Royal Caribbean added a series of new protocols to its ships to detect Covid-19 cases early, and the system in place identified two unvaccinated teenage passengers who tested positive for Covid-19 on Adventure of the Seas.

According to Royal Caribbean, two teenagers on Adventure of the Seas were in isolation and then disembarked in Freeport earlier today.

Their parents, who are vaccinated, tested negative.

As part of Royal Caribbean's multi-faceted plan in preparation for a scenario like this, the medical care and transportation home will be handled by the cruise line.

The cases were caught during end of cruise testing, which is required at the end of a sailing.

Here is Royal Caribbean's official statement:

Two guests on Adventure of the Seas tested positive for COVID-19 after routine testing that is required before returning home. Here are the facts:

• Both guests, under the age of 16 and unvaccinated, were immediately quarantined. One guest is asymptomatic, and the other guest is experiencing mild symptoms.
• Those in their immediate travel party are vaccinated and have tested negative.
• Close contacts were quickly identified and tested. All are vaccinated and tested negative.

The guests and their travel party disembarked today in Freeport, The Bahamas and are on their way home to Florida. Ninety-two percent of our guests on Adventure are fully vaccinated and the remaining 8% are under 16 years old. One hundred percent of our crew are fully vaccinated.

Adventure of the Seas is the first Royal Caribbean International ship to restart operations in North America, and she is on her second sailing back in operation.

On Adventure of the Seas sailings from The Bahamas, guests who are 16 years of age and older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and those 12 and older as of Aug. 1.  In addition, anyone unvaccinated had to get a negative PCR test result in order to board the ship.

All crew members are fully vaccinated as well.

While the ship is sailing from outside the United States, Royal Caribbean's safety rules have been in development over the past year during the cruise industry's shutdown.  This includes testing, mandatory health screenings, online check-ins and contact tracing through CCTV cameras.

The ships have been upgraded to prepare for a situation like this, with immediate medical evaluations, rapid Covid-19 testing and dedicated zones for Covid-19 care, more critical care beds on each ship, and robust treatment plans.

Royal Caribbean has been keenly aware of the statistical likelihood of positive cases onboard, but they worked on how to catch it early and avoid it becoming a major issue.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain said the Health Sail Panel of health experts has worked on this specific contingency, "A really important part and a really big focus of the panel's effort was on how to respond if we do have a case that gets on board."

"We respond properly. We have a extensive contingency plan so that we don't have to go through one of these processes of quarantining huge numbers of people. We take care of the the the small number that we catch early and everybody else can go about their business."

Royal Caribbean Group Senior Vice President of Shared Services Operations recently spoke about the importance of these protocols to keep crew members and guests safe.

"All of the different things that we’ve done technology-wise as well as with testing and safety, those are going to stay. Those are Royal Caribbean protocols, whether or not they’re required of us or not," Ms. Hodges Bethge said.

"We feel very good that we have some of the strongest kind of processes of anywhere you go in the world today."

Response plan

Royal Caribbean developed a plan to respond to a scenario such as this, and coordinated these plans with the Bahamanian government.

According to Royal Caribbean's health protocols, in the event a guest tests positive for Covid-19, a "robust, tiered response plan" goes into effect.

The tiers increase protocols and vigilance onboard while providing transparent updates to guests the whole way.

In partnership with local authorities, Royal Caribbean has developed transport protocols to ensure we can get guests home safely. 

In fact, Royal Caribbean identified early that being "stuck" in quarantine on a cruise ship was not something any guest wanted, and a result, Royal Caribbean has developed transport agreements with local authorities in a situation like this to get everyone home safely.

Royal Caribbean restarted cruises from North America with Adventure of the Seas last week, and there are plenty of questions about what it is like to be onboard.

While I have shared a lot of information about the cruise experience in live blogs and a recap of the big differences, there are still questions cruise haves have about going on a cruise ship today.

I asked for which questions folks still have, and I'll do my best to answer as many as I can right here.

If it puts your boarding time at 1pm, can you still try to get there early like you used to be able to or not because of the screening?

The answer is no, you cannot check-in earlier than your scheduled time you get the via app.

Before the cruise industry shutdown, check-in times were more of a suggestion, but now they are enforced.

