It was a big week in the cruise industry as Carnival Cruises and Royal Caribbean cruised out of U.S. ports for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began last year. Both lines followed Celebrity Cruises, whose Celebrity Edge cruise ship became the first ship to sail from a U.S. port on June 26th.
The CDC was dealt a fatal blow by a judge who denied keeping their Conditional Sail Order in place but the CDC is not moving on. The CDC now put in a request on Wednesday for the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to issue a stay after U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday refused to put on hold his June 18 ruling that the CDC had overstepped its legal authority in placing restrictions on the cruise industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was not immediately clear Thursday when the appeals court could rule on this request.
Starting September 1st, Costa Rica will start to welcome cruise ships that have at least 95% of passengers who are of age vaccinated. Cruise passengers also must be covered by travel insurance. In the run-up to the reopening, Segura said nine cruise lines have included Costa Rica in their itineraries. Among the group are Windstar Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions, the Seabourn Quest, Celebrity Millenium, Carnival Pride, Crown Princess and Seven Seas Mariner.
Although you are not required to have a vaccine to sail on select Royal Caribbean cruise ship, there are restrictions for cruises ships sailing from Florida. There will be areas of the ship that non-vaccinated passengers cannot access including the casino, spa, Schooner Bar, Viking Crown nightclub, and Solarium pool and bar. Travelers will also be required to show proof of insurance which covers medical and travel-related expenses in the event of illness. According to Royal Caribbean, unvaccinated guests need to have a minimum of $25,000 per person in medical insurance coverage and a $50,000 minimum in travel insurance. The ships sailing out of Florida that this policy would apply are the Odyssey of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas.
Virgin Voyages Cruises postponed its restart date in the U.S. The Scarlet Lady cruise ship is now scheduled to depart Miami on October 6th, 2021. Virgin Voyages postponed the debut of its second ship, the Valiant Lady, from November 2021 to March 2022. The first sailing in March will be from Portsmouth, England.
Disney Cruise Line will introduce an immersive family dining experience called Avengers: Quantum Encounter,” on the Disney Wish cruise ship. Guests will play an interactive role in an action-packed mission during dinner. Diners will follow Ant-Man and The Wasp as they embark on their first public speaking engagement on behalf of the Avengers. Anxious to impress, they are hosting a special presentation of the most powerful Super Hero technologies, such as Captain America’s shield, Iron Man’s arc reactor and Ant-Man’s Pym Particles, giving guests an up-close look at holographic models, field reports and iconic scenes from Marvel movies displayed on the screens surrounding the room.
“We’re doing something that’s never been done before in a restaurant, developing an exclusive Avengers adventure that will immerse our guests in the action through sophisticated technology and innovative storytelling,” Handke said. “It’s the perfect complement to the incredible menu of story-driven dining aboard the Disney Wish.”
The Disney Wish will also have two new dining options. Mickey and Friends Festival of Foods will offer snack, lunch and dinner with signature treats. Marceline Market will be a food hall with 10 food stalls and indoor and outdoor seating. Some of the options will include Mickey’s Smokestack Barbecue, Donald’s Cantina, Daisy’s Pizza Pies, Goofy’s Grill, and Sweet Minnie’s Ice Cream serving Disney’s signature soft-serve ice cream.
Crystal river cruises are back. Travelers can choose from 35 voyages ranging from 7 to 11 nights on the Crystal Ravel or Crystal Debussy riverboats. Crystal said its Christmas Market voyages are already sold out and that there is limited availability on the other 2021 river cruises. All of Crystal’s river ships feature private butler service in every room category, king-sized beds, Caudalie amenities, robes and slippers, and wall-mounted high-definition TVs.
Starting in December of 2023, AMA Waterways river cruises will introduce a custom-built, all-suite riverboat that will cruise the Magdalena River in Colombia. This will be the first luxury riverboat to cruise this region. The ship, to be named AmaMagdalena will be built in Colombia and accommodate 80 to 100 passengers. There will be a choice of 2 itineraries cruising to and from Cartagena and Barranquilla. as well as pre and post-land programs. AmaWaterways stated guests will “enjoy in-depth connections with local nature, wildlife, culture, flavors, and people, as well as activities such as kayaking, hiking, and birdwatching.” The onboard team will include a wellness manager. Reservations are expected to open in November of this year.
Tauck Tours names two godmothers for new the new Andorinha riverboat that will cruise along the Duoro river in Portugal. Two of Tauck’s top executives, each who have been with the company for over 20 years will serve as co-godmothers when Tauck’s new ms Andorinha riverboat is christened next month in the small Portuguese village of Barca de Alva. Tauck President Jennifer Tombaugh and Chief Culture Officer Sharyn Cannon will share the honors. This riverboat was specifically designed to cruise the Douro River. The new ship will accommodate just 84 guests, versus up to 112 passengers (or 33 percent more people) on other cruise lines’ Douro ships of the same approximate size, leading to a more personalized experience. Like other Tauck river cruises, the Andorinha will be staffed by a Tauck cruise director and three Tauck director guides.
Although restrictions in Hawaii are being lifted, NCL cruises have announced that their Hawaii cruises will not resume until November of this year. The NCL Pride of America is the only ship that offers Hawaii cruises year-round. Cruisers can explore the culture, sights, and local flavor of five unique ports including O`ahu, Maui, Hilo, Kona, and Kaua`i. Demand is high for 2022, so if Hawaii is on your bucket list we suggest booking now and taking advantage of the NCL 5 Free offers and Free airfare promotion. Another sure sell-out will be the NCL Prima coming summer 2022.
American Cruise Line was working with the coast guard after it’s American Jazz cruise ship got stuck on a sandbar in Kentucky. The American Jazz was on an eight-day cruise from Memphis to Nashville. American Cruise Lines said the ship was not damaged and that the incident resulted in no pollution to Lake Barkley. For cruises on the Mississippi river and Ohio river consider the Queen of the Mississippi.
Viking Cruises celebrated its latest milestone in its return to service as guests were welcomed on board in Iceland. At the end of June, guests boarded the award-winning Viking Sky in Reykjavík, where the ship will homeport this summer along with sister ship Viking Jupiter. Both ships will sail the new Iceland’s Natural Beauty itinerary through early September 2021. Offered exclusively for vaccinated guests, the voyage currently was the first of 19 sailings roundtrip from Reykjavík. The eight-day circumnavigation of Iceland calls upon coastal towns of Akureyri, Seydisfjördur, Heimaey and more before returning to the capital city. Please note that Iceland is only open to vaccinated travelers at this time.
Join us for an Exclusive Virtual Event with Princess Cruises on Thursday, July 15th. Hosted by John, Chernesky, Senior VP at Princess cruises, and get access to exclusive offers.
The good news is that with both river cruises resuming in Europe, and cruises out of the U.S. as well, there are plenty of cruise deals to take advantage of, so it’s a great time to grab your suitcase and start packing!
