Cruise Line Guides and Tips

Royal Caribbean International has announced that 100,000 people have volunteered to test out the ship’s COVID-19 protocols before the cruise line opens its books to the public. 

The volunteers will get to cruise free of charge in early 2021 while putting CDC-instituted cruise ship protocols to the test. 

"Just like that…100,000 people have volunteered! We can’t wait to start this next phase with you all,” Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley said in a post on his official Facebook page. “It has been so gratifying to receive literally thousands of emails and calls offering to volunteer.”

U.S. cruise lines are required by the CDC to test their coronavirus safety measures through simulated voyages with volunteer guests prior to resuming operations, Cruise Industry News reported. 

Volunteers will have to sign a written form acknowledging they risk contracting COVID-19. The test voyage will take passengers to Royal Caribbean’s private island, CocoCay. 

On the heels of the CDC’s lifting of its No Sail Order, the biggest cruise brands are getting all their safety and health ducks in a row. Most have pushed back their resumption dates to 2021 to give them ample time to prepare. 

ConsumerAffairs research on what cruise lines are pressing pause includes just about everyone. Here’s the full list as of Tuesday in alphabetical order:

Azamara -- the company has suspended its 2020/21 winter sailings (March, April, May) throughout Australia & New Zealand, South Africa, and South America but had not listed any other blackout or reopening dates for 2021 as of Tuesday morning

Carnival Cruise Line -- operations paused until December 31.

Celebrity Cruises -- the company put its full 2020-2021 winter program in Australia and Asia on the shelf, but it had not listed any other blackout or reopening dates for 2021 as of Tuesday morning.

Cunard North America -- operations paused until December 31.

Disney -- Sailings are cancelled on board the Disney Fantasy through December 26; Disney Wonder and Disney Magic through December 30; and the Disney Dream through December 31.

Holland America -- operations paused until December 31.

MSC Cruises -- operations paused until December 31. 

Norwegian Cruise Line -- operations paused until December 31.

Oceania -- operations paused until December 31.

Princess Cruises -- operations paused until December 31.

Regent Seven Seas -- operations paused until December 31.

Royal Caribbean Group -- the company will be extending its suspension of sailings -- except for those out of Singapore -- until December 31.

Seabourn -- operations paused until December 31.

If you have an existing reservation

Travelers who have cruises in limbo can expect the cruise lines to reach out to guests and travel partners to provide further details and address any questions or concerns they may have. Depending on the cruise line, there may also be options regarding refunds or allowable date changes for travelers holding reservations. 

As examples, Celebrity Cruises is extending its “Cruise with Confidence” program, which gives guests who have booked travel by November 20 the flexibility to cancel their cruise up to 48 hours prior to sailing and receive a full credit of the cruise fare paid for a future cruise through May 4, 2022. The cruise company will also continue to offer their “Best Price Guarantee” and “Lift and Shift.” 

At Disney, booked guests with coronavirus-related health concerns (symptoms or exposure) can receive a full refund without Disney-imposed cancellation fees, and they can apply their cruise fare toward a future sail date. They just have to apply for that refund within 14 days of the sailing.

CDC backs up start-up date

You may be asking why the cruise lines have to wait until December 31 to resume sailing if the CDC completely lifted the No Sail Order. Well, as they say, the devil’s in the details, and there was a little footnote buried deep into the agency’s Conditional Sail Order that most travel pundits glossed over. 

In laying out all of the paperwork each cruise line has to provide before the CDC will let them back out on the seas, the agency footnoted that checklist by saying, “These materials should be submitted at least 60 calendar days prior to the date on which the cruise ship operator proposes to commence restricted passenger operations.” That 60 calendar day waiting period effectively ends on December 31, 2020.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lifted its pandemic-led No Sail Order for cruise ships, reallowing cruise ship companies to get back in the seas with travelers on board for the first time in seven months. However, the agency is going into this ban-lifting with caution because it could be right back in the same spot if COVID-19 outbreaks reemerge.

“Outbreaks of infectious diseases can happen on cruise ships because people spend time close together and with travelers from many countries,” the CDC said when outlining its new position.

