USA cruise schedule update from Michael Bayley

[smokeybandit]

Travelers can once again mark their calendars and set their sights on a summer full of long-awaited cruise vacations. Building on the excitement of its upcoming return to Alaska, Royal Caribbean International has announced that six of its award-winning ships will begin sailing from major U.S. cruise ports in Florida and Texas in July and August. The cruise line’s comeback will kick off on July 2 in Miami, the cruise capital of the world, with Freedom of the Seas* embarking on a special Fourth of July weekend sailing to Perfect Day at CocoCay. By the end of August, 12 Royal Caribbean ships will be cruising once again across The Bahamas, Caribbean, Alaska and Europe.

 

On the heels of the first cruise in Royal Caribbean’s highly anticipated return to the U.S. will be the debut of the brand-new Odyssey of the Seas* on July 3. The game-changing ship will set sail from Fort Lauderdale on new 6- and 8-night Caribbean cruises, to soon be followed by Allure, Symphony, Independence* and Mariner of the Seas. In the coming weeks, the cruise line will announce its plans to reintroduce its full fleet around the globe by year’s end. The 2021 summer cruises are available to book today.

 

“This is it. Vacationers can finally plan to take their precious time off this summer and truly get away after what has been a challenging time for everyone. I would like to sincerely thank our guests and travel partners for their incredible patience and understanding during this very difficult period. Thanks in large part to the successful rollout of vaccines, the world of adventure is beginning to open up, and we are all excited to start delivering great vacations to our guests, who have increasingly told us they are getting vaccinated. As of today, 90% of all vacationers booking with Royal Caribbean are either vaccinated or planning to get vaccinated in time for their cruise,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “We also thank Governor Ron DeSantis, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Broward County Mayor @Steve Geller, and Chairman of the Canaveral Port Authority board Wayne Justice and board commissioners for their steadfast support of our industry and for providing access to vaccines to the thousands of crew on our ships off the eastern seaboard. This act of understanding and humanity has been deeply appreciated, and we are grateful for their support, which is enabling the health and safety of our guests, crew members and the communities we visit.”

Royal Caribbean’s newly revealed cruise vacations offer a range of itineraries that vary in length and destination, ease and flexibility in booking, and convenient departure ports across the U.S. Whether departing Florida on two of the world’s largest cruise ships, cruising from Texas to discover the best of the western Caribbean or venturing out to cooler temps to explore the wilds of Alaska, there is something for everyone.

Royal Caribbean’s full summer lineup:

 

• Freedom of the Seas* – 3- and 4-night Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay sailings from Miami, starting July 2

• Odyssey of the Seas* – 6- and 8-night Southern and Western Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, starting July 3

• Serenade of the Seas – 7-night Alaska sailings from Seattle, starting July 19

• Allure of the Seas – 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Port Canaveral, starting Aug. 8

• Ovation of the Seas – 7-night Alaska itineraries from Seattle, starting Aug. 13

• Symphony of the Seas – 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings from Miami, starting Aug. 14

• Independence of the Seas* – 7-night Western Caribbean sailings from Galveston, Texas, starting Aug. 15

• Mariner of the Seas – 3- and 4-night Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay sailings from Port Canaveral, starting Aug. 23

 

The expanded summer lineup will go beyond the U.S. to include international ports across the Atlantic, like Barcelona and Rome, when Harmony of the Seas returns to Europe. Starting Aug. 15, the Oasis Class ship will set sail on 7-night itineraries to the Western Mediterranean and visit iconic destinations like Palma de Mallorca, Spain and Provence, France.

 

The new U.S and Europe cruises extend Royal Caribbean’s previously announced plans to return to sailing, which include Adventure of the Seas departing from The Bahamas on June 12 as well as Anthem of the Seas sailing out of the U.K. and Jewel of the Seas from Cyprus in July. The complete list of Royal Caribbean’s 2021 cruises will be available on www.royalcaribbean.com.

 

U.S. Health and Safety Measures

 

Travelers can plan their cruise adventure with peace of mind knowing that all crew members will be vaccinated against COVID-19. Guests are strongly recommended to set sail fully vaccinated, if they are eligible. Those who are unvaccinated or unable to verify vaccination will be required to undergo testing and follow other protocols, which will be announced at a later date. Other measures in place for travelers to cruise with Royal Caribbean include:

• Vacationers sailing to Alaska who are 16 years of age or older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and those 12 or older as of Aug. 1.

• If departing from an international port, guests must meet the travel requirements of their home country and the country of departure. The most up-to-date policies can be found online on each country’s tourism site.

