It's incredible to see how much progress Royal Caribbean has made in less than a year with its restart plans, but there are still a handful of issues the cruise line is working through.
Royal Caribbean is on the brink of having the last ship in the fleet restart operations (Rhapsody of the Seas), which is an important milestone for a company that was decimated by a "black swan" event in the form of the global health crisis.
While the cruise experience has improved rapidly with higher guest satisfaction scores, more ships back in service, and rolled back Covid protocols, there are still a few notable issues that Royal Caribbean is tackling.
It's important to note that these issues are not just Royal Caribbean problems. Nearly every form of travel leisure has their fair share of challenges. The reason why I'm bringing these issues up is to help anyone with a cruise manage expectations properly.
There has been many bumps on the road to Royal Caribbean's restart, but they've been able to navigate them well, and it stands to reason these issues are likely temporary as well.
Here are the challenges Royal Caribbean has to tackle at the moment, which anyone with a cruise this summer should be aware of.
Covid isn't gone by any means, and that means there are still Covid cases on cruise ships.
To be fair, there's always been some level of Covid cases on any Royal Caribbean sailing, but Royal Caribbean's protocols have limited the spread to ensure it doesn't become a ship-wide problem.
Covid cases are going to be an ongoing problem for a while, just like every facet of life. Just like in society, we're learning to live with it, but that doesn't mean there won't be cases popping up onboard.
Based on reader feedback, it seems guests are reporting seeing or experiencing Covid cases on individual sailings and it's almost certainly a reflection of a general rise in Covid cases around the world right now.
YouTube vloggers Travel Spree unfortunately caught Covid and had to be isolated while on their Symphony of the Seas cruise.
RoyalCaribbeanBlog message board useranxiouscruiser shared their experience testing positive for Covid while onboard Serenade of the Seas, "it sucks but I knew the risk when I chose to cruise. I just wish it didn't happen to us."
According to theU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions weekly review, there has been a week-on-week increase in the number of counties with high levels of COVID-19.As of May 11, 2022, the current 7-day moving average of daily new cases (84,778) increased 30.7% compared with the previous 7-day moving average (64,863).
In short, more Covid cases in society is going to likely translate to more Covid cases onboard cruise ships. Unlike on land, cruise ships at least have requirements and protocols that do their best to mitigate the spread of Covid.
What this all means is you should becognizant of the fact there are more Covid cases, and take whatever precautions you deem fit. Perhaps that's wearing a N95 mask while indoors, or changing shore excursion plans to prioritize outdoor tours.
Every company is dealing with not enough workers, and that includes cruise ships.
On some ships, certain venues or forms of entertainment are not yet open so that they can better utilize crew members. In other cases, there may simply not be enough crew members to manage every situation that can arise.
There's an interesting message board thread discussing the general issue on the Royal Caribbean Blog message boards.
While many guests are understanding of the general problems all business have in hiring, they also feel moving to full capacity with less than a full compliment of crew causes guest satisfaction problems, "I think we all understand the troubles of staffing right now, but Royal Caribbean should match their ships capacity with their staffing.," saidcarlosalonsor.
"I think Royal Caribbean just found it a bit harder to staff up than they expected to," smokeybanditopined. "For those who do want to return, lots of red tape to get them on board again. Then there are those who have found a happy life off a ship or those that are just hesitant to return for various reasons."
Royal Caribbean Blog readerRobert Joseph Dulo shared a similar issue with staffing shortages on Explorer of the Seas last week, "The staff and the ship could not handle the capacity with many service and food issues."
"I left them detailed survey responses and hope they look closely at them as my experience was similar to others that I talked to. I hope they make the appropriate changes or they will start to lose cruisers, especially me. They seemed to not be ready for higher capacity."
Even if Royal Caribbean could snap their fingers and hire everyone they need right now, there's still the issue of visa delays, quarantine rules in some countries, vaccine requirements, and more.
