Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean announced two upcoming sailings in June in order to assist with repatriating crew member efforts.

Vision of the Seas’ June 13th, 2020 and Anthem of the Seas’ June 20th, 2020 sailings are the two cancelled sailings that were announced today.

Royal Caribbean is using these ships to ferry crew members home due to local travel restrictions.

Unfortunately, local travel restrictions and commercial flights have made it extremely challenging to get our crew safely home. We’ve been working with our partners at Cruise Lines International Association and the CDC for months to get our crew safely home, and sailing to their home country is the best option.

As a result of the cancellation, Royal Caribbean is providing these guests with the option of a 125% Future Cruise Credit or a 100% refund.

Future Cruise Credits issued on these sailings should be received by Friday, June 5th, 2020.

The Vision of the Seas June 13th sailing was scheduled to be a 12-Night Mediterranean Greek Isles cruise from Barcelona.

The Anthem of the Seas June 20th sailing was scheduled to be an 8 Night Spain & Portugal Cruise from Southampton.

Royal Caribbean's plans to get crew members home was reported in the last 24 hours.

The crux of the matter that prevented crew from getting home sooner was evidently the CDC's rules for disembarking crew that included provisions such as requiring crew go home via chartered or private transportation.

In the letter from Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley to crew, it explains the legal entanglement that is created by sending crew home now, "The CDC will only allow us to disembark crew members if company executives, myself included, are willing to attest — subject to criminal penalties including imprisonment — that we will not use any public transportation and that each crew member will comply with certain conditions after disembarking the ships. We are happy to do all the things they requested, but the criminal penalties gave us [and our lawyers] pause."

While Bayley said he hopes the threat of criminal prosecution will be removed, he said, “we have decided that the importance of getting you home is so great that we will sign these documents as they are written today to help get you off the ships.”

Thanks to Katina Bradley for alerting us to this announcement.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd Chairman and CEO Richard Fain provided an update on Monday of what the cruise line is doing to repatriate its crew members, as well as prepare itself to resume sailings.

In a new video, Mr. Fain spoke to travel advisors on his view of what the world looks like as it attempts to slowly overcome the current global health scenario.

"Our role is to do everything that passion and ingenuity can offer to keep our ships safe and healthy. Our guests are off our ship and we still have crew on ships who want to go home and we're working feverishly to overcome all the travel barriers to do that.  We believe we found ways to finish that imperative and expect to complete the process shortly."

"Looking forward to restarting, health and safety are absolutely paramount as I've said before, what was fine just a few weeks ago is no longer adequate. Good enough just good enough. We need to raise the bar to new heights, and we have teams of doctors, of scientists, of epidemiologists, and teams of people who know our business, all looking hard and charting the safest and surest path forward that we can."

In addition, Mr. Fain spent a great deal of time looking at the current state of flux in statistics, methods and policy changes.

"There is no silver bullet which will magically destroy this horrible infestation. On the other hand, there's a cornucopia of smaller actions, which taken together can bring it under control."

"We're not there yet, but every day seems to bring us just a little bit closer, and as we get closer, we can switch from focusing on only isolation to focusing on the other components of that cornucopia of actions."

At the conclusion of the video, Mr. Fain reiterated Royal Caribbean's support of the travel agent community and the cruise line's unwavering dedication to them.

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

• View Fain's video from April 23
• View Fain's video from April 13
• View Fan's video from April 1
• View Fain's video from March 25
• View Fain's video from March 13
• View Fain's video from March 2

Carnival Cruise Line announced today it plans to resume sailings in North America this summer, which could be a sign of what Royal Caribbean has in store as well.

Generally speaking, the "big three" cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian) tend to act in tandem when it comes to sweeping policies, and Carnival Cruise Line announced today its plan to phase in a resumption in our North American service this summer, beginning on August 1 with a total of eight ships from Miami, Port Canaveral and Galveston.  

While the resumption of cruises sounds like good news, Carnival did announce it will also have to extend its suspension of sailings in  in all other North American and Australian markets through August 31.

