Our first port of call on this Alaska cruise brings us to Sitka, which is a port I've never been to before.

We weren't scheduled to dock until 9:30am, so we had a few hours before getting off the ship.

The combination of our clocks going back one hour last night and the excitement of getting off the ship got to me, because I was up by 6am to have a look.

Our ship sailed through the Sitka Sound, giving us our first look at the Alaska scenery.

I went up to the upper decks to get a better look, and even spotted a whale coming up for air once (although I was too slow to get a photo).

Once the kids got up, we decided to have breakfast at Chops Grille, since it's open to suite guests as an alternative breakfast spot.

The menu is similar to the main dining rom, and offered a relaxed breakfast.

There were five cruise ships in Sitka today, although we were the only ship able to dock. The other ships tendered, including Radiance of the Seas.

The dock is located north of downtown, and is about a 10 minute drive.

We booked a shore excursion through Royal Caribbean for today, "Taste of Sitka". Our tour began at 10:45am, and it consisted of three stops.

Our first stop was at a local restaurant to sample fresh caught wild salmon and Alaska beers.

The chef prepared white Alaska salmon that was delivered earlier that morning to enjoy along with a selection of beers. They said we could choose between two beers, but they were happy to give more if you wanted.

The salmon was incredible, as white salmon is evidently a very rare type of wild salmon.  It was so good that even my oldest daughter, who claimed she hated salmon, tried it and really liked it.

The chef then brought out a salmon to filet it for us, and let us even sample slivers of sashimi-grade fresh salmon we could eat raw on the spot.

The food was better than anything I could have hoped for, and started us off on a great note.

Next up was a visit to the Sitka maritime center, where we learned about salmon life cycles and why and how they operate a salmon hatchery to help provide a sustainable source of the fish.

Afterwards, we were able to touch a variety of local marine life in the touch tanks.

The salmon explanation was much too long in my opinion, but the kids loved the touch tanks.

Afterwards, we took a short drive to a former World War 2 air base for a scenic photo.

At this point, the bus could either drop us off downtown or bring us back to the ship. We opted to stay downtown.

Sitka has a small downtown with lots of shops, restaurants, and bars. 

We stopped in for coffee at a book store, but stayed to get my kids a couple of books. I love finding small, independently operated book stores and support them whenever I can.

Sitka is known for being the former capital of Alaska when it was owned by Russia, and still has a few buildings from that era.

The orthodox church is by far the most prominent piece of this Russian history, but there's other buildings you can explore. We ran across a fort that provided some lovely views.

As we walked around, I saw a sign for the Fresh Fish cart, which is one of the places to see in our local guide to Sitka.

I met the owner, who served up salmon poke bowl that was incredible. There's just nothing like fresh fish, and the snack was just what I needed.

We wandered around Sitka a bit more and then headed back to the ship.

The weather could not have been better, and it was the perfect day for exploring Alaska. If we can have weather like this for the next two weeks, we're in for an amazing time.

The weather was stunning today, and it was so warm (mid-70s) that lots of people were up on the pool deck and in the pool.

Dinner tonight brought us to Izumi.

I love eating at Izumi because sushi always hits the spot without feeling overly stuffed like other foods do. 

While I love sushi, my wife and kids prefer the non-sushi items on the menu, such as the terriyaki or udon options.

We rounded out our evening with songs in the Schooner Bar with the guitarist. Speaking of the guitarist, the bartenders told me that 4 new crew members transferred while we were in Sitka from Radiance of the Seas, so the pub should open tomorrow!

I was ready to call it a night when we noticed an amazing Alaskan sunset happening.

Have I mentioned I love Alaska cruises yet?

Tomorrow we will be in Juneau.

Stray Observations

There's a free shuttle to and from downtown Sitka. The line got pretty long in the morning to get downtown if you didn't have a tour.

They were actively repairing the other docking area at the port that was damaged this season when Radiance of the Seas struck a dolphin mooring.

Vancouver is one of Canada's premier cities, and it's also a wonderful place to visit before or after your Alaska cruise.

Royal Caribbean usually bases a couple of its cruise ships in Vancouver for the Alaska cruise season (in addition to ships sailing from Seattle, Washington).  Since Vancouver is outside the United States, there are a few nuances that make the cruise experience just a little bit different from other embarkation ports.

