The real reason Royal Caribbean is sailing with fewer vaccinated passengers than other cruise lines
If you just can't get enough cruise restart news, we've got some more for you. I'm currently sailing on a three-night Bahamas voyage on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas out of Miami. It's the first cruise for the line in more than 15 months. But what's interesting is that it's not requiring passengers -- including adults -- to show proof of vaccination as a requirement to embark.
Despite an early commitment to vaccination efforts and the fact that the line's ships will require adult passengers to be vaccinated when departing on sailings from other U.S. states, Royal Caribbean executives claim the line never considered mandating a 95% vaccination rate on its ships (like sister brand Celebrity Cruises is doing). Such a mandate would have allowed them to skip test voyages mandated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a condition of restarting cruises from U.S. ports.
It also says the move had nothing to do with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' blocking of cruise lines' ability to ask for proof of vaccination as a condition of carriage for passengers.
I sat down with Mark Tamis, Royal Caribbean's senior vice president of hotel operations, to find out more about why the vaccination decisions were made.
All about families
"When the first set of potential regulations were published, it was such an obvious choice of the path that we had to go down," Tamis said. "Once there were two clear paths -- 95% or under 95% -- it wasn't even really a consideration. We knew one path would allow us to have families, and one path would limit the number of families."
"Almost everyone who's unvaccinated is a kid, and about half of the vaccine-eligible kids, even on this cruise, are vaccinated," Tamis added. (There are currently 107 children 17 and younger onboard.) "A good 20 to 25% of our guests are kids because we're the largest family cruise brand in the world, so it was pretty obvious that we would just go down this path."
As a result, there are some venues that are designated for only people who are vaccinated (and vaccinated people can remove their masks in these areas). Additionally, everyone is allowed to remove masks in outdoor areas, as well as on Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island. But otherwise, masks must be worn in all indoor public areas onboard that aren't specifically designated for vaccinated passengers.
Although unvaccinated passengers can't access places like the casino, the spa and a handful of bars and restaurants, it's not as exclusionary as it sounds. That's particularly true because, despite the lack of vaccine requirements, 93% of the ship's 2,197 people (1,041 passengers and 1,156 crew) are fully inoculated.
"So far, there haven't really been any issues," Tamis said when asked how the new protocols had been received on this cruise. But, he acknowledged that it's still early, and the situation is constantly changing. "Going back into service, from a guest satisfaction perspective, it could either be really good or it could actually be really bad. We'll see feedback ... on Monday, and we'll react to it very quickly."
Good news expected soon
Although this sailing is at less than 30% passenger capacity, Tamis said he hopes ships will be at about 50% initially, with potential increases monthly if all goes well.
Additionally, Tamis and Royal Caribbean president and CEO Michael Bayley both said they expect mask mandates on ships could be lifted by the CDC early this week for ships with a certain percentage of vaccinated cruisers.
It's unclear whether the rollback would apply to Florida-based ships, though, since there's no way for the line to know how many inoculated passengers will be sailing on each voyage until embarkation day.
This news comes as the line prepares for a test sailing on Serenade of the Seas on Wednesday, departing from Seattle. Jewel of the Seas will also resume sailing in the Mediterranean with a voyage out of Cyprus this week.
"I certainly hope that, by the fall, it'll really feel like we're back in business," Tamis said.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.