Be Healthy at Sea

It’s been a while since the COVID-19 pandemic was at the top of everyone’s thoughts, but it remains important to protect yourself from infectious disease – especially when you’re all set for a beautiful cruise vacation. You should be aware of what the cruise lines do to help prevent illness on board, and about steps you can take to protect yourself too.

All cruise lines and ships that operate in U.S. ports are subject to the Vessel Sanitation Program of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has high standards for cruise ship cleanliness. Under this program, cruise ships that dock in U.S. ports must submit to unannounced inspections of their kitchens, medical facilities, restaurants, pools, and other public areas, as well as their water and ventilation systems. The top score for an inspection is 100, and many ships do receive perfect scores. All violations that result in a lower score must be corrected.

To further safeguard passenger health, some cruise lines require pre-boarding health declarations or health checks to identify passengers and crew members who might be ill. Those who are found to be ill may not be able to board the ship. (When this happens, the cruise line might allow the passenger to change to a different sail date; but, this is a good reason to consider purchasing travel insurance that ensures you won’t forfeit your cruise fare.)

Many cruise lines continue to encourage passengers to vaccinate against preventable diseases like COVID, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) before taking a cruise.

You can also take steps to ward off illness while you’re on board. As on land, one of the best things to do is wash your hands, frequently and thoroughly. You’ll also find hand sanitation stations around the ship.

It’s currently not required on most ships, but you certainly can wear a face mask – especially in more crowded spaces, like theaters and lounges – to protect yourself.

While you’re cruising, be sure to get enough sleep, eat well, and keep up your regular exercise routine to feel good and maintain your body’s natural defenses against illness.

If you do feel unwell while cruising, visit the onboard medical facility. The medical staff can examine you and, hopefully, help you feel better more quickly. If you do have something infectious, you’ll give the medical staff a chance to both help you and prevent the bug from spreading.

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Don’t Be a Chair Hog

 Every time you step on a cruise ship, you join a few hundred or a few thousand other people who are ready for a wonderful vacation. So, for as long as you’re on board, it’s important to be considerate of your fellow passengers. Skipping the line, smoking on a balcony, making noise in a hallway, or talking during a performance are just a few examples of disruptive behavior to avoid. But above all, don’t be a deck chair hog – it’s a top irritator on many cruises.

Chair hogs put towels or other belongings on deck chairs (usually in a prime location, such as next to the pool or looking toward the best view). Then they disappear, expecting the chairs they claimed to remain theirs for the entire day – even while other passengers are searching the decks for available chairs.

Chair hogging may seem like standard cruise behavior, but it’s not a way to make new friends on board. Chair hogging can make you unpopular among your fellow passengers and also among the crew, who receive the frustrated complaints of other guests. Some cruise lines now post rules intended to stop chair hogging: when a claimed chair goes unoccupied for a certain length of time, the crew removes the belongings and puts them in a secure location.

Whether or not your ship has official chair-hogging rules, passengers often take matters into their own hands when a deck chair is claimed but goes unoccupied. If you’re ever tempted to hog a chair, remember that it may not be worth the risk of having your belongings moved and misplaced.

If you take it upon yourself to move a chair hog’s belongings, be sure to treat them carefully and respectfully. It’s always best to ask a crew member for help. And, keep in mind that chair hogging may be unintentional. A passenger who places their things on a deck chair may sincerely intend to use that chair; but if they leave to find a family member, get a bite to eat, or do an errand at the service desk, they may be away much longer than intended.

Again, if you don’t want others to hog chairs, don’t do it yourself. With deck chairs and other shared amenities, do your part toward peaceful, pleasant coexistence with your fellow passengers. For more tips about good cruise ship etiquette, talk with Anita, your professional travel advisor.

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Lots to Do on Grand Cayman

If your Western Caribbean cruise itinerary includes a call on Grand Cayman, you’re in for a treat. This low-lying island is only 76 square miles but offers a lot to see and do.

It begins with the beauty of Grand Cayman’s white sand beaches, including the one at Smith Cove, near the tender boat docks. Seven Mile Beach, Governor’s Beach, Spott’s Beach, Cayman Kai Beach, and Rum Point Beach are popular with residents and visitors. In addition to sunning and swimming, many beaches offer water sports like kiteboarding, paddleboarding, and fishing.

Grand Cayman is also popular with snorkel and dive fans. The island has hundreds of dive sites, including beautiful coral reefs, steep drop-offs, and sunken vessels like the USS Kittiwake.

