It's taken many months, but every single Royal Caribbean cruise ship is back in service.

Rhapsody of the Seas returned to service on Monday, which was the last cruise ship in the fleet to resume cruises following the shutdown due to Covid-19 in 2020-2021.

Rhapsody is beginning to offer 7-night Mediterranean and Greek Isles itineraries from her summer home in Rome (Civitavecchia).

As of today, all 26 ships are back in service. To date, Royal Caribbean International has carried more than two million passengers, cruising to 160 destinations across 2,000 voyages. 

Royal Caribbean had methodically resumed service on 13 of its ships since August 2021, which involved gathering crew members to staff the ship, prep the vessel for operation, and get everything going onboard.

Onboard cruise ships, the Cruise Compass daily newspaper celebrated the entire fleet's return.

Photo by Nick Vitani

A long journey back

The entire cruise industry voluntarily shut down operations in March 2020 at the onset of Covid-19, and the trek to get all of its ships back has been quite a process.

Quantum of the Seas was the first ship to restart sailings, when she resumed cruises in December 2020 out of Singapore. 

It would take another six months for the next ship to restart, with Adventure of the Seas resuming cruises from Nassau, Bahamas.

Royal Caribbean's plan to restart sailings was centered around a slow and methodical process.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and former CEO Richard Fain talked about their plan at the onset of ships returning, "We don't expect that... someday somebody blows a horn, and all the ships start operating right away. We think that it will be a gradual start, a little bit like society is opening up gradually."

"So we would imagine that we would start with fewer ships, and more likely to be more drive markets in the beginning, and then it would then evolve and grow from there."

Since then, ships have been able to resume cruises from the United States, Europe, and select ports in the Caribbean.

The only market that remains completely shutdown still is China, although Royal Caribbean remains hopeful cruises will be able to sail from there again soon.

In addition to getting all the ships back in service, Royal Caribbean also launched Odyssey of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas.

Full capacity soon

With every ship back in service, Royal Caribbean is also on the verge of its ships sailing full once again.

Earlier this month, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley indicated with every ship back in service, full capacity is around the corner as well.

"And as we head towards Memorial Day weekend," Mr. Bayley explained to a Wall Street analyst during the call. "We're going to see significant percentage of our ship sailing at 100% and greater."

By the time Royal Caribbean Group gets to the third quarter of 2022, they expect the entire company to be at "triple digits" in terms of capacity.

It's incredible to see how much progress Royal Caribbean has made in less than a year with its restart plans, but there are still a handful of issues the cruise line is working through.

Royal Caribbean is on the brink of having the last ship in the fleet restart operations (Rhapsody of the Seas), which is an important milestone for a company that was decimated by a "black swan" event in the form of the global health crisis.

While the cruise experience has improved rapidly with higher guest satisfaction scores, more ships back in service, and rolled back Covid protocols, there are still a few notable issues that Royal Caribbean is tackling.

It's important to note that these issues are not just Royal Caribbean problems. Nearly every form of travel leisure has their fair share of challenges. The reason why I'm bringing these issues up is to help anyone with a cruise manage expectations properly.

There has been many bumps on the road to Royal Caribbean's restart, but they've been able to navigate them well, and it stands to reason these issues are likely temporary as well.

Here are the challenges Royal Caribbean has to tackle at the moment, which anyone with a cruise this summer should be aware of.

Covid cases

Covid isn't gone by any means, and that means there are still Covid cases on cruise ships.

To be fair, there's always been some level of Covid cases on any Royal Caribbean sailing, but Royal Caribbean's protocols have limited the spread to ensure it doesn't become a ship-wide problem.

Covid cases are going to be an ongoing problem for a while, just like every facet of life.  Just like in society, we're learning to live with it, but that doesn't mean there won't be cases popping up onboard.

Based on reader feedback, it seems guests are reporting seeing or experiencing Covid cases on individual sailings and it's almost certainly a reflection of a general rise in Covid cases around the world right now.

YouTube vloggers Travel Spree unfortunately caught Covid and had to be isolated while on their Symphony of the Seas cruise.

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RoyalCaribbeanBlog message board user anxiouscruiser shared their experience testing positive for Covid while onboard Serenade of the Seas, "it sucks but I knew the risk when I chose to cruise. I just wish it didn't happen to us."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly review, there has been a week-on-week increase in the number of counties with high levels of COVID-19. As of May 11, 2022, the current 7-day moving average of daily new cases (84,778) increased 30.7% compared with the previous 7-day moving average (64,863).

In short, more Covid cases in society is going to likely translate to more Covid cases onboard cruise ships. Unlike on land, cruise ships at least have requirements and protocols that do their best to mitigate the spread of Covid.

What this all means is you should be cognizant of the fact there are more Covid cases, and take whatever precautions you deem fit. Perhaps that's wearing a N95 mask while indoors, or changing shore excursion plans to prioritize outdoor tours.

Staff shortages

Every company is dealing with not enough workers, and that includes cruise ships.

On some ships, certain venues or forms of entertainment are not yet open so that they can better utilize crew members. In other cases, there may simply not be enough crew members to manage every situation that can arise.

There's an interesting message board thread discussing the general issue on the Royal Caribbean Blog message boards.

