post covid cruise reviews

clock This article was published more than  2 years ago

What cruising is like right now, according to 7 people who spent weeks at sea

From buffets to “silent discos,” much has changed on covid-era cruises.

Cruises have been back in business in North America since last month — but operations are still far from normal.

And while cruises have been sailing in other parts of the world for months now, more lines are returning to service all over, including many that are allowing Americans to fly overseas and board in places such as Greece and Iceland.

As ships venture out from the Caribbean, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Galveston, Tex., and Seattle, those who make their living writing about or selling cruises have spent extra time on the water for the past several weeks. Many have already sailed on two or three voyages.

“It feels like I’ve been on ships about every other week since June 4,” said Colleen McDaniel, editor in chief of Cruise Critic , a news and review site. “This is kind of a breakneck pace.”

Those who have spent time back on ships are fielding a lot of questions about what it’s like on board — what the mask rules are, the fate of buffets, and what they can and can’t do on land. Based on interviews with seven people who have each taken at least two cruises, here is what potential passengers can expect.

Norwegian Cruise sues Florida over DeSantis ban on vaccine passports

Vaccination status matters a lot

Many ships are sailing with a vaccine requirement as they restart operations. Even those that aren’t requiring passengers to be vaccinated will ask about your status as part of an extensive health screening.

In the United States, those with at least 95 percent of passengers and crew fully vaccinated are allowed to relax safety rules. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, operators of those cruises “may advise passengers and crew that they do not have to wear a mask or maintain physical distance in any areas.”

If fewer than 95 percent of passengers are vaccinated on a ship, there may be areas designated for those who have gotten the shot. In those vaccinated-only areas, passengers can go without a mask. But in other indoor areas where all passengers are together, both vaccinated and unvaccinated passengers may have to wear masks unless they are eating and drinking. Those who are not vaccinated also have to pay for extra tests.

The CDC recommends that people who are not fully vaccinated avoid cruise travel.

Although she is vaccinated, McDaniel had to wear a mask in many indoor venues on Freedom of the Seas, which sailed from Miami with both vaccinated and unvaccinated passengers.

She said she couldn’t easily tell who was and was not vaccinated based on their experiences, though vaccinated passengers were given a wristband to wear. She noticed that the wristband mattered: When she went into a pub on the ship, which is restricted to vaccinated passengers only, she was wearing long sleeves. “The crew said, ‘Could I see your wristband?’” she said.

The newest status on cruise ships: Being vaccinated

Crowds are smaller

Ships are sailing at reduced capacity for now, though how reduced depends on the cruise line. There were not many complaints about this new and temporary reality.

“It feels like being on a very big yacht with so few people,” Stewart Chiron, CEO of the site CruiseGuy.com , said in an email from Greece, where he is on Celebrity Apex. “Sometimes you wish there were more people, but enjoying no lines nor waiting for anything. Service levels are extraordinarily high.”

On his three cruises so far, on Celebrity ships in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, capacity has been below 40 percent.

Travel adviser Peggy Mellen, who owns Bucket List Buster — Dream Vacations with her husband, said she noticed the difference right away on the two cruises she took, from the Bahamas and Miami, on Royal Caribbean International.

“Normally on a ship, you have to get out there pretty early in the morning to get the prime real estate for a lounge chair that overlooks the pool,” she said. “Right now that’s not an issue.”

Carnival cruises have been more full, said Doug Parker, the creator of Cruise Radio . He took a six-night cruise on Carnival Horizon earlier this month, and he said the ship was about 70 percent full. While the voyage lacked some of the camaraderie that might be found on a fuller cruise, he said people still had a good time.

“Selfishly, it was a lot nicer,” he said. “You kind of walk up to a lounge chair or you can walk up to guest services and not have a mile-long line.”

Safety drills are mostly digital

Every cruiser interviewed for this story was a fan of the new approach by Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Carnival to the “muster drill,” a safety exercise that in pre-covid times required passengers to assemble in a large group at the location where they would be assigned to go in case of an emergency.

“You’d be unpacking your suitcase in a cabin and all of a sudden they’d announce you have to show up at this muster drill,” Mellen said about the previous routine. “You’d be lined up in rows. Depending on the ship, a lot of time you’d be outside in the heat.”

Instead, passengers on several recent cruises said, they were able to watch safety information on a video and then simply check in at their emergency location within a couple of hours of boarding a ship. No crowds, no wait in the heat, no long demonstrations.

“Everybody loves that,” said Adam Martindale, a Cruise Planners travel adviser who took back-to-back cruises in June and July on Celebrity Millennium in St. Maarten.

Covid will find its way onto cruises. The critical thing is what happens next.

The buffet lives on (in some cases, with tweaks)

On some cruise lines, such as Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, buffets are staffed with crew members who serve passengers. But Carnival is letting passengers serve themselves — with some crew around to keep an eye on behavior.

“You can use the buffet like pre-pandemic times,” Parker said of his Carnival cruise. “They are changing out the tongs and everything, and there are people standing there to ‘buffet patrol’ — maybe just making sure that no one’s doing anything they shouldn’t be doing.”

McDaniel, who has been on two Celebrity and one Royal Caribbean cruise since June, said she is a fan of the don’t-serve-yourself approach that she experienced. She pointed out that the buffet was closed for dinner on her cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas.

“Truly it does cut down on people touching tongs or directly reaching in and grabbing food, which we all have seen happen occasionally on cruise ships,” she said. “It also really does cut down on waste.”

Someone might test positive. It shouldn’t ruin the cruise.

Routine testing has turned up positive covid cases on a few sailings so far — which cruise operators have expected. Their goal is to make sure a couple of cases don’t become an outbreak that would force a cruise to end early. So far, the efforts have been successful.

Mellen was on Adventure of the Seas in June when two unvaccinated children tested positive — one asymptomatic and one with mild symptoms — and had to be flown home. The captain announced the cases and “that’s all we heard about it,” she said. Everyone 16 and older was required to be vaccinated on that sailing.

“Nobody was like, “Oh no,’ ” she said. “We know the protocols work, we saw it in action, and we just went on with the rest of our cruise.”

Mellen said she is glad she is able to explain to customers how the situation was handled after experiencing it herself.

McDaniel was also on a cruise when two vaccinated passengers tested positive during an end-of-cruise test. Those who had come into close contact with those passengers had to be isolated while they awaited extra testing, but no one else ended up infected on the sailing, which also required anyone 16 and older to be vaccinated.

“It didn’t really disrupt that vacation,” she said. “No one was locked down for an exceptionally long period of time.”

Two young unvaccinated passengers on Royal Caribbean cruise test positive for coronavirus

Rules vary by port — onboard and on land

Cruise lines will not have the same rules for testing and mask-wearing on each ship because those measures are dictated by the ports from which they sail. Passengers should expect to have to wear masks in terminals, but the onboard experience will vary.

“We have sailed on three cruises from three different cruise lines thus far; each has had different protocols in place,” said Don and Heidi Bucolo, who run the cruise review site EatSleepCruise.com, in an email from Iceland, where they are on a cruise. “One thing that stands out is that there isn’t consistency across the cruise lines in healthy and safety measures.”

The couple has sailed on Royal Caribbean International from the Bahamas, Celebrity Cruises from Florida and Viking Cruises from Iceland since June 12.

Rules for what you can do off the ships will vary as well.

“Depending on the port of call, the cruise line, and your vaccination status, you may not be able to explore independently,” the Bucolos said. “While we could explore freely on two cruises, one cruise required all guests to book shore excursions with the cruise line for two out of three ports of call.”

Martindale, of Cruise Planners, said those rules are also frequently in flux. Two days before arrival, one island said passengers couldn’t go ashore by themselves; it changed course the next day during his cruise.

“It’s changing every day,” he said.

McDaniel said flexibility is key for anyone booking a cruise in the near term. On one of her sailings, a destination country changed its time frame for getting a negative test in advance of visiting, forcing passengers to scramble.

“You can book a cruise today for a month from now, and they’ll send you the protocols and what you should expect on board,” she said. “Things are continuing to change. So what the protocols are today, that won’t necessarily be the case a month down the road.”

More cruise news

Living at sea: Travelers on a 9-month world cruise are going viral on social media. For some travelers, not even nine months was enough time on a ship; they sold cars, moved out of their homes and prepared to set sail for three years . That plan fell apart, but a 3.5-year version is waiting in the wings.