Here is the basics of Carnival's plan:

• All North American Carnival cruises from June 27 to July 31 will be cancelled.
• Beginning August 1, Carnival plans to resume cruises on the following ships:
  • Galveston:  Carnival Dream, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Vista
  • Miami:  Carnival Horizon, Carnival Magic and Carnival Sensation
  • Port Canaveral:  Carnival Breeze and Carnival Elation.
• Other than the above referenced service from Galveston, Miami, and Port Canaveral, all other North American and Australian Carnival homeport cruises will be cancelled through August 31.
• All Carnival Spirit Alaskan cruises from Seattle will be cancelled, as well as the Carnival Spirit Vancouver-Honolulu cruise on September 25 and the Honolulu-Brisbane transpacific cruise on October 6.
• All Carnival Splendor cruises in Australia from June 19 to August 31 will be cancelled.

Royal Caribbean has made no announcement yet on what its plans are once cruises resume, however, this could be viewed as a positive sign that the cruise industry is preparing to resume service.

It looks like Royal Caribbean has a plan to send many of its crew members home.

The Miami Herald is reporting Royal Caribbean has a plan in place that complies with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s terms for disembarking crew. 

Letters were sent to crew members explaining the situation, and the new plan to get its international crew home.

The crux of the matter that prevented crew from getting home sooner was evidently the CDC's rules for disembarking crew that included provisions such as requiring crew go home via chartered or private transportation.

In the letter from Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley to crew, it explains the legal entanglement that is created by sending crew home now, "The CDC will only allow us to disembark crew members if company executives, myself included, are willing to attest — subject to criminal penalties including imprisonment — that we will not use any public transportation and that each crew member will comply with certain conditions after disembarking the ships. We are happy to do all the things they requested, but the criminal penalties gave us [and our lawyers] pause."

While Bayley said he hopes the threat of criminal prosecution will be removed, he said, “we have decided that the importance of getting you home is so great that we will sign these documents as they are written today to help get you off the ships.”

Cruise Industry News outlined the plan that involved getting crew home to 60 different countries, involving various ships in the fleet "busing" crew members home based on their country of origin.

The efforts include ships such as Anthem of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Vision of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas.

Happy Sunday, everyone! Can you believe May is here already? Warmer temperatures and plenty of Royal Caribbean news and info to share with you from this week!

Many cruisers were happy to hear Royal Caribbean says a letter from a doctor for guests who are 70 years old or older, or have a pre-existing chronic medical condition, is no longer necessary.

Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed confirmed the news during a webinar with travel agents earlier this week.

"We found out that CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) did actually change this requirement on April 3rd. So a health form is no longer required for those travelers ages 70 plus, nor are there restrictions for those guests with underlying health conditions."

Royal Caribbean News

• The new cruise terminal in Galveston is officially delayed by one year.
• Apology letters were sent to guests for how long refunds are taking.
• Royal Caribbean made it easier to redeem future cruise credits online.
• Royal Caribbean extended Future Cruise Credits dates of use.
• We asked our readers when they think cruises would resume again.
• We got updates on Odyssey of the Seas, the President's cruise, Alaska cruises, and more.
• The UK expects Anthem of the Seas to still be there later this year.
• Azipods were mounted on Odyssey of the Seas.
• Top 5 reasons to book flights now for your cruise vacation coming up later.
• Free Royal Caribbean backgrounds for your phone lock screen.
• Here are some funny videos on TikTok by Royal Caribbean crew members.
• Fun Royal Caribbean recipes to make at home
  • Love Connection cocktail
  • Traditional Caesar Salad
• Check out the new escape room fun on Oasis of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean transformed guest photos into a private island portrait.
• Odyssey of the Seas construction photo was updated.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 352nd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, that features Michael's story of an annual cruise tradition.

Michael shares how a cruise for a good cause has turned into his family's annual tradition that he looks forward to each and every 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.

The best Royal Caribbean vacation hacks pros swear by!

I love to share cruise tips, tricks, and advice, so that everyone can benefit from saving time or money (or both).

This week, I have some of my favorite expert-level Royal Caribbean cruise hacks that repeat cruisers swear by.

While there are no Royal Caribbean cruises sailing, the cruise line's ships are still staffed by some exceptionally talented and dedicated crew. While many crew members have been reptatriated back home, essential crew remains onboard to keep the ship working.