While many guests are understanding of the general problems all business have in hiring, they also feel moving to full capacity with less than a full compliment of crew causes guest satisfaction problems, "I think we all understand the troubles of staffing right now, but Royal Caribbean should match their ships capacity with their staffing.," said carlosalonsor.

"I think Royal Caribbean just found it a bit harder to staff up than they expected to," smokeybandit opined. "For those who do want to return, lots of red tape to get them on board again. Then there are those who have found a happy life off a ship or those that are just hesitant to return for various reasons."

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Robert Joseph Dulo shared a similar issue with staffing shortages on Explorer of the Seas last week, "The staff and the ship could not handle the capacity with many service and food issues."

"I left them detailed survey responses and hope they look closely at them as my experience was similar to others that I talked to. I hope they make the appropriate changes or they will start to lose cruisers, especially me. They seemed to not be ready for higher capacity."

Even if Royal Caribbean could snap their fingers and hire everyone they need right now, there's still the issue of visa delays, quarantine rules in some countries, vaccine requirements, and more.

The good news is Royal Caribbean is indeed trying to hire as many new crew members as they can, with recruitment drives in countries around the world. It does not appear to be a problem the cruise line is not aware of by any means.

In the meantime, bring extra patience with you, along with sunscreen, a camera, and a good book.

Supply chain problems

Tangentially related to the first two issues, you may run into certain items not available onboard your cruise.

Primarily, we've seen this in the past in the form of certain brands of liquors not available. Remember the CocoCay-branded beer? That was an early victim of supply chain issues.

Just like staffing problems, this is not likely an issue that will go away overnight. In its first quarter 2022 earnings, Royal Caribbean Group said they're managing supply chain challenges, mainly related to fuel and food costs.

In my experience, how much of an impact it has on your sailing will greatly depend on which brands of types of food and drink you prefer, as well as general demand onboard. Each sailing has a different assortment of guests onboard, and the ships are doing their best to supply accordingly.

What this means for your cruise?

After reading about these issues, what should your takeaway be for an upcoming sailing?

Certainly the problems Royal Caribbean is facing are the sort of things the company has to mitigate and address in order to improve, but if your cruise is coming up in the next few weeks, it's possible it could impact your cruise.

At a minimum, it's food for thought. Throughout the restart of cruise operations, there have been hurdles for passengers to navigate. So while today's problems are a concern, it's not like there haven't been things Royal Caribbean has overcome in the past year.

It may also be an opportunity to gauge how comfortable you are with embracing a certain level of flexibility. Nothing is perfect, including cruise ships, so if the prospect of your favorite liquor not being available, or a longer wait for drinks at bar truly irks you, then perhaps you should put off your cruise until the situation improves.

As cruise fans, we love this kind of a vacation and no one ever wants to be disappointed. It's why I think it's critical to be as honest and up-front with what others are seeing so we can all make the right decision to sail or not.

The sort of problems Royal Caribbean has are also being dealt with at plenty of other land-based travel destinations. So the grass is not greener necessarily elsewhere.  But that doesn't mean a cruise right now is superb either.

An educated consumer tends to have a better experience overall, and this article is intended to ensure you are up-to-date with what's happening.

The days of Royal Caribbean cruise ships sailing at reduced capacity are limited.

It's no secret that the cruise industry is moving back towards normalcy with getting more ships back into service and more passengers onboard.

The only question cruise ship passengers had was when would full capacity return, and it looks like sooner than later this summer.

At last week's earnings call with investors, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said most ships should be back to full capacity again.

"And as we head towards Memorial Day weekend," Mr. Bayley explained to a Wall Street analyst during the call. "We're going to see significant percentage of our ship sailing at 100% and greater."

In fact, ships sailing at full capacity has already happened on select sailings, "we have ships now sailing at 100% and we've had ships sailing at 100% now for several weeks out of the Caribbean, into the Caribbean market and a short product."

Mr. Bayley further broke things down by saying the Oasis Class ships ship capacity has been around 80% or so.

In Royal Caribbean Group's quarterly results, the company as a whole (including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and SilverSea) had ships  sailing in the first quarter averaging a capacity of 59%. Month-by-month, capacity generally went up with March capacity averaging 68%.

By the time Royal Caribbean gets to the third quarter of the year, they expect the entire company to be at "triple digits" in terms of capacity.

Cruise ships sailing full was the norm prior to 2020, so the experience this summer should be more familiar for long-time cruise fans.

Getting back to profitability

Not only are full cruise ships a strong sign of demand for cruising, but it's what makes the cruise industry profitable.

Royal Caribbean Group Jason Liberty recently told Barron's the threshold for a profitable sailing is when a ship gets to 90% capacity in the current conditions.

"When you get to about a 90% load factor, you start to generate profit. Historically, that line of profitability can be lower, roughly 80%. But we have a lot more debt now. "

When Royal Caribbean can start making money instead of losing money, not only is the welfare of the company accounted for, but they can start doing more expansion and re-investment.

Many projects during the pandemic were put on hold, such as ship upgrades. 

It's been a busy week of cruise news, and I wanted to catch you up on all the cruise news also happening beyond the major headlines.

Between all the big happenings in the cruise industry, there's plenty of other changes and developments you should be aware of from this past week.

