Tagged: cruising

If You Sail Royal Caribbean from Florida or Texas, Fellow Travelers Will Be Unvaccinated

In the run-up to restarting operations, Royal Caribbean International was one of the first cruise lines to assure customers that when services resumed, every adult on board would be…

Alaska Cruises Are Back! Congress Saves the 2021 Season and Trips Are Already on Sale

Vacationers had written off the 2021 cruise season in Alaska as another casualty of Covid-19. Canada, seeking to protect the health of its population, banned big cruise ships from…

Royal Caribbean Yanks Newest Ship from Haifa, but Will Politics Ruin a Florida Homecoming?

Americans who had hoped to spend some quality summer time aboard Royal Caribbean's newest megaship, Odyssey of the Seas, might now get their shot. In late winter, the cruise line…

Masks Are Coming Off but Not on Public Transportation—with One Exception

Science has spoken! Yesterday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that Covid-19 vaccines have been so effective that fully vaccinated Americans can return to…

Norwegian's Fully Vaccinated Return to Cruising Sets Up Tough Choices for Families

This summer, the cruise line that vacationers pick will say a lot about their vaccination status. We've already heard announcements of impending summer returns by Royal Caribbean (to…

Venice Bans Cruise Ships from City Center, but the Detour Plan Has Flaws

Italy took a step this week that environmental activists, cultural preservationists, and many fed-up Venice residents have been pushing for years. The government blocked cruise ships…

Celebrity's Newest Ship Will Avoid America by Sailing to Greece and Israel

Yet another major cruise ship has been added to the growing lineup of vessels eager to serve American vacationers—but not in the United States. With the U.S. government's Conditional…

Royal Caribbean Adds Ship in Bermuda to Serve U.S. Vacationers This Summer

Update, May 20, 2021: Citing the prospect of large cruise ships returning to the United States soon, Royal Caribbean canceled plans to cruise from Bermuda on Vision of the Seas. The…

Two Cruise Lines Returning to Caribbean for the Vaccinated, but Will Skip U.S.

If you're a fan of cruising and you're itching to get on board again as soon as possible, we can definitively say you're going to need two things: a Covid-19 vaccine and a…

All-Inclusive Cruise Line Announces July Return with All-Bahamas Vacations

While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mulls whether to permit large cruise ships to restart voyages, another cruise line is moving ahead by bypassing America. The…

Some Ports Realize They May Not Want Cruises Back Once Covid Is Over

As Covid-19 recedes, vacationers may see major shifts in cruise itineraries. Citizens in major ports of call have tasted life without the presence of big cruise ships—and some…

Royal Caribbean's New Ship Set to Debut, but Only for Vaccinated Travelers

When Royal Caribbean launches its newest megaship, Odyssey of the Seas, only vaccinated passengers will be aboard. The cruise line has announced that tickets for the ship's upcoming…

Canada's New Cruise Ship Ban Spoils the 2021 Alaska and New England Seasons, Too

On Thursday, the government of Canada announced a ban on sailing in Canadian waters that stretches for another year—through February 22, 2022. The rule, which forbids ships carrying…

No, Princess Cruises Did Not Just Sell the Real Love Boat

Social media feeds have recently been filled with nostalgic goodbyes to an iconic cruise ship. Princess Cruises selling off its ‘Love Boat’, went a typical headline. To a generation…

Key West Cruise Ban Poised to Be Overruled

We have an update on the Key West cruise ban. Remember in November when the people of that Florida city decided that cruises were more of a headache than they were worth? On Election…

Royal Caribbean to Rescue Travel Planners with No-Interest Loans: A Good Thing?

For centuries in England, when you chose to go to a pub, you were also often choosing the brewery that supplied it. Many pubs were associated with only one maker of ales. And when our…

Will Vaccinations Be Required to Cruise?

At a December 9 meeting with the Travel Leaders group, a multinational network of travel agents, Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Frank Del Rio announced that the company is looking into a…

Royal Caribbean Calls for Volunteers for Test Sailings

As Frommer's reported a few weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control has stipulated some changes for the giant cruise lines. If they want to start regular U.S. sailings again, they…

Celebrity Cruises Goes All-Inclusive: Drinks, Wi-Fi Now Included in Fare

When travel collapsed, one of the first things that happened was the airlines stopped playing some of their petty pricing games with customers. Suddenly, when they realized they…

Cruise Lines Need Guinea Pigs to Try Out Virus Safety Protocols on Voyages

The Centers for Disease Control, guided by watching European cruising restart and by reviewing recommendations from the major lines, has finally dropped its ban on cruises and released…

Get Ready: Travel Is Becoming More Expensive and More Exclusive

The warning signs are everywhere. You will soon be paying more to travel. The headlines are full of news about the airlines cutting capacity. In Europe, Ryanair will fly only 40% of…

The QE2 Returns to Service as a Hotel While the Queen Mary's Prospects Sink

In a recent YouTube video about why and how ships get scrapped, maritime historian Chris Frame slipped in a striking fact. Comparing the remnants of Ancient Egypt with the golden age…

WATCH: Spectacular Drone Footage of Cruise Ships Being Scrapped in Turkey

Maybe it can be argued that even before 2020, the cruise industry was reaching a saturation point. A long period of explosive growth perhaps forewarned that our cruise ship fleet was…

When Cruising Resumes, You Won't Be Allowed to Roam Ports Alone

Large cruises that depart the United States have been paused since mid-March, but we now know one thing about their return. Guests will no longer be able to wander ports of call on…

Cruising Is Back! It's Been a Disaster: Crew on Three Lines Test Positive

It's no secret that many countries are doing better than the United States when it comes to containing Covid-19 infections. A few of those places thought they might be able to extend…