Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises have announced sailings in the Mediterranean this summer.
Royal Caribbean International’s Jewel of the Seas will sail in Greece and Cyprus on all-new seven-night cruises departing from Limassol, Cyprus.
Starting 10JUL, Jewel of the Seas will homeport in Cyprus, with calls at Athens and the Greek islands of Rhodes, Crete, Mykonos and Santorini.
Bookings open on 07APR. Sailing with vaccinated crew, the cruises will be available to adult guests who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and those under the age of 18 with negative test results. Travellers must also meet the requirements of Cyprus, which can be found here.
“I’m delighted to announce our safe and gradual return to Europe. We know how eager our guests are to enjoy a getaway this summer, and these sailings, which include a mix of fantastic destinations and must-visit islands, make for the perfect getaway,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International.
Royal Caribbean recently announced plans for Caribbean summer sailings, with Adventure of the Seas cruising from The Bahamas and Vision of the Seas offering itineraries from Bermuda. Odyssey of the Seas will also cruise from Haifa, Israel, and Quantum of the Seas is continuing sailings from Singapore.
Celebrity Returns to Europe
Sister brand Celebrity Cruises announced Thursday that its newest ship, Celebrity Apex, will be homeporting in Athens from 19JUN.
Celebrity Apex will offer two week-long itineraries. The first to the Greek islands including Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes and Limassol, Cyprus while the second travels to the Greek islands and Haifa and Jerusalem in Israel. They will open for booking on 30MAR.
Celebrity is mandating that all crew and passengers above the age of 18 be vaccinated against COVID-19, and those under the age of 18 present negative PCR test results. In addition, all passengers will have to present a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to their arrival in Greece.
The news comes on the heels of this week's announcement that Celebrity will resume sailing in the Caribbean as of 05JUN with seven-night summer cruises departing from St. Maarten on Celebrity Millennium.
