Ever since Royal Caribbean restarted cruises in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, face masks have been at the core of the new protocol requirements.

Many people going on a cruise want to know if and when they will have to wear a face mask, as well as what sort of rules there are for mask wearing.

It’s no secret that masks are polarizing Americans, but this article is meant to simply convey Royal Caribbean's policies so you can more easily plan your cruise. If you want to argue about the mask policy, join a local debate club. If you want your voice to be heard about Royal Caribbean's rule in a meaningful way, contact the cruise line.

If you have a Royal Caribbean cruise booked, you can expect to wear a mask onboard in some scenarios. Here is what you need to know about wearing a face mask on a cruise ship, as well as answers to some commonly asked questions on the topic of masks.

Where and when do I need to wear a mask on Royal Caribbean?

Royal Caribbean announced a major change to its face mask protocols that goes into effect beginning with sailings that depart on or after February 25, 2022.

While masks had been required of all guests indoors in 2021, they will become optional for fully vaccinated guests 

Sailings departing the U.S. and Puerto Rico on or after February 25, 2022:

Onboard the Ship

Masks are optional for fully vaccinated guests.

Royal Caribbean expects unvaccinated children to continue wearing masks indoors and in crowded settings. Masks are required for all children while at the Adventure Ocean youth program.

Guests under 2 do not have to wear a mask at any time.

While Ashore

Masks are optional at private destinations, Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee. At public ports of call, guests should follow all local mask regulations.

Masks should also be worn at the cruise terminal during the boarding and screening process, as well as during disembarkation. 

Guests under 2 do not have to wear a mask at any time.

What type of mask is allowed?

Royal Caribbean lists the following requirements for face masks:

• Masks 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. 
• Neck gaiters, open chin bandanas and scarves, and face masks with valves do not meet health authority guidelines and will not be permitted.

Are crew members enforcing wearing a mask?

Overall, the mask policy is being enforced by crew members onboard, although that is not to say every crew member is standing around looking to correct any guest with a mask below their nose.

Crew members work incredibly hard, and it's understandable that their regular duties require enough focus to not be able to police every guest walking around the ship.

However, if you think you can ignore the rule, soon enough a crew member or two will instruct you to put on your mask.  Certainly sometimes you may forget to put it on, and a friendly reminder will be given to wear one.  Likewise, if you need a mask, they can provide one to you.

The bottom line is the mask policy is more than just a suggestion, it is a requirement that passengers are held to.

Do I need to wear a mask on shore excursions?

Depending on the country you are visiting, and/or the tour operator, masks may be required.

Each country has its own rules regarding masks, and some require masks to be worn everywhere, including outdoors.

Ultimately, you will have to consult with the tour operator on if masks need to be worn during the tour entirely, but you should be aware there are national laws that require masks outside.

When will Royal Caribbean's indoor mask policy end?

There is no specific date or plan to rescind the mask policy.

As of November 2021, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley spoke on the topic of when masks might go away, but merely speculated as to some possibilities.  Keep in mind, his comments were made just before the Omicron variant of Covid-19 became big news.

"I think it's pretty it's pretty certain that the mask policy is going to change for the whole industry, for everybody as we move into the first quarter... as long as we don't see any more variants appearing on the scene."

"Sixty five percent of all of our customers feel comfortable with some kind of mask guidance. A lot of people do feel comfortable with it as being something optional."

"We're very thoughtful about it and have been because of our family market. So we're very sensitive to making sure we're not alienating a large group of customers."

"I think for the industry and for our business, week by week, month by month, these things are going to start slipping away and we're going to get back to quite a quite a normal environment.

What are the best masks to wear on a cruise?

There are lots of masks to purchase, but without a doubt one of the best options right now based on recommendations from health experts is a KN95 face mask. [Note, this contains an affiliate link]

Early on, these medical grade masks were hard to come by, but you should be able to purchase as many as you want these days.

KN95 masks offer very high performance in terms of filtration, and are comfortable to wear while providing a snug fit around your nose and chin.

KN95 masks are also fairly cheap, as production as ramped up so there are lots to consider.  

Cloth mask

If you prefer a reusable mask, you should look for a woven mask that offers multi-layer protection.

Since going on a cruise means it will be hot, the masks by Suay LA tend to get very good reviews for offering a breathable mask that is good in hot weather.

