Royal Caribbean Now Offering Crew Shore Leave in Caribbean Ports

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.”

Cruisers Split on Carnival Pool Change

Cruisers Split on Carnival Pool Change

PHOTO: Havana Pool, Carnival Vista, Carnival Cruise Line. (photo by Mark Leppert)
 

Carnival Cruise Line has announced that several pools on its ships that were previously exclusive to adults have now been opened to all families onboard.

Carnival brand ambassador John Heald made the announcement on Facebook, where he revealed that the Conquest, Glory, Valor, Liberty and Freedom Conquest-class ships, as well as the Splendor and Victory, would have their aft pools available to all passengers.

While some adults may be perturbed by the news, Heald reminded travelers that the Freedom, Glory, Liberty, Splendor, Valor and Victory cruise ships all had Serenity adults-only areas. In addition, the Conquest vessel was scheduled to add a Serenity area during dry dock in October.

“There were a number of ships in the fleet on which all pools were already family friendly.  The change on the particular ships in question was made based on the high volume of families on board at this time of year, although, we very much appreciate the view of those who like having an adults-only pool option,” a Carnival spokesperson said in a statement to TravelPulse.

“With limited exception, our ships have adult- only Serenity decks which we very much encourage those guests who want a kid-free environment to enjoy. We are currently evaluating our plan going forward with respect to the aft pools.”

Regardless of the cruise line’s reasoning or justification of the decision, it has caused backlash from some customers, with an actual online petition started to convince Carnival to turn the aft pools back into adult-only areas.

As for how travelers are responding on the website Cruise Critic’s Carnival forum, many posters are strongly against the decision, with over 85 percent of responders saying they would rather have aft pools exclusive to adults.

“Do they have to deny the adults a pool where we can be free of kids splashing around and jumping in?” user firemanbobswife said on the Cruise Critic forum. “I love kids as I have my own and don’t have anything against them in general. It’s just that it’s nice to be able to get away from them all.”

There may be plenty of complaints, but other cruise enthusiasts are simply indifferent to the decision.

“It honestly doesn’t faze me. We have cruised as a family the last 7 years. Our kids are now 16 and 20,” user Moosevilleco said. “There were times we spent maybe an hour in the adult pool on a sea day. I actually prefer the Serenity area. Maybe this will help with the overcrowding of the hot tubs.”

Carnival partners with sunscreen vendor

By Tom Stieghorst

Carnival Cruise Lines said that for the first time it has partnered with a sun care products company for an onboard promotion.

Cocoa, Fla.-based Sun & Skin Care Research’s branded sunscreen, Ocean Potion, will be available to guests on four Carnival ships in gallon-sized pump containers at sampling stations.

Carnival will have 90,000 individual-sized packets for distribution as well.

Sun awareness will be promoted on the large Seaside Theater video screen at the pool deck on Carnival Breeze, Liberty, Sunshine and Triumph starting Jan. 12.

Messaging about the sunscreen will be incorporated into various activities onboard and at select ports of call.

Ocean Potion products come with UVA/UVB protection ranging from SPF 15 to SPF 70.