Royal Caribbean Blog

I have been lucky enough to cruise on Royal Caribbean for many years, but there are definitely a few odd things about cruising that someone new to a cruise might not expect.

Going on a cruise is a fun family vacation, but there are definitely some nuances and experiences that just do not exist in everyday life. These are not problems or bad ideas, rather, a heads up to anyone going on their first cruise with what to expect as it relates to cruising culture.

I have come up with my own list of interesting differences first-timers may not know about.

A lot of people wear matching shirts

A relatively new phenomenon is buying matching shirts to wear on the ship.

While group t-shirts are not a new idea, there has been a surge in nautical-inspired cruise pun shirts to help kick off family vacations.

On embarkation day especially, you can spot plenty of groups walking onboard in matching colored shirts that have a phrase like, "Getting Nauti" or "Get ship faced" or my favorite, "Yea Bouy!"

In addition, family reunions, birthdays, bachelorette parties and other special occasions see lots of matching shirts.  Some even take the next step and customize the shirt with names or nicknames.

You certainly will not be out of place without one, but perhaps it would be something your family would want to do to help show everyone how excited you are for the cruise.

There a lot of people that cruise almost all the time

I used to think going on a cruise once or twice every year was a big deal, until I started talking to other cruisers.  

There is a large contingency of cruisers who cruise a lot. By "a lot", I am talking monthly, weekly, or even more often! In fact, one cruiser practically lives onboard Royal Caribbean's ships.

As someone that started off cruising once a year, and now is close to cruising once a month, I can say with certainty the idea of cruising a lot does not surprise me anymore, but if you are new to it, expect many others to be regulars.

Crown and Anchor ranks are (literal) badges of honor

Royal Caribbean has its own customer loyalty program known as the Crown and Anchor Society, and the cruisers towards the top of the program take it very seriously.

The cruise line rewards its top cruisers with special perks, and these rewards mean a lot to its members. 

In fact, people that reach the very top status (Pinnacle Club) will walk around the ship wearing their pin that has their name engraved on it.

Weather forecasts in the summer months are pretty useless

If you have a Caribbean cruise booked in the summer months, as you get within days of your sailing, the weather forecast likely shows rain every day.

During the warmer summer months in the tropics, it may rain every day, but usually for short periods and is gone before you know it.

Just because rain is in the forecast, does not mean your day in port or onboard will be washed out.  In fact, the forecast may call for rain and it never actually rain where you are located.

You certainly should plan for the possibility of rain on your cruise, but do not take the forecast of precipitation as a guarantee of getting soaked.

Dining on a cruise ship is an adventure

It is likely safe to say that first time cruisers know there are different dining venues on a cruise ship, but Royal Caribbean's food game as been elevated to a point that it rivals most downtown dining districts.

Royal Caribbean's ships are packed with complimentary and specialty restaurant choices, each with different cuisines and cooking styles.

Eating onboard is more than just "more of the same", and you will often have a good variety of choices. In addition, Royal Caribbean has been actively upgrading its culinary offerings to keep it in line with any land-based resort.

In short, look up the restaurants available on the ship you book and learn more about dining on a Royal Caribbean ship.

Pre-book as much as you can

While you certainly can book a cruise and then show up to the embarkation port with no research or planning and probably have a good time, your best bet is to plan as much as you can.

Royal Caribbean has made learning about and booking activities, dining, excursions and events incredibly easy, thanks to its free app and Cruise Planner website.

Simply log in and browse around to get an idea of what to expect.  The more you learn, the better off your vacation experience will be, and the more money you will save.

The entire muster drill

I have yet to find anything on land the rivals the nuances of the ship safety drill, better known as the muster drill.

Somewhat similar to the safety demonstration you would hear on an airplane before takeoff, the muster drill is a required drill on the first day of the cruise where everyone stops what they are doing and reports to their muster station.

The drill lasts about 20-30 minutes, and involves becoming acclimated with where your muster station is in case of an emergency. You will be lined up shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow guests, and hear and see how to put on a life jacket, as well as be informed about certain safety & health procedures and policies.

Yes, everyone must do it, even if you have cruised before.

Hiding rubber ducks on the ship

Social media has spawned a new cruising "tradition" where some guests hide rubber ducks around the ship for other guests to find.

Known colloquially as "cruising ducks", this practice is about if you find a duck, you take a photo of where you found it and post it on Facebook.  Then you either hide the duck for someone else to find, or take it home as a souvenir.

So if you spot a rubber duck in a bush or behind a desk, it is likely the work of cruise fans and not a child who misplaced their toy.

Decorating stateroom doors

Something you would never see in a hotel, but happens all the time on a cruise ship is door decorations.

Similar to the matching t-shirt idea outlined earlier, stateroom door decorations are about guests sharing their excitement and joy of a cruise vacation with everyone else.

