With the reopening of cruising on the horizon, what will change? The CDC has procedures in place for resuming cruising departing the USA. They are requiring 98% of the crew and 95% of the passengers be fully vaccinated. However, the Governor of Florida does not agree with vaccine passports. This should not be political. Everywhere else in the world, requires proof of vaccination to board a cruise ship. His political views are holding up the resuming of cruising out of the US!
Cruising has been working well out of Singapore, Israel and Tahiti. Galveston, Miami and Los Angeles all have ships waiting to board passengers. Let's see if hey can resolve the issue of vaccination passports.
Princess Cruises is well ahead of the game. A couple of years ago they introduced Medallion Class. When Lexie and I sailed Canada New England it was on that ship. They were still testing it and it worked so well! It's a wearable device either on your wrist or on a lanyard around your neck. It pairs with your cell phone. Boarding is streamlined, no waiting to see an agent to get your cruise card. The medallion replaces the old cruise card. It's sent to you by Fedex or you can pick it up at the pier. You scan the medallion and walk on! It has a GPS so you can order a drink on your cell phone and they will bring it right to you, wherever you are on the ship. When you approach your stateroom door, there is a display that welcomes you back and unlocks your door! There is a messaging app for any other passengers you may want to connect to. Want to know where someone is? The GPS will give you their location! With the pandemic, they have added "dine your way". It is a reservation system like Open Table! The days of first and second dining times are gone. No need calling for a specialty or dining room reservation, just go on the app book the time and number of guests! It's brilliant and now installed on every Princess ship.
I'm not in a rush to take a cruise. I've got two booked, one in June and September 2022. Both cruises are in balcony cabins. I will never book another inside or ocean view cabin again! They say cruising will not be virus free but they will do everything they can to ensure it's as safe as possible.
A friend asked me to book a cruise out of Athens in August on NCL. The ship is full and they aren't taking a wait list. I checked Celebrity and Holland America that just announced sailings. All the inside and ocean view cabins are already booked. Prices are very high and I don't anticipate them dropping. Are people wanting to cruise soon? You better believe it!
