Royal Caribbean Drops Another Covid Pandemic Rule
- Publish date: May 8, 2022 4:57 PM EDT
The cruise industry has adapted quickly as the covid pandemic has changed. Royal Caribbean International , Carnival Cruise Lines , and Norwegian Cruise Line have had to change their rules and safety protocols repeatedly since returning to sailing in July 2021.
Some of those changes were mandated by the Centers for Disease Control which controlled how cruise lines operated under its conditional sailing order . That order was allowed to expire on Jan. 15, and since then the three major cruise operators have been working under voluntary guidelines set by the CDC.
That sets some standards — it led the way on mask rules, for example, and set standards for what constitutes a vaccinated ship — but it also left some areas open for interpretation. That has led to slight variations not just between cruise lines, but sometimes even between individual ships on each line.
Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian, for example, all have made their own decisions about how buffets operate and what areas are self-serve versus served by crew members.
Now, Royal Caribbean has dropped another Covid rule and some passengers are going to be very happy.
Image source: Daniel Kline.
Royal Caribbean To Operate Epic World Cruise In 2023
Royal Caribbean International will operate its first-ever world cruise in 2023-24 and its a doozy.
The line is offering a 274-night Ultimate World Cruise that will visit all seven continents and more than 150 destinations in 65 countries on Serenade of the Seas, sailing roundtrip from Miami on Dec. 10, 2023, and through Sept. 10, 2024. The price range for the full cruise is $66,000 to $112,000.
Royal Caribbean said this voyage is the longest world cruise there is. Most World Cruises are roughly three months long, and Oceania Cruises has found success with six-month voyages.
Bookings for Royal Caribbeans full Ultimate World Cruise opened on Oct. 20, with an exclusive one-week window through Oct. 26 for the lines Crown & Anchor Society Diamond status members and above.
This is the world cruise of world cruises, said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. Now more than ever, people have resolved to travel the world and make up for lost time. Royal Caribbean is making that a reality with the ultimate vacation that welcomes those seeking adventure and exploration to taste, dance and dream with us around the world. To travelers asking themselves where they should go next, we say everywhere.
Four segments are offered.
The 2,143-passenger Serenade of the Seas entered service in August 2003.
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Royal Caribbean Loyalty Program
Royal Caribbean has a point-based frequent cruiser program, the Crown & Anchor Society, that has six tiers ranging from Gold to Pinnacle Club .
Members earn points for every night they sail on one of the lines ships, with double points awarded to passengers staying in suites. To hit the first tier, Gold, takes one cruise. Reaching the second tier, Platinum , would take five cruises if youre doing seven-night trips .
Lower tiers dont bring all that much in terms of truly valuable benefits. Youll get things like priority check-in and a private departure lounge with Continental breakfast at the end of a trip. But higher levels of the program start to be enticing.
The second-to-highest tier, Diamond Plus , brings Concierge Club access, priority seating at onboard shows, an exclusive number to call for bookings and reduced rates for solo travelers, plus other things. The top Pinnacle Club level brings free cruises after hitting key milestones.
Note that, in contrast to airline frequent flyer programs, cruise line loyalty programs do not require you to requalify for status every year. So, yes, the perks with lower tiers arent great. But its not as difficult as it might at first seem to hit the more rewarding higher level tiers in just a few years if youre cruising a lot.
A passenger staying in suites could get to the Diamond Plus level with just 13 seven-night cruises. Take a few longer voyages, like a transatlantic sailing, and you could reach it even sooner.
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Back To Back Cruises Royal Caribbean Review
The Royal Caribbean cruise line is a major provider of b2b deals. The RCL line has a huge fleet of really big ships, and its policy is actually to encourage back-to-back travel on RCI ships. And why people enjoy these so opposite to short RCL deals so much?
- For many folks, 7 days are just not enough to enjoy some of the world’s largest ships ever.
- For many folks there’s too much rush to get into so many different attractions onboard.
- RCI offers many consecutive itineraries combining Eastern and Western Caribbean. This way you can see a much broader group of destinations.
- You’ll extend your sea vacation in a most comfortable environment – you’ll know the ship, you’ll know the crew, and there are minimal logistical hassles.
- Royal Caribbean is very popular as one of the best cruise lines for a wedding. So just imagine you get married on Royal Caribbean cruise. And you enjoy the experience, for 7 days. And you just want to make the honeymoon special as well. And you have all the time and money in the world to make the best out of your “just married” vacation. And your absolutely perfect option is?
Royal Caribbean Getting A Free Cruise Easier
Royal Caribbean does not publicize changes to its instant-rewards program. And just because it has changed on one ships does not mean that it has changed on every ship.
