The novel coronavirus has paused most ocean cruise operations around the globe, but that has not stopped cruise lines from planning voyages during and beyond the pandemic.
Everything from North American sailings to world cruises are still on the calendar for 2020 through well into 2023. Here’s what travel advisors should know for clients ready to start booking.
Starting Closer to Home With MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises has already restarted its operations successfully in the Mediterranean, and the line is still looking to do so with American clientele sooner than later. In fact, MSC previously stated that it hopes to have its entire fleet sailing again by March 2021.
As it ramps back up, MSC anticipates a fall and winter 2020/2021 program conveniently departing from U.S. homeports. From Miami, MSC Meraviglia and MSC Armonia are scheduled with the former alternating weeklong eastern and western Caribbean routes — all visiting the new Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve private island — and the latter combining three-, four- and seven-night cruises to Key West, Fla.; Nassau, Bahamas; and Ocean Cay, Bahamas.
Meanwhile, MSC Seaside is slated to depart for the first time from Port Canaveral, Fla., on its own blend of three-, four- and seven-night sailings to George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; Nassau, Bahamas; and MSC’s Marine Reserve in Ocean Cay, Bahamas.
www.msccruisesusa.com
Princess Cruises and Windstar Cruises Cover the West Coast
A bit later into the 2021/2022 season, both Princess Cruises and Windstar Cruises are plotting signature presences along California and up to Alaska. Windstar had to put on hold a number of new itineraries in 2020 but is promoting the likes of a shorter seven-night Alaskan route for next year. Particularly interesting to Western travelers is the newly stretched and enhanced Star Breeze that will showcase California coastal and Sea of Cortez, Mexico, circuits in and out of San Diego.
Similarly, Princess will maintain its homeport of Los Angeles with a new vessel for the region. Originally earmarked for year-round sailing in the Chinese market, the Majestic Princess will replace the Regal Princess in 2021 on weeklong Mexican Riviera voyages and California Coast cruises in the fall and spring, as well as Alaska in the summer. Come 2022, the new Discovery Princess sister ship will join Majestic on comparable itineraries.
Additionally in 2021/2022, Grand Princess will sail from Los Angeles to Hawaii, plus the Baja Peninsula and Sea of Cortez in Mexico. And Ruby Princess will depart from San Francisco to Hawaii, Mexico and the California coast.
www.princess.com
www.windstarcruises.com
Caribbean and Exotics Onboard Princess Cruises
Princess also has plans to resume Caribbean operations and is setting out with five vessels on a total of 109 departures featuring its Princess Cays private island for 2021/2022. These are in addition to the season’s 17 Panama Canal runs and other far-off destinations as clients regain the confidence to travel abroad.
For instance, Diamond Princess will newly sail to South America and Antarctica from December 2021 to March 2022, highlighting the Andes, Cape Horn and Strait of Magellan in Chile.
www.princess.com
Holland America Line and Viking World Cruises
Eventually, even world cruises will pick up steam again, and several lines are preparing for their return. Viking recently announced its 2021/2022 global itinerary, which will be serviced by the line’s Viking Star and head to 27 countries and 56 ports across 136 days. The ship will depart from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and head to new Viking destinations such as Phillip Island, Australia; Eden, Australia; and Yangon, Myanmar.
Also in 2021, Holland America Line will feature a 71-day Grand Africa Voyage on the Zaandam beginning in Fort Lauderdale and visiting unique ports of call such as Safaga, Egypt; Richards Bay and Cape Town, South Africa; and Walvis Bay, Namibia; plus providing the chance to visit many wildlife reserves. The brand’s Zaandam will traverse a longer distance across 128 days in 2022 onboard its Grand World Voyage. It will head from Fort Lauderdale to 50 ports in 27 countries, territories and island nations, altogether touching four continents.
www.hollandamerica.com
www.vikingcruises.com
The Future Is Luxurious
Rounding out recently revealed itineraries are the luxury cruise brands. Seabourn will showcase a wide mix of cruise lengths in 2021/2022 ranging from seven to 36 days. New for 2021 will be Panama Canal and Central America on Seabourn Quest, and 2022 will mark the brand’s return to Egypt onboard Seabourn Ovation.
In the meantime, Silversea Cruises has a whopping 86 new voyages scheduled for 2021/2022 including eight maiden calls to Manama, Bahrain; Miyako, Japan; Makassar, Indonesia; Phillip Island, Australia; Kingstown, St. Vincent; Geelong, Australia; Vigan Salomague Port, the Philippines; and Puerto Bolivar, Ecuador. Silversea even has its own World Cruise planned in 2022 that is set to visit 69 destinations across 32 countries.
Crystal Cruises is also wasting no time opening up its voyage schedule through 2023 for both its Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony. Serenity’s calendar includes a 140-night world cruise, in addition to the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, Western Europe, the Caribbean and even Canada and New England. And Symphony’s docket is full with the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Holy Land and Egypt, as well as Southeast Asia and India.
www.seabourn.com
www.silversea.com
www.crystalcruises.com
