Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean will be sailing from new homeports this summer outside the United States, but in order to get there, you will need to complete a health visa.

In addition to having a passport, the government of these countries where Royal Caribbean's ships are sailing from requires international visitors provide a health visa that proves they do not have Covid-19.

Getting a health visa is a mere formality, but it is an additional step that never existed before in the repertoire of cruisers.

In each case, expect to incur a little bit of time and money to get it all done right before your sailing.

Adventure of the Seas

The Bahamas requires a travel health visa that you can start filling out now.

The health visa is available online, where you can first create a profile for everyone traveling.

Similar to Royal Caribbean's online check-in, you will add your name, information and even upload a photo of your passport.

Bookmark the site, and then plan to get a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR test taken no more than five (5) days from collection date (date of test) to date of arrival.

Test results must be uploaded to the Bahamas Travel Health Visa portal and presented upon arrival. 

The cost of the health visa and PCR test are not included with your cruise, so it is a cost you will have to incur.

Vision of the Seas

Bermuda requires the Bermuda Travel Authorization to be completed by cruisers prior to their arrival on the island.

Guests sailing on Vision fo the Seas will have to have a negative PCR test result before traveling, testing upon arrival into the country and filling out appropriate entry forms.

Visitors must take a PCR COVID-19 test and obtain a negative result no more than five days before arrival. The day of testing is day 0.

According to Bermuda, guests must complete one to three days before departure the Bermuda Travel Authorisation process online which gathers important information for the island’s health and immigration officials; a $75 fee per traveler is required, which includes the cost of all COVID-19 testing in Bermuda. 

Each passenger must have a form completed regardless of age. Children 9 and younger do not have to be tested at any point, and their Travel Authorization fee is $30.

Bermuda has arranged an option for testing with AZOVA, where you can get PCR tests at Costco, or even an at home test.

Jewel of the Seas

Getting to Cyprus means you must fill out the Cyprus Flight Pass before you arrive.

It is not clear exactly what will be required for guests traveling to Cyprus yet. Royal Caribbean says "it is likely" that a RT-PCR test will be required prior to boarding and obtain a negative result.

"Royal Caribbean will update booked guests via email and text message, in the 30 days prior to sailing, to reinforce the latest requirements for the designated departure port."

Royal Caribbean is doing its part to help bring much needed supplies to the Caribbean island of St. Vincent.

Photo by Stv Online

Following the eruption of La Soufriere volcano, Royal Caribbean Group has begun the work in helping the residents of the island.

The volcanic activity that began on April 9 forced some 20,000 to flee the northern end of the eastern Caribbean island for shelters and contaminated water supplies across the island.

Serenade of the Seas arrived to bring supplies to the island on Thursday.

Royal Caribbean said the ship brought much-needed fresh water that was produced onboard to locals, with more relief supplies on the way.

Photos by Royal Caribbean

Photo by @toni2oni

Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Reflection evacuated British, U.S. and Canadian nationals to St. Maarten at no cost.

La Soufriere volcano has shot out another explosive burst of gas and ash Friday morning as the ship was taking evacuees away.

For the evacuees going on Celebrity, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a warning against people fleeing for their lives on a cruise ship due to volcano erupting because "the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is higher since the virus appears to spread more easily between people in close quarters aboard ships." 

All evacuees aboard took a negative rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours of boarding.

St. Vincent’s Argyle International Airport has been closed since the eruption began.

Heavy ash deposits at the Argyle International Airport have prevented airlift there. 

We have our first look at what is (likely) the deck plans for Wonder of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship that is still under construction will be the cruise line's fifth Oasis Class cruise ship and her deck plans are our first look at what the ship may offer guests.

Our friends at Singapore Cruise Society first discovered the new deck plans. 

Wonder of the Seas will cruise in China and be the first Oasis Class ship to sail from Asia.

It is being reported that Royal Caribbean will release more information on the new ship in a conference broadcasted from China on April 20, 2021. 

Keep in mind these deck plans may (and likely will) change.

Here is a look at the deck plans as they are now.

Deck 3

Deck 4

Deck 5

Deck 6

Deck 7

Deck 8

Deck 9

Deck 10

Deck 11

Deck 12

Deck 14

Deck 15

Deck 16

Deck 17

Deck 18

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

Wonder of the Seas is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2022. She was originally scheduled to be delivered in 2021, but was delayed due to the global health crisis.

