Oh What a Beautiful Morning Today's The Day

 

"We’re Back. Today We Set Sail On the First U.S. Cruise!” 

Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean International CEO couldn't help himself - he burst into song onboard Celebrity Edge as they prepare to sail for the first time from a U.S. port in 15 months.

“This is the first cruise and just one cruise, but it’s the start of something huge,” Fain said.

He equated the transition from winter to spring with that of the cruise industry returning to sailing from U.S. ports. He wanted to tell us that there would be smooth sailing and that he had all the answers from the CDC and ports of call, but he admitted that there's still a lot of uncertainty.  

“For example, we’re still not 100 percent sure about the specific protocols on specific sailings. Here in Florida we still don’t understand all the implications about the law about vaccination documentation,” Fain said.   He did indicate that 90% of passengers surveyed have either been vaccinated or intend to be, and that they are ready to resume cruising.

He thanked "all the people that helped us get to this amazing day".  He thanked the crews that stepped up repeatedly to get crews home safe and keep ships safe and operational.  He also thanked them for implementing the new protocols which build confidence that passengers will have a healthy and fun-filled experience back onboard their ships.

He also thanked passengers who have booked and rebooked cruises, some multiple times, with hopes that their cruise would sail.  "Up until now those hopes had been dashed but they were never crushed".

Finally, he thanked the travel partners for their efforts to keep their business strong during these tough times.  He mentioned that phones are beginning to ring again "and that's a happy sound for all of us". "Together we are going to get our way back to cruising".

 

He reported that he will be on Freedom of the Seas next weekend as well as that ship has it's first revenue sailing, having successfully completed the CDC mandated test cruise this past weekend.

Yes, Richard, this is a beautiful morning, and we are grateful that you have been at the helm, getting us to this historic day in the cruise industry.  Thank you and the entire Royal Caribbean family for all that you personally did to make this possible.

Watch this video for his complete remarks:

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 for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Starting July 7, 2021 our new time will be 4 PM Eastern

CDC Committed to Summer Cruising

 

click images to enlarge

Updated May 5, 2021

CDC Issues Phases 2B and 3 of the Conditional Sailing Order (Read CDC release including Technical Instructions for phases)

Below is a high level summary of the update.  Note that cruise lines can speed up the process by sailing with crew 98% vaccinated and passengers 95% vaccinated (which basically means children under 18 aren't vaccinated but adults are).

CDC Committed to Cruise Resumption in Summertime

In today's trade briefing with Celebrity Cruises, we were told about the latest update from the CDC regarding the resumption of cruises out of the United States.  The news is very promising.

In a letter to the cruise industry, CDC on Wednesday covered five parts of the phased approach to the safe resumption of cruises out of the U.S.  

Test Cruises

The phased Conditional Sail Order (CSO) had provisions for "test cruises" before a cruise line could begin revenue sailings.  The cruise line would submit plans and results of their test cruises and the CDC would respond in 30/60 days.   They have reduced the requirement to a 5 day response and furthermore removed the need for test cruises if the following vaccination policy is in place.

Vaccinations

While the CDC can't mandate vaccinations, they are highly recommended and the cruise lines plan to implement the requirement in order to speed up the process of resumption of cruising.  The requirements shown in the chart above are for 98% of the crew to be vaccinated and 95% of the guests.  In Celebrity Cruises case, the crew will be 100% vaccinated and they will be requiring guests 18 or over be vaccinated, so they will be able to meet the 95% requirement.

Crew Travel

There is a color code in the CSO which comes into play for crew embarking on a vessel.  We won't go into details here since this is internal to cruise line operations and not of concern to passengers. The new rules makes it easier for cruise line operations.

Port Support

The CSO calls for the cruise lines to have contingency plans in place in the event there is an outbreak of cases onboard a ship, which is highly unlikely.  The update from the CDC allows nearby ports to work together to provide the necessary capacities that are required.

Returning Home

Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company for Celebrity Cruises, has already have 150,000 passengers sail successfully this year.  There were a total of 7 cases of COVID-19 among all those passengers.  There was no disruption, unlike the problems that happened in the early days of the pandemic before much was known about the disease.

