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Richard Branson's cruise line Virgin Voyages has stopped requiring travelers to get tested before embarking on a voyage, becoming the first major cruise line to eliminate testing for sailings in the United States.
The new rules will go into effect on July 24 for sailings on the Valiant Lady and go into effect on July 27 for sailings on the Scarlet Lady, according to the company. Most travelers will still be required to be vaccinated to board, but the cruise line said it would open up to 10% of its capacity to unvaccinated cruisers.
All crew will still be fully vaccinated.
The new policy comes "In response to the discontinuation of the CDC's Voluntary Program for the Cruise Industry," according to Virgin Voyages.
Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially ended its pandemic-era program for cruise ships, choosing to no longer display the number of COVID-19 cases online. The move comes months after the agency allowed its Conditional Sail Order to expire, a policy that was first implemented when the agency lifted a previous No Sail Order in October 2020.
Several cruise lines have since stopped limiting capacity on cruises, including Virgin Voyages, as well as relaxed onboard masking policies like Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival Cruise Line.
The CDC currently recommends all travelers are "up to date" with their COVID-19 vaccines before boarding a cruise, "highly" recommends cruise ships require testing within one day of embarkation, and asks cruise lines to "consider" operating with at least 90% passengers and 95% crew up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.
While Virgin Voyages is the first cruise line to change its testing policy for sailings in the U.S., others have eliminated testing for sailings outside the country, like Azamara, which told Travel Leisure it will eliminate testing on cruises where it is not required by local country regulations starting July 25, including for sailings out of Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Southampton, England.
Norwegian Cruise Line has also eliminated testing for vaccinated travelers for all cruises sailing from any port except in the U.S., Canada, or Piraeus, Greece.
Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure.
COVID-19 Testing No Longer Required for U.S. Entry as of June 12, 2022
The CDC order requiring persons to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding a flight to the United States, is rescinded, effective on June 12, 2022, at 12:01AM ET. This means that starting at 12:01AM ET on June 12, 2022, air passengers will not need to get tested and show a negative COVID-19 test result, nor show documentation of recovery from COVID-19, prior to boarding a flight to the United States, regardless of vaccination status or citizenship. Of note, CDC’s Order requiring proof of vaccination for noncitizen nonimmigrants to travel to the United States is still in effect.
Source Of Information
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/covid-19_testing_required_US_Entry.html
The newest ship from Norwegian Cruise Line will make its debut in the Mediterranean in June 2023, with room for more than 3,200 passengers, multiple infinity pools, an open-air food hall, and an outdoor go-kart track among its countless amenities.
Norwegian Viva will be unveiled today, the line exclusively shared with Travel + Leisure, along with details on summer itineraries that will take in iconic ports like Athens and Lisbon, along with gateways to Italy including Civitavecchia, near Rome, and Trieste, not far from Venice. After crossing the Atlantic in November, the Viva will home port in San Juan, Puerto Rico, beginning on Dec. 15, 2023.
"We at NCL visit more ports than any other contemporary cruise line, more than Royal [Caribbean], more than Princess, certainly more than Carnival," said Norwegian Cruise Line president and CEO Harry Sommer, in an interview with T+L. "This will just add to that reputation, if you will, that we keep on going to new and exciting places."
The newly announced ship will feature many of the same over-the-top amenities found on the previously announced Norwegian Prima, a sister vessel of Viva that sets sail this summer. That's no coincidence, Sommer told T+L.
"The Prima was off the charts fantastic for us," Sommer said. "It was the first new ship design for us in a decade, and the concepts of space, service, design, experience, [those] resonated tremendously well with our guests and, as you know, it was a record-breaking launch for us."
