September 29, 2020
Ocean Cruises
Aranui
Ships: Aranui 5Itineraries: French PolynesiaWho can go: Visitors must prove their visit is for work/family reasons and take a COVID-19 test 72 hours before departure.Health requirement: COVID-19 test the day before departure.Costa Cruises
Ships: Costa Deliziosa, Costa Diadema; Costa Smerelda (October); Costa Firenze (December).Itineraries: Costa Deliziosa operates from Trieste, offering week-long cruises around Italy. After October 10, it will sail to Greece.Costa Diadema offers week-long trips round Italy, departing from Genoa.Costa Smerelda will offer Western Med cruises from October 10.New flagship Costa Firenze will offer Western Mediterranean cruises from the end of December.Who can go: Italians only, opening up to more European nationalities toward the end of the month.Health requirement: COVID-19 testing as standard; only ship-organized shore excursions.Coral Expeditions
Ship: Coral DiscovererItineraries: 7-night Great Barrier Reef from Cairns (from October 14, 2020)Who can go: Australians and Queenslanders CroisiEurope
Ship: MV Belle des Océans Itineraries: MediterraneanWho can go: Open to allDream Cruises
Ship: Explorer DreamItineraries: From Taipei, offering four-day cruises to Taiwanese islandsWho can go: Taiwanese onlyHapag-Lloyd
Ship: Europa 2, Hanseatic InspirationItineraries: Cruise to nowhere from Hamburg to the North and Baltic seasWho can go: Germans, Austrians, SwissMaine Windjammers
Ships: Schooners Stephen Taber, LadonaItineraries: Operating three- to six-night cruises along the coast of MaineWho can go: AnyoneHealth Requirement: COVID test required to board, no port stopsThe Majestic Line
Ships: Glen Shiel, Glen EntiveItineraries: From Scottish ports to Scottish islands.Who can go: U.K. citizensMetropolitan Touring
Ships: La PintaItineraries: Galapagos Islands expeditionsWho can go:Anyone eligible to travel to EcuadorHealth Requirement: COVID negative test required to enter Galapagos Islands; masks must be worn.MSC Cruises
Paul Gauguin
Ship: Paul GauguinItineraries: 7- to 14-night Tahiti, French Polynesia, and South Pacific sailings.Who can go: Open to all.Health requirement: Proof of a negative COVID-19 testPonant
Ships: Le Jacques Cartier, L'Austral, Le Lyrial, Le ChamplainItineraries: Le Jacques Cartier is sailing French coastal itineraries in Brittany. L'Austral is sailing in the Mediterranean from Marsailles. Le Lyrial is sailing to Corscia from Nice. Le Champlain is sailing in Croatia.Who can go: French, Belgians, DutchHealth requirement: Proof of a negative COVID-19 testSeaDream*
Ships: SeaDream 1 (possibly SeaDream 2)Itineraries: Transatlantic from Norway (where it has been operating successfully) on October 15 via the U.K. and Madeira to Barbados, where it will be based. On November 7, SeaDream 1 will start round-trip cruises from Bridgetown to St. Vincent and several islands in the Grenadines such as Union Island and Bequia, as well as Grenada. If demand is there the line will add SeaDream 2.Who can go: Passengers from Barbados' "safe list", which includes US and Canadian citizens.*from October 15
Health requirement: At least two negative COVID-19 test resultsTUI
Ships: Mein Schiff 1, Mein Schiff 6Itineraries: Mein Schiff 1 is offering Hamburg "blue cruises" (cruises to nowhere).Mein Schiff 6 is offering week-long cruises from Heraklion, calling at Piraeus and Corfu, with scenic sailing of Santorini.Who can go: GermansVariety
Ship: GalileoItineraries: Week-long, round trip from Piraeus to the Cyclades, which includes Paros, Poros, Santorini and MykonosWho can go: Open to allRiver
Amadeus
Ships: Amadeus Imperial and five other ships.Itineraries: Danube, Rhine, Main and the Dutch and Belgian waterwaysWho can go: Open to all
AmaWaterways
Ship: AmaKristinaItineraries: There are two different five-night itineraries running on the Rhine River, both round-trip from Cologne. One sails north to Amsterdam and Antwerp, while the other runs south to Strasbourg. The cruises run through November 2.Who can go: Germans, Dutch on charter cruises onlyA-ROSA
Ships: A-ROSA Flora, A-ROSA Aqua, A-ROSA Alva, A-ROSA Donna, A-ROSA Mia, A-ROSA Riva, A-ROSA Brava, A-ROSA SilvaItineraries: Rhine, Danube, DouroWho can go: Open to allCroisiEurope
Ships: MS Gerard Schmitter, MS Modigliani, MS Lafayette, MS Douce France, MS Monalisa, MS Renoir, MS Van Gogh, MS Camargue, MS Mistral, MS Loire Princesse, MS Cyrano de Bergerac, MS Amalia Rodrigues, MS Miguel Torga, MS Gil Eanes, MS Fernao de Magalhaes, Barge Anne Marie, barge Madeleine, barge JeanineItineraries: French rivers and canals; DouroWho can go: Open to all.English Holiday Cruises
