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Stacy
Trip Date 12/18/2021 Posted On 02/14/2022 10:25:12 |
Destinations | Cruises | Cruising | Cruise | Vacation | Florida | Miami | Royal Caribbean | Symphony of the Seas | Eastern Caribbean | Global Pandemic | Cancellation Policies | Health and Safety | Vaccination | Testing | Mask Requirements | Cabin Upgrade Bid
Getting ready to cruise these days is quite different than in the days prior to the global pandemic. If you aren't sure whether cruising during the current environment is right for you, this two-part article will help answer your questions.
Along with just over 6,000 passengers and crew, we sailed aboard Symphony of the Seas from December 11 - 18, 2021. This Royal Caribbean ship departed from Miami, Florida and sailed to destinations in the Eastern Caribbean.
Part 1 of this series takes a look at who should (and should not) consider a cruise vacation during these rather uncertain times. We also explore changes to cruise cancellation policies as well as current health and safety standards including vaccination, testing and mask requirements of passengers. In addition to our experience with a cabin upgrade bid, we'll give you an overview of changes to both checking in for cruises as well as boarding cruise ships. Before wrapping up this first part of the series, we let you know what to expect before the ship actually sails away from the port.
Cruising during the Pandemic
Cruising is not for everyone - whether or not the world is in the midst of a global pandemic. As with just about everything, some people love cruise ship travel and others hate cruising. Throw a pandemic into the mix, and the pool of people who will even consider going on a cruise reduces even more.
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Before deciding whether or not cruising during the pandemic is for you, it's important to first think about what you are comfortable doing when not on vacation. Ask yourself some questions such as:
- Have you joined in on any family gatherings in the last year?
- Have you felt comfortable going into grocery stores? (Or do you prefer making your selections online and using either curbside pick-up or delivery?)
- Have you dined in restaurants? (Or are you more comfortable cooking at home or eating take-out?)
There is no right or wrong answer to any of the above questions. Everyone has their own comfort level - especially when it comes to spending time around others. If you answered "no" to the first question following each bullet point, now is probably not the right time to consider cruising. If you answered "yes", read on to learn more about how cruise lines have gone above and beyond many other industries to promote health and safety. You'll leave with a better understanding of "healthy sail protocols" and what you might expect if you decide to cruise.
Vaccination and Mask Requirements
In most cases, the one question that does require an affirmative answer is "Are you vaccinated?" At the time of publishing, most cruise lines are requiring that all passengers be vaccinated against Covid-19, with few exceptions. Royal Caribbean requires that all guests over the age of 12 be fully vaccinated with their final dose administered at least 14 days before sailing. (Although recommended, boosters are not currently required.) At check-in, guests are fitted with a "#TheROYALComeback" wristband indicating that his / her vaccination status meets requirements.Unvaccinated guests under the age of 12 are permitted to sail as long as they meet additional COVID-19 testing requirements.
All crew members were required to be vaccinated and to wear masks at all times - whether indoors or out. For passengers, masks were required in all indoor public spaces except when actively eating or drinking. Masks were not required outdoors or in venues / events open to vaccinated guests only, On the final day of our sailing, due to a very small number (less than 1%) of onboard Covid cases, all guests were required to wear masks indoors regardless of the venue (unless actively eating or drinking).
Crew members were quite diligent in requiring passenger adherence to the mask policy. Many crew members had a supply of masks on hand to provide to any passenger not wearing a mask when in any indoor public space on the ship.
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Cancellation Policies
The cancellation policies on most cruise lines are currently more generous for both individuals (and their travel party) who test positive for Covid-19 as well as those who just decide that the timing for a cruise is not right. If you want the option, it's important to verify the specific policy of the line that you are considering, as each has their own terms and conditions. As of the date of this article, Royal Caribbean's policies are as follows:Global Suspension of Cruising
For cruises that are cancelled by the cruise line due to a global sailing suspension, guests automatically receive 125% of the price paid in the form of a future cruise credit (FCC). It's important to understand the rules for use of the credit to ensure that you don't miss out. For guests on affected sailings who prefer, Royal Caribbean will refund the actual cruise fare paid back to the original form of payment (without the additional 25% "bonus"). They've actually made the process for a refund easy - there's a request form at Request a Refund.Cruise with Confidence
Royal Caribbean has a very generous policy that allows all guests who reserve a sailing that begins on or before September 30, 2022. As long as the booking is made on or before March 31, 2022, passengers have the option to cancel their cruise for any reason.In order to take advantage of Cruise with Confidence, the sailing must be cancelled a minimum of 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure. Upon cancellation, guests will receive a future cruise credit (FCC) in the amount of 100% of the fare paid. The FCC will be valid until the latter of December 31, 2022 or one year from the original sailing date. This process is easy as well - just visit Cancel My Cruise and complete the requested information.
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Pre-cruise Communication, Online Check-in and Boarding
In addition to expected reminders about shore excursions, it's important to keep an eye on your e-mail for other cruise communications.Cabin Upgrades
Prior to the pandemic, some cruise lines offered some guests the option to bid on a cabin upgrade. The good news is that this practice has continued. Because most ships are not yet sailing at full capacity, there may even be more opportunities with potentially lower winning bids. (If you book your cruise with a travel agent, make sure to inquire as to whether or not the agency participates in the upgrade program of the line that you plan to sail.)Just over 10 weeks prior to our sailing, we received an email detailing the opportunity to "RoyalUp". We originally reserved an inside balcony, so we had the option to bid on an ocean view balcony, spacious ocean view balcony, ultra spacious ocean view with large balcony and/or a junior suite. Minimum bids ranged from $40.00 to $200.00 per person based on the category selected.