You can, however, drop off your luggage at the British Colonial Hilton before your check-in tine, so that you can walk around Nassau unencumbered.

How do you think protocols for cruises originating in the US might change compared to those you’re experiencing now?

Royal Caribbean is still working on its protocols for all ships and sailings from the United States, but we know about the protocols for Freedom of the Seas from Miami.

Compared to Freedom, the most noticeable changes will be the requirement of face masks for vaccinated and unvaccinated guests indoors in certain situations, the possibility to cruise without being a fully vaccinated adult, and vaccinated-only venues.

I'll compare and contrast the experiences when I sail on Freedom of the Seas next week, and I will absolutely be sharing what it is like with all of you.

Are they cleaning the cabins every day?

Yes, the service provided by your stateroom attendant remains unchanged from what you experienced earlier.

Stateroom attendants visit your room twice a day still, including turn down service in the evening.

Which ship amenities, such as hot tubs and gym, require an advanced reservation that would not have pre-COVID?

To the best of my knowledge, here is what has advanced reservations now that did not before

• Theater entertainment (this did not exist on Adventure, although Oasis and Quantum class ships had it)
• Studio B ice skating show
• Windjammer
• Fitness center
• Adventure Ocean

Can you sit with other guests in the main dining room?

I double checked with the Maitre d' to confirm the policy has not changed.

Whether in specialty restaurants or the main dining room, you can only dine with other guests if your reservation numbers are linked.

I am wondering what the kids club is like now?

Adventure Ocean is open, but with limited capacity.

The biggest changes are you register via an iPad instead of paper, and there are limited hours available initially.

Very similar to how Royal Caribbean's nursery works, the staff provide an allotment of hours to register for on the first day to ensure everyone has a fair chance at booking time.

On the first sailing, they gave everyone 15 hours to book, but that dropped to 12 hours for this sailing.

You can book up to the 12 hour limit initially, and then by day 3 or so, they open bookings without a limit.

Are they selling the duty free alcohol on board the ship?

Yes, the duty free alcohol shop is still open on the Royal Promenade, along with all the shops.

You can shop at the jewelry, alcohol, and souvenir shops onboard during their regular hours.

In the Diamond Lounge, are they really swiping your card for every drink you get, including coke and water?

Yes, the adjusted Diamond, Diamond Plus, & Pinnacle benefits mean you get a daily allotment of drink vouchers to use instead of unlimited drinks while in the lounge.

I believe the intent of this change was to reduce demand for guests in the Diamond Lounge, but there are still plenty of guests in and around each evening.

Anyone treating your kids poorly (such as dirty looks) because they are unable to get vaccinated?

Absolutely not, I have not encountered anything like this onboard with our kids.

I make very certain my kids are following the rules onboard, especially wearing masks while indoors and ensuring their masks stay above their nose.

Otherwise, it's "business as usual" when it comes to kids onboard, and they are loving every minute of it.

Is a reservation for Windjammer a necessity, or do the walk-ins get in pretty quickly as well?

I have yet to actually need a reservation, but it is a possibility.

When you walk into the Windjammer, they ask for your stateroom number so they can keep track of how many people are in the restaurant.

Both of the first two sailings have had roughly the same passenger count (just over 1,000 passengers), and I asked the hostess at the Windjammer this morning if they had to enact the policy and turn someone away. Thus far, they have not had to do it.

As I understand it, for entry back in the U.S. you are required to provide a negative Covid test. Is Royal Caribbean providing Covid test on the ship prior to disembarkation?

Yes, you can register for an antigen test that Royal Caribbean will administer onboard towards the end of the sailing.

The test is complimentary, and administered in the main dining room on deck 5.  There is a QR code in the Cruise Compass where you can get the link (although there is a kiosk at the entrance to the dining room where you can register as well).

The test result is emailed to you, as well as delivered via a print out to your stateroom.

What is procedure for back-to-back sailings?

The process for me was very similar to what it was before the industry shutdown.

1. Meet at the dining room at an assigned time
2. Do an antigen test
3. Wait for results
4. Get new SeaPass card
5. Walk down to the gangway and check out of the first sailing, and then check into the new sailing

We did not have to actually disembark the ship.