If you ever have a news tip, feel free to email it to [email protected] for possible inclusion in a future update!

Galveston cruise terminal progress

Royal Caribbean's new cruise terminal in Galveston is under construction, and we have a new photo update of what it looked like this week.

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader twangster shared photos of the progress as Adventure of the Seas departed Galveston.

Terminal 3 is where Royal Caribbean's new $125 million home for Allure of the Seas will be located, and it's set to open in fall 2022.

Royal Caribbean says it will be a state-of-the-art building that will measure 161,300 square feet.

The new terminal is located at Pier 10 for exclusive use by Royal Caribbean.

Grand Cayman will reopen to cruise ships in March

While most of the Caribbean has reopened to cruise ships, Grand Cayman has left its borders closed to cruise ship traffic.

It now appears Grand Cayman will change that policy. The Cayman Compass reports Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan announced on Friday that cruise ships will be able to start visiting the island as of March 21st.

Initially, Grand Cayman will limit arrivals to a maximum of 40% of previous passenger volumes.

Grand Cayman will evaluate how the first month of operations work and make any changes necessary.

The decision, which is pending Cabinet approval, is expected to be confirmed early next week when formal changes to the COVID control regulations will be made.

One million guests and counting

Royal Caribbean's restart is hitting all sorts of important milestones.

In the year since Royal Caribbean restarted operations, their 21 cruise ships have carried more than one million passengers.

In a post on social media, Royal Caribbean celebrated this achievement, "On the anniversary of The Royal Comeback, we’re excited to celebrate welcoming one million guests onboard our ships since our return to sea."

"Thank you for navigating new challenges with us, creating new memories, and remaining loyal to Royal."

Street parties coming back?

One form of entertainment that has not yet made it back to Royal Caribbean's cruise ships are street parties on the Royal Promenade.

Pre-covid, street parties were a popular event where the ship's entertainment staff would gather together with guests for a Times Square on New Years Eve kind of party.

There would be balloon drops, 70s dance parties, and more.

Royal Caribbean suspended this activity since restarting cruises in an effort to promote social distancing, but it now appears these parties might be coming back.

#WonderoftheSeas #FamousStreetParades #RoyalPromenade #AnchorsAweigh! #Rehearsals #Check ✔️

(yeah, they will be back, hopefully soon…) pic.twitter.com/xdVzMbtbwh

— Nick Weir (@NickWeirShowbiz) February 25, 2022

Senior Vice President of Entertainment for Royal Caribbean International, Nick Weir, posted on Twitter a video of a street party rehearsal that took place recently.

In the tweet, he added, "yeah, they will be back, hopefully soon…"

Now that the Covid-19 vaccine has been approved for kids under 12, many want to know if Royal Caribbean will require kids to be vaccinated in order to sail.

Ever since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved vaccines for 5-11 year-olds, cruise fans have wanted to know what Royal Caribbean might do.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain was asked at a media event aboard Odyssey of the Seas on Friday if they would require kids to be vaccinated as well.

Mr. Fain said he thinks there will be an update to the protocols soon, but the cruise line has no change yet to announce for vaccine requirements.

"I think we will be coming out with protocols for the smaller children soon," Mr. Fain explained.

"Now that they've authorized vaccines down to the five, we're looking at how that's going to affect us."

Mr. Fain went on to talk about changes in protocols, and how while masks are required onboard Royal Caribbean ships, the reality is the time someone needs to wear a mask actively is around 20% of the time (thanks to vaccinated zones and outdoor areas).

"I think we're moving in the direction where every cruise will have 100 percent of the crew vaccinated and ninety five or more percent of the guests."

A follow-up question was asked by a travel agent about the notion of selling a Royal Caribbean cruise to a family in January or February. Mr. Fain responded he thinks there will still be room for unvaccinated kids onboard.

"Probably by then we'll still be, if they don't want to vaccinate their children. I would still encourage them to do so. The vaccines are simply so effective and so safe that they owe it to the children and they owe it to their friends and loved ones to do so. But I don't think we're about to implement that requirement because the only just became available."

Safer than Walmart

In talking about the vaccine requirements, Mr. Fain referenced a recent article by USA Today that indicated cruise ships health protocols are proving to be extremely effective.

CDC data shows not only are have there been very few cases this summer on cruise ships in the United States, but cruisers feel more secure with the protocols in place on a ship than they do visiting other businesses with little to no protocols.

"We have cases on board just as you have cases everywhere. But the cases are handled easily, efficiently and people are taken care of, and it doesn't spread. So we don't have these big outbreaks onboard."

Mr. Fain called that a "dramatic change" for the cruise industry, because many in the public never thought it would happen and certainly not as quickly as it has compared to other segments of society.

Fain pointed to the vaccines as the major factor in making cruise ships so safe, "I think the reason we're seeing that is because the vaccines work and because they are preventing the spread."

Don't expect a change after January 15

Some have speculated that once the CDC's Conditional Sailing Order becomes voluntary on January 15, 2022, that protocols will erode or go away quickly. Mr. Fain rejected that notion.

"I want to make it clear the controlling protocols today in almost every case, not every case, but almost every case is our own standards, not the CDC. We are acting significantly in excess of CDC requirements. And I actually don't expect January 15th when they have said that they would go through a purely voluntary program that will have any noticeable impact on us."