"So, I was like, 'Oh my God, we have a hit,' so we're not gonna change too much with [Viva]," Sommer added. "The big focus here is on itineraries. We have some nice itineraries on Prima, you know, around Iceland, Norway, Amsterdam, London (Southampton), which are really, really being well received. But on Viva, we're gonna notch it up. We're doing, basically, a tour of all the Mediterranean: Lisbon, Ibiza, Palma, Barcelona, Florence, Rome, Naples, Sicily, Dubrovnik, Venice, Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, Istanbul — and that's like a third of the ports we're visiting."
Guests aboard the 3,219-passenger vessel will have a huge range of options when it comes to staterooms, with budget-friendly choices as well as splurge-worthy suites. Among the most enviable choices will be 107 luxury suites in an exclusive area of the ship known as The Haven by Norwegian, reserved only for suite guests. In addition to the spacious staterooms, The Haven also offers a private restaurant, sun deck, outdoor spa, and infinity pool.
"We've found that, for slightly more affluent guests, Haven really is the perfect balance. They can have the big-ship experience," Sommer said, "plus all the benefits of the small ship where you get butler and concierge service, upscale decor, larger cabin sizes, really it's the best of both worlds." Sommer added, with a laugh, "It sounds like such a cliché but, you know, I've personally experienced it!"
Dining choices will include the Indulge Food Hall, with 11 distinct concepts, as well as an Italian restaurant, Onda by Scarpetta, that's already a favorite aboard the Norwegian Encore. "Everything that we've done on Prima, we're announcing for Viva as well," Sommer said. "We are going to have our next big reveal for food in early March."
In all, Viva will have more than 20 dining venues, Sommer indicated. The new vessel will also have a three-level go-kart track, the Viva Speedway, which can accommodate up to 15 racers, and a series of thrill rides first seen on Prima, such as The Drop and The Rush, that will offer pulse-quickening moments.
The Viva will also come with some features that will reduce the environmental impact of the vessel. Like its sister ship, Viva will have a selective catalytic reduction system to help eliminate many sulfur and nitrogen oxides, Norwegian says, something that's in line with current International Maritime Organization standards. Viva will also have shore power capabilities, which have the potential to dramatically reduce in-port emissions by letting the ship tap into cleaner energy from the grid.
Norwegian Viva will offer eight-, nine-, and 10-day trips beginning June 15, 2023. Rates start at $2,099 per person for the ship's first departure, a nine-day trip from Lisbon to Civitavecchia, Italy, near Rome.
12 Things You Don't Need To Take On A Cruise
Written By Gayle Keck – Contributor For Cruise Critic
If You're The Sort Of Traveler (Like We
Are) Who Sometimes Resorts To Sitting On Their Suitcase To Get It Closed,
You'll Be Happy To Know That You Can Lighten Your Load When Packing For A
Cruise. Ships Furnish A Number Of Items That You Can Cross Off Your Packing
List.
1.
Soap And Other Toiletries
Most Ships Are
Equipped With Soap, Shampoo, Conditioner, Lotion And Shower Caps. As You Move
Up To Higher Cabin Classes Or Luxury Lines, The Amenities Increase. You May
Find Cotton Swabs, Cotton Balls, Bath Salts, Sunblock, Loofa Scrubs, Colognes
Or Choices Among Prestige Brands. Of Course, If You Have Preferred Toiletries
Brands, Bring Them Along. Your Cabin Attendant Will Replenish Toiletries
Regularly -- And If You Have Any Extra Needs, Don't Hesitate To Ask.
2.
Hair Dryer
Ships All Come
Equipped With Hair Dryers. They May Be Wall-Mounted In The Bathroom, Or In A
Closet Or Vanity Drawer. We've Even Been On One Ship That Had Both A Wimpy
Wall-Mounted Dryer And A More Powerful One Stashed In A Drawer.
3. Clothesline
Most
Ships Have A Retractable Clothesline Located In The Bathroom. While It May Be
Tempting To Toss Your Swim Suit Over A Balcony Chair To Dry -- Don't. It's A
Good Way To Lose A Suit To A Gust Of Wind, And It's Also Against Most Cruise
Lines' Rules.
