Some exciting headlines yesterday, when Royal Caribbean announced new domestic ports in June for two of its cruise lines. In two separate ads, Celebrity Cruises will depart from the Dutch Caribbean island of St. Maarten, while Royal Caribbean will depart from the Bahamas.
The news came after the announcement of Crystal cruises, which also start operations in the Bahamas.
It then appears that the cruise lines believe that we can really navigate safely and securely. The move to advertise domestic ports outside the United States will be seen as a power game, as the cruise industry has traditionally been a major contributor to the United States economy, and Florida in particular.
As Cruise Hive reported yesterday, the mayor of Miami-Dade is really trying to push and open the industry back.
Why is this happening?
The cruise industry has had successive successes in the past 12 months. Cruise companies first adopted a voluntary stop for cruises last year as a sign of goodwill.
However, despite the massive contributions that the cruise industry has always made to the United States economy, it appears that the CDC has little motivation for a quick cruise start.
This is in stark contrast to many other nations that have been actively seeking a resumption of crossing within its borders, recognizing the financial implications of not doing so.
United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Israel, Singapore, Bahamas and St. Maarten everyone eagerly accepted the ships within their borders. With heavy health restrictions, we must add. Ships must have at least PCR tests done and, in some cases, require passengers to be fully vaccinated.
Read also: MSC Cruises will start a series of trips in the UK from May
But countries are accepting ships to sail and recognize that the results of the past few months on board Royal Caribbean, Dream Cruises, MSC, Costa, TUI, etc., are proof of cruise safety now. Something that the CDC seems to be discarding.
Is it a permanent thing?
The move away from US domestic ports will not be a permanent thing. We can expect to see ships returning to the United States as soon as opportunities arise. The infrastructure that exists in the United States cannot be replicated anywhere else, at least not in a few months.
However, it appears that the CDC has lost the chance to set the right tone for the cruise. As it stands now, they are behind the facts. The CDC could and should have played an active and leading role in the return of the post-COVID cruise.
This would have ensured that the cruise lines were sailing in accordance with the policies imposed by the United States. While now, all cruise lines have their own policies. The CDC, therefore, missed a great opportunity.
So, where can we go on a cruise?
Several cruise companies have announced different domestic ports in the Caribbean and elsewhere, including Europe, the United Kingdom and Singapore. In the past few days, things have been going well for anyone looking to take a cruise this summer:
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises must restart operations with the Celebrity Millennium Cruise. The ship will have a domestic port in the popular Caribbean port of St. Maarten. There will be two different Caribbean itineraries Celebrity Millennium Will offer.
The week-long itinerary will include calls in Aruba, Curacaoand Barbados. The other itinerary will include visits to Tortola, Saint Lucia and also Barbados. Search here for more information on Celebrity Cruises from St. Maarten.
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean is back with Caribbean cruises starting in June! Adventure of the seas will be based in Nassau, The Bahamas, and will offer 7-night cruises.
Starting on June 5, the Royal Caribbean cruise ship will have two consecutive days in the Private island of the Perfect Day cruise line in CocoCay, a chance to explore Grand Bahama Island and a visit to Cozumel, Mexico. More information here!
Crystal Cruises
Crystal Cruises’ “Bahamas Escapes” will be offered at Crystal Serenity luxury cruise ship from July to October.
The seven-night cruises will have two shipping ports, Nassau and Bimini, offering more options for anyone looking to fly over the U.S. The line also offers special packages for flying. More information can be found here.
We were able to see more cruise companies making the same moves to operate in different ports in the Caribbean. MSC and Royal Caribbean have been associated with Cozumel in recent weeks, although Barbados it has always been a popular home port for many smaller cruise lines. The wait could end if this trend continues!
Main photo credit: Ruth Peterkin / Shutterstock.com
