FYour work, ship horns, party atmosphere on board – and all without the obligation to wear a mask: Recently, seven cruise ships met off the island of Cozumel for a rendezvous in the Caribbean. A “Fun Ship Meetup” with tens of thousands of holidaymakers celebrating. Just in time for its 50th birthday, one of the world’s largest shipping companies, Carnival Cruise Line, wanted to celebrate a milestone after two years of the pandemic: back to normality, back to the dream ship.
The figures suggest that this applies to the entire industry. According to surveys, a good 80 percent of travelers who went on a cruise before the pandemic say they now want to cruise again – the same high percentage as before the Corona crisis. According to the world’s largest cruise line, Clia, more than 75 percent of ocean-going ships are already back in operation, and by the summer it should be almost 100 percent.
Around 270 ships are currently in use around the world, and more than 80 countries and destinations can be approached again. This year, cruising is beginning to recover after two years of pandemic. For vaccinated guests, this is the global standard, there are major events on board, individual shore leave, more routes and new ships.
The war in Ukraine is causing uncertainty
But all the preparations for carefree cruises are subject to reservations – the consequences of the war in Ukraine are not foreseeable, the uncertainty among holidaymakers is great. Europe as the third most important destination behind the Caribbean and Asia is difficult to calculate at the moment.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, all shipping companies have now rerouted their Baltic and Black Sea tours, as a precaution until the end of 2022. Russian ports are no longer served. Previously, Saint Petersburg was considered by many to be the highlight of a Baltic Sea tour, sometimes even with two or three layover days. The demand for Baltic Sea cruises is currently low, many customers are waiting or rebooking.
Cruise with less strict Corona rules
The large shipping companies in this country, TUI Cruises, Aida Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, have adapted better to the pandemic. All three have been the first in the world to prescribe a third vaccination for guests over the age of 18 since the beginning of 2022, which is intended to ensure better protection against the omicron variant of the coronavirus.
All three shipping companies require two negative corona tests, a PCR test and a rapid antigen test, to be presented before departure. On cruises in Europe, masks are still mandatory in closed rooms and wherever social distancing is not possible.
Different in the US. There, of all places, the strict disease control authority CDC has significantly relaxed the corona rules for cruises around North America. Since mid-February, guests who have not yet been fully vaccinated and who are chronically ill have been advised not to go on a cruise there, in principle vaccination is also compulsory here.
On the ships of most US shipping companies, such as Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Disney Cruise Line, the mask requirement has already been lifted if cruises depart from the USA or Puerto Rico, for example to the Caribbean.
“The decision to wear a mask on board is at the discretion of each guest,” says Norwegian Cruise Line, for example. A face mask is only recommended for guests. This also applies to shore leave on the private islands of many shipping companies in the Caribbean. Even self-service buffets are back on the first ships – for example on Regent’s “Seven Seas Explorer”.
Largest cruise ship in the world and a luxury yacht
The good dozen postponed maiden voyages, which will be made up for in 2022, also speak for the fact that things are looking up. Like that of the largest cruise ship ever built, the “Wonder of the Seas”. 362 meters long, 18 decks high, space for 6988 passengers: She was just cruising around the Bahamas on her maiden voyage with a beach party stop on the shipping company’s private island Coco Cay.
From May, the XXL ship will be cruising in Europe and during the summer it will be sailing the western Mediterranean from Barcelona and Civitavecchia before returning to the Caribbean in November.
Something is also happening in the luxury segment after the compulsory break caused by the pandemic: on August 6, the new ultra-luxury yacht “Evrima”, the first ship of the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain, is to set sail from Athens – two years later than planned. The 190-metre vessel offers plenty of space for just a few: there are only terrace suites for a maximum of 298 passengers, several starred restaurants and a sun deck with a platform from which – when the ship is anchored – you can step straight into the sea to swim.
The “Evrima” also remains in the Mediterranean, also with the ports of entry Barcelona and Civitavecchia. Here, however, the eight-day tour through the Mediterranean costs ten times more than on the XXL ship – from 7000 instead of 700 euros per person.
Favorite destinations in Europe and overseas
The Mediterranean will also play a major role for other shipping companies in 2022: TUI Cruises has positioned three ships there alone. At the beginning of the summer, three Aida ships will also cruise in the region, including the newest ship, the “Aida Cosma” with space for around 5,200 passengers. After the christening in April, she will offer trips in the western Mediterranean under the motto “Mediterranean Treasures”.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises also sends the “Europa 2” on golf and classic tours to the Mediterranean in the summer. Celebrity Cruises is also taking the high demand into account: From 2023, the “Celebrity Infinity” will be sailing there all year round for the first time, including in winter with tours from/to Athens to the Aegean Sea and towards Turkey.
And how does it look in the distance? Caribbean cruises from the USA are again possible for Europeans. Canada also allows cruises – of course only for fully vaccinated people. Australia is also expected to be open again for cruises from autumn. Latin and South America are trending destinations for 2023: Royal Caribbean, for example, will be offering tours from Panama and Colombia after a nine-year absence.
World travel is also in vogue. From October 2022, Aida Cruises will be offering a 117-day tour to 20 countries. In 2022/23, Hapag-Lloyd has a trip in five stages around the world in its program – from Hamburg to Hamburg in 279 days. However, those who want to go on a world tour with the “Insignia” from Oceania Cruises in 2024 are out of luck: the tour was sold out within 30 minutes of the start of sales at the beginning of March 2022.