News

Miami-based Virgin Voyages stepped up big this Giving Tuesday to give local healthcare workers a well-deserved vacation for the holidays.  The new cruise line offered up 500 cabins on upcoming sailings to employees of Baptist Health South Florida.  Baptist, which operates multiple hospitals and other healthcare facilities in South Florida, gave every employee a chance to win, and is drawing 250 winners who will each get two staterooms so they can relax with friends and family... read more

Going on a cruise?  As policies evolve, your children will likely have to be vaccinated in order to sail. read more

If you want to board a cruise in the US right now, and you’re at least 12 years old, you’ve got to be vaccinated.  What exactly does it mean, though, to “be vaccinated”?  It turns out, the definition varies, and it kept some would-be-cruisers from setting sail, especially Canadians.  That is, until now.  Because so many things have changed recently, it's easy to get confused, so let's review vaccine requirements for cruisers... read more

In an announcement leading to changes at many cruise lines, the Bahamian Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis signed an emergency powers order that prohibits cruise ships from entering Bahamian ports unless all persons 12 and older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  read more

Sunday evening a US District judge granted a preliminary injunction to stop Florida's so called "vaccine passport ban".  The Florida law, until now, prohibited businesses (including cruise lines) from denying service to customers if they couldn't provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Businesses violating the law were subject to a $5,000 fine per instance.  Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, originally filed a suit on the matter in July of this year. read more

The count is over, at four hundred and ninety-two days.  That’s how long Virgin Voyages, the newest cruise line, just for adults, was delayed in setting sail due to the pandemic.  In early 2020 many were eagerly awaiting the April 1 maiden voyage, but the change of date was no joke.  For a group of lucky British sailors (that’s what Virgin Voyages calls guests), they set sail today from... read more

Last week we saw Royal Caribbean and Celebrity begin requiring pre-embarkation COVID testing regardless of vaccination status, and now Carnival Corporation has announced the same for their three major North American brands.  Further, they've updated their guest mask policies... read more