To get off the ships in port do you still have to have purchase an excursion with Royal Caribbean? Or can you just go on your own?

You can book any tour you like, through the cruise line or on your own.

You can also walk around the port area.

Is the ship at limited capacity and do you have to wear masks all the time.

There is a limited capacity for these Adventure of the Seas sailings, although the exact number is not known.

There have been on the first two sailings just over 1,000 passengers.

Fully vaccinated passengers do not need to wear a mask onboard (indoors or outside).  Some ports have mask requirements, such as Cozumel.

Unvaccinated guests (children on these cruises) need to wear masks while inside, unless they are seated for eating or drinking. They do not need to wear a mask outside, or at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Are the Coke Freestyle machines still self service?

No, there is a crew member who will take your cup and fill it for you.

Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas is departing The Bahamas today as the first ship to restart sailings in North America, and I'm onboard to see what cruising is like now.

The cruise industry shutdown in March 2020, but it is on the brink of resuming operations across various ships and lines.

In March 2021, Royal Caribbean announced it would sail from Nassau, Bahamas, and since then they have announced plans for other ships to resume sailings this summer.

So what is it like on a ship today? And what is different?

First and foremost, being on a cruise ship is more similar than different.  Royal Caribbean has made a number of changes to address Covid-19 risks, but the core cruise experience remains.

For the sailings from The Bahamas only, Royal Caribbean is requiring all guests who are 16 years old or older to be fully vaccinated.  That requirement drops to 12 on August 1.

Kids are allowed onboard, but there are a few extra protocols for them, such as having to wear a face mask indoors.

When you check-in for the cruise, it is at the nearby British Colonial Hilton resort (Nassau is in the process of refurbishing their entire port area).

You are assigned a check-in time via the Royal Caribbean app.  Speaking of the app, nearly all functions are now done via the app.  While you don't need to use the app, the entire process is much simpler if you elect to use the app.

At check-in, you are taken to take an antigen test.  Originally, only kids would need a test, but last week Royal Caribbean decided to test everyone, including vaccinated adults.  Next week, all guests will have to take a PCR test at home.

The antigen test was quick and easy.  This is not the "brain tickler" test, but rather a nasal swab near the bottom of your nose.

While you wait for your results, you do the regular check-in and then wait for your test results to be emailed to you.

If your results are negative, you take a short bus ride to the ship and walk onboard.

Walking back on a ship after 15 months was surreal, but incredibly gratifying.  I am not sure if the crew members were happier to see them, than we were to be back onboard.

All crew members wear masks onboard, but Royal Caribbean added a button with a photo of their face without a mask so you can see who you are talking to.

Guests who are vaccinated do not need to wear a mask at all. Kids wear masks while indoors, unless eating or drinking.

Many venues have altered their policies to promote social distancing. The ship is also sailing at reduced capacity.

The Windjammer buffet exists, but is full service.  You also can make reservations, although standby arrivals are accepted if they are not at capacity.

The buffet crew members serve you, instead of you serving yourself.

All the drink stations around the ship are full service as well.

Specialty dining restaurants are open, but you cannot sit with someone who is outside your travel party (unless you linked your reservations together).

Perhaps the most welcome change is the muster safety drill. Instead of stopping everything and waiting outdoors in the heat to hear about ship safety, guests can do the muster drill from their phone and just report to their muster drill station to be checked off as knowing where it is located in case of an emergency.

Bars and lounges are open, but certain seats and chairs are closed for social distancing.

The Diamond Lounge and Suite Lounges are open, but with less seating to prevent over crowding.

Adventure Ocean (the kids club onboard) has limited capacity, and families need to sign up in advance to secure a spot.

Menus at all restaurants are digital, with QR codes to bring you to the menu in the app. 

Most guests seem to understand that the rules are changing all the time, and while social distancing on a ship mostly full of fully vaccinated guests seems odd, they also are very understanding and just plain happy to be back onboard.

Many of the guests onboard are veteran cruisers, who jumped at the chance to sail again after a long hiatus.

This sailing is a 7-night sailing, and Adventure of the Seas will sail from The Bahamas through August.

