August 20, 2021
(Updated 5:21 p.m. EDT) -- While the global COVID-19 pandemic has shut down most cruise lines since mid-March 2020, many of the world's cruise lines have now resumed service, albeit in a limited capacity.
All these lines are operating strict new health and safety protocols that can include mandatory vaccination against COVID-19, pre-cruise or pierside PCR or antigen testing, and masking requirements onboard and ashore -- full details can be found on our continually updated health and safety feature
While the current list of lines in operation is limited to a handful of ships per line, things are slowly ramping up. Here is a round-up of which lines have restarted cruising on what ships, as well as where they are going and who can sail.
Ocean Cruises
AIDA
Ships: AIDAperla, AIDAmar and AIDASol, AIDAblu
Itineraries: Canary Islands, Germany, Greece
Who can go: German citizens
Alaskan Dream Cruises
Ships: Kruzof Explorer, Chichagof Dream, Alaskan Dream
Itineraries: Alaska
Who can go: Vaccinated passengers
American Cruise Lines
Ships: American Constellation, Independence
Itineraries: Coastal southeastern United States, Alaska, Puget Sound
Who can go: All passengers
Aranui
Ships: Aranui 5
Itineraries: French Polynesia
Who can go: All visitors.
Bahamas Paradise
Ships: Grand Classica
Itineraries: Bahamas
Who can go: All visitors
Carnival Cruise Line
Ships: Mardi Gras, Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Panorama
Itineraries: Caribbean, Alaska, Mexican Riviera
Who can go: All travellers
Celebrity Cruises
Ships: Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Summit
Itineraries:Alaska, Caribbean, Mediterranean
Who can go: Vaccinated travellers
Celestyal Cruises
Ships: Celestyal Crystal, Celestyal Olympia
Itineraries:Greece
Who can go: All travellers; season ends in August 2021 to resume in Spring 2022.
Costa Cruises
Ships: Costa Smerelda
Itineraries: Costa Smerelda operates from Savona, calling in at Civitavecchia (for Rome), Naples, Messina, Cagliari and La Spezia.
Who can go: Italians only, opening up to more European nationalities gradually.
Coral Expeditions
Ship: Coral Discoverer, Coral Adventurer
Itineraries: Coral Discoverer offers 10-and-16-night Tasmanian voyages from Sydney or Hobart began January 1, 2021. Coral Adventurer will return to operations from Cairns, offering Great Barrier Reef cruises.
Who can go: Australians
Crystal Cruises
Ship: Crystal Symphony, Crystal Serenity, Crystal Endeavor
Itineraries: Bahamas, Caribbean, Iceland
Who can go: Vaccinated passengers
Cunard Line
Ship: Queen Elizabeth
Itineraries: UK
Who can go: UK residents only
Disney Cruise Line
Ship: Disney Magic
Itineraries: UK
Who can go: UK residents
Dream Cruises
Ship: Explorer Dream, World Dream
Itineraries: Explorer Dream: From Taipei, offering four-day cruises to Taiwanese islands
World Dream: From Singapore, for Singaporeans only, offering three- and four-night cruises to nowhere.
Who can go: Taiwanese and Singaporeans.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Ships: Bolette, Borealis
Itineraries:UK
Who can go: UK residents
Hapag-Lloyd
Ship: Europa 2
Itineraries: Greece.
Who can go: Germans, Austrians, Swiss
Heritage Expeditions
Ship: Spirit of Enderby
Itineraries: Fiordland Land and Stewart Island; Auckland Islands.
Who can go: New Zealanders.
Holland America Line
Ship: Nieuw Amsterdam, Eurodam
Itineraries: Alaska, Mediterranean
Who can go: Fully vaccinated passengers.
Lindblad Expeditions
Ship: National Geographic Quest, National Geographic Venture, National Geographic Endeavour II
Itineraries: Alaska, Galapagos Islands
Who can go: Vaccinated travellers over the age of 16
The Majestic Line
Ship: Glen Tarsan
Itineraries: Hebrides.
