advisor to the FDA’s Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine. Prior to that he served as deputy director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases at the CDC, where he was also acting director of the CDC’s Select Agent Program. While at the CDC, he focused on emerging infectious diseases, food safety and coordination of complex outbreak response. He retired from the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service at the rank of Rear Admiral (Assistant Surgeon General). Ostroff was also the director of the Bureau of Epidemiology and acting physician general for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and has consulted internationally on public health projects in South Asia and Latin America. Ostroff graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1981 and completed residencies in internal medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and preventive medicine at the CDC.

William Rutala, Ph.D., M.S., M.P.H.

Dr. Rutala has experience medically managing a variety of diseases and extensive experience studying epidemiology and virology, particularly managing outbreaks and emerging pathogens. Dr. Rutala’s research interests are the etiology and prevention of healthcare-associated infections with a special focus on disinfection and sterilization of reusable medical and surgical devices (e.g., endoscopes, surgical instruments). Other areas of active research include contribution of the hospital environment to disease transmission, hand hygiene, preventing transmission of infectious agents, including multiply-drug resistant organisms, prevention of healthcare-associated Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, investigation of healthcare-associated outbreaks, and new and emerging pathogens in healthcare.

Kate Walsh, Ph.D.

Kate Walsh is the Dean at the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University and E.M. Statler Professor. A professor of management, she is a leader in education for the global hospitality industry; and a renowned expert in organizational service design, leadership and career development, as well as the impact of strategic human capital investments. In addition to authoring and contributing to books, Dr. Walsh’s articles have appeared in numerous research outlets. She has over 20 years of academic experience, including in her current role as dean. In addition, Dean Walsh holds extensive industry knowledge from serving as the former director of training and development for Nikko Hotels International, corporate training manager for the former Bristol Hotels, and senior auditor for Loews Corporation. She is also a former New York State Certified Public Accountant. Since the beginning of her administration as dean, Dean Walsh has focused on positioning the school for the future of education. This includes undertaking a comprehensive renewal of the graduate and undergraduate curricula, developing the school's online global presence, identifying international partners for master-level program development, and providing thought leadership for the hospitality industry, most notably through the creation of industry research partnerships for faculty, fostering new initiatives through the school's six centers and institutes, and providing faculty-developed resources to guide the industry. Dr. Walsh received her Ph.D. from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and her M.P.S. degree from Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration.

Captain Patrik Dahlgren

Captain Patrik Dahlgren is the Senior Vice President of Global Marine Operations and Fleet Optimization for all Royal Caribbean Group global brands. Dahlgren’s seagoing experiences started as a bridge officer aboard tugboats, yachts and an array of cargo vessels and ferries. He rose through the ranks with over 15 years onboard Royal Caribbean International cruise ships, with his last seagoing command as Master of Oasis of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas. He was a lead contributor to the Quantum of the Seas development and received the esteemed RINA (Royal Institute of Naval Architects) award for its innovation and contributions to maritime safety.

Robin Lindsay

Robin Lindsay is the Executive Vice President of Vessel Operations for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Lindsay was appointed to this position in January 2015. In this role, Lindsay is responsible for Marine & Technical Operations, Hotel Operations, Entertainment, Product Development, Port & Destination Services, Fleet Personnel, Out Islands and New Build & Ship Refurbishment for all three of the company's brands – Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Prior to joining Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., Lindsay served in a similar capacity as Executive Vice President of Vessel Operations at Prestige Cruise Holdings, the parent company of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Lindsay's history with the company goes back to the inception of Oceania Cruises in 2003, where he joined as Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations and Vessel Operations. Lindsay earned his B.S. degree from Louisiana Tech University.

And more

In addition, several experts will also serve as senior advisors to the panel, including Dr. Caitlin Rivers, who is a faculty member and epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an expert in emerging infectious disease epidemiology and outbreak science, and Dr. Phyllis Kozarsky, who is a professor emerita of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine and an expert in pre- travel health advice and education, global health, and the epidemiology of travel-related infections and infectious diseases. Dr. Kozarsky serves as an expert consultant to the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine in travelers’ health with the CDC.

Despite a nearly six month delay in her debut, construction work on Odyssey of the Seas continues, with the ship reaching a new milestone.

German shipyard Meyer Werft shared photos today of Odyssey, having successfully moved about 150 meters from a dry construction dock to a flooded construction dock.

The move means Odyssey of the Seas' hull now sits in water, instead of being completely out of the water. It is also part of the new ship construction process, which is a kind of giant assembly line, where ships are put together in one part of the hall, and then as construction progresses, the ship gets closer and closer to departing the hall and eventually into the water.

Now that Odyssey is moved into her new area, further work on the ship can continue.

Ship deferred but not denied

Progress on building Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship continues, despite a massive delay in her debut that was announced last week.

