Royal Caribbean Blog

Whether by cruise ship or airplane or car, so many people relish traveling as a way to see the world, revisit history, and enjoy great food along the way. The outbreak of COVID-19 has changed everything, and travel has been particularly hard hit.

Between the lockdowns, cruise lines suspending operations, and the economy taking a hit, it seemed appropriate to reach out to a few travel experts for what their advice would be given the global impact of this virus.

I contacted seven of the very best cruise experts to ask them what travel advice they would share to anyone who wants to get out there again. Here is what they had to say.

It could take a while

"Be patient. But also be aware that it could be a while. If 30 days from now, the situation around the world is still a mess, the cruise lines could decide to extend the period even longer.

The only people who want the ships to be sailing more than would-be guests is the cruise lines themselves."

- Doug Parker (Host of Cruise Radio)

Be Flexible

"Don't let today's concerns keep you from planning future trips - planning now can also give you something to look forward to while your vacations may otherwise be on hold.  

If you have an upcoming trip you don't think will work out, don't cancel earlier than required by providers' policies; you don't want to cancel a trip you could have taken, plus, if a travel provider decides to cancel, they may offer better terms than you'll get cancelling on your own.  

Above all else, be flexible; as unprecedented as this is to your life, the same is true for businesses."

- Billy Hirsch (Cruise Expert, CruiseHabit.com)

Stay up-to-date

"These are unprecedented times across the globe, and certainly for the cruise industry. The best piece of advice right now is to stay up-to-date on the latest policies and updates from your cruise line.

Changes continue to be made daily – and compensation continues to be announced for impacted cruises, so it’s more important than ever to keep in contact with the line, fellow cruisers and/or your travel advisor for the latest updates as they’re made."

- Colleen McDaniel (Editor-in-Chief of Cruise Critic)

Wait it out

"The advice we're sharing with our community right now is to be as patient as possible. Whether that means you're on pins and needles wondering if your late Spring cruise gets cancelled, or booking another cruise in the near future, we're all anxious to have some answers!

But, we think waiting just a few more weeks to see how the remainder of this month pans out before taking action is a good move for most. If you're anxious to book, consider securing a deal on a cruise sailing later in the year, or into 2021. There's much less cancellation risk, and lots of great cabins available."

- Sheri Griffiths (Host of CruiseTipsTV)

Stay safe and stay positive

"It's tough not being able to cruise now and knowing exactly when we can get back out there, but I'm definitely trying to stay positive. We all know this will pass and cruise travel will come back strong. I feel badly for people who might be struggling with income and lack of work at these times, though."

If you are passionate about travel and cruising, it can be of some comfort to start planning for a cruise or trip for later this year (or even next year) so that you have something to look forward to -- while also taking advantage of some great prices and relaxed policies on cancellations for rebooking.

Like most people, I've been already getting a bit of cabin fever as we spend most of our days stuck in the home, but it's helped to be able to look for deals and get excited about planning for some time at sea once this all passes. There is going to be a huge amount of pent-up demand and energy for cruising and travel in general when things get back to normal."

- John Roberts (Travel writer, In The Loop Travel)

There's no rush to decide now

"If you’re thinking of booking a trip for the next few months, my advice there, too, is that there’s no rush. I think pricing is going to come down significantly on close-in departures in the coming months. We haven’t seen crazy deals yet for close-in departures – at least not in a widespread way. But we will. Cruise lines appear to be holding off on the crazy deals until they have a better sense of when they will be able to resume sailing. Once that becomes more clear, I expect some very heavy discounting and value-add promotions on the close-in sailings. They will be desperate to refill the ships.

I would warn people that it may be longer than they think before cruise ships begin sailing again. It’s very hard to say at this point. There are so many variables. But we may be looking at several months, at least, in some regions of the world.

Also, I would recommend that anyone spending a significant amount of money on a future cruise right now pay the extra money to buy a travel insurance policy that includes reimbursement coverage if a travel provider such as a cruise line or airline fails. I’m not saying this is going to happen. But it’s prudent in a time like this to be covered for the worst possible outcome. Not every travel insurance policy covers the collapse of a travel provider. It’s important to read the fine print in a policy before buying it. Generally, the policies sold directly through cruise lines, for instance, do not cover this."