Passengers beware: It’s not all buffets and dance contests. Crime data reported by cruise lines show that the number of sex crimes has increased compared to previous years. And though man-overboard cases are rare, they are usually deadly .

The more you know: If you’re cruise-curious, here are six tips from a newcomer. Remember that in most cases, extra fees and add-ons will increase the seemingly cheap price of a sailing. And if you happen to get sick , know what to expect on board.

Cruise Ships: What Has Changed Post-Pandemic?

The Covid-19 pandemic hit us suddenly and caught us unaware. It crippled life in an unprecedented way and, in many ways, has changed our way of living forever.

On land, the covid-induced lockdowns and social distancing- terms barely heard of before, became common terminology. Physical interaction and socialising, one of the basic human needs, became minimalistic, even if not non-existent. 

Were passenger ships any different? 

No, not really. Being industry-driven and thriving on people (passengers) and interpersonal interactions, the cruise passenger industry was no different, and it took a severe hit during the pandemic. The very foundation of the cruise industry- thousands of passengers and crew living onboard a ship in a relatively closed environment, became a reason for the rapid spread of covid.

The Diamond Princess, a cruise ship, became a hotbed of covid in the initial days of the pandemic in February 2020. The World Health Organization announced that more than half the known cases of covid-19 in the world outside China at the time were on the Diamond Princess. Over 700 passengers and crew had tested positive for covid, so the vessel was forced to suspend regular operation and quarantined in Yokohama, Japan.

This led to the suspension of cruise ship operations worldwide as the obvious risk of having so many people packed into limited space became apparent. It broke the back of the passenger cruise industry as it came to a screeching, uncertain and long halt.

For the next two years, most cruise ships worldwide were confined to prolonged anchorages with minimum safe skeletal manning onboard to sustain basic operations. The cruise passenger industry employed many lakhs of people and was forced to lay off many employees. Many cruise ship employees lost their livelihoods and were forced to look for jobs ashore to provide for their families. 

Many cruise lines, especially smaller ones, were forced to sell/scrap their ships or even close down permanently due to complete suspension of operations and resultant loss of earnings. In some cases, this forced crew-members crewing these ships to stay onboard for several months without being paid, and even worse at times, without any electricity (no bunkers) and in scarcity of food and water as the owners had no money to provide fuel, water and provisions.

This worsened to such an extent that six months to 1 year into the pandemic, scrap yards around the world were overflowing with cruise ships, many older ones and some even much newer. Many new-build orders for cruise ships were cancelled, and in one unfortunate case, a brand-new cruise ship was on the verge of being sent to the scrapyard even before its first voyage due to the bankruptcy of its owner.

The basic operational costs, viz. provisions, water, bunkers, crew and staff salaries, anchor/berth costs, agency fees etc., without any earnings over almost two years were driving the cruise industry to the edge, challenging its very existence.

On the one hand, cargo ships were serving as a lifeline, at the forefront of transporting essential goods and commodities across continents in the middle of the pandemic. On the other hand, the very existence of the cruise passenger industry became a huge question mark. 

There were many questions raised on the need for passenger ships. Even so, some countries didn’t allow cruise ships to anchor and ordered them to leave their territorial waters. This was when they were without passengers and operating with a skeletal crew.

The burning question was, would people return to cruising if the pandemic eventually subsided? Had the pandemic, particularly cases like the Diamond Princess, permanently changed people’s perception of cruise ships as potential breeding grounds for viruses & diseases instead of attractive vacation destinations?

The questions were very many, and the cruise industry didn’t have too many answers at that time.

The redemption & restart

Fortunately, the answers did arrive before it was too late. The rigorous pandemic-management measures (masking, restrictions, isolations and quarantine procedures) adopted around the world and the eventual arrival of the vaccines slowly but gradually resulted in subsiding the pandemic. Increasing research and findings led to more information and knowledge about the virus, which helped to reduce the fear of the disease and provided reassurance to the masses.

The borders started opening, and restrictions began being lifted slowly but surely. People, especially cruise enthusiasts, forced indoors for two long years because of the pandemic, were more than eager and looking forward to getting outside and exploring the world once again. The pandemic may not have been eradicated, but it had subsided considerably, and the world had found a way to accept and live with it. The cruise industry started seeing a ray of hope once again.

The cruise lines started preparing their ships to restart their operations. To attract passengers once again and to reassure them of their safety, cruise lines began adopting and also aggressively promoting the following:

• Ensuring enhanced hygiene, cleaning and sanitation procedures throughout the ship.
• Ensuring mandatory usage of masks (KN95) at all times.
• Formulating SOPs and protocols for covid management onboard. Setting up of different levels, viz. level 1, 2 and 3, where Level 1- minimum measures (no known active covid cases onboard), Level 2- additional measures (in case of the known active case(s)) and Level 3 (heightened measures according to no. of cases)   
• Ensuring mandatory bi-weekly testing of shipboard crew & staff members.
• Ensuring and mandating that their crew is fully vaccinated.
• Ensuring mandatory pre-boarding covid test and compulsory minimum 7-day quarantine for all new joining crew, followed by covid testing before release.
• Limiting shore leaves for crew members also, testing them before and after the shore leave .
• Setting-up up hand sanitising stations and dispensers around the ship in conspicuous locations and encouraging their generous usage.
• Training of shipboard medical staff in handling covid cases and emergencies.
• Ensuring an uninterrupted supply of covid test kits, medicines, sanitisers, masks, personal protective equipment, ventilators, oxygen cylinders etc., to medical personnel.
• Ensuring a supply of approved vaccines to ensure all crew are fully vaccinated according to company policy and the prevalent norms of port states.
• Allocate a few cabins on selected decks (usually interior ones on higher decks) as isolation or quarantine cabins for crew members who test positive. 

These were made a part of SOPs across the cruise industry.

There are also requirements for guests who intend to embark on a cruise ship as passengers.

• Cruise lines had to limit the number of bookings for a particular cruise to ensure social distancing and availability of spare rooms in case required for isolation of guests feeling unwell/testing positive. 
• To ensure that guests must either be fully vaccinated or carry an adverse covid test report to be allowed to embark on the ship. In case fully vaccinated, they must carry their proof of vaccination with them to be allowed embarkation.
• Not allowing embarkation of any guests appearing visibly sick or covid symptomatic.
• Ensuring guests must wear masks at all times, whenever outside their cabins.
• Cruise lines had to ensure social distancing onboard in all public spaces. Restaurants and cafes onboard could only seat a maximum of 50% of their capacity at one time.
• Guests are to be briefed on procedures to be followed if they feel unwell/sick and to contact the onboard medical emergency no. and isolate/avoid going outside their cabins. In case of severe symptoms, the affected guest(s) will be isolated and hospitalised onboard in a separate room(s).
• Many cruise lines developed innovative contactless methods of verifying guests’ identity while boarding/embarking the ships, briefing and familiarising guests about their muster stations and onboard evacuation procedures through personalised apps and/or other digital devices. This, in most cases, also included ordering food and drinks onboard. These have been developed to reduce physical interactions as much as possible to minimise the incidence of infections and transmissions.

The pandemic cast a gloom over the entire world. Every country, whether developed or not and all walks of life were severely affected. Passenger ships, too, were no exception. Being a people-driven industry, unlike cargo shipping which is goods-driven, it was one sector that faced a grave existential threat. 

Fortunately, the situation has dramatically improved, and things are looking up again. Many cruise ships have restarted operations since the beginning of this year, and many continue to. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that it has been a renaissance or rebirth for the cruise industry.

The pandemic has forced us to change and adapt. It has been the same for the cruise industry, which had to unlearn, relearn, and adopt many new procedures. However, it will never be the same as in pre-pandemic times, as some of these procedures will likely stay forever. But considering that they are in the best interests of passengers and crew to ensure their well-being and safety, one feels it is worth it.

The pandemic may be over, yet the threat of covid exists. But like life, the show must go on. 

You might also like to read-

• Titanic vs Modern Cruise Ship: How Ships Have Evolved 
• 10 Ways to Achieve Energy Efficiency in Ship’s Electrical System
• The Incredible MSC Fantasia Cruise Ship
• Amazing Cruise Ship: Grandeur of the Seas
• Norwegian Cruise Line’s Cruise Ship Norwegian Dawn

Disclaimer:  The author’s views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Marine Insight. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Marine Insight do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendations on any course of action to be followed by the reader.