Royal Caribbean will restart operations this summer from the U.S., but has not announced its full set of protocols for those sailings yet.

I will be onboard Adventure of the Seas all this week, so follow along for live updates!

Guests sailing on the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to restart sailings in North America this weekend have been informed of new testing protocols to expect.

Health protocols have been evolving for the last few weeks as the cruise industry and health officials work to ensure the requirements match the needs of what is happening now.

Two different protocols have been added over the last couple days, including a new testing rule that was announced to cruisers just two days before the first sailing.

Vaccinated guests sailing on Adventure of the Seas from Nassau, Bahamas will now have to undergo a complimentary boarding day antigen test.

The tests will be conducted during the check-in process at the British Colonial Hilton resort, which is acting as the check-in terminal for these Bahamian sailings.

Royal Caribbean says if the result is negative and you’re approved to sail, shuttles will be waiting to take you to the ship.

If the result is positive or inconclusive, a pier agent will share next steps with you. 

Prior to this change, vaccinated guests would not have been given a boarding day test.

Royal Caribbean says they added this test, "to give everyone additional peace of mind as we resume cruising and apologize for the inconvenience."

Vaccinated guests do not require any other pre-cruise testing.

Unvaccinated guests (children under the age of 16) will also get tested.

• Unvaccinated guests 12 years and older will need to take three tests
  • SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test within five days of arriving in The Bahamas in order to satisfy Bahamas Health Visa
  • Complimentary antigen test on boarding day
  • A final complimentary test will take place onboard on Day 5 or 6 as required for re-entry into The Bahamas. This test may also be used for entry into your home country, if needed.
• Unvaccinated guests 2 - 11 years old will need to take two tests
  • Complimentary antigen test on boarding day
  • A final complimentary test will take place onboard on Day 5 or 6 as required for re-entry into The Bahamas. This test may also be used for entry into your home country, if needed.
• Guests under 2 years of age will not be tested

Royal Caribbean also changed another rule related to back-to-back unvaccinated cruisers on Adventure of the Seas.

The cruise line had no restrictions on back-to-back sailings, but has added a new rule for unvaccinated cruisers on Adventure of the Seas cruises from The Bahamas.

Unvaccinated guests (children under the age of 16) will not be able to do a back-to-back sailing, although the line did provide a temporary exception for the first few sailings since the rule was added at the last minute.

Guests booked on Adventure of the Seas with back-to-back sailings on June 12, June 19, or June 26 are exempt from the rule. Thereafter, the rule goes into effect.

For the exempted sailings, unvaccinated guests will have to take a disemabarktion Covid PCR test on Day 6 of the first cruise, as well as an antigen test before re-boarding the next sailing.

Royal Caribbean will cover the costs of both tests.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog will be onboard the first two Adventure of the Seas sailings to provide full coverage of all the changes and showcase the experiences from the first sailings back!

With Royal Caribbean about to restart cruises in North America on Adventure of the Seas, the line is changing up some of the offerings for its customer loyalty program.

Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society program is one of the most generous customer loyalty programs in the cruise industry, and guests sailing on Adventure of the Seas can expect a few changes.

Royal Caribbean sent an email to guests booked on Adventure of the Seas to inform them of what to expect onboard as it relates to their loyalty benefits. To be clear, these changes are for guests sailing on Adventure of the Seas.

First and foremost, it appears the Diamond Lounge will be open, but to reduce crowding in the venue, the cruise line is going to give guests more flexibility with their complimentary beverages for Diamond and higher guests.

Ordinarily, guests who are Diamond, Diamond Plus, or Pinnacle in Crown and Anchor Society can enjoy complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages each evening in the Diamond Lounge, as well as up to 3 drinks at bars or restaurants onboard each night.

On Adventure of the Seas, Royal Caribbean is increasing that offering.

Each day of the cruise, Diamond members receive four vouchers, Diamond Plus members receive five vouchers, and Pinnacle Club members receive six vouchers. Each voucher is for drinks up to $13.

These vouchers are open to be used all day long, not just at night. Moreover, it looks like these drinks may not be limited to the usual Diamond Drink menu of select offerings.