Whether you have an Alaskan cruise booked from Vancouver, or are thinking about reserving one, here are some important tips for how to enjoy and plan a cruise that sails from Vancouver.

Fly in two days early

When you have to fly to a cruise, you should always fly in at least one day before the cruise begins to guard against travel delays impeding your ability to board the ship.

If you are flying from the east coast, coming in two days before the cruise is an even better idea because of the time change.

The shift up to three hours later means you'll be struggling to stay up past 9pm. By coming in two days early, you have more time to adjust to the west coast time zone and once you get on the ship, be able to stay up later for the fun evening activities.

Another advantage to coming in more than a day early is it provides you ample time to explore Vancouver without feeling rushed, or fatigued from the trip over.

Drive, train, or fly

To actually reach Vancouver, you could get to the city a few different ways, and each has their advantages.

The most straight-forward way to get to Vancouver is to fly there. Vancouver has a major international airport, although getting a direct flight may not be so simple.

Depending on where you live, there may be multiple flights required, with layovers in other cities along the way.

An alternative to flying to Vancouver is to fly to Seattle instead, which tends to be cheaper (for Americans) and has many more direct flights.

Once in Seattle, you could then either take the train, rent a car, or even take a car service into Vancouver.

As of 2022, the Amtrak train service between Seattle and Vancouver has not resumed yet, but the Cascades train ride is a beautiful ride. In the interim, Amtrak offers bus service to get across the border.

There's no separate line if you buy The Key

When you check-in for your cruise, there's no special line for guests who purchase The Key.

Vancouver is one of the few places where priority access is not offered for The Key (Australia and Singapore are the other places).

The weather changes a lot, so plan for it all

Just like Alaska, it will likely rain and then go back to being sunny, and then alternate between chilly and warm, before restarting the cycle again.

Vancouver's weather can vary greatly, so plan on experiencing it all.  They key is to have a good waterproof jacket, along with warm clothes.  But don't rule out a warm spell, because it is summer after all.

While you probably won't need super warm clothing (unless you are visiting in the beginning or end of the Alaska cruise season), being able to deal with the rain is a good idea while you're exploring the city.

The Pan Pacific hotel

If you are looking for the ultimate convenience for the day your cruise begins, you might consider staying at the Pan Pacific hotel.

The Pan Pacific is built on top of Canada Place, which is where your cruise ship will be waiting for embarkation.

Guests who purchase a cruise package can actually have bell services come to their hotel room on the morning of the cruise and take their bags directly to the cruise ship. No need to lug luggage back downstairs and give it to porters.

Of course, the Pan Pacific hardly the best deal in town or the cheapest hotel you can find, but if you value convenience, then a stay in this hotel might not be a bad idea.

Fun spots to visit

Like any major city, you'll have a lot to explore while in Vancouver.

Depending on where you stay, there are lots of fun things to do around town.  Assuming your hotel will be closer to the cruise port, here are a few suggestions:

• Walk around Stanley Park, which features walking, jogging, and bike trails. There's also the Vancouver aquarium here.
• Gastown is a neighborhood that has a lot of great restaurants and shops.
• Even if you aren't staying at the Pan Pacific hotel, you can go there to watch cruise ships depart.
• Granville Island Market is an indoor market featuring lots of food and produce stores, showcasing handcrafted products and unique gifts.
• Vandusen botanical gardens are beautiful

I also recommend making a point to get coffee and a bite to eat at a Canadian staple: Tim Horton's. Tim Bits are great, along with their sandwiches.

Technically, today was our inside passage day I discovered, which means the day our ship passed through the inner waters from Vancouver up to Alaska. Basically, it was just a sea day as we made our way up to our first stop.

I was up around 7am to start getting some work done on RoyalCaribbeanBlog. If that seems early, I'm still somewhat adjusting to west coast time, and the fact 7am is 10am on the east coast was really bugging me that I was missing what was happening in the world, so to speak.

The day started out gray, with clouds dominating the sky.

When the rest of the family got up, we headed to the Windjammer for breakfast. One benefit of being a suite is we have a private breakfast place in Chops Grille, but the variety the Windjammer provide won out for at least this morning.

My kids loved the waffle station in the middle of the Windjammer, and my wife admitted those waffles were pretty darn good.

I also spotted the avocado toast station.

We took our food to the outdoor seating formerly known as Rita's Cantina. One of the waiters brought us coffee and our kids hot chocolate.