“The current scientific evidence suggests that cruise ships pose a greater risk of COVID-19 transmission than other settings because of the high population density onboard ships, which are typically more densely populated than cities or most other living situations. While this is one contributing factor, CDC’s surveillance data show that drastically decreasing population onboard without additional mitigation measures does not end transmission.”

New guidelines and practice voyages

The CDC’s approach to resuming passenger operations will be phased in rather than lifting it completely. The important things for cruise lovers to keep in mind include:

Testing and safeguarding crew: As the new plan takes effect, cruise operators will be required to perform COVID-19 tests and install safeguards for crew members. The CDC will be working with ship operators to make sure everything is in place and that each ship has the onboard laboratory capacity needed to test crew and future passengers.

Dress rehearsal: Once the crew’s wellness meets the CDC’s standards, ships will then do simulated voyages with volunteers playing the role of passengers. The purpose of that is to test cruise ship operators’ ability to “mitigate COVID-19 risk, [certify that ships] meet specific requirements, and return to passenger voyages in a manner that mitigates COVID-19 risk among passengers, crew members, and communities.” 

Proving cruises can operate safely

During both of the pre-public phases, the CDC is mandating that cruise lines demonstrate their compliance on testing, quarantine, isolation, sufficient onboard laboratory capacity, and social distancing requirements to protect crew members. Once a cruise operator can prove that, passenger travel will start to be phased in.

The CDC said cruise operators need to take this opportunity to safely resume sailing with passengers seriously. If they can’t show that they’re ready to safely resume business, then the agency won’t hesitate to pull the plug again.

“The phases are subject to change based on public health considerations and cruise ship operators’ ability to mitigate COVID-19 risk,” the agency stated.

Just days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended its no-sail order for U.S. cruise ships through October 31, Norwegian Cruise Line has decided to play it safe by keeping its ships docked until December 1.

All Norwegian-branded cruise ships -- Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruise -- will suspend cruising until that date.

Guests who are currently booked on cancelled voyages on any of those lines are asked to contact their travel advisor or the cruise line for more information.

Not taking any chances

Being on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean is one of the worst places anyone can be when a contagious disease has broken out. The confined spaces make it difficult to avoid contact with germs and other infected people. Even more concerning is that a third of all cruisers are age 60 or older, the demographic most susceptible to severe negative effects of coronavirus.

In late September, Norwegian -- in partnership with Royal Caribbean Group -- established the Healthy Sail Panel to take a long look at how the cruise industry can see its way forward in response to COVID-19. The Panel is headed by former Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt, and Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former Commissioner of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

The Panel left no pandemic stone unturned in its recommendations, detailing 74 best practices to protect the public health and safety of guests. The Panel discussed everything from sanitation and ventilation to the benefits of face masks onboard a cruise ship. 

“This Panel undertook an ambitious, cross-disciplinary, public health examination to develop standards and guidelines that create the highest level of safety in the complex environment of a cruise ship,” Gov. Leavitt said regarding the Healthy Sail Panel.

“We studied the industry’s experiences combating the pandemic – and we then incorporated the many lessons learned and advances made by medicine and science over the past six months. The Panel’s recommendations are grounded in the best scientific and medical information available and are intended to meaningfully mitigate public health risks to those who sail.”

While 2019 may be half over, there’s still plenty of time to travel. Thanks to Hurricane Barry, hotel prices have dropped considerably in New Orleans -- and thanks to increased competition, transatlantic airfares have never been better.

Cruising is a sweet deal, too -- particularly Alaska and Europe.

"For most travelers, the decision of where to cruise is made before they think about all the other pieces of the cruise planning process," explains Colleen McDaniel, Editor-in-Chief of Cruise Critic. "And for those looking for incredible cruise destinations, there's no better way to narrow your options than by seeing which destinations are rated most highly by cruisers who have already been there, done that.”

But where to go, right?

Cruise Critic, an online cruise review and community site, has unveiled the victors of its latest Cruisers' Choice Destination Awards, a ranking based entirely on consumer ratings.

