Happy December! We cannot believe that we are already one full week into the month – there is so much going on with holiday preparation and shopping and baking!

The big news this week was the release of Alaska cruises for 2023.

Royal Caribbean announced it will deploy four ships to Alaska in 2023, although the specific ships will change in 2023 from the year prior.

Ovation, Quantum, Radiance and Enchantment of the Seas will offer cruises to Alaska, with Enchantment of the Seas being the new option.

The new Alaska 2022 cruises are available to book between April and September 2022.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean requires unvaccinated kids get a PCR test before the cruise
• Royal Caribbean announces Hawaii cruises in 2023
• Celebrity Cruises changed their mind on requiring vaccines for kids
• Royal Caribbean pushes back when World Cruise segments will go on sale
• What to expect on a December cruise
• Royal Caribbean celebrates one year anniversary since cruises restarted
• Symphony of the Seas 2021 cruise recap
• I tried the Taste of Royal lunch experience
• Counterpoint: why we love The Key
• Why you should take a cruise to Bermuda
• The Importance of having a “vacation ring”

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 432nd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is available to enjoy, which lists Matt and Beci's top 3 things they like doing on Harmony of the Seas.

After sailing on Harmony of the Seas this past week, this week's podcast episode was recorded onboard the ship to share their experiences and what really stood out about this Oasis Class ship.

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 video: Navigator of the Seas 2021 Cruise Ship Tour 

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 — Navigator of the Seas 2021 Cruise Ship Tour — and don’t forget to subscribe here.

7 cruise ship main dining room rules to follow — Plus 1 to break

When you dine at the main dining room on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, there are certain expectations and rules to expect.

Etiquette at the main dining room on a cruise ship is not all that different from a land-based restaurant, but there are a few nuances that first time cruisers may be unaware of before they step aboard.

Here is my list of 7 main dining room guidelines you should know, as well as one well-known supposed rule that I think you can disregard.

One year ago, the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship restarted sailing since the pandemic, marking an important milestone on the cruise line's restart.

The global health crisis shutdown the entire cruise industry, and Royal Caribbean worked hard to create protocols for its eventual return to service.

Back in October 2020, Royal Caribbean announced it had reached an agreement with the government of Singapore to offer cruises to residents of Singapore.

These first sailings back were just 3- and 4-night cruises that had to follow all requirements and guidelines given by Singapore.

Exactly one year ago, Quantum of the Seas restarted sailing from Singapore marking the first ship to return.

For a while, Quantum of the Seas would be the only Royal Caribbean International ship to offer cruises, which remain to this day "cruises to nowhere" that offer no port stops.

The first sailings back on Quantum of the Seas included protocols that are now the cornerstone of Royal Caribbean's approach to cruising:

• Testing and screening
• Upgraded Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems that enhance filtration
• Stringent cleaning practices
• Reduced capacities for greater physical distancing
• Expert medical care and onboard facilities

Another big change onboard is the introduction of a contact tracing bracelet called a "tracelet". All guests wear one and it helps identify who may have had close contact with anyone that tests positive for Covid.

Since then, Royal Caribbean was able to restart cruises in other places, such as North America, the U.K. and Europe.

So far, 21 Royal Caribbean cruise ships have been able to restart sailing, and three more will rejoin the fleet later this month: Grandeur, Brilliance and Enchantment of the Seas.

A few months ago, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley pointed out that every single of the test cruises in the United States have "passed with flying colors", coinciding with the effective health and safety measures onboard.

Over half a million of guests have sailed with Royal Caribbean since the restart, and the company plans for more to do so in 2022.

Mr. Bayley gave credit to the hard working crew members who made this all possible, "This has been a herculean effort, and throughout it all, our crew have been the shining stars you’ve always known them to be. "

"Their commitment, positive attitude and smiling faces have made this all possible. And we can see the results of their impact in the feedback and record-setting guest ratings."

In fact, by spring 2022, all of the ships in the fleet should be back in service.