These are constructed from medical grade non-woven polypropylene surgical wrap and have a nosepiece. 

Backup masks

You should plan on bringing many more masks than you think you will need, because once masks become soiled and/or wet, they are not effective anymore.

In addition to purchasing more KN95 or cloth masks, another economical idea is to pick up disposable 3-ply face masks. [Note, this contains an affiliate link]

These disposable masks are a good back-up choice, as well as a good choice if you elect to double mask. 

How many masks should I bring on my cruise?

Depending on how active or if you sweat a lot, your mask needs may vary.

A good idea is to plan on 2-3 masks per person, per day to be safe.

Many reusable masks, can be hand-washed and dried overnight in your stateroom cabin.

Even if you prefer the cloth reusable masks, having some disposable masks is a good backup just in case. 

Royal Caribbean is going to change up the complimentary test it offers passengers doing a back-to-back or consecutive cruise.

Ever since Royal Caribbean restarted cruises this summer, the line has offered guests doing multiple cruises in a row a complimentary Covid-19 test onboard, but will transition from a test administered onboard to a test done via the home test.

Speaking to travel agents on a webinar on Wednesday,  Royal Caribbean International Assistant Vice President of Guest Experience, Aurora Yera-Rodriguez, said the line is working to change how these tests are conducted.

For anyone sailing with Royal Caribbean and moving to another ship within 3 days or less, they can request a complimentary antigen test be completed at the end of the first cruise.

Right now, guests are taking the test in the medical area onboard, but Royal Caribbean wants to change it.

According to Ms. Yera-Rodriguez, the plan is to give guests the same at-home tests many have ordered to use before a cruise begins.

"So far, back to backers and our consecutive cruisers, we do offer the testing. We're actually working through something right now that we're trying to deploy."

"If it's within that three day window and you're not staying on the same ship, we're actually handing our guests one of our eMed test at home kits, and then you just do it before you go on."

These at-home tests are the Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test. These are the same tests Royal Caribbean sells via Royal Caribbean's special link from the Optum website.

Here is my full review of trying out the BinaxNOW test, which was extremely easy and quick.

It sounded like offering the at-home tests already on some ships, but the program will be expanded to more vessels.

"We let them walk off with an eMed. And it's a perfect process and it's working swimmingly."

Regardless of which test you get, guests sailing on a ship and need a test to go on another ship in less than 3 days can stop by Guest Services to request the test be completed.

The Abbott tests are a FDA-authorized rapid antigen home test and conducted via video chat where the proctor can monitor how you take the test in the same way the test is conducted at a pharmacy or doctor's office.

Royal Caribbean just extended the ability to cancel a cruise reservation at the last minute for a future cruise credit, but that may be the last time the cruise line extends this generous offer.

The Cruise with Confidence program is the name of the offer for guests who can cancel their cruise even after final payment date, up to 48 hours before a ship is scheduled to sail in exchange for a future cruise credit.

The program was introduced at the start of the global pandemic so passengers could feel assured they could change their mind closer to sail date.

Speaking to travel agents during a webinar, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed said she does not think the Cruise with Confidence program will get extended again.

"This is a program that's been going on for some time. I do believe this is probably going to be the last extension of it," Ms. Freed told travel agents.

The reason for Cruise with Confidence likely not getting extended again? Ms. Freed said bookings are stronger now, "We are seeing such active bookings right now that I'm not sure we need to continue it much longer."

Royal Caribbean did extend Cruise with Confidence to include allow passengers to cancel up to 48 hours before you sail and get a future cruise credit valid to book by April 30, 2022 and sail by December 31, 2022, or one year from the original sailing date, whichever is later.

Cruises must be booked on or before December 17, 2021 to qualify for Cruise with Confidence.

Without Cruise with Confidence, guests would incur a penalty for canceling a sailing after the final payment date, which is typically 90 days before a sailing begins. Cruise with Confidence provides a great deal more flexibility to change minds with no penalty.

Also part of the Cruise with Confidence program 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.

Anyone who has booked a cruise already, or will do so before December 17, will have the Cruise with Confidence program included with their reservation.

If having this flexibility is important to you, be sure to book a new sailing, or change a ship or sail date before December 17th to qualify for Cruise with Confidence.

