Will vaccine and testing requirements go away?  What about other regulations that cruise lines have had to follow?  These are questions many are asking after the US CDC announced today that they're eliminating their COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships, effective immediately...

This week the US Centers for Disease Control issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice (THN) for cruise ship travelers - an improvement over recent guidance.  Still, as has been the case for a long time, the CDC’s guidance lacks context in a way that may be problematic for those choosing NOT to cruise...

Since the resumption of cruising, there has been a lot of talk about the types of rules and restrictions that have been put in place.  The nuances of these can vary by ship and sailing, but there are three main components that are semi-consistent: masks, testing, and vaccines.  As we change how we live with COVID on land, there are expectations that the rules for cruising will loosen up soon.  Will they?  Well, maybe…

On June 26th, 2020, Celebrity Edge will the first cruise ship in 15 months to sail from the US with paying passengers.  Last week, a crew member on this ship tested positive for COVID-19....

With COVID rules constantly changing for cruise lines, it can be hard to know what restrictions apply to your next voyage.  When or if testing is required, whether you'll need to wear a mask on the ship, and how you can go ashore in ports of call can vary based on several factors - one of the largest being vaccines.  We're tracking some key factors and rules to gibe you an idea of what to expect...

Just a day after the CDC finally provided updated guidance on the next steps to return to cruising, one of the three largest cruise companies has taken a bigger step.  In a letter to CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky, Frank Del Rio (CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings) outlines the steps the COVID-19 safety measures the company’s three lines have taken, and explains how they plan to sail from the US starting in early July.

The CDC has taken the next step in moving forward with the safe return of cruising from the US, but for some, it’s not a big enough step...

After pressure from politicians and the public came to a head over the past week, finally there are signs of potential progress on the return of cruising to from the US.  Following a call on Thursday with CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky and other officials, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava  seemed optimistic.  "We were very encouraged by our call today with CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Division Director Dr. Martin Cetron and the CDC team to discuss the safe return of cruising in the US."

As many of us start to see the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel”, when it comes to cruising from the US, the situation remains quite dark.  It’s not because of what the CDC or any government agency is doing, but what they’re not doing.  The Conditional Sail Order is stalled, the CDC doesn’t know what to do next, and you can help.

As we eagerly await a safe return to cruising out of North America, the world’s largest cruise company, Carnival Corporation, recently published new policies that give us a clearer picture of what cruising will be like.  Only a few days later however, they pulled these policies from their website.  We’ve reviewed the COVID-19 Policies and Procedures the company posted (removed as of early Feb 7 2020), which should give us some idea of what to expect on all of their lines, including Holland America Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, and others.  Below we’ve called out some of the highlights, and summarized what this means for your cruise experience...