Get Ready to Sail On Celebrity Apex

It's National Conference Time 

Each year World Travel Holdings has a national conference for all Cruises Inc., CruiseOne, and Dream Vacations travel professionals. Last year our conference was held virtually due to Covid-19. It was to have taken place on the brand-new Celebrity Apex, but the ship was grounded like the rest of the cruise industry. Finally we are all back together in person for our annual event. We are still holding it aboard Celebrity Apex which has just come over from Europe to begin her Caribbean season out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

Follow along on our social media platforms for an inside look at the ship and how the crew of Celebrity Apex hosts their largest group to date. We have over 800 people in attendance making up 45% of the ship's capacity on this sailing. Tonight we will be kicking things off with a preconference cocktail party at Le Méridien Dania Beach at Fort Lauderdale Airport . Tomorrow morning we will take a shuttle to the pier and board our ship for the next 7 days.

#2021TogetherConference

The theme for this year's conference is Together.   What a fitting theme since this is the first time in over 18 months that we are able to meet face to face with each other.   Normally we'd also have had regional conferences in addition to our national event.   As travel professionals, we are always continuing our education on the products we sell, destinations, and other industry knowledge.  Being together gives us the opportunity to network with our peers as well as others in the industry from our various travel partners.

We flew into Fort Lauderdale this morning and it's already great to see our friends in the industry, shake hands and give hugs to each other.   This will be an emotional week for all of us.  We are thrilled to be sharing it with you, our loyal readers and new followers.  

 

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Cruise Industry Covid-19 Response

Courtesy of CLIA (cruising.org)

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)  is the world's largest cruise industry trade association, providing a unified voice and leading authority of the global cruise community. On behalf of its members, affiliates, and partners, the organization supports policies and practices that foster a secure, healthy, and sustainable cruise ship environment, promoting positive travel experiences for the more than 30 million passengers who have cruised annually.

They have assembled the latest industry facts and resources and summarizes the current state as follows:   (click here for the latest news and resources)

 As the world continues to address challenges regarding COVID-19, the top priority for the entire cruise community—including cruise lines, travel agents, ports, destinations, suppliers and beyond—continues to be the health and safety of passengers, crew and the communities in the places we visit. 

CLIA and its member lines have invested in research, worked with global experts, and closely cooperated with national and regional health, transport and safety authorities in specific regions to develop world leading health and safety protocols. In fact, to date, we have put in place more than 75 science-led measures. 

The industry’s successful resumption in Europe, parts of Asia, the UK, and parts of North America demonstrate a promising example that a responsible return to cruising is possible with the right measures in place.   

Cruise Ships Singled Out

In all the hospitality and travel sectors, people gather in close contact to socialize and enjoy shared experiences.  Last year this time there was a perception that the incidents of  COVID-19 were higher on cruise ships than other sectors and industries.

Cruise Ships Differ From Other Sectors & Industries

CLIA member lines are required to have credentialed doctors and nurses onboard who are required to provide health declarations detailing illnesses of individuals onboard to port authorities around the globe prior to a ship’s entry. Neither airlines, hotels, nor any other travel and tourism sector is required to report the same information.

This lopsided reporting isn't new with COVID-19.  The media has always singed out incidents of Norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships, while similar events occurring elsewhere in the travel and hospitality sectors go unreported.  The following is not new:

How do CLIA member cruise lines promote public health? 

• CLIA ocean-going cruise ships are the only form of travel or passenger transportation that must be medically equipped to care for passengers or crew in the event of illness 
• medical facilities must meet the standards set forth by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) 
• cruise ships must have an examination room, an intensive care room and equipment for processing labs, monitoring vital signs and administering medications 
• doctors and medical personnel MUST be available onboard 24/7 

We will take a closer look at some of the new technology and protocols that are currently in place to provide a safe and healthy environment for your vacation.   You will learn that since the cruise line controls their environment, a cruise vacation is one of the safest things you can do today.

 

Click the banner above for the latest cruise promotions

 

Cruise lines are offering special promotions and pricing on popular cruises to encourage consumers to plan their next cruise vacation now. We'll be featuring promotions on our website and social media.

Choose Cruise Month (click for mini-series)

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Candid Chat with Royal Caribbean Chairman Richard Fain

We just attended an industry briefing with Dondra Ritzenthaler, Senior Vice President of Sales, Trade Support & Services Celebrity Cruises and her special guest Richard Fain, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Caribbean Group.

Before we get to today's chat, we'd like to personally thank Royal Caribbean Group and Richard Fain in particular,  for his leadership and constantly keeping their travel partners updated throughout the entire pandemic crisis.  His videos, communications, and guest appearances on weekly briefings from Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises has been crucial to our ability to keep our guests updated on latest developments.

Dondra began the chat by thanking Richard for joining us and for his continued communications throughout the pandemic.  She then asked him if he would have done anything differently.   Richard said it's important to "look forward and not back".   

He said that he knew that communication would be key.   He knew that people wanted to know what they were thinking and transparency was key.   He feels he got great value from the communication because it forced him to think about where they were going.

He cited the creation of the Healthy Sail Panel with experts in many fields was a critical step in the return to service.

Celebrity Edge Returns to Service

An Emotional Return to Service on Celebrity Edge

Next Dondra asked him about his experience on the first sailing of Celebrity Edge as it returned to service.   Richard said "it was a very emotional moment".  He was onboard one day before passengers, essentially alone with the crew.   As crew greeted him, they were in tears.  

Day 2 of his time onboard, they greeted the first guest which again was very emotional.   The passengers on this first sailing included Celebrity's most loyal guests, trade and press, and Royal Caribbean employees. 

