What Does The Cdc Have To Say
Each ship in each fleet must request and be granted permission to sail to and from U.S. ports of call under the CDC’s conditional sailing framework.
In order to be granted that permission, cruise lines must conduct non-revenue test voyages for each vessel. On these sailings, new protocols will be tested with the help of volunteer cruisers.
So far, no test sailings have happened. There has been no word yet on when they will take place, but cruise lines say the CDC must first provide additional guidance.
In the meantime, several major cruise lines and the Cruise Lines International Association have pushed the CDC to either scrap its conditional sailing order or speed up the release of its particulars. Led by Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida has also filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Federal Government, citing its failure to allow cruises to restart in a timely manner.
Following Alaska’s filing of a similar lawsuit and the proposal of two bills at the federal level that would allow cruise lines to bypass the CDC, the agency sent a letter to lines, indicating that voyages could resume as soon as mid-July 2021.
Final Thoughts: 10 Big Changes To Cruising As They Start Up Permanent And Temporary
Weve gone through changes to cruising that will be both permanent and temporary. Although its hard to see it now, its very likely that cruise travel is going to be safer and better than ever when it does return.
What do you think of the changes to cruises that well see as they start again? Are there other changes that you think are going to happen? Please let me know in the comments below.
Happy future cruising!
Ilana xoxo
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But Didn’t Some People On That Cruise Test Positive For Covid
Yes, two passengers who shared a cabin tested positive for COVID-19 on June 10. The passengers, who were asymptomatic, were isolated, and a few others who had come into recent contact with them had to remain in their cabins while they were tested. Kosciolek was one of the people who had contact, and she wrote about her experience. No one else ended up testing positive by the end of the trip.
Stewart Chiron, a travel expert known as The Cruise Guy, also was onboard the Millennium. In an email he told me that despite the positive tests, he felt Celebrity’s safety protocols worked well. “The mood on Celebrity Millennium after the captain’s evening announcement didn’t change anything onboard. Passengers continued to enjoy normal activities including dinners, shows, lounges, casino, shopping and having fun.”
Following a change in federal law, Alaska cruises will be able to sail from Seattle to the Last Frontier without stopping in Canada.
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Discovering St James’ Way Itinerary
A discovery of ancient pilgrims’ route is the highlight of one of Saga’s holidays – it runs from southern France over the Pyrenees, ending in Santiago de Compostela. Discover St James way with Saga. Along the Way, visit ancient cities and villages do not do the hard work, walking in pilgrims’ footsteps. Look out for highlights as Gaudi’s fairytale Episcopal Palace stay in Pamplona – evoked by Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises taste wine in La Rioja’s bodega see the cathedral cities of Logrono, Burgos, Leon. For 12 nights, prices start at GBP 899. Among the many inclusions are additional cancellation cover and travel insurance, all breakfasts, ten dinners. You will be accompanied by an experienced Saga manager throughout.
Holland America: Resume Sailing July 24
Holland America suspended departures around the world through July 2021, after pausing back in March 2020. But at the end of July the cruise line will make its return, with a cruise sailing from Seattle.
The cruise line will start sailing to Alaska from Seattle, beginning on July 24 aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam. From there the line will return to sailing around the world, including Greece, Italy, Spain, and more U.S. departures later in the year.
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Cruise Ship Ports Open Or Closed
The biggest uncontrollable unknown will be ports will they be open, accept ships and have staff available to process passengers while also keeping their city, town, country safe? Will they remain closed to mega-ships? What government changes will need to be adopted in order for a ship to dock and spill out their guests for a few hours a day? Will you want to be on a cruise to nowhere if ports arent open?
Set Expectation: Itineraries may change enroute. Ports may close and deny docking. Ships may visit their private island more. Dont have your heart set on any one destination/port.
Carnival Cruise Lines: Resumed Sailing July 3
Carnival — arguably the world’s most famous cruise line — wasn’t the first cruise line to return to sailing from the United States. However, it was among the earliest to return.
Its first cruise from the U.S. departed Galveston on July 3, 2021 aboard Carnival Vista. It was followed the next day by Carnival Horizon, sailing from Miami. Now the cruise line plans to have 15 ships sailing by the end of October, with the vast majority of passengers sailing vaccinated.
- Carnival Vista from Galveston sailing July 3
- Carnival Horizon from Miami sailing July 4
- Carnival Breeze from Galveston sailing July 15
- Carnival Miracle from Seattle sailing July 27 through September 14
- Carnival Magic from Port Canaveral sailing August 7
- Carnival Sunrise from Miami sailing August 14
- Carnival Panorama from Long Beach sailing August 21
- Carnival Glory from New Orleans sailing September 5
- Carnival Pride from Baltimore sailing September 12
- Carnival Dream from Galveston sailing September 19
- Carnival Miracle from Long Beach sailing September 27
- Carnival Conquest from Miami sailing October 8
- Carnival Freedom from Miami sailing October 9
- Carnival Elation from Port Canaveral sailing October 11
- Carnival Sensation from Mobile sailing October 21
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When Will Carnival Cruise Ships Sail Again
It has been more than a year since cruise lines voluntarily halted sailings, and cruisers are wondering when Carnival ships will resume voyages.
