Cruising after Covid 19 is a topic that changes from week to week. Cruises are going to have a variety of changes and restrictions. In addition the the actual shutdown of specific cruises, there’s also travel restrictions for most Americans as well. Canada is effectively closed for the near future to cruise ships. Europe currently has a ban on U.S. travelers for most purposes.

While I would love to be sending you an email with lots of great travel deals, I think we still need to wait a bit.  Most of the cruise industry executives are saying they should be back at full capacity by summer 2021.  I hope they are right.  We are inching closer to a vaccine and rapid testing which are going to be the keys to safely cruising again.

Cruises On Hold

This week Seadream made the news by having their well planned covid sailing strategy go south on their first sailing from Barbados.  They took all the recommended precautions and someone still brought the virus on the boat.  It can happen anywhere.  Based on some new information from the military and their tracking of new recruits, they found that taking temperatures and tracking where people had been made little or no impact.  The only thing that seems to make a difference is testing.  If we can get to a point where covid testing can be done in the same time as a pregnancy test, travel becomes much safer and realistic.

Even with numbers going up, the travel industry is making progress in allowing people to travel safely.  If Disney World is a good indicator of the state of the industry, they just got approval to go from 25% occupancy to 35% occupancy.  
Stay safe, stay tuned.
Rob

Here are a few “Return to Sail” Dates For Cruise Lines. (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

  • Seadream will begin sailing in 2021.
  • Carnival is expected to resume most sailings in June 2021
  • Celebrity is currently sailing starting June 5, 2021
  • Disney cruises are phasing in the Dream on June 6, Wonder July 9, and Fantasy Jun 3
  • Holland America is TBD because of the current issue with Canada for Alaska sailings
  • MSC is right around the corner on May 1
  • NCL is expected to resume sailing July 1, 2021
  • Oceania Cruises are expected to resume July 1, 2021
  • Princess has some cruises starting May 14 but others are staggered through November 1
  • Silversea will be returning to cruising beginning June 1, 2021
  • American Queen Steamboat Company is sailing beginning in May but they are implementing a new policy that everyone must have been vaccinated beginning July 1
  • Regent Seven Seas Cruises are currently expected to start sailing again July 1
  • Royal Caribbean is now scheduled to start sailing on June 12
  • Windstar Cruises will start a phased rollout starting June 1