JC Pats

Just so you know your options.. Royal Caribbean announces it will restart cruises from the U.S. in July | Royal Caribbean Blog From the Article. ?

Steve - will you be doing any live streaming?

I would think so, I know October bookings on Indy are being moved to Odyssey - but Royal is sending emails with all the details.. ymmv on how fast you get it tho.

Yes, existing Independence Sailings are being moved to Odyssey, which is why they're not up on the website for sale so they can move everyone over 1st. I have heard MEI can see the new sailings in Cruising Power (TA Site) so maybe contact your TA if you have one?

Navigator to Freedom Indy to Odyssey Liberty to Indy I'm assuming Explorer to Indy as well? I'm sure someone will confirm that part ?

Funny you say that - I was on Mariner in February 2020 and our Coco Cay stop was cancelled the morning of due to high/rough waves and we couldn't dock (although we tried twice). The Coco Cay Beach club pass I had bought (for $39.99!!) was refunded as OBC.

General Coco Cay access is included with your cruise fare. Thrill WaterPark at Coco Cay, (slides/wave pool) is an extra charge. (You can see the charge and what’s all included with Thrill WaterPark on your cruise planner.)

That was my initial thought, but why else?

Interesting.. vaccinations?

I believe you can cancel onboard up to 48 hours prior to the excursion without charge.

I presume for all ADVENTURE cruises, but definitely for Adventure on 6/12, Earliest check in time is 12 Noon (Edited to add Adventure..)

I don't think it does, I think people want to be the 1st to check in, to get the preferred check in time, also for those that are planners and checklist types, it's something check off the to do list. I 100% agree with you tho.. I'm on record saying they could announce things the day of and i'll be ok with it, as long as it's not announcing they're cancelling the cruise. ?

We're (probably) going.. we received our Guest Ticket Booklets and Luggage Tags yesterday.. some passengers had them emailed to them, some could access them on the cruise planner site. That being said, we don't even know what the protocols for the cruise will be, how exactly check in will work (since we're using the HIlton Colonial for Check In), and like @RyanSsaid, we're 16 days out. Everyone is definitely antsy in our FB group but we're staying positive, confident Royal will at some point, tell us what the deal is and open check in.

DX is also used for the Deluxe Drink Package

Based on what I've heard and seen from the CDC, ships have to declare themselves to be 95% of passengers vaccinated on every sailing, which would allow them to skip the test sailings. From what Richard Fain said above, they're not even going to try to go that route, which would then mean, every ship that wants to sail from a US Port, would have to do at least 1 test/simulated sailing. Maybe more, if they need to finish testing protocols, or something goes wrong and the CDC scraps the attempt (it's the CDC, who knows what they'll do). So that also follows with his previous comments about a slow restart. Now what I am curious to hear, is ok, they pass the test sailings.. what are the onboard protocols then? Will they apply to everyone, regardless of whether you're vaccinated? Social Distancing.. ship based excursions? THAT will be a big decision..

I just pulled this from Royal's site..

This is finally heading in the direction I thought it would when the whole 95% Crew/98% Passengers Vaccinated thing was initially announced. The goal the CDC wants to have is cruises with mostly, if not fully, vaccinated passengers, to help increase vaccination rates (and reduce risk of the minimal possibility of Covid spread to as close to zero as possible). This helps that goal. BUT, with Richard Fain stating he doesn't believe Royal Caribbean will go that route due to being a family cruise line, this could slow down the restart of cruising due to ships having to do the test/simulated sailings protocols. Also, keep in mind that the protocols on the Conditional Sailings with less than 95% vaccinated passengers, will more than likely be stringent (PCR Tests for all, Masks for all, in all public areas, social distancing requirements, tracelets, ship only excursions, etc.). I don't know if it would get to Quantum levels of protocols, but IMO, it'll be far closer to that, than what the pre-covid cruise experience was. Also, I don't think it'll make a difference if you're vaccinated or not. If it's a conditional cruise, the rules will be for everyone. This now falls on Royal (and other cruise lines) to decide to have ships that follow these new guidelines AND ships do the test protocols, or to delay cruising by not taking advantage of the opportunity provided. (note: Adventure's protocols are unknown as of 5/26/21, and while Ovation/Serenade have vaccination requirements, I don't know if a) it'll meet the 95% threshold set by the CDC, and b) if Royal even wants to try, meaning Ovation and Serenade would have to do test sailings as well, and be subject to the conditional sailing protocols).

You’re rightly concerned but I believe l Royal is attempting to have all the news before announcing it, because, if they were to say anything now, it would be, “we’re trying to make it happen”. I also think Royal wants to make every effort to make this and other sailings happen before they announce anything (going ahead.. protocols.. cancellations, etc) and are waiting on things outside their control to make a final call. Personally, I would start making other plans (refundable/cancellable if possible) so you have something in case Symphony does cancel.

My Adventure cruise on 6/12 is 17 days out and check in is still not open. RCCL just made the cruise contract and luggage tags available in the past 24 hours or so. So based off of this, I would expect to wait a while for check in to be available.

This assuming there are no issues with the 1st test sailing..

From the CDC - Technical Instructions for Simulated Voyages by Cruise Ship Operators under CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sailing Order | Quarantine | CDC and there's this I take from this, there would be at least 2 test/simulated sailings for Freedom, whether that's the plan, or how it will work for other ships, who knows. Now, if a ship is going to do the 98%/95% Vaccinated program, my understanding is, they don't have to do these, but they still have to certify with the CDC. Either way they go, I agree with you that RCCL needs to communicate this out ASAP so those, at the very least, that have made final payment know what's going on.

Every ship will need to go through the process (unless they're doing a 95%/98% Vaccinated plan). Unknown how long it will take to approve, if there are no issues, and unknown how many simulated/test cruises will need to take place for approval under the CSO

Royal Caribbean receives permission to begin test cruises on Freedom of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Blog