IT’S TIME TO START CRUISING AGAIN!

Time to Start Cruising: Ovation of the Seas

We have returned from our Alaskan Cruise and loved every minute of it. Plus we never felt safer!

Royal Caribbean required a negative Covid test 72 hours before boarding the ship. (Today it’s a 48 hour window.) Our assigned boarding time was between 2:30pm and 3:30pm on Friday, September 3rd. We made an appointment at Walgreens for 4:00pm August 31st. Our test results were emailed to us Wednesday September 1st at 11:16pm.

We were required to show proof of Covid vaccinations and a negative Covid test before boarding the ship. We also had to show proof of the date and time the test was administered. After we met all the requirements to board, we were given wrist bands to be worn at all times as proof of our vaccination status.

Wrist bands were required since Royal Caribbean allows unvaccinated children 12 and under to sail with their vaccinated parents. Those families with unvaccinated children were not given wrist bands, therefore the protocols for them were different.

All passenger were required to wear masks in the main area of the ship called The Royal Esplanade and the Windjammer Cafe, the large buffet on the ship. No more serving yourself. The crew 

serves you now. Many of the tables have reserved signs on them spacing passengers 6’ from other tables. Passengers are also required to wash their hands before entering the Windjammer Cafe.

The areas of the ship for vaccinated guests with wrist bands were the fitness center, nightclubs, two of the four main dining venues, the main level of the Royal Theater, the casino and the Solarium. We were allowed to remove our masks in these areas.

We paid an additional charge for the “Ultimate Dining Experience”. That gave us access to the speciality dining rooms (5- Star Restaurants) every night and for lunch on the days at sea.

The entertainment was the best I’d ever seen on a cruise. Several performers came from Las Vegas and had not performed in 18 months due to Covid. One act was “The Three Tenors”. You may have heard of them. They were so excited to be working again. We were encouraged to take photos and videos and tag them in our social media accounts.

Our cruise was safe and so much fun! It’s time to start living again! Call me and let’s get you back out there.

Feature image of  RCI’s Ovation of the Seas courtesy of the author. Contact Beth.

Article first appeared on Cruise & Travel Specialists.