UPDATE: As it turns out, it looks like the drink vouchers will be counted if you redeem them in the Diamound Lounge.

A guest booked on Adventure of the Seas reached out to the Adventure of the Seas Diamond Concierge for clarification.

This is a change Royal Caribbean first made to Quantum of the Seas when it restart cruises in December 2020.

The cruise line also says there will be "newly reimagined" behind-the-scenes entertainment tour and a Meal with an Officer, priority access to all shows, and new ways of recognizing our new Pinnacle Club members.

At check-in for the cruise, while all guests will have to adhere to a new check-in process in Nassau, Bahamas to help manage crowding, Pinnacle Club members will not have to do so.

Pinnacle Club members can enjoy Flexible Arrival — a new program allowing the freedom to check-in up to one hour before or after your scheduled check-in time while
the terminal is open.

Onboard the ship, access to Suite and Concierge lounges will only be limited to members staying in Suites. This means no Pinnacle or Diamond Plus members will be admitted into these venues.

The Crown and Anchor changes are in addition to other health protocols announced for Adventure of the Seas, which include requriring the Covid-19 vaccine for adults, a new check-in approach, a digital muster drill, and more.

Adventure of the Seas sets sail from Nassau, Bahamas on June 12 from Nassau, where she will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay twice, Cozumel, and Freeport, Bahamas.

This will be the first Royal Caribbean International ship to restart from North America, and the second ship in the fleet to sail again following Quantum of the Seas.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog will be live blogging from the first two sailings of Adventure of the Seas.

With a week to go until Royal Caribbean begins sailings on Adventure of the Seas from the Bahamas, guests now have a look at what health protocols and changes they can expect onboard.

Adventure of the Seas will be the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to restart operations from North America.  The cruise line announced these sailings from outside the United States in March, as a means of getting around the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Preventions (CDC) prohibition of cruise ships.

Beginning June 12, Adventure of the Seas will begin offering cruises out of Nassau, Bahamas and include two days in a row at the cruise line's private island.

Up until today, the protocols and requirements related to keeping guests safe from Covid-19 were not known, but the cruise line released them to guests booked on Adventure of the Seas between June 12 - September 11, 2021.

The full protocols released for Adventure of the Seas can be found online.

Check-in

As RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com first reported, check-in for the cruise will be held at the British Colonial Hilton resort in Nassau, since there is no cruise terminal appropriate for check-in at the port.

A complimentary shuttle will be provided from the Hilton to the cruise ship.

Complimentary luggage collection will be available when exiting customs at the Nassau airport. Bags must be tagged appropriately with Royal Caribbean luggage tags.

Wear your face mask at all times during the boarding process.

Vaccine requirements

For cruises departing Nassau before August 1, 2021

Guests age 16 years & older are required to be fully vaccinated for Covid-19. Guests under 16 are not required to be vaccinated at this time.

For cruises departing Nassau on or after August 1, 2021

The age requirement will change from 16 to 12 years of age. Guests age 12 years & older are required to be fully vaccinated for Covid-19.

Vaccinated guests must bring their original hard copy of vaccination proof issued by their government’s health authority (for example, a U.S. CDC Vaccination Record Card) and be ready to present it to board.

Documentation Checklist

• Bahamas Health travel visa
• RT-PCR negative test reuslts for unvaccinated guests 10 and up
• Proof of full vaccination
• Passport book
• Health form

Testing

• Vaccinated guests are only required to undergo a complimentary boarding day antigen test at the British Colonial Hilton Nassau, where check-in will take place.
  • Vaccinated guests do not require any other pre-cruise testing. For re-entry into your home country, you may require proof of a negative COVID-19 test. If needed, we'll offer complimentary testing for you on Day 5 or 6 of your cruise. 
• Unvaccinated guests 12 years and older will need to take three tests
  • SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test within five days of arriving in The Bahamas in order to satisfy Bahamas Health Visa
  • Complimentary antigen test on boarding day
  • A final complimentary test will take place onboard on Day 5 or 6 as required for re-entry into The Bahamas. This test may also be used for entry into your home country, if needed.
• Unvaccinated guests 2 - 11 years old will need to take two tests
  • Complimentary antigen test on boarding day
  • A final complimentary test will take place onboard on Day 5 or 6 as required for re-entry into The Bahamas. This test may also be used for entry into your home country, if needed.
• Guests under 2 years of age will not be tested