Ships: Edward ElgarItineraries: Offering two-, three-, four- and five-night cruises along the U.K.'s longest river, the Severn.Who can go: Any citizen on the U.K.'s "safe list" of countries.Nicko
Ship: NickoVisionItineraries: Danube and Rhine.Who can go: Open to all.Viva
Ships: MS Inspire, MS TreasuresItineraries: Four-night cruises along the Main and the Rhine.Who can go: Germans only.(Updated 1:07 p.m. EDT) -- Cruise lines have temporarily suspended operations worldwide and altered future sailings in globally as the novel coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) continues to spread.
In January, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, following an emergency committee meeting in Geneva. On March 11, WHO declared the outbreak a worldwide pandemic.
In additon, a number of ports throughout the world and the Caribbean are barring ships from docking.
The U.S. State Department has issued a Global Level 4 "do not travel" health advisory for travel abroad. The U.K.'s Foreign & Commonw
(12:55 p.m. EDT) -- SeaDream Yacht Club has done it again: The small cruise line made industry headlines when it became the first luxury outfit to return to sailing in June, making a quick pivot with its two ships to Norway for a successful summer season.
And now SeaDream is the only cruise line making a transatlantic sailing with passengers onboard. SeaDream I's 21-day trip left from Oslo with its first guests, before picking up more in Rotterdam, Portsmouth in the U.K. and Funchal in Madeira. The ship is heading for Barbados, where it will run weeklong Caribbean cruises through April.
(As a note, Cruise Critic will be sailing on SeaDream in
(6 p.m. EDT) -- Who else out there needs something to look forward to?
I know that I do. The crisp and sunny fall days are getting shorter. Colder temperatures are making outdoor dining and social-distanced deck dinners unfeasible. And we're finding it hard to figure out a way to make Thanksgiving and the December holidays safe for an extended family gathering.
Meanwhile, the news is a constant stream of anxiety. No matter what side you're on, the U.S. election looms large in the collective consciousness. Coronavirus cases continue to rise, not just here in the United States, but in Europe and the rest of the world. And if we feel this way now, how on earth will we get through winter?
(4:30 p.m. EDT) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's long-standing No-Sail Order is set to expire at midnight Saturday, once again raising the question as to whether the order will be extended, or expire and allow cruise to resume from select ports in the United States.
Originally issued March 13 as the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe, the CDC's No-Sail Order was extended April 9, July 16 and September 30.
In the case of the latter date, the CDC opted to extend the No-Sail Order just hours before it was due to expire.
Saturday, October 31 is also a big day for other cruise industry restrictions: It is the day that [CLIA's volun
(12:25 p.m. EDT) -- One possible hurdle for Carnival Corporation to resume sailing in 2020 has been cleared by a federal judge.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz had indicated she would require 60 days' notice prior to any Carnival Corporation vessel entering U.S. waters. The company is currently on probation over the illegal dumping of contaminated oil waste involving Caribbean Princess in 2016. Carnival Corporation has been in an environmental compliance program since 2017.
That ruling would have dramatically affected Carnival's attempts to restart cruising from the United States following the industry's shutdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, the
(12:15 p.m. EDT) -- As Royal Caribbean gears up for a restart in Asia in December, the line has released several infographics outlining changes passengers will see on its ship in that region.
Quantum of the Seas will start sailing from Singapore on December 1, at half capacity with only passengers who live in the country and on "Ocean Getaways", or cruises to nowhere. While Royal Caribbean Group has a partial interest in TUI Cruises, a German line that has also resumed cruising, the sailing could mark the first Royal Caribbean ship to welcome back passengers worldwide; the line has canceled all U.S. sailings through November 30 and is await