Sunrise on Post Pandemic Travel

As the world slowly emerges from the throws of a world pandemic that has greatly affected not only our lives but any form of business or leisure travel for the past 15 months, the sun rises for millions of people who are itching to get back to a place where they feel comfortable and be able to get out of the house and start to feel normal again. With the pandemic easing and with the availability of vaccines that will help citizens of all countries get back to a time they once took for granted, people are once again looking to begin to travel. Being able to jump on a cruise ship to go see other parts of the world, or plan that all-inclusive land tour to that bucket list place they have always wanted to visit.

Let’s take a look at where the travel industry stands in order for you to get back to traveling within the U.S. or to other spots around the world.

As eager as many seasoned travellers are to get back to their favorite past-time, experts say that we’ll need to exercise caution and have patience when planning our first big post-pandemic journeys, as there are still some important challenges ahead. The first protocol on your list is to get inoculated against COVID-19. Getting your vaccination will ensure that you will be able to go on that special trip sooner than later. 

Though the idea of travel passports has been bantered around here in the United States and in other countries, you can be assured that the private industry can set their own rules and will enforce them when it comes to using their services. To date no cruise lines have indicated that they will go this route.

Cruising

Cruising from the U.S.

As of this writing, there is not much happening in the cruise world. The industry, in many ways, was used as a scapegoat for all that was wrong with a global pandemic. And now with many states eliminating their mask and social distancing standards, opening restaurants, theaters and packing baseball stadiums, the cruise industry is being held to a higher standard. You can pack a large indoor restaurant full of people with no masks and not socially distanced, but do the same thing on a cruise ship and it becomes a no-no for the CDC. 

So the entire industry will get a slow start in gearing up for 2021 with reduced fleets going to a smaller number of destinations with 2022 returning to what should be some kind of normalcy. People still want to cruise, and cruising is still the biggest form of vacation travel. Bookings for 2022 are off to a fabulous start and most lines are ahead of 2019’s pace YTD.

Much of the discussion in order for the cruise industry to get back to sailing is that all of their crew and passengers are safe from the virus prior to passengers getting onboard ship. Much of the momentum to get back to sailing comes from the cruise industry itself and not from changes being forced on them by either the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Vaccinations for all Crew

Covid 19 Testing

Temperature Checks

Hand Sanitizer Stations

UV Light Deep Sanitation Cleaning

Hosted Buffet Line

App for Contactless Ship Services

No Masks for Vaccinated Passengers

The entire cruise industry has changed many of their past protocols onboard ship in order to make guests and crew safer while onboard ship. 

• Vaccinations for all crew and passengers

• COVID Testing during and before you leave to go home

• Temperature checks

• Hand sanitizing stands throughout the ship

• Reduced ship capacity when sailing

• Social distancing in non stateroom areas

• Elimination of standard buffett lines

• Staggered dining times and social distancing

• Enhanced on board cleaning methods, including hospital-grade disinfectant and the use of UV-C light technology

• Shore excursions that are strictly monitored, unless you are vaccinated

• No contact boarding & food ordering once on ship

• No face coverings for fully vaccinated passengers

• Enhanced crew training for quick response for any situation that may arise

Most of the cruise lines have been in talks with the CDC, pointing out all of the new protocols that are in place to make the passenger experience a safe one with a date to begin sailing by July 1, 2021 to and from U.S. ports.

The cruise lines are just starting to announce the rules and policies that will govern their cruises. Some may make vaccinated cruises only while others won’t stifle you with that requirement, but be prepared to take a lot of tests during your travels. For example, here is what Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have announced for their cruises this summer:

• The minimum age to get vaccinated is now 16 years old

• You have to have your original government issued vaccination card, no photocopies or digital images

• If vaccinated you can book your own individual shore excursion, depending on the country visited. Individual country mask mandates may apply

• If vaccinated you do not have to wear a mask while onboard ship

• If you are 15 years of age or less, no masks are required onboard ship

• Cruise lines will provide COVID testing before you leave the ship for your flight back to the U.S.

Even after the CDC clears the cruise industry to begin sailing from U.S. ports, the next thing to keep in mind is the different protocols that are in place in each country that you may visit as to what is needed to gain entry into that country. Many European countries are still closed to any form of travel into their country. Though there has been nothing released officially on this from the cruise industry, I believe many lines would stay clear of countries that are closed or have too many restrictions to dock in that country. So for the near future, your cruise international destinations could be limited until more people are inoculated worldwide and countries begin to ease their restrictions to gain entry.