Royal Caribbean has changed the pre-cruise testing requirements for unvaccinated children.

Beginning December 17, 2021, unvaccinated guests age 2 - 11 will need to get a negative PCR test result before the cruise. Antigen tests will not be acceptable any longer for this age group.

This change is applicable to North America & San Juan departures on or after December 17, 2021.

PCR test must be taken no more than 3 days prior to sailing — but not on boarding day. Antigen tests are not accepted for unvaccinated guests.  

Requiring a PCR test before the cruise for unvaccinated kids is something Royal Caribbean required earlier this year, before adding antigen tests as an option.

Additionally, instead of taking a PCR test at embarkation, unvaccinated guests age 2 - 11 will receive a complimentary antigen test. 

Royal Caribbean believes this will allow for a faster start to the boarding process for families. Prior to this change, families would have to wait at least 40 minutes in the cruise terminal for their unvaccinated children to get a test and wait for the results.

There are no other changes to the protocols previously announced.

Royal Caribbean did not disclose if the change was a result of the omicron variant.

Testing has been one of the major pillars of Royal Caribbean's healthy return to service.

Between tests, mask wearing, and a vaccine mandate on its ships, Royal Caribbean has celebrated how effective its protocols have been since the restart of cruises.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Richard Fain talked about the success his company's protocols have been in allowing cruise ships to sail safely. In fact, Mr. Fain believes going on a cruise ship is safer than many aspects of life on land.

"We wanted to be not only just as safe as the places, we wanted to be safer," Mr. Fain said while explaining the importance of setting ambitious goals. 

"We established a goal of being safer on board than a ship on Main Street."

"We've shown that an ambitious goal can be achieved based on hard work and an unemotional review of the facts and the science."

"We have had people test positive, but almost everyone around them is vaccinated, they've remained isolated cases. That's the goal where individual cases and no significant spread."

"Repeat this with a few hundred thousand or million cruisers, and that creates the trust that will drive our resurgence."

Just two days after announcing Celebrity Cruises would require kids to be vaccinated, the cruise line has put the change on hold.

On Tuesday, Celebrity Cruises announced children 5 years and older would have to be fully vaccinated in order to go on their cruise ships, beginning February 1, 2022.

In an email to travel advisors, Celebrity Cruises on Thursday, the cruise line said the change was paused.

"The below protocol has been postponed until further notice, while we continue to monitor global situations and lead our industry forward safely," the message said at the top of the email in conjunction with the previous policy announcement.

No other information was shared, nor an explanation as to why the planned change was paused.

Royal Caribbean announced no change to its vaccine policy since Celebrity's announcement.

On a webinar with travel agents yesterday, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed, said Royal Caribbean was monitoring the situation, but has not made any decision.

"At this time, we have not made any decisions on the vaccine requirements for children 5 to 11."

".But should we make a change to our protocols and require this, we will give you plenty of notice so that families can get their children vaccinated."

Royal Caribbean's current policy is to require all guests 12 and up to be fully vaccinated. Children below the age of 12 can sail with additional testing.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended last month that children 5 to 11 years old be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Coinciding with Royal Caribbean's 2023 Alaska cruises, the cruise line also released new sailings to and from Hawaii in 2023.

While Royal Caribbean does not offer regular cruises around the Hawaiian islands, it does offer open-jaw sailings as part of the repositioning between North America and Australia.

An open-jaw sailing is when a ship begins the voyage in port, but ends in another.

In 2023, six cruises will be available that either begin or end in Hawaii, and include stops to various islands along the way.

The 2023 Hawaii cruises are as follows:

Quantum of the Seas will sail from Oahu on a 10-night Hawaii to Vancouver cruise on April 28, 2023 and visit Maui (Lahaina) & Kailua Kona, before ending in Vancouver.

Quantum of the Seas will return to Hawaii on an 8-night Hawaii Cruise from Vancouver on October 2, 2023 with stops in Maui (Lahaina), Kailua Kona, and ending in Oahu (Honolulu).

