With a No-Sail Order still in place from the Centers of Disease Control, typical cruise itineraries for the summer season in the Bahamas and Caribbean out of domestic ports are currently still on hold, but that’s not stopping some of the major cruise lines from trying to salvage their 2021 summer sailing season.
So, while we wait for the CDC to lift restrictions on domestic sailings, let’s take a look at what is available for vaccinated passengers willing to travel to take to the high seas! What some of the major cruise lines are offering and their current status:
Carnival Cruise Line: One of three domestic cruise lines impatiently awaiting the reveal of a brand new, world-class ship is Carnival and the new crown jewel of their fleet – Mardi Gras. This supership — there’s no other way to describe what the Mardi Gras will offer upon its maiden voyage — is still waiting to welcome passengers, and while there is optimism for fall itineraries (paid in full deadlines have recently been extended for October and November sailings), it seems like Carnival CEO Arnold Donald has his feet firmly planted in the sand on what restrictions he is willing to abide by to allow his ships to start sailing from domestic ports — including requiring passengers and crew to be fully vaccinated before boarding. When asked about his line requiring vaccination to board the ship, Donald had this to say in a recent interview with Bloomberg News: “No, absolutely. We would encourage everyone to get vaccinated, but today vaccines are not accessible to everyone. In some places it is illegal to mandate. And we respect personal choice and personal liberty. So we’ll follow what the regulations are wherever it is.”
We’ll keep an eye on what moves Carnival makes in the coming weeks!
Celebrity Cruise Line: Being registered in a foreign country has its perks, and for Celebrity Cruise Line it means a chance to re-port one of their most popular ships to an island port and offer two incredibly unique closed-loop “exotic” Caribbean itineraries this summer! Let’s take a look, shall we?
Celebrity has decided to re-port the beloved Millennium from its previous itineraries of Alaska and Far East to a Caribbean base in St. Maarten! The ship is offering two alternating itineraries – one featuring stops in Aruba, Curacao and Barbados while the other visits the B.V.I., St. Lucia and Barbados. These are all seven-day cruises and include free gratuities, open bar (which is EXCELLENT — just take my word for it, OK?), free WiFi and are now including roundtrip flights at an extreme discount, as low as $329/pp roundtrip.
Celebrity — like sister-line Royal Caribbean — is requiring proof of vaccination, along with on-board testing and other Covid mitigation measures. The first sailing of Millennium in this “new normal” sets sail the first week of June!
Crystal Cruise Line: This luxury “six-star” cruise line wasted no time in re-porting their two oceanliners to the Bahamas and Caribbean with two exciting itineraries ready to welcome aboard cruisers at a greatly reduced capacity. The Crystal Symphony will begin cruising an exotic itinerary through the Caribbean out of St. John, with 10-night all-inclusive sailings starting at $2,999 per person. The Crystal Serenity is offering overlapping seven-day island voyages through the Bahamas departing from either Nassau or Bimini, with sailings starting at $1,999 per person — with the first voyage departing July 3! Both ships are requiring vaccination from all passengers (so that means no passengers under the age of 16), and both travel destinations require a negative Covid-19 test upon arrival in the country. Crystal already prided themselves on the staff-to-passenger ratio and sailings on both ships will be capped at 900 passengers per sailing!
Disney Cruise Line: Over the past week, Disney Cruise Line has been giving cruise lovers sneak peeks of one of the next ship to enter the DCL fleet — the Disney Wish! We’ve seen images of the beautiful, castle-inspired lobby featuring a glimmering gold statue of Cinderella. All these hints will culminate in the grand reveal of the ship on Thursday at 11 a.m. ET when a 30-minute grand reveal video presentation – called “Once Upon a Disney Wish” airs on the Disney Parks Blog! RSVP for the presentation here.
Norwegian Cruise Line: It may still be a while before NCL lovers can get their Haven experience, but don’t fault the cruise line — Norwegian was the first cruise line to actively present a very conservative standalone plan for resuming cruising out of domestic U.S. ports directly to the CDC. Under the guidance of a Healthy Sailing Panel (HSP), NCL would like to resume domestic cruising by July 4 with ALL guests and crew required to be fully vaccinated … so that means no cruisers under 16. And they mean business — check out this paragraph directly from NCL to the CDC:
“NCLH will require that all guests embarking from a U.S. port and/or disembarking to a U.S. port provide proof of having been fully vaccinated with an FDA-, EMA-, or WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine no less than two weeks prior to their departure date; All crew on NCLH vessels will be fully vaccinated with an FDA-, EMA- or WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine at least two weeks prior to commencement of their duties onboard their assigned vessel; NCLH will also incorporate and operationalize the protocols developed by the Healthy Sail Panel (“HSP”), led by former Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt and former Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration Dr. Scott Gottlieb. These protocols, include universal testing of guests and crew, combined with required vaccines for all guests and crew, thereby creating a safe, “bubble-like” environment; and
on or about July 4, 2021, NCLH vessels will begin cruise operations at an initial reduced capacity of 60%, gradually ramping up our fleet departing from U.S. ports and increasing capacity by 20% every 30 days.
These stringent requirements will remain in place until public health conditions allow for the implementation of more lenient protocols.”
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line: Every day, it seems like Royal Caribbean is announcing a repositioning of a ship and a new itinerary for the summer or fall — and there’s a little something for everyone! A quick rundown:
Adventure of the Seas will be offering a Bahamas seven-day itinerary featuring TWO days at their glorious private island — Perfect Day at Coco Cay — with prices starting at $749 per person, as well as discounted charter flights!
Vision of the Seas is welcoming guests to Bermuda with extended stays in the Royal Naval Dockyard of Bermuda and then a trip to Perfect Day at Coco Cay! What better way to see Bermuda but also experience the fun in the sun of a Royal Caribbean ship as your hotel? These sailings start at $549 per person.
We’re also keeping an eye on potential announcements of departures by Royal Caribbean from Barbados, St. Maarten and Puerto Rico!
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