Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship will officially join the fleet this week.

Odyssey of the Seas is scheduled to be delivered to the cruise line on March 31, 2021.

Up until Wednesday, Meyer Werft shipyard still technically owns the ship.

Delivery of a cruise ship is similar to buying a new car: until you sign off on everything, the dealership owns the vehicle until all the paperwork has been signed.

Quantum of the Seas delivery

Traditionally, cruise ship delivery is a major event with representatives from the shipyard and cruise line on hand to sign the deal and shake hands. With the global health crisis still looming, things are very likely going to be different.

To celebrate, Royal Caribbean is holding a special Facebook Live event at 5:00 p.m. EDT hosted by  Senior Vice President of Entertainment for Royal Caribbean International, Nick Weir.

You can tune into the event by visiting Royal Caribbean's Facebook page.

The event will include Odyssey of the Seas' ship's blessing, and a performance from onboard the show in Two70.

Participating in the event will be Royal Caribbean International President & CEO Michaely Bayley, along with Royal Caribbean Group Chairman Richard Fain.

Read more: Why are new cruise ships still being built?

Odyssey of the Seas just finished her sea trials in the North Sea, which went off without any incidents.

′′All systems work great and we have reached another important milestone for the ship with the successful test drive," said project manager Thorsten Kroes von Bord.

Odyssey's delivery has been a long time coming, as she was delayed from her original completion date in 2020.

Read more: Royal Caribbean updates new cruise ship delivery schedule

What makes Odyssey different?

Odyssey of the Seas will be the first Quantum Ultra Class cruise ship to sail from Europe and North America, giving a new audience the opportunity to experience this class.

Like all new cruise ships, Royal Caribbean always makes an effort to include other changes and new features that make a ship stand out from the rest of the fleet.

Here are a list of the major features on Odyssey of the Seas that we know about:

• SkyPad bungee trampoline experience 
• SeaPlex - the largest indoor space for recreational activities at sea
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade with club-level views of the SeaPlex
• Reimagined Adventure Ocean kids program and a maxed-out teen lounge with gaming consoles, music and movies
• Teppanyaki restaurant
• Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar
• Two-level pool deck will feature two open-air, resort-style pools and four whirlpools with shady casitas and hammocks
• FlowRider surf simulator
• Skydiving with Ripcord by iFly
• North Star glass capsule
• Robot bartenders at Bionic Bar

Odyssey of the Seas will also be the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to sail roundtrip from Haifa, Israel.

Her summer 2021 cruise season will be available exclusively to Israeli residents who are fully vaccinated.

If you are lucky enough to book a suite on Royal Caribbean, a variety of perks and amenities are waiting for you, but which will you get exactly?

Royal Caribbean's suite program has changed a bit over the years and if it is your first time staying in a suite, you might be wondering what extras you are entitled to.

At the heart of any suite experience is who will be there to assist, so here is a breakdown of the suite concierge and a Royal Genie.

What is concierge service on Royal Caribbean?

Except for Junior Suites, every suite on every ship is entitled to concierge service onboard.

Think of the concierge as an exclusive service available to suite guests that is an enhanced form of guest services without the lines.

The concierge onboard is located in the Concierge or Suite Lounge, and has regular office hours where you can stop by or call to get a variety of issues taken care of, including assistance with:

• Billing discrepancies
• Booking shore excursions
• Dining reservations
• Priority disembarkation

In addition, the Suite Lounge/Concierge Club offers hors d’oeuvres and cocktails each evening for suite guests.

Read more: 10 Surprising things you didn't know the Royal Caribbean concierge can do for you

What is a Royal Genie?

Guest that book the most expensive and expansive suites on Oasis or Quantum Class cruise ships are able to take advantage of a more personalized service from their Royal Genie.

The Royal Genie is available to guests booked in Star Class rooms only, and their services are shared between just a few staterooms.

Each Genie can do everything the suite concierge can do, while also visiting with the family in their room, and around the ship.

Read more: What is Star Class?

How is the Royal Genie different from suite concierge?

The biggest difference is the Royal Genie can do everything the suite concierge can do, and much more.

Your Genie can set up in-suite parties, arrange for specialty restaurant meals to be delivered to your room, and even be your personal shopper onboard.

Moreover, the Genie spends time every day with your family.  They can walk around with you, instead of being at a desk.  This means you can be escorted into events, and past lines.

Before the cruise, your Royal Genie will email you and introduce him or herself and get to know you a bit better so that they are ready for your needs once you get onboard.

Of course, getting access to a Royal Genie means booking Star Class and that is not cheap at all. It is not unusual for Star Class rooms to cost more than $10,000.