Door decorations can consist of name tags, lights, paper creations and pretty much anything else that can be attached to a door via magnets.

Basically, it is a fun way to share who is cruising and why, and your family can get in on the fun too if you bring the proper materials. Just be sure not to use any adhesives like tape or glue (magnets work best).

The Quest

The best way to describe The Quest is it is an adult scavenger hunt that is held towards the end of nearly all Royal Caribbean cruises.

Hosted by the Cruise Director, The Quest sounds like a fun romp among guests to complete a series of challenges in a short period of time. Sounds tame, right?

Teams of guests compete to find certain items, as well as perform certain actions. What tends to happen is the challenges become more and more adult in nature, and (fun) mayhem ensues.

You have to see it to fully understand it.

Royal Caribbean's website no longer has 2020 cruises to Alaska or Canada available to book.

Canada announced on Friday it was extending its ban on cruise ships through the end of October 2020.

While Royal Caribbean has not officially informed guests that sailings that visit Canada between July 1 - October 31 are cancelled, all potentially affected sailings have been removed from being able to be booked on the cruise line site.

When searching for Alaska sailings, no dates in 2020 are available to search, and Brilliance of the Seas 2020 sailings from Boston are all removed, minus a repositioning cruise from Boston to Tampa.

Royal Caribbean indicated a "full update" will be made by Royal Caribbean on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020.

If cruise ships cannot visit Canada, Royal Caribbean cannot legally operate sailings that do not visit a "nearby foreign port" during the sailing, due to the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886.

Thanks to RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Bud Dickson for alerting us to this news.

Stay up-to-date with all the Royal Caribbean news from this week with our roundup of all this week's news.

Bad news came down from north of the border this week, when Canada announced it would extend its ban on cruise ships through October 31, 2020.

The ban of cruise ships in Canadian waters makes operating cruises to Alaska or New England effectively impossible because U.S. cabotage laws require foreign-flagged vessels leaving from a U.S. port of call to first call on a "distant foreign port" before returning to the United States.

Royal Caribbean has promised an update on affected sailings by Tuesday.

Royal Caribbean News

• There will not be overnight stays at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
• Changes made once cruising resumes may not be permanent changes.
• Royal Caribbean hired back over 100 laid off workers to help answer phones.
• Richard Fain published a new video about new protocols and procedures.
• Royal Caribbean's stock price has seen a resurgence recently.
• Is a cruise drink package worth buying?
• Here are the ways to get a cheap cruise.
• Ever thought about trying a repositioning cruise?
• Learn all about solo cruises on Royal Caribbean.
• Here is what you need to know to decide between the passport book vs card.
• Top 9 bad mistakes made when planning a Royal Caribbean cruise.
• Haines, Alaska wants more Royal Caribbean ships to visit.
• Test your knowledge with our Royal Caribbean brain teaser trivia.
• Here is how to have cruise ship fun at home while there are no sailings.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 356th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, that shares the story of Bryan's family cruise on Allure of the Seas.

Bryan took this family on Allure of the Seas for a family vacation that redefined what the new standard of family fun was for his clan.

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

Would you cruise if wearing a mask is mandatory?

Many tourist businesses opening back up now are requiring guests to wear masks, and the question is if Royal Caribbean will do the same.

I polled over two thousand people who typically go on Royal Caribbean if they would cruise again assuming wearing a mask was mandatory, and it was clear how readers felt about wearing a mask.

Royal Caribbean has not divulged any specifics of the plans and protocols in intends to introduce once cruising resume, but many believe wearing a mask onboard the ship might be included as part of the new rules.

Hours after Canada announced an extension of its ban on cruise ships through the end of October, Royal Caribbean sent a notice to travel agents an update is coming next week.

An email was sent to travel agents acknowledging they are aware of the ban by the Canadian government, and announced a "full update" will be made by Royal Caribbean on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020.

In the email, Royal Caribbean explained they are working through what the policy change by Canada means for their cruises, and what impact it will have on booked sailings.

"We kindly ask for patience, as we diligently work on next steps. We know that you and your clients probably have a lot of questions, which we'd love to answer - but since this is hot off the press, we just don't have those answers yet. And, regrettably hold times on our phones are quite long. So to avoid any frustration, we kindly ask for your patience and understanding."

The ban has the potential to affect nearly all of Royal Caribbean's 2020 Alaska and Canada/New England sailings. Many of those types of sailings were already cancelled through the end of July, as part of the cruise line's global cruise suspension.

Canada's Transport Minister announced today the Canadian Government has extended its ban on cruise ships through October 31, 2020.

The announcement was made this morning by the Public Health Agency of Canada during a press conference that addressed a variety of topics of what the Canadian government is doing to handle the health crisis. The ban applies to cruise ships with more than 100 people, including passengers and crew.

