Have you heard the news? Yes, after more than a one year hiatus, cruises are back! Well, sort of. The CDC has announced they will allow cruise lines to resume sailings in mid-July with lots of safety protocols.
Click here to read the CDC Conditional Sail Order!
So what can you expect if you plan to take a cruise in 2021?
All passengers and crew will be wearing masks. Even if you are fully vaccinated, it will be required that you wear a mask whenever you leave your cabin.
I’m hearing that shore excursions will be limited or non-existent. This has to do with agreements that cruise lines will have to establish with ports, as per the CDC.
Buffets will be eliminated or served by crew–no self serve, for obvious reasons.
Nightly shows will be limited or non-existent.
Here’s the one that kills me. You will be asked to limit public restroom visits. Yes, they are hoping that you will stop whatever activity you are doing on Deck 8, for example, and go down to your cabin on Deck 3 and then come back after you have answered nature’s call. This will most likely consume 20-30 minutes if you are on a mega-sized ship!
There will be staggered boarding and disembarking, as well as a virtual check-in process. This could be the only good change to come from the pandemic.
I understand why the cruise lines are having to take such a tough stance. They have to follow the CDC guidelines to resume sailings and those guidelines are pretty strict. That said, I’m going to pass on cruises for the rest of this year. I don’t want to take a cruise under these conditions. Too many cons. But on the pro side, there are some really good deals being offered to encourage cruising, such as $264pp for a 4-night Bahamas cruise aboard Carnival, 6-night Western Caribbean for $459pp, 7-night Greek Isles on Royal Caribbean for $800pp, and a 7-night Hawaii (all islands) for $1,700pp. These prices do not includes taxes/fees or additional incentives, such up to $500 shipboard credits, free airfare, and up to $2,000 cash back.
Speaking of cruises, there will be some new ships launched in 2022. Disney Wish is going to be their best ship to date. It will have a fancy AquaMouse waterslide, Fairytale Hall, Marvel Superhero Academy, Imagineering Lab, Frozen Dining Adventure, Worlds of Marvel, a Grand Hall, and some great adults-only spaces, including Quiet Cove (infinity pool, chic cafe, and poolside bar) and Hyperspace Lounge.
Royal Caribbean will launch its biggest and best ship to date too. Wonder of the Sea will be 1,200-feet long, 215-feet wide, and 236,857 tons. It will be top heavy with eighteen decks! There will be almost 3,000 staterooms and a maximum capacity of 7,000 passengers plus crew. There will be several neighborhoods on board, including Central Park (FYI: that ship is the image featured in this blog).
Carnival will also launch its newest and best ship, Celebration. It will have an onboard roller coaster! The ship will have nineteen decks with six zones. There will be lots to do, including waterworks water park, Family Feud Live, Red Frog Tiki Bar, and four restaurants.
More new ships will be introduced by Celebrity, Virgin, MSC, and Cunard cruise lines. I have to admit I’m a bit concerned about how big these ships are getting in an effort to “one up” fellow cruise lines while offering cruisers “bigger and better”. But one thing’s for sure, you won’t be bored or hungry or thirsty on any of these ships!
Coming Soon: Weird book news!
Click here for Cruise Industry COVID-19 Facts & Resources!
Terrance Zepke studied Journalism at the University of Tennessee and later received a Master's Degree in Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina. She has studied Parapsychology at the renowned Rhine Research Center. She began her career as a freelance writer and photographer, ... 
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