 

Royal Caribbean is continuing discussions with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and multiple state, local and port authorities in the U.S. and with various destination communities regarding the various requirements for the upcoming sailings. The current process requires each ship to complete a simulation cruise before receiving approval to resume sailing once again from U.S. ports. The applications for simulation cruises are under review and receiving approvals on a rolling basis. The progress made as a result of the ongoing collaboration with and support from the state, local and federal level continues to set the stage for Royal Caribbean to return to sailing this summer as planned. The cruise line will share updates on measures with guests and travel advisors before their departure dates.

 

Cruises outside of those announced today will be cancelled through the end of August. Booked guests and travel partners impacted will be contacted with further details specific to their sailing, including the option to receive a full refund. For added reassurance, all vacationers who have booked by July 31 are covered by the Cruise with Confidence program. Royal Caribbean is grateful for the patience and loyalty of its guests.

 

Royal Caribbean International is applying the recommendations of its Healthy Sail Panel of public health and scientific experts to provide a safer and healthier cruise vacation on all of its sailings. Health and safety protocols, regional travel restrictions and clearance to visit ports of call, are subject to change based on ongoing evaluation, public health standards, and government requirements. U.S. cruises and guests: For more information on the latest health and travel alerts, U.S. government travel advisories, please visit www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/itinerary-updates or consult travel advisories, warnings or recommendations relating to cruise travel on applicable government websites.

[smokeybandit]

And the corresponding cancellations

 

Allure of the Seas® departing Port Canaveral: July 4-August 1, 2021

Brilliance of the Seas® departing Tampa: July 3-August 28, 2021

Enchantment of the Seas® departing Baltimore: July 1-August 26, 2021

Explorer of the Seas® departing Galveston: July 5-Sept 22 & October 25, 2021

Freedom of the Seas® departing Bayonne: July 3-October 23, 2021

Harmony of the Seas® departing Barcelona & Rome: July 4-August 12, 2021

Harmony of the Seas® departing Rome: August 19 & 26, 2021

Liberty of the Seas® departing Galveston: July 4-August 8, 2021

Mariner of the Seas® departing Port Canaveral: July 2-August 20, 2021

Oasis of the Seas® departing Bayonne: July 2-August 29, 2021

Rhapsody of the Seas® departing Ravenna/Venice: July 3-November 30, 2021

Symphony of the Seas® departing Miami: July 3-August 7, 2021

[JLMoran]

So nothing at all is sailing out of NJ now for the rest of the season. I guess that just made my plans for October a lot easier to figure out.  

 

EDIT: At the moment, Oasis is still showing for 7-night Bahamas and Perfect Day sailings in September and October. But that's not the itinerary we're looking for, so I'm still going to be trying out NCL for the first time.

[RyanS]

This is exciting but none of these seem to be showing up on Royals website. Hopefully soon.

[Floski]

SONOFA!!!!

 

[UNCFanatik]

And there goes Royal's website!

[MrK1ttens]

RIP my Aug 7 Symphony of the Seas cruise. The week after mine gets to go though 

[VoidoftheSeas]

14 minutes ago, MrK1ttens said:

RIP my Aug 7 Symphony of the Seas cruise. The week after mine gets to go though 

In the same situation. We have a backup scheduled over Christmas, but this was disappointing news.

[nhilding10]

What is curious to me (selfishly, admittedly) is there isn't a word about Navigator at all, either sailing or canceled. I'm scheduled to be on Navigator out of Miami September 20th and can't figure out from this announcement what that means...did I miss something? 

[redraider629]

I am assuming they are replacing Liberty with Independence, just the way the dates line up.  I wonder what they will do with those of us who are booked on Liberty if Indy does replace it?  Will they shift our sailing to Independence? Or will we need to rebook? Hoping the first option!

[RyanS]

15 minutes ago, redraider629 said:

I am assuming they are replacing Liberty with Independence, just the way the dates line up.  I wonder what they will do with those of us who are booked on Liberty if Indy does replace it?  Will they shift our sailing to Independence? Or will we need to rebook? Hoping the first option!

My assumption is rebook but I hope its #1 for you!

[gailecn]

The Indy cruises out of Miami from July onward aren't listed in the cancelled sailings. Guessing that's accidental, unless she's going to be two places at once...

[WesKinetic]

Quote

Guests are strongly recommended to set sail fully vaccinated, if they are eligible. Those who are unvaccinated or unable to verify vaccination will be required to undergo testing and follow other protocols, which will be announced at a later date. Other measures in place for travelers to cruise with Royal Caribbean include:

• Vacationers sailing to Alaska who are 16 years of age or older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and those 12 or older as of Aug. 1.

