cruise travel is set to sail once more

As travel continues to slowly start up, again, we learned late last week that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it would not extend its “no-sail” order for cruise ships operating in U.S. waters beyond the end of this month. The order expired at midnight on Saturday.

But just because the order expired, doesn’t mean you’ll be able to drive to the nearest port and board a ship. When the CDC rescinded the “no sail” order on Friday, they also issued a 40-page “framework for conditional sailing” to give cruise lines a chance to demonstrate that they have a plan in place for keeping everyone healthy and safe. As a result, we can probably expect cruise lines to slowly ramp up their operations, and phase in new sailings over time.

“CDC will ensure cruise ship operators have adequate health and safety protections for crew members while these cruise ship operators build the laboratory capacity needed to test future passengers,” the agency said in the order.

At this point, pretty much every major cruise line has canceled sailings from US ports until at least December 1. Some have canceled sailings into January.

While we were waiting for this order, the industry has been working hard to make certain that travelers can sail safely. Two of the largest cruise companies, representing brands like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas, made recommendations for how to resume cruising safely, and the cruise industry’s trade association, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) (of which Huckleberry Travel is a member) has also released guidelines for a restarting cruses..

We know that some people aren’t quite ready to board a cruise ship, at this point. But, at the same time, we’ve heard from many of our clients that they can’t wait to get on board. We’re talking to people about what to expect. There will be new hygiene protocols, requirements to wear masks, and sailings with reduced occupancy to facilitate social distancing. Other things won’t change, however—you’ll still have medical staff right on board the ship, and an abundance of hand sanitizer stations.

And if you’re one of those who’s ready to sail sooner, rather than later, there’s no better time to plan your trip than right now! We’re seeing really generous promotional offers from all of our preferred cruise line partners. For example, our partners at Regent Seven Seas are offering to double the onboard savings to our clients who book new reservations between now and November 15. This means that our clients can save between $600 through $4000 USD per suite depending upon the suite category and length of the cruise being booked! These savings are only for new bookings, for any sailing up until May of 2022. Plus, this exclusive promotion is in addition to the current promotions that are available to the general public, such as FREE First Class Air on cruises to Alaska, Canada & New England, or a FREE Suite Upgrade on select cruises to Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. It is also combinable with the group amenities and pricing for our February 2022 Caribbean group departure (or any other private group that you might want us to build for you!)

It's a really phenomenal offer, and it's exclusively for our clients--the double onboard savings are not available through other booking channels.

If you're not familiar with Regent Seven Seas, luxury cruising with Regent Seven Seas Cruises is the perfect way to experience the world in comfort and safety, including:

• Free business-class air on intercontinental flights (and free economy air included on departures from North American ports).

• Free unlimited shore excursions.

• Free 2-3 night land packages on select voyages, and free 1-night pre-departure hotel stays in select stateroom categories.

• Free unlimited beverages including fine wines and spirits and open bars and lounges including in-suite mini-bar, replenished daily.

• Free specialty restaurants, pre-paid gratuities, transfers between airport and ship and unlimited wi-fi.

When you add up all of the inclusions and factor in the additional exclusive savings and amenities that we can offer, a Regent Seven Seas cruise is comparable in price to what you might expect to spend on a premium cruise line. So, if you're interested in taking advantage of this exclusive promotion, let us know right away, and we're happy to send you a quote for an itinerary aboard one of Regent's "right-sized" ships.

So, if you’d like to talk to us about booking one of these promotional rates, or you’d like to join our mailing list to get information about special offers from our best suppliers as travel is ramping up again, just click that contact button and drop us a line!