The good news is Royal Caribbean is indeed trying to hire as many new crew members as they can, with recruitment drives in countries around the world. It does not appear to be a problem the cruise line is not aware of by any means.
In the meantime, bring extra patience with you, along with sunscreen, a camera, and a good book.
Tangentially related to the first two issues, you may run into certain items not available onboard your cruise.
Primarily, we've seen this in the past in the form of certain brands of liquors not available. Remember the CocoCay-branded beer? That was an early victim of supply chain issues.
Just like staffing problems, this is not likely an issue that will go away overnight. In its first quarter 2022 earnings, Royal Caribbean Group said they're managingsupply chain challenges, mainly related to fuel and food costs.
In my experience, how much of an impact it has on your sailing will greatly depend on which brands of types of food and drink you prefer, as well as general demand onboard. Each sailing has a different assortment of guests onboard, and the ships are doing their best to supply accordingly.
After reading about these issues, what should your takeaway be for an upcoming sailing?
Certainly the problems Royal Caribbean is facing are the sort of things the company has to mitigate and address in order to improve, but if your cruise is coming up in the next few weeks, it's possible it could impact your cruise.
At a minimum, it's food for thought. Throughout the restart of cruise operations, there have been hurdles for passengers to navigate. So while today's problems are a concern, it's not like there haven't been things Royal Caribbean has overcome in the past year.
It may also be an opportunity to gauge how comfortable you are with embracing a certain level of flexibility. Nothing is perfect, including cruise ships, so if the prospect of your favorite liquor not being available, or a longer wait for drinks at bar truly irks you, then perhaps you should put off your cruise until the situation improves.
As cruise fans, we love this kind of a vacation and no one ever wants to be disappointed. It's why I think it's critical to be as honest and up-front with what others are seeing so we can all make the right decision to sail or not.
The sort of problems Royal Caribbean has are also being dealt with at plenty of other land-based travel destinations. So the grass is not greener necessarily elsewhere. But that doesn't mean a cruise right now is superb either.
An educated consumer tends to have a better experience overall, and this article is intended to ensure you are up-to-date with what's happening.
Continued here:
The top problems Royal Caribbean is facing as it returns to full capacity - Royal Caribbean Blog
- New satellite imagery reveals expanse of oil spill in Caribbean - Fox Weather - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Oil spill off Trinidad and Tobago blackens Caribbean beaches - The Washington Post - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Passenger dies aboard 9-month Royal Caribbean cruise around the world - NBC News - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Royal Caribbean Group Signs with Chantiers For Next Oasis Class Ship - Cruise Industry News - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Royal Caribbean Perfect Day at CocoCay new adult-only area: review - Business Insider - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Tourists Warned To Protect Their Passports As Thefts In The Mexican Caribbean On The Rise - The Cancun Sun - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Antigua: Elderly man charged with second homicide of 2024 | Loop Caribbean News - Loop News Caribbean - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- With Jamaica and Bahamas under travel advisories, which Caribbean islands are safe to book your next vacation? - SILive.com - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Royal Caribbean Gives Unprecedented Choice on Ultimate World Cruise - Cruise Hive - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Disney's Extensive Pirates of the Caribbean Change Officially Closes Attraction - Inside the Magic - Inside the Magic - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Royal Caribbean's new Icon of the Seas: What it's like to stay on the largest cruise ship in the world - CNA: Breaking News, Singapore News, World and... - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- At Grenada's Spice Island Beach Resort, the Art of the Luxury All-Inclusive - Caribbean Journal - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Director Malaury Eloi-Paisley