Top destinations

Overall. Avignon (France) was rated the “Top-Rated Overall Cruise Destination.” A little off the beaten path, “(Avignon) literally feels as if you've stepped foot inside a postcard from the South of France,” is how a Cruise Critic reviewer described the destination.

Right behind Avignon on the Top-Rated category is Bora Bora, Glacier Bay, Vienna, and Singapore, which is also homebase for one of the safest airlines. Below you’ll find more details on trending locations for those looking to get away.

• Alaska. For travelers who are trying to fit in that elusive Alaska cruise before they close down for fall, Glacier Bay also topped the list for that category.

• Asia. Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai are the pick of the litter for travelers who’d like to sample the region.

• Mexico. Another off the beaten path jewel, Huatulco gets the nod south of the border. The area was originally built 40 years ago by FONATUR, Mexico's tourism development agency, and great care has gone into making sure crass commercialism takes a backseat. Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, and Ensenada round out the region’s Top 5.

• South America and Antarctica. If seeing penguins is on your wishlist, there’s no better place than the port of Stanley in the Falklands. For glacier lovers, peer reviewers ranked the Port of Ushuaia as one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in Argentina, as the runner-up in the category.

• Europe. Avignon’s overall score also makes it the river cruise king of Europe. Oft-visited Vienna and Cologne are also travel favorites, but Euro cruisers picked Germany’s Wurzburg and Bamberg as destination plums thanks to their Old World charm and beautifully preserved structures, particularly in Bamberg, a UNESCO designation.

• U.S. and Canada. For travelers who’d prefer to stick close to home, Cruise Critic’s community of reviewers like Canada’s Quebec City and Vancouver the most. And for travelers who’d prefer not to have to go through customs, there’s always America’s own Charleston, Key West, and Seattle.

• Private Island. Disney’s taken its Magic Kingdom touch to the oceans. Its private Castaway Cay in the Bahamas remains the most highly-rated cruise line private island, grabbing the award for Best Cruise Line Private Island for the fourth year in a row.

Cruises are popular vacation getaways, but if you have more time to travel, a repositioning cruise offers both an adventure and a bargain.

Many of the world's cruise liners spend the summer season sailing the Mediterranean and North Seas and the winter season cruising the Caribbean. In the lull between them, ships sail from one region to another, and cruise lines offset these costly relocations by inviting travelers to join them for something a little different.

The transition takes place twice a year – in April and November. Next month, dozens of ships will cross the Atlantic from Europe to the Caribbean, offering passengers a longer-than-usual cruise with upgrade options at a discounted fare; sometimes as much as 50 percent less.

There are several ways a repositioning cruise is different. For starters, it's a one way trip. A traditional cruise returns to its port of departure. American consumers who want to take a repositioning cruise next month will need to get to the departure port across the Atlantic.

Some seasoned travelers often make getting to the departure port part of their travel experience. They might take a cheap flight to Ireland, spending a couple of days there. Then they might take another cheap flight to Southhampton, where they would board a cruise liner headed west across the Atlantic.

More time at sea

Another difference is the length of the cruise. A traditional cruise might take six or seven days, stopping at a different port every day. A repositioning cruise is longer, with up to half of that time spent at sea.

The ship might stop at a few ports, especially in the Mediterranean region, but there are generally fewer stops than a traditional cruise. Transatlantic cruise passengers should expect six to seven days at sea.

A third difference is value for the passenger. In addition to paying a lower fare, food and beverage upgrades that might be costly on a traditional cruise are often complimentary. This can include unlimited drinks, pre-paid gratuities, and hundreds of dollars in shipboard credit.

While they tend to be very good values, repositioning cruises aren't for every traveler. You must be willing to devote two weeks or more to your overall journey.

You also must enjoy an extended time a sea. The fact is that some people do and some don't. But for those who love shipboard life and a good bargain, an extended cruise could be a vacation to remember.
A 15-night repositioning cruise recently offered by Celebrity begins in Rome, with stops in Florence, Provence, Barcelona, Palma De Mallorca, the Canary Islands, and then seven days at sea.