Under construction in France, Wonder of the Seas had to be delayed in order to spread out spending. She is still scheduled to sail exclusively in China.

The new cruise ship was floated out in September 2020, but Royal Caribbean has not released itineraries for Wonder of the Seas to book.

Among the many fun activities you can do on a cruise ship, water slides are a fan favorite.  So which ships offer a wet plummet onboard?

Until recently, Royal Caribbean did not offer water slides, but they have been adding water slides to their ships steadily.

If having a water slide on your cruise is important to you, here is a guide to which ships offer slides.

Types of water slides

Royal Caribbean offers a few different types of water slides across its fleet.

Over the years, Royal Caribbean has experimented with new slides in addition to rolling out tried and true favorites.

The Perfect Storm

The most common combination of water slides on any Royal Caribbean ship is what the cruise line calls The Perfect Storm.

Two racer slides, Cyclone and Typhoon, offer a fast ride side-by-side to a water splash down.

Supercell is the name of the large bowl shaped slide, where you enter large saucer section to see how many times you can go around before exiting down to the end.

Tidal Wave

Tidal Wave is the first boomerang-style slide, and allows you to go on a raft up a near vertical wall to achieve a feeling of near weightlessness, before sliding back down for a giant splash.

Blaster

Royal Caribbean's first aqua coaster, The Blaster, is the longest water slide at sea.  

You ride in a raft down more than 800 feet of dips, turns and straightaways, with some portions even extending over the side of the ship.

Riptide

A headfirst mat slide, Riptide takes you on an exhilarating journey down translucent tubes with views (if you can keep your eyes open).

Kids slides

There are a few different types of water slides specifically for younger children available on some Royal Caribbean ships.

Splashaway Bay is Royal Caribbean's aqua park, and offers usually two kids of water slides for kids.

One is a short slide that goes directly down, and the other is an enclosed tube slide that swirls around a couple times.

On Royal Caribbean's Radiance Class ships, there is a single water slide for children on the back of the ship. This is an open air slide that swirls around before the exit.

Royal Caribbean ships with water slides

All water slides on Royal Caribbean's cruise ships are complimentary to use when they are open.

Water slides have set hours published in the Cruise Compass, and are usually open during most of the day.

Adventure of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone and Typhoon)
• Splashaway Bay

Brilliance of the Seas

• Kids water slide

Freedom of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone and Typhoon)
• Splashaway Bay

Harmony of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone, Typhoon & Supercell)
• Splashaway Bay

Independence of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone and Typhoon)
• Splashaway Bay

Jewel of the Seas

• Kids water slide

Liberty of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone and Typhoon)
• Tidal Wave
• Splashaway Bay

Mariner of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone and Typhoon)

Navigator of the Seas

• Blaster
• Riptide

Oasis of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone, Typhoon & Supercell)
• Splashaway Bay

Radiance of the Seas

• Kids water slide

Serenade of the Seas

• Kids water slide

Symphony of the Seas

• Perfect Storm (Cyclone, Typhoon & Supercell)
• Splashaway Bay

Perfect Day at Cococay

Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas offers a few different water slide options to enjoy.

At CocoCay, you will find complimentary water slides that anyone can enjoy, as well as water slides that cost extra.

Complimentary slides

There are two areas where kids can enjoy water slides for no additional cost at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Splashaway Bay and Captain Jill's Galleon both have small slides that are suitable for most ages.

These slides are generally best for younger children.  

Thrill Waterpark

The water slides that will get your attention quickly are all located in Thrill Waterpark.

Thrill Waterpark has a per-person cost for access to all the slides throughout the day. Royal Caribbean sells day passes for access to the water park. Only full day passes are available, with no half day passes offered any longer.

The exact cost of admission to Thrill Waterpark varies from sailing to sailing, so you will need to consult the Cruise Planner website for exact pricing.

Daredevil’s Tower 

The big thrills are at Daredevil's Tower, where you will find seven slides to choose from, including twin Dueling Demons drop slides and the duo of Manta Raycers; the high-speed, fully vertical Screeching Serpent; the coiling Green Mamba; and the 135-foot-tall Daredevil’s Peak – the tallest waterslide in North America.

There are also a few smaller slides as well.