Protocols

Ms. Freed also talked about onboard protocols as Royal Caribbean begins to get back to full capacity again.

Last week, Royal Caribbean Group executives told Wall Street by the end of the year, the company plans to get its ships back to normal capacity again.

"I just want to give you a little bit of the updates on protocols," Ms. Freed said during Wednesday's webinar. "We're going to start phasing all of this out because as we are getting back to service with our entire fleet.  We're always looking at what the CDC is saying and the public health standards."

Ms. Freed's comments echo what Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley told investors last week.

"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."

Following an update by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Royal Caribbean has updated its policy to allow passengers with any sort of mixed vaccine to be considered fully vaccinated.

The cruise line updated its policy on its website, which follows up on the United States altering its stance on the issue.

The United States confirmed last week it will accept mixed vaccines when new rules kick in on Nov. 8 requiring that foreign travelers entering the U.S. be fully vaccinated. 

Royal Caribbean will now accept a mixed vaccination series consisting of doses from different manufacturers, as long as your vaccine series meets the following requirements:

• Must consist of at least two doses of vaccines that are fully approved or authorized for emergency use by the U.S. FDA or the World Health Organization.
• The 2 doses must be administered at least 28 days apart*
• The final dose must be completed at least 14 days before sailing.

*For guests sailing from non-U.S. homeports, who have a combination of AstraZeneca plus an mRNA shot (Pfizer or Moderna), the shots must be at least 42 days apart.

Mixed vaccines may not be accepted at all ports of call. Guests who are vaccinated with a mixed series may not be allowed to go ashore at these ports, or may need to undergo additional testing if they wish to go ashore.

The full policy has been posted on Royal Caribbean's website.

The change comes almost exactly one month after Royal Caribbean began allowing cruise ship passengers with mixed series of mRNA vaccines to be considered fully vaccinated.

Sister brand Celebrity Cruises updated their policy on Tuesday to allow passengers with mixed vaccines as well.

Earlier this summer, Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines announced they would not consider someone with mixed vaccines fully vaccinated, following a CDC policy change.

Not allowing mixed vaccines has been a problem for Canadian cruisers because the practice is widespread in that country.

Vaccine trials

Royal Caribbean also added a section for someone who is part of a vaccine trial, either from AstraZeneca or Novavax.

U.S. based AstraZeneca and Novavax clinical trial participants will be considered fully vaccinated 14 days after completing their vaccine series, and must provide required documents that show proof of vaccination.

Royal Caribbean has pushed back its final payment date for more cruises.

The cruise line informed guests that it has decided to push the final payment date for all sailings departing in January 2022.

Guests on sailings departing between January 1, 2022 through January 31, 2022, will now have until 30 days prior to their sail date to make their final payment. 

Royal Caribbean hopes this flexibility of having more time to make final payment date will keep guests from cancelling their cruises, "Our hope is that this gives you a little extra flexibility when making the best decision for you and those in your party."

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

This comes just a few weeks after Royal Caribbean pushed back final payment due date on sailings departing between October 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021 to 30 days prior to sailing.

No action is required on the part of guests or travel agents, and no cancellations will occur until the new final payment date.

This change means guests have more time to cancel their cruise and get a 100% cash refund. 

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

Even with the pushed back final payment date, guests could still cancel their cruise without penalty, up to 48 hours before sailing and qualify for a 100% future cruise credit.

Royal Caribbean's Cruise with Confidence program offers future cruise credits for cancellations past final payment date.

Royal Caribbean announced two changes to policies that will likely make things easier for all guests going forward.

An email update was sent to travel agents on Wednesday advising them of these changes.

The time needed to make final payment for a cruise has been pushed back, a change the cruise line has not done throughout the global health crisis.

The final payment due date on sailings departing between October 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021, will now have until 30 days prior to sailing to submit full payment.

The final payment date is typically 90 days before a sailing commences. 

No action is required on the part of guests or travel agents, and no cancellations will occur until the new final payment date.

Royal Caribbean says the change was made to "grant a little more time and flexibility."

This change comes just days after Royal Caribbean extended the time guests have to use their future cruise credits under the Cruise with Confidence program.

Royal Caribbean originally introduced the Cruise with Confidence program at the very beginning of the global health crisis, as a way for guests to cancel their cruise past the final payment date window.