Mr. Fain said they worked hard to make cruises safe, and they are not going to abandon what has been working.

In terms of the pre-cruise testing, Mr. Fain said it is his preference to allow everyone three days instead of two days to get a negative test, but a lot of those decisions are based on what is happening in society.

"There are two days and we would much prefer it to be three. And that is one constraint that the CDC has imposed on us. We're not sure that the science supports that."

"You've seen how quickly it's changed over the last two months, and I think it will continue to quickly change, especially if we start getting more people vaccinated."

"I think we need to get through the winter months because the winter months traditionally resulted in an upsurge as people have people who aren't lucky enough to live in Florida who have to go indoors."

Royal Caribbean has released its health protocols for cruise ships sailing in Winter 2021 for the longest period of time yet.

The new protocols apply to Royal Caribbean sailings from Puerto Rico, Barbados and U.S. homeports through March 31, 2022. 

Previously, Royal Caribbean was releasing health protocols only a month at a time.

Royal Caribbean added that it expects health protocols to change over time. Guidance for other ports and sailings is still in development with federal, state, and local authorities. 

These protocols govern the rules and requirements passengers can expect if they want to go on a cruise between now and March 31, 2022.

Vaccination

Royal Caribbean will require all passengers who are 12 years and older to be fully vaccinated in order to sail.

All guests 12 years and older must bring proof of vaccination, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 vaccination record card, with the final dose of the vaccine completed at least 14 days prior to sailing.

For guests departing from Florida homeports, this vaccine requirement is the policy of several international governments for a cruise ship to enter their waters. 

Testing

Depending on where your ship departs from, the exact requirement for a pre-cruise test will vary:

Testing for sailings from U.S. Homeports 

• Pre-Cruise: All guests 2 years and older must present a negative PCR or antigen test result.
• Vaccinated guests ages 12 years and over, test must be taken no more than 2 days prior to sailing. Guests under the age of 12, who are considered fully vaccinated, should follow the guidance for vaccinated guests. 
  • Unvaccinated children ages 2 to 11 years, test must be taken no more than 3 days prior to sailing — but not on boarding day.
  • No testing required for guests under age 2 years.
  • Pre-cruise testing costs and scheduling are the guest's responsibility.
• Embarkation Day: Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 years will take a complimentary PCR test for COVID-19 during check-in. Registration details will be sent via email in advance.
• Onboard: Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 years will take a complimentary antigen test prior to debarking. Depending on sailing length, there may be additional testing. Registration details will be provided onboard.

Testing for sailings from San Juan, Puerto Rico

• Entry to Puerto Rico:
  • All guests unvaccinated guests 2 years and older will need a PCR or antigen test for entry.
  • Guests arriving from non-US countries (regardless of vaccination status) will need a PCR or antigen test for entry.
  • Guests flying in or connecting should check the Puerto Rico’s entry rules.
• Pre-Cruise
  • Vaccinated guests must present a negative PCR or antigen test result taken no more than 48 hours prior to sailing in order to board. If for any reason your clients can’t arrange this test prior to sailing, we have port testing available for scheduling here.
  • Unvaccinated children ages 2 to 11 years must present a negative PCR test result taken no more than 72 hours prior to sailing in order to board. There continues to be no testing required for guests under age 2.
  • Proper documentation (printed negative test results or negative test results presented on your phone) from an accredited laboratory (no doctor’s notes) is required to sail. All costs for this test are the guest's responsibility and must be done on their own, not at the terminal.
• At the terminal: Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 years are required to take a PCR test for COVID-19 when checking in at the terminal. Registration details for this test will be sent via email in advance. This test is complimentary.
• Prior to disembarking: Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 years are required to take an antigen test onboard within 24 hours before the cruise ends. Registration details will be provided during your cruise. This test is complimentary.
  • For re-entry into one's home country, guests may require proof of a negative COVID-19 test. If needed, we’ll offer complimentary testing on Day 5 or 6 of the cruise. Testing details will be provided onboard.
• No testing is required for guests under age 2.

Vaccinations & Testing Requirements for sailings from Bridgetown, Barbados 

Grandeur of the Seas will begin sailing from Barbados in December 2021, and it has its own set of protocols for sailings from here.

Due to the requirements of destinations on  Barbados itineraries, Royal Caribbean can only accept vaccines that are authorized by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Guests under the age of 12 years, who are considered fully vaccinated, should follow the guidance for vaccinated guests below. Children with one dose of a vaccine do not count as fully vaccinated for the purpose of our sailing. The only mixed MRNA vaccines accepted are combinations of Pfizer and Moderna.