Family Tower

If you want to experience slides together, the Family Tower offers slides perfect to be shared.

Six multi-rider slides area available, including The Twister, a winding tube slide for two sharing a raft; The Slingshot, a zero-gravity slide for four; and the four-lane Splash Speedway racing slides.

Adventure Pool

For younger kids, Adventure Pool offers an obstacle course of lily pads, a rock-climbing wall and swing ropes to bounce, climb and swing to their heart’s content.

Labadee

Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private destination in Haiti, does not have a water park, but does have a single slide you can purchase rides on to enjoy during your day.

The Dragon's Splash Waterslide is an almost 300-foot slide that drops you into an 18-foot splash zone.  

The cost is $24 for one ride.

Water slides tips & advice

• Water slides are open on embarkation day, so bring your bathing suit in your carry-on luggage so you can take advantage of lower lines.
• Want to go faster on any of these slides? Bating suit materials and rash guards slow you down, so the less material in contact with the slide, the faster you will go.
• At Perfect Day at CocoCay, life guards will ask you to remove rash guards when going down slides on Daredevil's Peak.
• When your ship is in port is a great time to enjoy the water slides with less of a wait.
• Many times there are multiple lines for slides, but guests can stand together blocking the way. Politely ask to move past them if you do not see the end of your line.

More than a week after Norwegian Cruise Line submitted its plan to safely restart cruises from the United States to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there has been no answer.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) called out the CDC on Thursday for not responding yet to their proposal.

On April 5, NCLH submitted a proposal that included 100% vaccination of guests and crew onboard, as well as strict health and safety protocols for all sailing through October 31, 2021.

Today, the company sent a "reminder letter" to the CDC requesting a response.

NCLH President and CEO Frank Del Rio wrote to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky that he is concerned about the lack of progress, calling the experience "frustrating".

"As you know, our industry had a meeting with your office on Monday, and while we appreciate the dialogue, our proposal was not addressed."

"Going forward, we understand the industry may be having regular meetings with your office but remain concerned that such meetings produce the nonexistent results they have had since last year."

NCLH believes by requiring vaccines of every single person onboard its ships initially, in addition to comprehensive protocols including universal COVID-19 testing, their plan exceeds the intent of the CDC’s Conditional Sailing Order (CSO).

Read more: Everything we know about if Royal Caribbean will require a vaccine

Under NCLH's proposal, sailings would be able to commence from U.S. ports beginning July 4.

“Over the past year we have worked tirelessly and invested heavily to create a path to resume cruise operations including enlisting the guidance of the nation’s top scientific and public health experts. We are confident that with our science-backed SailSAFE program, we will offer a uniquely safe and healthy vacation experience which protects our guests, crew and communities we visit,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

“We strongly believe our proposal submitted to the CDC 10 days ago, which includes mandatory vaccinations for all guests and crew, offers a safe and immediate solution to resume cruising and eliminates the need for the obsolete CSO, which in its current form is impossible to operationalize and more importantly ignores the advancement of vaccines. Our proposal goes well above and beyond the intent of the CSO and would greatly accelerate the path to resume cruising while freeing up the CDC’s valuable time and resources, allowing it to focus on its many other competing public health priorities. I continue to await further discussion with the CDC and I am respectfully requesting a prompt response to my written proposal to recommence cruising in July allowing us to join America’s national reopening.” 

Norwegian's Plan

To get things going, NCLH has proposed the most stringent policies yet by any North American cruise line.

The plan has five major components:

1. NCLH will require that all guests embarking from a U.S. port and/or disembarking to a U.S. port provide proof of having been fully vaccinated with an FDA-, EMA-, or WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine no less than two weeks prior to their departure date;

2. All crew on NCLH vessels will be fully vaccinated with an FDA-, EMA- or WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine at least two weeks prior to commencement of their duties onboard their assigned vessel;

3. NCLH will also incorporate and operationalize the protocols developed by the Healthy Sail Panel (“HSP”), led by former Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt and former Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration Dr. Scott Gottlieb. These protocols, include universal testing of guests and crew, combined with required vaccines for all guests and crew, thereby creating a safe, “bubble-like” environment; and

4. On or about July 4, 2021, NCLH vessels will begin cruise operations at an initial reduced capacity of 60%, gradually ramping up our fleet departing from U.S. ports and increasing capacity by 20% every 30 days.