Cruising To/From Foreign Ports

Cruising from other parts of the world has been nothing more than “on again, off again” push and pull since the outbreak of the pandemic. In March 2020, the CDC issued a no-sail order for ships sailing American waters while the major industry governing body Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) voluntarily suspended all operations. The resulting scramble to get passengers and crew members home dragged on for several months. Ports closed their doors to virus-hit vessels, on-board COVID cases spiraled and when passengers were returned home, crew members were still stuck at sea hit hard by a mental health crisis from being away from home so long.

Today, the multi-billion dollar industry remains in limbo. While recent vaccine rollouts have brought optimism and, in some countries, COVID numbers are finally going down after a devastating second wave, international travel remains curtailed. Most of the world's major cruise lines have canceled voyages until the summer season in Europe, at the earliest, and many industry experts have questioned what cruising, in the wake of COVID-19, will look like internationally. 

So when international cruising finally does start back up, it will be on a much smaller scale with destinations that have curtailed their COVID outbreak. For now it looks like several ports in the Bahamas, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, the Greek Islands, Singapore are just some of the limited options available. Of course, the hope is that this list will grow by the end of the year. Canada though is still off limits until some time in 2022.

International Travel

The global pandemic has really caused travelers to rethink the way they travel. Gone, for now anyway, are the carefree days where you just planned a trip and jumped on a plane, train or ship to venture off to the far corners of the U.S. or the rest of the world. Now a lot of due diligence and planning are prerequisites to go on any type of special vacation or trip. And don’t forget to be prepared for lots of changes that could take place.

Though it is true that many of the traditional road trips, camping vacations, guided tours and land tours are currently open in the U.S. and can be planned with certainty, it is another story internationally. Here it remains a global patchwork of open countries, abiding rules and restrictions. Before you book any international travel you'll want to check your destination's official tourism website periodically before your trip.  However, if you're itching to leave the U.S., there are many countries around the world that will accept you (along with your negative coronavirus test results/or proof of vaccination), though some specific restrictions will apply. If you decide to travel, be sure to evaluate the risks and understand what all is involved in making your trip. And yes, don’t forget a supply of face masks and hand sanitizer.

One last thing before you venture out, consider purchasing travel insurance so you don't lose money if your U.S. passport is no longer accepted at the last minute in any country.

Air Travel

Airline travel is finally making a comeback, albeit, at a slower pace than what was expected. Many of the larger big city hub airports have just a fraction of the travelers they did at this time last year, even as Americans are returning to flying, particularly to vacation destinations. But one of the bright spots are all of the smaller vacation hubs the airlines have added that were once off the grid. 

Since business travel took a major nosedive during the COVID pandemic, with no reasonable expectation that it would return post pandemic, airlines decided to make up some of that business by adding great vacation destinations that you could only previously access by car. Ski areas like Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Aspen & Colorado Springs, Colorado & Provo, Utah. Even many warm weather places were added as well. Great vacation spots like Charleston, Hilton Head & Myrtle Beach, South Carolina along with Savannah, Georgia and Pensacola, Florida.

The downside of improving air travel is that masks are fully required in all aspects of air travel from the time you leave the car. Anywhere in the airport, through security and on the plane during the length of the flight. Another major setback is that most of the major airlines cut many direct flights opting for more hub destinations. So what used to be an easy direct flight might now turn into a two stop flight with added layovers making for a very long day.

Car Rentals

What used to be a last minute almost casual approach to travel transportation, has now turned into a nightmare. The pandemic almost crushed the entire industry. At the beginning of the pandemic with heavy travel restrictions imposed by our government, the car rental quickly went into a nosedive. 

In order just to survive, the industry sold off hundreds of thousands of cars to reduce expenses. Hertz cancelled over $4 billion dollars in new car purchases and eliminated almost 200,000 cars from their fleet. Avis cut its new car purchases in half and unloaded over 400,000 cars from its inventory. Without a clear understanding of what demand was going to be and when it would come back, the industry stagnated. 