The article or images cannot be reproduced, copied, shared, or used in any form without the permission of the author and Marine Insight.

Do you have info to share with us ? Suggest a correction

Related Posts

Web Stories

Subscribe To Our Newsletters

By subscribing, you agree to our  Privacy Policy  and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.

Latest Life At Sea Articles You Would Like :

Adopting a No Blame Policy On board Ships

Worst Oil Spills: The ABT Summer Oil Spill Incident

My First Journey Through The Panama Canal – 4th Engineer Describes His Experience

How to Cope With Emergencies at Home While You Are Sailing?

Equator Crossing Ceremony: The Real Test Of Seafarers

18 Serious Offences under Merchant Navy Code of Conduct Resulting in to Dismissal from Job at Sea

Leave a reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Marine Insight Daily Newsletter

" * " indicates required fields

Marine Engineering

Marine Engine Air Compressor Marine Boiler Oily Water Separator Marine Electrical Ship Generator Ship Stabilizer

Nautical Science

Mooring Bridge Watchkeeping Ship Manoeuvring Nautical Charts  Anchoring Nautical Equipment Shipboard Guidelines

Explore 

Free Maritime eBooks Premium Maritime eBooks Marine Safety Financial Planning Marine Careers Maritime Law Ship Dry Dock

Shipping News Maritime Reports Videos Maritime Piracy Offshore Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) MARPOL

Cruising Is Returning This Year—Here’s What to Know

By Scott Laird

More than a year after COVID-19 virtually stopped most cruises , the industry has been in flux. with many large cruise ships anchored in international waters awaiting finalized clearance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to resume sailing from U.S. ports, or making alternate plans to sail from international destinations instead. But last week, the CDC released further clarification to the Conditional Sailing Order that's been in effect since October 2020 , allowing cruising to resume on a firmer timeline. Once the agency reviews cruise line plans for adherence, large ship cruises could resume from U.S. ports as early as July.

In a letter the CDC sent to U.S. cruise executives, the agency stipulated that if cruise lines can demonstrate at least 95 percent of customers and 98 percent of crew are vaccinated, they can skip plans for the time-consuming “simulated” test voyages that were in place as the next step to proving to the CDC that conditions were safe for sailing again, the Washington Post reported in April.

It’s important to note that cruise departures never entirely ceased during the pandemic—ships carrying fewer than 250 passengers have been allowed to operate, for example, and several lines resumed operations internationally beginning last summer, with few reported cases onboard. As the industry makes moves to resume on a wider scale, operations will be different from before. From new safety protocols to larger impacts on itineraries, here's what to expect as we prepare to welcome back cruising in 2021.

We’re reporting on how COVID-19 impacts travel on a daily basis. Find our latest coronavirus coverage here , or visit our complete guide to COVID-19 and travel .

New and varied itineraries

One benefit cruise lines have over other types of trips is their ability to physically move and be nimble if plans need to change. While cruise lines work with different countries and ports to address local needs and safety issues, it's meant a wave of new itineraries and destinations on the horizon.

Ships that might have been prevented from operating at U.S. homeports, for example, could be moved to embark U.S.-originating passengers at foreign ports. Prior to the CDC’s updated guidelines, some cruise lines—including Viking and Royal Caribbean—had taken advantage of their ships’ registries in Bermuda or The Bahamas and redeployed those vessels to sailings within those countries for much of the upcoming summer season, free of U.S. restrictions.

Norwegian and Celebrity are taking a similar approach with Mediterranean sailings this summer, sticking close to Greece, Turkey, and Croatia—all of which have easier entry requirements for international visitors. Other countries that have reopened to (vaccinated and/or COVID-tested) international visitors that also allow cruising include Iceland, Mexico, and French Polynesia.

Meanwhile, small ships that have still been able to operate have opened up a new era of interest in sailing U.S. waters. American Cruise Lines, Victory Cruise Lines, and American Queen Steamboat Company, for example, have rolled out more sailings on the Mississippi River, and added itineraries sailing the Great Lakes, Pacific Northwest, and East Coast for travelers who want to explore waterways closer to home.

Vaccinations and testing are essential

A key part of the CDC’s updated guidelines allows cruise lines to forego the onerous simulated voyages and lengthy notification periods that had been part of the original order—on the condition that they meet the requirements that virtually all passengers and crew on each sailing are fully vaccinated (many cruise lines have already created their own vaccination requirements ). The guidelines also allow vaccinated passengers to present results from faster, cheaper antigen tests prior to boarding instead of the more involved PCR test, although individual cruise lines may elect to impose more stringent requirements.

There may also be fewer children onboard sailings this summer, as vaccines are not yet approved for children under 16. Some cruise lines will allow unvaccinated children to sail with a negative PCR test, while others will not allow any unvaccinated passengers regardless of age. It's important to read and reach out to the cruise line directly when booking a sailing, to be sure you're meeting all of their protocols in order to sail.

In addition to following specific cruise line requirements, it’s also vital that guests review the vaccination and testing requirements for entering the country from which they're departing if they’re traveling to a cruise that sails outside the U.S.

The economic impact and sailings

Like many other travel sectors, the cruise industry is poised for a strong comeback based on pent-up demand and untapped travel budgets carried over from 2020—prior to the pandemic, it was set to be a record year for guests taking cruises. But in that time, there's no ignoring how much of an effect the halt in operations had on port communities and the economy at large—an ongoing issue that will continue to impact when and how we cruise.

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) estimates that in 2019 the cruise industry contributed $9 billion in direct spend in Florida alone, generating just under 160,000 jobs—both at multiple cruise lines headquartered in the state, and in support industries. But many of those jobs were either furloughed or eliminated due to the halt in operations, meaning the industry could be facing a staffing shortage in certain locations where it sails.

Alaska has made it clear that the loss in cruise sailings effectively wiped out last year's tourism season , and both Florida and Alaska—respectively the largest and fifth largest benefactors of cruise industry dollars—filed suit against the CDC for a more expedient return. The legal case might now be moot, but the economic anxieties remain, particularly for Alaska, which is seeking a waiver to federal laws requiring foreign-flagged cruise ships (i.e., most of them) to call at a foreign port on every itinerary—a requirement that would prevent most large ship operations to Alaska until Canadian ports reopen to cruise ships in early 2022. 

With the CDC go-ahead, cruise passengers will soon be able to embark on large ship departures, however modified, to once again enjoy vacations at sea. But these factors will continue to impact where we can travel and when, especially as the summer travel season begins.

• My Favourites
• Experiences

Cruising after Covid isn't the same. It's better

With domestic cruises paused, only a handful of Aussies have taken to the seas since Covid. The only Aussie on board a Mediterranean megaship reveals what it's like.

This article may contain links from our affiliate and advertising partners. When you click on them, or share this content, we may earn a commission.  Learn more

Got a spare $134K? Regent just launched the world’s most expensive cruise

A Wiggles cruise is about to set sail

Four Seasons Yachts to set sail in 2026

Standing in the middle of Palma’s old town in Mallorca, I’m cradling a lemon pie, waiting to devour its soft spires of cream and pastry as delicate as a butterfly’s wing. Eddies of people swirl in the ancient streets, a saxophonist plays by a 500-year-old church and the air is buzzing with energy. But two things are decidedly odd.

First, it feels like 2019, not 2021. Sure, many are wearing masks (compulsory indoors), and the scent of sanitiser mingles with the perfume of chic Spaniards but there’s a heightened sense of people enjoying life. After months of lockdown in Europe, it’s an almost overwhelming, colour-saturated cinematic experience. 

Second, I’m on a cruise, on board Norwegian Cruise Line’s  Norwegian Epic , visiting a harem of Mediterranean supermodel cities, including vivacious Palma, sleepy Sardinia, elegant Florence, sultry Rome and edgy Naples. The seven-night round-trip from Barcelona is the ship’s first sailing in 500 days, and it’s reigniting my appetite for travel. 

See also: Breathtaking new cruises to take in 2022

See also: Planning a cruise? Here's the latest Covid updates you need to know

And trust me, cruisers are hungry. When bookings opened last year for  Epic’s stablemate  Norwegian Prima , the first of NCL’s swank new Prima class of ship launching in August, sales records weren’t just smashed on the first day, but doubled previous records.