Since there are no guests onboard, some crew have taken to the popular social media app TikTok to engage in some really fun videos.

Let's start off with some great videos by Jayden Prelc, who is a performer on Rhapsody of the Seas.

@jaydenprelc

Choose your Royal Caribbean character ##fyp ##chooseyourcharacter

♬ original sound - houseofbrooklyn

@jaydenprelc

Late to the party but, happy quarantine from the Rhapsody of the Seas ##iamroyal ##fyp ##foryoupage ##cruiseship ##distancedance ##blindinglights

♬ Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

@jaydenprelc

CRUISE SHIP CABIN CONFINEMENT - no room to do anything ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##trending ##australia ##cruiseship ##cruiseshipcrewmember ##quarantine

♬ Opening: I Hope I Get It - A Chorus Line Ensemble (2006)

Next up is a video by Airam, and it is of the NextCruise staff dancing on the Royal Promenade on Harmony of the Seas.

@airam_ef21

##iamroyal @lloydgonzagaarante

♬ original sound - Señorita_Airam

Ernesto brought back some Shaggy classic tunes for this video.

@estongjr

MTV naman hirit bago matulog ##foryou ##wasntme ##goodvibes ##fightcovid19 ##isolation ##iamroyal ##tiktokers ##seamantiktok

♬ original sound - devinfox22

Arturo decided to try out the "eyes only" challenge.

@artidarti

Eyes Only! ##challenge ##trending ##iamroyal ##tiktokatsea ##maskon ##lifeatsea ##eyesonly ##greeneyes

♬ original sound - hushupchild

Have you found a funny TikTok video from a crew member? Share a link in the comments!

The days seem to be blending together to the point weekdays and weekends may not seem to differ all that much, but May is here, and that means warmer temperatures.  If the mercury is rising, then I have the perfect frozen drink to try.

The Love Connection is a blend of two favorite frozen concoctions in one.  It is one of those drinks that if you saw someone order at a bar on Royal Caribbean, you would probably ask the bartender to make one for you as well.

If you leave out the rum, this is also a fun drink for the kids!

Photo by Brian Robinson

If you are ready to welcome in summer, get your blender out and sip on the Love Connection.

Love Connection Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Bacardi Gold Rum
  • I would prefer Kraken Rum
• 1.5 oz Island Oasis Pina Colada mix [affiliate link, no extra cost to you but I get a finder's fee]
• 1.5 oz Island Oasis Strawberry mix [affiliate link, no extra cost to you but I get a finder's fee]
• 1.5 oz Island Oasis mango mix [affiliate link, no extra cost to you but I get a finder's fee]

Suggested music while preparing your Love Connection

• The Merrymen - Feeling Hot Hot Hot

Photo by Kris Leppien-Christensen

Love Connection Instructions

1. Blend 1/2 oz rum with each of the mixes and ice.
2. Layer each blend into a hurricane glass in the following order:
   1. Strawberry
   2. Pina Colada
   3. Mango
3. Serve with colorful straw

If you are anything like me, you look for any opportunity to sneak in a little cruise fun into your life, so here is how to get your phone in on the fun!

These pictures should fit most phone lock screens, and allow you to easily drop them in so the next time your alarm, phone call or text message comes across, there will be a little Royal Caribbean included with it.

All of these photos were taken by Royal Caribbean.

You can save any of these photos here, or download a copy of all the photos with this link.

How to change the wallpaper on your iPhone Lock screen

1. Launch Settings from the Home screen.
2. Tap Wallpaper.
3. Tap Choose a New Wallpaper.
4. Tap on the location of the new wallpaper you want to choose, and then tap on the image you want to use
5. Adjust photo scale and size to your liking.
6. Tap Set.
7. Tap Set Lock Screen if you only want to change the Lock screen wallpaper, Set Home Screen if you only want to change your Home screen wallpaper or choose Set Both to change the Home screen wallpaper as well.