Royal Caribbean informed guests with reservations on her inaugural sailings from Fort Lauderdale that those sailings have been cancelled. The cruise line cancelled all sailings between November 5, 2020 - April 17, 2021.

The cause of the delay was a combination of the current health crisis, a fire that broke out on the ship in the construction yard, as well as impacts on Royal Caribbean's supply chain.

It seems Royal Caribbean anticipated a delay in the new ship's debut, having warned investors in May 2020 that it expected delivery delays of ships previously planned for delivery in 2020 and 2021.

With the first few months of cancellations, it appears Odyssey will now debut in Europe, sailing from Rome first.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog readers were not terribly surprised by the news, but were concerned if this was one of many dominos to fall.

"I knew this would happen," Karen Houle Rosepiler wrote. "I was just keeping my fingers cross that all would be right in the world again.

"This can't be a surprise to anyone," Charlie Welf wrote. "The shipyards work has been slowed/stopped and they just had a fire on the ship that needed to be repaired."

It looks like the first Odyssey of the Seas sailing may not depart until May 2021. 

Happy July 4th and Canada Day to everyone out in blog land! Many of you are enjoying a relaxing and long weekend, and I hope this week's round up of all the Royal Caribbean news makes it even better!

Royal Caribbean announced this week it has cancelled all of the inaugural Odyssey of the Seas sailings between November 2020 and April 2021.

Odyssey's sailings were cancelled as a result of the current health crisis, issues at the shipyard, as well as Royal Caribbean's supply chain.

In addition to the cancelled sailings, Royal Caribbean also announced two other changes to Odyssey of the Seas.

First, the trapeze school will no longer be a feature of the SeaPlex.

Second, the age restrictions for the Sky Pad virtual trampoline experience will change: guests must be at least 7 years old to jump, and at least 13 years old to jump with a virtual reality headset.

Royal Caribbean News

• A shipyard fire on Odyssey of the Seas occurred recently.
• It looks like Royal Caribbean will have reduced capacity when cruises start again.
• The European Union published a set of health recommendations for cruise lines once cruising resumes.
• Royal Caribbean has repatriated 95% of its crew members.
• Liberty of the Seas will resume sailings from Galveston in 2021 earlier than scheduled.
• How to make "fall off the bone" BBQ ribs at home, just like the ones from Portside BBQ.
• A look at how Royal Caribbean celebrates July 4th on its ships.
• Five projects that did not go the way Royal Caribbean planned.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 361st episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, which debates if you should take your kids out of school to go on a cruise.

Lisa and Matt talk about the important considerations families should consider before pulling kids out of school for a cruise, and what steps they can take to make the process as easy on everyone as possible.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! 

There will be a buffet on Royal Caribbean ships when cruises resume

Among the many chances Royal Caribbean could take once cruises resume, one of them is if the buffet onboard will still be available.

Royal Caribbean's head of food and beverage has confirmed that there will indeed be a buffet option onboard, but with a few tweaks.

Linken D'Souza spoke to travel agents about what will happen to the Windjammer, and was very clear that the buffet will be available onboard.

"We will absolutely have a Windjammer with all of your favorites in a very similar fashion to what you've had previously and maybe some different service steps to ensure healthy service."

Happy Fourth of July! A holiday as festive as American Independence Day is bound to fill Royal Caribbean's cruise ships with decorations and fun onboard.

Many people that book a cruise over July 4th are curious what, if anything, Royal Caribbean does to celebrate.  The good news is Royal Caribbean works hard to make the holiday special for those celebrating onboard.

All over the ship, you will find red, white and blue decorations, complete with streamers, American flags and patriotic music. On top of it, expect special Fourth of July food and drinks to enjoy all day long!

The public areas of Royal Caribbean's ships, such as the Boardwalk or Centrum, will be focal points of a lot of the celebrations.

You will also find special July 4th events onboard, such as July 4th trivia sessions, and special events like a balloon drop.

A lot of guests onboard will get into the spirit of things with plenty of patriotic garb to wear around the pool deck and onboard the ship.

Photo by Cruise Director Mitch

Speaking of the pool deck, some ships offer a poolside BBQ action so you can enjoy traditional hot dogs, burgers and pie between splashing in the pool.

Does Royal Caribbean shoot fireworks for the Fourth of July?

A very common question from readers is if there are fireworks offered either onboard their ships, or at one of their private islands, for the Fourth of July.

Unfortunately, the answer is Royal Caribbean does not offer fireworks at sea. 

On Royal Caribbean's Quantum Class ships, they do offer a virtual fireworks party in Two70.

Red White & Blue cocktail recipe

Royal Caribbean can celebrate any holiday with a special cocktail, and nothing says patriotic like a red, white and blue drink!