4.
Beach Towels
For Poolside And Beachy Ports, Ships
Furnish The Towels. You'll Find Them Stashed By The Pool, Or Handed Out As You
Head Off The Ship.
5.
Dirty Laundry Bag
You'll Find A
Laundry Bag In Your Closet. It's Used For The Ship's Laundry Service, But
Nobody Says You Can't Use It For Dirty Laundry That You're Packing To Take
Home. Just Don't Take The Bag Home If It's Cloth And Not Plastic -- You'll Be
Charged.
6.
Books
Don't Bother To Lug Lots Of Books Along,
Since Ships Have Onboard Libraries. Some Even Have "Take A Book, Leave A
Book" Shelves Where You Can Exchange A Book You've Read For Another One
You Can Keep.
7.
Snacks
If There's One
Thing Ships Are Loaded With, It's Food! You Will Most Likely Be Able To Find
Something To Eat At Any Time Of The Day Or Night, Including Room Service. And If
You're Concerned About Random Munchies Attacks, You Can Always Collect A Stash
Of Cookies From The Buffet.
8.
Booze
Most Ships Don't
Allow You To Bring Wine Or Liquor Onboard, Although There Are A Few Exceptions.
In General, They'll Scan Any Hand Luggage Every Time You Board And Hold
Alcoholic Beverages For You Until You Disembark. Most Lines Allow You To Bring
Wine, But Charge A Corkage Fee (Unless You Consume It In The Privacy Of Your
Cabin).
9.
Computer
Most Ships Have
Computer Terminals Available For Passenger Use, Although You'll Usually Pay To
Access The Internet. They're Perfect For A Quick Email Check Or Printing Out
Your Boarding Pass. However, If You Want To Download Photos Or Check Sensitive
Work Email, Bring Your Own Laptop.
10.
Local Maps
On Port Days,
Maps Of The Area Are Usually Available From Guest Services Or Shore Excursions
Personnel -- Although Sometimes You'll Find Representatives From Local Tourism
Bureaus Handing Them Out, Either On The Ship Or At The Port. If You Attend Port
Lectures With Slideshows, You Can Snap Photos Of Maps And Other Info With Your
Phone, Too.
11.
A Pillow
Unless You're
Like The "Princess And The Pea," Most Ships Will Have Pillow
Alternatives To Accommodate You. Luxury Lines And Higher Cabin Classes May Even
Offer A Pillow Menu, With All Sorts To Choose From Hypo-Allergenic To
Extra-Firm. Talk To Your Cabin Steward If You'd Like A Different Pillow.
12.
Exercise Equipment
Leave Your Yoga Mat And Resistance Bands
At Home. Cruise Ships Have Fully Equipped Gyms Stocked With Everything From
Weights To Bosu Balls And Elliptical Machines. Personal Trainers Are On Hand To
Lead Group Exercise Classes, Like Spinning Or Pilates, Or Offer One-On-One
Training Sessions.
Back-To-Back Cruises: What To Expect
Written
By The Staff At Cruise Critic
We All Know
Cruises Are Fun, And Most Of Us Would Give Anything To Prolong The Experience
At The End Of Each Voyage We've Sailed. That's Where Back-To-Back Cruises Come
In. Passengers Who Book Them Can Maximize Their Cruise Time While Usually Only
Having To Go Through The Embarkation And Disembarkation Process Once. Below, We
Answer Several Common Questions Cruisers Have About These Types Of Sailings.
What
Are Back-To-Back Cruises?
Back-To-Back
Cruises Are Two Or More Cruises Booked Consecutively, Whether On The Same Ship
Or On Different Ships. You'll Want To Let Someone At The Front Desk Know You're
A Back-To-Back Cruiser During The First Part Of Your Trip So Arrangements Can
Be Made For You During The Changeover Day Between The Sailings.
