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CLIA announced today that cruise lines will extend the cruise suspension yet again. since the start of this global pandemic.
In a statement released earlier today, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) announced “the associations ocean going cruise line members will voluntarily exchange the suspension of cruise operations from US ports until September 15, 2020”
“Due to the ongoing situation within the US related to COVID-19, CLIA member cruise lines have decided to voluntarily extend the period of suspended passenger operations. The current no sale order issued by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention will expire on July 24, and although we had hoped that cruise activity could resume as soon as possible after that date, it is increasingly clear that more time will be needed to resolve barriers to resumption in the United States.”
The statement goes on to say that they are airing on the side of caution to ensure the best interest of passengers and crew member and that this will allow additional time to consult with the CDC on appropriate measures for the eventual resumption of cruise operations.
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During this morning’s investors conference call, CEO Michael Bayley announced that the suspension for voyages has been extended until July 31st.
“Our plan is this afternoon we’ll be announcing further suspension for voyages until the end of July, until July 31st. The only exception to the suspension will be our China operations.”
Michael Bayley, CEO of Royal Caribbean International
This is the 4th time the suspension has been extended.
1st Suspension – Sunday, March 13, 2020
Sunday, March 13, 2020 Royal Caribbean first announced the suspension of cruising in the US for 30 days, 2 days later the company included their fleet globally. The expected return to service was April 11, 2020.
2nd Suspension – Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Tuesday, March 24, 2020 the global suspension was extended until May 12, 2020 with expected return to service for Alaska, Canada and New England sailings on July 1, 2020.
3rd Suspension – Thursday, April 16, 2020
Thursday, April 16, 2020, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. decided to extend the suspension of sailings of their global fleet through June 11, 2020.
4th Suspension – Wednesday, May 20, 2020
And today until until July 31st.
Updated with Royal Caribbean’s official press release:
“Given ongoing global public health circumstances, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has decided to extend the suspension of most sailings through July 31, 2020, with the exception of sailings from China, which will be suspended through the end of June.
We are working with our guests and travel partners to address this disruption to their vacations, and we are genuinely sorry for their inconvenience.
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Royal Caribbean announced today that they have extended the suspension of sailings another 30 days.
Given global public health circumstances, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has decided to extend the suspension of sailings of our global fleet.
We are working with our guests to address this disruption to their vacations, and we are genuinely sorry for their inconvenience. We are also working with our crew to sort out the issues this decision presents for them.
We expect to return to service on May 12, 2020. Because of announced port closures, we expect to return to service for Alaska, Canada and New England sailings July 1, 2020.
Royal Caribbean is offering 125% future cruise credit to come back and sail with them by December 31, 2021.
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Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (NYSE: RCL) today announced that it has entered into a $2.2 billion 364-day secured term loan facility, further enhancing the company’s liquidity position. The facility can be extended at the company’s option for an additional 364 days. The company has borrowed the full amount available under the term loan to further bolster its liquidity.
Including this new financing, the company has over $3.6 billion of liquidity comprised of cash deposits and its existing undrawn revolving credit facilities (net of outstanding commercial paper). In addition, the company has committed financing for all of its new ships on order.
“This is a period of unprecedented disruption for the cruise industry,” said Jason T. Liberty, executive vice president and CFO. “We continue to take decisive actions to protect the company’s financial and liquidity positions as they enable us to keep focused on our guests, our crew and our long-term plans.”
Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Bank of America, BNP Paribas and Goldman Sachs acted as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners on the secured term loan facility. Morgan Stanley is acting as an Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent on the facility. Perella Weinberg Partners LP served as financial advisor and Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as legal advisor to the company in connection with the secured term loan facility.
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As we reported yesterday that Royal Caribbean was suspending all US sailings, this has now been updated to include all sailings world wide for the next 30 days.
Given global public health circumstances, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has decided to suspend the sailings of our fleet globally at midnight tonight.
We will conclude all current sailings as scheduled and assist our guests with their safe return home.
As with our announcement yesterday regarding U.S. sailings, we expect to return to service on April 11, 2020.
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Today Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced that it is suspending cruising in the United States for 30 days.