After breakfast, we headed to the Solarium to enjoy some open air. As noted yesterday, from 8am to 11am, the Solarium is open for kids (excluding the hot tub).

My girls brought their sketch pads to draw, and I decided to get an early start on my Diamond Plus drink vouchers with a bloody mary.

I walked from the Solarium to the pool bar to get a drink. The Solarium Bar wasn't open today (it had been yesterday).

As the morning went on, the temperature warmed up and peaks of sunlight began to break through. I enjoyed spending some time on the pool deck with the fresh air and plenty of chairs to choose from.

My wife had her spa appointment this morning, and later in the morning I took the girls to get their nails done at the spa. With my title of husband and dad of the year simultaneously in tact, I headed to the Safari Club for the Top Tier event.

On the non-short cruises, Royal Caribbean invites guests to attend a get together to welcome Crown and Anchor members who have reached Platinum or above, and recognize those members with the most points or reaching Pinnacle Status.

There are over 700 Crown and Anchor Society members onboard, and the ship's Captain welcomed everyone.

I always make a point of attending the Top Tier events to show I appreciate them putting on these events for us.  The complimentary mimosas and champagne are not a bad excuse to go either.

With everyone finished in the spa and salon, we went down to the main dining room for lunch.

The food was fine, and enjoyed the ease of the being able to sit and enjoy a meal rather than another visit to the buffet.

Chicken sandwich

Mediterranean lamb sandwich

After lunch we headed to the NextCruise office to look into some future cruise options. Looking over new cruise ideas is the closest thing as an adult I have as a thrill to walking around KB Toy stores as a kid.

My kids wanted to go watch Encanto in the ship's cinema, which gave me the perfect excuse for my favorite sea activity: a nap.

Tonight was formal night, and we reserved a table at Giovanni's Table for dinner.

While this may not be the new Giovanni's Italian Kitchen update, we still enjoyed the menu selections, especially the filet mignon option.

The soup of the day special, Minestrone, was really good, and of course the main courses did not disappoint.

Minestrone soup

Tuna Tartare

Spaghetti pasta of the day

Filet

After dinner, it was time for a show.  Tonight, there was a Broadway medley in the theater that highlighted Broadway songs that crossed over to Hollywood films.

There were songs from West Side Story, Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors and more.

I hadn't seen this show yet on a Royal Caribbean ship, so it was nice to see something different.

Walking out of the show right around 10pm, I could see there was still daylight out. Getting closer to Alaska!

After the show, we watched karaoke in the Safari Club. My oldest daughter really enjoyed seeing people give it their best.

Tomorrow we will be in Sitka.

Staffing situation on Serenade

Speaking of things that aren't open, it's no secret that Royal Caribbean cruise ships are understaffed currently due to the same staffing struggles all businesses are dealing with.

Read more: The top problems Royal Caribbean is facing as it returns to full capacity

I had read other people's accounts of long waits for drink service, dinners taking longer than usual, and other issues of the sort related to waits. Truly over the first two days, I have not run into anything that made me think twice about my experience.

While I would love to enjoy the pub, the pub singer performs at the Schooner Bar instead. The casino isn't operating the craps table, but I found many open seats for blackjack or roulette instead.

Dinner on the first night in the main dining room took an hour and fifteen minutes, while dinner at Giovanni's was an hour and a half. Those times are well-within the norm for meals I would have had pre-2020.

It's still early in the cruise, but I wanted to share I'm constantly looking to gauge how much the experience has changed between myself and other guests I've been chatting with onboard.

Stray Observations

We got a note in our room that we had reached enough Crown and Anchor Society points for a crystal block.  We have the choice to take it home now, ship it home, or pass on it completely.

Crystal blocks are given to Diamond Plus guests periodically after they accrue enough points. Once you reach 140 points in Crown and Anchor Society, you earn a crystal block from the ship you happen to be on at the time.

You then earn a new block every 70 points you accrue thereafter. 

I also got a letter in the room to inform us as a Diamond Plus guest we would not be able to use the concierge lounge because there were too many Diamond Plus and Pinnacle guests onboard. Not a problem since I'm staying in a suite.

One nice change you'll find on an Alaska cruise versus a Caribbean cruise are the enrichment events, where speakers provide a lecture on a given topic. Today, there was a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that spoke about the work he does in Canada's national police force.

A cruise delayed is not a cruise denied.