Canadian Minister of Transport, Marc Garneau, announced updated measures pertaining to cruise ships and passenger vessels in Canadian waters.

Canada had originally closed off its borders to all cruise ships carrying more than 500 passengers and crew until between April 2 and July 1, 2020.

The ban of cruise ships in Canadian waters makes operating cruises to Alaska or New England effectively impossible because U.S. cabotage laws require foreign-flagged vessels leaving from a U.S. port of call to first call on a "distant foreign port" before returning to the United States.

Royal Caribbean had already cancelled its Alaska and Canada cruises through the end of July in conjunction with its voluntary global suspension of cruises.

UPDATE: Royal Caribbean will offer an update on what it will do next week.

When Royal Caribbean starts sailing again, the cruise line expects new policy changes to evolve and change over time.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd Chairman and CEO Richard Fain was interviewed by Travel Weekly, and indicated new policies added when sailings return might not be a permanent change.

"There will be a lot that will be a lot different, but it’ll be one thing the day we start up and something else a month later, and something else a month after that."

Mr. Fain's comments today echoed what he recently told CNBC that the start up will resemble what we see in society with an evolving approach to policies, "And my guess is that when we start, we will limit the number of people who can go on to a ship, just as my neighborhood restaurants are beginning to open up."

"And by the way, we'll learn from the experience in our society. We'll learn from the restaurants. We'll learn from the barber shops. we'll learn from the experience in our society. We'll learn from the restaurants. We'll learn from the barber shops. I know I need one and I We'll learn and we will adjust much as they are doing. So we'll start at one point and then gradually, as knowledge of the disease, as the testing, as the contact tracing, as vaccines come on board, that will gradually adjust.

Royal Caribbean has not announced any new policies or changes guests can expect in order to keep everyone onboard safe. 

There has been plenty of speculation in and around the industry, with parallels being drawn to other businesses and industries that are beginning to start up.

Royal Caribbean's current date to resume sailings is August 1, 2020, with the exception of China, which is set to resume sailings on July 1, 2020.

In lieu of taking a selfie while having a great time at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean is offering the opportunity to take your selfie photo and turn it into a virtual photo from the somewhere on the island!

Following up on the popularity of the last time it offered a virtual photo, Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society is offering anyone the chance to send in their best at-home selfies and the super talented social media crew will virtually transport you to CocoCay.

All you have to do is share a photo of yourself in the comments on the post, and the staff will transform you into a digital photo shortly thereafter.

Be sure to act quickly! Royal Caribbean will only take submissions from noon eastern until 1:30pm eastern.

Are you thinking of going on a Royal Caribbean cruise solo? It is not as crazy as it may sound, and a lot of people take this sort of vacation every year!

Going on a solo cruise means being able to do what you want, when you want to do it, and it has its own sets of perks (and hurdles). 

Cruising solo in a double occupancy world

There is no denying that cruise ships are traditionally configured for guests who are sailing with at least two people in each stateroom.

The cruise model is based on double occupancy, which means the profitability of a ship assumes two people per room. 

When cruising solo, you will likely become quickly familiar with the term, "single supplement fee", which means you are charged extra for cruising with just one person in a stateroom. The single supplement fee makes up for the lost revenue by not having a second person booked in the same room.

While single supplement fees are common, there are a few ways around this fee.

First and foremost, Royal Caribbean offers solo rooms on select cruise ships. Ten Royal Caribbean ships offer a limited amount of studio staterooms that are designed (and priced) for solo cruisers. These rooms do not come with a single supplement fee associated with the booking.

Another way around the fee is if you have at least 340 or more points in the Crown and Anchor Society (Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program).  If you are that high up in the system, the single supplement cruise fare is reduced to 150% from 200%.

One other way to get around the single supplement fee is on some rare sailings, the fee may be waived in order to encourage bookings. This is typically offered on last minute cruises, where the cruise line wants to quickly increase bookings.

Money saving tip: Pretend you are not solo

One of my best tips is to price out a cruise booking as a solo cruiser, as well as making up a second person in the room to see which option is cheaper.

Royal Caribbean's system sometimes penalizes solo cruisers so much with the single supplement fee, that it is not uncommon to find a lower price by paying for a phantom second guest who never actually shows up.

Essentially, you place your name and the name of someone else on the reservation. This could be a family member or friend who has absolutely no intention of sailing. It does not really matter, since this person will not be sailing, and there is no penalty or issue if a guest does not show up for the cruise.

While you will be paying for a second person that is not going on the cruise, in many cases this is still cheaper than a booking that only has one guest on the reservation. 

It should be noted that when you show up for the cruise without that second person, you will be refunded port fees and taxes for the second person, as well as still receive double Crown and Anchor points for cruising solo.

The best part about this tip? You get an even bigger stateroom than if you booked a studio cabin!

