Wanna Cruise Let Your Voice Be Heard

Royal Caribbean held their 51st Coffee Talk with travel agents this week with invited guests from Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) discussing actions being taken to start the economic recovery of the cruise industry with new health and safety protocols in place.

Kelly Craighead, President & CEO of CLIA and Charles Sylvia, a CLIA Vice President, outlined their Ready, Set, Sail Campaign to communicate the industry's desire for responsible resumption of U.S. cruise operations by this summer.   

Ready, Set, Sail

Click to Enlarge

How Can I Help?

We are glad you asked.  Two minutes of your time is all it takes to send a message to Congress thru the CLIA Action Center.  You fill in your information and based on your location, it will pre-populate the proper contacts.  You can customize your message by adding your personal impact / story or use the default message.  

Why contact Congress?  CDC falls under the Department of Health and Human Services, so that is the "chain of command" that needs to get involved.  

Click for CLIA Action Center

Do You Love Cruising - Spread the Word

CDC published the Conditional Sail Order (CSO) last October but to date hasn't provided guidance on how to move through the various phases.   Their recent statement fell short of industry expectations.  There has been a lot of press since that statement, as it is unclear what exactly needs to happen to resume operations in the U.S.

There have been 400,000 passengers sailing during the pandemic in other parts of the world with only 50 reported COVID-19 cases.  Following the new protocols the cruise lines put in place, these cases were mitigated successfully, demonstrating the industry is ready to resume operations.

Click on the CLIA Action Center, send your message, and share with your friends, family, and co-workers and ask them to participate as well.  It is open to all - as this issue impacts not only travel agents, cruise lines, and crew, but it has far reaching impact on port communities, cab / limo drivers, port employees, local businesses, the hospitality industry, etc.   

You can send messages multiple times as messaging will change depending on the current situation.  Here are key messages of the current communication initiative.   

Click to Enlarge

We continue to monitor changes in cruise itineraries, cancellations, requirements to sail, etc.  Follow us on any of our social media and this blog to stay informed.   We hope to be sailing on the high seas soon.

Stay Updated on Recent 

Cruise Industry 

& Other Travel News

Click Image for Related Posts

Connect With Us On

       

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

CDC Releases Next Phase to Resume Cruising

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the next phase of technical guidance under the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) requiring cruise lines to establish agreements at ports where they intend to operate, implement routine testing of crew, and develop plans incorporating vaccination strategies to reduce the risk of introduction and spread of COVID-19 by crew and passengers.  

This phase, the second of the CSO issued in October 2020, provides technical instructions on: 

• Increasing from weekly to daily the reporting frequency of COVID-19 cases and illnesses.
• Implementing routine testing of all crew based on each ship’s color status. 
• Updating the color-coding system used to classify ships’ status with respect to COVID-19.
• Decreasing the time needed for a “red” ship to become “green” from 28 to 14 days based on the availability of onboard testing, routine screening testing protocols, and daily reporting. 
• Creating planning materials for agreements that port authorities and local health authorities must approve to ensure cruise lines have the necessary infrastructure in place to manage an outbreak of COVID-19 on their ships to include healthcare capacity and housing to isolate infected people and quarantine those who are exposed. 
• Establishing a plan and timeline for vaccination of crew and port personnel. 

The next phase of the CSO will include simulated (trial) voyages that will allow crew and port personnel to practice new COVID-19 operational procedures with volunteers before sailing with passengers. 

CDC is committed to working with the cruise industry and seaport partners to resume cruising when it is safe to do so, following the phased approach outlined in the CSO. 

COVID-19 vaccination efforts will be critical in the safe resumption of passenger operations. As more people are fully vaccinated, the phased approach allows CDC to incorporate these advancements into planning for resumption of cruise ship travel when it is safe to do so. CDC recommends that all eligible port personnel and travelers (passengers and crew) get a COVID-19 vaccine when one is available to them. 

Cruising safely and responsibly during a global pandemic is difficult. While cruising will always pose some risk of COVID-19 transmission, following the phases of the CSO will ensure cruise ship passenger operations are conducted in a way that protects crew members, passengers, and port personnel, particularly with emerging COVID-19 variants of concern. 