5. These stringent requirements will remain in place until public health conditions allow for the implementation of more lenient protocols.

Without a doubt, NCLH's plan is centered around the Covid-19 vaccine, "vaccinations are the primary vehicle for Americans to get back to their everyday lives while containing the spread of the virus. As such, our robust science-backed plan combines mandatory vaccinations for all guests and crew with multiple additional layers of preventative protocols, including universal COVID-19 testing."

Talking is the first step in making progress.

Cruise industry executives met with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other Government agencies this week in a virtual meeting to discuss restart plans.

A meeting was held between the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) and the CDC, in which the industry voiced their concerns with the Framework for Conditional Sailing (CSO.)

Pressure has been mounting across different platforms to give cruise lines a chance to resume sailing.  Lawsuits, new legislation, and a vigorous write-in campaign have been some of the new initiatives thrown at the CDC after months of inaction by the agency.

According to CLIA, CLIA and member line representatives from companies operating in the U.S. shared their concerns about the CDC's so-called plan for phased restart, as well as a call for more changes sooner.

The meeting took place earlier in the week, and CLIA issued this summary of what happened.

"We appreciated the opportunity to meet with members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and White House staff on Monday, April 12, 2021."

"We know from the successful restart of cruising in many countries outside the United States that collaborative communication between industry, government, and health authorities is critical. Therefore, we welcomed the invitation to discuss the current Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO.)"

"We pointed to the hundreds of thousands of passenger sailings following enhanced health and safety measures that have successfully mitigated the risk of introducing and transmitting COVID-19 on cruise ships at levels much lower than found on land. "

"Furthermore, cruise line CEOs shared their views on why the CSO – which was issued nearly six months ago - lags behind international efforts, does not reflect an understanding of how the industry operates, is predicated on scenarios that are increasingly unlikely and has not kept pace with positive medical advancements."

The problem with the CSO

In recent weeks, the cruise industry has criticized the CSO as being overly complicated, outdated, and unnecessary.

Instead, cruise lines have proposed dropping the CSO completely and allowing cruise ships to sail under the submitted extensive new health protocols.

CLIA appears to be encouraged by what they heard, but is still keeping up the pressure on the Administration and the CDC to lift the CSO.

Read more: How to easily tell your Congressperson you want the CDC to let cruise ships sail

Mounting pressure

This week's meeting follows blow back on the CDC after they released updated technical guidance for its Framework for Conditional Sailing on April 1.

The new guidance was largely seen as lacking and impractical. CLIA called it, "unduly burdensome, largely unworkable".

Moreover, it seems the CDC is still adhering to a zero-risk objective rather than the mitigation approach to Covid that so many others facets of life have adopted.

Since then, a new bill was introduced in the Senate by U.S. Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) that aims to revoke the CSO and take control away from the CDC.

Florida's Governor has sued the federal government, and Alaska's governor is considering doing the same.

Many cruise lines now offer guests something they can wear on their wrist or on a lanyard to personalize their vacation experience, but Royal Caribbean thinks the future is going be something different.

Speaking at the Seatrade Cruise Virtual conference, Royal Caribbean Group SVP Digital Experience Jay Schneider, talked about the how believes facial recognition will be the the best long-term solution for guests being able to customize their trip.

Why facial recognition over wearables, such as a wristband, token, or watch?  The rate of adoption among guests would be universal with facial recognition, whereas wearable technology requires passengers to want to adopt and wear something all day long for it to truly be useful.

"There are use cases where a wearable on your arm or a lanyard, et cetera, might be relevant, but your face is a better wearable for you long term than having to distribute something to you."

Schneider pointed at Disney Parks recent move from their wearable technology, MagicBands, has something to do with the limitation of adoption by customers.

Scheider, who spent a decade working at Disney, noted MagicBand adoption never really got high enough to where the company wanted, "They never really got to full parity of all of their guests with the MagicBand."

"It was a tool used by the vast majority of the resort guests, but their day visitors didn't really get the full access out of that."

Read more: How Royal Caribbean will make check-in, Adventure Ocean and its app easier & faster

Royal Caribbean was the first cruise line to implement facial recognition technology as part of the boarding process in select cruise terminals.

In fact, Royal Caribbean announced it would invest in facial recognition back in 2017 when they introduced a slew of new innovations coming to cruises over the next few years.