“Are you sure that’s not a gangplank to Covid?” asks a friend bluntly when mentioning I’d be cruising with 2499 other passengers. No cruise is completely Covid-proof, yet one could argue it’s one of the safest holiday experiences on offer. All guests and crew are fully vaccinated. “You won’t have that same health security just walking down a street wherever you live,” says Eamonn Ferrin, vice-president of international business for NCL. 

Boarding is staggered to avoid queues and involves an antigen test as a final precaution. And once on board, numbers are capped far under the ship’s 4100 capacity and guests wear masks in public areas unless seated. No one seems to mind this minor price for freedom.

And freedom is what looking at Florence’s Duomo feels like on a day blasting with sunshine; while exploring the cellars of family-owned Castello di Trebbio winery hidden in the Tuscan hills; hiking in Sardinia; and soaking up the gritty, intoxicating atmosphere of Naples. 

But nowhere feels quite as alive as Mallorca. While Spain is living la vida loca, Italy requires cruisers on excursions to remain within their group – there will be no spontaneous roam in Rome. This will change, but every country has its own rules. Some cruisers may choose to stay in the double-vaccinated ship bubble, even with such a spectacular itinerary. According to Eamonn, the “ship is the destination more than ever”. 

Italy has its own understandable rules, but on-board life is 100 per cent flexible and freestyle. Play the gastronomic field between the specialty restaurants – I’m seduced by truffle fries at the American-style Cagney’s Steakhouse and tender meats at Argentine-influenced Maderno Churrascaria. And while loyal to the poolside Garden Cafe breakfast buffet for the sheer generosity of the bacon portions, sometimes the crisp linen beckons at the art-deco style Manhattan Room, one of the two main restaurants. (Buffets are attended by staff instead of being self serve.)

My conversion to  Epic appreciator began before even stepping on board. My neighbour on the flight to Barcelona was, serendipitously, 75-year-old Alfie, who was headed for his fifth  Epic voyage. After his wife died, he booked a studio room (for solo guests, set in the ship’s interior) and enjoyed it so much, he’s continued full steam ahead. That’s how I already knew the duelling pianists at Howl at the Moon are a highlight, and the shows are Broadway quality. 

Exploring with a map of the ship in hand reveals 19 decks with 20 bars and lounges, two rock-climbing walls, Skyy Vodka Ice Bar, art gallery, bowling alleys and the Ibiza-inspired Spice H2O adults-only beach club. Its purpose is actually redundant, as there are no children on board (children weren’t able to be vaccinated at the time of cruising). 

But Covid habits die hard and I’m drawn to the quieter spots. Being eye-to-eye with gulls as we depart ports, watching them frolic on the wind through the full glass wall of the sauna is my unexpected favourite activity (and very relaxing). Then there’s the glorious top sundeck accessed by a clandestine lift and the benefits of passing more time than usual on the room’s extra spacious balcony. This leads to basking in the spectacle of the islands of Capri and Ischia wafting past in a sunset haze, when normally the sheer amount of action on offer would have lured me somewhere else.

But the ship moment seared on my memory isn’t the Saké bar, or explaining the brilliant Priscilla, Queen of the Desert stage show to bamboozled Europeans (it’s my patriotic duty as the sole Australian on-board). 

Rather, it’s pausing four storeys above the pool deck on the Epic Plunge, a whirlpool-type waterslide whisking sliders in a large bowl before they’re sucked into the throat of an almost vertical shaft. From this eyrie, the empty ocean stretches towards the horizon, balmy salty air fills my nostrils, and the playful beat of a Jamaican band below runs on the breeze. After almost two long years, I’m experiencing the unencumbered, unfettered feeling of holiday bliss, with all the soul-nourishing excitement of foreign cultures and varied destinations. This is Cruising 2.0.

Flip Byrnes travelled as a guest of Norwegian Cruise Lines.

ESCAPE ROUTE

Norwegian Epic sails in the Mediterranean from April to October in 2022 and 2023. Fares for a seven-day Cruise to Mediterranean: Italy, France & Spain from Barcelona, Spain, start from $1869 a person, twin share, for an October 22, 2023 departure (based on a current promotional offer which includes up to 35 per cent off cruise fares and the Free at Sea offer with $US2900 in bonus value). Ph 1300 255 200 or visit ncl.com to see full terms and conditions.

Why everyone wants to open this secret door on cruise ships

Exciting new cruise destination on the horizon

10 epic adventures you can only have on a cruise

This cruise will stretch the deepest pockets.

Australia's favourite children’s entertainers are parking their big red car and heading to sea.

The Canadian hotel group is now afloat with 10 cruise offerings.

The Wiggles and Royal Caribbean have teamed up for the ultimate family cruise

Wiggles fans can set sail with the cast of Wiggly Friends on exclusive Wiggles Sailings in the summer of 2025-2026. Oh man, the wee ones are going to lose it.

What’s it like to go on a cruise now? Here’s how COVID changed the onboard experience

Cruise passengers will see a lot of changes on the ship due to the pandemic.

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

The cruise industry suffered its biggest financial blow in decades when the COVID-19 pandemic halted most sailings for months and made nervous cruise fans think twice about booking an ocean voyage.

But cruising is back and all signs point to a turn of the tide for the industry: More cruises are scheduled to depart the Port of Los Angeles next year than in 2019.

Carnival Corp., the world’s largest cruise company, reported that bookings for the second half of 2022 already surpassed bookings for 2019. Royal Caribbean cruises for 2022 are nearly at 2019 levels, the company’s chief financial officer, Jason Liberty, said on a recent earnings call.

Despite the shutdown, the world’s cruise lines have more than 100 new ships on order to set sail by 2027. The Majestic Princess, a ship designed to serve the Chinese market, made its maiden call from the Port of L.A. on Oct. 6. Some 200 cruises are scheduled to depart from there in 2022, up from 120 in 2019.

What are cruise lines requiring of passengers? How have boarding, dining and other activities on board changed? We gathered some information to answer common questions.

Death on the high seas: Cruise passengers face head winds with COVID lawsuits

Cruise giants Carnival, Princess, and Royal Caribbean — which face dozens of COVID-19 related lawsuits — have the legal upper-hand, experts say.

Nov. 3, 2021

Do I have to be vaccinated to go on a cruise?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all passengers be fully vaccinated before boarding a cruise ship. The world’s largest cruise companies now require passengers leaving U.S. ports to be fully vaccinated, with limited exceptions. Vaccines are required for passengers on Carnival , Princess , Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruise lines.

You will usually be required to show proof of vaccination at the terminal before boarding. Some cruise lines will also require passengers — whether vaccinated or not — to show proof of a COVID-19 test taken within two days of boarding a vessel. Check the requirements and protocols of your particular cruise.

Do I have to wear a mask at all times on the ship?

Passengers are strongly encouraged to wear masks in public spaces and are required to do so in such indoor areas as elevators, stores, casinos and dining halls, except when eating or drinking. You typically won’t be required to wear masks around the pool and hot tubs, but deck chairs are spaced farther apart than in the past to maintain physical distance.

What about shore visits and excursions?

To go onshore, you must meet the health protocols of the country the ship visits. The government of the Bahamas, for example, recently announced that all cruise visitors must be fully vaccinated, with the exception of travelers under age 12 and those with medical exemptions.

On some ships, such as Carnival Cruises, unvaccinated passengers are not allowed to go onshore except with a pre-booked “bubble tour,” in which passengers travel with friends and family in a controlled environment. On other cruise lines, such as Holland America, shore excursions managed by the ship are strongly encouraged.

Are ships sailing at full capacity?

Most ships are sailing at less than full capacity, partly to encourage physical distancing. The Majestic Princess left on its maiden voyage from the Port of Los Angeles at about 60% capacity. The cruise lines plan to increase capacity over the next few months.

Have any activities been eliminated because of COVID-19?

You won’t be lining up at the buffet for meals. Most self-serve buffets have been modified so that employees serve passengers to avoid unnecessary crowding. Indoor dancing, karaoke and nightclubs are no longer allowed on many ships, including the Majestic Princess, which converted its karaoke area into extra room for spa treatments. On some ships, passengers won’t be allowed to try on clothing for sale. Physical distancing is encouraged for all activities.