Will
I Be Able To Stay In The Same Cabin For Both Sailings?
It Depends On
How The Sailing Is Booked. If You Choose The Same Cabin For Both Sailings,
Then, Yes, You'll Be Able To Stay. If, However, You Decide You'd Like To Be On
One Side Of The Ship For One Sailing And On The Other Side For The Second
Sailing, That's Also Possible. We Recommend Finding A Travel Agent To Help You
Make The Arrangements You Prefer. Keep In Mind That You're More Likely To Be
Able To Book The Same Cabin For Both Parts Of Your Trip If You Book Early.
If You Stay In
The Same Stateroom For Both Legs Of Your Vacation, You Will Be Able To Leave
Your Belongings In Your Cabin During The Changeover Between Sailings. If You'll
Be In A Different Cabin For Each Cruise, You'll Be Required To Relocate Your
Luggage. Sometimes Your Room Steward Can Offer Assistance.
Do
I Have To Attend The Muster Drill On The 2nd Sailing If I've Already Gone To It On The
First One?
Yes. Plan To Go
To The Drill On Both Voyages, Or You Risk Being Thrown Off The Ship. It's Mandatory
For All Passengers On Every Cruise, And Since Back-To-Backs Are Considered
Separate Sailings, You're Required To Attend At The Beginning Of Each New
Segment.
Can
I Stay Onboard At The End Of The First Sailing, Or Do I Have To Disembark?
This Process
Varies By Cruise Line And According To The Laws That Are In Place In The Port
Of Disembarkation, But Generally You'll Need To Clear Immigration. Some Lines
Will Have All Back-To-Back Passengers Meet In A Designated Area, Such As The
Front Desk Or A Lounge, And Clear Them All From Onboard The Ship. Others Will
Have Passengers Meet And Escort Them Off The Ship To Clear Immigration And
Escort Them Immediately Back Onboard.
Either Way, Back-To-Back Cruisers Are
Aboard Before Passengers Just Coming Onto The Ship For The First Time, And
They'll Have The Vessel To Themselves For A Couple Of Hours. (Note That Onboard
Services, Such As Food And Entertainment, Are Likely To Be Limited During The
Changeover.)
Do
I Have To Go Through The Check-In Process All Over Again At The Start Of The
Second Sailing?
It's Unlikely
You'll Have To Go Through The Whole Thing A Second Time. As Mentioned Above,
Clearing Immigration Is Generally Quick And Painless, And You Won't Have To Go
Back To The Terminal Desks To Check In, Get Your Keycard And Fill Out Health
Forms.
However, Since Back-To-Back Sailings Are
Considered Two Separate Cruises -- Even If You're Sailing On The Same Ship --
You'll Have To Settle Your Onboard Account From The First Sailing And Open A
New Onboard Account For The Second. That Means You'll Also Have To Obtain A New
Keycard; Some Cruise Lines Send Them To Your Cabin On The Last Night Of The
First Sailing, While Others Will Require You To Visit The Front Desk. Often,
When You Leave The Ship For The First Time After Obtaining Your New Keycard,
You'll Be Required To Have A New Security Photo Taken At The Kiosk Near The
Gangway.
Once
I'm Cleared, Am I Allowed To Leave The Ship And Re-Board Whenever I Want?
Yes, But Keep In
Mind That You Might Need Your Old Keycard When Leaving The Ship And Your New
One When You Return, So Be Sure To Take Both With You. Once Your New One Is
Activated, You Won't Need To Carry Your Old One Anymore.
Are
Discounts Offered If I Book Consecutive Cruises?
We've Never
Heard Of Discounts Offered Specifically As Incentives For People To Book Two
Round-Trip Sailings In A Row. Your Best Bet In Those Cases Is To Look For Deals
That Apply Individually To Each Of The Two Sailings You Want To Take. General Cruise
Bargains Range From Straight-Up Price Reductions And Free Onboard Credit To
Discounts On Third And Fourth Passengers And Free Add-Ons Like Bottles Of Wine
Or Dinner In A For-Fee Restaurant.