But according to first-hand experience and social-media reports, many ships have been offering a free interior room on select sailings to passengers who earn only 800 points.
The list for those free sailings is somewhat limited and generally includes only sailings that are near-term.
But Royal Caribbean is offering free cruises at less than a third of the points it normally requires. This was a common practice during the early days of its return to sailing when demand for cruises was lower and the pool of people who could sail was more limited.
In addition, Royal Caribbean has lowered the total, at least on some sailings, to earn a traditional, less limited free interior cabin to 2,000 points. It has also dropped the threshold to earn a free balcony stateroom to 3,000 points.
These changes — which are major positives to the cruise line’s casino gamblers — suggest that while prices for cruises have generally been lower than they were prepandemic, getting gamblers onboard with free trips may actually be more profitable than selling the same rooms at lower-than-normal fares.
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Read More On The Coronavirus Pandemic
- The Food and Drug Administration broadened access to updated Covid booster shots to include children as young as 5.
- Long Covid: A study of tens of thousands of people in Scotland found that one in 20 who had been sick with Covid reported not recovering at all, and another four in 10 said they had not fully recovered many months later.
- A Persistent Variant: Ten months have passed since Omicrons debut. Since then it has displayed a remarkable capacity to evolve new tricks.
- Anti-Vax Capital No More: Vaccine skeptics once found a home in Marin County, Calif. Now, the pandemic has made them unwelcome, as Covid vaccine rates soar there.
Royal Caribbean Makes A Covid Change
Covid protocols have been steadily changing. Masks, for example, have become optional for vaccinated passengers . One protocol that has remained is that all passengers must take a Covid test no more than two days before their sailing.
Passengers taking back-to-back sailings had to take a second Covid test onboard toward the end of their first sailing. That’s something which Royal Caribbean has quietly changed.
The company shared the change on its website:
For guests departing from a North American or Caribbean homeport on consecutive sailings on the same ship:
Fully vaccinated guests and guests with a valid certificate of recovery do not require additional testing to board their subsequent sailing. Unvaccinated guests will require a new precruise test prior to boarding their subsequent sailing.
That change was first reported on by Matt Hochberg of the Royal Caribbean Blog, which is not affiliated with the cruise line company.
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What Should I Pack For Back
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Packing for a long cruise can be a challenge. What you should pack depends on two main factors: the itineraries and whether or not you’re willing to do laundry onboard.
If you’re headed to similar climates for both sailings, our advice is to pack enough for the longer of the two voyages and do laundry if a self-service option is available. You can also pay to have your laundry sent out if your ship offers a laundry service. Even if you decide not to wash your clothes onboard, you can still wear them again keep in mind that your fellow cruisers on the second leg of your journey won’t know what you wore during the first leg.
If you’re sailing to two regions that greatly differ in terms of temperature and weather, you’ll have to get creative. Pack enough clothing for half of your sailing to the first climate and half of your sailing to the second then do laundry halfway through each cruise. Pack items that can be layered, so you can re-wear base layers in both destinations.
Can I Book The Same Stateroom For Both Sailings
If you booked the same stateroom, yes. Ultimately, it is up to you to book the same room.
The most desirable back-to-back sailing often means booking the same cabin for both cruises. There is no check box for this when searching for cruise, it’s up to you or your travel agent to find a cabin that is available to book for both cruises. This is easier to do when booking cruises that are far in the future.
When booking the cruises closer to sail date, it’s often difficult or impossible to book the same cabin for both cruises. The cruise line offers no assistance in this effort and they will not ask someone to change cabins so that you can stay on for the next cruise.
The advantage of having the same cabin for both sailings is you can leave your belongings in the cabin between cruises and even access your cabin while other rooms are being changed.
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What Are The Major Differences Between Booking Consecutive Cruises On The Same Ship Versus Sailing Back To Back On Two Different Ships
If you’ve booked back-to-back cruises on two different ships, much of the above information does not apply. You obviously won’t be in the same cabin for both sailings, and at the end of the first sailing, you’ll have to disembark, clear immigration and customs, and go through the embarkation process again at the port and terminal where your second ship is docked.
You’re also likely to encounter more logistical challenges with back-to-backs on two different ships. You’ll have to take all your luggage with you and arrange for transportation between ports or terminals, depending on where your second ship is located.
Other Interior Attractions And Activities
In addition to entertainment spaces, the interiors of Royal Caribbean ships are loaded with other venues where passengers can kick back and let loose day and night, including a seemingly endless array of bars, lounges and nightspots.
Every Royal Caribbean ship has a casino, and on the lines bigger vessels, these are big operations. The Casino Royale on Oasis of the Seas sprawls with 450 slot machines, 27 table games and a poker room, plus its very own bar.