If you cannot be on a Royal Caribbean ship for July 4th, at least you can make one at home to celebrate.

Red White & Blue cocktail Ingredients

• 1 oz grenadine
• 3 oz lemonade
• 1 oz vodka
• 1 oz blue curacao
• ice

Red White & Blue cocktail Instructions

1. Add grenadine to a glass

2. Fill glass with ice

3. In a shaker, shake lemonade and vodka then gently pour the mixture over the back of a spoon into the glass creating the white layer of the drink. 

4. Cascade blue curacao over the back of a spoon to make the final blue layer.

Royal Caribbean spends a great deal of energy in planning refurbishments, upgrades, new ship construction and a lot of other initiatives, but sometimes these projects can slip behind schedule.

Despite our best efforts, sometimes delays and unexpected problems will occur in any project, including cruise ships.

With the recent news of Odyssey of the Seas encountering issues at the shipyard, I wanted to take a look back at some other Royal Caribbean projects that also dealt with their fair share of setbacks.

Empress of the Seas return to the fleet

In 2015, Royal Caribbean announced it was bringing back Empress of the Seas to the fleet, following a restructuring of sister company Pullmantur cruises.

In order to get the ship back to service, it would need to undergo an "extensive refurbishment" in Spring 2016.

Unfortunately, the additional work needed took much longer than expected in order to bring the vessel back up to Royal Caribbean's standards, and as a result, the first six sailings in 2016 were cancelled.

Then another seven more sailings were cancelled because Royal Caribbean discovered more significant infrastructure and physical improvements across the ship's multiple galleys and provisioning areas were needed.

In the end, Empress of the Seas rejoined the fleet in May 2016, following two months of cancelled sailings and $50 million in upgrades.

Navigator of the Seas Amplification

In early 2019, Navigator of the Seas had her turn for a much anticipated Royal Amplification, which would add new water slides, restaurants and experiences onboard.

The $115 million shipwide refurbishment was scheduled to be complete by February 2019, but poor weather conditions at the shipyard in the Bahamas caused delays to the progress of the ship’s outer decks.

As a result, the February 24 sailing was cancelled.

Luckily, the delay only impacted one sailing, and Navigator was able to resume service in March 2019 without any other impact.

Galveston cruise terminal delay

The global impact of the current health crisis took its toll on Royal Caribbean's plans to build a brand new cruise terminal in Galveston that could accommodate Allure of the Seas.

In December 2019, Royal Caribbean and the Port of Galveston signed a long-term agreement to build a $100 million 150,000-square-foot cruise terminal, which was scheduled to open in November 2021.

In March 2019, Royal Caribbean asked the Port of Galveston for a one year delay in starting construction of its new terminal.

Royal Caribbean cited the new terminal delay was caused by the closure of shipyards along with the disruption to the supply chain. Thus, the cruise line decided to postpone construction of a new terminal in an effort to cut costs.

The Galveston Wharves Board voted on the proposal a month later and approved the one year delay to begin construction of Cruise Terminal 3.

As it currently stands, Royal Caribbean has shifted Allure of the Seas' sailings from Galveston until the terminal is ready.

Oasis of the Seas crane accident

Accidents due occur from time to time, including last year when a construction crane collapsed on top of Oasis of the Seas.

The incident occurred in April 2019 while Oasis was at the Great Bahamas Shipyard near Freeport, Bahamas for scheduled maintenance work. A construction crane hit the ship, and ended up laying against the vessel.

After assessing the damage, Royal Caribbean found damage to the Aqua Theater and some suites, and was forced to cancel the next three scheduled sailings that followed in order for the ship to be fully repaired.

Perfect Day at CocoCay timeline

Perhaps no project has had as many changes to its timeline than Royal Caribbean's ambitious makeover of its private island in the Bahamas.

At a ceremony in March 2018 in New York City, Royal Caribbean announced its plans to expand its private island in the Bahamas, CocoCay. 

The $200 million transformation (later it increased to $250 million) originally had a multi-phase timeline, with the completion of a new pier in September 2018, and a Spring 2019 date for most of the island's experiences to be open. The final phase, Coco Beach Club was set to open November 2019.

Royal Caribbean broke ground on the new pier on April 27, 2017, and added the pier would be complete in June 2018.

The pier took much longer than anticipated, with multiple delays that lead to it eventually taking the first ship docking there in March 2019.

Luckily, the rest of the project moved forward at a better pace, with Oasis Lagoon pool and some dining venues also opening in March.  Splashaway Bay and Skipper's Grill followed in April 2019, and the Grand Opening of Perfect Day at CocoCay was held in May 2019.

The Coco Beach Club was delayed a few times, but opened in late January 2020.