• Entry to Barbados: Guests must follow Barbados’ COVID-19 Travel Guidelines. All guests 5 years and older — regardless of vaccination status — must present a negative PCR test result taken no more than 3 days prior to arriving in Barbados. 
• Pre-cruise: All unvaccinated guests 2 - 11 years old must present a negative PCR test result no more than 3 days prior to sailing. The PCR test used for entry satisfies this pre-cruise test requirement as long as its within 3 days of sailing date.
  • The PCR test used for entry satisfies this pre-cruise test requirement as long as its within 3 days of sailing date.
  • If PCR test results are older than 3 days, guests will have to secure their own PCR test while in Barbados.
  • The terminal antigen test does not satisfy unvaccinated guests’ pre-cruise testing requirement. 
  • Barbados does not accept telehealth home test kits for the entry test, even if the test is supervised by a live telehealth professional. No self testing method is accepted.
• Pre-cruise testing costs and scheduling are the guest's responsibility.
• At the terminal: All guests 2 and older — regardless of vaccination status — are required to take a complimentary embarkation day antigen test and receive a negative test result. Registration details will be sent via email in advance for the antigen test at the terminal.
  No testing required for guests under age 2
• Prior to Disembarking: Guests 5 and older (regardless of vaccination status) planning to tour Barbados before making their way to the airport or enjoy an extended stay in Barbados shoreside, are required to undergo additional testing.
  • Guests that go directly to the airport, on their own or through an RCI tour, will not be required to undergo any testing onboard. 
• For re-entry into your home country, guests may require proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Testing details and options will be provided onboard at guests' expense.

Shore Excursions

Families traveling with unvaccinated kids are required to purchase a tour through Royal Caribbean to go ashore (except at Perfect Day at CocoCay).

Fully vaccinated parties may book a shore excursion or visit most ports freely — with the exception of those listed below, which will require tours for all guests who wish to go ashore in November and December, regardless of their vaccination status: St. Lucia, Barbados, St. Kitts, Antigua, Tobago, Trinidad, Grenada, Martinique, Dominica & St. Vincent. 

For Barbados: 
All guests on December sailings from Barbados will need to book a tour if they wish to go ashore in ports of call, regardless of vaccination status. 

Masks

Masks are required in the terminal, in select locations inside the ship, and may be required at various destinations.

Masks are NOT required to be worn:

• In open-air areas of the ship, unless you are in a crowded setting
• In the pool or any activity where they may become wet
• At venues designated for vaccinated guests only, such as select bars, lounges, restaurants and shows
• In your stateroom when you are with your traveling party
• While visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay, unless you are in a crowded setting
• By any guest under the age of 2

Masks ARE required to be worn:

• While indoors onboard the ship, unless seated and actively eating or drinking
• While visiting public ports of call, where local regulations may require them

Your mask should be at least two layers of tight weave fabric with loops that fit over your ears in accordance with health guidelines. The mask should fit your face closely and cover your nose and mouth but allow you to breathe easily. Note that neck gaiters, open chin bandanas and scarves, and face masks with valves do not meet health authority guidelines and will not be permitted.

Dining

For Main Dining, Royal Caribbean will designate areas for everyone, including parents and unvaccinated children, and areas for vaccinated parties only.

My Time Dining will not be available to parties that include unvaccinated guests.

Some specialty restaurants will be open to everyone, while others will be for vaccinated parties only. 

Email with protocols

Here is a full copy of the protocols shared by Royal Caribbean with travel agents.

Royal Caribbean Group's third quarter earnings call on Friday with analysts was full of tidbits that provided insight into what cruise fans and Wall Street investors alike should expect in the coming months.

After releasing its quarterly financials, a trio of Royal Caribbean Group executives took questions from investment firms about the company's health. Included on the call were:

• Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain
• Royal Caribbean Group Chief Financial Officer Jason Liberty
• Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley

While the call primarily dealt with discussing fiscal health and the financial outlook, some answers gave operational insight that is of interest to cruise ship guests.

Royal Caribbean prioritized ships back in service over capacity

There was a conscientious effort by Royal Caribbean to get more cruise ships back in service first, over trying to max out how full the ships were.

Anyone who went on a cruise this summer and fall definitely noticed the limited capacity onboard, which was almost always well before half full.

Mr. Fain talked about why they wanted more ships back sooner, "Like the pilot of a plane during takeoff, prioritizing speed over altitude, we have prioritized spreading the wealth."

"We have prioritized starting up more ships even with lower loads per vessel, rather than trying for higher load factors on fewer ships. We have been executing this in a financially and medically prudent manner."

He pointed out that in January 2022 the major booking season for cruise begins, and Royal Caribbean Group wants their core markets operating normally as quickly as possible. He believes with as many ships as they have ready to go in January, this will position the company well financially.

"That will put us in an excellent position to have a good wave period. Our bookings are already showing that the public has a great deal of pent up demand and is eager to travel again. We have a long period of poor bookings to make up for, but current booking trends give us a high level of confidence for 2022, especially from the summer on."

Royal Caribbean has been quietly increasing the capacity of its ships even as early as October, as evidenced by cruise passengers who reported seeing sailings with more than 50% capacity.

During the call, Mr. Bayley mentioned Freedom of the Seas sailed at 85% occupancy.

"We've brought back significantly more capacity, ships, beds and berths, than any of our competitors by a significant amount. And what that means is that operationally and logistically, we've already climbed over that mountain and we've now got a large number of our assets available for booking. And more importantly, we've now gone through and absorbed all of those expenses."

So when might Royal Caribbean truly get back to full capacity across the board?

Mr. Liberty said somewhere around summer 2022 is the plan for now, "We are kind of preparing our business to maximize our revenues and profitability in this very kind of lucrative peak summer season."