Ship and Perfect Day at CocoCay rules

Vaccinated guests

• No masks onboard
• No masks at Perfect Day at CocoCay
• Masks may be necessary in ports of calls

Unvaccinated guests

• Outdoors: Masks are not required in open-air areas onboard the ship or at Perfect Day at CocoCay unless you are in a crowded setting. Masks are not permitted in the pool or for any activity where they could become wet.
• Indoors: Masks must be worn in all indoor public spaces onboard the ship unless seated and actively eating or drinking. Masks are not required in your stateroom as long as you are with your own travel party.
• In public ports: Local mask and distancing requirements at public ports of call must be followed.
• Guests under age 2 do not need to wear a mask at any time.

Guests under the age of 2 have no mask requirements.

Dining

• Spaced seating and reservations encouraged.

Reservations for the Main Dining Room and Windjammer can be made once onboard by using the Royal Caribbean App or calling the reservation line.

Windjammer will be open for breakfast and lunch, and food will now be served to you by crew members to avoid guests sharing serving utensils.

If you’d like to dine with other parties during your cruise, you can easily link your bookings by calling us at 866-562-7625.

Entertainment

• Spaced seating
• Reduced capacity
• More show times

While in port

All guests may visit each port freely, but must comply with all local health and safety requirements.

Royal Caribbean's first cruise ship to sail from North America is less than a month away from beginning, but the line has not released its travel requirements and health protocols yet.

In an email to those booked on Adventure of the Seas from Nassau, Bahamas, Royal Caribbean said it is holding back the requirements and changes passengers can expect onboard because the the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) is going to provide new guidance "later this week."

The email from Royal Caribbean International Assistant Vice President of Guest Experience, Aurora Yera-Rodriguez, says the cruise line is expecting new guidelines, and that is why passengers have not been informed of the new protocols.

"We were almost ready to hit send on our travel requirements and health protocols for your sailing onboard Adventure of the Seas departing from The Bahamas and then we learned that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control plans to share updated guidance with us later this week."

Adventure of the Seas will begin cruises on June 12 from outside the United States, which allows the ship to operate without approval by the CDC.

Adventure will become the second Royal Caribbean International cruise ship to restart operations, following Quantum of the Seas from Singapore.

Other ships are also scheduled to sail this summer from outside the U.S., including Vision of the Seas from Bermuda, Jewel of the Seas from Cyprus, and Anthem of the Seas from England.

Read more: Summer 2021 Cruise Planning Guide

Initially, Royal Caribbean had promised to give guests booked on the sailing an update around 30 days before sailing, but that date came and went last week.

"While we know you've been patiently waiting for protocols, our teams have been diligently preparing and working with our medical teams, government health authorities, and testing providers to ensure we provide you with the best experience before, during, and after your cruise, and we are optimistic about this upcoming update. Please bear with us for a little more time - as we want to make sure that when we do update you, it's as close to final as possible."

It seems Royal Caribbean may have been ready to announce those protocols last week, but held back due to new guidance from the CDC.

On a webinar with travel agents, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed, said the line intended to announce them on May 12, but plans changed, "We had truly hoped that we would be able to announce our protocols and our return to service today."

The CDC has been busy with updates for cruise lines lately, issuing a number of revisions to what it requires and suggests for cruise lines in order to restart operations.

Just last week, the CDC issued two different updates to its operations manual for cruise lines, which outline what a cruise ship must do in order to receive permission to sail from the United States.

Sailings that do not visit a U.S. port, such as Adventure of the Seas, are not reliant on CDC guidelines or approval, but it appears Royal Caribbean wants to hear what the CDC has to say before announcing their own protocols.

Among the changes Royal Caribbean will have for guests sailing this summer on Adventure of the Seas from a new homeport is a different check-in area.

Adventure of the Seas will begin offering cruises from Nassau, Bahamas in June 2021, and this is a brand new offering for both Royal Caribbean and the Bahamas.

Traditionally, guests report to a cruise terminal for the check-in and boarding procedure, but it appears that will not be the case for guests on Adventure.