We understand the gravity of the public health crisis confronting the country. And this is our part to play. So, beginning at midnight tonight, we are pausing the fleet’s US sailings for 30 days.
We are reaching out to our guests to help them work through this disruption to their vacations, and we are truly sorry for their inconvenience. We are also communicating with our crew to work out the issues this decision presents for them. We know this adds great stress to our guests, employees and crew, and we are working to minimize the disruption.
Our business is providing great vacations and creating great memories. We look forward to getting back to work as soon as we can.
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Even before President Trump’s address last night, the stock market was extremely low and the cost to sail for the next few months was at an enticing low. Despite your opinions on this virus or whether the media is inducing false fear, the world, more specifically the travel industry, is being negatively affected by the Coronavirus. As of this afternoon, the cost per share of Royal Caribbean stock was as low as $29. The first thought that came to mind was “maybe it’s time to buy some stocks,” but the honest truth is we don’t know what is going to happen.
When Princess Cruises’ ships, Diamond Princess and Grand Princess, were quarantined for fear of spreading the virus, at least 21 people tested positive after being on Grand Princess. Other ships have been turned away from ports for fear of the virus, including Holland America’s MS Westerdam, which found itself in limbo in February.
Passengers disembark from the Princess Cruises Grand Princess cruise as it is docked in the Port of Oakland on March 9, 2020 in Oakland, California. Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
Every Facebook group we are part of are being filled with questions and concerns about the Coronavirus. “Should I cancel my cruise?” “Think we should book because the prices are so low?” Will Disney World be closed?” “Who’s buying stocks?” “Should I cancel my trip?”
Princess Cruises, a Carnival Cruise Line company, announced this morning that they will be suspending all sailings for 60 days. All operations will be suspended March 12 to May 10 according to a statement from the cruise line shared with USA TODAY by spokesperson Negin Kamali.
“It is our intention to reassure our loyal guests, team members and global stakeholders of our commitment to the health, safety and well-being of all who sail with us, as well as those who do business with us, and the countries and communities we visit around the world,” Jan Swartz president of Princess Cruises, said in the release.
Viking chairman Torstein Hagen also announced it is cancelling cruises in a letter to passengers Wednesday that the company had made the “difficult decision to temporarily suspend operations” for river and ocean cruises beginning Thursday through April 30.
“This is a decision we made with a heavy heart, but with present circumstances what they are, we are unable to deliver the high-quality Viking experience for which we are known,” Hagen added. “We will stand by our guests, employees and partners in these challenging times and hope that they in turn will stand by us.”
As of Thursday morning, coronavirus had infected more than 127,749 people and killed 4,717 globally, according to Johns Hopkins data.
Royal Caribbean launched the new “Cruise With Confidence” policy allowing passengers to cancel any cruise up to 48 hours before you sail and not get charged a penalty but with our upcoming sailing in April, we are sure we speak for all loyal to Royal and shareholders alike, what will happen? Will someone get sick on board and we be quarantined? Or, will RCL follow suit and halt sailings? How long will this pandemic last and will the travel industry survive?
Comment bellow.
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Royal Caribbean has purchased the Grand Lucayan on Grand Bahama Island, will restore the hotel in 2 phases, add a casino, water park and shopping. The company has also stated they will restore the cruise port to ultimately fit 7 ships.
The Government of The Bahamas sold the Grand Lucayan on Monday, March 2, 2020 to a partnership between Royal Caribbean International and ITM (Bahamas Port Investments Ltd.), which is expected to make a $250 million investment between the hotel and the redevelopment of the cruise port. The Heads of Agreement Signing Ceremony was held on the Great Lawn of the property, some 11 months following the signing of the Letter of Intent on Wednesday, March 27, 2019.
Prime Minister of The Bahamas, the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis, described the day as a wonderful one as the government’s intention was never to hold on to the property but initially purchased it to save jobs of Grand Bahamians and businesses. “As we stated at the time, it was our intention to privatize the property as quickly as possible.
“We wanted to ensure that we found the right buyer who shared our vision for the renewal of Grand Bahama. Our vision was the renewal and rebirth of Grand Bahama’s tourism sector and product as an essential element in the restoration of this island’s potential.”