- Gene Sloan, (Senior Reporter, Cruise and Travel at The Points Guy)

Be Patient

"We are in uncharted waters right now, sailing through heavy fog, searching for a glimpse of the lighthouse to lead us out of these unprecedented times. It may be a tough pill to swallow, but this is going to play on as it plays out.

The best advice I can give anyone booked or looking to book a cruise is to be patient. It doesn't matter which cruise line, or ship, the next cruise we each go on is going to be amazing for the simple fact we are back to normalcy in our daily lives."

Scott Sanders (Cruise Expert, DisneyCruiseLineBlog.com)

Kids around the world are at home instead of school due to the worldwide impact of the coronavirus.

As a result, parents are struggling to find activities for kids to keep them occupied, so how about working in Royal Caribbean into that lesson plan?

You can print out these fun coloring sheets and let your children's imaginations run wild.

There are designs with cruise ships, pirates, marine life and more to enjoy.

You can download and print these coloring sheets right here.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced it has entered into a $2.2 billion 364-day secured term loan facility, further enhancing the company's liquidity position.  

The loan comes as cruise lines, and the entire cruise industry, face tremendous challenges due to the worldwide spread of COVID-19.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is the parent company of Royal Caribbean International, and operates sister brands Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea Cruises.

The facility can be extended at the company's option for an additional 364 days.  The company has borrowed the full amount available under the term loan to further bolster its liquidity.

Including this new financing, the company has over $3.6 billion of liquidity comprised of cash deposits and its existing undrawn revolving credit facilities (net of outstanding commercial paper).  

In addition, the company has committed financing for all of its new ships on order.

"This is a period of unprecedented disruption for the cruise industry," said Jason T. Liberty, executive vice president and CFO.  "We continue to take decisive actions to protect the company's financial and liquidity positions as they enable us to keep focused on our guests, our crew and our long-term plans."

Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Bank of America, BNP Paribas and Goldman Sachs acted as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners on the secured term loan facility.  Morgan Stanley is acting as an Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent on the facility.  Perella Weinberg Partners LP served as financial advisor and Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as legal advisor to the company in connection with the secured term loan facility.

It has been well over a week since the last Royal Caribbean cruise departed, and while we are all doing our parts by staying at home and practicing social distancing, eventually Royal Caribbean will welcome its guests back onboard for the kind of vacation so many of us truly love.

So when the gangway is open once more, here is my must-do list of things to see, do and eat (of course) once again!

Go to the Windjammer first

Eating at the Windjammer on embarkation day has always been a cruising tradition, as it marks the unofficial start to my vacation.

I have always felt there is something special about dining at the Windjammer on the first day, probably because it instills that feeling of, "my cruise is here!".

I would be remiss if I did not also talk about the fantastic food selection available, whether I opt for salads, burgers, Indian curry, cookies, pasta....or all of that on multiple trips. It never disappoints.

Hit the water slides

Ever since Royal Caribbean started adding water slides, they have been a big hit with guests, and I am one of those people.

My kids love the water slides too, so going down the water slides a couple of times is the kind of family time I enjoy about any Royal Caribbean cruise.

Of course, I also do not mind challenging my daughter to a race down the slides knowing full well the laws of physics and how weight works in my favor.  

Reading the Cruise Compass

Royal Caribbean's Cruise Compass may seem like just a list of activities, offers and times of operations, but I like to think of it as my guide to all the fun waiting for me.

Each evening your stateroom attendant will leave the Cruise Compass on your bed (with perhaps a towel animal surprise too) for you to read and I love reading everything inside.

I love to look for the odd sounding events included along with traditional cruise activities, and perhaps pick out something the whole family can do together.

Glancing down the Cruise Compass is more than just staying informed of what the Activities staff has planned, it is an opportunity to discover something new or different to do onboard.

Do the escape room

Royal Caribbean's intricate and challenging escape rooms have become a must-do activity.

Escape rooms challenge your brain and teamwork skills by attempting to solve the clues and escape before time on the clock runs out.

Whether you are already a fan of the escape room trend or just eager to try this challenge for the first time, I think you will enjoy the thrill of trying to beat the escape room on select Royal Caribbean ships.

Watch a sunset at sea

I have seen plenty of sunsets while on a cruise, but it never gets old, and is a must-do activity every time we sail.

When conditions are right, and the clouds give way to an unobstructed sunset, it is an incredible sight.