on Her Debut Documentary 'L'Homme Vertige,' and the Unvarnished Reality of ... - Yahoo Entertainment - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- See Royal Caribbean's newest giant cruise ship, Utopia of the Seas - Business Insider - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Preparing for Development of the Blue Economy in the U.S. Caribbean - NOAA Fisheries - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update as of 16 February 2024 - Haiti - ReliefWeb - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Europe and Latin America & the Caribbean step up cooperation on cybersecurity - EEAS - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Royal Caribbean Confirms 9-Month Cruise Will Not Go Through Red Sea and Suez Canal Due to Middle East Unrest - PEOPLE - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Where is Death in Paradise set? The Caribbean island behind the BBC show - The Independent - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Trinidad and Tobago: overturned barge leaks oil into Caribbean Sea video report - The Guardian - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- The next five venues for the Caribbean Series confirmed - AS USA - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Firing February in the Caribbean - Surfline.com Surf News - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- 5 Best Luxury Resorts in the Caribbean for Adults - Insider Monkey - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Royal Caribbean orders new ship weeks after Icon of the Seas launch - Ship Technology - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Suspect charged in fatal stabbing of woman in St Vincent | Loop Caribbean News - Loop News Caribbean - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Inside the Issue: Questlove on the Cover, Caribbean Escapes, and More - Business Traveler USA - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Royal Caribbean Unveils 2025-26 Northeast, Caribbean Sailings - Cruise Industry News - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- How to follow the 2024 RORC Caribbean 600 - RORC Caribbean 600 - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Oil Spill off the Coast of Trinidad and Tobago Drifts Into Caribbean, Threatening Marine Life and Coral Reefs - EcoWatch - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- OPCW advanced chemical response capability training for Latin ... - Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - November 22nd, 2023 [November 22nd, 2023]
- These 3 Caribbean Destinations Are Some of the Most Popular (and ... - Travel + Leisure - November 22nd, 2023 [November 22nd, 2023]
- Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (As of 20 ... - ReliefWeb - November 22nd, 2023 [November 22nd, 2023]
- Caribbean Cup SF on The Rise: Franklin Singodikromo - Concacaf - November 22nd, 2023 [November 22nd, 2023]
- Former Royal Caribbean Ship to Be Retired and Scrapped - Cruise Hive - November 22nd, 2023 [November 22nd, 2023]
- What's it Like to Sail on Explora I in the Caribbean? - Cruise Critic - November 22nd, 2023 [November 22nd, 2023]
- African, Caribbean Nations Agree To Pursue Reparations For Slavery - BET - November 22nd, 2023 [November 22nd, 2023]
- IDB Invest Mobilizes the Largest Renewable Energy Financing in ... - BNamericas English - November 22nd, 2023 [November 22nd, 2023]
- OPCW forum in Barbados enhances national implementation of the ... - Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - November 22nd, 2023 [November 22nd, 2023]
- Anderson targets improvement during tenure as regional VP of ... - sportsmax.tv - November 22nd, 2023 [November 22nd, 2023]
- Jervon Sands chosen as Rhodes Scholar for Commonwealth ... - The Washington Informer - November 22nd, 2023 [November 22nd, 2023]
- The Commonwealth should establish a Reparations and Aid Fund ... - Insidethegames.biz - November 22nd, 2023 [November 22nd, 2023]
- Royal Caribbean passenger dies after excursion boat sinks on way to private island in Bahamas - NBC 6 South Florida - November 22nd, 2023 [November 22nd, 2023]
- Regional paint producers want increased tariffs on imported ... - Loop News Caribbean - November 22nd, 2023 [November 22nd, 2023]
- Former Mets Coming to Citi Field for Titans of the Caribbean Series - metsmerizedonline.com - November 10th, 2023 [November 10th, 2023]
- LIONS, MERMAIDS AND PIRATES, OH MY! ROYAL CARIBBEAN'S ICON OF THE SEAS TO DEBUT SHOW ... - Royal Caribbean Press Center - November 10th, 2023 [November 10th, 2023]
- It's not your imagination - Royal Caribbean is sending fewer ships to Europe - Royal Caribbean Blog - November 10th, 2023 [November 10th, 2023]
