Cruise Ships Are Back In Business But New Rules Mean Changes

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Sail away, sail away (but with precautions)

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After years of steady passenger growth and situs judi slot online bet kecil cruise lines competing with each other to launch the , suddenly  went full astern when the the  hit. 
Ships like the and the were major coronavirus hotspots, with passengers being locked in their staterooms as the disease spread quickly. Then on March 14, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  banning cruises from operating in the United States. 






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Sixteen months later, crui. And in some cases, that ship is already sailing. 

There will be some changes from pre-pandemic times, and scheduled sailings may be canceled or moved as the pandemic persists and regulations in ports change. Florida, which is home to the world's largest cruise ports, has banned cruise lines from mandating coronavirus vaccinations even though most of the companies want to make such vaccines a requirement. How the companies are adapting is a fast-changing story. 

If you've spent the last year eager to return to the high seas, here's what you need to know.

After a COVID-19 outbreak on the Grand Princess early in the pandemic, the ship was stranded at sea for days before docking in Oakland, California, on March 9, 2020, to offload passengers.

Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images
Can I take a cruise now?
Yes. After a few false starts over the last year, many cruise lines are sched of upcoming sailings. (TPG also has a .)

Smaller lines are adding to their schedules as well, and some have been operating for a few months. American Queen Steamboat Company, for example, with a Mississippi River voyage on March 15.

Just keep in mind that schedules may change as the pandemic continues. a sailing of its Odyssey of the Seas by four weeks to July 31 when eight crew members tested positive for COVID-19.

Of course, if you book a trip and it's canceled or postponed, you'll be able to reschedule or get a refund. Generally, lines also are letting you cancel ahead of time with no penalty. And as I discuss in the next question, your onboard experience will be different than before COVID-19 hit. 

The Celebrity Reflection docked in Mykonos in pre-pandemic times. Celebrity was the first big cruise line to schedule a sailing.

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Will cruising be different?
You better believe it, even if it's just in small ways. The Points Guy's Ashley Kosciolek was a passenger on the Celebrity Caribbean cruise and during her trip. 

She writes that the ship was booked less than half full, and all passengers and crew 16 and older were required to be vaccinated (more on that later). What's more, passengers of all ages had to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 72 hours old before boarding. Embarkation times were staggered to avoid crowds, and masks were required when arriving. 

Passengers weren't required to wear masks once on the ship (more on this later, too), except those under 16 who aren't vaccinated, and they had to be tested before returning to St. Maarten on June 12. The buffet was open, but passengers were not allowed to serve themselves . Hand-washing stations were in abundance, and there were no social distancing requirements in the restaurants of theaters. 

Those changes are just from that one Celebrity voyage, though. Regulations will vary by cruise line and ship, and they could change (for better or worse) with little notice. Think about what kind of environment will make you comfortable and do your research before booking. 

Cruise lines must get CDC approval to resume sailings.

Kent German/CNET
But didn't some people on that cruise test positive for COVID-19?
Yes, two passengers who shared a cabin for COVID-19 on June 10. The passengers, who were asymptomatic, were isolated and a few others who had come into recent contact with them had to remain in their cabins while they were tested. Kosciolek was one of the people who had contact, . No one else ended up testing positive by the end of the trip.

Stewart Chiron, a travel expert known as , also was onboard the Millennium. In an email he told me that despite the positive tests, he felt Celebrity's safety protocols worked well. "The mood on Celebrity Millennium after the captain's evening announcement [on June 10] didn't change anything onboard. Passengers continued to enjoy normal activities including dinners, shows, lounges, casino, shopping and having fun."

Following a change in federal law, Alaska cruises will be able to sail from Seattle to the Last Frontier without stopping in Canada.

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What about stopping in ports?
Ports could have their own requirements, like not being able to leave the ship if you didn't book a shore excursion. Your departure country also may have its own vaccination or testing regulations for arriving tourists stricter than your cruise line. Again, do your research.

As for countries that haven't opened their borders to full tourism yet, your ship won't be stopping there at all. That means for the time being, Alaska cruises won't be departing from, or calling at, Canadian ports. Until recently, that would have made Alaska cruising impossible due a federal law that prohibited foreign-flagged ships (which virtually all cruise ships are) from carrying passengers between two US ports without stopping at a foreign port. But last month a that temporarily lifted that regulation. Now ships can sail from Seattle to Alaska nonstop.

But until Australia opens its borders you won't be able to cruise there.

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What are the CDC regulations regarding cruises? 
In May the , designed to limit the spread of COVID-19. They include screening passengers before embarking (either by way of a COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination), isolating and contact-tracing any passengers who test positive during the cruise, and installing hand-washing facilities.

Once a cruise line has made necessary changes, the agency will grant permission for sailings to depart from the United States under two scenarios: 95% of passengers and 95% of crew must be fully vaccinated, or lines can conduct and practice the CDC safety measures with a group of volunteers. 

But as I explain below, a federal judge has struck down those regulations after a lawsuit from the state of Florida.


A new age of travel









Will I have to wear a mask? 
Despite some early noise that the agency , it's not doing so (phew). Social distancing measures are recommended in crowded areas, but they aren't required either. Crew members, on the other hand, when outside their cabins.

Cruise lines will likely supply masks, but definitely bring your own. Either way, the CDC on airplanes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation. And you'll probably need one when checking in for your cruise.