All About Cruises

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  • It’s Official: US Cruises are Back!

    It’s Official: US Cruises are Back!

    Cruises from the United States are finally back! The moment that we have all been waiting for is here. There have been countless delays, and a recent COVID outbreak even made it seem like a return to cruises might be further off than we thought. But as of June 26th, cruises are officially back in the US. Here are all the details on the first embarkment of the year, as well as a look at what’s next.

    The first cruise in 15 months

    For more than a year now, there has not been a single passenger cruise with more than 250 people to sail from the US. COVID and the CDC’s rules made the situation complicated enough that cruise lines were struggling to get back into business even as the spread of the virus slowed down recently. But that 15 month streak of no cruises was finally broken on June 26th by Celebrity Edge. The ship, which has a capacity of 2918 guests and 1377 crew members, sailed out of Port Everglades in Florida. Only 1195 travelers were let onto the ship to allow for social distancing. Of those 1195 travelers, nearly all were vaccinated so as to align with the CDC’s current rules.

    Fain in attendance

    Underscoring the magnitude of this sailing was a speech from the CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, Richard Fain. He said, “This is a momentous sailing and one that we have been preparing for a long time. It’s not only a huge honor to be the first ship back in the water, leading the industry in the long-awaited return to U.S.-based cruising, it’s also an incredible achievement and testament to the tireless efforts of our shoreside team and onboard crew.” You can check out the full video of his statement over here. In addition to delivering a speech, Fain also stayed onboard to experience the 7-night Caribbean itinerary. We can’t blame him!

    What’s next?

    While a return to full normalcy won’t take place immediately, this sailing definitely is the first of many in the US this summer. Royal Caribbean’s very own Freedom of the Seas will be sailing out of Miami in July 2nd, and an Alaskan cruise season is set to start around the end of July. There are also multiple trial cruises set to occur over the course of the next few months, and this will hopefully solidify the fact that cruises are safe once again.

    Are you as excited as we are that cruises are finally making a return in the United States? If so, keep an eye out on our site. We’ll keep updating you on all the developments and the best itineraries that are happening this summer!

  • Celebrity Cruises Announces Ground-breaking All-Female Crew for the Edge

    Celebrity Cruises Announces Ground-breaking All-Female Crew for the Edge

    As part of a continuing, concerted effort to bring more women into the cruise industry, Celebrity Cruises has announced that a team of all women will take control of their Edge ship for a voyage celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8, 2020. The round-trip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida will last for a week and have ports in San Juan, Tortola and St. Maarten. The captain will be Celebrity Cruise’s own Captain Kate McCue, who is the first female cruise captain in America. 26 other female staff members will be on-board to round out the rest of the crew. The president and CEO of Celebrity, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, will also be present for the trip.

    This voyage comes as part of Celebrity’s #BRIDGEthegap initiative, started by Lutoff-Perlo. The initiative takes notice of the fact that most professionals at sea are men (a whopping 98%, according to Celebrity), and is actively trying to get more women onto boats. Excitingly, the all-female voyage on the Edge isn’t the only aspect of Celebrity’s movement: the company has started a maritime scholarship for women, with Captain McCue being in charge of recruitment. The goal of this is to change maritime culture from the ground up and to help women get their foot in the door. Beyond this, Carnival has stated that they’ve been able to raise the amount of women on their ships from 3% to 22% since 2015, growth which is pretty remarkable in such a short span of time.

    On the trip itself, there are plans for a variety of entertainment in the spirit of International Women’s Day. Art made by women will be showcased alongside showings of movies either directed by women or with roles that celebrate women. Panels with female artists are also planned. Finally, there will be a game of volleyball that pits the crew members against passengers. All in all, the voyage seems designed from the ground up to create an environment that not only makes women feel welcome, but integral to the experience.

    Captain McCue voiced her feelings for the sailing in a press statement, saying that “excitement does not even begin to describe” how she’s feeling. She described her crew as “incredible, barrier-breaking women” and added that “they’re proof that there’s power in diversity.” We’re equally as happy, and we can only hope that Carnival continues in its gender diversity initiatives and that the other major cruise lines follow. This sailing is a great step in the right direction, and will show the world that women are just as capable at sea.

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