You can now go on a cruise in the UK, if you're British. And most cruise lines want you to have
had your vaccines... and you're a bit limited to where you can go with cruises restricted
to coastal voyages for now. But if you're in America or Canada or Australia or New Zealand
well you might be waiting a little bit longer. Prior to COVID, the biggest cruise market in the
world was United States. But at the moment you can't cruise on a large cruise ship from the US.
In March 2020, one day after the cruise lines entered their voluntary cruise pause, the US'
Centre for Disease Control (or CDC) issued a no sail order banning cruise travel in the country.
This no sail order was extended multiple times in 2020, until October last year when the CDC issued
a framework for a Conditional Sailing Order. This framework has been pretty controversial
with requirements asking cruise lines to undertake test cruises, vaccination mandates, mandatory
mask wearing, as well as temperature checks, contact tracing, embarkation and disembarkation
guidelines... it's a long list of requirements! Progress between cruise lines and the CDC on this
framework has been slow, with lines struggling to work out how they can implement the requirements.
This has led to cruising failing to resume on any scale across the US. market. Gary Bembridge from
Tips for Travellers has an excellent video that explains this issue in detail and I've linked to
his video in the info card above. Royal Caribbean for example will resume cruising not from U.S.
ports but rather in the Caribbean with Grandeur of the Seas based out of Bridgetown, Barbados.
While Carnival Cruise Line has cancelled cruises until July 2021,
with voyages on Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze from Galveston and Carnival Horizon from Miami the
only ones not impacted by the cancellation so far, with hopes that the U.S's improving vaccine rate
may help kick-start the industry by mid-year. Canada's decision to keep international borders
closed to cruise ships until 2022 has led to Alaska's 2021 cruise season being sent into chaos,
with Canadian ports closed internationally flagged us-based cruise ships cannot sail to Alaska from
u.s ports due to the Jones Act. This Act limits U.S. coastal voyages to U.S. flagged ships. At
present there's only one large ship that flies the U.S. flag the Pride of America which sails
from Hawaii and remains laid up. Moving south of the equator and the Australian Government doesn't
expect to see international borders reopen until well into 2022 -- yes another 12 months time!
This will undoubtedly see knock-on effects to the return of internationally flagged ships in
Australia. There are some limited cruise options in Australia such as the locally flagged fleet of
Coral Expeditions, but for an industry that saw 27 international cruise ships visit Australia for
the first time in 2019, as well as the returning ships, this lack of internationally flagged cruise
ships is having a huge impact on those who rely on cruising for their livelihood. New Zealand is
in a similar position with internationally flagged cruise ships currently banned across the country.
Those of us living in this part of the world have been incredibly lucky to be able to
live relatively normal lives during the era of COVID-19. However with so few cases in Australia
and New Zealand there are understandably plenty of people wondering why internationally flagged ships
such as the fleet of P&O Australia can't return to our shores, quarantine and then offer domestic
cruises with the local population only? I suppose time will tell what the long-term solution is...
So back in the UK, where cruising is now resumed British voyages are open to UK residents onl.
Some of the lines offering cruises this year include MSC, P&O, Saga, Fred Olsen, Cunard
and Celebrity Cruises. Most cruise lines have restricted travel to people who are vaccinated
and all cruise lines are operating their early cruises at a reduced capacity. Emma from Emma
Cruises is booked on the MSC Virtuosa, and tells me that of the 6,000 passenger capacity
only 1,000 berths will be occupied - so that's a huge passenger space ratio and it should be a fun
trip. We will also see Virgin Voyages finally set sail with paid passengers as Scarlet Lady departs
on her first cruises from Portsmouth, in fact even Disney Cruises will sell from the UK this year
offering voyages aboard Disney Magic. In Europe, cruising has been underway in a limited capacity
for months now with more and more cruise lines basing cruise ships in European ports for 2021.
NCL planned to send Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Getaway cruising in Spain and Italy this year
while Oceania will resume voyages in August taking in Scandinavia.
Seabourn is planning to resume European cruises from Greece aboard Seabourn Ovation in July
while Azamara will call greek ports home from August. Seabourn will also resume cruising in
the Bahamas from July. So too will Viking with their new ship Viking Orion! Royal
Caribbean and Dream Cruises have both been pioneers of cruising during the COVID era
with Quantum of the Seas and World Dream having successfully completed voyages in Singapore,
while Dream Cruises' Explorer Dream has been cruising from Taiwan since July 2020. Around the
world, cruise lines continue to work with various governments and health authorities in an attempt
to kick-start the industry. All eyes will now focus on the UK market to see how things pan out
as cruising resumes there for the first time in almost 14 months. Thanks so much for watching and
I hope you found the video interesting? If you did please don't forget to give it a like and share
and subscribe so you don't miss future videos. Are you planning to travel on a cruise ship
in 2021? Let us know which one and what you're looking forward to most in the comments below!
Thanks once again for watching and when it is safe for us to all set sail again,
I hope to see you on board! [Music
of a cheerful nature]