Michael Satterfield
TGR Staff – 06/07/2021
Both Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean have announced a return to Caribbean cruising this summer. The Celebrity Millennium has set sail for the first time in 15 months out of its new homeport of Philipsburg, St. Maarten, and is the first ship to return to service in North America since the global travel shut down. Royal Caribbean has announced that it will kick off cruising by July 2nd and expects to have its entire fleet up and running by year’s end.
The first Royal Caribbean ship to sail will be the Freedom of the Seas out of Miami and the cruise company says they will begin sailing from major U.S. cruise ports in Florida, and Texas in July and August. On July 3rd, the brand new Odyssey of the Seas will set sail from Fort Lauderdale on new 6 and 8-night Caribbean cruises, to soon be followed by Allure, Symphony, Independence, and Mariner of the Seas.
Both cruise lines have instituted advanced health protocols which include staggered arrivals and departures, contactless transactions, and vaccination requirements depending on the ports of call. Travelers are encouraged to read all of the travel requirements for each destination as some are requiring anyone over the age of 12 to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The most up-to-date policies can be found online on each country’s tourism site. Both cruise lines have also put in place refund policies in the event that future restrictions or changes in travel policy require the cancellation of sailing dates.
We recommend working with a travel expert, like Flow Voyages when booking.
