Testing the Waters – Vaccinated Crew and Guests to Sail in May
Seeing the world from the balcony of a cruise ship is something I enjoy a lot. I have had the pleasure of seeing most of this world from a deck chair outside my cabin on a luxury ocean liner many times over the past twenty years. All of that stopped when the coronavirus hit. But now, Royal Caribbean has announced plans to literally test the waters of cruising in a post-pandemic world.
The cruise line, which is one of my personal favorites, has plans to set sail in May out of Israel with everyone on board who is over the age of 16 fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
This single sailing could make or break the cruise industry.
Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas will embark on this historic adventure in May. In fact, the cruise will be the debut of the new vessel. So it will offer a better than average test case for the effectiveness of the coronavirus vaccines and the onboard protocols that cruise lines will be adopting in order to get passengers back on board.
The sailing also marks the first time that Royal Caribbean has offered sailings from Israel, which is a fascinating country to visit if you get the chance.
So, would you go on this first fully vaxxed cruise? I probably wouldn't. But I sure will be interested to see what happens. I think cruising is such a great way to enjoy the world. It's like having a luxury five-star hotel that travels with you from destination to destination.
Meanwhile, almost every other cruise line is still in a holding pattern with many lines continuing to cancel sailings well into the spring. If you do have a cruise booked, you might want to check with your sailing agent to see about rebooking, rescheduling, or what particular protocols will be enforced when it's your turn to cross over the gangway.
Okay, since you're reading this you're obviously interested in cruising. One of my favorite parts of cruising is the excursions. I have often wondered what would happen in Cajun Country in Louisiana was developed as a cruise destination what some of our excursions would be, well wonder no more.
10 Excursions Everyone Needs to Take in South Louisiana