Mr. Schneider conceded that facial recognition is not ready for prime time yet, but Royal Caribbean has already made strides in getting there.

"We're not there yet at the same level of ubiquity we need to be with what you can pull off with something on your arm, or a SeaPass card or something like that."

Contact tracing wearables

In the meantime, Royal Caribbean is deploying a contact tracing wearable on Quantum of the Seas, and it has provided phenomenal results.

"We've gotten to one hundred percent accuracy of false positives and false negatives on every voyage since since we basically started."

"We have what we call, "high accuracy contact tracing" that is that's nearly instantaneous on board that ship and will continue to expand it as we restart ships around the globe."

Read more: CDC asks Royal Caribbean to share covid safety technology from its cruise ships

Certainly there are privacy concerns with a device that tracks the movements of every single guests onboard, but Mr. Schneider was insistent the data is destroyed and not even shared off the ship for those reasons.

"We also want to make sure that we can retain the data on board so we can destroy it, because we're very the privacy of this data as well. It's meant for our public health team on board and our security team on board to be able to rapidly prevent cases from spreading."

Schneider is not certain if the future for contact tracing will remain with wearables, or become appcentric.

What if I want to keep my phone off while I'm on the ship?

During the session, Mr. Schneider was asked about what about people who prefer not to keep a digital device with them.

He noted that a "vast majority" of guests have their smartphone with them in many cases, but Royal Caribbean wants to ensure everyone is covered.

"We need to make technology for those to improve the experience for those who don't want to engage digitally."

"But the vast majority of our guests are engaging digitally."

It looks like Royal Caribbean's private beach club for cruise guests in Nassau, Bahamas isn't a dead project.

In March 2020, Royal Caribbean announced it would build a new beach complex at the western end of Paradise Island in The Bahamas.

Built for Royal Caribbean International guests, The Royal Beach Club is the cruise line's take on a private shore excursion. 

Shortly thereafter, the cruise industry shutdown due to the global health crisis, and the cruise line has not talked about the project publicly.

Tribune Business is reporting that Royal Caribbean will begin construction in July 2021 so that it can open by January 2023.

The Bahamas' Department of Physical Planning revealed the plans as part of an upcoming virtual public consultation to be held on April 28 on its bid for site plan approval for the Royal Beach Club project.

Documents filed with the Department of Physical Planning confirmed the $50 million project has a maximum capacity of 3,500, with the 13-acre Royal Beach Club’s amenities including two 35,000 square foot dining pavilions capable of accommodating 1,500 passengers each.

Other features listed in the plans include a 26,000 square foot pool; 4,000 square foot “splash pad” for children; 14 beach bars; restrooms and cabanas; and support infrastructure that includes a reverse osmosis plant, waste water plant, waste management facility, storage building and fuel storage all contained on two acres.

Royal Caribbean has not publicly commented on any kind of timeline for the Royal Beach Club, nor have they given any update on it since acknowledging they purchased land for the project in early 2020.

Royal Caribbean has steadily amassed around 13.5 acres on Paradise Island’s western end by buying out private landowners in the area, but it is also seeking to lease some ten acres of crown land in the Colonial Beach area to complete its development.

The next sale on pre-cruise purchases begins today.

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

The "Dive Into Savings" sale runs between April 14, 2021 - April 20, 2021 and is valid on all ships (except Spectrum & Quantum of the Seas) sailing June 1, 2021 - March 31, 2022.

The sale is valid on Quantum of the Seas sailings between April 26, 2021 - March 31, 2022.

The sale is not valid on Spectrum of the Seas or Charter sailings.

Here is what is included during the sale:

BEVERAGE: Up to 45% off

• Classic Soda Beverage Package: 30% off onboard prices.
• Classic Soda Beverage Package + VOOM Surf & Stream 1 Device: Over 35% 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: Over 30% off onboard prices
• Refreshment Package: 30% off onboard prices

SHORE EXCURSIONS: Up to 40% off

• Shore Excursions: Discount varies by ship

INTERNET: Up to 50% 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 60% 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 20% Off

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

PHOTO PACKAGES: Up to 70% off

• Photo Packages: From 5 - 100 Print and/or Digital Options: Discount varies by ship.
• Photo Package: Private Photo Session: Discount varies by ship.
• Photo Package: Picture This Private Studio: Discount varies by ship.