One of the major problems the car rental industry has suffered over the years in Washington is lobbying. They spend a fraction on this important aspect of getting money when times are tight. The industry spent only a fraction of the money that the airline industry does on an annual basis. So when it came time to dole out the money from the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (Cares) Act, the airlines got $25 billion in payroll support, $25 billion in subsidized loans plus tax relief, the car rental companies walked away with nothing.

Another major factor that came into play further damaging the rental car industry was a global shortage of computer chips which almost halted production of new cars by General Motors, Honda, Ford, Toyota and others. With a limited supply of chips, the automakers were concentrating on supplying their dealers rather than feeding the less profitable fleet sales channels of rental car agencies. That means producing more profitable full-feature pickups and sport-utility vehicles desired by car buyers, not the sedans renters gravitate toward.

So what used to be a fairly inexpensive part of a travel vacation that you could do at the last minute or just walk from the plane to a rental agency, is a major headache that has less choices and becomes very expensive on a daily basis. Some intermediate to full size cars can go for as much ast $250/day. So before you leave on your trip, make sure you do your homework and have that rental car reserved.

CDC U.S. Entry Testing Requirements

Once you leave the U.S. in order to gain entry upon return you must be tested. According to the CDC, air passengers entering the U.S. will be required to present documentation of a negative COVID-19 viral test (called a Qualifying Test) conducted within the 3 days before their flight to the United States departs. You will also be required to fill out Passenger & Disclosure & Attestation Form as part of gaining access back into the U.S.

So we are finally off and running with travel of any kind and for millions of people this is great news. Like anything that is not etched in stone, the news is constantly changing. Each day will bring more countries opening up for travel, cruise lines will announce newer cruise sites, restrictions will be lifted making for more choices and more adventurers. If you have any questions or concerns over all the new rules and restrictions, please do not hesitate to contact us at teamtullytravel@gmail.com

The New Face of Travel Post Coronavirus

The global pandemic of coronavirus has changed our world, probably for a very long time to come. With hundreds of thousands of businesses closed large and small, people furloughed or fired altogether, leisure travel put on hold and air traffic practically at a stand-still, we now must look at what our lives will look like going forward when we travel. I want to focus on one aspect of the new normal that we can expect many changes to occur, travel and tourism. I will review three of the main sectors involved.

People haven't changed in that they still want to go places, but they're going to necessarily be a lot more cautious about how and where they travel. Travelers will ask not only “is it safe to travel,” but they'll need to see actual physical changes made to make travel safer.

Many aspects of the travel and tourism business will have to change, maybe for the better. The industries involved seem to be gearing up for some future "recovery," insinuating a return to the baseline of pre-coronavirus. That simply cannot happen because the pre-coronavirus travel and tourist industries will not function in a post-coronavirus world. Everything must change: the way we fly; the way we dine; the new procedures in hotels; cruise ships will take a new approach on how they handle guests; how we wait in line; even how we go to the beach. Our very concept of vacation may have to change.

The return to travel will not be a swift one, it will take time to gear up again. It’s impossible to predict when or how travel might resume, let alone whether we’ll feel comfortable traveling around the world again with the kind of carefree attitude to which many of us have become accustomed. But travel and leisure will resume. It will come back, it has to be back. Far too many livelihoods and economies depend on it. More than 10 percent of the global workforce is employed by the tourism industry.

Industry experts say technology will be a key tool in the revival of travel to lessen personal contact with the masses. Electronic passports and IDs (Real ID), boarding passes, medical screening, and robot cleaners being deployed widely to limit physical contact between people and surfaces. Hotels, airlines, will have to determine how to give travelers personal spaces they feel they can control. Cruise lines will have to adopt the attitude that bigger is not better any longer. Though many cruise lines have built massive ships that can hold 6,000 passengers, they must reconfigure cabins, eating areas, entertainment and the overall general meeting places to give passengers greater personal space. Fear of humans and crowded places will be etched in our hearts for the rest of our lives.

The coronavirus-induced worldwide financial crisis will be a key factor in keeping travelers close to home, at least in the short term. The extra money that people have will be a main influencer on what type of travel people take and to what destinations. You could see more people will travel domestically, because it’s a less scary prospect and also often cheaper than a trip to Europe. A trip to a spot in the US never visited before; a cruise to Alaska, Mexico or Hawaii instead of Australia or Europe.