- I'm going on Royal Caribbean's first world cruise for 274 nights: Why I booked and what I'm expecting - Royal Caribbean Blog - November 10th, 2023 [November 10th, 2023]
- The 15 Best Spa Resorts in the Caribbean - Caribbean Journal - November 10th, 2023 [November 10th, 2023]
- British Virgin Islands to review its minimum wage | Loop Caribbean News - Loop News Caribbean - November 10th, 2023 [November 10th, 2023]
- Royal Caribbean Unveils Full-Scale Shows for Icon of the Seas - Cruise Hive - November 10th, 2023 [November 10th, 2023]
- Opportunities for Latin American and Caribbean youth facing the ... - World Bank - November 10th, 2023 [November 10th, 2023]
- Celebrity Cruises Has a New Ship Heading for the Caribbean - Caribbean Journal - November 10th, 2023 [November 10th, 2023]
- Frogs were Florida's first-known vertebrates from the Caribbean - University of Florida - November 10th, 2023 [November 10th, 2023]
- LatAm, Caribbean progress in fighting hunger, though COVID-19 ... - Reuters - November 10th, 2023 [November 10th, 2023]
- Largest Princess ship ever ported in Texas launches first Caribbean ... - CultureMap Dallas - November 10th, 2023 [November 10th, 2023]
- Why You Should Visit This Underrated Caribbean Destination Right Now - Travel Off Path - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- System in Caribbean to move inland over Central America - South Florida Sun Sentinel - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- Webinar: Launch, Grow, and Accelerate Your Sales in the ... - news.delaware.gov - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- Insurance in the Caribbean islands what's in the sector's future? - Insurance Business - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- Why the Cayman Islands Is a Caribbean Culinary Capital - Caribbean Journal - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- Integration Sector: Background Notes - Caribbean October 2023 ... - ReliefWeb - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- Coral Seeding - Restoring Coral Reefs in the Caribbean - InfoBonaire.com - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- USAID Announces $25 Million to Address the Challenges of ... - USAID - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- EXPLORA I arrives in Miami for maiden call ahead of Caribbean ... - PAX News - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- A $7000 Suite on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas Cruise - Royal Caribbean Blog - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- These Are The Top 3 Fastest Growing Destinations In The Mexican ... - Travel Off Path - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- Central America and Caribbean Price Bulletin, October 2023 ... - ReliefWeb - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- Digital Financial Inclusion: Insights and Opportunities from the ... - ReliefWeb - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- Caribbean tropical rainstorm to bring dangerous conditions to Central America - AOL - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- Why The Mexican Caribbean Is The Best Digital Nomad Hotspot In ... - The Cancun Sun - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- Curry Lobster With Potato Caribbean Life - Caribbean Life - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- Caribbean Regional Consultation Meeting on Integrated Financing ... - UNEP - November 6th, 2023 [November 6th, 2023]
- Royal Caribbean's most expensive specialty restaurant ever will take 3 hours and cost $200 per person - Royal Caribbean Blog - August 24th, 2023 [August 24th, 2023]
- Tropical storms expected to land in Caribbean, Texas as forecasters watch 3 other systems - South Florida Sun Sentinel - August 24th, 2023 [August 24th, 2023]
- New Royal Caribbean Survey Shows the Spanish On Top - Cruise Hive - August 24th, 2023 [August 24th, 2023]
- Tropical Storm Franklin to bring possible life-threatening flooding to Caribbean - Yahoo News - August 24th, 2023 [August 24th, 2023]
- 10 Pirates Of The Caribbean Characters Who Need To Return In POTC 6 - Screen Rant - August 24th, 2023 [August 24th, 2023]
- Pirates Of The Caribbean Turned 20 This Year, And One Star Looked Back At Filming With Johnny Depp - CinemaBlend - August 24th, 2023 [August 24th, 2023]
- Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (As of 21 August 2023) - Haiti - ReliefWeb - August 24th, 2023 [August 24th, 2023]
- New York honors Caribbean icon: Harry Belafonte receives key to the city posthumously - caribbeannationalweekly.com - August 24th, 2023 [August 24th, 2023]