Since late 2020, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s sailing ban expired, there have been several new developments — conditional sailing framework requirements, vaccination roll-outs and an extension of Canada’s no-sail order.
So, when will Carnival Cruise Line ships sail again? Here’s what we know right now.
Temperature At Check In On Cruises
Anyone can fill out the paper health form and lie about being sick in the past 24 hours to two weeks. Relying on people to be honest after theyve paid thousands for a vacation and could be limited or denied boarding isnt the best option in my experience.
I think the cruise lines will require proof of vaccination and continue to do a temperature check upon boarding at each port and at the end of the cruise. Every time you swipe your keycard, you will undergo a temperature check. To accomplish this will require staggered times to limit the crowds and delays and massive staffing increase. Cruise lines will need to establish procedures for those with a fever at each port.
Set Expectations: What are your plans if you are denied boarding? Confined to your cabin because a family member is flagged?
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Airline Schedules To Cruise Port Cities
Airlines will also need to have flights available. Many airlines have drastically scaled back their schedules and equipment to limit travel. Can they quickly ramp up service once the cruise line cities are back on line. Summer months would mean Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Seattle, New York are main cruise ports, Fall ports are limited to Florida generally. Seats may be limited for a while I rarely recommend buying flights from the cruise line, given the current environment, its best to research and consider their options as they handle arrangements.
Set Expectation: Airports are still open and flights are drastically curtailed. Fly out the day before your cruise sails in case of delays or flight cancellations. You dont want to literally miss the boat on this one.
Embarkation Procedures And Health Screenings
When cruises resume, cruise ships will likely implement a staggered embarkation. This means that guests will likely have a set time to arrive so that we all dont show up at the same time and that we arent stuck in a large crowd at the cruise terminal for boarding.
Part of the embarkation and boarding procedures, is that there will be health screenings. Theyre always were health screenings but they but they will be more stringent for everyone health and safety.
Having a more thorough pre-embarkation health screening makes sense to ensure passengers are healthy before boarding the cruise ship, and perhaps during.
However, its possible that these screenings and health declaration forms change and adapt based on new knowledge that cruise lines and the health experts and authorities know with time.
As an example, weve heard that temperature taking will be the norm but time will tell if this is the most effective way to screen passengers for illnesses.
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Princess Cruises: Resume Sailing July 25
Princess has been the cruise line perhaps most impacted by the crisis. At least two of its ships had virus outbreaks in the early days of the crisis, leading to headlines around the world.
It also made the news by being the first major cruise line to announce a voluntary suspension of cruising, which was quickly followed by other lines. Princess originally announced it would stop all cruises from March 12 through May 10, 2020. Of course, that’s now been extended multiple times.
Princess paused operations through most of July, but now plans to sail from Alaska, departing Seattle starting July 25 aboard Majestic Princess — 500 days after stopping sailing in 2020.
What Safety Measures Will Be In Place
With coronavirus measures constantly changing, it is difficult to predict exactly what cruises will look like, especially in the United States.
Last year, the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry group that represents most of the largest cruise companies, announced a mandatory set of health protocols that will be implemented as part of a phased-in resumption of operations.
The core elements include:
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What Will Sailing Innovations Look Like
When cruising does return, we will step off the gangway into a different world. Its shape is becoming clearer as cruise lines begin to tentatively reveal what might change.
Screening will be prevalent and rigorous.
Many cruise lines, big, medium, and small, have already announced preliminary plans for future voyages. Princess Cruises has a new “Cruise with Confidence” program. Pre-boarding checks may include “a thermal scan to check temperatures, and in some cases secondary screenings,” per their website. Crystal Cruises also has new protocols, including temperature testing, detailed pre-boarding health questionnaires, and denial of boarding to anyone who has traveled recently to countries identified by the CDC as having a recent outbreak of Covid-19.
Cruise lines might adopt a strategy similar to that of Emirates airline, which already conducts rapid-result Covid-19 tests on embarking passengers. Industry watchers predict something even more stringent. “Imagine this,” one insider suggested: you open a kit in your cabin, swab cheek, seal the swab, submit the test to a medical steward. A negative reading validates your lanyard card for the day. A positive one cancels it and sends you to the ships doctor and likely quarantine.
Social distancing will rule.
For all ships, other measures might include:
- Fewer passengers per cruise. The term “50% of capacity” is bandied about in cruise world, but that will likely vary.
Cleaning will be supercharged.
To mask or not to mask?
The Cdc Must Lift No Sail Order
At this time, there is a no sail order put in place by the CDC which is set to expire on July 24. However, there are conditions that need to be met. The CDC has stated that there are particular issues with cruise ships versus land vacations, that need more attention.