Let’s take a look at some of the segments that make up travel and leisure and see what changes may occur in order to reduce further spread of any virus. The less contact you have to make with people either touching documents or sitting in close proximity will cut down the spread of virus.

Expect air travel to return to early 2020 levels in five years, taking into account that the airline industry took three years to recover post-9/11, and two years to return to pre-2008 revenues after the recession. It’s hard to know when an uptick may start again. A recent survey found that many travelers could wait six months before flying again. Travelers are likely to adopt a disinfecting regimen. We won’t think twice about it or look at people who we thought previously were crazy, who were cleaning seats and tray tables on a plane. Initially flights are going to be cheap because they’re going to have to convince people to go on planes, but costs of some things are going to have to go up because of the necessity of more sanitation and loss of revenue during the virus.

The airlines will start with higher fares, fewer routes, preflight health checks and less free food. Many airlines may reconfigure their classes to squeeze more money from customers. Airlines might also increasingly charge economy passengers separately for things like baggage check-in, legroom and meals. Other new rules could be making all passengers and crew wear masks during the flight. Some airlines have already started procedures.

Seating

Seating could take on a whole new look. Right now most airlines have eliminated middle seats for passengers, since the flights are only flying a 10% capacity. An idea presented from an Italian manufacturer could a new configuration of seating be in our future in a few years?

Elimination of Airport Hubs: One of the reasons that New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles are some of the biggest hot-spots for coronavirus is that they are all hubs for airlines. Hub destinations run the greater risk of a virus spreading exponentially. We reduce the risk of greater spread at airports by flights going direct to their destination. Boeing has decided that the future of air travel is in smaller, more direct routes rather than hub to hub travel. If passengers were given a choice, they would always opt to go direct. The obvious conclusion is that passengers will demand direct routes across the globe, skipping as many hubs as possible.

Electronic Documentation Paper boarding passes will soon cease to exist. Every passenger will be asked to download their boarding pass on their cell phones and present it for TSA and as they board the plane. This technology is currently widely used and will be universally used in the very short future for all passengers.

ePassports: All passports will become biometric passports (also known as an e-passport, ePassport, or a digital passport) is a traditional passport that has an embedded electronic microprocessor chip which contains biometric information that can be used to authenticate the identity of the passport holder. The chip allows for reading of the passport holders identity without touching the passport. Through 2017 over 120 countries have adopted this technology.

Biometrics: Is the measurement and statistical analysis of people's unique physical and behavioral characteristics. The basic premise of biometric identification is that every person can be accurately identified by his or her intrinsic physical or behavioral traits. Facial scans, fingerprints, retinal scanning, finger geometry and voice recognition are just a few aspects of biometrics. Both TSA and the airlines will use some form of biometric to pass through security and board your flight.

Health Screenings: Screening for coronavirus will likely become a standard feature of the travel experience, at least until a vaccine is developed and put into widespread use, but that could take years. Quick 10 minute blood tests have not proven that they are 100% reliable. There has been discussion that travelers who have recovered from coronavirus might receive a health passport certifying they have immunity, allowing them to speed through this screening process.

Travelers who are comfortable with cruising will return like a world pandemic never happened. They will find very low prices as cruise lines restart service. The challenge will be in attracting new customers to cruise travel, which will be essential to continued growth. Meaningful cruise operations will resume by 2021 and already, the demand is there. Reservations for next year are up 40% from 2019. But the cruise industry will have to adapt like many industries, that post coronavirus will not be business as usual. So what will be some of the changes we see in the cruise industry. Such sweeping changes will require heavy investment at a time when cruise operators are already struggling.

Reconfigured Ships: The cruise industry must change their mantra that “bigger is better.” With many lines having built ships that hold 6000 passengers, the thinking now must be that cruises with less passengers coupled with a lot more attentiveness from crew staff, will make for a greater cruise experience. Reconfiguring some of the new ships that are still under construction with bigger staterooms and less passenger density might be a way to attract new customers.

Food Services: Love them or loathe them, the quintessential, self-service buffet could soon be a thing of a past and replaced by crew-manned serving stations and table service. Reducing buffet food service and leaning more toward a la carte dining across rate tiers might be another way to reassure travelers who are skeptical about cruise travel. Dining room reservations may become the only way you can eat in the main dining rooms, which will be reduced in size to provide further space and protection to passengers. It already is a necessity when eating in one of the many specialty restaurants.