The European Union released 49 pages of general guidance for cruise ships that could be applied once cruise lines resume cruises following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The guidance covers a variety of measures that seek to reduce the risk for introduction of COVID-19 onto the ship, transmission during cruise ship voyage, embarkation and disembarkation, and further provides options for preparedness to respond to potential COVID-19 cases among crew and guests.

It is important to note these recommendations by the European Union have not been approved or accepted by Royal Caribbean. These measures are a look at what policies are being proposed by health organizations.

Interestingly, 22 different Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. employees provided input in the formation of this policy, including a number of Senior Vice Presidents.

While there is a lot in this document, here are the major highlights.

Short sailings to start

This end-to-end plan also notes that it recommends cruise lines take a "gradual approach" to resuming cruise ship sailings.

Specifically, it recommends sailings between 3 to 7 nights in duration, and perhaps limit the number of port visits in the itinerary.

In addition, each country that is visited on a cruise should be evaluated for their capacity to accept possible or confirmed COVID-19 cases from cruise ships.

Forced social distancing

In order to make social distancing rules effective, the EU recommends reducing the number of guests and crew onboard.

Limiting the amount of people onboard allows measures related to physical distancing on board ships can be maintained, and that temporary isolation and quarantine of passengers and crew can take place individually in cabins. 

Physical distancing of at least 1.5 metres (5 feet) should be maintained at waiting areas and during boarding at transport stations, by adopting special markings and controlled entry measures.

A number of hygiene measures are recommended to be employed onboard: hand washing with soap and water or hand hygiene with alcohol based hand rub solution (containing at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol), respiratory (coughing and sneezing) etiquette, disposal of used tissues, physical distancing (including the elimination of handshaking), use of face masks, avoiding touching the nose, eyes and mouth without previously washing hands (38) etc.;

Masks

The word "mask" appears 100 times in the document, and it encompasses using masks while onboard.

When physical distancing cannot be maintained, the use of face masks should be required.

Crew members are recommended to practice physical distancing and wear face masks.

If a passenger does not arrive with their own face mask, face masks could be made available for passengers at the terminal.

The document also recommends wearing masks in the following areas:

• Interacting with other guests when closer than 5 feet apart
• Embarkation
• On buses
• Walking/passing in narrow corridors on board
• Casinos
• Elevators
• Excursions (countries that have rules about requiring them)
• Visiting the medical facility on board

No indoor swimming pools

Indoor swimming pools are not recommended, but indoor pools that can be converted as outdoor pools (by lifting/removing roofs or walls) could be allowed.

Bathers should be strongly advised to shower before entering the pools. The cruise ship should provide all necessary items for showering (e.g. soap, shower gel, etc.).

Sunbeds, chairs and lounge chairs should be positioned so that they are at least 5 feet apart from each other.

In addition, the maximum number of guests in a pool should be limited, including in hot tubs.

Outbreak plan

Each cruise ship operating in Europe must have a ship contingency plan/outbreak management plan.

The EU document outlines 11 parts to this plan, including:

• Monitoring of epidemiological situation, rules and restrictions worldwide
• Written contingency plan/outbreak management plan for COVID-19 
• Arrangements for medical treatment and ambulance services
• Arrangements for repatriation
• Arrangements for quarantine of close contacts
• Arrangements for isolation of asymptomatic/ pre-symptomatic travelers 
• Adequate testing capacity
• Crew training
• Immediate reporting to the next port of call of any possible case
• Estimation of maximum number of passengers and crew on board cruise ships
• Focused inspection on COVID-19 prevention and control for resuming cruise ship voyages by EU HEALTHY GATEWAYS

Prohibiting higher risk guests

Not surprisingly, there are recommendations to prevent anyone who may be at a higher risk of having contracted COVID-19 from going on a cruise ship in the first place.

These measures mirror some of the policies that went into effect before Royal Caribbean shut down operations in March.

Any person experiencing symptoms compatible with COVID-19, or if identified, anyone who has been in contact during the last 14 days with a confirmed case of COVID-19, or anyone who is tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR would not be accepted on board cruise ships.

Passengers in high risk groups including people over 65 years of age or people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory diseases and immunocompromised individuals) should be advised to visit a doctor for pre-travel medical consultation to assess if they are fit to travel.

Activities and services on board cruise ships could be organized according to age group, so that older individuals are separated from other age groups. 

No self-service buffet

In addition to a number of protocols recommended for keeping the ship clean, the recommendation is for only designated crew members be allowed to serve food.

Crew serving food should wear face masks & disposable gloves.

Under no circumstances should crew or passengers who will be served food use any commonly shared utensils or other items. These should be removed from the service so that only a designated crew can distribute them.

Self-service of dispensed items, plates, cutlery, utensils by passengers or crew should not be allowed. Food handlers should serve any dispensed items (for example water, coffee, juice etc.). 

Room service is recommended in order to avoid overcrowding in restaurants and other food service areas.