At this time cruise lines are working on plans to meet the CDCs requirements and come up with a comprehensive plan. The CDC has been vocal in stating that if they believe there is still concern for public health, they can extend this no sail order.
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Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line
Original Update: The cruise line which is based out of West Palm Beach, Florida has remained silent through early 2021. Announced on April 9, the small cruise line will make a comeback with short cruises to the Bahamas starting on July 2, 2021.
Update 1: In a recent development from Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, Grand Classica has been approved by the CDC to operated a simulated voyage. The ship will depart on June 25 on a 2-night test cruise to stress test health protocols as per the CDC Conditional Sailing Order requirements.
Update 2: In early July, the cruise line altered its return to service date and its planned simulated cruise. The test cruise finally departed out of West Palm Beach, Florida on July 13 with cruises officially restarting from July 16.
Cruises Resume:
Itinerary Of Saga Cruises
SAGA UK’s cruise Itineraries and shore excursions are designed mainly for adults. The company has 60+ years of holiday travel experience in Europe. The company used to charter two older boats, but since 2021 operates a small fleet of two newbuilds – Spirit of Adventure and Spirit of Discovery.
Saga also owns two newbuild riverboats – Spirit of the Rhine and Spirit of the Danube .
SAGA’s free shuttle bus service is available if you want to explore independently – the shuttle will take you to the nearest city center or town. The service is offered if the distance between Saga ship and the city is over 500 yards. At ports of call, you will have a choice of exciting optional excursions. Saga representatives accompany cruisers on the coach. Saga Cruises company is sending a detailed booklet a few weeks before the cruise which gives the chance for pre-booking. If you prefer so, you can also visit the Tours and Travel Office onboard and Saga staff will book the preferred tours for you, if available.
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When Will Cruises Really Start Again 7 Things To Know
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As cruise lines have extended their suspension of cruises yet again, its led many cruisers to ask, when will we really sail again?
In a latest round of cruise cancellations, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Norwegian Cruise Lines have joined Carnival Cruises in cancelling cruises up until the end of July. Now, these cruise lines have set August 1 as the projected date that cruises will resume.
Still other cruise lines, such as Virgin Voyages, have suspended all cruises until October.
So, when will really cruises start again? Is August 1 a realistic date for cruises to resume?
We may all have predictions, but frankly, none of us has a crystal ball. However, for cruises to start up again, there are a few things that have to happen.
Summer Around Britain 2021 Itineraries
In late-March 2021, SAGA announced a revised ex-UK 2021 summer programme with 4 all-inclusive cruise itineraries and also opened for booking Spirit of Adventure‘s Maiden Voyage.
All itineraries are roundtrips from homeport London-Tilbury England.
- 14-night “Great British Isles Adventure” itinerary leaves on July 11 and visits Falmouth, Holyhead, Belfast, Greenock-Glasgow, Ullapool, Kirkwall, Newhaven, Newcastle, with included tours in Kirkwall, Belfast, Edinburgh, Newcastle. Balcony cabin prices start from GBP 3375 per person with double occupancy.
- 6-night “Northern Isles to the Fjords” itinerary departs on July 3 and July 25, and visits Kirkwall, Sognefjord , Lerwick, Stornoway, Scrabster, with included tours in Lerwick and Kirkwall. Balcony cabin prices start from GBP 1540 pp.
- 6-night “Scottish Highlands and Islands” itinerary departs on June 27, visiting Lerwick, Scrabster, Invergordon, with included tours in Invergordon and Lerwick. Balcony cabin prices start from GBP 1155 pp.
- 15-night “The Inaugural Cruise on Spirit of Adventure” itinerary departs on July 26 and visits Newcastle, Newhaven, Dundee, Kirkwall, Ullapool, St Kilda, Greenock, Belfast, Douglas, Holyhead, Bristol, Falmouth, and ends in Dover. Tours are included in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Belfast, Bristol. Balcony cabin prices start from GBP 3460 pp.
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The Restart Is Underway
The restart of cruise operations is underway by multiple cruise lines already and more will begin resuming through the remainder of 2021. The two largest cruise lines for Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have already restarted with a limited number of ships from the US as the situation theres is moving forward quickly.
The Celebrity Edge cruise ship owned by Royal Caribbean group became the first to restart operations with regular passengers from the US which departed on June 26 out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Freedom of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean International, was the first cruise ship to be approved for a test sailing at the end of June. That was then followed by the vessel resuming out of Miami, Florida on July 2, 2021.
When it comes to Carnival Cruise Line, as of July 21, a total of three ships have already restarted sailings. Carnival Vista was the first to resume in the fleet when she departed Galveston, Texas on July 3, 2021. Carnival Horizon was then the second in the fleet to resume when the ship departed out of Miami, Florida on July 4, 2021. Carnival Breeze was then the third in the fleet and resume from the Port of Galveston on July 15.
In Canada, the situation has just recently made a major step forward towards reopening for cruise ships. On July 15, the government announced that from that have a capacity of over 100. As long as cruise lines follow the health protocols, then they will be able to resume from that date.