Since we were happy with our cabin, we didn't want to significantly increase the cost of our vacation. With very low expectations of our bid being accepted, we placed a bid of only $45.00 per person for an ocean view balcony.
Less than a week before our sail date, we received an email informing us that Royal Caribbean had "tried to upgrade (us) to the Ocean View Balcony stateroom". Unfortunately, the credit card used to place our bid had been closed and replaced due to fraud. Within just minutes after receiving the email, I completed the steps to enter our replacement credit card information, however it was too late.
Lesson learned: Make sure your credit card information is always up to date!
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Online Check-in
For quite some time, cruisers have been able to input some information online prior to arrival at the port. Today, even more of the check-in process is available online, thereby significantly reducing the time spent in lines at boarding.For our cruise, although e-mail check-in reminders began arriving at 45 days prior to sailing, the links with the "sailing checklist" did not actually work until about 1 month before departure. After filling in all required information in the Royal Caribbean International app, we were each able to upload a current photo as well as copies of both the front and back of our vaccine cards.
Prior to completion, we were provided a list of available time slots from which we could choose the most convenient for arrival at the terminal. We were also required to watch a short video which included the mandatory safety briefing. (The days of the muster drill are gone - at least for now!) At this point, the majority of the check-in process was complete.
Health Questionnaire and Covid-19 Testing
Prior to arriving at the port, all passengers age 2 years and older were required to be tested for Covid-19 at their own expense. (Either a PCR or antigen test by an accredited laboratory was accepted.) The testing date for passengers between the ages of 2 and 11 could be 1 to 3 days prior to sailing. For guests age 12 and older, the date of testing could be no more than 2 days prior to sailing. At no charge to guests, a follow-up PCR test was also performed at check-in on the day of sailing at the terminal for all unvaccinated guests age 2 to 11.There was one final health questionnaire available online no earlier than one day prior to sailing. This questionnaire replaced the paper based health forms commonly required by cruise lines in previous years.
Boarding
With nearly everything completed online, check-in was much quicker and easier than most of our previous cruises. Since appointment times were not being checked, we actually entered the terminal about 30 minutes before our scheduled arrival and immediately passed through security. Those who had completed all of the online registration steps just needed a port agent to verify a negative Covid-19 test and vaccination status. Once confirmed, a wristband was placed on each passenger indicating they were cleared to board.
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Lucky us - we had one additional step to complete before boarding. We were escorted to a desk where we were told that we had a small balance due. We had to acknowledge that we had been informed of the debt, but were unable to get any additional information until onboard. (Walking over to visit with an employee in a different area had the feel of being sent to the principal's office!)
With our signed "permission to board" slip, we were now able to have optional photos taken and get onboard. (In case you are wondering, we immediately visited Guest Services to inquire about the balance due. We didn't end up owing anything and we'll never know how the amount was calculated. We think it was somehow related to the upgrade that we didn't get.)
Reservations and Muster Check-in
Before being able to start enjoying the onboard amenities, we still had a few more things to do:- Head to our cabin where we would find our sea pass cards;
Our Stateroom for a Week in December - Utilize the same app used to complete online pre-cruise check-in to select the dates and times for the shows that we wanted to attend. (Although at some shows there was limited seating for those without reservations, it is highly recommended that guests reserve preferred show times as early as possible. We heard complaints from those who, for whatever reason, did not make reservations.)
- Announcements encouraged using the same app for making reservations for all meals as well. Although we did as
requested, during our sailing, there was zero need for breakfast or lunch reservations at any venue. At
dinner time, there were two lines in the main dining rooms - one for those with reservations and one for
those without. The line for those without reservations was often the shorter of the two, but both lines moved fairly quickly.
My First My Time Entree in the Main Dining Room - Check-in at our assigned muster station - proof that we knew where to go in the event of a ship emergency!
All reservations update the in-app vacation calendar and reminder notifications help ensure that you won't miss out on anything that you plan to do - all without purchasing wifi. A calendar of most ship activities is available for the entire sailing as well as up to the minute onboard charges and credits.
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Preparing for A Cruise Vacation
Having sailed on as many as 7 cruises in a calendar year, the past 2+ years without a single cruise had us looking forward to our getaway more than usual. Planning, packing and getting ready for a cruise are half of the fun. What will your cabin look like? What activities do you hope to do onboard? What do you want to do on port days? What shows do you want to see? What meals (and adult beverages) are you most looking forward to?These days, there's a few more things necessary to prepare for a cruise. The good news is that some of them (online check-in) speed up your boarding process so once you're at the embarkation port, you're able to board much quicker than in the past.
From finding a testing site that fits your budget and can provide results by the deadline to worrying whether you will unexpectedly have a positive test result, the bad news is that there is some stress involved with fulfilling the testing requirements.
Everyone has to assess their personal risk vs. reward. For us, the chance to get back on the seas was well worth the extra effort!
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A Week Aboard Symphony of the Seas
Now that you know all about what getting ready to sail is like, make sure to check to read part 2 of the series. "Tales of the 99% on Symphony of the Seas: At Sea & Port Days" tells the story of life aboard a cruise ship as well as exploring cruise ports during the pandemic. With plenty of photos from actually being there, you can decide for yourself if the news stories that you have heard about cruising are accurate.Upcoming Cruise Vacations
When you are ready to cruise again, what ports are you most excited about exploring?|
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Related Wordy Explorers Original Posts:
Please take a moment and look at our original travel blog content.
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