By cancelling a cruise before the final payment date, they can get a full cash refund, if they booked refundable cruise fare.

Guests could still cancel a cruise past the final payment date even with this new final payment date window, up to 48 hours before their sailing without penalty and get a 100% future cruise credit.

Change for unvaccinated kids pre-cruise testing

According to the cruise line, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) has revised its pre-cruise COVID-19 testing requirement for unvaccinated kids.

This means unvaccinated kids ages 2 to 11 may present either a negative PCR or antigen test result.

The test must be taken no more than 3 days prior to sailing, but not on boarding day. 

Then on embarkation day, unvaccinated kids ages 2 to 11 will undergo a complimentary PCR test for COVID-19 at the terminal. Pre-cruise test cost continues to be the guest's responsibility and telehealth home tests are still not accepted for unvaccinated guests.

Royal Caribbean announced yesterday that unvaccinated kids would be able to do back-to-back cruises as well.

Royal Caribbean has changed its policy and will now allow children under the vaccine eligibility age may now sail on back-to-back cruises.

When cruises first restarted in North America in June, Royal Caribbean added a provision preventing unvaccinated children to do back-to-back cruises.

That rule was in place until today when Royal Caribbean informed travel agents of the policy change.

Kids on a back-to-back cruise will be subject to all health protocols, plus a complimentary COVID-19 test administered onboard prior to the start of their second voyage. 

Royal Caribbean also added that guests are welcome to do as many back-to-back cruises as they wish.

In addition, Royal Caribbean said it would "continue to evaluate this policy as public health guidance evolves."

What is a back-to-back cruise?

Back-to-back cruises is a term referring to when a guest goes on consecutive cruises on the same ship, rather than just one and then disembarking.

The reason to do a back-to-back cruise is so that you can have more time to enjoy everything the ship you sail on has to offer, as well as perhaps a different itinerary. Some ships alternative itineraries depending on the week they sail.

Towards the end of the first sailing, a letter is delivered to a back-to-back cruiser's stateroom to let them know what to expect on turnaround day.

Typically on Royal Caribbean, all the consecutive cruisers report to a designated area of the ship to wait for all other guests to disembark.  Then, a complimentary covid test is administered (sometimes the test is done the day before), and after the results come back, guests are escorted through the process of de-activating their SeaPass card from the first sailing and issued a new SeaPass for the new sailing.

Royal Caribbean is giving guests an additional three months of cruises to choose from when using their future cruise credit.

The Cruise with Confidence program allows anyone booked on a Royal Caribbean cruise to cancel their sailing up to 48 hours before their sail date, and that credit can now be used for sailings departing by December 31, 2022.  It was previously held to September 30, 2022.

Essentially, anyone with a future cruise credit can apply it to more sailings than before.

When a guest cancels their cruise past the final payment date, they can get a future cruise credit worth 100% of the cruise fare paid as long as they cancel at least 48 hours before the sail date.

The credit is valid to book by April 30th, 2022 and sail by December 31, 2022, or one year from the original sailing date, whichever is later.

As of now, the Cruise with Confidence program is valid on any cruise booked before October 31, 2021.

Royal Caribbean has steadily extended the Cruise with Confidence program by pushing back the date at which sailings must be booked by.

It was originally introduced right before cruises began shutting down due to Covid-19 as a mechanism to give guests piece of mind they could change their plans after the final payment date.

Without the Cruise with Confidence program, there would be a penalty if you cancelled a cruise after the final payment date.

The additional three months of cruises to choose from follows up on guest feedback that many RoyalCaribbeanBlog readers shared last month when Royal Caribbean extended the program without also extending when you could sail.

Sean McVeigh wrote, "They need to extend the date for cruise rebooking. There are so many of us at this point that have cancelled 5+ cruises and they take so long to get us the cruise credits we end up with more credits than we can use in a year."

Alan DeHaan wanted the same thing, "I have a small amount of FCC I'd love to put on my next cruise but that's next October. Just extend Rebooking."

With the new change, guests now have more cruises to choose from when applying their credits.

Royal Caribbean has shortened the amount of time before your cruise you can must get your Covid test done before your cruise.

Following an update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week, Royal Caribbean has adjusted its policy, beginning with sailings departing September 13, 2021 or later.