And there's what I was going to be curious to see. My biggest fear all along was a protracted court fight if the cruise lines and Florida both dug their heels over a vaccine requirement. But it looks like this is going to be the workaround--vaccines aren't technically required but, if you don't provide proof of vaccination, be prepared for some additional hoops to jump through. 

So while this sucks for people who had cruises cancelled, it's nice to have at least a little bit of somewhat more concrete information going forward. 

[jticarruthers]

25 minutes ago, nhilding10 said:

What is curious to me (selfishly, admittedly) is there isn't a word about Navigator at all, either sailing or canceled. I'm scheduled to be on Navigator out of Miami September 20th and can't figure out from this announcement what that means...did I miss something? 

Same thought ... im assuming my July on her is toast .. but ...

 

[Snotarni]

9 minutes ago, jticarruthers said:

Same thought ... im assuming my July on her is toast .. but ...

 

Yeah...  we're late October on Nav... so not sure what's happening...

[Floski]

I put on real clothes and dragged my butt out TWICE to get jabbed - for this???

The fates are playing with my emotions like a kitten with a ball of yarn.

[coneyraven]

I'm rather surprised at some of the cancellations though .... for example, the port I'm most familiar with .... Baltimore, the terminal IS open, and yet, cancelled through August.  Through July I could grasp, but that far down the road?  Now, if the port was still closed, I get it, but this one has me baffled.

[WhiteSoxFan]

10 minutes ago, coneyraven said:

I'm rather surprised at some of the cancellations though .... for example, the port I'm most familiar with .... Baltimore, the terminal IS open, and yet, cancelled through August.  Through July I could grasp, but that far down the road?  Now, if the port was still closed, I get it, but this one has me baffled.

I think crewing up may be a big factor.  COVID sill raging around the globe makes it more difficult to get contracts signed and people onboard and vaccinated.  Plus I have no idea what kind of agreements and possible capacity limits may be in place with ports of call.

[CrznTxn]

We are booked on Liberty in September. Since they are the same class of ship I hope they transfer the rooms to the same location and the few that are different can be rearranged. Since we are booked through the Casino, if we have to rebook then we loose that cruise, they will not transfer it.

[coneyraven]

12 minutes ago, WhiteSoxFan said:

I think crewing up may be a big factor.  COVID sill raging around the globe makes it more difficult to get contracts signed and people onboard and vaccinated.  Plus I have no idea what kind of agreements and possible capacity limits may be in place with ports of call.

That makes perfect sense to me .... We're supposed to be on Oasis out of Bayonne in September .... I'm hoping we're safe.  I'm having the same anxiety issues that I had leading up to our 3/29/20 Freedom Cruise that was ultimately canceled.... the anxiety of the unknown feels the same.  Fortunately, we don't have other reservations in place, and, thanks to the cancellation of Freedom, we're sitting on a chunk of credits with Southwest Airlines, so, we could, at the last minute, switch to a Florida sailing if ours gets canceled.

[Galveston Steve]

27 minutes ago, CrznTxn said:

We are booked on Liberty in September. Since they are the same class of ship I hope they transfer the rooms to the same location and the few that are different can be rearranged. Since we are booked through the Casino, if we have to rebook then we loose that cruise, they will not transfer it.

I'm seeing others post that their Liberty sailings have been moved to Independence. Not sure how that would impact your casino cruise.

[cpa09]

No mention of Navigator.  I'm booked on the Aug 13th trip.  Here's hoping they move the people from Navigator to Freedom.  

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, UNCFanatik said:

And there goes Royal's website!

504 Gateway Time-out

[Cakemeister]

My cruise on the Liberty over the week of Labor Day does not appear to be changed on the website. 

I'll call them in a few days to see if my sailing has been moved to the Independence. I hope so, I've never sailed on her.

[Jill]

1 hour ago, MrK1ttens said:

RIP my Aug 7 Symphony of the Seas cruise. The week after mine gets to go though 

I’d call and see if you can move to that one. 

[dandi799]

So, how confident do folks feel that the sailings that have been confirmed as going will truly go? I feel VERY lucky to be on the 8/14 Symphony sailing, but given that it is the first one out, I'm still really cautious about getting my hopes up. But, this seems like a big announcement that has been a long time coming, so.....are people feeling good about this being a pretty solid plan, and not just another delay that will end in more cancellations? 