Suite Concierge is available to all categories of full suites, beginning with Grand Suite staterooms. So the cost to get access to the concierge is significantly less.

Royal Caribbean's second cruise ship to sail from North America this summer is now available to book.

Vision of the Seas reservations are open for booking by guests on its website, as well as by calling or booking through a travel agent.

The new bookings are available to book immediately, beginning with the June 26 sailing. Sailings between June and August 2021 are open for booking.

Guests of any nationality or residency may book these sailings, but all guests 18 years or older must be fully vaccinated by the time of sailing.

The requirements to book a Vision of the Seas cruise from Bermuda are:

• For guests 18 years of age and older, proof of being fully vaccinated for COVID-19
• Proof of a negative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test result for entry into the country where you are sailing from (age requirements vary by jurisdiction)
• Completed Royal Caribbean Health Questionnaire, available in the app 24 hours before sailing
• Typical travel documents, including passport or any visas as required by the departure country

Prices for Vision of the Seas sailings begin at $514 per person.

The sailings will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas before returning to Bermuda to offer an overnight stay in Bermuda.

Just like Adventure of the Seas from The Bahamas, Vision of the Seas will sail from Bermuda as a means to get around the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) ban on cruise ships.

Other ships scheduled to sail this summer include Jewel of the Seas from Cyprus, Odyssey of the Seas from Israel, and Quantum of the Seas from Singapore.

In December 2021, Grandeur of the Seas will begin cruises from Barbados.

Meanwhile, pressure continues to mount in the United States to get the CDC to lift its ban of cruise ships, or at least open a pathway for cruises to restart sailing.

A series of statements from local and state officials have come out lately in support of getting cruise ships sailing again, given the massive double standard in policy they are facing.

The cruise industry is also asking travel professionals and cruise fans to step up and tell their leaders to pressure the CDC as well.

After booking an Adventure of the Seas cruise for this summer, what should you be doing now to be ready?

In just the first week the new Adventure of the Seas cruises from The Bahamas have been on sale, they have sold extremely well. With the cruise booked, now is a good time to take care of a few things, and plan for a few others.

Adventure of the Seas will not only be the first Royal Caribbean ship to sail from North America in well over a year, but it will also include plenty of changes.

Expect changes

Royal Caribbean has promised to update its passengers with exactly what to expect about a month before the cruise.

"Travel requirements are fast evolving. We will communicate with you in the 30 days before you set sail, to ensure you know the latest travel requirements."

If your Adventure of the Seas cruise is in late June or later, you will have the benefit of others determining what exactly everyone needs to do before your sailing comes around.

In the meantime, here is what we do know about what to expect.

Check your passport

Before you do anything else, find your passport and check the expiration date.

Since you have likely not had to use your passport in over a year, you want to double check the passport expiration date to ensure it will be valid by the time your Adventure of the Seas cruise rolls around.

Royal Caribbean says your passport should be valid at least 6 months after you sailing’s return date.

If your passport is or will expire, turn around times for passport renewal is pretty quick.

If you do not have a passport, you need to get one before the cruise begins.  Unlike cruises from the United States, you need a passport in order to sail from The Bahamas.

Read more: Do you need a passport for a cruise?

Purchase flights

If you have not looked at flights yet, now is a really good time to purchase flights for your cruise.

You can book flights through traditional methods, but you should also look at booking your airfare through Royal Caribbean before booking anything.

Royal Caribbean has bought up space on a number of flights to Nassau, and is actually subsidizing fares.

This means you may find substantial savings compared to booking flights on your own.  Many cruisers have reported savings of $100 or more per person on flights booked through Royal Caribbean.

Read more: Why you shouldn't fly to your cruise the same day it begins

Book a refundable hotel room

Another easy task to get out of the way now is to book a hotel room in Nassau before (and maybe after) your sailing.

The best strategy is to fly into Nassau at least one day ahead of your cruise to ensure travel delays do not impact your ability to get on the cruise ship.

Nassau (and New Providence Island in general) has many hotels and resorts you can stay at.  

Booking a hotel now locks in a spot at a great resort, but be sure to book refundable rates so that you can cancel if there is a lower price later.

Bahamas travel visa

In order to go on this cruise, you need to get into The Bahamas first, which will require something new to all cruisers: a travel health visa.

To get a head start, you can go to The Bahamas website to complete the initial steps now.

You can create a profile and upload a photo of your passport.

In addition, you can add your trip details and other family members.  Doing all of this now means when it is time for your test results, you will be ready to drop the results in and submit them.

Get a vaccine in time

One of the requirements of summer 2021 Adventure of the Seas cruises is all adults must be fully vaccincated at least 14 days prior to sailing.

