What to Expect on an International Cruise in 2022

With Covid-19 cases decreasing day by day, it is not shocking that people are looking for a nautical escape.

Despite the positive direction cases are going, it is hard for many to forget the Diamond Princess cruise Covid outbreak in February 2020 when more than 700 passengers tested positive and had to quarantine on board for over a month. 

Luckily, this was not the experience I faced after sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas this past week. The cruised departed from Cape Canaveral, Florida on March 7 and returned on March 11.

I tend to know what to expect when boarding a cruise since I have been on many throughout my lifetime, but this was my first voyage since the pandemic. In reality, it did not feel much different than cruises I went on in the past.

To be honest, I forgot about the pandemic for the majority of the cruise. It felt like my past cruises with a few exceptions. 

Listed below are the main differences between my cruise experiences before and after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vaccination & Testing Requirements

Royal Caribbean had very clear Covid protocols before the cruise that guests had the responsibility to fulfill. Vaccination cards and a negative Covid test were required to get on the cruise. 

All passengers must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to departure. We were required to upload a picture of our vaccination cards beforehand so they could be approved for check-in. Overall, it was very simple to complete this step.

The testing requirements were not as easy in my opinion. Every guest is required to show a negative result for a PCR or antigen test taken no more than 2 days before boarding. 

While this sounds simple, my group had a harder time finding rapid antigen tests that easily would secure our result within those two days. 

Though we had no issue finding PCR tests, most providers said it could take 1-3 days for you to receive your results. This created a slight risk that we would not have our result before departure. 

Additionally, if one of the members of your party tests positive, this would result in the whole party being denied to board the cruise. In this case, everyone would receive a 100% cruise fare refund if the positive result was within 10 days of the cruise departure. 

In the case a negative result could not be obtained, there were mobile vendors who provided antigen tests near the entrance for check-in. Keep in mind that the pricing for one of these tests starts at $99 USD and they stated there was limited availability. 

Luckily, everyone in my group received negative results the day before we boarded. 

Employee Protocols 

All employees, no matter the position, were required to wear masks when interacting with guests. The only exception was performers that were on stage alone and separated from the crowd. 

This created some difficulties hearing if it was very loud or if there was a language barrier since you could not read lips. 

A nice way they accommodated this was by having the employees wear buttons that said, “The smile behind the mask”, and a picture of their face. 

No Self-Served Food

In the buffets and soft-serve ice cream stations, guests were not allowed to dish out their own food. Instead, you have to ask one of the workers to scoop whatever you want onto your plate for you. 

The biggest drawback from this is that it created very long lines as everyone waited for those in front of them to be served. At times, there were even separate lines just to receive a plate for your food. 

In reality, I am a little thankful for this protocol since it kept me from overeating more than I already was. 

Mask Requirements 

While on the boat, guests were not required to wear masks unless they chose to do so. There were three times we were required to wear masks throughout the entire trip.

We were required to wear masks getting on and off the boat at Port Canaveral. Though some attempted to rest the mask on their chin, guards quickly told them to pull it over their mouth. 

Once we were officially inside the boat or outside the customs building, people were allowed to take masks off if they chose to do so. 

The other occasion we had to have masks on was getting off at Nassau, Bahamas. The country was stricter on vaccinations and the use of masks. 

Though we were not required to have our vaccination card to get on or off the boat, it was recommended to have it in Nassau in case an establishment called for it. 

While walking around the city, the majority of tourists were alright not wearing masks. In taxis or transportation vehicles, most drivers required masks to be worn. 

The Safety Briefing 

In my past cruise experiences, safety briefings were exponentially longer than what we had on this cruise. For the safety of guests and employees, passengers choose when they do their briefing so there are no large gatherings.

Most of the emergency information was provided in the Royal app or in the staterooms, so the staff simply ensured that you knew what assembly station to go to in the case of an emergency.

I would say the briefing was way more efficient than before, taking no more than 10 minutes of our time. 

Performance Seating

For any of the game shows, performances, or comedy shows guests were not allowed to sit in the front row of the theater or the front tables in the lounges for the safety of the entertainers. 

Though this was not a big deal, it did pose some challenges if shows were extremely full, resulting in some people having to stand in the back.