Technologies: The cruise industry has been slow to adapt and introduce technologies onboard ships. In recent years it has gotten better and more lines have introduced wearable devices that permit a guest to perform a myriad of tasks from the device. Check-in when you board without waiting; making reservations for dining or entertainment; ordering a drink at poolside; contacting your friends onboard ship; booking shore excursions and checking your account status.

Restrictions on Who Can Cruise: When cruising resumes, some cruise lines could be off limits for a time to older travelers and with preexisting conditions, those most at risk of complications from coronavirus. Cruise lines could ban travelers ages 70 & up and only be allowed to travel with a letter from their doctor saying they are fit to travel and could board the ship. The cruise line could also deny anyone with a serious chronic illness of any age to board.

Enhanced Health Screenings: Several cruise lines already have announced plans for temperature checks before passengers board. But the CDC’s “no-sail” order also called on lines to develop plans for onboard monitoring of passengers and crew through temperature checks and medical screenings. What exactly that would look like is still unclear. One possibility is that passengers on some ships will be issued thermometers after boarding and asked to check and report their temperatures regularly. We could see this happening, in particular, on vessels that experience a flare-up of cases of coronavirus-like illness among passengers or crew.

A synopsis of the other things that will probably change in the cruise industry are: 

• Enhanced onboard cleaning

• lower pricing

• less crowded ships 

• fewer ships to sail

• shorter closer-to-home port itineraries 

• relaxed cancellation policies 

All of these changes will be for the benefit of those people who cruise and will make the experience a better one.

The hotel industry understands, in the post coronavirus era, that in order to draw back customers to any of their locations, they will have to win the trust of customers and overcome their fears. The customer must fully trust that the hotel is clean, safe and secure. That proper protocols have been established that are strictly followed.

Prior to the pandemic there wasn’t as much fear or thought as to how many people had slept in the bed they now occupied or were there any viruses on the door handles, faucets or tv remote. The industry will have to develop guidelines that become brand standards. Some countries have already put these standards into practice. A rating will be developed and each hotel will be given a grade that is posted, much like what you commonly see in restaurants displayed in their windows.

Hotels must convey the message to their guests that they’re being regulated, checked and approved by the authorities for clean and safe practices. It is the only way to ease the minds of the guests who review the hotel and are comfortable to make a reservation. So what are some of the protocols and standards that could be adopted?

Sanitized Arrivals: Hotels may now greet guests with a person wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) outside spraying each guest as they arrive at the hotel. In the lobby checking temperatures and having sanitation areas for all guests will be established. Cleaning procedures will be implemented several times a day to make sure all areas of the hotel have been sanitized.

Hotel Based Mobile Apps: Must be developed to allow guests to check-in and out without having to contact hotel personnel at the front desk. Once you are checked in through your mobile app you will be assigned a bar code sent to your phone that will then be used to open your room door; work the room tv; order room service; make dinner reservations and yes even look at the menu of the restaurant.

Single use toiletries: Though this is a common practice that has already been adopted by many of the larger chain hotels, this will now become a standard for all hotels. This practice will help minimize the spreading of germs and any viruses.

Elimination of room items: Say goodbye to decorative pillows, bed runners, items stocked in minibars, cheese plates, the bottle of wine, bottled water; coffee station; mini-bar even paper products like magazines and pamphlets.

Technology Based Cleaning: Guests will not only need a clean room to sleep in, but they’ll also need to trust that it is indeed clean. Housekeeping, as we once knew it, will change. Hotels could adopt using germ-detecting ultraviolet lighting in rooms, as well as contact tracing of other guests. Some hotels have already invested in germ-killing robots that use UV light to disinfect areas throughout the hotel. The standard use of ozone generators to remove odors from rooms and kill microorganisms.

Dining Facilities: Eliminated will be the grab-and-go stations where you could pick up a quick free bite my go away. Buffets will also change in that you can no longer just help yourself. You will be assisted by a hotel employee behind a glass partition, probably wearing a mask. Full service restaurants may change in that service levels will consist of you making a reservation on your hotel phone app, being seated and then ordering your drinks and dinner on your phone app. The food will be brought out to you with little if no interaction with hotel personnel. Room service could also be greatly diminished or eliminated altogether.