Ovation of the Seas will start off the season on May 2, 2023 with a 9-night cruise from Oahu (Honolulu), and making stops in Maui (Lahaina), and Kailua Kona, before ending in Vancouver.

Ovation will then return in the fall with a 9-night cruise from Vancouver on October 6, 2023 making stops in  Maui (Lahaina), Napali Coast (Cruising), and ending in Oahu (Honolulu).

Enchantment of the Seas will offer a 10-night cruise to Hawaii when she departs Vancouver on September 24, 2023 and visit Kauai (Nawiliwili), Hilo, Hawaii (Kailua Kona),&  Maui (Lahaina), before ending on Oahu.

Finally, Radiance of the Seas will have the longest cruise, with an 11-night voyage beginning from Oahu on April 30, 2023 and visit Maui (Lahaina), Hilo & Hawaii (Kailua Kona) before ending in Vancouver.

What to see in Hawaii

A cruise to Hawaii means an opportunity to see the turquoise waters and colorful sands that combine with a rich Polynesian heritage to explore.

You can see the history of Pearl Harbor on Oahu, where you can tour battleships and see the memorial to that fateful day in 1941.

Cruise to Hawaii and head to the Big Island to scale volcanoes like Mount Kilauea and chase waterfalls on the slopes of Mauna Kea. Or enjoy the sun and surf on the remote shores of Kauai and Maui. 

Read more: Hawaii cruise on Royal Caribbean: Everything you need to know

Royal Caribbean's 274-night world cruise is selling so well that it will delay when it puts individual segments on sale.

Originally, Royal Caribbean planned to put shorter portions of the world cruise on sale so guests could join for part of the sailing.

However, Royal Caribbean told travel agents during a webinar that it would push that date back because of how popular the world cruise is currently.

In October, Royal Caribbean announced a new 274-night Ultimate World Cruise on Serenade of the Seas.

Brittany Briggs, Director of Revenue Strategy, Operations & Service, said those segments would now go on sale in February instead of December, "We did mention we are potentially going to open up these expeditions in December.

"But because the full world cruise has been performing so exceptionally well and we want you to continue to sell that to your clients, we have pushed the opening of the expedition to February of 2022."

Royal Caribbean wants to give guests more time to book the full sailing, "We do want to ensure that everybody that wants to stay on the world cruise has all of the availability to choose from."

From the beginning of when Royal Caribbean announced the world cruise, bookings were strong.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley told investors at the end of October that within the first few days, 70% of the of rooms were reserved.

"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."

This is the first ever world cruise for Royal Caribbean International, and it will visit more than 150 destinations in 65 countries and 11 great wonders of the world.

Serenade of the Seas will sail roundtrip from Miami on Dec. 10, 2023 and through Sept. 10, 2024.

Royal Caribbean has released its Alaska cruises for 2023 season.

The cruise line will send four cruise ships to Alaska in 2023, matching the amount of ships it had scheduled for the region prior to the truncated 2021 season.

The new sailings are posted on Royal Caribbean's website.

New Alaska 2022 cruises are available to book between April and September 2022.

Compared to the 2022 lineup, the only change is Enchantment of the Seas will replace Serenade of the Seas.

Enchantment of the Seas will sail from Vancouver and offer 7-night cruises, including some multi-glacier cruises that visit Hubbard Glacier in addition to Dawes Glacier.

Ovation of the Seas will return to Alaska in 2023, offering 7- and 8-night Alaska glacier cruises from Seattle.

Likewise, Quantum of the Seas will sail to Alaska and offer 7-night cruises from Seattle.

Both Quantum Class ships will visit scenic cities and towns along the Northwest coastline, including Victoria, British Columbia; Sitka, Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau, Alaska.

Rounding out the foursome of ships is Radiance of the Seas, which will sail from Vancouver and offer  7-10 night Alaska cruises that can also combine with Land Tours to offer immersive visits to Alaska, including in-land destinations such as Denali. 

Sailing alternating, open-jaw itineraries between Vancouver and Seward.