There Are However, Sometimes Lower Price
Options On Point-To-Point Cruises When The Cruise Line Offers A Choice Between
Booking The Same Trip As Two (Or More) Cruises Back-To-Back Or A Composite
Booked As One Cruise. But Here’s The Deal: In Some Cases The Composite Is
Lower, While In Others, The Back-To-Back Bookings May Be Lower. A Travel Agent
Can Help You Sort Through The Options. Lines That Offer These Types Of Options
Include Viking Ocean, Crystal, Holland America And Seabourn, Among Others.
I'm
A Member Of My Cruise Line's Loyalty Program. How Will Back-To-Back Cruising
Affect Me?
Obviously, The
More Cruises You Take And The More Days You Sail, The More Points You Accrue,
And The More Quickly You'll Move Up The Tiers Of Your Line's Passenger Loyalty
Program. You Won't Receive Any More -- Or Any Fewer -- Points For Taking
Back-To-Back Voyages Than If You Were To Take Two Cruises Six Months Apart.
However, Back-To-Back Sailings Are Still
Considered Two Separate Cruises, So If You Reach A New Level In Your Line's
Program During The First Sailing, You'll Receive The Perks Afforded To That
Tier Upon The Start Of The Second Cruise.
What
Happens To The Alcohol I Purchase On Back-To-Back Cruises?
Generally, Any
Alcohol You Purchase Ashore Or Onboard In One Of The Ship's Duty-Free Shops
Will Remain Checked For The Duration Of Both Sailings. However, Some Cruise
Lines Will Allow Passengers To Take Alcohol Back To Their Cabins If It's
Purchased On The Last Night Of A Sailing. If You're On A Back-To-Back And Buy
Booze On The Last Night Of The First Cruise, There's A Chance You'll Be Able To
Keep It In Your Cabin To Have For The Second Voyage.
What
Are The Major Differences Between Booking Consecutive Cruises On The Same Ship
Versus Sailing Back To Back On Two Different Ships?
If You've Booked
Back-To-Back Cruises On Two Different Ships, Much Of The Above Information Does
Not Apply. You Obviously Won't Be In The Same Cabin For Both Sailings, And At
The End Of The First Sailing, You'll Have To Disembark, Clear Immigration And
Customs, And Go Through The Embarkation Process Again At The Port And Terminal
Where Your Second Ship Is Docked.
You're Also Likely To Encounter More
Logistical Challenges With Back-To-Backs On Two Different Ships. You'll Have To
Take All Your Luggage With You And Arrange For Transportation Between Ports Or
Terminals, Depending On Where Your Second Ship Is Located.
What
Should I Pack For Back-To-Back Cruises?
Packing For A
Long Cruise Can Be A Challenge. What You Should Pack Depends On Two Main
Factors: The Itineraries And Whether Or Not You're Willing To Do Laundry
Onboard.
If You're Headed
To Similar Climates For Both Sailings, Our Advice Is To Pack Enough For The
Longer Of The Two Voyages And Do Laundry If A Self-Service Option Is Available.
You Can Also Pay To Have Your Laundry Sent Out If Your Ship Offers A Laundry
Service. Even If You Decide Not To Wash Your Clothes Onboard, You Can Still
Wear Them Again; Keep In Mind That Your Fellow Cruisers On The Second Leg Of
Your Journey Won't Know What You Wore During The First Leg.
If You're Sailing To Two Regions That
Greatly Differ In Terms Of Temperature And Weather, You'll Have To Get
Creative. Pack Enough Clothing For Half Of Your Sailing To The First Climate
And Half Of Your Sailing To The Second; Then Do Laundry Halfway Through Each
Cruise. Pack Items That Can Be Layered, So You Can Re-Wear Base Layers In Both
Destinations.
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