Future of protocols

One of the major obstacles to get more customers back on cruise ships are the Covid-19 protocols that are necessary right now, either as mandated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or by the cruise line.  So when will those change?

One investor asked Royal Caribbean how they were thinking about vaccine mandates across different age demographics into next year.

In replying, Mr. Bayley provided a glimpse into Royal Caribbean's relationship with the CDC, as well as when protocols could change.

"I think what's what's happened over this past several months is that we've really got a a focused, collaborative effort and we found the relationship with the CDC has been very constructive."

"While the CSO comes to a kind of a technical end on January the 15th, we will continue our ongoing collaboration with the CDC in terms of the protocols that will voluntarily operate after the CSO expires."

"They certainly, and we, want to make sure that we're operating safely and they're also well aware that some of the protocols that we have in place will naturally fall away as the pandemic moves further and further in the rearview mirror."

"I think as we move into '22, hopefully what we'll see is is the protocols become easier and less cumbersome for our customers."

World Cruise selling extremely well

Royal Caribbean announced its first world cruise to sail in 2023, and if you were wondering who would realistically book a 9 month cruise that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, the answer was clearly a lot of people.

Within the first 10 days, the cruise was only bookable by repeat cruise guests, and Mr. Bayley indicated already it is 70% booked.

"Within seven days we were 70 percent booked and the average price of a balcony room is $75000 for the balcony. The Royal Suite sold within a week at $760000, and all of these suites have booked with non-refundable deposit."

Mr. Bayley admitted they were surprised how well it sold, "Even we were taken aback by the unbelievable response of our royalty customers. The fact that within a week we were 70 percent booked on a ship that carries around 2,100 guests and is on a nine month world cruise was just remarkable, and I think that's indicative of what we're we're seeing."

Port project update

One investor asked Royal Caribbean for an update on its port projects that it had announced before the pandemic.

Mr. Bayley reiterated some of the short term projects that are still moving ahead, "We did obviously have a plan in place. Pre-pandemic, we pressed pause. We're now re-engaging on all of those plans in the immediate future."

Hideaway Beach

"We have an expansion taking place in perfect day with the addition of Hideaway Beach, which is a new experience that will open in late '22 for Perfect Day."

"The beauty of Hideaway Beach is that it is an adult only area as part of Perfect Day. It will allow us to increase our capacity by approximately 3000 people a day in late 22, which is, you know, obviously going to help improve our overall profitability and drive more more revenue, both both ticket and on board."

Nassau Beach Club

"We're close to finalizing the design and construction plans and the approvals for Beach Club in Nassau, which were we're hoping to start work on that very soon."

Galveston terminal

"We've got a Galveston terminal that's opening in '22 and that will accommodate our Oasis class ships and then future Icon. And of course, that gives us remarkable access into the Texas, Oklahoma and that whole region as a market for drive into."

Anyone with a Royal Caribbean cruise booked for early 2022 will now have more flexibility in changing plans, as well as when they have to pay it.

Royal Caribbean informed travel agents on Friday of a number of changes related to guest-facing programs, many of which have been well-received by guests.

Here is a breakdown of the major changes just announced.

More time to cancel cruise for a credit

The Cruise with Confidence program has been extended yet again.

The Cruise with Confidence program  will expand to reservations confirmed on or before December 17, 2021 and sailing through April 30, 2022.

This program allows guests to cancel a cruise up to 48 hours before their sail date with no penalty in exchange for a 100% Future Cruise Credit.

Cruise with Confidence was introduced at the beginning of the cruise industry shutdown in 2020, and was designed to give guests peace of mind that they can change their plans after final payment date.

Ordinarily, guests would incur a penalty for canceling a sailing beyond the final payment date, which is typically 90 days before a sailing commences. Cruise with Confidence provides a great deal more flexibility to change minds with no penalty.

Included with this extension is the Best Price Guarantee, which allows guests to reprice their sailing up to 48-hours prior to the sail date if the price drops.

Credits accrued from the Cruise with Confidence program must be redeemed by April 30, 2022 on sailings departing on or before December 31, 2022, or 1-year from the original sail date, whichever is later.

Final payment window pushed back

The final payment due date on sailings departing through March 31, 2022 will now have until 30 days prior to sailing to submit full payment. 

The change was made to give guests more flexibility in deciding if they want to cruise without forcing a cancellation earlier.

Royal Caribbean said they will not inform guests directly of this change, so that travel agents can do so if they choose.

"Rest assured, no action is needed on your part, and no cancellations will occur until the new final payment date."

Ordinarily, final payment date for a cruise is 90 days before sailing. 

COVID-19 Assistance program extended

One more extension is for Royal Caribbean's COVID-19 Assistance program, which covers passengers if anyone tests positive within 14 days of the cruise, or while onboard.

Vaccinated guests and children not yet eligible to be vaccinated who are sailing on or before April 30th, 2022 will have the following COVID-19 Assistance at no extra charge.

• 100% cruise fare refund for you, and your Traveling Party, if any of you tests positive for COVID-19 within 14 days prior to the cruise or at the boarding terminal.
• Pro-rated cruise fare refund if your cruise is cut short for reasons related to COVID-19.
• If you test positive for COVID-19 during the cruise, Royal Caribbean will cover the costs of COVID-19 related medical treatment onboard, any required land-based quarantine, and travel home for you and your Traveling Party.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended its requirements for how cruise ships need to operate due to Covid-19, and the cruise industry has come out in support of the temporary extension.