We were supposed to sail on Serenade of the Seas last week, but my kids caught the flu from school, so we had to push our plans back a week. We cancelled the first sailing (which we got a 100% future cruise credit because we booked under Royal Caribbean's flexible cancellation policy known as Cruise with Confidence) and then booked a new sailing for the following week so we can still do a back-to-back cruise.

Our cruise sails from Vancouver, so we flew from Orlando to Seattle and then rented a car to drive from Seattle to Vancouver.  After spending two nights in Vancouver to explore, it's time to cruise!

We stayed at the Pan Pacific hotel, which is attached to cruise port at Canada Place.  The hotel's cruise package allows for bell services to take your baggage down to the ship and you can then take the elevator downstairs and board the ship. Perfect for our family!

For check-in, we took the elevator downstairs and walked through the convention center to find the check-in area. There were three ships in port today, each with a line for them.

I had 11am check-in window, but the suite concierge emailed us before the cruise to say we had the option of coming in up to an hour early, so we arrived at 10am.

Once the line opened, check-in was easy and we breezed through check-in, security, and customs. Interestingly we went through U.S. Customs even though we were in Canada because I assume to save us the trouble when we get to Alaska later.

It took a while for the ship to be cleared and for boarding to begin. I think boarding didn't begin until around 11:30am.

Once we got onboard, our first stop was the Windjammer for lunch. 

Our next stop was the Vitality Spa to book my wife a massage. In a moment of fatherly weakness, I agreed to let my girls get their nails done in the spa.

We then walked around the ship to check out the various spaces, such as the cinema, fitness center, Schooner Bar and more.

We waited for our room to open on the pool deck. The morning rain had subsided, so it was nice to be outdoors with the breeze.

The cabins were ready at 2pm. For this cruise, we are booked in the two bedroom panoramic oceanview suite. 

There are two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a giant window in the living room. I'm hoping this will be perfect for glacier viewing.

We then headed down to the Schooner Bar to complete our muster drill.

We scoped out the main dining room table assignment. We are in the first seating, and got a table right by the window just for our family.

Adventure Ocean opened up for registration at 2pm, where we signed them up in case they end up going.

Our last stop on the list was the Suite Lounge to meet the suite concierge. 

By now the kids wanted to get back to the cabin to relax, so headed back to the room.

We had early dinner for this cruise (5:15pm), so we just enjoyed time in the room while we waited for our luggage to be delivered.

Dinner was right before sailaway, so we placed our order and then ran up to the helipad to enjoy sailaway out of Vancouver. 

Almost immediately, the ship passes under a bridge, and while windy and a little chilly, it was a great way to start the cruise.

I thought dinner went well for the first day, with the entire meal complete in just about an hour and fifteen minutes. Our waiters kept things moving and I enjoyed my Indian curry.

After dinner we walked through the Centrum shops. They had a lot of Alaska souvenirs. In fact, it seemed most of the store was exclusively Alaska gifts, with a few generic Royal Caribbean souvenirs in the back.

The kids quickly got bored of hanging with us, so they went back to the cabin to play on their devices.  My wife and I took the opportunity to grab a couple of cocktails in the Suite Lounge.

Tomorrow is a sea day.

Stray Observations

Here's the price of the Royal Caribbean drink package (alcohol) if you bought it onboard.

Every Radiance Class ship has a piece of "art" at the top of the Centrum elevator bank. On Serenade, it's a pair of cows.

There are set times where kids can use the pool in the Solarium on this cruise because of the cold weather.

Happy Sunday! It is getting hot outside these days, and the Royal Caribbean news this week is equally heated.

Royal Caribbean updated guests still holding a future cruise credit with some good news this week.

Any future cruise credit you may have from the Covid-era now has no expiration date and is good indefinitely.

As of June 1, 2022, Royal Caribbean announced that all unredeemed future cruise credits (FCC) offered under the Cruise with Confidence program will no longer expire.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean will keep full deposit if you cancel your non-refundable cruise fare going forward
• Above-average hurricane season predicted for 2022: What that means for cruise ships
• Royal Caribbean updates: Tropical Storm Alex, infant policy & more
• Guide to Alaska cruise excursions
• Local's Guide of what to do in Sitka, Alaska
• How far in advance to book an Alaska cruise
• The Ultimate Cruise Packing List
• 20 tips for a Royal Caribbean honeymoon cruise

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 457th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, reviewing Kurt's recent Enchantment of the Seas cruise.