Some snorkel and dive excursions include a stop at Stingray City, where friendly stingrays gather around a shallow sandbar for gentle interaction with visitors. You can also get close to green sea turtles at the Cayman Turtle Conservation Center; go birdwatching along the island’s Mastic Trail; or visit endangered blue iguanas at a conservation facility in Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. The iguanas are impressive, but don’t let them completely distract you from the beautiful tropical flowers in the garden.

A must-see for many visitors to Grand Cayman is Hell, an area about half the size of a football field that’s mysteriously covered by jagged spikes of gray and black limestone. The landscape is eerie and fascinating; plus, you can visit a red-painted post office to mail “postcards from Hell” to your friends.

A visit to the Pedro St. James historic site provides some historical perspective on Grand Cayman. This 18th-century structure, the oldest stone home in the Cayman Islands, was built with slave labor. It’s also the place where the British Empire’s Slavery Abolition Act was publicly read to island residents in 1835.

Additional activities waiting for you on Grand Cayman include honey farm tours, an introduction to the work of local artisans, foodie tours, and a close-up look at stalactites and stalagmites in the island’s amazing Crystal Caves.

Note that Grand Cayman is a tender port, which means the ship docks a short distance out and smaller “tender” boats take you to shore. For more information about what to expect on Grand Cayman and to choose a cruise itinerary that calls there, talk with Anita, your professional travel advisor.

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New Options in River Cruising

Fans of river cruising are always interested in new and different ships and destinations, and we’re happy to report that river cruise lines are providing some exciting new options.

With a new ship, the Alegria, Avalon Waterways has begun cruising Portugal’s Douro River. The eight-day voyage visits vineyards and villages perched on the hillsides of the scenic Douro Valley and includes an exploration of the historic city of Porto. Passengers can discover Douro Valley treasures like port wine, olive oil, and cork.

Viking River Cruises is expanding its presence on Egypt’s storied Nile River. A new ship, the Viking Hathor, debuted in August; another, the Viking Sobek, will be introduced in 2025. Their 12-day itineraries include the Great Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, the temples of Luxor, and stops in Aswan, Kom Ombo, and Edfu.

Uniworld was the first river cruise line to offer a world cruise – something common among ocean-going cruise lines, but rare in river cruising. The Rivers of the World Cruise will be back in 2026 as a special celebration of Uniworld’s 50^th anniversary. The 50-night cruise, April 15-June 5, 2026, will begin in Brussels and sail on six different rivers (with flights in between). Not all details are available yet, but part 1, on the new S.S. Emilie, will sail in Belgium and the Netherlands; part two will be on a “mystery ship” (where it will sail is a mystery as well); Part 3, on the S.S. Joie de Vivre, will visit Northern France; part 4, on the S.S. Catherine, will sail Southeastern France; and part 5 will be on the River Tosca in Egypt and Jordan.

AmaWaterways is preparing for a brand-new itinerary on Columbia’s main river. Beginning in March 2025, a new 60-passenger ship, AmaMagdalena, will sail 7-night cruises on the Magdalena River, from Baranquilla to Cartagena or the reverse. The Magdelena is home to many wonderful creatures including fish, turtles, tortoises, manatees, caiman, crocodiles, iguanas, and birds. Port calls include Nueva Venecia, a floating village of houses on stilts; the traditional town of Santa Barbara de Pinto; and the old Spanish trading post of Santa Cruz de Mompox. Another new ship, the AmaMelodia, will set sail on the Magdalena in June 2025. AmaWaterways offers pre-and post-cruise land packages for this cruise, too.

If you haven’t experienced a river cruise yet, there are many more terrific destinations to consider; talk with Anita, your professional travel advisor.

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Workcation Cruising

Now that many people are able to work remotely, there’s a new word in the working world: “workcation.” The combination of “work” and “vacation” means doing your job from a vacation venue, such as a cruise ship.

A top requirement for a workcation is access to a reliable internet connection, and cruise ships have been improving theirs. Many now use satellite internet, an improvement over trying to connect to towers on land. Still, shipboard internet access can be a bit spotty or a bit slower than what you’re used to, and there’s often a charge to connect. Your professional travel advisor can help you with details about internet access on ships and itineraries you’re interested in.

Another requirement for a workcation is a comfortable space to work in. Many, but not all, cruise ship cabins are equipped with a desk area and a chair, so be sure to check on the furnishings. Some ships also have libraries, quiet lounges, business centers, or other areas where you can work productively.

Some cruise lines are courting remote workers with special programs and amenities. These include Virgin Voyages, which introduced the Scarlet Summer Season Pass Program in 2024 (and plans to offer it again in 2025). This inaugural program gave remote workers an opportunity to sail the Mediterranean on Scarlet Lady for a month and “work from the helm” (rather than home). The program combined four back-to-back cruises at an attractive 30% discount. Virgin Voyages amped up the ship’s WiFi capacity and offered pass holders an array of included extras, such as laundry service, access to a private sun deck, and a daily coffee credit.

