What started as one encouraging announcement from one luxury cruise line on March 11, 2021, has now become a movement. Cruising is poised for its first significant comeback for North American travelers starting June 2021.

Crystal Cruises announced on March 11 that it would home port Crystal Serenity in the Bahamas starting July 3, 2021. A few days later, more cruise lines began making announcements, and the earliest date for a North American restart is now Celebrity Cruises on June 5, with 7-day cruises out of St. Maarten.

There have been very limited and closely monitored cruises in Europe and Asia over the past year, but these are the first opportunities for close-to-home ocean cruises for North American travelers since cruising paused in March 2020.

Vaccines Required

Cruise Specialists is closely following developments at every cruise line. Here are the latest updates from those who have announced a Caribbean comeback for summer 2021:

Cruise Line	Cruise Ship	Planned Start Date	From/To	Guest Requirements
Celebrity Cruises	Celebrity Millennium	June 5, 2021	Roundtrip St. Maarten	Vaccines required for adults
Royal Caribbean	Adventure of the Seas	June 12, 2021	Roundtrip Nassau, the Bahamas	Vaccines required for adults
Crystal Cruises	Crystal Serenity	July 3, 2021	Roundtrip Bimini or Nassau, the Bahamas	Vaccines required for adults
Virgin Voyages	Scarlet Lady	July 4, 2021	Roundtrip Miami	Vaccines required for all (adults-only cruise line)
Crystal Cruises	Crystal Symphony	August 5, 2021	Roundtrip St. John’s, Antigua	Vaccines required for adults
Norwegian Cruise Line	Norwegian Joy	August 7, 2021	Roundtrip Montego Bay, Jamaica	Vaccines required for all ages
Norwegian Cruise Line	Norwegian Gem	August 15, 2021	Roundtrip Punta Cana (La Romana), Dominican Republic	Vaccines required for all ages

All of the above cruise lines plan to sail at reduced capacity during their start-up phase with these ships.

Vacationers will meet the travel requirements set by the destination from where their cruise departs. Depending on the destination, that may include but is not limited to:

• Negative PCR test* result before arrival (timeframes may vary depending on country)
• Testing upon arrival into the country
• Filling out appropriate forms

Guidelines for children under the age of 18 who are not required to be vaccinated to cruise may be different and in most cases for children, a negative COVID-19 test result within a specified time frame is required. (Virgin Voyages is an adults-only cruise line.) Check with your cruise line for the most up to date information. Many cruise lines are waiting to make announcements regarding mask requirements.

Crew will also be fully vaccinated on the following lines:

• Celebrity Cruises
• Norwegian Cruise Line
• Royal Caribbean
• Virgin Voyages
• Crystal Cruises – the expectation is all crew will be vaccinated with some initial exceptions combined with rigorous testing; they will be a requirement of employment once vaccine is widely available

The Stunning Destinations

With each announcement comes a feeling of exhilaration as travelers learn about the glorious islands and beach destinations each cruise ship will visit. Here are more specifics on the special itineraries:

Celebrity Cruises
7-Night Roundtrips from St. Maarten

Itineraries (choice of 2 itineraries):
Phillipsburg, St. Maarten · at sea · Willemstad, Curacao · Oranjestad, Aruba · at sea · Bridgetown, Barbados · at sea · Phillipsburg, St. Maarten
OR
Phillipsburg, St. Maarten · at sea · Tortola, British Virgin Islands · at sea · Castries, St. Lucia · Bridgetown, Barbados · at sea · Phillipsburg, St. Maarten

Royal Caribbean
7-Night Roundtrips from Nassau, the Bahamas

Sample Itinerary for 7-Night Bahamas & Cozumel Cruise with 2 Days at Perfect Day: Nassau, Bahamas · Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas (private island) · at sea · Cozumel, Mexico · Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas · Nassau, Bahamas

Crystal Cruises
Crystal Serenity: 7-Night Roundtrips from Nassau, the Bahamas

Itinerary: Nassau, Bimini, Harbour Island, Great Exuma, San Salvador Island, Long Island (all in the Bahamas) · at sea · Nassau

 

Crystal Symphony: 7-Night Roundtrips from St. John’s, Antigua

Itinerary: St. John’s, Antigua · Bridgetown, Barbados · Trinidad and Tobago · Castries, St. Lucia · Philipsburg, St. Maarten · Tortola, Roadtown, British Virgin Islands · St. John’s, Antigua

Crystal Cruises noted that as more islands in the Caribbean begin to reopen, Crystal may add additional ports to their itineraries and will inform guests and travel partners of any changes.

 

Virgin Voyages
Various itineraries available. Caribbean voyages cruise roundtrip Miami.

Sample 5-Day Itinerary: Miami, Florida · Cozumel, Mexico · Playa del Carmen, Mexico · The Beach Club at Bimini, Bahamas · Miami, Florida

 

Norwegian Cruise Line
Choice of two itineraries—a 7-day roundtrip Montego Bay, Jamaica or a 7-day roundtrip Punta Cana (La Romana) Dominican Republic

Montego Bay itinerary: Montego Bay, Jamaica · at sea · Harvest Caye, Belize (NCL’s private destination) · Roatán, Honduras · Cozumel, Mexico · at sea · Ocho Rios, Jamaica · Montego Bay, Jamaica

Punta Cana itinerary: Punta Cana (La Romana), Dominican Republic · at sea · Bridgetown, Barbados · Castries, St. Lucia · Philipsburg, St. Maarten · St. John’s Antigua · at sea · Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

 

What about the CDC?

The cruise industry has been working closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to restart cruising from U.S. homeports. While an announcement on when that can happen has not yet occurred, the cruise lines that are starting from the Bahamas and Caribbean ports will be utilizing dozens of safety measures cruise lines have collaborated on and developed in the past year.

As we receive more information on the path toward cruising, we will update this blog post.

Our cruise experts can coordinate a worry-free cruise vacation for you and our services are complimentary.

Meet our Cruise Consultants here.

 

*Editor’s Note: What is a PCR test or a COVID-19 PCR test? As defined by the Mayo Clinic:  Also called a molecular test, this COVID-19 test detects genetic material of the virus using a lab technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A fluid sample is collected by inserting a long nasal swab (nasopharyngeal swab) into your nostril and taking fluid from the back of your nose or by using a shorter nasal swab (mid-turbinate swab) to get a sample. In some cases, a long swab is inserted into the back of your throat (oropharyngeal swab), or you may spit into a tube to produce a saliva sample. Results may be available in minutes if analyzed onsite or a few days — or longer in locations with test processing delays — if sent to an outside lab. PCR tests are very accurate when properly performed by a health care professional, but the rapid test can miss some cases.
Source, Mayo Clinic: //www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/covid-19-diagnostic-test/about/pac-20488900