Kurt shares what is experience was like having recently sailed on Enchantment of the Seas from Baltimore.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

New RCB Video: What everyone should include in their cruise carry-on!

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — What everyone should include in their cruise carry-on! — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

Subtle changes Royal Caribbean made on Wonder of the Seas

Every cruise ship Royal Caribbean builds is slightly different from the last, and Wonder of the Seas has its own set of tweaks.

Besides the amazing new shows and areas you wont find any other Oasis Class ship, here are a few subtle changes Royal Caribbean made to Wonder of the Seas that I noticed (and most of them I liked).

Freedom of the Seas Guide & Review

Freedom of the Seas currently sails 3- and 4-night short Bahamas cruises from Miami, and it's a popular weekend getaway ship

If you’re considering booking a cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, be sure to read this planning and overview guide so you are fully prepared for your upcoming cruise vacation.

Things I've tried on Royal Caribbean that I won't do again

Allie listed the things she's done on a cruise ship that she won't be doing again.

We all have our own set of "one and done" lists, and this week focuses on the activities and choices Allie made on Royal Caribbean that she'll skip next time around.

Welcome to the first week of June, and we have a few different Royal Caribbean news updates to share.

There are many facets of cruising, and in an effort to keep you informed, here is a quick summary of the cruise news stories this week you should also be aware of, in addition to our other articles.

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

Early Tropical Storm Alex could impact outlook

It looks like we will have our first named storm of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season this weekend when a depression comes over Mexico and into the Gulf of Mexico to form Tropical Storm Alex.

Given that it will likely pass through Florida over the weekend, there's a chance it could impact cruises. While no decision has been made yet to change or cancel any Royal Caribbean cruises yet, Royal Caribbean Chief Meteorologist James Van Fleet produced a series of videos on Thursday morning to provide an outlook for what to potentially expect.

Mr. Van Fleet warned if there was going to be any kind of closure at the ports, it would probably be on Saturday, June 4.

If and when Royal Caribbean announces any cancellations or changes, guests will be directly notified.

Morning @RoyalCaribbean Guests, 3 videos breaking down this upcoming storm and what it could mean for the weekend. Please watch all three for full briefing. Video 1 - Storm track, timing, and Ports, Video 2, and Video 3 - breakdown of what each Ship can anticipate. Video 1: pic.twitter.com/oN3hU5tRVk

— James Van Fleet (@JamesVanFleet) June 2, 2022

Video 2: https://t.co/rGaJv0tqpS pic.twitter.com/9ifM8VY3Cu

— James Van Fleet (@JamesVanFleet) June 2, 2022

Video 3: https://t.co/NMhimFULcE pic.twitter.com/xjrkW8t35V

— James Van Fleet (@JamesVanFleet) June 2, 2022

The system is likely to become a tropical depression or tropical storm while it moves northwest over the northwest Caribbean and southeastern Gulf of Mexico. It is not expected to become a hurricane.

Follow James Van Fleet on Twitter for additional updates.

Cruise industry calls again to end international air travel covid testing

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) publicly called on the United States government to once again end pre-departure Covid-19 testing for air travelers coming to the United States.

The testing requirement is in place for all travelers, including U.S. citizens, whether they are vaccinated or not, to show a negative Covid test result before taking an international flight into the United States.

CLIA reaffirms its support for the elimination of the pre-departure testing requirement for vaccinated international air travelers to the United States, which will help support the return of international cruise travelers to U.S. ports, boosting local economies across nationwide. https://t.co/gazlR8syuI

— Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) (@CLIAGlobal) June 1, 2022

CLIA represents the interests of all the major cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean reverts infant policy

Royal Caribbean has changed back a policy for the minimum age of infant cruisers.

In early May, Royal Caribbean made a change that considered St. Kitts and Perfect Day at CocoCay "sea days" as it relates to infants. Sailings with three consecutive sea days require infants to be 12 months or older at the beginning of the cruise, instead of 6 months.

This week, that policy change was reversed and Royal Caribbean's website no longer lists those islands as part of the policy.

Royal Caribbean meets with Alaska tour operators and local leaders

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley highlighted a recent visit with Alaska's port officials and community members.

Mr. Bayley shared on Facebook that Royal Caribbean stakeholders recently visited Anchorage, Seward, Ketchikan, and Sitka to meet with more than 15 community partners, tour operators, and local leaders.

