Small-ship line leads the pack
In seven weeks, the Caribbean’s pristine beaches and seas will be visited by cruise lines and yachts again. This is according to a report by The Points Guy.
In a Zoom call hosted for the travel media, travel agents and top SeaDream customers, the small-ship specialist SeaDream Yacht Club revealed that it would restart on November 7 its 22 voyages out of Barbados to Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The report further said that the six-to-eight-night trips of SeaDream will come after a 21-night repositioning cruise for the vessel from Norway to the Caribbean. “That trip will start Oct. 15 in Oslo and end Nov. 5 in Barbados,” the report said.
Other cruise lines are yet to confirm if they will resume their voyages as soon as possible, although some of them still have November sailings in the Caribbean on their schedules.
The world’s biggest cruise lines’ operations have been put to a halt in March, after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic.
All the world’s major cruise lines have canceled Caribbean sailings in September and October. It is now anticipated that most line will also cancel their November trips soon, too.
This is after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) implemented a strict “no-sail” order for cruise ships that operate in U.S. waters. “Most cruises to the Caribbean depart out of a U.S. port or include at least one U.S. port call, making them subject to the CDC order,” said the report.
The order is set to expire on September 30, but it is foreseen to be extended, depending on the pandemic situation.
US bill introduced to allow cruise lines to restart
Meanwhile, two US senators have proposed a bill that will help the cruise lines industry regain its momentum again.
Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio announced new legislation known as the Set Sail Safely Act.
The bill mandates the creation of a Maritime Task Force, which will primarily be focused on the health, safety, security, & logistical changes to allow cruise lines & ports to resume operations. (https://thecaribbeannewsnow.com/cruise-in-the-caribbean-expected-to-resume-in-november/)