The Prime Minister also noted that discussions are currently ongoing to determine the best way to redevelop the Grand Bahama International Airport, which will require a major investment.
Minister of Tourism & Aviation, the Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar, said, “I am extremely excited that the intended purchasers of this hotel are Royal Caribbean and the ITM Group. Between them they are well funded to bring to the table a great deal of experience in the tourism sector and have a proven track record of successful projects.”
The development projected for the Grand Lucayan will bring about a total transformation of the resort. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be invested into the property to refurbish, renovate, reconstruct 500 rooms in Phase One and another 500 rooms along with 500 villas in Phase Two. Additional features will include a new casino, a spectacular water theme park and a new shopping, restaurant and retail center.
In addition, a new cruise port will be built in the Freeport Harbour to accommodate three ships in Phase One and up to seven ships in subsequent phases. As a result of the purchase 3,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created in construction as well as in employment at the hotel and cruise port.
Minister of State for Grand Bahama, Senator the Hon. J. Kwasi Thompson, gave welcome remarks. Also giving remarks were Robert Shamosh, Chief Executive Officer, Holistica Destinations; Mauricio Hamui, Chief Executive Officer, ITM; and Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International.
Also in attendance were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. Peter Turnquest and other Ministers of Cabinet, Members of Parliament, Permanent Secretaries, Senior Government Officials, representatives from the business community, taxi drivers, and straw vendors.
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One of the most popular add ons when you book a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation is Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package. The beverage package can be pricey, but could it could also be a fantastic value. One of the the questions that consistently comes up in our Facebook Group, Royal Cruise Group is “Should we buy the drink package?” Well we’ve prepared 12 tips that will help you decide if the package is right for you.
1. Pre-purchase your beverage package online
Pre-purchasing your beverage package online through the Cruise Planner is the best way to get the lowest price on beverage package! Royal will generally offer you 30% off the beverage package and will occasionally go to 40% off on select sailings. You should book the package early and if the price happens to drop you can cancel and re-book at the lower price point. Now it’s important to remember the package is priced per person, per day and they will add an 18% gratuity to the total.
2. All guests in the same stateroom must purchase
Royal Caribbean does require all guests over 21 years of age staying in the same stateroom to purchase the deluxe beverage package, even if only one member of your party desires to purchase the package. Now there are exceptions to this rule where they will allow you to substitute a non-alcoholic beverage package, however you will need to call in and speak with a Royal Caribbean representative to discuss your specific needs and options.
3. Will you drink enough to make it worthwhile?
This boils down to your individual habits while you are on vacation. It’s important to remember that the package not only covers alcoholic beverages up $13, but it also covers non-alcoholic drinks such as bottled water, freshly squeezed orange juice, specialty coffee & teas and one of our favorites… energy drinks. With all this in mind, you could easily consume north of 8 beverages a day with a mix of the above mentioned choices and still get your money’s worth.
In our past sailings we’ve started the day with specialty coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice before heading to the solarium where we would enjoy a combination of beers and premium cocktails throughout the day. Then a lot of bottled waters and finishing the day with a glass or two of wine, a redbull to keep us going and then cocktails in the casino to end the night. This ads up to an average of 10 plus beverages a day and we definitely get our money’s worth. At this rate we never felt like we were over indulging.
4. Call your liquor
Your beverage package includes top shelf premium brands. When ordering, instead of asking for a vodka and cran you should specify your liquor by ordering a Tito’s and cran instead as this would be included in the package. There are many premium brands available and they would be included as the package includes beverages up to $13
5. Try some new drinks
You’re on vacation and this is a great time to try out some new drinks and find your new favorite cocktail. Don’t like the taste of what you ordered? Put it down and order something else. We love experimenting with new beverages almost every time we sail.
6. Use your package at private stops
When deciding on whether to purchase the package, a stop at one of the private islands should be a consideration as it greatly increases the value of the package. When you purchase the beverage package you’re also able to use it at Royal Caribbean’s private destinations, Labadee and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
7. Don’t share
A common misconception of the beverage package is being able to share it with other guests. If you have purchased the package it is for you only and you will only be served 1 drink per SeaPass.