The carefree world we once knew, may be forever changed through coronavirus. What we took for granted in being able to rome about whenever and wherever we wanted may be gone for a long time. Let’s hope this is not the case, but if it is, then we must make significant changes to not only our daily lives, but also when we travel.

These changes will be for the good and benefit all of mankind, because we are all in this together. The coronavirus has become a world pandemic not just isolated to the United States. In order to make the changes necessary to carry forward, we all have to adapt and adopt change.

For that, we will be in a better place.

Adventures Only Found on Royal Caribbean Ships

Are you stuck in a vacation rut? Find yourself going to the same places again and again? You want to try some new adventures and do something different for your next special getaway? Try some of your unique “bucket list” items without having to plan multiple stops along the way? Well look no further than a cruise with Royal Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean International is one of the most popular cruise lines. With loyal fans and some of the most innovative vessels, there are plenty of great reasons to sail on one of the line’s 25 cruise ships. In fact, the cruise line has been busy building vessels with features you can’t find on any other cruise line. Here are some of the many venues you will only find on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

Tidal Wave - Is a boomerang style slide at sea. First you plummet down a water-filled slide, then fling up into total tidal weightlessness and an exhilarating rebound down the other side. It's a ricochet of riveting adventure.

SkyPad - Hop into the Sky Pad® for an out-of-this-world bungee trampoline experience. Strap in, put on your virtual reality headset and get transported to another time, place, or planet. Your virtual adventure will launch you high into the stratosphere and let your imagination soar.

NorthStar - Is an observation pod that is attached to a giant arm on top of Quantum class ships. North Star takes guests 300 feet above sea level and gives them views that have never been available until now.

RipCord - You have always wanted to go skydiving but could never work up the nerve to jump out of a real airplane. RipCord Is a skydiving simulator that allows guests to get the sensation of skydiving without the incredible risk of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.

SeaPlex - Is the largest indoor active space at sea. The bi-level Deck 15 play zone offers a slew of fun activities, including first-at-sea bumper cars, roller skating, and even a circus school with a flying trapeze.

Escape Room - Is a real-life game of Clue, only you’re part of it. Team up with a group of friends, family, or fellow travelers, then board the S.S. Rubicon, a uniquely designed room, full of hidden clues. You’ll use your wits to solve a puzzle and unravel a mystery—then (hopefully) free yourself before time runs out.

Broadway Shows - Royal Caribbean offers the most variety of entertainment at sea. From the globally-acclaimed Broadway musicals like CATS and Hairspray to the musical toe-tapping disco beats of Saturday Night Fever, global smash MAMMA MIA! and now the smash hit Grease. Broadway's hit musicals, miles away from the mainland.

Bionic Bar - After a full day and you are a little thirsty, cruise on over to the The Bionic Bar which is Royal Caribbean’s watering hole that's straight out of "The Jetsons." Hundreds of bottles of booze hang upside down above a frosted bar, which is manned by two robotic arms. These robot bartenders mix and shake cocktails and "mocktails," then slide the finished drinks down a long slot to waiting human drinkers.

Virtual Balcony Rooms - Royal Caribbean's virtual balcony inside cabins feature floor-to-ceiling HD display screens that give passengers real-time views of the sights and sounds outside. Your actual view depends on which wall the 80-inch HD screen is affixed. If your screen faces the front of the ship, you will get the view from a high-quality digital camera mounted on the bridge. Facing back, you get the view of the ship's wake from the camera mounted on the rear of the ship. Curtains can be drawn to conceal the HD screen.

Rising Tide Bar - You could call it a wet elevator. It’s also the coolest way to get from Central Park to the Royal Promenade onboard all Oasis Class ships. Sip your favorite cocktail, beer or wine while you enjoy a smooth ride and skylight views on the Rising Tide Bar.

Flowrider - FlowRider is a surf simulator that allows participants to "bodyboard" (boogie board) or "flowboard" (same concept as surfing but with a smaller board), even if they're nowhere near the ocean. The simulator comprises a wedge-shaped area that's covered in thin padding (similar to a wrestling mat). Powerful jets spray a continuous stream of water over the surface, which is where passengers can hang ten.

So now you have no excuses for not trying something different on your next special vacation. Fun and adventure, along with your bucket list, awaits you onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise. Sign up, pack up then go have some fun!