Two more cruise ships are hoping to score a CDC Conditional Sailing Certificate upon the successful completion of simulated voyages, better known as test cruises, with volunteer passengers aboard.
The Disney Dream sailed from Port Canaveral on Friday, while the MSC Meraviglia sailed from Miami on Friday.
Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sailed with Royal Caribbean International on the Freedom of the Seas test cruise in June, and are expected to be aboard with both Disney and MSC to observe COVID-19 related health and safety measures.
If approved, the Conditional Sailing Certificate allows a cruise ship to operate with less than 95 per cent vaccinated guests aboard, which many cruise operators believe is needed to continue to appeal to families with children.
Canada will allow cruise ships back into its waters starting in November as the COVID-19 pandemic fades, but they must fully comply with public health requirements that have yet to be finalized, Ottawa said on Thursday.
Earlier this year, Canada extended a ban on cruise ships until February 2022, citing the need to protect public health. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said in a statement that the restriction would now be lifted on Nov. 1, 2021.
“We will welcome cruise ships – an important part of our tourism sector – back in Canadian waters for the 2022 season,” he said.
The news should please major operators who complained that Canada’s ban was hurting their business on the West Coast. U.S. law obliges foreign-flagged cruise ships sailing from Washington state to Alaska to make a Canadian stop.
Canada, however, has not yet lifted a ban on non-essential travel with the United States. A Canadian government official said Alghabra’s announcement would allow both countries to work on ways of safely managing the cruise sector.
“We’re working hard through our embassy, through our officials, myself, through our department, and ensuring that we maintain business as usual,” Alghabra told reporters.
He gave no indication of when the border between the United States and Canada would reopen to tourists.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Montreal on Thursday that Ottawa would make an announcement on the next steps to reopening the border in the coming weeks.
A day earlier he had said it “would be catastrophic and heartbreaking to have to go back into lockdown, as some countries are now looking at with surges in the Delta variant, because we were overly eager to reopen by a few weeks.”
With all of its five brands now back in service, the Royal Caribbean Group is building up its restart plans. Over the next few months, 16 additional ships are set to welcome passengers back, sailing in different parts of the world.
Here’s the latest, brand by brand:
Royal Caribbean International First sailing: Five ships in service; nine more to follow starting on July 19 Ships: Quantum of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas in service; Serenade of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas set to follow Regions: Presently sailing in Asia, Caribbean, Mediterranean and the United Kingdom with cruises to Alaska planned
Royal Caribbean International is quickly adding ships back into service. With five vessels currently in action, the operator plans to activate nine more before August.
Most of the restart fleet is poised to sail from the U.S. ports to the Caribbean and Bahamas but plans also call for service resumptions in the Mediterranean, United Kingdom and Alaska.
In Asia, Quantum’s Singapore program was recently extended, adding departures through February 2022.
Celebrity Cruises First sailing: Five ships in service; four more to follow starting on July 24 Ships: Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Silhouette, Celebrity Flora and Celebrity Summit in service; Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Xpedition, Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Xploration set to follow Regions: Presently sailing in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, United Kingdom and the Galapagos with cruises to Alaska planned
Continuing its phased restart plan, the premium brand will also resume operations in Alaska while adding more ships in the Caribbean and Galapagos.
TUI Cruises First sailing: Five ships in service Ships: Mein Schiff 1, Mein Schiff 2, Mein Schiff 4, Mein Schiff 5 and Mein Schiff 6 Regions: Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Greece and Italy
TUI intends to have its entire seven-ship fleet in service this summer. The German brand is currently operating five vessels in different parts of Europe.
After several months of sailing only in the Canaries archipelago, TUI recently expanded operations to Germany and Greece. A return to the Mediterranean was also carried out recently, with cruises in Spain and Italy.
Silversea Cruises First sailing: Two ships in service; two more to follow starting on July 29 Ships: Silver Origin and Silver Moon in service; Silver Muse and Silver Shadow set to follow Region: Presently sailing in Galapagos and Mediterranean, with cruises to Alaska and Iceland planned
Silversea Cruises welcomed its passengers back in June, with the inaugural cruises of two newbuilds, the Silver Moon and the Silver Origin.
Continuing its restart plan, the luxury brand is planning to relaunch service in Alaska and in Iceland, with two additional vessels.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises First sailing: Four ships in service; one more to follow starting on August 26 Ships: Europa 2, Europa, Hanseatic Nature and Hanseatic Inspiration in service; Hanseatic Spirit set to follow Region: Eastern Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Norwegian Fjords
With four ships in service, Hapag-Lloyd is currently offering several itineraries in Northern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.
The recently delivered Hanseatic Spirit, meanwhile, is set to start service in August with a series of cruises in Northern Europe.
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