Will I need to make reservations for dining and other onboard activities?

To manage capacity and physical distancing, many onboard restaurants recommend reservations and will limit groups at dining tables to eight. On Princess Cruises, reservations can be made through the MedallionClass app. On Celebrity Cruises, reservations can be made on the Celebrity Cruises App.

What else do I need to know?

You won’t be required to assemble at a designated spot on the ship to hear the pre-departure safety instruction, also known as the “safety muster drill.” Instead, passengers can watch parts of the safety drill on their stateroom televisions or on a cruise ship app.

Spas and gyms remain open, but some cruise lines limit them to vaccinated guests. Hand sanitizer stations can be found throughout the ships.

More to Read

Where can you find your people? More travelers are looking to themed cruises

Jan. 11, 2023

Laura Benanti, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming board Broadway cruise for spring 2023

June 22, 2022

Guests and crew members test positive for COVID-19 aboard Princess Cruise ship

March 27, 2022

Hugo Martín is an assistant editor on the Fast Break Desk, the Los Angeles Times’ breaking news team. He has been a journalist with the Los Angeles Times for more than 30 years, covering politics, transportation, travel, business and the outdoors. A native Californian, Martín was part of the Metro staff that won Pulitzer Prizes in 1993, 1995 and 1998. He is an avid outdoorsman, a proud father and die-hard Lakers fan.

More From the Los Angeles Times

California’s home insurance crisis: What went wrong, how it can be fixed and what owners can do

March 29, 2024

Company Town

Georgia lawmakers kill effort to cap film tax credits as production hub continues to rival California

An inflation gauge tracked by the Federal Reserve shows price pressures easing gradually

Opinion: Why a TikTok ban isn’t what we need

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Credit card rates
• Balance transfer credit cards
• Business credit cards
• Cash back credit cards
• Rewards credit cards
• Travel credit cards
• Checking accounts
• Online checking accounts
• High-yield savings accounts
• Money market accounts
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Car insurance
• Home buying
• Options pit
• Investment ideas
• Research reports
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Post-COVID cruising: The ships are back at sea, but where can they go?

Over the course of his life, Ray McDonald has taken 154 cruises. Sometimes they are back-to-back, other times they are back-to-back-to-back. When COVID-19 hit, he was on the last boat to dock. “They had to drag me off the ship,” he said. But as he gets ready to board one of the first ships planned to set sail from the U.S. on July 5, he’s worried about what a post-pandemic cruise will look like.

While experts and lifelong cruisers expect buffets to be suspended and a general reduction in social events onboard, they say the more than $55 billion industry is likely to survive relatively unscathed. The wild card at this point is where those cruise ships will go and what passengers will be able to do once they get there, because some ports are saying they don’t want the cruises back at all.

When the pandemic hit more than a year ago, the news was flooded with cruising horror stories: outbreaks on ships, stranded passengers and crew, countries unwilling to allow COVID-stricken boats to anchor in their ports. The U.S. issued a no-sail order on March 14, 2020, followed by a conditional sailing order on Oct. 30, which outlined a rigorous phased return to cruising. Over the last couple of months, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has begun allowing trial voyages to take place, and on June 26, Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Edge is scheduled to be the first passenger cruise ship to set sail from the United States.

As cruises prepare to set back out to sea, and companies try to lure customers back onboard, the ships will still be facing potential limits on where they are allowed to stop and what passengers will be able to do at those destinations if they are even allowed to disembark.

Alexis Papathanassis, a professor of tourism management at the Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences in Germany and co-director of the Institute of Maritime Tourism, said the post-pandemic reality for cruises will be a shift to private islands. “The destination experience will presumably change, at least for the medium term,” he said, adding that there will be a trend toward any stops becoming an extension of the onboard experience.

Even ports that do allow cruise passengers to disembark may still place restrictions on their excursions. This is already happening in Singapore, one of the only countries that are currently allowing cruises. “When [passengers] go ashore, they keep them in a bubble and have organized tours to cities that have been certified as COVID-free,” said Andrew Coggins, a professor of management at the Lubin School of Business at Pace University and a cruise industry analyst. “If they go out of the group, they can’t get back on the ship.”

These changes would affect more than just the cruisers, however. The local destinations, some of which rely on cruise tourism for their economies, would lose out on the financial gain while still bearing the economic and environmental consequences of crowds.

In Juneau, Alaska, most of the economic benefit of cruises comes from local tours. Visitors take helicopters and planes to go ice fishing, dog mushing and hiking. In 2019, Alaska got about 60 percent of its visitors from cruise ships, but if passengers are restricted to cruise-organized excursions, the benefit to the city disappears.

While cities like Juneau could struggle, cruise lines may benefit from the change. “Ultimately, increasing the control over guest consumption and the holiday experience as a whole has long been a key economic driver for the cruise sector and will become more so in a post-pandemic cruising reality,” Papathanassis said.

Arlo Haskell, the treasurer of the grassroots organization Safer, Cleaner Ships, which advocates for health and environmental issues in Key West, Fla., echoed this sentiment. “Cruises have gotten so much better at keeping all customer spending on the ship and not the ports,” said Haskell, a native of Key West.

The yearlong cruise hiatus has given locals in popular port destinations like Key West, Juneau and Bar Harbor, Maine, the chance to see what the actual benefits of cruise ships are to their cities, and contrary to popular belief, they are finding them to be negligible.

Key West, one of the most popular cruise ship ports in the United States, saw an increasing number of boats in recent years, until the pandemic hit. A port that saw just 17 ships per year in 1969 now sees 400. But when cruise ships stopped and local residents saw what things were like without the constant barrage of huge ships, they found that life flourished.

“Every cloud has a silver lining, and the silver lining of the pandemic for Key West is getting to see what this place is like without the daily onslaught of mega cruise ships,” said Haskell. “Nature can heal.”

Haskell is referring to the environmental and economic impact of the hiatus. Not only were waters clearer and ocean life rejuvenated, but Key West’s economy thrived.

“We’ve had 13 months of no cruise ships, 13 months of virtually no international visitors and 13 months of no major events in Key West,” Mayor Teri Johnston told Yahoo News. “And we ended 2020 with 90 percent of our sales tax revenue.”

Though cruise lines heavily advertise the economic benefits of cruises for port cities, most visitors limit their spending to inexpensive souvenirs just off the boat and street-food snacks. These tourists, though plentiful, are not staying in the hotels or eating dinner at the restaurants. Many already choose to go on cruise ship excursions rather than book local tours.

A 2018 scientific study on the economic, social and environmental impacts of cruise tourism concluded that it does not provide benefits to the community in areas with low taxation and regulation. The researchers also found increased corruption and substantial negative environmental effects.

In March 2020, overwhelmed by the benefits gained from fewer cruise ships, the citizens of Key West attempted to permanently limit the size and number of cruise ships coming to their shore.

Through an effort led by Safer, Cleaner Ships, three questions were added to the November 2020 ballot that would limit the size and number of cruise ships, as well as give priority to cruise lines with the best environmental and health records. The proposal would effectively halve the numbers during high season. Despite a $250,000 targeted campaign from the cruise industry, all three reforms were approved by more than 60 percent of the city’s voting population.

The permanence of the change is still in question, however. In January, two Republican state representatives introduced legislation to nullify the vote. The new legislation passed through the Florida state House and Senate, and Key West is waiting anxiously to see what Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis will do.

In an email to Yahoo News, the governor’s office said that “there are many bills still awaiting Gov. Desantis’ consideration. Any of these bills, including this one, would have to be signed by July 1 in order to become law.” DeSantis’s office did not provide any indication of his leanings on the issue.

Other port cities are weighing the benefits and drawbacks of allowing cruises to return. In Bar Harbor, Maine, cruises extended the tourist season, benefiting local businesses.

Alf Anderson, the executive director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce, said the city benefits from cruise tourism. “Our downtown restaurants, shops and experience-based businesses thrive when cruise passengers meander along our streets and find the opportunities that best suit their tastes,” he said.

However, as in Key West, some locals are questioning the benefit of cruise ships for the city.

“COVID-19 has shown the town of Bar Harbor several things — that life without cruise visitation was enjoyable, manageable and, for many people and businesses, better,” said Renata Moise, a member of the board of Friends of Frenchman Bay, a coalition of people who advocate for protections against mega cruise ships in the Bar Harbor pier.