"Throughout the 7-day visit to Alaska, stakeholders saw Royal Caribbean’s donations put into action! The donations will help expand programs like Ketchikan’s ocean preservation and community resilience, Sitka Trail Works’ scenic trail development, and support marine science programs in local high schools."

"One of our top pillars is caring for the communities we visit, so it is exciting when we get to see partnerships unfold!"

"Thank you to all of our partners in Alaska for your dedication to unmatched cruise guest experiences, and to our shoreside employees who continue to support Alaska in ensuring amazing cruise vacations across the board! Cheers to an amazing cruise season in Alaska!"

You won't have to worry every again about your unredeemed Royal Caribbean Cruise with Confidence future cruise credit expiring.

The change applies to future cruise credits a guest has received during the pandemic between 2020 and early 2022.

As of June 1, 2022, Royal Caribbean announced that all unredeemed future cruise credits (FCC) offered under the Cruise with Confidence program will no longer expire.

Future cruise credits were given to guests as a kind of voucher to represent the amount paid for a cruise. Guests either elected to receive them in lieu of a refund when Royal Caribbean cancelled a cruise, or took them when they decided to cancel a cruise reservation during the pandemic.

Prior to today's announcement, each credit had an expiration date when it had to be redeemed by, which gave some guests concern that they would lose out on the value of their money paid because they are unable or unwilling to cruise before the end of this year.

Royal Caribbean hopes this change will provide more flexibility for anyone with a FCC, as most FCCs were set to expire at the end of 2022.

A cruise credit issued as part of the Global Sailing Suspension (when Royal Caribbean cancelled the cruise, instead of the guest), the portion of the FCC value that represents 100% of the cruise fare paid on the original reservation will no longer expire. 

The incremental 25% bonus value, however, will maintain the current expiration date noted on the Future Cruise Credit and will remain active until this point.

All other FCC types remain unchanged and will continue to enforce the expiration date noted on the Future Cruise Credit.

The change in policy not only applies to Royal Caribbean International, but also Celebrity Cruises.

How do I redeem my credit?

Royal Caribbean has made it quite easy to redeem a future cruise credit, whether you are booking directly or with a travel agent.

The easiest way is to let your travel agent redeem it by providing them with the Certificate Number and booking ID.

Read more: Top things you didn't know travel agents can do for your cruise vacation

If you book on your own, here's how to redeem a FCC for a new booking on Royal Caribbean's website:

1. Find the sailing that you are interested in.
2. Select your cabin type and location.
3. Proceed to the payment page.
4. Enter your payment and personal information.
5. Enter your Future Cruise Credit number(s).
   • If you are booking multiple cabins, you can enter your Future Cruise Credit number(s) for each room.
6. Click “submit.”
7. You will receive an email letting you know if your credit was valid.
   • Any remaining balance of your Future Cruise Credit (FCC) will be reissued to you as a new FCC after you complete your cruise.

Here’s how to redeem online for existing bookings:

1. Visit the Redemption page.
2. Enter your booking information.
3. Enter your Future Cruise Credit number(s).
4. Click “submit.”
5. You will receive an email letting you know if your credit was valid.
   • Any remaining balance of your Future Cruise Credit (FCC) will be reissued to you as a new FCC after you complete your cruise.

Royal Caribbean's rules for cancelling a cruise are about to change.

There are two types of deposits a guest can make when booking a cruise: refundable and non-refundable.

Travel agents were alerted of the new policy change regarding non-refundable deposits.  There is no change for guests that book refundable deposits.

Beginning with reservations made on or after June 1, 2022, if a guest were to cancel their non-refundable fare, the full deposit amount will be withheld by the cruise line. Any additional payments made will be refunded.

If a guest elects to change their original ship and/or sail date, then a change fee of $100 per person will apply.

The Future Cruise Credit component is being discontinued and will no longer apply when canceling under this policy outside of the final payment period.

Instead, the deposit amount will be withheld in-full.

Guests booked prior to June 1, 2022 are protected under the prior policy terms. Guests who booked a non-refundable fare prior June 1, 2022 can elect to request a Future Cruise Credit in the amount of the deposit paid per guest, less the $100 fee. 

Impact for suites

This policy change is especially important to note if you book a suite.