Best cruise ships for solo travelers

While there are ten Royal Caribbean ships that offer solo rooms of one kind or another, I think a few stand out for offering the best options for a solo traveler.

The Quantum Class of ships, which include Quantum of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, and Anthem of the Seas, offer not only standard studio staterooms, but also studio balcony rooms.

These Super Studio Ocean View balcony rooms offer a private balcony that measures 55 square feet, and is a rare commodity for any solo room.

If you want to try one of Royal Caribbean's biggest ships, check out Harmony of the Seas for their Studio Interior and Studio Ocean View rooms.  Harmony is the only Oasis Class ship to offer studio rooms, so if you want to cruise on the largest ships in the world, this is the one for you.

Solo cruising tips

Being alone on the cruise does not mean a week-long adventure where you talk to no one. Cruising solo can be a very fun and social adventure, and many readers share how much they enjoy sailing by themselves.

Going solo on Royal Caribbean is a bit easier than on other cruise lines, because of the variety of activities offered. Many activities and events offered throughout the day lend themselves to being friendly to someone cruising alone.

Daily trivia competitions, escape rooms, water slides, FlowRider surf simulator and shows are just as enjoyable for someone on a cruise solo, as it is for couples and groups.

Royal Caribbean also offers cooking classes, drink seminars, and even a Chef's Table experience that are very fun activities to enjoy.

Another good tip if you are alone on a cruise is to actively strike up conversations with the crew. Start up a conversation with your waiter or bartender, seek out and introduce yourself to the Cruise Director, and get to know your stateroom attendant. Not only are the crew friendly and open to conversation, but many of them are equally interested in socializing since their friends and family are not onboard either.

Shore excursions are another great way to meet other people and not feel so alone. Nearly all shore excursions are group excursions, so you will end up with others from your ship.  In fact, you might consider an activity or experience that pits people together (scavenger hunts, demonstrations, rides, etc) as an opportunity to be a part of the team.

Another trick for making the transition of a solo cruiser easier is to book a theme cruise.  There are a ton of groups that organize cruises, and invite anyone with the same interests to join them.  These group sailings are filled with people who do not know each other, and that means many more people than usual who are interested in getting to know their fellow guests.

Lastly, try meeting your fellow cruisers before you even get onboard by connecting on Facebook. It seems like there is a Facebook group organized for each sailing, so just search on Facebook for your ship name and sail date, and see what you find.  You might strike up a conversation with others booked on the same cruise, and end up making friends before you even get onboard.

Your thoughts

Have you done a solo cruise vacation? Any additional tips? Are you thinking of cruising solo on Royal Caribbean Does a solo cruise seem like something you would enjoy, or would you miss being with your friends or family? Hearing from you is half the fun, so if you have other thoughts or questions, please share in the comments!

If you purchased Royal Caribbean stock in the early months of the economic downturn, the last week has likely been a welcome sight.

Royal Caribbean's stock price (NYSE: RCL) has been shooting up over the last week, with the entire travel industry seeing big gains as investors see a near-term economic recovery. This hope has many believing a return to pre-shutdown prices could be on the horizon.

Royal Caribbean's stock price closed at $54.29 at the end of trading on Wednesday, marking a 9.54% gain on the day. After trading on Tuesday, the stock was up 14%, that followed a bounce back at the end of last week.

The cruise line's stock has been shooting upwards for the last week, beginning on the day when the cruise line announced over $1 billion in losses and another round of cancelled cruises through August.

The recent trend is great news for the cruise line, who has seen giant losses in its stock price following a wave of bad press related to cruise ships, and trepidation in the market regarding the future of travel.

Royal Caribbean's current plan is to resume sailings on August 1, with China sailings perhaps starting up in July.

Note: Matt Hochberg has no position in any of the stocks mentioned, nor does he own any cruise line stock.

It looks like overnight stays at Perfect Day at CocoCay will not be happening after all.

In the past, Royal Caribbean hinted at the possibility of offering cruises that had an overnight, or even longer, stay at its private island in the Bahamas.

Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Vicki Freed answered a question during a webinar on Wednesday that touched on the status of the cruise line's plans to offer overnight stays.

"It's something that we have talked about and we even did late night days in Perfect Day at Coco Cay, where we had fireworks and we had a concert." 

"But as of now, it doesn't look like we will be doing overnights because our guests, even with our late night stays, once they want to come back, they really do want to come back onto the ship and enjoy the fine dining and they want to enjoy the entertainment that we have onboard."

While overnight stays may be sidelined as an idea right now, cruises that feature multiple stops at CocoCay seem to be a hit with guests.

"Those have been more successful because people say, Oh, I didn't get a chance to really experience everything I wanted to do at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Maybe today I want to do the thrill side and the next visit I want to do the chill side."