Several of our agents were lucky enough to participate in different Royal Caribbean test cruises recently, and cruising is definitely back! From the Caribbean out of Port Canaveral, Miami, and Galveston, to an Alaskan sailing out of Seattle, they were just amazing! The verdict was unanimous. We felt safe, and were absolutely thrilled to be sailing again. Truth be told, there were even tears of joy shed upon boarding. Cruise lines have had a long, hard road back to sailing, and they have put in the work, and it was worth it. Here are 5 new safety procedures that we experienced!
1. Air Filtration – Many people have the misguided impression that cruise ships are a floating box of stale air. That’s absolutely not the case, and it’s even more true now. On Royal Caribbean, the HVAC systems continuously supply 100% fresh air from outdoors to all indoor spaces. The air comes in from one side of the ship, and is removed via an exhaust system on the opposite side. The air is completely replaced up to 12 times an hour in staterooms, and about 15 times an hour in large public spaces. In addition, Royal Caribbean has this to say about air filtration:
“Fan coil units in your stateroom and public spaces provide an extra layer of protection, continuously scrubbing the air of pathogens, using a high-grade MERV 13 filter that captures aerosols 1 to 3 microns in size with 90% efficacy — fine enough to filter cold and flu germs and coronavirus. An independent study by the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the National Strategic Research Institute onboard Oasis of the Seas confirmed that cross-contamination of air between adjacent spaces is virtually impossible thanks to this powerful system.”
If that sounds impressive, it’s because it is impressive!
2. Extensive Cleaning – Cruise ships were remarkably clean before Coronavirus, but the cleaning process is on a whole new level now. During the sailings, the cleaning never seemed to stop. Royal Caribbean has said they are cleaning high traffic and frequently touched areas every 20 to 30 minutes during busy times. They are even using black light technology to check the cleaning procedure’s effectiveness, and the crew participates in ongoing training classes to make sure all new protocols are being followed. We were all impressed by the constant cleaning! Additionally, there is hand sanitizer everywhere, with crew members gently reminding you to use it before entering any common area. There are even small bottles in your stateroom that you can carry with you! If you thought there was a lot of available hand sanitizer on cruise ships pre-COVID, it also is on a whole new level now.
3. Social Distancing – Much like we’ve become accustomed to in our every day lives, social distancing markers were used onboard. There were spots to stand on wherever lines may form. In the lounges, some tables were marked with signs asking guests not to use them. In the theaters, some seats were marked in the same way so guests could spread out, and reservations were needed for shows to make sure they weren’t too full. Cruise ships are also sailing with fewer guests these days. The reduced capacity onboard these spacious ships made it easy to spread out, and we didn’t encounter any overly-crowded areas. Things that normally would have required a large gathering of guests were redone to spread people out. The muster drill, for example, is all on the app now. Guests watch instruction videos and check in to their muster station at their leisure during the first afternoon onboard. It was such a time saver, and yet still worked!
4. Masks When Necessary – There were times onboard when masks were required, and other times when they were not. We were able to enjoy meals without masks, of course, as well as outdoor spaces. In the ports, we followed the local rules, and on CocoCay (Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas), masks were not required as we were outdoors the entire time! If you are someone who is more comfortable wearing a mask, masks were never discouraged. You could absolutely wear them and not be self-conscious doing so. All crew members were in masks at all times. They did have some great buttons on their uniforms with a picture of their unmasked smiling faces so you could see their entire face. We thought that was a great touch!
5. Touchless Systems – Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines are making everything they can a touchless system. The buffets were well staffed with crew members who generously filled your plate with no judging! You could stand in front of those breakfast potatoes asking for another spoonful as many times as you wanted. Not that we did that, of course, we just noticed others doing it. *Cough Cough* There were also crew members at drink and ice cream stations who would get you whatever you liked! The menus in the restaurants were all via QR codes, or were available in the Royal app. We thought most of these changes worked really well, and that they were good enough improvements to potentially keep in place even once we are through COVID!
Royal Caribbean is doing an amazing job of keeping their guests safe, and we felt it. Cruises are incredible vacations, full of tons of activities and fun experiences, and that has not changed! We will sail again soon!