Moise said cruise passengers don’t spend much money in Bar Harbor, adding that they are often seen bringing food off the ship into town to eat in the parks, while others buy just ice cream and T-shirts. In addition, Maine doesn’t have local tax, only state tax.

“I’m not sure that state sales tax loss is worth the air quality of Bar Harbor and the quality of life,” Moise said.

Following the first six months of the pandemic, three of which were during Bar Harbor’s peak cruise ship season, Maine topped the Back-to-Normal Index compiled by CNN Business and Moody’s Analytics. By September it was operating at 93 percent of its pre-pandemic economic activity. This puts Bar Harbor in a similar position to Key West and adds to the question of how economically beneficial cruise ships are to the ports.

Moise said the loss of revenue from reduced cruising “will be made up for in the income generated by higher-end tourism: hotels, restaurants, bed-and-breakfasts, ecotourism to the national park, land-based tourism, which is now pushed away by the unpleasant situation the cruise ships bring to the town.”

In March and April, Bar Harbor citizens lobbied the government to construct a survey that asked residents what they thought about the impact of land-based tourism and the impact of cruise-based tourism. The survey even laid out that cruise tourism contributes $20 million in annual revenue to local businesses, approximately 380 jobs and $5.4 million in labor income, and asked citizens to rate how important they feel those benefits are to the community.

The survey closed on April 26 and is being tallied. However, it came together too late to lead to anything appearing on the ballot in the June elections.

In Juneau too, residents are hoping to keep the quality-of-life improvements gained by the reduction in cruise ships. For the first time in years, downtown Juneau is no longer bombarded with visitors. The seas are calm enough to go kayaking, and helicopter tours are no longer interrupting conversations every 15 minutes for at least five minutes.

“If this were cruise season, we wouldn’t be able to have this conversation, even with my insulation and with the windows closed,” said Karla Hart, a resident of Juneau and an activist for limiting cruise ships in the area. “They fly over my house, and it really fuels my activism.”

Hart said the tours take passengers throughout Juneau, driving buses through residential areas and polluting remote hiking trails.

“There is no neighborhood not impacted by the noise of helicopters,” she said.

As part of a local initiative, a group of Juneau citizens took a page out of Key West’s book and developed three proposals to limit the size of the ships and the hours when passengers are allowed to be in the city. The effort is still in the early phases, but Hart feels there could be popular support for moderation.

“Most of the people who live here now who are not old had never experienced a summer day without cruise ships,” said Hart. “But last summer was gloomy, and yet everywhere was packed.

“Now people have an understanding of what it could be like here without cruise ships,” she said.

With a number of ports looking to turn cruises away, at least for now, the alternative for the industry is private islands. Some ships have already integrated such islands into their stops. Disney, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess and Holland America all own private islands in the Caribbean. However, the islands have always served more as a final stop after places like Belize or Panama, which provide a more cultural experience.

“I think the number of calls to private islands will increase,” said Coggins, the cruise industry analyst. “The cruise line has more positive control of the environment.”

For at least some cruisers, that’s a less than ideal option and one that could make them rethink how they spend their vacations. “We definitely cruise for the different cultures and experiences,” said Peta-Gaye Daniel, an avid cruiser and blogger.

While the mandatory masks and vaccinations, lack of buffets and fewer social gatherings wouldn’t sway her from going on a cruise, a private-island-only schedule would.

“The private islands are really just another slice of the ship but on land,” said Daniel. “I welcome it, but not by itself.”

Cover thumbnail photo: Daniel Bockwoldt/picture alliance via Getty Images

Read more from Yahoo News:

Inside the Trump administration's secret plan to kill Qassem Soleimani

CDC guidance for vaccinated people brings confusion along with relief

Yahoo News/YouGov poll: Cheney has few supporters in GOP

Relaxed mask rules: Rational or reckless?

Remembering the lives lost to COVID-19

Recommended Stories

Nfl mock draft: trades galore as one of the best qb prospects slides outside the top 10.

Charles McDonald and Nate Tice's latest mock draft has five quarterbacks off the board in the top 13, a big-time weapon for Aaron Rodgers and some steals in the second half of the first round.

The 'extreme' Social Security move that actually makes sense

The election year battle over cherished retirement programs is a microcosm explaining why Washington doesn't solve solvable problems.

One fateful decision summed up North Carolina's Sweet 16 demise

Jae’Lyn Withers shot UNC's most important 3-pointer of the game when he had no business firing away. And now the No. 1 Tar Heels are going home.

Longtime ESPN anchor John Anderson says he's retiring from 'SportsCenter:' 'The operation has changed'

Anderson has been hosting "SportsCenter" since 1999.

Stocks just had their best first quarter in 5 years — here's where strategists think the market is headed

With stocks off to their best start in five years, many strategists on Wall Street still make a case for the S&P 500 to keep chugging higher.

Kenny Brooks leaves Virginia Tech for Kentucky job in stunning end of era

Within a couple of weeks, Virginia Tech's Final Four hopes dropped because of Elizabeth Kitley's injury and Brooks exited for the SEC.

Andy Reid brings Lombardi Trophy for Royals 1st pitch, throws a strike to George Brett

The Chiefs' coach had a pretty good toss to start the Royals' season.

76ers' Kelly Oubre Jr. confronts officials after missed call on final play in loss to Clippers

"You're a b*tch. You’re a b*tch. You’re a b*tch," Oubre told each official after the defeat.

Ex-Jaguars employee who once hacked team's Jumbotron sentenced to 220 years in prison for child molestation

The FBI searched Samuel Arthur Thompson's home after figuring out he hacked the Jaguars' jumbotron. What they found next was awful.

USWNT's Korbin Albert apologizes after Megan Rapinoe calls out anti-LGBTQ social media content

Albert took over Rapinoe's No. 15 jersey number this year.

Massive changes coming to Google Chrome threaten to reshape the modern internet

Google is ending third-party cookies in Chrome. Here’s what that means for publishers trying to stay afloat in a brutal market.

After Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye’s pro days, the Commanders may hold the keys to the NFL Draft

The No. 1 pick seems to be a foregone conclusion, which means all eyes are on the Commanders and their decision that likely boils down to two QBs.

Study: These are the top 20 cars to buy new instead of used

iSeeCars' latest study found that several used models depreciate so slowly that it's a better idea to buy them new.

The 5 most surprising NFL win totals for the season include Jim Harbaugh's Chargers

There were some curious season win totals among NFL teams.

MLB Opening Day 2024: Initial fantasy baseball thoughts

With Opening Day 2024 in the rearview mirror, fantasy analyst Scott Pianowski delivers his early observations.

Dana White confirms Igor Severino will be cut after biting opponent in UFC debut

He bit him. He really bit him.

Bold fantasy baseball predictions for the 2024 MLB season

The Yahoo Fantasy baseball and MLB crews come together to reveal their hottest takes with the 2024 season kicking off.

2025 Ram 1500's 'Hurricane' I6 tops V8 in fuel economy

2025 Ram 1500 full-size pickup truck now has fuel economy numbers, and the Hurricane inline-six delivers better numbers than the V8 it replaces.

Bad NFLPA grades push Patriots' Robert Kraft, Chiefs' Clark Hunt to make upgrades

In two NFL markets, the players' complaints were heard.

NFL Draft is poker season, and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy might simply be its latest QB bluff

McCarthy's draft stock is soaring the past couple weeks, with betting odds following suit and his former coach heaping praise. Do NFL evaluators and front office members think it's real, or the latest in a long line of smokescreens?

Cruise comeback: How South Florida's cruising industry bounced back

Not only has cruising bounced back, but cruise lines and ports are seeing more passengers than ever before.

When the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the world in its tracks back in 2020, the cruising industry was among those hit the hardest.

The images were broadcast across the world -- cruise ships filled with passengers and crew members quarantined -- all before the virus even had its official name.

However, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says work continued on land, to prepare for the eventual comeback we are witnessing in 2024.

"I think we use that period to really do planning, engagement -- make sure that we could build back better," Levine Cava explained. "And the industry is growing worldwide. People love to cruise the appetite for cruising is insatiable. So we are very fortunate that we are the beneficiaries of this growth."