While activities like water slides, zip lines, or ice skating garner a lot of attention when it comes to marketing a cruise, sometimes the simple pleasures are what endears us all to cruising time and time again.

Enjoy live music by the pool

Imagine this: the sun is shinning, with a cloud or two passing by as the warm Caribbean breeze brushes past your cheek.  You have a colorful cocktail in your hand, as the band is playing "Red Red Wine" close your eyes.  That epitomizes the perfect moment on a Royal Caribbean cruise for me.

The live music on a Royal Caribbean cruise is among the best hidden secrets.  Royal Caribbean's dedication to live music has become something I always look forward to and enjoying the live band at the pool is just the icing on an incredible cake.

Spend every minute I can at Perfect Day at CocoCay

Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas has raised the bar for what any cruise line private island is about, and it is probably one place I miss the most that is not onboard a Royal Caribbean ship.

From the Oasis Lagoon, to the water slides in Thrill Waterpark, to the Coco Beach Club, to the cabanas at Chill Island, there is so much to do and it is what I imagine when I think of paradise.

While not all sailings visit Perfect Day at CocoCay, I will make a point to find a sailing that visits here sooner than later.

Sing along to the music in the Pub

Whether we are talking about "Country Roads", "Friends In Low Places", or "Sweet Child 'o Mine", there are plenty of great songs to sing along to in Royal Caribbean's pub.

My go-to nighttime activity is to grab a chair, order a drink and enjoy music played by acoustic guitar as I enjoy the company of my friends onboard.

Pubs are available on most ships (Radiance Class and larger), and I love the type of music played.  The tunes in the pub will range from oldies, to '90s, and to decades inbetween. Basically, these are songs you likely know all the words to and likely have heard in many bars before.

Your favorites

What are you looking forward to the most once Royal Caribbean starts cruising again?  Let us know in the comments below!

It appears seeing how much you spent onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise in the future may become a lot easier, especially if you lose that Cruise Summary after your cruise is over.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader twangster returned home from the transatlantic Allure of the Seas cruise to discover Royal Caribbean's website shows his folio available to view online.

At the end of a cruise, a summary of all charges, credits and purchases is delivered to each guest's stateroom door so guests can take it with them off the ship.  In recent years, the folio has even been emailed to guests.  With this new option, there is a third way of retrieving a summary of onboard spending.

The feature appears to be not available on all sailings yet. In fact, none of my 2020 Royal Caribbean sailings show up with the option to view the folio.

Royal Caribbean has been steadily adding more features to its website, Cruise Planner site and app. 

Some recently added new features include the ability to filter for just Kids Sail Free dates, adding custom events to the Cruise Planner, and easier ability to find connecting staterooms.

Royal Caribbean is helping travel agents with guests that have an upcoming future cruise credit by allowing travel agents to place a hold with no deposit through the end of May 31.

With a lot of guests awaiting future cruise credits emanating from the canceled cruises due to the coronavirus pandemic, Royal Caribbean wanted to make things easier for travel agents to start making new reservations with the credits.

Travel agents can now place a hold on a new booking and keep that hold through May 31, 2020. Traditionally, holds would expire after 3 days. This extension allows guests to await the delivery of their FCC to apply to the booking and then only pay any potential remaining balance at that time.

This new option is available for reservations beginning March 18, 2020 and is valid on sailings departing on-or-before December 31, 2021. It is also only available to travel agents, and not guests.

The final payment date for these new sailings remains unchanged. 

Perhaps no other question is on the lips of so many Royal Caribbean cruisers these days as if their upcoming cruise in the next few months will actually sail or not.

In fact, the question is not relegated to sailings leaving in the next 30, 60 or even 90 days.  Some of our readers are curious about cruises around Thanksgiving, Christmas and even into 2021.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting shutdowns, social distancing and month-long suspension of cruises has almost everyone contemplating what to expect next.

The short answer to the question of if your cruise will sail or not is: no one knows, yet. If you have a Royal Caribbean cruise coming up, unfortunately the only thing we can do at this point is wait and see.

The official word from Royal Caribbean is their, "goal is to resume operations on April 11th, 2020." 

It seems the cruise lines, the airlines, hotels, Pizza Hut and pretty much every business is in a "wait and see" pattern.  What we know and policies and new guidelines are changing on a daily basis.

