Page 12 - AreaNewsletters "July 2020" issue

When Cruise Travel Returns
It will certainly look different than before COVID-19
Article provided by Travel Journeys
As of right now, many cruise lines are already booking cruises
for late fall and beyond but will they to be postponed? The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention has issued another no-sail
order for cruise ships over 200 passengers which will expire in
mid-September. SomecruiselineshavevoluntarilycanceledthroughSeptember30th.Sincethereisnovaccineavailable for the coronavirus yet, there will be pre-vaccine changes to cruise travel as well as post-vaccine modi cations. In the meantime, what can we expect with cruising? As of now it is still only speculation and a just a wait and see.
Smaller Fleets with Fewer Sta
It will be awhile before all ships will be available. Re- sta ng ships will occur in phases. This ultimately means not all ships in any given eet will begin operating immediately. It may be half to one-third of eets at rst.
Private Islands Could Become the Centerpiece of Shorter Itineraries
Some executives say this could be the answer to what everyone is looking for in a cruise right now. Shorter itineraries close to home along with no worries about being turned a way from a port like we were seeing in March and beyond. Some, like Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day is like a resort in itself with wave pools & hot air balloons or MSC’s Ocean Cay that focus’s on wildlife. Either way, it is a way to relax and enjoy beach life.
Limited Guest Capacity
There will likely be a cap to the number of guests initially allowed on each ship. Just as many airlines are foregoing the middle seat to abide by social distancing guidelines, cruise lines may reduce the maximum capacity of passengers to decrease the onboard density of people.
Bye-Bye to Bu ets
Just like hotels and resorts these will most likely go away and more specialty restaurants will open up.
Face Masks
As a further precaution, face masks may come into play on cruise ships, as they have on planes. Although it is unlikely any passenger will want to wear one for the entire duration of their vacation, a recent patent ling suggests Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited might implement a so-called “seaface” sanitary mask for viral isolation. If utilized, though, it might only be required of crew.
Immunity Passports and Testing
More likely than necessitating face masks for passengers will probably be some sort of coronavirus test before boarding to rule out any pier-side passengers with the disease. Some sort of immunity passport could factor in, permitting those previously tested and cleared to board.
Cruises abroad may be impacted by ight availability and acceptance of tourists into other countries. There were many new ships ordered for 2020/2021 that are now canceled or delayed.
Deep Discounts
In any case, clients will have plenty of discounts to look forward to. Deals may not be popping up across Continued on next page...
July 2020 • Castle Rock “AreaNewsletters” 12
HEALTH • WELLNESS • LIFESTYLE