Points to consider

You should also carefully consider costs. It's true that the fare is less, but you have to pay to get to your departure port, then get home after docking at your arrival port, which in the U.S. is normally Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

You can find a repositioning cruise by going to individual cruise line websites and searching for deals. People who tend to favor one particular line may like that option.

Another option is to use an aggregator, such as Crucon Cruise Outlet, which displays deals from many popular cruise lines.

The middle of the summer is a good time to think about getting away to a cool spot for a week or two. That's probably why Alaskan cruises are very popular this time of year.

Most of the major cruise lines operate ships in Alaskan waters. Most take either the Inside Passage or the Cross Gulf of Alaska, or both.

The Inside Passage cruise is usually a round-trip leaving from either Seattle or Vancouver and making stops in ports like Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Sitka, Haines, or Victoria, B.C.

According to Alaska.org, a tourism site, week-long cruises through the Inside Passage usually spend a day in Glacier Bay, where the scenery is majestic. There are also some longer Inside Passage cruises that leave from San Francisco, or even San Diego.

The Inside Passage is popular with travelers who just want to relax and enjoy Alaska's coastal scenery. Since it is a round-trip excursion, you end up back where you started, allowing you to book round-trip airfare to get from your home to your departure location.

Calmer waters

The islands located on the western side of the Passage provide some measure of protection from the open sea, which can get rough at times. That makes ports like Ketchikan, Wrangell, and Petersburg popular with travelers who are prone to seasickness.

The Cross Gulf of Alaska routes usually sail north or south between Vancouver or Seattle and Anchorage, by way of the port towns of Whittier or Seward. Ships call at many of the same ports on the Inside Passage, as well as Valdez, Hubbard Glacier, or College Fjord.

The Gulf cruises are popular with travelers who want to add a land tour, or simply enjoy the views of the coastline and glaciers.

Cruises tend to operate mid-May to mid-September, with the peak season from mid-June to mid-August. Before and after, some day tours and hotels offer "shoulder season" discounts of 10% to 25%.

Long tradition of cruising

Holland America says it has been offering Alaskan cruises longer than the region has been a state. Among its popular destinations is Glacier Bay National Park. Passengers can observe a UNESCO World Heritage Site that protects a unique ecosystem of plants and animals.

Other popular destinations include Juneau, Ketchikan, Frederick Sound, Haines, and Hubbard Glacier.

Norwegian Cruise Lines operates three ships on the Alaskan routes -- the Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Pearl, or Norwegian Sun. The voyages of varying length cover all of the ports along the Gulf and Inside Passage routes.

Alaskan weather can be fairly unpredictable, even during the summer months. You'll find the warmest temperatures in June, July, and August, but even then the mercury will fluctuate between 50 to 80 degrees during the day, and drop lower at night. You'll need clothing that will be comfortable no matter where you are in that temperature range. You might need a parka at breakfast but will find a t-shirt more comfortable at lunchtime.

If you like your space and don't particularly like crowds, cruises early and late in the season may be more to your liking, and may be more economical as well.

Getting there

For most travelers, getting to the cruise departure point will require air travel. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is served by every major airline and a few regional ones. The airport is located in southern Seattle, off I-5.

For cruises departing from Anchorage, travelers will need to fly into Ted Stevens International Airport. Alaska Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, and Icelandair are among the major carriers serving Anchorage.

No matter how much you’ve researched, how many opinions you’ve sought, or how experienced you are, it’s still possible to make mistakes when booking and taking a cruise. Here are ten mistakes I have made and how you can avoid them:

Not investigating the ship
Catalogs and online photos can be deceiving, so it’s important to read the fine print. When was the ship built, last retrofitted, and how large are the cabins? Conduct an online search using the ship name and scour cruise reviews. Travelers like to share their experiences, so you will learn a lot about the shape of the ship and state of the accommodations.

Assuming two overnights means you will be in port two full days
I booked a cruise based on two days in Stockholm. We had two days in Stockholm, but just one night; actually less than 24 hours with the ship sailing at six in the morning. Make sure to read the itinerary carefully; what time do you dock and what time do you sail? When in port for five or six hours, it’s tough to see much.

Not checking the ship size, number of passengers, and number of staff
Check the statistics and make sure you will be happy with the number of passengers, ratio of staff to passengers, and the size of the ship.

