While some cruises are on full pause, other cruise lines are slowly opening to safe travels. One of those cruise lines is Chrystal Cruises, which just announced sailings to the islands of the Bahamas starting in July. welcome The Crystal Serenity will provide Bahamas Escapes itineraries from Nassau and Bimini, including Harbour Island, Great Exuma, San Salvador and Long Island.
All guests will experience the high standards of health and safety practices throughout every aspect of their vacation through Crystal Clean+ 4.0 protocols and the Bahamas Clean & Pristine Certification program. Full details related to testing and entry requirements, including Bahamas Health Visa application and more can be found on Bahamas.com/travelupdates.
Meanwhile, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises are working on their current pause dates and setting new dates for relaunching their sailings in Europe.
While Holland America Line continues to work with government and port authorities to develop its plans to return to cruising, the company is extending its pause of European cruise operations to include departures through June 30, 2021.
HAL’s pause recent pause extension currently impacts cruises departing in May and June on Nieuw Statendam, Volendam and Westerdam, along with the Collectors’ Voyages associated with those canceled cruises. Collectors’ Voyages combine nonrepeating itineraries for an extended, back-to-back cruise experience. Affected sailing:
*Nieuw Statendam: Eight departures from May 2 through June 27, 2021, that include seven- and 14-day Norway and Baltic itineraries, as well as the 14- and 21-day Collectors’ Voyages of those cruises.
*Volendam: June 19, 2021, 14-day Adriatic Dream cruise and the 24-day Adriatic Dream and Greek Odyssey Collectors’ Voyage departing the same date.
*Westerdam: June 19, 2021, 12-day Greece and Adriatic Antiquities cruise and the 24-day Adriatic Antiquities and Mediterranean Romance Collectors’ Voyage departing the same date.
Rebook in 2022 on a Comparable Cruise
Holland America Line is notifying all guests and their travel advisors of their options. Guests currently booked on the canceled Europe departures will be able to rebook on an equivalent cruise in 2022 at the 2021 fare – with all cash and Future Cruise Credit funds moved to the new booking. Guests will be offered a comparable cruise in 2022 to replace the canceled voyage and instructions on how to confirm this selection online.
If guests decide not to accept a cruise booking in 2022 by April 15, 2021, they automatically default to receive a Future Cruise Credit of 110 percent of any cash paid on the booking. The minimum FCC is $25 and the maximum will be an amount up to the base cruise fare paid. Guests will retain any other FCC used for the canceled 2021 booking with all FCC amounts moved to their loyalty account for use on a future cruise booking. For all bookings in 2022, standard cancellation policies apply. Guests who prefer a 100% refund of monies paid to Holland America Line can visit the Cancellation Preferences Form to indicate their preference no later than April 15, 2021.
Holland America Line previously paused global cruise operations and canceled all departures on all ships through April 30, 2021; Mediterranean cruises through early June; and all departures sailing to or from a Canadian port in 2021.
Similarly, as Princess Cruises continues to work with government and port authorities to finalize its plans for return to cruising, the company is extending its pause on cruise vacations in the Caribbean, California Coast, Mexico and Mediterranean through June 30, 2021. Rebooking policies will be similar to Holland America Line’s rebooking protocols using this online rebooking portal.
The pause in operation affects the following voyages:
* Caribbean Princess: Seven-day Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises
* Enchanted Princess: Seven-day Mediterranean & Adriatic, seven-day Western Mediterranean, and 14-day Western Mediterranean & Adriatic Medley
* Ruby Princess: Seven-day Classic California Coast, seven-day Mexican Riviera, and five-day Cabo San Lucas Getaway sailings
Other lines, such as Oceania and Cunard, are promoting their 2022-23 seasons with a robust sense of confidence.
Oceania Cruises announced that the launch of its latest collection of exotic itineraries for winter 2022-2023 on March 3rd and experienced in an all-time record with the most bookings taken in a single day in the company’s 18-year history.
In early March, Oceania Cruises opened its 2022-2023 Tropics and Exotics Collection of itineraries for sale to the public. This collection of 127 itineraries ranges from 7 to 77 days across Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, the Caribbean, South America, and the South Pacific. The top-selling destinations were Asia, Africa, and South America. The Caribbean and Australia/New Zealand also produced strong results with the single bestselling voyage of all being a 35-day circumnavigation of Australia over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
“The tremendous wave of bookings we saw on the day we opened our new 2022 and 2023 itineraries for sale underscores the extraordinary demand for long and exotic cruise vacations. Upscale travelers are eager to explore the world once more and are booking farther in advance to ensure their travel dreams are fulfilled,” said Oceania CEO Bob Binder. This latest booking record comes only weeks after the line sold out its epic six-month-long world cruise on the first day it opened for sale to the general public.
Meanwhile Cunard is beefing up its U.S. market with news of the line’s return to cruising voyages in Alaska.
In 2019, Cunard returned to cruising in Alaska for the first time in two decades, with the Queen Elizabeth – Cunard’s youngest Queen. In 2022, the ship will again sail through the storied waters and landscapes of the Last Frontier that still offers the world’s most spectacular tidewater glaciers.
- Size: Queen Elizabeth is the perfect ship for Alaska. This Cunard Queen is large enough to offer all the activities, amenities and hallmark Cunard experiences including Gala Evenings and Afternoon Tea, while carrying fewer guests than other ships her size.
- Space: Spacious Princess & Queens Grill Suites come with free drinks and gratuities. The ship’s luxury suites offer up to 1,493 square feet of living space and feature a host of exclusive amenities including dining in the dedicated Grills restaurants, a private cocktail lounge and an outside sun terrace.
- Spirited: Guests experience Alaska’s great culinary secrets with live cooking demonstrations, sip local craft beer on board from Alaskan Brewing Company, celebrate with exclusive cocktails inspired by Alaska and cozy up with blankets and a hot toddy or hot chocolate on deck to admire the view.
- Sought itineraries: Guests get the convenience of a roundtrip itinerary from Vancouver, British Columbia with 7- and 10-night voyages.
- Smaller Destinations: Queen Elizabeth also sails to smaller, more intimate destinations such as Sitka and Haines: Framed by mountains at the top of North America’s longest fjord, Haines inspires with its wild temperate rainforest and captivating local art galleries; a visit to Sitka refreshes the spirit in the heart of Tongass National Forest, where guests can experience the influences of Tlingit and Russian heritage in one community.
- Simplicity: Guests enjoy at least one luxurious sea day on every Alaska itinerary, spending ample time dining, unwinding and taking in the scenery at a leisurely pace.
- Savor it:With full days in several ports of call, there is more time to indulge in personal passions and only-in-Alaska experiences, such as the scenic White Pass Railway journey that reveals miles of breathtaking waterfalls, mountains and tunnels.
- Celebrate: Select a special Independence Day voyage and celebrate with the local community in Skagway. With a lively parade, a record-breaking egg toss contest and other events, this is a special place to revel in July 4festivities.
- Sights and Insights: Guests enjoy the personal narratives from award-winning writers, explorers and adventurers, including Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Felicity Aston, Kenton Cool and Peter Hillary. Discover important perspectives from Alaska Native heritage guides on every voyage.
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