Be sure to consult the Royal Caribbean website or your travel professional for further assistance with itinerary options and booking.

More about Alaska cruises

• What is the best time to cruise to Alaska?
• What Is an Alaska Inside Passage Cruise?
• What to pack for a cruise to Alaska?
• Top 10 tips for planning your Alaska cruise
• 6 mistakes & 3 things we did right on our Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska

Celebrity Cruises announced on Tuesday it will require children 5 years and older to be fully vaccinated in order to go on their cruise ships.

In an update to travel agents, Celebrity Cruises Senior Vice President of Sales and Trade Support & Service Dondra Ritzenthaler announced the policy change that affects guests between the age of 5 and 12.

Effective February 1, 2022 all guests 5 years of age and older must be fully vaccinated, at that time unvaccinated children between the ages of two and four years old will be required to bring a negative Antigen or PCR test conducted within three days of boarding. 

Previously, children between the ages of two and eleven years old were required to bring a negative Antigen or PCR test conducted within three days of boarding.

There has been no change to the Royal Caribbean International vaccination policy.

"The COVID-19 global pandemic has not only changed the way we all do business, it has altered operating protocols and safety expectations in almost every aspect of the travel industry," Ms. Ritzenthaler explained in an email.

"Since the beginning of this crisis, Celebrity Cruises has kept one goal tantamount above all others: to offer the safest cruise vacation options in the industry. That's why we enlisted a panel of experts to advise up on adjusting our already exemplary health and safety protocols to new industry-leading standards. That's why we continually update our protocols to ensure we are staying ahead of global situations. It's all in an effort of leadership in safety, ensuring our guests and your clients will enjoy their bucket list vacation with zero worries. With these enhanced protocols, we've transported hundreds of thousands of guests across the globe safely."

Celebrity joins Disney Cruise Line in requiring kids to be vaccinated in order to cruise.

Starting on January 13, 2022 guests on Disney Cruise Line between the ages of 5-11 must be fully vaccinated to be eligible to cruise.

Celebrity was already requiring 95% of its passengers be fully vaccinated in order to sail, which is a step beyond what Royal Caribbean required.

Royal Caribbean did not require that many passengers to be vaccinated so that it could allow families to cruise with them.

In April 2021, the CDC gave cruise lines two choices: skip test cruises if 98% of crew and 95% of passengers are fully vaccinated, or conduct simulated sailings first.

Royal Caribbean decided to go with the simulated sailings because of its commitment to families.

Earlier this summer, Royal Caribbean International's senior vice president of Hotel Operations, Mark Tamis, said the decision to allow families to cruise was an easy one, "Once there were two clear paths, 95% or under 95%, it wasn’t even really a consideration."

According to Tamis, more than 1 million children sail on Royal Caribbean ships each year, "We're the largest family cruise brand in the world, so it was pretty obvious that we would just go down this path."

Will Royal Caribbean change their vaccine requirements?

No change has been announced by sister company Royal Caribbean International regarding their vaccine policy for kids.

As of right now, Royal Caribbean only requires guests age 12 and older must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination, with the final dose of their vaccine administered at least 14 days before sailing. Kids age 5 to 11 who have been vaccinated may present proof of full vaccination and follow the protocols for vaccinated guests.

Guests under age 12 who are not vaccinated will complete additional COVID-19 testing requirements depending on the length and departure port of their sailing.

Two weeks ago, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley was asked about a policy change during a question and answer session.

"if and when we do make the changes, we need to give everybody time. So when we announce we give people obviously plenty of time."

"What we do know is that for 12 to 17, where we we do say that everybody has to be vaccinated, still in the United States, only 48 percent of 12 to 17 year olds have been vaccinated."

"From 5 to 12, everything that we've learned and seen statistically is only currently thirty five percent of parents are going to get there five to 12 year old vaccinated, currently. We think that's going to change. So we want to move to five and up. We're just kind of looking at the data and we'll probably continue to look at the data for a little bit longer before we make the decision."

