Cruising is Back !!!

The great news we have all been waiting for... Cruise is back (and so is many other types of travel)

Of course its a bit more complicated than that, but it is a great start.  Cruises have been sailing for a while from various international ports, and more are coming, and closer to home (North America).  Just announces are cruises from the Bahamas, St Marteen, Bermuda, and soon to be more.

Why the change in homeports?
The US still has restrictions on cruises in US waters.  There has been an industry call to end those restrictions July 1st, but time will tell if that happens.  So building on the existing success throughout the world, the cruise lines have decided to move some of their ships outside of US waters.

Is it safe?
Of the cruises that have been running, over 350,000 people have sailed without significant issue.  Royal Caribbean Group has said that they have carried 100,000 people with only 10 discovered positive cases.  None of those cases ruined the cruise for others.  They were identified, isolated, and well taken care of.  The rest of the passengers continued on as normal.   PLUS, this was before vaccines.  It will only get better with vaccines.

Do I need a vaccine?
Well, right now many cruises have the vaccine requirement.  It has been suggested that at some point it will no longer be needed.  However, the newest batch of cruises announced have required them for all adult passengers, and all crew.  Vaccines are a complicated issue for some people, and we can discuss your options.  There are some exceptions to the requirement, but they are case by case.  We can help you navigate that process.

What about masks, distancing, etc.?
The covid situation is rapidly changing, in most cases improving.  Rules are adapting, and changing to the new conditions.  It is hard to specifically predict the requirements for cruises that sail 2+ months from now. (Several cruise lines have not released specific plans because of the rapid pace of change).  Keep in mind that the CDC has issued updated guidance regarding a loosening of restrictions if you are among others who are also vaccinated... so masks, and massive social distancing seems unlikely, though in some cases it may still be necessary. It's simply too early to say for sure.

What about tours, river cruises, etc?
There are a lot of variables.  In many cases operators are getting ready to go, and will be ready as soon as they have permission.  The local and national rules are dictating much of the timing.  Once we are allowed back into Europe, tours and river cruises will resume rapidly.  Disneyland is opening at the end of April, and most of the US based travel products are or soon will be running. 

With all the changes, and the updates nearly daily... it has never been more important to have a travel professional support you... and since we don't charge any fees, it will never cost you more than booking yourself, or directly though the vendor. (Often times it cost less to use us!  But it will never cost more!)

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