For guests 18 years of age and older, proof of being fully vaccinated for COVID-19 will be required. It is not yet known what the cruise line will require for proof of vaccination quite yet.

If you have not gotten a vaccine yet, be sure get one with enough time for the inoculation to take full effect.

Negative PCR test

In order to enter the Bahamas, you will need to get a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for that health visa.

The health visa is required no more than 5 days before arrival. You may want to start looking around for which testing options near you are available, and how long it will roughly take to get the test to be processed.  

The key is to find a place that can get you a negative test as quickly as possible.  Some locations can provide test results in a matter of hours, while others can take a few days. Moreover, some locations are free and some will require an insurance copay.

It is a good idea in the weeks and months leading up to your cruise to determine a location that can provide the results as quickly as possible, keeping in mind there may be an additional cost for the speed you need.

While there are exceptions, one to three days for COVID-19 test results seem to be standard across the United States.

You may need to research PCR testing locations that promise same-day results or provide rapid PCR tests analyzed on-site if the arrival of your test results could make or break your trip.

This article provides an excellent resource of a city-by-city guide of where to get a test done.

Complete the health questionnaire

Remember that health form you had to fill out in the cruise terminal? It's digital now!

Beginning 24 hours before your cruise sails, you can access Royal Caribbean's Health Questionnaire in the app to fill out.

You will be asked some basic questions about your traveling party and if anyone has not been feeling well.

This was a busy week with Royal Caribbean news, and we have a summary of all of the news from this week to make certain you did not miss any of it.

Ready to go on a cruise this summer?

The new Adventure of the Seas sailings from Nassau, Bahamas are available to book via Royal Caribbean's website, phone, or through a travel agent.

The new bookings are available to book immediately, beginning with the June 12 sailing. Sailings between June and September 2021 are open for booking.

Be sure to also check out these 20 Adventure of the Seas tips, tricks & secrets!

Royal Caribbean News

• Jewel of the Seas will sail from Cyprus in July
• Florida Governor calls for cruises to be able to restart from Florida
• Royal Caribbean Group CEO gives updates on Europe and Alaska 2021 cruise chances
• Alaska Senators asked White House to get CDC to moving on cruise ship restart plans
• Cruise industry calls on CDC to let cruise ships sail again
• Cruise industry wants you to tell your elected officials to let cruise ships restart
• Royal Caribbean launches first sale on add-ons since new summer cruises announced
• Royal Caribbean Group CEO answers common questions about cruises restarting
• Royal Caribbean Group CEO talks "question that everybody is concerned about" on a cruise ship
• Odyssey of the Seas successfully completes sea trials
• Miami-Dade Mayor asks CDC to allow cruise ships to restart
• It looks like a Greek ferry company bought Majesty of the Seas
• Cruise FAQ: Saving Money

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 399th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, featuring a look at the Mexican Riviera ports.

In this episode, Sheri gives us a preview of what to expect in all of the west coast cruise ports you can visit, and what there is to do in each one.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

New RCB Video: Things I'll never do again on a Royal Caribbean cruise

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — Things I'll never do again on a Royal Caribbean cruise — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Royal Caribbean announces Vision of the Seas will sail from Bermuda

Royal Caribbean announced its second cruise ship to restart North American cruises will be Vision of the Seas from Bermuda.

Vision of the Seas will sail from outside the United States so that it can offer cruises sooner and without approval from the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Just like Adventure of the Seas, sailings on Vision of the Seas will require all adults above the age of 18 to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

A Congressional delegation from Alaska has once again sent a letter on behalf of the cruise industry in order to get cruise ships sailing again.

U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, all R-Alaska, sent a letter with colleagues to the White House COVID Response Coordinator, urging the Biden administration to be more transparent and timely in their efforts to develop guidance for the resumption of operations for the cruise ship industry.

In the letter, the Senators and Representative also pressed the White House for answers to a number of clarifying questions on current U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

In the letter, the CDC's inaction is squarely at the heart of the concern.

• When will the CDC provide more details related to the phases of its Framework for Conditional Sailing?
• What criteria does the CDC use to determine the next phase of reopening? What is the timeline?
• What more does the cruise industry need to do to assure the CDC it is ready for the safe resumption of operations?
• Does the CDC understand the economic impact its lack of communication and transparency has on the cruise industry and associated businesses and local communities? What is the Administration’s plan to create more open lines of communication between government and the private sector?
• Who is the official that has responsibility for the decisions about when and how the cruise industry can restart under the restrictions put in place by the CDC?
• What is the process, either within the CDC, or within the Administration to make and implement these decisions, and what other agencies are involved in the decision
  making process?
• When the Conditional Sailing Order was issued last October, there were no vaccines and the disease was on an upward trajectory. Today, we are in completely different
  public health environment. What is the CDC planning to do to address this very different set of circumstances?