Azamara Cruises has a Work & Wander Program on select sailings that have high-bandwidth WiFi availability. Launched in late 2023, this program offers peripheral equipment – including monitors, mice, keyboards, and adapters – that program participants can use, as well as printing services and technical assistance from an onboard IT department.

In 2024, AmaWaterways promoted two of its early-season river cruises as ideal workcations. Mid-February cruises of the Danube and the Rhine offered the opportunity to explore Europe at a quieter time of year. Both cruises offered separate morning and afternoon shore excursions on most days, so workcationers could flex their schedules to include both work and play.

If you’re interested in a workcation on these or other cruise lines, check with Anita, your professional travel advisor, for help selecting a wonderful working cruise.

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When it’s Wise to Book a Cruise Early

Waiting to book a cruise until just before the departure date might yield a last-minute bargain, but there are situations in which it’s wise to book your cruise early. Consider early booking when you want to be sure you can lock in an attractive fare, secure a favorite cabin, sail at a peak time of year, or visit a destination with a short cruise season.

Often, fares for a cruise are lowest when that cruise first opens for reservations, which can be as long as 18 to 24 months in advance. There are always exceptions, but it’s typical for fares to start low, and then rise as the ship begins to fill. Many cruise lines also offer attractive incentives for early booking, such as complimentary airfare to and from the ship, free cabin upgrades or beverage packages, onboard credits, and more. And, you may need to provide only a small initial deposit to hold your reservation; it may be refundable if your plans change. Your professional travel advisor will have all the details about early booking incentives and other special offers for cruises that interest you.

Early booking also makes it more likely you can reserve the cabin you want. For example, If you want a suite, a cabin with a balcony, or a cabin designed for one, they are often limited in number and tend to sell out early. Early booking is also helpful if you want connecting cabins, or a block of adjacent cabins.

Cruises scheduled for peak cruise seasons – generally, school holidays – may fill quickly. This includes the summer months, the winter holidays, and spring break season.

Booking early is also a good idea if the main destination has a short cruise season. These destinations include Alaska, Greenland, and Iceland; the Norwegian fjords and the rest of Scandinavia; and the southern part of South America, especially if the cruise sails on to Antarctica.

One more reason to book early is that some ports are beginning to restrict the number of cruise ships or passengers that can visit in a season, or on a given day. To help preserve their environmental and cultural heritage, popular ports like Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Barcelona, Spain; Juneau, Alaska; and Venice, Italy, have put some limits in place or are planning to do so. When you want to cruise to one of these beautiful ports, early booking may be wise.

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Celebrate the Bride or Groom at Sea

A cruise is a special travel experience, and a cruise ship is a terrific venue for all kinds of celebrations – including a pre-wedding bachelor or bachelorette party. Some of the best things about cruising fit beautifully with the goals of a bachelor or bachelorette getaway. Here are a few examples:

It’s a brief, but exciting getaway. A three-day cruise from a U.S. port lends itself well to a bachelor or bachelorette party schedule. It’s enough time to relax and enjoy yourselves without taking too much time away from work and wedding preparations at home. Itineraries to consider include:

·         Three-day cruises to the Bahamas from Miami or Ft. Lauderdale. These are offered by several popular cruise lines, including Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean. Some Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line itineraries include a day on their private islands in the Bahamas, which are a treat to visit.

·         Princess Cruises offers some three-day itineraries along the Pacific Coast, starting from Los Angeles or Vancouver.

·         While you may not want to travel too far for a short cruise, three- and four-day itineraries are available in other parts of the world, including the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Asia and Australia.

It’s a great value. There are short cruises available at very reasonable fares that include comfortable accommodations, delicious dining, and access to pools and many other onboard activities. Your group can discuss the purchase of extras – like shore excursions, beverage packages or spa services – and decide what to do as a group and what to leave to individual preferences.

It’s a lot of fun. Cruises are known for an easygoing but lively onboard atmosphere. Activities include lounging by the pool (where there’s often live music or a DJ playing tunes), joining in deck games and friendly competitions, working out in the fitness center, or enjoying relaxing treatments in the spa. On shore, there may be beaches and water sports or cultural sites to explore. In the evening, your group can enjoy live performances, along with music and dancing in the bars and lounges. Bring your coordinating t-shirts!

It’s easy to plan. The bride or groom can simply select a destination, ship and sail date, and a professional travel advisor can take care of the rest. Unless you live close enough to drive to the port, Anita, your travel advisor, can also arrange everyone’s air travel and provide more tips for a great pre-wedding cruise experience.

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