A series of inevitable and unavoidable changes are about to happen in the world of cruising. Things
that will affect you and me as a travellers and cruisers in ways we may not entirely be ready for.
Join me as I explore these, and look at the impact they will have on when,
how, where and with what restrictions we will be able to go cruising.
One thing I am asked pretty much every day, is around if we will need vaccines
to cruise. I want to discuss what is looking increasingly inevitable on this topic.
There are 4 developments you need to know that make the direction of traffic clear, in my view
First, as you know, some lines already confirmed they will require vaccines
before you can cruise with them.
How many more will join that we do not know yet, but seems unlikely it will not just be, lines like
Saga Cruises in the UK and American Steamboat and Victory Cruises in the USA.
Importantly, there has be no challenge or ruling saying lines cannot do this,
certainly in the US and UK, which must have been noted by other lines considering this.
Secondly, even if lines do not make it required some are now adding vaccines
as one of three options cruisers have to comply with before sail with them.
For example, Avalon Waterways (and in fact the entire Globus group for their land trips)
says you will have to prove either
You have had both vaccine jabs at least 14 days before sailing
OR proof of a negative full PCR or antigen test less than 72 hours
before or proof of recovery from a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis within three months of travel.
Even if not required, proof of vaccination is creeping in
as part of the layers and options of return to cruise protocols.
The third development, and one that is developing fast and looks like it could become
an industry standard, is that all crew have to be vaccinated before they can work on the ships.
Norwegian Group has said it. Royal Caribbean Group wrote to all crew saying (quote)
"We expect vaccinations will be required for our crew
as part of our plan for your return to working on our ships"
Note the wording, as could this suggest that the thinking is that the authorities will require this
Another line to go public on this is the British cruise line Swan Hellenic,
specialising in expedition cruises , who confirmed they will require
their crew members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine before they start to work onboard.
The three big questions on crew vaccinations is first,
how this will all be possible within the current systems and pace of roll out,
second is around what it means for timing of the return of cruising,
and will it delay it towards late in 2021.
Even in countries ahead in the vaccine process, they are not going to be getting
to the age groups that cover crew until well into the second half of this year.
And vaccines, from my understanding,
cannot be bought by private companies to circumvent state roll outs.
The third question is, should we really expect lines to insist all crew are vaccinated
but then not have the same requirement for guests to be too? I wonder...
The fourth aspect on vaccines as a requirement,
and probably one of the biggest, is that it increasingly looks like countries
will force the cruise lines' hand and drive this as a requirement anyway.
We are seeing more and more countries, especially those that rely on tourism,
encouraging global standards for digital vaccine passports to enable them to open for visitors,
without having all the quarantine requirements and so giving travellers freedom to move about.
For example, Greece, Cyprus and Israel have just agreed that once travel opens residents
who can prove they have been vaccinated will be allowed to travel freely
to and from each other without any requirements, like testing and quarantine.
Interestingly, the Cyprus’s deputy tourism minister, Savvas Perdios mentioned cruising in
the briefing for the press, and said that over 40,000 Israeli residents come to Greece each year
on cruises. So it does seem to suggest that cruising is on the radar for this approach.
Another is Spain, with
the major embarkation port of Barcelona and other ports of call on many Med cruises.
The tourism ministry has said (quote) "We support the vaccination certificate” and see it as key to
being able to open for tourists to enter. They propose a combination of testing pre arrival,
vaccine certificate and still some distancing etc protocols.
But this has a massive implication for cruises in and out of Spain, and other EU countries.
Even governments against having them for domestic use to open the economy,
like the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson indicated
he sees them as becoming inevitable for international and cross border travel
There is precedent as some countries today require vaccine proof for things like yellow fever.
A willingness to open ports for cruise ships and let people off into
local communities to explore and mix, seems highly likely come linked to proof of vaccination.
Vaccine proof increasingly feels likely and inevitable to be able to travel cross borders.
Something that has been missed or glossed over by many cruise commentators,
is that lines have started to quietly update their cruise terms
and conditions and contracts that both existing and new cruisers will be bound to.
This is another inevitable move and trend, and it is really important as has a massive impact
on your future cruise. You need to watch what is being added
and make sure you are comfortable with what you are agreeing to.
When you book a cruise, as part of that, you are obliged to and consent
to the cruise line's T&Cs and contract. In there is a right for them to change and update them.