A passenger sailing on the June 12 sailing of Adventure of the Seas reported being told the British Colonial Hilton resort in downtown Nassau will be used as a staging ground for check-in and boarding.

Doug Swallow shared the information after talking to Royal Caribbean about purchasing airport transfers.

"The hotel is being used as the staging point for boarding the ship since there are no facilities currently at the pier," he posted on Facebook.  "The hotel is one of the closer things to the pier itself."

Confirming the change is Michael Maura, the Nassau Cruise Port’s chief executive, who told The Tribune he is meeting this week with executives from Nassau Airport Development Company, the Lynden Pindling International Airport operator, to discuss the transfer of incoming cruise passengers to the downtown Nassau cruise port.

Mr. Maura said Royal Caribbean is planning to use a reception room in the British Colonial Hilton resort for check-in.

Passengers’ bags will go from there to the cruise port, where they will be screened before being placed on the vessel.

Luggage scanning equipment will be installed to screen passengers’ bags is due to arrive on New Providence in “the next couple of weeks”, according to Mr. Maura.

Nassau Cruise Port is working extensively with the cruise lines and Bahamian  law enforcement to determine the flow, handling and other details required for this.

Bahamian companies, with manpower and forklifts, will be hired to deal with bags belonging to 1,500 Royal Caribbean passenger.

Adventure of the Seas will be the first Royal Caribbean ship to sail from North America in well over a year, beginning with her June cruises.

Check-in process outline

During a webinar with Bahamian officials, Royal Caribbean's Associate Vice President, Gaming & Onboard Revenue, Elisa Shen, outlined the plan right now for guest embarkation.

Ms. Shen warned these are subject to change.

On the day of the cruise, Royal Caribbean will offer an opportunity for guests to drop off their luggage at the British Colonial Hilton before their official check-in time.

That way, guests can tour Nassau without being encumbered by their belongings while they wait for their official check-in appointment.

Check-in times at the British Colonial Hilton will range between 1pm and 7pm.

Ms. Shen added that guests at the airport on the day of the cruise could drop off their luggage with Royal Caribbean. Guests coming to Nassau a day or more prior to the cruise can drop off luggage at the hotel.

At their appointment, times guests will report to the British Colonial Hilton where they will get an antigen test. Upon testing negative, guests will then be taken directly to the ship.

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 will restart cruises this summer from The Bahamas, and is working on making getting to and from Nassau easier.

Flights to Nassau are not necessarily as plentiful as some would like, and Royal Caribbean is working to secure "bulk rate sales of seats" for cruise passengers.

The Nassau Guardian Business is reporting Bahamasair Chairman Tommy Turnquest confirmed his airline and Royal Caribbean are working together.

"I can tell you that Bahamasair is working with Royal Caribbean on Saturday flights. We’re going to have two flights out of Miami, one flight out of Fort Lauderdale and one flight out of Orlando to coincide with when the ship will arrive at 7 o’clock on a Saturday morning and leave 9 o’clock that night."

"We have begun negotiations with them and we’re very pleased with how that’s going. We will provide them with some airlift. We think it’s an opportunity to get out of the doldrums and we are very optimistic about that."

While cruises from the United States remain at a standstill due to regulation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), places like the Bahamas are now homeports.  However, the logistics for cruisers to reach this area is still somewhat difficult.

Read more: What you need to know about visiting Nassau on a cruise ship

Royal Caribbean sells guests airfare through its Air2Sea program, which is actually offering discounted rates to guests in order to spur sales.

When Royal Caribbean announced cruises from Nassau, they knew demand for flights would be strong and possibly even outpace supply.  So they worked with select airlines to not only secure seats but actually subsidize prices.

Royal Caribbean pushed back the departure time of Adventure of the Seas in order to provide guests more time to get to Nassau.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley told Bahamian media that he estimates almost 2,000 people could travel to/from Nassau's airport every weekend when cruises begin.

Doing some "back of the napkin math", Adventure of the Seas can accommodate about 3,300 passengers at double occupancy or 4,000 at maximum capacity.  This means "almost 2,000" suggests somewhere around 45% - 60% of ship capacity.