Royal Caribbean made suites non-refundable only a few years ago because of the high demand for them, especially when new sailings were announced. Prior to the non-refundable fares, suites would be booked up early by cruise fans and later decide if they would sail or not. To deter the practice of dumping suites closer to sailing, Royal Caribbean changed suite fares to non-refundable.

With this change, booking a suite well in advance comes with additional risk if you choose to cancel later, especially considering the deposit amount of suites tends to be higher than non-suite rooms.

Typically, the deposit amount for suites is double regular room fares.

Refundable vs non-refundable cruise fares

Just like non-refundable fares found with airfare, rental cars, and hotels, these rates come at a reduced rate as an incentive to lock in plans.

In short, guests get a lower price and the cruise line gets more protection against a last-minute cancellation.

Refundable cruise fares cost more, but allow more flexibility when cancelling a cruise.

The exact price difference between a refundable and non-refundable fare can vary depending on the sailing.

Read more: Royal Caribbean refundable versus non-refundable cruise fares

Best Price Guarantee change

In addition to the cruise fare changes, Royal Caribbean also tweaked the Best Price Guarantee program.

Effective immediately, the Best Price Guarantee onboard credit option value will be 100% of the price difference (previously 110%). 

This change refers to the original Best Price Guarantee program and not the Cruise With Confidence program.

Read more: Do cruise prices drop?

You probably heard about the new suite neighborhood, shows, and restaurants Royal Caribbean added to Wonder of the Seas, but the cruise line also tweaked a few things that I really liked.

With each new cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's teams look for ways to improve the guest experience, and not just on a grand scale. Tweaking, swapping, and trying new ideas is part of the new build process. Often, these changes aren't heralded in reviews, but people that cruise a lot are sure to notice them when they run across it and say something like, "That's different."

Read more: Wonder of the Seas vs other Oasis Class ships

Besides the amazing new shows and areas you wont find any other Oasis Class ship, here are a few subtle changes Royal Caribbean made to Wonder of the Seas that I noticed (and most of them I liked).

Magnetic bathroom doors

The first time you use your cruise cabin bathroom, you'll probably notice it's missing that typical "ka-chunk!" sound the door makes when slamming shut.

The bathroom doors in your cabin are magnetically sealed on Wonder of the Seas. I assume it's so that the door is quieter when it closes, but I don't know that for a fact.

The bathroom doors use a magnetic element which pulls shut the the door when it's within about 1/2 -1” from closure. 

Read more: 8 things you should know about your cruise ship cabin

Some showers have dual showerheads

Keeping with the "changes in the bathroom" theme, another pleasant change was my balcony cabin had two different showerheads. 

Not all cabins have this, but there is a handheld showerhead and a standard showerhead that you can alternate between in the balcony room I stayed in. While you can't use them both at the same time, it is nice to be able to switch as needed.

Keep in mind if you do switch showerheads, the water coming out will likely be initially cold until the warm water comes rushing through the pipe.

Read more: A look at the big suites on Wonder of the Seas

More USB outlets

A trend Royal Caribbean has embraced is adding USB outlets to more places, and that continues on Wonder of the Seas.

There are more USB outlets in bars than I've seen on any other Royal Caribbean ship. This is great for being able to charge your phone while you hang out (and not have to drag around a battery pack).

In the cabin, there are more USB outlets than normal.  In addition to the USB outlets at your desk, they've finally added USB outlets near the beds.

Read more: The Mason Jar Southern food restaurant on Wonder of the Seas

Wall hooks

One of my favorite cabin hacks has been to recommend bringing your own magnets with hooks, but Royal Caribbean has offered some hooks on Wonder of the Seas.

Below the television are a series of hooks that came installed already.

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Wall hooks are very helpful in a cabin because you can use them to keep apparel off the ground, and more importantly, free up drawer space.

Read more: My favorite Royal Caribbean cruise hacks

Jazz music in Central Park

When we learned there would be no Jazz on 4 on Wonder of the Seas (it was replaced with a casino space), it seemed like an entertainment loss, but that's not the case.

Wonder of the Seas was designed with a high roller casino area in lieu of a jazz club to appeal to the Asian cruise market. When Royal Caribbean changed plans to keep Wonder of the Seas in the United States, they decided to keep the VIP room.

Royal Caribbean moved the jazz performers to Central Park to offer music each evening. There's also jazz music from time to time in Music Hall.

Read more: Interesting facts you might not know about Wonder of the Seas

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