The 12 vessels that are part of the Voyager, Freedom and Oasis classes also have Royal Promenades indoor, mall-like spaces that are home to some of the coolest bars at sea as well as food outlets and retail shops.
The version of the Royal Promenade on Oasis of the Seas, for instance, offers the Bionic Bar, where a robot makes the drinks, along with the equally innovative Rising Tide Bar, which rises between the Royal Promenade and the outdoor Central Park area three decks above while you drink. Theres also a British pub, a karaoke lounge, a Latin-themed nightspot and located one deck up in a balcony area the lines signature Schooner Bar.
The lines five Quantum Class vessels have a much smaller version of the Royal Promenade called the Royal Esplanade that transitions into another indoor area called The Via.
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Considerations In Booking A B2b Cruise
While Ive offered 15, I believe compelling, reasons to book a b2b or b2b2b2b2b cruise, there are some possible drawbacks you should consider as well.
1. Repeating menus and food selections
First, its likely that the dining menus and buffet selections will repeat for the second leg of your b2b unless the itinerary for your second leg is vastly different from the first . While this was the case for us, we didnt mind as it allowed us to eat dinner in the buffet some nights and the dining room others without feeling like we were missing anything.
2. Repeating entertainment and activities
The same applies for the entertainment and activity lineup. On our b2b the schedule for the second leg was virtually identical to the first leg. But again, we didnt mind, celebrating every time we caught ourselves saying I wish we had time to do both only to realize that we would have time to do both!
3. Repeating kids programming
Depending on the line, repetition may also be true for the kids club activities, which is more problematic. We loved Celebrity as they change up the Camp at Sea schedule every cruise in an attempt to tailor it to the particular likes and interests of each new group of kids, but other lines may just repeat the same schedule of activities over and over, leading to boredom and reluctance to attend a nightmare scenario as far as Im concerned .
4. Repeating ports
Back To Back Cruises Deals Are Cost
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How Do I Book A Back
There are no specific back-to-back cruises to book you simply book two cruises that happen to be one right after the other.
You book them as two separate cruises. It’s on you or your travel agent to find cabins that meet your needs.
A good idea is to use two web browsers so you can do searches for cabins on two different dates at the same time. Find two dates and looking at each in a different browser to find cabins that are the same… or better yet, ask a travel agent to look for you.
You can always book another cruise later on and turn it into a back-to-back, but you are less likely to find the same cabin.
Who Sails Royal Caribbean
For the most part, Royal Caribbean operates big, bustling megaships that will appeal to people who like a megaresort experience. In other words, if youre the kind of person who loves staying on property at Disney World or at a giant Las Vegas resort, this is the line for you. Royal Caribbean ships offer vacationers a ton of options, whether it be for dining or entertainment. They are lively and fun.
That said, they also can be serene in spots. You can have a quiet afternoon reading a book on a bench in the tree-lined Central Park area of Symphony of the Seas while, just a few decks above, thousands of vacationers are frolicking away at the ships three distinct pool areas. Royal Caribbeans designers are masters at designing vessels that can carry thousands and thousands of people but still feel relatively uncrowded at least in some areas.
Insider tip: To escape the bustle on a Royal Caribbean ship, seek out the relatively quiet Solarium. Its an adult-only, deck-top retreat found on every Royal Caribbean vessel.
Royal Caribbean ships have an inordinate amount of teen- and tween-friendly attractions everything from some of the largest waterslides at sea to bumper car pavilions. That makes them particularly appealing to families, including multigenerational groups. Families are a big part of Royal Caribbeans business.
What Royal Caribbean cruisers all have in common is that they love a big, bustling resort experience.
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All Royal Caribbean Ships Are Back In Service For The First Time Since March 2020
After more than two years, all 26 of Royal Caribbean Cruises ships are officially back in service for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in March 2020.
The cruise line company is celebrating this important next step with a live stream, giving prospective guest, fans, and individuals a look at the largest cruise line fleet in the world.
For the first time since March 2020, the worlds largest fleet is officially back with all 26 Royal Caribbean ships sailing with vacationers and our crew delivering the memorable vacations our guests have come to expect. To celebrate, the global cruise line will launch its first-ever fleet wide live stream on Facebook and Instagram. The virtual event will span 26 ships, 8 countries and 7 time zones while our guests sail to and from destinations around the world. Live streaming will begin at 11am ET to coincide with Rhapsodys departure from Rome, said Royal Caribbean in a recent press release.
Royal Caribbeans Rhapsody of the Seas will begin sailing Monday in European waters, on a 7-night itineraries to destinations such as Italy, Greece, Croatia, France, and Spain.
We dont 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, said Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and former CEO Richard Fain, at the start of Royal Caribbeans ships returning to service.