It was just a matter of time before travel in general—and cruising in particular come stampeding back, and good news for cruising aficionados, finally the CDC has lifted the “no-sail” ban on cruising. What does that mean for those who can’t wait to get back on the oceans, it’s time to start planning for 2021-2022. To help with your planning, here are some things you need to know about what the cruise lines are doing to make it safe for you to cruise again, because wherever there is a body of water, someone is likely to be sailing across it. First, cruise lines will be required to train their crew on the new procedures the CDC is requiring, which includes testing the crew before they leave home and after they arrive to their homeport and enforcing a quarantine period for each crew member. The lines will alter their public spaces to support physical distancing and upgrade their medical care onboard. They will also perform trial sailings which will give them the opportunity to test the new protocols that is put in place. While we might have to wait a bit long before we can cruise again, have no fear, ocean cruising will be back so it’s time to get ready!
Whether you’re an experienced cruiser or new to cruising you may be interested in the many options beyond the traditional cruising areas.
Here are some nontraditional cruise ideas to consider:
The Grand Tour/World Cruise Some upscale ships offer a return to the golden era of the Grand Tour. One cruise from January through April takes passengers through the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, crossing the equator twice and stopping at 38 ports, from Zanzibar and Ushuaia to Acapulco and Hong Kong.
If you don’t have the time for a complete world cruise you can buy segments of an itinerary. For example, one 96-day cruise goes from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles by way of South America, Africa, and Asia—but you can book just parts of the cruise, such as a 28-day segment from Fort Lauderdale to Buenos Aires, or a 90-day trip from Fort Lauderdale to Honolulu.
Theme Cruises For years, cruise lines experienced slow periods during late September through November, post-Christmas into January, and again from late April through early May. To attract passengers, cruise lines began offering cruises with special themes—such as preholiday shopping sprees, Improv at Sea Comedy, fall foliage tours, celebrity guest sailings, Murder Mystery at Sea, LGBT-focused cruises, and fitness programs. Because of the nature of these cruises demand has increase so bookings may be difficult to get during these once-slow seasons, the key is to book early.
Repositioning Cruises Cruises in Europe, Alaska, and Bermuda are not offered during cold months. As the cruising season ends in one area, ships can be seen sailing away. For example, in fall, ships sail from Mediterranean and European ports to the Caribbean and South America. And although cruises operate year-round in the Caribbean and western Mexico, many ships relocate from there during summer. Rather than sail empty with a skeleton crew, cruise lines market these seasonal migrations as repositioning cruises. The same phenomenon takes place along the U.S. West Coast. In fall, ships relocate from Alaska down the coast through the Panama Canal. In spring, the ships return from their winter season in the Caribbean, through the canal and back up the coast to Alaskan or Western Canadian waters. These trips combine ports of call that are not part of a ship’s usual itinerary. Often cruise lines substantially discount repositioning cruises, especially on luxury ships.
Transatlantic Crossings Several lines offer crossings between Europe and the United States. Travelers can choose a crossing as short as six days, taking a Cunard
cruise from New York to Southampton, England, or as long as 23 days from Fort Lauderdale to Lisbon.
River Cruises A phenomenon that has developed in recent years is the popularity of river cruising. As megaships have become larger, many cruise passengers have embraced the opposite trend—small ships plying the world’s great rivers in style. Four particularly popular river cruise companies—AMAWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Uniworld River Cruises, and Viking River Cruises—have created a new type of experience somewhat akin to a floating tour. Several new river cruise companies have entered the market and should not be overlooked
Unlike traditional cruises, shore excursions are not an additional cost. Passengers are close to the shore, and stops are frequent. For those wishing to see a great deal of an area, these offer an alternative to motor coach tours. Most of these cruises began on European rivers—the Danube, the Rhine, and the Rhone. River cruise companies have expanded their offerings to include Egypt (the Nile), China (the Yangtze), Russia (the Volga and inland canals), Vietnam (the Mekong), and others. Even smaller vessels, like cabin cruisers (power boats with living accommodations), sail the Thames in England, and slow-moving barges (flat-bottomed boats) cruise France’s inland waterways.
Special-Interest Cruises Every cruising area offers a culture appealing to particular tastes, but some lines go further and design cruises for people with specific interests. The subjects can vary from a jazz cruise to lectures on topics like the habits of polar bears. Cruises also include visits to the middle of the ocean to watch an eclipse or to anchor in Rio’s Guanabara Bay for Carnaval. Some cruises are referred to as adventure cruises or expeditions when they are venturing to new areas or are highly specialized in scientific inquiry.
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