Who can go: Scots.
Metropolitan Touring
Ship: La Pinta
Itineraries: Galapagos Islands expeditions
Who can go:Anyone eligible to travel to Ecuador
MSC Cruises
Ships: MSC Grandiosa restarted cruises on January 24, 2021. MSC Seaside resumed cruising from May 1, 2021. MSC Virtuosa restarted from Southampton for English citizens on May 20, 2021. MSC Meraviglia restarted U.S. operations August 2, 2021.
Itineraries: MSC Grandiosa and MSC Seaside operate out of from Genoa, offering week-long cruises round Italy. MSC Seaside features two new destinations -- Siracusa in Sicily and Taranto in Puglia, where the line has a private beach.
MSC Virtuosa, the line's newest ship, operates four-night cruises stopping at Portland, Dorest; before moving to seven-night cruises from June, calling in at Liverpool, Belfast and Greenock, Scotland. MSC Meraviglia sails from Miami to the Caribbean and Bahamas
Who can go: Schengen citizens (Grandiosa and Seaside); English citizens (Virtuosa).
Norwegian Cruise Line
Ships:Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Gem
Itineraries: Alaska, Caribbean, Greek Isles
Who can go: Fully vaccinated travellers only -- no exceptions.
P&O
Ship: Iona, Britannia
Itineraries: UK, Mediterranean
Who can go: UK residents
Paul Gauguin
Ships: Paul Gauguin
Itineraries: French Polynesia
Who can go: Vaccinated passengers eligible to enter French Polynesia
Ponant
Ships: Le Champlain
Itineraries: Cruise to nowhere.
Who can go: Citizens and residents of Qatar.
Princess Cruises
Ships: Majestic Princess
Itineraries: Alaska
Who can go: Fully vaccinated passengers
Royal Caribbean
Ships: Quantum of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas
Itineraries: Alaska, Caribbean, Bahamas, Mediterranean
Who can go: Vaccinated travellers over the age of 12; unvaccinated children under the age of 12.
Silversea
Ships:Silver Moon, Silver Origin, Silver Muse, Silver Shadow
Itineraries: Mediterranean, Galapagos, Alaska, Iceland
Who can go: Fully vaccinated travellers
TUI
Ships: Mein Schiff 1, Mein Schiff 2, Mein Schiff 5
Itineraries: Mein Schiff 1 operates from Kiel; Mein Schiff 2 operates 14-day itineraries around the Canary Islands; Mein Schiff 5 is based in Crete and operates around the Greek islands.
Who can go: Germans
UnCruise Adventures
Ships: Safari Explorer, Wilderness Explorer, Wilderness Discoverer, S.S. Legacy, Safari Quest, Wilderness Adventurer
Itineraries: Alaska, Pacific Northwest
Who can go: Fully vaccinated passengers
Viking
Ships: Viking Venus, Viking Orion
Itineraries: Iceland, Malta
Who can go: Fully vaccinated passengers
Virgin Voyages
Ships: Scarlet Lady
Itineraries: UK
Who can go: UK Residents
Windstar Cruises
Ship: Star Breeze, Wind Surf
Itineraries: Caribbean, Mediterranean
Who can go: Vaccinated passengers
River Cruises
AmaWaterways
Ships: AmaSiena
Itineraries: Rhine, Moselle
Who can go: Fully vaccinated passengers only.
American Cruise Lines
Ship: American Jazz
Itineraries: Lower Mississippi River
Who can go: All passengers
American Queen Steamboat Company
Ships: American Duchess, American Countess, American Empress, American Queen
Itineraries: Mississippi River, Columbia and Snake rivers.
Who can go: Fully vaccinated passengers only.
Avalon Waterways
Ships: Various
Itineraries: Rhine, Danube
Who can go: Fully vaccinated passengers only.
Tauck
Ships: MS Andorinha
Itineraries: Douro.
Who can go: Vaccinated travellers
Uniworld
Ships: Various
Itineraries: Rhine, Danube
Who can go: Fully vaccinated passengers only.