It is equally possible the situation will improve as it pertains to the spread of coronavirus, just as much as it could deteriorate. 

Royal Caribbean is working to comply with guidance from CDC, WHO, public health authorities around the world, and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). They are balancing the need to operate their business, with the health needs, regulations and best practices that are emerging and changing every day.  All of this makes predicting the future incredibly difficult.

Unfortunately, there is little way to accurately predict what to expect weeks and months from now, so we are all in a "wait and see" state.

What about cruises to Canada or Europe? Ports are already closed off, so how could my cruise sail?

We are seeing some countries elect to close off its cruise ports in the first days and weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, leading cruisers to question how any sailing to these regions could possibly take place.

Canada announced a ban on cruise ships until July 1, Spain has its ports closed, along with New Zealand.

Royal Caribbean has not commented on the situation in any of these countries, nor provided any guidance on what to expect beyond April 11.

Ultimately, all the cruise lines are betting on things rapidly improving. 

If Royal Caribbean was to cancel sailings for another month or two, and then the situation where to change where they could sail, it would be impossible to "un-cancel" a sailing. For all intents and purposes, the strategy right now appears to be keep the sailing going, and cancel when it is absolutely, positively clear the sailing must be canceled.

How will I know if my cruise is canceled?

When Royal Caribbean cancels a cruise, they will notify guests and their travel agents directly.

You can expect at the very least an email to the reservation holder, as well as the travel agent to inform them of the cruise cancelation, as well as refund options. 

If the suspension of cruises is extended, I will share that news on this blog as well.

If the current 30 day suspension of cruising is any indication, Royal Caribbean will provide plenty of time to decide on which refund option to choose. Your best bet is avoid trying to call Royal Caribbean, because hold times are usually excessive with many guests trying to get answers at once.

First and foremost, tap your travel agent for assistance in getting answers. There is also a self-service form for guests who want a refund that can expedite cancelation requests.

What you should expect going forward

Ordinarily, waiting until very close to a sail date would be quite difficult for most people to deal with in a logistical sense, but Royal Caribbean and the entire travel sector have relaxed cancellation and trip-change policies to a point there is little to no financial risk in waiting.

Royal Caribbean offers guests the Cruise with Confidence program, that allows cancellations up to 48 hours before sailing. Pretty much every airline is waving change fees and penalties as well. This means you have a great deal of flexibility in deciding to cancel your trip just days before your cruise is set to depart.

If we learned anything from the sailings that were canceled when Royal Caribbean took a 30-day voluntary suspension of cruises, it is that a change can come with little warning. The 30 days of canceled sailings was announced less than 24 hours prior to the first affected sailing was to depart. With there being still three weeks until that April 10 date to go, do not expect an answer soon.

Equally important, is guests on cancelled cruises received greater compensation than those that opted to cancel prior to the pause of sailings. If receiving a full refund (instead of a Future Cruise Credit) and/or extra money back is important to you, then you may consider waiting things out and letting Royal Caribbean make the decision for you.

The bottom line is we all have to wait and see what happens on a global scale, and evaluate what Royal Caribbean will do based on the situation at that time. No one enjoys to wait and see, but it is what every sector of business and government is engaged in doing during this unparalleled time.

Royal Caribbean's Winter Cyber Sale begins today, with 30% off every guest, Kids Sail Free and up to $200 instant savings.

The Winter Cyber Sale applies to new bookings made between March 20 - 24, 2020 on select sailings departing on or after April 20, 2020.

It includes:

• 30% off cruise fare for all guests in the stateroom
• Up to $200 instant savings
  • Sailings 5 nights or less, $25 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $75 for Balconies and $75 for Suites
  • Sailings 6 nights or longer, $50 savings for Interior and Ocean View, $100 for Balconies and $200 for Suites
• Kids Sail Free provides free cruise fare for 3rd guests and higher who are 12 years old or younger as of cruise departure date, booked in the same stateroom as the first two qualifying guests in a triple or quad-occupancy stateroom.
  • Kids Sail Free applies to select 4-night or longer Alaska, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, CaribNE, Coastal, Europe, Hawaii, Repositioning and all 2020 Serenade of the Seas sailings departing between April 18, 2020 – December 17, 2020 and January 8, 2021 – May 17, 2021.
  • Offer excludes 2020 Peak Summer (Sailings between May 15 – August 31, 2020), 2020 Thanksgiving sailings (Sailings between November 21 - 28, 2020), 2021 President’s Day Sailings (Sailings between February 12 – 15, 2021), and 2021 Spring Break and Easter sailings (Sailings between March 13 – April 4, 2021).
  • Taxes, fees, and port expenses are additional and apply to all guests.