The extension means the Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) will continue to remain in effect between November 1 and January 15, 2022, but the CDC says it will then expire.

While the CSO was at one time a major thorn in the side of the cruise lines who were eager to restart operations, the CDC began allowing ships to sail in June 2021 and since then, it has largely become a mere formality for ships to be able to sail from all major and minor cruise ports in the United States.

The Cruise Lines Industry Association (CLIA) issued a statement in support of the CDC's decision, as it provides a means for the CSO to transition to a voluntary basis, "Cruising has successfully resumed in the United States, with leading public health measures that have enabled our ocean-going cruise line members to effectively mitigate the risk of COVID-19 amongst cruise passengers, crewmembers and destinations."

"The changes to the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO), announced today, show that the Biden Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognize the cruise industry’s successful resumption of operations. We look forward to demonstrating the industry’s continued leadership in this final phase of the CSO, and to carrying out a smooth transition when the Order comes to an end on 15 January 2022."

In mid-January, the CDC says the CSO will transition to a voluntary program in which participation will be at the discretion of cruise lines.

"CDC wishes to stress that cruise ship participation in any future voluntary program would not be mandated; the scope and parameters of such a program would be subject to further discussion and information sharing; and cruise ship operators would be free to develop alternative pathways of detecting, mitigating, and controlling the spread of COVID-19 onboard cruise ships."

CLIA believes the industry is committed to a safe approach to cruising once that occurs, "The health and safety of cruise passengers, crewmembers and destinations remain the industry’s highest priority."

"CLIA ocean-going cruise line members will continue to be guided by science and the principle of putting people first as we work with the Administration and the CDC to expand on our progress and build additional confidence in cruising as one of the safest vacation options, during the pandemic and beyond."

In a statement to RoyalCaribbeanBlog, a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson also supported the CDC's move, "As our phased approach to healthy return to service continues fleetwide, we are pleased by the decision of the CDC to end the Conditional Sail Order after a two-month extension until January 15, 2022."

"Royal Caribbean Group will continue to operate in accordance with protocols that prioritize the health and safety of our guests, crews and the communities we visit, as we have done successfully from the United States since June."

What does the Conditional Sailing Order require?

In a nutshell, the CSO laid out a phased approach for cruise ships to restart operations from the United States through a series of steps in order to get approval to sail.

Introduced in October 2020, the full set of rules were not fully unveiled until spring 2021, but they provided cruise lines with requirements to ensure their ships would not put crew, passengers or communities served by the ships under unnecessary risk to Covid-19.

Cruise lines had the choice of mandating at least 95% of their passengers and 98% of their crew members be fully vaccinated in order to restart cruises quicker, or run test cruises with volunteer passengers to ensure health protocols onboard were effective.

Cruise lines like Norwegian Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises opted to mandate the vaccine, while Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line chose the test cruise path in order to allow unvaccinated children onboard.

Royal Caribbean began test cruises in June 2021, and has successfully launched every one of its ships that has had to conduct a test cruise.

Simulated voyages applied a variety of new cruise line policies and rules to ensure they mitigate any potential spread of a virus onboard. Besides testing protocols, Royal Caribbean found the test cruises a good opportunity to prep the ship to return to service after many months of being shutdown.

The CDC now believes the protocols devised under the CSO has helped avert concerns it had earlier, "cruise lines, with CDC assistance, have resumed passenger operations and successfully developed and implemented health and safety protocols to manage COVID-19 that have averted overwhelming onboard medical facilities and burdening shoreside hospital resources"

Why the CDC extended the Conditional Sailing Order

RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader smokeybandit reacted to the temporary extension by asking, "I want to know what difference another 75 days makes," which echoes many other cruise fans concerns about the CDC decision.

In the 54-page document the CDC issued regarding the CSO extension, it justified the temporary extension because of the upcoming winter season and anticipated increase in passengers and ships sailing from the United States.

"The winter season (November through January) has historically been the most active cruising season in the Caribbean and Central America, involving travel to countries currently listed by CDC as being under COVID-19 travel health notices where cruise ship travelers may be at increased risk for acquiring and subsequently introducing COVID-19 variants into the U.S.

"Additionally, cruise ship operators have informed CDC of their intended plans to increase the number of ships operating in U.S. waters this fall and winter."

The CDC added it was not "feasible" to pause the CSO in order to get a comment period, noting it would be "impracticable and contrary to the public interest."

Hours after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced an extension of the Conditional Sailing Order, Royal Caribbean released its health protocols for cruises departing the United States in November 2021.

Guests booked on November cruises received an email with the health rules they can expect if sailing on a cruise ship in November.

Protocols have been released for ships sailing from the United States, as well a separate policy for ships sailing from Puerto Rico. You should, refer to Royal Caribbean's protocols online.

Here is the list of protocols for ships sailing from the United States (excluding Puerto Rico), including government mandates and CDC pre-cruise testing requirements. 

Vaccinations

All guests 12 and older must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before sailing.

Testing

Required Pre-Cruise Testing: Guests will need to meet the new requirements recently issued by the U.S. CDC.