How to change the wallpaper on an Android

1. Open your Android's Gallery app. You'll find it on the home screen or in the app drawer. 
2. Tap the picture you want to use.
3. Tap the More icon 
   1. It's at the top-right corner of the screen. You may have to tap the screen once to bring up this button.
4. Tap Set as wallpaper.
   1. This may be called Set lock screen, Set picture as, or Use as on different models.
5. Tap Lock Screen.
6. Adjust photo scale and size to your liking.
7. Tap Save or Done.
   1. This may be called Set or Set as Wallpaper on some models. 

The primary propulsion for Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas were mounted this week on the cruise line's next new cruise ship.

Photo by Meyer Werft

The multidirectional pods that drive the ship were added while the ship is under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

According to the shipyard, the duo are propelled at 41 megawatts and both pods can accelerate the ship to a maximum speed of about 22 knots.

Photos by Meyer Werft

Azipods can be rotated 360 degrees, providing the ship maximum maneuverability and are have been the standard form of propulsion for all of Royal Caribbean's new cruise ships in recent years.

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.

There is a saying in the stock market of, "buy low" and airfare prices right now are one silver lining to the current global situation.  While there are no cruises sailing right now, it might not be a bad idea to buy flights for when sailings return in order to take advantage of some great pricing.

Just like the cruise lines, airlines have been scrambling to deal with a precipitous drop in demand and the result has been some pretty good airfare prices for later this year.

If you have a cruise planned in the second half of this year, or even next year, I have five reasons this might be a good time to snatch up an airline ticket.

Cheap prices for fall and winter 2020

Anecdotally, prices for cruises in the fall and winter are very low, even for usually high-demand holiday times.

With the airlines struggling to deal with very low demand to travel, there are some pretty good prices out there for flights, especially flights this year.

It seems many experts believe demand for flights will be low in the short-term, and that means airlines slashing prices in order to make up for the drop in demand.

Booking now is a good opportunity to take advantage of any flight deals for the months ahead, especially for the holidays. The general rule of thumb when booking flights to get the best deal has always been booking three weeks ahead of your departure—and six weeks ahead for most major holidays—booking now may put you ahead of the pack of people still cautious about travel.

Very flexible cancellation terms

If putting money down for a non-refundable flight sounds crazy right now, you should know most airlines have altered their change and cancellation policies to be incredibly flexible.

In order to convince the public to not wait to buy flights, many airlines are waving change fees for new bookings. The Points Guy has an ongoing list of airline policies for you to keep track of as you consider booking travel.

• JetBlue: Fees are waived through June 30 if you cancel or change your flight before Jan. 4, 2021. If you cancel, you'll get a travel waiver to use within 24 months of when it was issued. If you rebook, you may have to pay the difference in fare costs.
• Southwest: You can cancel or change your flight for no fee. If you have a nonrefundable ticket you'd like to cancel, you'll receive a travel credit. Unused travel funds are available until Sept. 7, 2022, but when you book, the standard expiration date -- 12 months -- will go into effect (even if it's before Sept. 7).
• Delta: Change fees are waived on all flights through Sept. 30, 2020, and any tickets purchased from March 1 and May 31. If you book a new flight, you might have to pay the difference in fare costs. If your new flight is cheaper, you'll receive a credit for the difference.

Some airlines are even providing free cancellation on new bookings.

This provides a great deal comfort in knowing if more cruises are cancelled, or local travel restrictions are in place, you can get a refund or credit for the flight.

New cleaning and passenger safety policies added

Airplanes have never exactly been known as the least sanitized places to be, so the airlines are taking extra steps to keep their passengers healthy.

New cleaning procedures on planes that use electrically charged disinfectants sprayed throughout the cabin are an example of one new method.  JetBlue announced the airline will be the first in the U.S. to require all customers to wear face coverings while onboard a flight. 

On some airlines, including Alaska, American, Delta and Spirit, you’ll see empty middle seats in an effort to keep passengers apart.

Airports are also doing their part, with new social distancing procedures. At Orlando International Airport, enhanced cleaning procedures and social distancing measures were put in place last month.

Prices are expected to go up soon

There is no hard evidence, but many travel experts think as the public becomes more comfortable with flying (and traveling) again, prices will go up to match demand.

Airfare prices can change at any point, so with the lower prices now, it makes more sense to lock in the price. As mentioned earlier, the more flexible flight cancellation terms provide added comfort in booking now.