Sister-companies Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International have announced summer Caribbean sailings from St. Maarten and Nassau, respectively - without waiting for the CDC to approve sailing in U.S. waters.
This follows Crystal’s announcement a few days ago it would begin sailing again in the Americas in JUL in the Bahamas, also bypassing the CDC’s regulations.
All crew on the Celebrity and RCI voyages crew will be vaccinated, and sailings are open to vaccinated adults, as well as children under 18 with a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of embarkation. In addition, cruisers must meet the travel requirements set out by The Bahamas and St. Maarten, depending on which line they are sailing with.
Celebrity Millennium Sails Two Itineraries from St. Maarten
Celebrity Cruises is resuming service with sailings from St. Maarten on the Celebrity Millennium on 05JUN.
Celebrity Millennium will sail two different seven-night round-trips departing through AUG -- one sailing in Aruba, Curaçao and Barbados and the other exploring Tortola, St. Lucia and Barbados.
Bookings open on 25MAR.
“Returning to the Caribbean after more than a year away is such a significant moment for us,” says Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.
“It marks the measured beginning of the end of what has been a uniquely challenging time for everyone. We have been in constant contact with the leadership of St. Maarten these past months to support each other and share learnings and best practices,” she said.
In an interview with Cruise Week, Lutoff-Perlo said Millennium will sail at reduced capacity, but the cruise line is still examining the range and hasn’t set a cap yet.
She also didn’t confirm whether face masks will be required onboard.
"Protocols are evolving. We are not announcing any protocols today. We are still not sailing for three months,” she told Cruise Week.
"This is one ship in one destination," Lutoff-Perlo told Cruise Week. "The ports are limited. We're going to see how this goes. We've always said our startup would be measured, our ramp-up would be thoughtful and not fast."
It’s a statement that has been reiterated by Allan Brooks, Celebrity’s Director of Market Sales in Canada in an interview with Open Jaw.
Celebrity will offer a range of curated tours at every port of call. Private Journeys and Small Group Discovery Tours will also be available for those guests preferring to explore the destinations with only their travelling companions.
Royal Caribbean: Adventure of the Seas Sails Bahamas & Mexico
Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas will sail 7-nights cruises in The Bahamas and Mexico starting 12JUN from new homeport Nassau, The Bahamas.
Highlights include two back-to-back days on Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in The Bahamas, and time exploring Grand Bahama Island, The Bahamas and Cozumel, Mexico.
Bookings open 24MAR and departures continue through AUG.
“We are excited to get back to delivering memorable vacations in the Caribbean, gradually and safely. The vaccines are clearly a game changer for all of us, and with the number of vaccinations and their impact growing rapidly, we believe starting with cruises for vaccinated adult guests and crew is the right choice. As we move forward, we expect this requirement and other measures will inevitably evolve over time,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International.
