Royal Caribbean Group -  Sailing Suspension Update

February 09, 2021

Dear Valued Travel Partner,

The health and safety of our guests remains our key focus at the Royal Caribbean Group. To ensure we have ample time to focus on our healthy return to service initiatives, we've made the tough decision to voluntarily suspend cruise operations through April 30, 2021.

For Royal Caribbean International this includes all sailings through April 30, 2021, including China Spectrum of the Seas sailings, 2/16/2021 - 2/28/2021. This now includes Quantum of the Seas’ 2021 Alaska season, impacting sailings departing April 25- October 14, 2021, but does not affect Alaska sailings on Ovation, Serenade, and Radiance of the Seas. *NEW* Japan sailings onboard Quantum of the Seas departing April 5^th, 2021 and April 15^th, 2021 have been cancelled and Quantum of the Seas will remain in Singapore. 

For Celebrity Cruises, global operations are suspended for all sailings through April 30, 2021, including Celebrity Apex Transatlantic sailing 5/1/2021.

For Azamara Cruises, all sailings are cancelled through April 30, 2021. 

This will allot additional time to solidify our safety measures as we work to welcome you and your clients back onboard. We are thoughtfully analyzing every aspect of the cruise experience and, as you can imagine, this takes time but we are steadily making progress.

Through our healthy return to service program, we are not only reinforcing current standards, but setting new ones at every turn. This new program will focus on four key aspects of the cruise experience - upgraded screening prior to boarding, enhanced processes onboard, focused approach on the destinations we visit, and heightened procedures for managing any reports of exceptions.

Through it all, we understand the disappointment that comes with interruptions to your clients' travel plans. Those guests currently confirmed on the aforementioned sailings, and not previously canceled under our Cruise with Confidence offer, will have the option to select from several compensation options.

Cancelled Sailings FAQ's

Royal Caribbean Group - Cruise With Confidence - Extended!

January 26, 2020

Dear Valued Travel Partners,

Effective, February 1, 2021, for all bookings created by April 30, 2021, on sailings on or before April 30, 2022, your guests will have the flexibility to cancel their cruise up to 48 hours prior to sailing and receive a full credit of the cruise fare paid. The Future Cruise Credit can be used for a cruise on or before September 30, 2022. “Best Price Guarantee” will continue to allow your guests to change the price and promotional offer on their reservation up to 48 hours before their cruise. The ability to “Lift and Shift” reservations will be available through January 31, 2021.

In addition to easing concerns of your booked guests, the policy enhances guest confidence to schedule new bookings, knowing last-minute travel adjustments are allowed. “As the world has changed, so have we. We want our guests to have peace of mind when booking a cruise, and extending this popular program gives them more freedom and flexibility to make informed decisions,” says Royal Caribbean Group chairman and CEO Richard Fain.

The program applies to all cruises with sailing dates on or before April 30, 2022 and across all brands: Royal Caribbean International, and Azamara. For Celebrity Cruises, the extension applies to sailings before May 4, 2022. For individual brand program details, please see the enhaced FAQs below:

Royal Caribbean Group - Agreement to Sell Azamara

January 19, 2021 

Dear Valued Travel Partner,

Today we announced that Royal Caribbean Group has entered into a definitive agreement to sell our Azamara brand to the premier private equity firm, Sycamore Partners.

Sycamore is the ideal partner for our brand. The firm has an extensive record of investing in and elevating brands with significant potential and, through our partnership, we will accelerate our investment in our fleet and Destination Immersion® experiences.

As a valued travel partner to Royal Caribbean Group, I wanted to share this news with you personally and make sure you were aware of this decision as soon as possible. Royal Caribbean Group will work closely with Sycamore Partners to ensure a seamless transition of services as we move through this process, and you should expect no disruption to business for the foreseeable future. Much of Azamara will remain the same under the new ownership structure. Importantly, Azamara will continue to pay competitive commissions in line with industry standards, and we constantly strive to be the best partner we can be to our travel agents.

Similar to other brands, Azamara has paused cruising until April 30, 2021. Specifically, current plans are to resume service on May 1 with Azamara Quest’s 14-night Black Sea sailing roundtrip and Azamara Journey’s six-night Amalfi & Adriatic Wonders voyage. As the brand prepares for its return-to-service, we will be in touch with customers and travel agents on the latest dates and offerings.

We value our travel partners and deeply appreciate the contributions they bring to not only Royal Caribbean Group, but to the travel industry at large. If you have any questions about this agreement or how it may affect you, please contact your relationship manager.

Thank you for your continued partnership – we look forward to continuing our work together.