[Jill]

9 minutes ago, dandi799 said:

So, how confident do folks feel that the sailings that have been confirmed as going will truly go? I feel VERY lucky to be on the 8/14 Symphony sailing, but given that it is the first one out, I'm still really cautious about getting my hopes up. But, this seems like a big announcement that has been a long time coming, so.....are people feeling good about this being a pretty solid plan, and not just another delay that will end in more cancellations? 

I feel confident this is the real deal unless there happens to be a horrible virus apocalypse that sinks them once again. 

I’m October 23 Symphony. It’s my 4th try. Been cancelled 3 times. It’s gotta go! 

[RBRSKI]

So if I am reading the information from Michael correctly, they are offering a choice now when it comes to the Vaccine requirement?  A simple Yes or No will do!

[Seymoure1991]

1 hour ago, jticarruthers said:

Same thought ... im assuming my July on her is toast .. but ...

 

I was scheduled on Navigator for August 2nd, but the way I read it, it's canceled, however I have not received an email or anything about it. 

 

[smokeybandit]

33 minutes ago, RBRSKI said:

So if I am reading the information from Michael correctly, they are offering a choice now when it comes to the Vaccine requirement?  A simple Yes or No will do!

Yes, which is why (so far) all their American cruises (other than Alaska) need test cruises first.

 

[RBRSKI]

9 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Yes, which is why (so far) all their American cruises (other than Alaska) need test cruises first.

 

You came close with a simple "Yes", thanks for the additional info!  LOL

[smokeybandit]

8 minutes ago, RBRSKI said:

You came close with a simple "Yes", thanks for the additional info!  LOL

Sorry, I'm a government contractor. A simple Yes or No always gets met with "but what about..." so I can't just give yes or no

[Landry_TX]

Are the new itineraries posted anywhere? Not seeing them on the RCL website.

[WhiteSoxFan]

41 minutes ago, RBRSKI said:

So if I am reading the information from Michael correctly, they are offering a choice now when it comes to the Vaccine requirement?  A simple Yes or No will do!

Is there anything about this in which a simple yes works.  My answer is yes, but unvaccinated will be subject to testing and additional protocols TBD.

[cpa09]

26 minutes ago, Seymoure1991 said:

I was scheduled on Navigator for August 2nd, but the way I read it, it's canceled, however I have not received an email or anything about it. 

 

I am on Navigator for August 13th.  Just got an email from Royal Caribbean that those booked on Navigator will be automatically moved to Freedom.  

[FManke]

3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Rhapsody of the Seas® departing Ravenna/Venice: July 3-November 30, 2021

Here we go again. 

[CrznTxn]

We just cancelled our July 4th cruise through Royal (Casino) and booked another next year. During the call we were assured that if the ship changed from Liberty to Independence on our other cruises this year then the rooms would be moved over in the same location and everything would remain the same. We would not have to rebook or lose it (whew!).

[mjkpreno]

Christine Duffy at Carnival was interviewed this morning and basically, without actually using the exact words, said that vaccines WILL be required at least initially and that the product (yes, "CARNIVAL" but I think she was referring to cruising in general) just isn't up to par if they go the unvaccinated route and follow all the CDC guidelines. Families were also indicated as potentially needing to wait. Sounds like the fastest path back to making money, honestly. 

[Seymoure1991]

3 hours ago, nhilding10 said:

What is curious to me (selfishly, admittedly) is there isn't a word about Navigator at all, either sailing or canceled. I'm scheduled to be on Navigator out of Miami September 20th and can't figure out from this announcement what that means...did I miss something? 

Found this on RC press release.   Its at the very bottom..  

 

*Note: Freedom, Odyssey, Independence of the Seas’ 2021 summer sailings are that of existing itineraries for the following ships: Navigator, Independence, Explorer and Liberty of the Seas, respectively. Guests booked on these ships will be automatically transferred to the new ship.          

[smokeybandit]

13 minutes ago, mjkpreno said:

Christine Duffy at Carnival was interviewed this morning and basically, without actually using the exact words, said that vaccines WILL be required at least initially and that the product (yes, "CARNIVAL" but I think she was referring to cruising in general) just isn't up to par if they go the unvaccinated route and follow all the CDC guidelines. Families were also indicated as potentially needing to wait. Sounds like the fastest path back to making money, honestly. 

She also hinted that they're trying to get some tweaks to the vaccination rules.

"We're hopeful that we'll be able to further evolve and see these [kind of inaudible, she may have said in a stutter "the CDC"] guidelines that will allow, especially families sailing under 12, to sail?

Q: Will those under 12 be allowed on board?

A: We're still working with the CDC on that and optimistic we'll be able to welcome them