Vaccinated guests 12 years and older are required to present a negative COVID-19 Test Result (antigen or PCR) for a test taken no more than 2 days prior to the sailing's departure date and before their arrival to the terminal.

Unvaccinated kids age 2 to 11 must show a negative test result for a PCR or antigen test taken no more than 3 days before boarding day. Kids’ pre-cruise test cannot be taken on boarding day, because that may affect the sample taken during the kids’ test at the terminal.

No testing required for guests under age 2.

Pre-cruise tests are at the expense of the guest sailing, as well as scheduling.

Royal Caribbean recommends guests use the at-home test they recently approved for use and now sell directly to passengers via RoyalCaribbean.com/HomeTestKit

Kids Age 2-11 Years: Additional Testing

In addition to the pre-cruise test, kids will take one or two more tests. 

At the Terminal:  Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 years are required to take a PCR test for COVID-19 when checking in at the terminal. Registration details for this test will be sent via email in advance. This test is complimentary.

Prior to Disembarking: Unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 will take a complimentary antigen test prior to debark. Depending on sailing length, there may be additional testing. Registration details will be provided onboard.

Guests under 2 years of age will not be tested.

Masks

Masks are required in the terminal, in select locations inside the ship, and may be required at various destinations. Guests under 2 years old don’t need a mask. 

Masks are NOT required to be worn:

• In open-air areas of the ship, unless you are in a crowded setting.
• In the pool or any activity where they may become wet.
• At venues designated for vaccinated guests only, such as select bars, lounges, restaurants and shows.
• In your stateroom when you are with your traveling party.
• While visiting our private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, unless you are in a crowded setting.
• By any guest under the age of 2.

Masks ARE required to be worn:

• While indoors in public areas of the ship, unless seated and actively eating or drinking.
• While visiting public ports of call, where local regulations may require them.

Some venues and nightlife events will be for vaccinated guests age 12 and up, only. Masks won't be required in these venues. Vaccinated parents are invited to enjoy these experiences while their kids not present.

Dining

For Main Dining, Royal Caribbean will designate areas for everyone, including parents and unvaccinated children, and areas for vaccinated parties only.

My Time Dining will not be available to parties that include unvaccinated guests. Some specialty restaurants will be open to everyone, while others will be for vaccinated parties only. 

Other venues

The ship’s venues are set up to easily allow for physical distancing and there will be signage to guide passengers.

Theaters and activity venues will offer spaced seating and more showtimes. Some activities, showtimes, or seating areas will be reserved for vaccinated guests only.

The Fitness Center has operating hours for everyone as well as hours reserved for vaccinated guests only.

Spa services, except those offered in treatment rooms, are available to everyone.

Shore Excursions

Fully vaccinated parties may book a shore excursion or visit most ports freely — with the exception of those listed below, which will require tours for all guests who wish to go ashore, regardless of their vaccination status.

• St. Lucia (November visits)
• Barbados (November visits)
• St. Kitts (November visits)
• Antigua (November visits)

Families traveling with unvaccinated kids must purchase a local tour through Royal Caribbean if they wish to go ashore. This applies to all ports of call except Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Port Canaveral, Florida. 

Cruises from Puerto Rico

Explorer of the Seas is scheduled to restart cruises from San Juan, Puerto Rico in November and there are slightly different protocols for these sailings.

I've noted the major differences for cruises from Puerto Rico, but otherwise the same protocols for U.S. sailings apply.

For guests above the age of 2, Puerto Rico requires a negative PCR or antigen Covid-19 test result for certain travelers to enter depending on their vaccination status and point of origin.

If you’re flying in from the U.S.

• Vaccinated guests have no testing requirement to enter Puerto Rico.
• Unvaccinated kids age 2 to 11 must show a negative result for a PCR or antigen test taken within 72 hours prior to arriving at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan.

If you’re flying in from an international country

• All travelers age 2 and up, regardless of vaccination status, must show a negative result for a PCR or antigen test taken within 72 hours prior to arriving at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan.

If you are already in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico does not require a test from you.

Embarkation Day

To board the ship, you will need to bring a negative PCR or antigen test result to the cruise terminal. It can be the same result you used to enter Puerto Rico, provided you time it right.

• Vaccinated guests age 12 and older must show a negative result for a PCR or antigen test taken no more than 2 days before boarding day.
• Unvaccinated kids age 2 to 11 must show a negative test result for a PCR or antigen test taken no more than 3 days before boarding day. Kids’ pre-cruise test cannot be taken on boarding day, because that may affect the sample taken during the kids’ test at the terminal.
• Guests under 2 years of age do not need to complete a pre-cruise test.

Kids Age 2-11 Years: Additional Testing

In addition to the pre-cruise test, unvaccinated kids will take two more tests. Royal Caribbean’s test provider will administer these, at no cost to guests.

At the Terminal
Kids will take a complimentary PCR test when checking in at the terminal. Registration details will be sent via email in advance.

Prior to Disembarking
Kids will take a complimentary antigen test onboard before the cruise ends. Vaccinated guests who require a COVID-19 test for re-entry into their country may receive one onboard as well. Guests will be notified onboard about how to register for this test.

Guests under 2 years of age do not have test requirements to board the ship.