Cruise lines are making vaccination requirements part of their protocols as ships are soon set to sail from major ports.
I had the opportunity to sit down this week to chat with Felicia Di Francesco, the founder and owner of Condello Travel in Vaughan, ON, who is in the loop on travel trends in the cruise line industry, particularly luxury cruises overseas that offer memorable experiences.
The cruise line industry is all geared up to resume as early as this summer, and cruise lines are being firm on their new requirements: vaccinations for all guests and staff.
Felicia showed me the updated list of cruise lines requiring vaccinations: Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, UnCruise Adventures, Crystal Cruises, Virgin Voyages, American Queen Steamboat Company, and Victory Cruise Lines.
At a press conference just a few days ago, Dan Blanchard, owner and CEO of UnCruise Adventures, stated, “We are moving to what we consider the safest possible place we can be… With the availability of vaccines across the U.S., it would be negligent to my crew if I didn’t make this decision.”
Celebrity Cruises will start offering their Caribbean departures as early as June 5, with Virgin Voyages and Crystal Cruises returning to the waters in early July.
Crystal Cruises just announced that they will be offering a series of seven-night roundtrips from Nassau and Bimini.
“Like our guests, we have been eagerly looking forward to the day we can welcome them back onboard, and we’re thrilled that this day will come in The Bahamas,” says Jack Anderson, Crystal’s interim president and CEO. “The new Bahamas Escapes cruises will allow travellers to enjoy luxury cruising now, as well as bring much-needed benefits to the local workforce, airlines, restaurants, retailers and hotels for pre- and post-cruise stays. The launch of these cruises will also drive economic growth to The Bahamas, which, like other destinations around the world, has been negatively affected by the global pandemic.”
Felicia explains that the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which is the leading industry trade group, have all eyes on cruising resuming by this summer, with cruises having limited capacity with vaccination requirements before boarding.
“Over the past eight months, a highly controlled resumption of cruising has continued in Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific—with nearly 400,000 passengers sailing to date in more than 10 major cruise markets,” says Kelly Craighead, CLIA’s President and CEO in a statement. “These voyages were successfully completed with industry-leading protocols that have effectively mitigated the spread of COVID-19. Additional sailings are planned in the Mediterranean and Caribbean later this spring and summer.”
With cruising returning, Felicia and her team at Condello Travel, a full-service travel agency, are now taking bookings, and luxury cruising is going to be more popular than ever as people want to escape and see the world in its ‘new normal’ after a year of lockdowns and restrictions.
Felicia’s popular travel agency will soon be launching their new brand, website, and they will be adding a number of fabulous, escorted cruises to Europe, Asia, and more.
Condello is even offering a luxury cruise this November in Europe in partnership with AMA Waterways Luxury River Cruise, AMA Siena on the Rhine River. The adventure is themed on Christmas Market tours and more! If you are interested, then reach out to me today and we can help get you a reserved spot.
Felicia and her team are excited for the AMA Waterways experience later this year and you should be too. Book now, spaces are filling up fast.
Our world is slowly opening back up and if you are vaccinated, then you are good to travel with major cruise lines. If you have any questions about cruising and routes, or post-pandemic concerns, contact Felicia and her team today and they can help guide you on everything you need to know.
