One-Location Cruises starting soon

With hardly any sizable cruise ships at work, some cruise lines have invented something new, amounting almost to a ‘staycation at sea’ with cruises that only use ports in one country, and in some cases are open only to vaccinated passengers.

Crystal Cruises has announced a series of sixteen one-week cruises, starting July 3rd, leaving from Nassau and Bimini, and calling at Harbour Island, Great Exuma, San Salvador Island and Long Island, with fares on the 980-passenger ship starting at $1999 per passenger. Only passengers who are at least 19 days past their vaccinations will be accepted.

Cunard, which has canceled all its other cruises through the fall, will operate a series of cruises out of Southampton, with no port calls and tickets limited to residents of the UK. The line’s press release did not specify whether passengers would need to be vaccinated.

Two U.S. cruise lines whose routes only include U.S. ports plan to resume sailing, on a limited basis, this month; their ships are under the size covered by CDC’s continuing ban on sailing before rigorous conditions are met. American Cruise Lines plans to send the 100-passenger Independence. It sails week-long voyages along the intracoastal waterways of Georgia and South Carolina, while American Queen Steamboat Company will operate a cruise on the Mississippi River.

Both companies say they have planned extensive safety protocols onboard, including masks and social distancing, but neither is requiring vaccination. A recent negative Covid-19 test is required.