The consensus of the guests was that it was an emotional moment, but also it felt so normal. 

Continual Improvement - Not a "New Normal"

Many protocols are behind the scenes, such as the improved ventilation systems and enhanced medical facilities.   Guests don't even notice the difference.  With the enhanced protocols we could live life normally.

He acknowledged that there have been isolated cases, but it has been better than you'll find across the United States today.   The reason for that is that they control the environment.   Guests are fully vaccinated, social distancing is possible while still allowing for a great vacation experience.  It's one of the safest vacations you can take today.

2021 - 2022 Sailings Open for Booking

This is a unique time in the history of the cruise industry.   The industry has always put health and safety first, but with the new protocols, they have taken it to new heights.  The industry will be better for the improvements made to date and those that will follow.

Ships are sailing with fewer passengers allowing for an even more personal experience as the happy crew are eager to provide the best vacation experience possible.   Why not check out some of the current offers below and let us plan your next cruise vacation?

Current Celebrity Cruises Offers

Current Royal Caribbean Offers

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Starting July 7, 2021 our new time will be 4 PM Eastern

Come Sail Away with Royal

We look at the current state of the cruise industry through the lens of a CEO of one of the largest cruise lines. We end with an optimistic video, which was made almost a year ago, by their entertainment department .

Industry Update

As a professional travel advisor, part of my job is to stay informed, so that I can keep my guests updated with the latest information during these unprecedented times.

This morning I attended the 49th trade update presented by Royal Caribbean since the pandemic started.  These weekly updates have been very beneficial to me and the rest of the trade industry.  Thank you Royal Caribbean Group for your ongoing commitment and efforts during these times. 

Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, was guest speaker for this session. This image captured his expressions during his various past appearances, with the latest one reflecting joy about the progress made in resuming operations safely.

In fact, Royal Caribbean Group has already had 100,000 guests onboard. With the new protocols in place, mainly testing and contract tracing, they have only had 10 positive cases of COVID-19 without any major disruption to other passengers or countries visited.  This is mainly due to the ability to isolate anyone that is showing symptoms and identify anyone they were in contact with.  The industry as a whole has had 350,000 guests sailing successfully since gradually resuming sailings.

We Control the Environment

You might be wondering why there has been such a low percentage of positive cases among these 100,000 passengers.   Richard Fain explained that since they are in control of the environment, everyone is tested and contract tracing can identify any possible risk from exposure.  He went on to say that the contract tracing technology being used is more effective that what is used on land.   There you would be contacted by phone by someone and most likely you wouldn't even know who you had been in contact with.  On the ship, they can determine who you were in contact with, and for how long, using the technology put in place.  Impacted individuals can quickly be identified and isolated keeping the remaining guests safely protected and not impacting their vacations.

Time to Move On

Back in October, 2020, CDC issued a Conditional Sail Order which consisted of four phases.  We are still in Phase 1 with no direction regarding remaining phases.  This plan is out of date, therefore Royal Caribbean has been working with health experts and various governments to put safe cruising protocols in place.

The various Public Health agencies have detailed information about infectious illnesses and the cruise lines have the data about the cruise industry and protocols.   Cooperation and dialog has been very valuable, as well as science and technology, in creating a revised plan to safely resume sailing.

Royal Caribbean has announced homeport changes which will allow them to continue their gradual return to sailing.  The latest announcement has sailings embarking from Bermuda starting in June (more on that in another post).

Delivering Great Experience

As you can imagine there were many questions during this session.  One agent asked how crew members were holding up.  Mr. Fain acknowledged that it had been hard on everyone, especially in the beginning with flight restrictions preventing crew members from getting home.  He said that "while the men and women that deliver the great cruise experience had it very difficult, their response was a joy to behold."  Royal Caribbean recently had a survey and within 12 hours they had overwhelming responses with the crew anxious to return.  He said "I often say that I have the best job in the world.  I work with a team that really cares."

Passengers who are disembarking the cruises, that have begun, are giving Royal Caribbean high marks.  The cruise experience that Royal is known for is still being delivered.  Another technology item that is making a difference is Muster 2.0, which allows passengers to view the safety video at their leisure and checkin at the muster station during a pre-defined period of time.  This eliminates social distancing issues while still maintaining the mandatory safety requirements.

Who is Cruising Now

There had been an assumption made that when cruising resumed, the majority of the cruisers would be well-seasoned veteran cruisers.  In Singapore for example, 80% of the guests are first time cruisers.  In Germany, first time cruisers are at or above the level they were at prior to COVID-19.

What Destinations 

Several questions were asked about various cruise destinations.   He indicated that there will be a Europe season this summer, but it won't be the same as usual.  Royal Caribbean is still working through the various regulatory hurdles.   He mentioned that MSC and Costa are currently operating in Europe and Royal Caribbean's Israel to Greece itinerary will be very popular.

Alaska's cruise season is still in question.  There has been support by several members of Congress and others, mostly on behalf of businesses in Alaska.   The cruise season is short, so you can't just postpone it for a few months.  One issue is the it takes months to prepare a ship's sailing so getting timely permissions is crucial. 

Royal Caribbean Entertainment

A year ago the world learned about Zoom meetings and soon they discovered you perform music as well.  The Royal Caribbean Entertainment team produced this video with performers all over the world to share an inspirational message.  The video ends with "We'll Be Back".  

This is the last time this video will be seen in its current form.   Royal Caribbean is Back (sailing again)!!

 

Related Posts 

Cruise Industry Leaders Share Their Vision
CDC Publishes Conditional Sailing Order

Reassuring Safe to Cruise

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I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

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