Royal Caribbean International is now offering shore leave in select Caribbean ports to the crew, according to a letter sent to crew onboard ships selected to trial the program.
According to the letter, the program will run from April 8 through April 22 on six ships, believed to be the Odyssey, Freedom, Harmony, Navigator, Liberty and Grandeur of the Seas.
The company will allow 150 crew to disembark in the ports, which for the crew aboard the Odyssey, for example, include Curacao, Aruba, Costa Maya and Cozumel.
Advanced sign up is required through a crew member’s manager.
Crew members must be up to date with vaccinations and a booster (if eligible), the company said. Masks are required while indoors or inside transportation and masks and crew members are recommended to follow social distancing guidelines.
The company said it will continue its bubble tours for the crew, which it is said to be offering globally.
A review of the crew shore leave trial program will be conducted later this month to “confirm continuity of the program in Caribbean Ports of Call.”
The Brilliance of the Seas is resuming service for Royal Caribbean International today.
After a 21-month hiatus, the vessel is welcoming guests back in Tampa, Florida.
Kicking off a program of four- and five-night cruises from the port, the Brilliance has become the 19th of Royal Caribbean’s 25-ship fleet to resume guest operations.
The Radiance-class ship is now offering a series of itineraries to Mexico and the Bahamas, featuring visits to Costa Maya, Cozumel, Nassau, CocoCay and more.
The first sailing, for instance, cruises four nights and includes a call in Costa Maya, in addition to two days at sea.
The Tampa departures are set to take place until late March and will be followed by a summer season in Europe.
Starting in May, the Brilliance of the Seas is poised to offer seven-night cruises to the Greek Islands, Montenegro and Croatia, sailing from Italy’s Ravenna port.
Built in 2002, the vessel has a capacity for 2,100 guests, who can enjoy amenities that include three pools, 12 lounges and bars, a rock-climbing wall, a nine-hole miniature golf course, an interactive golf simulator, and a 9,000-sq. ft. fitness centre and spa.
With the Brilliance now in service, Royal Caribbean has added two ships to the active lineup in December.
The vessels will be followed by the Enchantment of the Seas, which is set to return to guest operations on Dec. 23, in Baltimore.
After a 21-month operational pause, the Grandeur of the Seas is resuming service for Royal Caribbean International today. The vessel is also launching a new program for the company that features Barbados as a new homeport.
Sailing from Bridgeport, the Vision-class ship is now offering a series of island-hopping itineraries throughout the Southern Caribbean and Latin America.
The program includes new ports of call for the Royal Caribbean, with itineraries ranging from seven to 14 nights.
For its first cruise, the Grandeur is offering the “Southern Caribbean Explorer” itinerary that features calls in Grenada, Dominica and St. Lucia, in addition to three new ports: Scarborough, Tobago; Port of Spain, Trinidad; and Kingstown, St. Vincent.
Another itinerary offered is the “ABC Caribbean Adventure Cruise” featuring Grenada, Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, Trinidad and one day at sea.
In January, a longer 14-night cruise also includes stops in Central and South America, with calls to 11 ports, including Limón, Costa Rica; Colón, Panama; and Cartagena, Colombia.
The vessel is the third in the series of six ships and entered service originally in 1996. Built in Finland, it has a capacity for 1,950 guests and 74,140 tons.
In 2012, the vessel underwent a major bow-to-stern revitalization. During the five-week-long, $48 million drydocks, the Grandeur received venues first introduced on Oasis-class ships, including new dining options such as the Giovanni’s Table Italian trattoria and the Park Café casual eatery.
The ship’s seven-deck Centrum atrium was also transformed into a chic and lively new space that features an array of daytime activities, as well as unique nighttime entertainment with high-flying aerialists.
The Grandeur of the Seas is the first of three ships that are resuming service for Royal Caribbean International in December.
On Dec. 16, the Brilliance of the Seas is set to welcome guests back for a series of cruises departing from Tampa, while, on Dec. 23, the Enchantment of the Seas resumes service in Baltimore.
With the three vessels returning, Royal Caribbean will close out the year with 20 of its ships back in revenue service.
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