I have a dedicated video coming going into more detail as it quite complex on what is being added,
but this is what will inevitably be coming in your contract, as we have seen
in some issued so far by Royal Caribbean Group for their lines.
You now are accepting and agree to comply with all the new protocols, which are now in the contract
and include agreeing to undergo multiple testing and temperature checks, wear a mask when outside
your cabin, cruise line only excursions, limits on numbers in venues and need to book to attend,
required hand washing and sanitising, being required to quarantine or confinement to your
cabin, itineraries being changed if the Captain and line decides ports pose a risk due to levels
of infections and also being disembarked without compensation for breaking any of the rules.
It also covers what happens and what the line will and will not cover.
It is inevitable the contracts change to reflect the new reality of cruising and the protocols.
So make sure you ask for and keep up to date on what you have agreed to. It will keep changing,
and watch out for the more in-depth video on the changes being included and what they mean for you.
I want to discuss a significant new approach the cruise lines are now taking for voyages
that look unlikely to run, but are not yet cancelled. It is a marked change and also
starts to flag when they really see cruising resuming versus what they have on sale.
Some lines, like the Norwegian Group who just cancelled all May sailings for their main line,
Oceania and Regent Seven Seas are being vague about the likely length of the continued shutdown.
Other lines are though, for the first time, signalling what they are really
thinking about return to service before the inevitable cancellations we are all expecting,
which by the time they come feel overdue and late.
There seems to be a shift towards giving us more notice, time and options to replan
out travels before cancellations are announced.
This is a good move as it should helping reduce or remove the frustrations many of us have
knowing our trips almost certainly will not run, but seeing the lines are still promoting,
encouraging people to book, chasing final balances and so on.
So, what are the 4 things I am seeing, all of which point to
an inevitable outcome - I think anyway. See if you agree.
First, lines are taking cruises off sale much earlier when they think they will not
run. They are not cancelling right away but are stopping selling trips unfairly to people
who assume that as they on sale chances of going are high.
For example, Disney Cruises took all May off sale weeks ago
and way before Norwegian and others started cancelling into June.
All lines, as you no doubt know, stopped selling Alaska and Canada as soon as the ban came out
while they figure out options. Cunard has joined all other lines stopping
trips and crossings over 7-nights due to the CDC rules, and so on.
Lines do not always flag these moves though, so keeping a watch on websites
is the best way to follow this. It acts as an early indicator.
Second and a more recent and welcome development, is lines are making it more clear that advertised
cruises are unlikely to happen until after July - and offering options.
With borders firmly closed around the world as countries fear importing the
new more infectious Covid variants, and the still high levels of infections and deaths,
there is little sign of movement or enthusiasm by authorities like the CDC
in the major cruise embarkation countries, like the US, UK, Canada, Spain, Australia and so on
to be opening for international travel of any kind, let alone approving cruise resumption.
There is also little sign borders opening for travellers
and cruises to be able to sail into and between them.
Although most cruise lines show May, or now June for some,
as the hoped for return date around the world, it is clear this will not happen.
We are seeing more Ports in public saying they are not expecting ships
until much later in the year. Tampa, for example, just saying at best they
now expect last quarter of this year. Port Canaveral indicating the past July dates.
And so we are seeing a new development coming from lines signalling this - along
with a new approach offering travellers who have cruises booked until the middle
of the year to cancel and get a full refund, not just future cruise credit.
The most recent of these, was an announcement by Carnival Cruise Line which again pretty much
flagged that regular cruising out of the USA is not expected to resume until at least after July
They are allowing everyone with a cruise due to depart before 31 July,
the ability to cancel and get a full cash refund if done before end of March,
or hold the booking and get a $100 bonus on-board credit.
In the announcement they pretty much said the current advertised return date could not happen,
as progress on CDC Framework would not have progressed enough for that to happen.
When it comes to Alaska, lines including Royal Caribbean are starting to offer "lift
and shift" of trips to 2022 holding prices and offers if moved to close to 2021 date and ship
All these moves are flagging what many of us see as inevitable, that there will soon be
another wave of lines announcing formal cancellations pushing the hoped for return
to cruising well into July as a minimum.
Lines are starting to offer options now. So,
you may want to start to plan on that basis now as it seems inevitable now.
Look at moving into the last quarter seems like the most sensible thing to do
If you found this update helpful, I have hundreds more episodes
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