Will this sale save me money?

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

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

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

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

More helpful information

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

The CDC may be dragging their feet on providing cruise lines a path forward, but their warning to the public to avoid cruise ship travel has been updated.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated their "COVID-19 and Cruise Ship Travel" webpage with recommendations for anyone going on a cruise this summer.

In November 2020, the CDC warned the public to avoid going on any cruise ship because of "very high level of COVID-19". That warning has not changed, and the agency provided advice for anyone that does so anyway.

"At this time, CDC still recommends avoiding any travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide, because the risk of COVID-19 on cruise ships is very high."

"It is especially important that people with an increased risk of severe illness avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises. Cruise passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and outbreaks of COVID-19 have been reported on cruise ships because of their congregate settings where COVID-19 spreads easily."

The CDC maintains its Level 4 warning for cruise travel, while not recommending unvaccinated people avoid domestic air travel at all. It's advice for international air travel for unvaccinated people is to get vaccinated without any high level warning at all.

The CDC's "congregate settings" description of cruise ship travel is the same definition it uses for prisons, nursing homes, workplace settings and more.

Read more: 5 ways the CDC proves it doesn't understand cruise ships

CDC's advice for anyone going on a cruise this summer

If you choose not to heed the CDC's advice, the agency did update its recommendations for cruise travel.

Before you travel:

• Get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 if a vaccine is available to you.
  • People are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after a single dose in a one-dose series or last dose in a two-dose series.
• Get tested with a COVID-19 viral test 1–3 days before your departure, even if you are fully vaccinated.
  • If you test positive, isolate and do NOT travel.

While you are traveling:

• Stay at least 6 feet/2 meters (about 2 arm lengths) from anyone who is not traveling with you. It’s important to do this everywhere—both indoors and outdoors.
• Wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when you are in shared spaces. Masks are required on planes, cruise ships, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports, seaports, and train and subway stations.
• Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).
• Avoid contact with anyone who is sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• If you have symptoms of COVID-19, stay in your cabin, and notify the onboard medical center immediately.

If you are returning to an international port or disembarking an international river cruise:

• Your return travel plans may be impacted. Foreign health officials may implement formal quarantine procedures if they identify a case of COVID-19 aboard your cruise ship.
• If you travel on a cruise ship or river cruise and disembark in a foreign port, you might not be able to receive appropriate medical care or be medically evacuated if you get sick.
• Some countries might refuse to dock your ship or allow passengers to disembark.

If you return to the United States by air:

• All air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated people, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 3 days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months before they board a flight to the United States.

After you travel:

If you are fully vaccinated: 

• Get tested 3–5 days after your trip.
• If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
• Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days after travel; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
• You do NOT need to stay home and self-quarantine aftr cruise travel.

If you are not fully vaccinated:

• Get tested 3–5 days after your trip.
• If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
• Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days after travel; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
• Stay home and self-quarantine for 7 days after cruise travel, even if you test negative.
• If you do not get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after cruise travel.
• Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.

Cruise lines new health protocols

Reading through the warning, the CDC makes no mention of any new health protocols and essentially talks about going on a cruise in the same manner they existed before the pandemic began.

Other than recommending getting fully vaccinated before the cruise (which is something many cruise lines are requiring this summer), there is no mention of enhanced cruise ship protocols aimed at preventing the spread onboard.

Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings teamed up to form a panel of scientists and public health experts to craft a strategy for cruises to sail as safe as possible during the global health crisis.

The Healthy Sail Panel that created these new rules is chaired by Governor Mike Leavitt, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Recommendations include testing, the use of face coverings, and enhanced sanitation procedures on ships and in terminals. 

The Healthy Sail Panel identified five areas of focus every cruise operator should address to improve health and safety for guests and crew, and reduce the risk of infection and spread of COVID-19 on cruise ships:

• Testing, Screening and Exposure Reduction
• Sanitation and Ventilation
• Response, Contingency Planning and Execution
• Destination and Excursion Planning
• Mitigating Risks for Crew Members

Moreover, Norwegian Cruise Line petitioned the CDC recently to only allow fully vaccinated people onboard its ships this summer, to which they have not received an answer yet.

Royal Caribbean is requiring all adults on its ships be fully vaccinated to sail this summer (except Quantum of the Seas from Singapore).