In order to meet the CDC's requirements, Royal Caribbean will now require vaccinated guests 12 and older to show a negative Covid-19 test result for a PCR or antigen test taken no more than 2 days prior to sailing in order to board. (Previously, it was 3 days.)

Unvaccinated kids ages 2 to 11 may present either a negative PCR or antigen test result no more than 3 days prior to sailing, but not on boarding day. 

Guests under 2 years of age will not be tested. 

Test results must be issued by an accredited test provider and show a laboratory negative result which can be printed or shown via a phone.

Under the new rules, you would have two days before your sailing date to get the test done. As an example, if your cruise departs on a Saturday, you could get your test done on

1. Friday (Day 1)
2. Thursday (Day 2)

Sailings departing before September 13 will still have the requirement for all guests age 2 and older — regardless of their vaccination status, departure port or the length of their cruise, to get a Covid-19 test done no more than 3 days before their sail date.

Other cruise lines changed their policies this week as well, such as Carnival Cruise Line and MSC Cruises.

Why the change?

The reason why Royal Caribbean is changing their policy is due to updated guidance from the CDC.

The CDC altered their guidelines to cruise lines to recommend fully vaccinated passengers get their Covid test no more than 2 days before boarding or get a test on embarkation day.  It also lists unvaccinated passengers get their test no more than 3 days before the cruise.

The CDC still allows passengers to get either a PCR or antigen test.

Where can you get a test before the cruise?

With such a short turnaround time for taking a test and getting the results back in time, you may be wondering what the best options are.

First and foremost, rapid antigen tests are the easiest test to take and get because they do not require the "brain tickler" prodding associated with PCR tests, and more importantly, antigen test results come back in less than an hour.

Royal Caribbean will begin offering an at-home test kit, beginning September 8, 2021. Fully vaccinated guests can order at-home test kits, shipped right to your door (anywhere in the U.S.) in two business days or less.

Complete this pre-cruise test at home, with live video supervision by a Certified Guide and get results in 15 minutes.
Your clients can visit RoyalCaribbean.com/HomeTestKit to place their order.

Many health providers and chain drug stores, including Walgreens, Rite Aid and CVS, now offer COVID-19 testing with the possibility of advanced reservations.  When at all possible, getting a reservation makes the process easier.

Read more: When do you have to take a Covid test before your Royal Caribbean cruise?

Another very easy option is the at-home Covid-19 test. Royal Caribbean accepts the Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test because it is supervised and administered remotely via a video session. 

At-home tests can be purchased online and ship quite quickly, allowing you to take the test anywhere with an internet connection at any time.  The test can be proctored at any time of day or night.

eMed sells tests in six packs, which brings the price down to $25 per test.  

Read more: I tried the at-home Covid-19 test that Royal Caribbean accepts

Royal Caribbean has announced a new extension of its Cruise with Confidence program by another month.

This program allows guests to cancel a cruise up to 48 hours before their sail date with no penalty.

Royal Caribbean extended it by one month, and now Cruise with Confidence is good for cruises booked on or before October 31, 2021.  Previously the program was set to expire unless you booked by September 30, 2021.

With the future cruise credit you receive from Cruise with Confidence, you get a get a future cruise credit valid to book by April 30, 2022 and sail by September 30, 2022, or one year from the original sailing date, whichever is later.

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.

In addition, the Best Price Guarantee program will be extended to the end of October.

The Best Price Guarantee means you can take advantage of better rates up to 48 hours prior to sail date. Usually guests in certain countries can reprice cruises only up until their final payment date to take advantage of a price drop.

How does Cruise with Confidence work?

Ever since Royal Caribbean shut down cruises in March 2020, it has offered guests increased flexibility in being able to change their minds due to the fluid nature of news and the global health crisis.

Essentially, Cruise with Confidence is the name of the program that allows guests to change or cancel a cruise up to 48 hours before their sail date with no penalty or change fees.

Guests can opt for a 100% Future Cruise Credit that is good for 12 months or more.

Today's change means Cruise with Confidence is applicable to guests booked on-or-before August 31, 2021 on sailings departing through April 2022. 

The program includes refundable and non-refundable cruise fares, and only excludes chartered sailings.

It is important to note that if you elect to cancel a cruise on your own with this program, and later Royal Caribbean cancels the sailing, you waive any right to receive any refund oft he cruise fare paid.