Choosing one cruise over another based on one particular port
Be wary of booking a cruise for one port. It can be a rough day at sea, and it’s possible the ship cannot dock or is delayed getting into port, or the weather might be miserable on that port day.

Not learning the proximity of the port to your desired destination
How far is the port from the main city? If your cruise docks in Livorno and you want to visit Florence, be prepared to spend four hours getting to and from Florence.

Not understanding the difference between docking and tendering
When a ship docks, it’s tied to the pier and passengers disembark via the gangway. When the ship tenders, it sets an anchor at sea and passengers disembark via small vessels. Tendering reduces your time in port based on the time it takes to disembark and whether the weather hampers the vessels. 

Thinking duty free implies you are exempt from U.S. taxes
Duty free has nothing to do with U.S. customs/taxes. Duty free means you are not paying local government sales tax (duty). You still need to declare all your purchases with U.S. Customs before re-entering the United States.

Not conducting research before purchasing a beverage package
I purchased a beverage package for a river cruise in China. Once onboard, I was limited to wines from China. It’s important to learn not only what’s included, but the specifics.

Thinking you are stuck with unpleasant dinner mates
Incompatible tablemates can ruin a cruise. See the maître’d and ask to have your table changed.

Not considering safety factors before booking a cruise
We’ve all watched the nightly news showing cruise ship fires, ships stranded without power, and those slammed by storms. While it’s not possible to foresee all potential issues, it’s crucial to do some investigating prior to booking. Has the cruise line been recently sold? What’s their safety record? Did they purchase the ship from someone else?    

You can’t anticipate every pitfall, but careful researching, conversations with frequent cruisers and the cruise company, and a flexible approach will go a long way towards a pleasurable cruise experience.

At the end of a cruise, I saw an older couple struggling with four suitcases as they disembarked. I overhead one of them say that he was disappointed that the kind cabin attendants didn’t offer to help them with the luggage.

Most cruise lines request you leave your packed luggage outside your stateroom by eleven o’clock or midnight on the last night of your cruise. If you don’t, like the couple above, you’ll be responsible to take your luggage off the ship yourself.

While cruise websites provide lots of information for first-time cruisers, there are some things they just don’t share. Here’s a sampling:

• Bring some type of tote bag or small piece of luggage to pack your evening clothes and toiletries so you will be able to leave your packed luggage outside your cabin on the last night of the cruise.
• Dress codes are constantly changing, so check your cruise line’s website for information on what to wear, even if you have cruised with the line before.
• Luggage will go under your bed, so make sure suitcases compress easily. Pack efficiently to minimize how much luggage you will require or use two suitcases that fit inside each other.
• Not all table mates are congenial or maybe you met travelers whose company you enjoy and you’d like to have dinner with them. Or, you’re not happy with the location of your table or your waiter. You can make changes to your dining arrangements; speak to the Maitre’d and make your request.
• Should you forget something, your toothbrush, toothpaste, or sunscreen, the ship will have a sundry shop so you can make purchases onboard.  
• Some cruise lines, for example Princess and Cunard, have self-service laundries with washing machines, dryers, clothes irons, and ironing boards while others only offer laundry, dry cleaning, and pressing services. Read guidelines ahead of time. Most cruise lines will not allow clothes irons or travel steamers on board and will confiscate them from your luggage.
• Check your cruise line’s website to learn what other items are not allowed onboard. Curling irons and hair straighteners are often permissible but heating pads are not.  
• Take along a highlighter. It will be useful when perusing the daily activity calendar and once highlighted, you’ll be less likely to miss events.
• Register for the cruise line’s frequent traveler program. Even if you are a beginning cruiser, once you cruise a few times you will get extras through the program. If you cruise different lines, some cruise lines are owned by the same parent company and they honor their sister frequent traveler programs; for example, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean are owned by Royal Caribbean.
• Excursions or tours while in port are often a big part of the cruise experience. You are not locked into the ship’s excursions which are usually expensive and groups of 30 to 40 can mar the port experience. Instead, look at planning your own tours through online research and recommendations.