Empress & Majesty Retirement

December 16, 2020

Dear Valued Travel Partner,

As we continue to navigate through this very fluid time together, it’s important that we connect on the latest news and updates. That’s why you’re among the first to learn that, sadly, Empress of the Seas® and Majesty of the Seas® will soon be leaving the Royal Caribbean fleet. 

Fan favorites for 30 years, Empress and Majesty of the Seas certainly made their mark on the cruise industry. Empress, launched in 1990, was the first ship specifically designed for short 3- and 4-night itineraries, with her first cruises visiting The Bahamas from Miami. And years later, she wasn’t finished making history. In 2004, Empress became the first cruise ship to sail from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, when we opened our terminal. And in 2017, Empress took the limelight once again as she embarked on Royal Caribbean’s inaugural cruise to Cuba.

Likewise, Majesty captured the hearts of many during her time in our service. She was the third ship to round out the impressive Sovereign Class. More than twice the size of the average cruise ship, Majesty was the largest ship in our fleet when she debuted in 1992. Her adventures began with 7-night Western Caribbean cruises departing Miami.

Through the years, Empress and Majesty have created incredible memories for so many of our guests and crew members. Many of your clients think fondly of these ships, and we know this will be a bittersweet goodbye. Their departure from the Royal Caribbean fleet is a major moment in our brand’s history and was a decision that was not made lightly. However, as our fleet evolves, decisions like these pave the way for the introduction of new and reimagined innovative ships. And if you’re wondering about crew members being impacted by this, rest assured they’ll be transferred to other ships in our fleet where unforgettable vacations will soon continue.

As always, we thank you for your continued loyalty and support. 

Agency Productivity (eCruiseStats) Tool Downtime

November 18, 2020

Dear Valued Travel Partner,

We are currently experiencing an unexpected downtime with our Agency Productivity (eCruiseStats) tool.

During the downtime, reporting through this tool will be unavailable. Please be aware that our team is working diligently to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, and we expect the tool to be available again no later than Friday, November 20th, 2020.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
Royal Caribbean Group

Silversea - Cruise With Confidence - Extended!

July 22, 2020

Dear Travel Partner,

With the pause in operation still in effect, we wanted to keep you up to date wiith the latest information from Silversea.

As a result of the pause, we have made the decision to extend our Cruise with Confidence policy to include voyages departing through 30 April, 2021.  This means that additional voyages qualify to allow your client to cancel up to 48 hours prior to departure and receive a 100% future cruise credit.

Please review the updated policy below.

Introducing the Healthy Sail Panel

A PLAN BACKED BY SCIENCE, VALIDATED BY EXPERTS

We've tapped the best minds and accredited health organizations to develop a science-backed plan for cruising safely.

We’re excited to announce the establishment of Royal Caribbean Group’s Healthy Sail Panel — a team of the best minds and leaders in public health, bio security, epidemiology, hospitality and maritime operations. As we prepare for our return to service, this diverse team has been enlisted to develop recommendations and guide our way forward with unprecedented standards in response to COVID-19. Their combined expertise will help us reinforce our current safety procedures onboard our ships, create new ones and ensure our vacation experience. Our collective efforts will be shared across the cruise industry, as well as other industries that may benefit from our findings — because we’re all in this together.

The well-being of our guests, crew and the communities we visit is our top priority. But beyond that, we believe everyone should benefit from advances in health and safety related matters. That’s why the important work and findings derived from this collaboration will be shared with the entire cruise industry and other industries it may benefit — because we’re all in this together.

MEET OUR PANELISTS

PANEL CO-CHAIRS

Governor Michael Leavitt - Leavitt Partners, Founder, Former Governor of Utah and Secretary Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb - Resident Fellow at AEI, Partner at NEA, Contributor at CNBC and Former Commissioner of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration

PANEL MEMBERS

Helene Gayle MD, MPH –Dr. Gayle is CEO of the Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation’s leading community foundations. Prior to this role, and for almost a decade, she was president and CEO of CARE, a leading international humanitarian organization. An expert on global development, humanitarian and health issues, Dr. Gayle spent 20 years with the CDC, working primarily on HIV/AIDS. She worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, directing programs on HIV/AIDS and other global health issues. She also launched the McKinsey Social Initiative (now McKinsey.org), a nonprofit that builds partnerships for social impact. Dr. Gayle serves on public company and nonprofit boards, including The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Brookings Institution, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, New America, the ONE Campaign, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the Economic Club of Chicago.

Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH –Dr. Julie L. Gerberding is Executive Vice President and Chief Patient Officer for Merck, leading all aspects of strategic communications, global public policy, population health and patient engagement. A former head of the CDC and a world-renowned public health expert, Dr. Gerberding is deeply committed to achieving sustainable global health impact and tackling some of the most challenging health priorities of our time. This includes addressing critical issues such as affordable access to important therapies, advocating for health policies that promote and sustain innovation of new medicines and vaccines, and improving maternal mortality through the Merck for Mothers program — a public-private partnership helping to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal to reduce maternal mortality. Prior to joining Merck, Dr. Gerberding served as the Director of the CDC from 2002-2009 and was the first female to hold that position. While at the agency, she led more than 40 emergency responses against crises such as anthrax, SARS, bird flu, food-borne outbreaks and natural disasters.

Steven Hinrichs, MD –Dr. Steven Hinrichs is Professor and Chair in the Department of Pathology and Microbiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and the Director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), and Director of the University of Nebraska Center for Biosecurity. In his position as laboratory director he has been responsible for the development of a statewide program for the rapid identification of biological agents of mass destruction. He is principal investigator of multiple national awards from the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) and the CDC and the Department of Defense for the development of an outreach program to extend training and expertise in the early recognition of biological warfare agents.

Michael Osterholm, MD, PhD –Michael Osterholm is one of the nation’s foremost experts in public health, infectious disease and biosecurity. As the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, he is an international leader on the world’s preparedness for pandemics. He has led numerous investigations into internationally important disease outbreaks, including foodborne diseases, hepatitis B in health care settings, and HIV infection in healthcare workers, and he is a frequent consultant to the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Defense and the CDC. From 2001 to 2005, Dr. Osterholm served as a special advisor to the secretary of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on issues related to bioterrorism and public health preparedness. From June 2018 through May 2019, he served as a Science Envoy for Health Security on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. He has also been appointed to the National Science Advisory Board on Biosecurity and the World Economic Forum’s Working Group on Pandemics, among other prominent advisory positions.

Stephen Ostroff, MD –Dr. Ostroff brings years of experience in public health, having served at high level positions at the Food and Drug Administration and CDC. He was the Acting Commissioner of the FDA from 2015-16, and before that served as the FDA’s chief scientist. Ostroff joined the FDA in 2013 as chief medical officer in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and senior public health advisor to FDA’s Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine. Prior to that he served as deputy director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases at the CDC, where he was also acting director of CDC’s Select Agent Program. While at CDC he focused on emerging infectious diseases, food safety, and coordination of complex outbreak response. He retired from the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service at the rank of Rear Admiral (Assistant Surgeon General). Ostroff was also the director of the Bureau of Epidemiology and acting physician general for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and has consulted internationally on public health projects in South Asia and Latin America.

William Rutala, PhD, MS, MPH –Dr. Rutala has experience medically managing a variety of diseases and extensive experience studying epidemiology and virology, particularly managing outbreaks and emerging pathogens. Dr. Rutala’s research interests are the etiology and prevention of healthcare-associated infections with a special focus on disinfection and sterilization of reusable medical and surgical devices. Other areas of active research include contribution of the hospital environment to disease transmission, hand hygiene, preventing transmission of infectious agents including multiply-drug resistant organisms, prevention of healthcare-associated Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, investigation of healthcare-associated outbreaks, and new and emerging pathogens in healthcare.

Kate Walsh, PhD –Kate Walsh is the Dean at the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University and E.M. Statler Professor. A professor of management, she is a leader in education for the global hospitality industry; and a renowned expert in organizational service design, leadership and career development, as well as the impact of strategic human capital investments. In addition, Dean Walsh holds extensive industry knowledge from serving as the former director of training and development for Nikko Hotels International, corporate training manager for the former Bristol Hotels, and senior auditor for Loews Corporation. She is also a former New York State Certified Public Accountant. Since the beginning of her administration as dean, Dean Walsh has focused on positioning the school for the future of education. This includes undertaking a comprehensive renewal of the graduate and undergraduate curricula, developing the school’s online global presence, identifying international partners for master-level program development, and providing thought-leadership for the hospitality industry, most notably through the creation of industry research partnerships for faculty, fostering new initiatives through the school’s six centers and institutes, and providing faculty-developed resources to guide the industry.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. - Return to Service Safety Enhancements

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is currently laser-focused on additional safety enhancements for our return to service. To develop our future boarding screening process and updated health protocols, we are collaborating with government health authorities, the Cruise Lines International Association, and our own team of medical experts. These processes and protocols are not yet finalized, but when they are, we will be sure to let you know via e-mail.

We know that our 70+ guests and those with chronic conditions are especially eager to understand what cruising will look like in the future. While subject to change, via the Cruise Lines International Association, we have confirmed that the previous restrictions were lifted in early April after cruise lines suspended service.

Please know that every decision we make, and all of the fine-tuning we do, has your clients' well-being in mind. We'll be in touch soon! We miss you and your clients - and can't wait to welcome them back onboard!