Cruising is BACK!!

By:  Cathy Diercksen, a Marvelous Mouse Travels agent

Recently I had the privilege of sailing on Royal Caribbean - Freedom of the Seas.

There have been many questions surrounding what the return to cruising would look like post pandemic.  This ship was at about 20% capacity for guests and 70% capacity for crew members.

I absolutely loved my experience on board, yes there are a few changes and new protocols to be followed. This did not alter my experience on the cruise.

Let’s take a look at arrival day:

• Arrive to the port at your scheduled boarding time
• Guest will be asked to provide a vaccination card if applicable
• If you are vaccinated you will be provided with a purple band
• Unvaccinated guests will have a hole punched in their Sea Pass card
• After you check in, get your picture taken then you will head to your muster station. At this point you will have already completed steps 1 and 2 of the muster drill. I love this new way of doing the muster drill.  These are the new steps for completing your muster drill:

1. 1. Watch a video with life jacket instructions
   2. View the emergency horn signal
   3. Visit your assembly station, at this time you will be greeted by a crew member. They will scan your Sea Pass card, read drill instructions, give you a sticker for your Sea pass card indicating that you have completed all 3 stepsThis is one of my favorite changes to cruising and speaking with the crew, they also love this new format for the muster drill.

• Now it’s time to head to your stateroom! Here you will get your Sea Pass cards ( apply your muster drill sticker). Upon entering your room you will see that the room has been sanitized prior to your entry. You will still have daily cleaning of your room and nightly turndown service by your cabin steward!

Dining:

What are my dining options? The biggest question I have been asked is can I still visit the buffet? The answer is yes you can still enjoy the Windjammer Buffet! The buffet still has so many fabulous options, the only difference now is you will be served by a crew member versus serving yourself. This did not change the experience for me. I actually welcome this change and hope it stays. There are so many options on board for dining that are included with you cruise fare:

• Main Dining Room
• Windjammer Cafe
• El Loco Fresh (on the pool deck)
• Sorrento's - Pizza, appetizers and desserts
• Room Service ($7.95 service charge)
• Cafe Promenade - Coffee, quick breakfast, sandwiches, pastries, snacks, fresh fruit (Specialty coffees, alcoholic and non-alcoholic for a fee or included with your drink package)
• Sprinkles - Ice Cream ( served by a crew member)

You can also visit some of the specialty dining restaurants for an additional fee.

Entertainment:
Please check your cruise compass or the app to see and reserve the available show.  Most shows require a reservation, some show times are for vaccinated guests. Vaccinated and unvaccinated guests may be at the same show, they will be separated by floors to accommodate everyone.

Royal Caribbean is known for its Broadway style shows and first class entertainment!  This sailing had some amazing talent. These are the shows available on board:

• Freedom Ice Spectacular
• Once Upon a Time
• Comedy show featuring Royal Comedians
  Reservations required for all shows

Live Music can be found throughout the ship at various locations!

Excursions:

This sailing I visited Nassau Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay.  Per Bahamiam Rules if you are unvaccinated you can not visit Nassau unless you have an excursion with
Royal Caribbean.  All guests are welcome to Perfect Day with no limitations.

On Departure Day:

This new streamlined procedure is a welcome change. On the last night of the cruise you will be given luggage tags color coded and numbered. This coincides with your departure time. A chart will be provided in your stateroom with your departure time by number. The numbers will be announced on your in room TV. You are free to go to breakfast and walk around the ship until your departure time.  (You can choose to leave your luggage out the night before or keep it with you.)

I am so honored that I was on the 4th sailing out of Florida on Royal Caribbean and I am already planning my next cruise!

Please reach out to Cathy, an agent with Marvelous Mouse Travels to plan your next vacation or you may contact Marvelous Mouse Travels.