Where you CAN & CAN’T Cruise in 2021?

You can now go on a cruise in the UK! If you’re British... and most cruise lines want you to have had your vaccines... and you’re a bit limited on where you can go, with cruises restricted to coastal voyages - for now. But if you’re in Australia, or New Zealand, or Canada… well you might be waiting a bit longer! There’s no consistency to the global cruise restart. Find out why. -- ▶ SUBSCRIBE for regular cruise ship updates & maritime history: https://bit.ly/38BR2DK ▶ READ: My Maritime History books: https://bit.ly/3nISs3w (not sponsored) Thanks to Andrew Sassoli-Walker for thumbnail photo - check out his photography at: https://www.solentphotographer.com/ -- Contents: 00:01 There’s No Consistency 00:28 Cruising Ban in the US 01:21 Caribbean Restart 01:48 Canada and Alaska 02:10 Australian Cruise Ban 02:40 New Zealand Cruise Ban 03:10 UK Cruising Restart 03:51 Europe Cruises Restart 04:23 Singapore and Taiwan Cruising Since 2020 04:40 Summary -- At the moment you can’t cruise on large ships from the US. In March 2020 – one day after the cruise lines entered their voluntary cruise pause - the US Centre for Disease Control – or CDC - issued a no-sail order – banning cruise travel in the country. This no sail order was extended multiple times in 2020, until October last year when the CDC issued a framework for a conditional sailing order. This framework has been pretty controversial, with requirements asking cruise lines to undertake test cruises, vaccination mandates, mandatory mask wearing as well as temperature checks, contact tracing, embarkation and disembarkation guidelines… it's a long list of requirements. Royal Caribbean will resume cruising in the Caribbean with Grandeur of the Seas based out of Barbados, while Carnival has cancelled cruises until July 2021 – with voyages on Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze from Galveston, and Carnival Horizon from Miami the only ones not impacted by cancellations so far, with hopes that the US’ improving vaccine rate may help kick-start the industry by mid-year. Canada’s decision to keep international borders closed to cruise ships until 2022 has led to Alaska’s 2021cruise season being sent into chaos. With Canadian ports closed, internationally flagged US based cruise ships cannot sail to Alaska from US ports, due to the Jones Act. This act limits US coastal voyages to US flagged cruise ships. At present, only one large ship flies the US flag – the Pride of America – which sails from Hawaii and remains laid up. Moving south of the equator, and the Australian Government doesn’t expect to see international borders reopen until “well into” 2022…. Yes – another 12 months time! New Zealand is in a similar position, with international cruising currently banned across the country. Those of us living in this part of the world have been incredibly lucky to be able to live relatively normal lives during the era of COVID-19. British voyages are open to UK residents only. Some of the lines offering cruises this year include MSC, P&O, Saga, Fred Olsen, Cunard and Celebrity. Most cruise lines have restricted travel to people who are vaccinated, and all cruise lines are operating their early cruises at a reduced capacity. Emma LeTeace from Emma Cruises is booked on the MSC Virtuosa and tells me that of the 6,000 passenger capacity, only 1,000 berths will be occupied – so that’s a huge passenger space ratio… should be a fun trip! We will also see Virgin Voyages finally set sail with paid passengers as Scarlet Lady departs on her first cruises from Portsmouth. In fact, even Disney Cruises will sail from the UK this year, offering voyages aboard Disney Magic. In Europe cruising has been underway in a limited capacity for months now, with more and more cruise lines basing cruise ships in European ports for 2021. NCL plan to send Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Getaway cruising in Spain and Italy this year, while Oceania will resume voyages in August taking in Scandinavia. Seabourn is planning to resume European cruises from Greece aboard Seabourn Ovation this July, while Azamara will also call Greek ports home from August. Seabourn will also resume cruising in the Bahamas from July. So too will Viking with their new ship Viking Orion. Royal Caribbean and Dream Cruises have both been pioneers of cruising during the COVID era, with Quantum of the Seas and World Dream having successfully completed voyages in Singapore, while Dream Cruises’ Explorer Dream has been cruising from Taiwan since July 2020. Around the world, cruise lines continue to work with various government’s and health authorities in an attempt to kick start the industry. All eyes will now focus on the UK market, to see how things pan out as cruising resumes there for the first time in almost 14 months. -- Music: YT Audio Library 📚 #cruisenews #cruiseline #cruiseship