30% Off Every Guest and Kids Sail Free are combinable with each other as well as promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, instant savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, Crown and Anchor discounts and Shareholder Benefits. Winter Cyber Sale is combinable with 30% Off Every Guest and Kids Sail Free as well as with promotional OBCs, NextCruise offers, Instant Savings, restricted discounts (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military), Promo Code driven offers, Free Upgrades, and Shareholder Benefits, but not combinable with Crown and Anchor discounts. Offer are not combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Standard Group, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, Weekly Sales Events, and Net Rates. Promo Code driven offers are based on select ships and sail dates and must be applied at time of booking; limit one promo code per booking.

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

The impact of a 30 day suspension of all Royal Caribbean sailings around the world can be felt in a variety of areas, including the crew members who work on Royal Caribbean's ships.

With no sailings to conduct, many Royal Caribbean fans began to wonder what the crew's fate would be and how would they fare during this cessation. After all, the crew are well-known for their dedication to making the onboard experience excellent, and there was some concern early on that perhaps crew would have to return home.

From the start of the pause, Royal Caribbean reiterated its dedication to the safety, health and well-being of its staff and crew members.

In short, crew members are remaining onboard their ships until Royal Caribbean resumes operations. 

Royal Caribbean's Best Job at Sea contest winner, Cassandra Aragon, indicated that the crew are still getting paid during this time.

Cruise ships still require maintenance and upkeep to ensure the ship is ready to resume service the moment it is safe to do so.

In the meantime, the crew are taking advantage of some time onboard without any guests, and the ships seem to be playing host to them.

While Royal Caribbean itself has not commented on specifics, we have gotten a look at what the crew are up to during this period from social media posts.

Cory Rogers, the Cruise Directory on Liberty of the Seas, shared a video of the Royal Promenade decked out for St. Patrick's Day and enjoyed purely by the crew.

The team is in high spirits and all extremely positive. Still strange not having guests onboard as we are not used to it and we are currently making history! All the crew have been given free WiFi to stay connected to their families and friends back home. 

Chris Wong, is the Casino Host on Oasis of the Seas, and has been posting daily vlogs updating what is happening onboard his ship during this shutdown.

Mr. Wong talked about the sanitization efforts he and the crew have been taking to keep the ship as clean as possible, as well as sharing how certain guest venues have been opened up to crew members. This includes Chops, Johnny Rockets, the pools and more.

One constant during the coronavirus outbreak has been the changing nature of news that alters daily.

Mr. Wong mentioned in today's video that the Captain of Oasis of the Seas mentioned some crew would start to head home, but there are still questions on how many crew will be sent home, and what things will look like in the coming weeks.

Royal Caribbean has confirmed that the planned amplifications of Allure of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas are on hold, due to the global impact of coronavirus.

Both ships had multi-million dollar amplifications scheduled for this year, but the work has been put on hold and the extend of enhancements to come is being re-evaluated.

Royal Caribbean confirmed on social media what many had feared was the case, following the closure of many European ports, along with Royal Caribbean's decision to cut 2021 capital expenditures.

A statement by Royal Caribbean confirms the post on social media.

In these unprecedented times, in addition to voluntarily suspending our global operations, port closures and travel restrictions have also affected the possibility of moving forward with our amplifications of Explorer of the Seas in Brest, France and Allure of the Seas in Cadiz, Spain this spring. Both amplifications have been put on hold at this time. With global developments rapidly evolving, we are reviewing all options to bring Explorer and Allure into dry dock this year and determining the extent of the enhancements we can implement.

Allure of the Seas was scheduled to undergo a 58-day, $165 million transformation that would have added new features, including the Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea; The Perfect Storm trio of waterslides, completely redesigned Adventure Ocean kids and teens spaces, the first Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, and Music Hall.

Similarly, Explorer of the Seas was planning to get a $110 million amplification that would have added a number of changes from bow to stern.

Royal Caribbean is currently not operating any cruises because of a month-long suspension of sailings to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.