The Alaska delegation has been vocal in recent weeks trying to get cruise ships sailing again, so that the 2021 Alaska cruise season can be salvaged.

The letter urged swift action, "The cruise industry has faced unique challenges amid this pandemic, and is one of the only industries that is completely precluded from resuming normal operations. This has created a dramatic negative ripple effect on the Florida and Alaskan families, businesses, ports and communities that rely on the cruise industry"

"If the CDC does not quickly commit to start communicating timely and effective guidance, as well as hold frequent and productive meetings with cruise industry stakeholders, it will have harmful impacts on another peak season for the cruise industry."

Alaska is especially vulnerable to another season of no cruise ships because of how much their economy relies on ships.

The entire cruise season was abandoned last year, and this year looks to be equally dire.

"The future of the cruise industry and thousands of good paying jobs at our states’ ports and supporting businesses are now at stake," they wrote in the letter.

Alaska's representatives to Congress have done the most to get cruises started again.

In February, they asked Canada to re-evaluate their ban on cruise ships. Then in March, they introduced a new bill to allow cruise ships to sail without having to stop in Canada.

Senator Murkowski grilled CDC Director Rochelle Walensky last week after the Director failed to provide any kind of timeline for cruises to restart and was unsure how that would even proceed.

Senator Murkowski says Alaska is one of the most vaccinated states in the country, with 18.9% of its population full vaccinated, and  28% having at least their first shot.

UPDATE: Royal Caribbean has reached out and informed me that the information posted earlier on Royal Caribbean's website was not completely accurate, and as a result, I have remove the content of this post.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean said the new protocols and changes for guests onboard is still being developed.

"We’re still working through our member benefits and this does not accurately reflect member experiences onboard. As a result, we’ve turned off commenting on this post and will delete shortly. We promise we won’t let our intern near the enter key any time soon again. Thanks!"

The goal of this site is to always deliver the most accurate information possible, and providing the wrong expectation for guests is anything but that.

When there is updated information, I will be sharing it with all of you immediately.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) held a press conference at Port Canaveral to show support for the cruise industry to move forward with restarting from Florida.

As the top cruise departure port in the country, Florida's economy has a direct connection to the cruise industry.

Gov. Ron DeSantis called for "a way forward" in getting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to lift the ban on cruise ships.

DeSantis criticized how long cruises have been shutdown without any end in sight, "I don't think you can just indefinitely shutter major, major businesses and cost all these jobs. So we want a way forward."

"We have people flying on airplanes, they're on buses, hotels, restaurants, theme parks, casinos, bars, you name it. But somehow the cruise is viewed as differently."

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody went as far to suggest considering legal action to fight back against the CDC's Framework for Conditional Sail Order (CSO).  She did not spell out any plan, but did indicate it was an option.

"We are asking that there be technical guidance that is given that would allow these ships to resume. And it's important that we start examining how we can push for a sooner rather than later resumption of this incredible, important industry," Ms. Moody said during the press conference.

"It's incredibly important as we examine all options and determine what our legal avenues are to push back against this government overreach to an end, to an industry that is so vitally important to the success of the state."

"We will take all legal action as necessary."

Executives from all the major cruise lines were present at the event, including Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley.

Mr. Bayley spoke about the frustration in dealing with getting any kind of information related to getting approval to sail again from the CDC, "We can't get any reliable information from the entity that's closed is that it's an intergovernmental agency review. Month after month after month, it's devastating."

"So we're in this bizarre situation where we're all Americans, we've got huge workforces in America, we buy all of our products in America, we supply our ships from America. Most of our customers are from America, and yet we cannot get any guidance."

Gov. DeSantis' press conference follows up on a series of public statements from the cruise industry to ask the CDC to restart cruises.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) sent a letter to the CDC to ask the CSO to be lifted by July so that cruises can sail again by then.  In addition, CLIA asked travel agents, cruise fans, and anyone in the industry to contact their government representatives to compel the CDC to change their direction.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman Richard Fain called the CSO "unworkable" earlier this week.

In speaking about the CSO during a webinar, he said it is now out of date, "It calls for a four-phased process but four-and-a-half months into that, we are still in phase one and we still don’t know what will be required for phase two."

"You can see that's pretty unworkable for us and for the CDC.

Royal Caribbean has released a new sale on drink packages, wifi, excursions and more.

The Sun-Soaked Savings sale begins today, and offers up to 45% off the onboard price of these items.