CRUISE INDUSTRY

What is ‘wave season'? Here are 5 tips to save you money on your next cruise vacation

Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, arrives at PortMiami

Not only has cruising bounced back, but cruise lines and ports are seeing more passengers than ever before.

"Cruising is back. The industry is stronger than ever," Port Director and Port Miami CEO Hydi Webb said. "Passengers have pent up demand to be back out at sea."

Webb says the local community was especially confident that cruising would bounce back.

"The industry, the port, Miami Dade County have always believed in the comeback," Webb added. "We never stopped building during COVID. As soon as COVID was over, we opened up three new cruise terminals."

South Florida is home to two of the busiest ports in the world -- Port Miami is number one on the list and dubbed as the cruise capital of the world.

Not far behind is Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, at No. 3.

"We recovered 29 different ships during the shutdown and then worked with the cruise lines to put that confidence back in place for the for the public," Port Everglades Acting Director Glenn Wiltshire explained.

Combined more than 10 million passengers set sail from the two ports. Port Miami even set a new mark for passenger travel in 2023.

“We now have the record for the world at almost 7.3 million passengers. That is really extraordinary, especially post COVID,” Levine Cava said.

While some of those 10 million passengers are from right here in South Florida, many of them are from across the globe.

Wiltshire says Port Everglades conducted an impact analysis in 2023 and found that the average family spends about $900 either before or after their cruise here in town -- providing a valuable boost to the local economy.

Plus, the ports and cruise lines also provide jobs for thousands of South Floridians.

"Port Everglades from a cruise impact, just for example -- 2500 jobs in the community over $600 million of economic activity and just the multiplier effect of all those people coming into town," Wiltshire continued.

The future is even brighter, with expansion and construction already underway to welcome new ships, new terminals and new passengers to South Florida.

"We have another the world's largest cruise terminal under construction right now on the east end of the port in conjunction with MSC Cruises, Webb said on Port Miami. "It will be the world's largest cruise terminal able to accommodate three vessels ultimately at one time from three different cruise lines."

To watch the full documentary, tune in to NBC6's Youtube channel by clicking here .

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Elsevier - PMC COVID-19 Collection

Post COVID-19: Health crisis management for the cruise industry

Zhaotong li.

a School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Xueqin Wang

b Department of International Logistics, Chung-Ang University, South Korea

Kum Fai Yuen

The cruise industry is gravely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to rising public health concerns. This study combines and examines health crisis management and marketing theories to address public health concerns and improve the usage of cruise services. Combining social exchange theory, customers' perceived value theory, and trust theory, a theoretical model is proposed. Survey data ( n  = 376) are then collected through an online survey that is conducted on the Chinese tourism market. The finding shows that quality management, health management, social and communication strategies, and financial strategies contribute to customers' perceived value of cruise service. In addition, perceived value directly and indirectly influences customers' intention to use cruise service through trust in cruise company's pandemic management capability. This study expands the current literature on cruise crisis recovery and provides recommendations for policy and strategy formulation for the cruise industry to cope with the pandemic by focusing on public health concerns and psychology.

1. Introduction

In late December 2019, COVID-19 spread rapidly worldwide. People who are infected by the virus can be seriously sick or even lose their lives, especially the aged ones. Moreover, person-to-person transmission via droplets and human contact makes COVID-19 extremely hard to control [ 1 ]. Following the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which reported a large number of confirmed infected cases onboard and was quarantined in Japan in February, 25 other cruise ships reported more than 800 confirmed cases and 10 deaths in the next two months. In March 2020, the Cruise Lines International Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States recommended that all cruise trips worldwide should be deferred to avoid more infected cases, until the health of passengers and crew members onboard could be ensured. This was a huge strike on the cruise shipping industry [ 2 ].

The restricted space and large mixture of people during cruise trips cause the initial reproduction rate of the virus onboard without countermeasures to be 4 times higher than the rate in Wuhan in early 2020, which was the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak at that time. Meanwhile, the transmission rate on cruise ships is the highest compared to any other transportation method [ 3 ]. In the COVID-19 pandemic, the cruise ship industry has been more severely affected than many other tourism and transportation industries and is unlikely to recover due to the travel restrictions and requirements onboard, such as physical distancing, which are difficult to be fulfilled [ 4 ]. In this situation, customers tend to avoid cruise service because of the health concerns on cruise ships during the journey [ 5 ]. From the short-term perspective, developing and implementing coronavirus-related health management is urgently required for resuming the cruise industry, protecting the health of passengers and crews, and attracting customers to choose cruise service again. From the long-term perspective, the health concerns onboard will have a permanent psychological impact on customers, and only a complete and effective health management system onboard can solve their long-term concerns and motivate them to choose cruise service again when traveling. Therefore, the importance of health management on cruise ships should be prioritized.

After conducting the literature review, we found that a large number of studies have been conducted to study the management in the shipping or cruise service industry. The existing literature on managing cruise services can be mainly categorized into two streams. The first stream includes most of the studies, which focus on the marketing side of management, such as cruise brand experience, customer satisfaction, loyalty, and cruise marketing strategy [ [6] , [7] , [8] ]. Another stream has relatively fewer studies, which focus on the health and safety issues onboard. For instance, some researchers looked into people's reaction to health-related crisis onboard and their intention of protecting themselves [ 9 , 10 ], some examined the work-related injuries of crews during the voyages [ 11 ], and others studied the outbreaks of COVID-19 or other viruses on cruise ships [ 12 , 13 ]. However, there is a research gap whereby the existing literature lacks a focus on health crisis management strategies and the integration of the two streams of research (i.e., health crisis management and marketing).

The current study designs a series of strategies covering both marketing and health management that can be applied by cruise operators onboard during and post the COVID-19 pandemic, to improve the perceived value of cruise service and increase customers’ intention of choosing cruise service when traveling.

To solve the gap in the research, this study integrates the following three theories to explain the relationships among various strategies and customers' intention to choose cruise service: social exchange theory, customers' perceived value theory, and trust theory. The theories are proposed to be crucial considering the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, the social exchange theory suggests that individuals and organizations' decision into making a transaction or entering relationships with a service provider depends on the cost and reward. If rewards are higher than costs, a transaction or relationship shall occur [ 14 ]. For the cruise industry in the COVID-19 situation, the costs on customers can be the perceived health crisis and risks, and the possible time wastage and expenditures if they are infected during the trip. The rewards can be their enjoyment from the high-quality service and facilities during cruise trips. If customers think that they would obtain more rewards than costs during the journey, they will be willing to choose cruise service when traveling. According to social exchange literature, cost and rewards are influenced by relational bonding strategies, which include structural, social, and financial bonding strategies [ 15 ]. In this study, health management strategies are added to fit the current context due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. From another theoretical lens, customers' perceived value theory proposes customers' stronger intention to purchase and use products and services if they possess high perceived value [ 16 ]. Value includes the following four dimensions: economic, functional, hedonic, and social values [ 17 ]. This study proposes that relational bonding strategies can enhance the perceived value of cruise services. Finally, trust theory refers trust as customers' confidence in a service or company [ 18 ]. In general, customers form greater confidence toward cruise operators who exhibit expertise, integrity, and benevolence [ 20 ]. Accordingly, this study proposes that a higher perceived value of cruise services can enhance customers' trust that consequently leads to improved customers’ intention to use cruise services.

The rest of the paper is presented as follows. Section 2 presents the review of relevant theories and the purpose of the model to explain customers’ expectations of cruise service. Section 3 introduces structural equation modeling (SEM) for data collection, organization, and analysis. Section 4 presents and discusses the results. Finally, Section 5 presents the conclusion of key findings and the recommendations for cruise operators about the policies and strategies that could be implemented onboard in the COVID-19 situation to attract more customers.

2. Literature review

2.1. theory and model.

This research applies three theories to examine and identify the most effective management strategies on cruise ships that motivate customers' intention to choose cruise service during and post the COVID-19 pandemic. This study proposes that customers would choose cruise service post COVID-19 if (1) cruise service brings larger customers’ perceived value from applying relational bonding strategies, and (2) customers develop a high degree of trust or confidence in cruise service. Table 1 elaborates on these theories.

Elaboration of theories.

Following the explanation of the theories, this study developed a theoretical model shown in Fig. 1 , which presents the strategies leading to customers’ use intention for cruise services.

Theoretical model.