What happens if a passenger tests positive for COVID-19 and must leave the ship?   How do they return home?

If they are local to the port, they can simply drive home.  If they need to fly home, the airline has rules which require quarantine.  They will be quarantined in a local hotel and then allowed to fly home after that period expires.   Your airline or travel professional can help you understand this requirement.

What Will Cruise Experience be Like

Celebrity Cruises (and others) are striving to make the cruise experience as good or better than pre-COVID-19.  The crew are very anxious to get back to work, and will go out of their way to make your voyage a great experience.   Here are just a few ways that this will occur:

• The ships will be operating at 50-60% capacity, while the crew is at 100%, meaning more crew to assist you
• Additional show performances will be added to allow for social distancing, meaning less crowds
• You'll still be able to enjoy a buffet meal, but the crew will serve you instead of you picking out the food yourself, meaning you won't have someone's grubby hands in your food
• Shore excursions may be limited to those offered by the cruise line (depending on the requirements imposed by the ports visited - this is still a work in progres)
• You'll still be able to relax in the spa and enjoy other ship amenities
• In accordance with CDC guidance, other safety measures, including COVID testing, mask use and social distancing will remain important on ships, regardless of whether passengers are vaccinated
• Any COVID-19 testing required onboard (embarkation / disembarkation) will be handled by the cruise line (rules may vary based on destination and cruise line - consult your travel professional).

Traveling This Summer & Beyond

Speaking of  "beyond".  Besides this exciting news from the CDC, Celebrity Cruises unveiled their newest Edge-class ship Celebrity Beyond which will begin sailing one year from now.  In addition, there are several options to sail out of non-U.S. ports of call starting this June.  

Celebrity Cruises Itineraries

Celebrity Cruises has partnered with medical and scientific advisors from their Healthy Sail Panel, Global Head of Public Health and Chief Medical Officer; and local health and government authorities to guide them in the development of their protocols. These measures include reduced capacities, enhanced cleaning and sanitation. and physical distancing. For more information see Announcing our Return to Sailing.

We are also committed to a safe resumption of travel, not just cruising.  We participate in weekly update calls with all our travel partners so that we can bring you the very latest information to help you plan you return to travel.  Please see our Travel Safety Program.

We will be conducting virtual information sessions.  If you'd like to be on our mailing list please contact us.

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

MSC Summer Cruises Announced

 Sail the Mediterranean This Summer

Cruise lines continue to announce itineraries originating from non-U.S. homeports as CDC continues to impose different rules on the cruise industry.  The latest announcement will have half of their fleet sailing over the next three months and has already been safely sailing since August.

MSC Cruises today announced new and updated itineraries in the Mediterranean and across Europe for this coming summer, offering guests plenty of options for the upcoming holiday season. The ships offering these now fully confirmed itineraries will operate under the same industry-leading health and safety protocol that has been safely protecting over 60,000 MSC Cruises guests sailing on the line’s ships in the Mediterranean since August 2020.

Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said, 

“Today we have clarity on which European destinations and ports will initially be open this summer and we have fully reflected this into a first set of new and updated itineraries for the upcoming season so that guests can book their holidays with us with confidence. The entire MSC Cruises team and I look forward to welcoming both returning and new guests on board one of our ships that will be at sea this summer and to provide them with a memorable, relaxing and, above all, safe holiday.

 “Plus, I am confident that in the coming weeks we will be able to further enrich some of these itineraries as well as add more ships with new ones, as more ports and tourist destinations, in particular in Spain and France, become available to receive ships and visitors.”

Three ships in the West Mediterranean, calling Italy and Malta

• MSC Grandiosa. The 4,842-passenger ship will extend its current seven-night sailings out of Genoa, Italy, that feature calls at Civitavecchia (the port for Rome), Naples and Palermo, Italy, as well as Valletta, Malta. The Spanish ports of Valencia and Barcelona eventually will be added to the ship’s itinerary as soon as these destinations confirm their availability. 
• MSC Seaside. The 4,132-passenger ship will sail out of Genoa starting May 1 with calls at Siracusa, Taranto and Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) in Italy; Valetta, Malta. The ship’s itinerary will then be enriched with calls to the French port of Marseille as soon as its availability is confirmed. MSC Cruises will introduce a special private beach experience in Taranto, exclusively for the ship’ guests.
• MSC Seashore. The 4,132-passenger vessel will sail out of Genoa starting on Aug. 1 on a seven-night itinerary featuring calls at Naples and Messina, Italy, Valletta; Barcelona; and Marseille.