The new sale runs between March 26, 2021 – April 1, 2021 and applies to select sailings departing June 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022.

Here is what is included during the sale:

BEVERAGE: Up to 45% off

• Classic Soda Beverage Package: Discount varies by ship.
• Classic Soda Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: 45% off onboard prices.
• Dasani Water Cans: 45% off onboard prices.
• Deluxe Beverage Package: 30% off onboard prices
• Deluxe Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Discount varies by ship
• Refreshment Package: Discount varies by ship

SHORE EXCURSIONS: Up to 40% off

• Shore Excursions: Discount varies by ship

INTERNET: Up to 55% off

• The Key: Discount varies by ship.
• VOOM Surf + Stream Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship.
• VOOM Surf Voyage Package 1, 2, 3, 4 Device(s): Discount varies by ship. 

DINING: Up to 55% off

• Unlimited Dining Package on 3N – 9N sailings: Discount varies by ship.

ACTIVITIES: Up to 20% off

• All Access Ship Tour (Excludes Grandeur of the Seas)

Gifts & Gear: Up to 45% Off

• Anniversary Decorations with Champagne: 45% Off Onboard Prices
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Chocolate Cake & Strawberries: 20% Off Onboard Prices
• Happy Birthday Decorations with Vanilla Cake & Strawberries: 20% Off Onboard Prices
• Inky Beach Set: 20% Off Onboard Prices
• Inky Beach Towel (TicTacToe): 20% Off Onboard Prices
• Inky Travel Set: 20% Off Onboard Prices
• Red Wine and Cheese: 20% Off Onboard Prices
• Royal Caribbean Beach Towel: 20% Off Onboard Prices
• Strawberries with Champagne: 20% Off Onboard Prices
• White Wine and Cheese: 20% Off Onboard Prices

PHOTO PACKAGES: Up to 70% off

• Photo Packages: From 5 - 100 print and/or digital options: discount varies by ship.
• Photo Package: Private Photo Session: Discount varies by ship. 

SPA PACKAGES: Up to 30% off

Only on Allure, Anthem, Freedom, Harmony, Independence, Navigator, Oasis, Ovation, Odyssey, Quantum & Symphony of the Seas

• Spa Package: Up to 30% Off Onboard Prices

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

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

More helpful information

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

Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship has passed the last major stage of her construction.

Shipyard Meyer Werft announced Odyssey of the Seas has returned from her sea trials in the North Sea and the ship successfully passed all tests.

The ship is now back in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Translated from German, Meyer Werft seemed pleased with the results

Project Manager Thorsten Kroes von Bord said, "All systems work great and we have reached another important milestone for the ship with the successful test drive."

What are sea trials?

Sea trials are when a new cruise ship gets its systems tested out in order to ensure all of its features work, as well as push speed and steering to their limits.

Everything from the ship's propulsion, to navigation, to engines are tested before it can be ready to join the fleet.

Sea trials range in duration, sometimes one or two sessions is common.

The sea trials are conducted with a combination of Royal Caribbean crew members, as well as shipyard workers. 

When will Odyssey of the Seas be delivered?

With the sea trials complete, there may be some final tweaks and changes onboard before the ship is prepared for delivery.

No official delivery date has been announced by Royal Caribbean or Meyer Werft.

Until delivery takes place, the ship is still owned by Meyer Werft.  Like many other ships during the global health crisis, the delivery is likely to be a very low key event, perhaps even a virtual event.

Sister brand Celebrity Cruises took delivery of Celebrity Apex in a virtual delivery, where the cruise line took official command of the new ship via a video conference with officials from the shipyard.

Inaugural season

Odyssey of the Seas will debut for Royal Caribbean in Haifa, Israel this summer.

She will sail roundtrip from Haifa, Israel and offer cruises only to Israeli residents who are vaccinated.

Sailings this summer will visit ports in Greece and Cyprus, including Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos and Athens, Greece and Limassol, Cyprus.  

Odyssey will then cross the Atlantic to begin its inaugural North American season in November, offering 6- to 8-night itineraries from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean.

Here are a list of the major features on Odyssey of the Seas that we know about:

• SkyPad bungee trampoline experience 
• SeaPlex - the largest indoor space for recreational activities at sea
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade with club-level views of the SeaPlex
• Reimagined Adventure Ocean kids program and a maxed-out teen lounge with gaming consoles, music and movies
• Teppanyaki restaurant
• Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar
• Two-level pool deck will feature two open-air, resort-style pools and four whirlpools with shady casitas and hammocks
• FlowRider surf simulator
• Skydiving with Ripcord by iFly
• North Star glass capsule
• Robot bartenders at Bionic Bar