"We're watching it and as soon as we think we've got a sensible way forward, we'll obviously down everybody, you know, we'll give everybody time as well."

UPDATE: Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed, said on December 1 there is no update to Royal Caribbean's policy.

During a webinar, she reiterated that no change in policy has been made, "At this time, we have not made any decisions on the vaccine requirements for children 5 to 11."

"We are still just in a wait and see, we're evaluating it....no decision has been made."

Specialty dining is a popular option for cruise passengers who want to indulge in different cuisines, and Royal Caribbean offers a one-meal sampler package where you can try the best of many different restaurants.

Known as the Taste of Royal, it gives guests the chance to have various dishes from different Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants, even if those restaurants are not on the ship they are sailing aboard.

Whether the appeal is for someone to get a sampling of what specialty restaurants are all about, or to pick and choose an "all star selection" of the top rated foods, Taste of Royal sounds like an intriguing option.

I decided to sample Taste of Royal myself while sailing aboard Odyssey of the Seas. The meal was held in Wonderland.

What is Taste of Royal?

Royal Caribbean has quite a few specialty restaurants across its fleet of ships, and each is known for certain dishes. Over the years, each restaurant develops a reputation for a must-try dish or two.  So it looks like Royal Caribbean wanted to offer guests one meal that hits all of those high notes.

Taste of Royal is a fixed-price meal that consists of four courses.  Unlike a specialty restaurant where your meal begins when you arrive, Taste of Royal is more like the main dining room, where everyone that books the lunch shows up at the same time, and each course is served at the same time for everyone.  Not to worry, you are not seated with others.

When I sampled Taste of Royal on Odyssey of the Seas, it cost $34.99 per person.

There is also an optional add-on where you can tie in a wine flight for $19.99 per person. There is a 25% discount on the wine flight if you have a drink package.

Taste of Royal is not included in any dining packages.

Taste of Royal menu

The menu is fixed, which means if a course or two are not something you would order, there is not much leeway in terms of changing things.  They can modify dishes if you are allergic or prefer not to a certain part of it, but you are limited to the printed menu.

Speaking of the menu, it draws on a few different restaurants, including Hooked, Wonderland, Chops Grille, and 150 Central Park.

When I dined there, the menu consisted of:

Signature Cocktail from Hooked

Saint Peter's Spritzer
St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur. Aperol, fresh lemon juice, topped with prosecco 

First Course from Wonderland

Citrus Seas Tuna Tartare
Fresh spicy tuna, wasabi tobiko, yuzu mayonnaise, phyllo Parmesan crackers 

Second Course from Giovanni's Table

Mascarpone Cheese Risotto with Crab Meat
Carnaroli rice, crab meat, lemon, mascarpone, peas, aged Parmesan 

Third Course from Chops Grille

Filet Mignon and Spicy Jumbo Shrimp
Grilled asparagus, mashed potatoes, red pepper flakes, creamy garlic butter 

Fourth Course from 150 Central Park

Fried Cheesecake
Nutella, whipped cream, caramelized popcorn 

Is it worth it?

I think the appeal of Taste of Royal is two fold: getting to sample the best dishes from across different specialty restaurants if you are either brand new to specialty dining, or an aficionado that really enjoys the courses on the menu.

Royal Caribbean picked the most popular courses from across its restaurants, and delivers on the promise of a special meal that gives you the "best of" these selections.

If there is a course or two that you do not care for, the appeal of Taste of Royal could be diminished since it's a fixed menu offering. Picky eaters will almost certainly look elsewhere for lunch.

In terms of value, it is cheaper than most specialty restaurants to dine at, and you get to sample various dishes rather than just a single cuisine. For someone who will not buy a dining package, but wants to get some of the best options, this could be quite compelling.

I enjoyed my meal, and appreciated it for what it was: a quick lunch where I got to enjoy food from some of the top specialty restaurants on any Royal Caribbean ship. If the menu looks good to you, you're in store for a satisfying lunch.