Three ships in the East Mediterranean, calling Italy, Greece, Croatia and Montenegro 

• MSC Orchestra will now depart on 5 June offering guests embarkation in the Italian ports of Venice on Saturdays, Bari on Sundays and then call at the Greek Islands of Corfu, Mykonos as well as Dubrovnik in Croatia. 
• MSC Splendida will commence sailing from 12 June with embarkation in Trieste, Italy on Saturdays and in Bari on Tuesdays, calling at Dubrovnik in Croatia, Corfu in Greece and Kotor in Montenegro. 
• MSC Magnifica  will sail from 20 June with embarkation in the Italian ports of Venice on Sundays, Bari on Mondays and Piraeus for Athens on Wednesdays, then calling at the Greek Island of Mykonos and Split, Croatia.

UK Domestic Cruises (British Residents Only) 

• MSC Virtuosa will perform her inaugural season in the UK and offer mini cruises from Southampton calling at Portland in Dorset on the Jurassic coast. From 12 June she will operate 7-night cruises from Southampton with embarkation in Liverpool, Greenock for Glasgow and also calling at Portland and Belfast in Northern Ireland.

Germany, Northern Europe 

• MSC Seaview will homeport in Kiel, Germany starting on 19 June replacing MSC Virtuosa 
• MSC Preziosa is planned to depart on 21 June from Hamburg, Germany 
• MSC Musica will depart on 20 June from Warnemunde, Germany, if the German ports are open

Mr Onorato added, 

“We are extremely proud to be in a position to offer our guests and travel agent partners for the coming summer a growing choice of cruise holidays to a range of different destinations across the Mediterranean and Europe. We will be featuring some of our most innovative and more modern vessels in our fleet. And to make it even easier and safer for our guests to reach our ships from closer to their homes, all our itineraries will feature additional ports of embarkation. In the Mediterranean alone, MSC Cruises will offer its guests up to 15 ports of embarkation."

 “Albeit these ships represent only an initial portion of our fleet, they include our two latest jewels, MSC Virtuosa and MSC Seashore, both of which will have come into service for the first time in 2021. Their presence in this next phase of the return at sea of our fleet in the coming weeks represent our belief in the continued attractiveness for consumer of cruises as a holiday option. This is why we have confirmed our plans of new builds for the coming years and are looking forward to a gradual return at se of our full fleet in the coming months into the winter season."

MSC Cruises also confirmed the cancellation of its Caribbean sailings from ports in the USA up to and including 30 June, like many other cruise lines.

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

Additional Homeport Announcements

 

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) on Tuesday announced that it would kick off its return to service in July with itineraries in both Europe and The Caribbean with deployment of three ships -  Jade, Joy, and Gem.

Norwegian Jade will sail from Athens, offering seven-day Greek Isles cruises beginning July 25

Norwegian Joy follows with weeklong cruises from Montego Bay, Jamaica, starting Aug. 7

Norwegian Gem will sail from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on Aug. 15

Minors who have not yet been eligible to be vaccinated will not be permitted to sail on these voyages. Minors who have been fully vaccinated are welcome to sail.

“Over a year after we initially suspended sailings, the time has finally come when we can provide our loyal guests with the news of our great cruise comeback," said Norwegian Cruise Line's President and Chief Executive Officer Harry Sommer.

 
"We have been working diligently towards our resumption of operations, focusing on the guest experience with health and safety at the forefront. The growing availability of the COVID-19 vaccine has been a game changer. The vaccine, combined with our science-backed health and safety protocols, will help us provide our guests with what we believe will be the healthiest and safest vacation at sea."

On Tuesday, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, submitted its plan to the CDC to return to service in the U.S. in July. Norwegian will also sail these cruises with those same set of protocols (Sail Safe) which includes universal testing, a staggered embarkation process, a face mask requirement for all guests while indoors, contactless foodservice ship-wide, and more.

 

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