8. Don’t over tip
Be careful about over tipping, when you buy the package you are automatically charged an 18% gratuity on the package and that covers all drinks ordered on your voyage. However if you want to tip extra, just remember gratuity has already been included.
9. Do you have to purchase a package?
No, The beverage package is a nice way to splurge but is not required. The free beverages included are tap water, milk, tea, coffee (regular and decaf), lemonade, iced tea, flavored waters, juices (at breakfast and not fresh squeezed) and hot chocolate. If you’re deciding to purchase the beverage package you’ll need to decide whether you will drink enough each day over the entire duration of your cruise to cover the cost of the package. Take into consideration the number of days of your sailing, how many days you’ll be off the ship (excluding the private destinations) and the number of drinks you think you’ll have on a daily basis. These are all very important factors when making a determination on the beverage package. The bottom line is no it’s not required but definitely nice to have if you enjoy adult beverages, premium teas and coffee, sodas and such.
10. Don’t overlook the non-alcoholic beverages
If you’ve ordered the Deluxe Beverage Package it also includes numerous other non-alcoholic beverages on the ship such as: Bottled water, fresh squeezed orange juice, latte’s, espresso, red bull and more.
11. It works at restaurants.
When you sit down for dinner at a specialty restaurant or the main dining room don’t forget your package works there also. You can order anything from a glass of wine to a hand crafted cocktail, even a cappuccino with your dessert. This is something that is easily overlooked when calculating how many beverages you’ll consume daily.
12. It’s truly unlimited
Unlike other cruise lines, Royal Caribbean’s beverage packages are truly unlimited. The only time you can expect not to be served is if you have had too much to drink and you’re really showing it. Just remember to keep it classy!
Let’s break down the 3 beverage package options Royal Caribbean currently offers for 2020.
Classic Soda Package
Coca-Cola souvenir cup and unlimited soda at any venue onboard or at the private islands as well as Coca-Cola Freestyle Fountain beverage refills.
Onboard pricing is currently $12.99 – $15.00/per day for 2019-2020 sailings.
Refreshment Package
A Coca-Cola souvenir cup
Unlimited soda at any venue onboard or at the private islands and Coca-Cola Freestyle beverage refills
Non-alcoholic cocktails (mocktails)
Bottled still and sparkling water
Premium coffees and teas
Fresh-squeezed juices
Onboard pricing is currently $29.00 – $38.00/per day for 2020 sailings
Deluxe Beverage Package
A Coca-Cola souvenir cup
Unlimited soda at any venue onboard or at the private islands and Coca-Cola Freestyle beverage refills
Non-alcoholic cocktails (mocktails)
Bottled still and sparkling water
Premium coffees and teas
Fresh-squeezed juices
Spirits and Liquor cocktails
Beer
Wine by the Glass
A 40% discount on bottled wines priced up to $100
and 20% discount on wine bottle prices above $100
Onboard pricing is currently $63.00 – $89.00/per day for 2020 sailings
Average Beverage Costs Without a Beverage Package Before Gratuity
Cappuccino $4.00
Espresso $2.50
Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice $4.95
Red Bull $4.50
Wine White/Red/Sparking $10.00-$16.00
Beer $6.50
Cocktails/Frozen Drinks $11.00
Water Bottle $3.25
Sodas $2.95
Beverage Cost Breakdown
We have created a sample beverage cost breakdown of a typical cruise based on what we consume on a 7 day cruise with 3 stops and one of which is a private island.
Onboard pricing is currently $63.00 – $89.00/per day for 2020 sailings so let’s find a number right in the middle and say they are $76 per person per day for the purposes of this cost breakdown.
We hope this has helped you when deciding whether or not to purchase the beverage package.
If it has, please consider subscribing on YouTube and to our e-mail list so you get notified right away the next time we post.
Watch the video here
Subscribe to Royal Cruise Blog and experience Royal dining, ship offerings and how to get the most our of ports of call. There will be free giveaways and discounts along the way. Don’t forget to add your birthday, because you might get something special!
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Want to discuss this topic further? Come join in the conversation in our Facebook Group: Royal Cruise Group
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