CDC will continue to update its guidance and recommendations to specify basic safety standards and public health interventions based on the best scientific evidence available. For more information about COVID-19 and cruise ships, please visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/cruise-ship/what-cdc-is-doing.html and www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise.

Connect With Us On

        

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Urge Congress to Resume Cruising

 CLIA URGING CONGRESS TO RESUME SAILING

YOUR VOICE MATTERS

Use your voice to tell Congress to urge the Biden Administration to lift the Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) and allow cruising to resume in the U.S. by the beginning of July 2021! Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has posted a form on their website asking that member agents and others contact their Congressmen to allow cruising to resume from U.S. ports in time for Summer. Here is information from the website which is the basis for this ask:

"Much has changed since the CDC issued the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) last fall, including the cruise industry's proven success resuming operations in other parts of the world, where nearly 400,000 passengers have sailed since last summer. With the vaccine rollout gaining momentum and President Biden's projection that the U.S. will be “closer to normal” by early July, the case for the resumption of cruising in the U.S. has never been stronger.

The CSO, which was issued in October 2020, does not reflect these important developments. More than a year has passed since U.S. cruise operations were suspended and preparing a cruise ship to sail again will take some time—approximately 90 days, to be exact—which means that cruise lines must start planning NOW if they are going to resume operations by July."

CDC responded to CLIA's request by indicating that the CSO end date remains the same at this time.  

Your voice is IMPORTANT and NEEDED! 

If you are ready to see cruising treated like other sectors of travel and tourism and on track to resume in the U.S. by July 2021, please take a moment to call, email, and/or Tweet your Senators and U.S. Representatives to let them know!   CLIA has made it easy for with this online form.

Stay Updated on Recent 

Cruise Industry 

& Other Travel News

Click Image for Related Posts

Connect With Us On

       

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Plan a Royal Summer

We’re thrilled to announce that cruising is BACK! Beginning in June 2021, departures will resume as Royal Caribbean introduces Adventure of the Seas® to her new homeport of Nassau, Bahamas and Vision of the Seas® sets sail from Bermuda.

Offering weeklong getaways, vacationers can enjoy a day in Cozumel, Mexico, as well as an island-hopping sampler of popular Bahamian ports – including Grand Bahama Island and two consecutive days at our very own private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay. You can also get a chance to venture into Maya history during a visit to Cozumel. And unwind on Grand Bahama Island’s beautiful white-sand beaches. Island time is now. 

Health & Safety Requirements - Adventure

These exciting new itineraries will set sail June through August 2021, inviting fully vaccinated guests 18 years of age and older, as well as children under the age of 18 with proof of negative COVID-19 test results. Rest-assured, the well-being of our guests and crew remains a top-priority and we look forward to a gradual and safe return to cruising. 

 As we return to sea, your health and safety remains Royal Caribbean's top priority. They’ve partnered with expert medical and scientific minds to guide them in developing protocols to protect you and the ones you love. And they are working with local health authorities in  homeport countries to ensure  guests meet current inbound travel requirements. 

Read more about their Healthy Sail Panel and their efforts as well as their Cruise with Confidence policies.

Beginning June 26, 2021, you can enjoy a much-needed 7-night getaway soaking up the sun on Bermuda's pink-sand beaches and keep the vacation going after dark, as well as an adventure-packed day at our private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas. 

Health & Safety Requirements - Vision

The safety of our guests, crew and the communities we visit is at the forefront of our resumption to cruising. For that reason, travel requirements are quickly evolving and may vary by port and country of departure. 

For Vision itineraries from Bermuda, we look forward to welcoming fully vaccinated guests 18 years of age and older, as well as children under the age of 18 with proof of negative COVID-19 test results. Details on additional health and safety measures will be announced at a later date.

Capacity Controlled - Book Early

As your professional travel advisor, I'm here to help take your travel dreams and turn them into a reality while demystifying the new protocols which are in place.   Plans are very fluid, sometimes changing daily.   Take the worry out of keeping updated on the ever-changing requirements and focus completely on having a great vacation.    Call me today to start planning your dream vacation.

Connect With Us On

       

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat