Friday (June 4), the two largest cruise lines in the world made more clear their policies on vaccine requirements for recently-announced US sailings.  In both cases, the announcements were a bit surprising as they were contrary to what each line had previously indicated.

This Summer Celebrity Millennium and Celebrity Summits are cruising out of St Maarten.  If you’re taking one of these cruises though, it’s critical you understand the requirements of both the government of St Maarten, as well as Celebrity Cruises. From COVID tests and vaccines, to  entry authorization forms and insurance, it’s not as complicated as it sounds  - as long as you know what to expect.  Note that after the basic rules or requirements, we'll also share some tips we found helpful

If you've been waiting to book a cruise because you want to see what the experience is like these days, we're going to make it easy to find out.  During June and early July we'll be sailing on two of the first ships to sail the Caribbean in over 14 months: Celebrity Edge & Celebrity Millennium.  You'll get to come along virtually, with our blogs, live videos, and more, as we sail and answer your questions....

Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) CEO Richard Fain shares his updates on Summer 2021 cruises, including mask requirements, vaccines, and more - and it's great news!

In a move that most had written off as impossible in 2021, a bill has been passed by both houses of Congress with bipartisan support.  Oh, and once signed by President Biden, that bill means that Alaska cruises can resume in July!

With COVID rules constantly changing for cruise lines, it can be hard to know what restrictions apply to your next voyage.  When or if testing is required, whether you'll need to wear a mask on the ship, and how you can go ashore in ports of call can vary based on several factors - one of the largest being vaccines.  We're tracking some key factors and rules to gibe you an idea of what to expect...

When cruising resumed in Europe last year, cruise lines restricted guests from going ashore unless they were on an excursion booked through the cruise line.  At least one major cruise line will resume cruising in North America without this requirement...

Recent updates from the CDC now acknowledge vaccines as an important tool in the quest for safe cruising, and allow a new way lines may be issued Conditional Sailing Certificates and resume cruising from the US...

The past week has been a wild one for cruising in the US: The cruise industry pleaded with the CDC to stop it's months of radio-silence on it's Conditional Sailing Order. The CDC then finally provided technical instructions as a 'next step', but with no clear end in sight. Some cruise lines announced they'd sail the Caribbean without the US support. NCL proposed US fully-vaccinated sailings in July. The Florida governor said that private business can't require vaccines.  With all this, cruising from the US remains uncertain, while packed bars, flights, and hotels have gone with little or no regulation. Now, the State of Florida announced that it is suing the federal government over the shutdown of the cruise industry...

Just a day after the CDC finally provided updated guidance on the next steps to return to cruising, one of the three largest cruise companies has taken a bigger step.  In a letter to CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky, Frank Del Rio (CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings) outlines the steps the COVID-19 safety measures the company’s three lines have taken, and explains how they plan to sail from the US starting in early July.