This research applies three arguments to explain the interrelationships of the hypotheses shown in Fig. 1 . The first argument is developed according to customers' perceived value theory. Value is the benefits and utility that the products and services can provide for customers; it consists of four dimensions, namely, economic, functional, hedonic, and social values [ 22 ]. The theory proposes the direct and considerable impact of the value of products and services on customer continuance intention and recommendation intention [ 16 ]. This explains the positive relationship between the value and customers’ intention of choosing cruise service in the theoretical model, which indicates that if the application of the strategies can improve the value, it would motivate customer intention for cruise service (i.e., H 5 ).

The second argument is brought forward from the social exchange theory and the relational bonding strategies. The social exchange theory proposes that relationships between customers and service providers will continue and become closer if the rewards are larger than costs. By applying relational bonding strategies, cruise operators can provide service with higher quality and better enjoyment, and reduce customers' health risks during the trips from the structural (operational and health), social, and financial aspects [ 23 ]. Moreover, previous research has demonstrated the direct positive impact of relational bonding strategies on the improvement of customers’ perceived value [ 24 ]. With the increase of rewards and reduction of costs, cruise trips will bring more benefits for customers, that is, raise the utility and value of the cruise service in economic, functional, hedonic, and social aspects (i.e., H 1 − H 4 ).

The last argument relates to the indirect impact of value on customer intention of choosing cruise service via trust. Previous research has clarified the positive link between value and trust, and the strong connection between trust and behavioral intentions [ 25 ]. Trust is a concept rooted in social psychology, which reflects customers' willingness to commit based on the competencies which can be measured according to the expertise, integrity, and benevolence of the service provider [ 26 ]. From this viewpoint, these three characteristics will improve customers’ trust in the cruise industry and then their intention to choose cruise service (i.e., H 7 ). Therefore, increasing the value of cruise service can enhance customer trust in the cruise industry (i.e., H 6 ).

2.2. Effects of management strategies on customers’ perceived value

Customers' perceived value can be defined as customers' overall assessment of benefits received from cruise service, which includes economic (i.e., financial savings), functional (i.e., service attributes), hedonic (i.e., emotional feelings), and social (i.e., social identity and acceptance) values [ 27 ]. Moreover, previous research has demonstrated that customers' perceived value can be increased by applying relational bonding strategies, which consist of social, structural, and financial bonding strategies [ 23 , 28 , 29 ]. Social strategies focus on interpersonal interaction to develop closer relationships with customers using social ties, such as celebrating special days with customers [ 30 ]. Financial strategies take advantage of monetary incentives like service discounts to attract customers with high utilitarian value [ 31 ]. Structural strategies emphasize functional and customized services, which can increase service efficiency, productivity, and quality [ 15 ]. To form a comprehensive management strategy system for the cruise industry in this special situation of COVID-19, the components of structural bonding strategies are quality management strategies and health management strategies, because health concerns have become an unignorable barrier. The effects of each strategy on the customers’ perceived value of cruise service will be discussed in the following sections.

2.2.1. Effect of quality management strategies on customers’ perceived value

The quality management strategies can be developed by influencing the physical environment, customer interactions, and performance outcomes [ 32 ]. The physical environment refers to the physical infrastructure and surroundings on the cruise ships, which plays an important role in customers' emotional feelings during the journey. Most passengers go on cruise trips for enjoyment and often spend more than one week onboard; hence, a convenient and satisfactory physical environment will significantly improve customers' hedonic value of cruise service [ 33 ]. The interaction quality is customers' assessment of staff service throughout the cruise experience. Moreover, it is essential for customers’ evaluation of the overall cruise service. Interaction can be measured according to assurance, responsiveness, reliability, and empathy during cruise service delivery [ 34 ]. The outcome refers to the utility of onboard attributes that cruise trips bring to customers, which is a determining factor for customer decision-making. The existence of entertainment activities, core products and services, and other miscellaneous issues like policies for safety issues will increase the functional value and motivate customers to choose cruise service [ 35 ].

Therefore, improving the quality of the physical environment, interaction during service delivery, and outcomes of cruise service can increase the hedonic and functional value. Hence, the application of strategies developed according to these three aspects can help improve the quality management on board, and consequently increase the customers’ perceived value.

Quality management strategies have a positive effect on the customers' perceived value of cruise service.

2.2.2. Effect of health management strategies on customers’ perceived value

The case and infection fatality ratios can be two times onboard compared to the ratios in the epicenter of the pandemic [ 36 ]. Moreover, viral transmission can happen for ambulatory patients during a relatively long period with minimal or no symptoms [ 37 ]. Thus, public concerns about the health issues of cruise ships have become a huge barrier for the customer to choose cruise service again during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The health management strategies are designed to fulfill authority requirements for the cruise industry in the COVID-19 situation and guarantee customers’ health and safety during cruise trips, which eventually will increase the functional value of cruise service. For example, recent research has confirmed that measures, such as facial masks, physical distancing, and eye protection, can effectively prevent the rapid spread of the virus, and then reduce the rate of person-to-person transmission among crowds [ 38 ]. Moreover, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) published the “COVID-19: EU Guidance for Cruise Ship Operations” in July 2020, which recommended the minimum requirements of measures implemented on cruise ships during and post the pandemic. The guidance includes health screening, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), cleaning and disinfection, and other shipboard operations [ 39 ]. With the application of these health management strategies onboard, the risk of a virus outbreak on cruise ships will decrease significantly, which allows passengers to have more interactions and enjoyment with each other and consequently increase the hedonic and social value.

Therefore, the implementation of health management strategies onboard can decrease customers' infection risks on cruise ships, improve the quality of their cruise experience, and eventually increase the customers’ perceived value.

Health management strategies have a positive effect on the customers' perceived value of cruise service.

2.2.3. Effect of social and communication strategies on customers’ perceived value

The social bonding strategies can help build and motivate stable relationships with high relational quality among the involved parties, such as customers and cruise operators, from the feeling of identification, recognition, and familiarity [ 40 ]. For example, if the cruise operator organizes a group chat available for all customers who will go for the same cruise trip, these passengers can connect with others throughout the trip, which will increase the hedonic and social value of the cruise experience. The customer communication strategies aim to build, develop, and elevate sustainable relationships with target customers to maximize customers’ perceived value and company incomes [ 41 ], involving advertising, convenience services like online customer service available for various languages, and relationship marketing [ 42 ]. For instance, cruise operators can apply innovative chatbots for their online service with customized and humorous answers for problem-solving, which will enhance the service quality by increasing communication quality, competency, accuracy, and credibility [ 43 ]. In this way, customers can receive useful information opportunely and get problems solved effectively and efficiently through satisfactory cruise service, and the functional value will be improved as well.

In conclusion, social and communication strategies can increase hedonic and social value by building and developing more stable and sustainable relationships among customers and cruise operators, and help provide more satisfactory and convenient services, which will improve the functional value. Therefore, the implementation of social and communication strategies can increase the customers’ perceived value of cruise service.

Social and communication strategies have a positive effect on the customers' perceived value of cruise service.

2.2.4. Effect of financial strategies on customers’ perceived value

The financial strategies can occur as a competitive advantage of a company to provide services with lower prices but the same quality if the service provider can manage to use resources with higher effectiveness and efficiency [ 44 ]. Financial strategies include monetary financial incentives such as special price offerings and non-monetary time savings and are deemed the most convenient bond for competitors to achieve [ 45 ]. Moreover, financial strategies can motivate customers to engage in the relational exchange of cruise service if they can save money and receive rewards during service delivery [ 46 ]. For instance, cruise operators can offer higher discounts, free services, and privileges onboard for repeat customers, which will increase the economic value [ 47 ]. These measurements can encourage customers to choose cruise trips by providing incentives for purchasing cruise service, building closer relationships with customers, and offering motivators for repurchasing [ 48 ]. Furthermore, the hedonic value will also be increased because customers can save money or time during cruise service delivery, and they will feel satisfied for receiving more rewards and be willing to continue the relationship with cruise operators according to the social exchange theory. Lastly, if cruise companies use financial strategies to decrease the price of anti-epidemic items onboard, such as personal protective equipment and hand sanitizers, the functional value of cruise service will be increased because the risks of infection during cruise trips will be reduced.

Therefore, although the financial strategies can be the easiest bonding strategies to be simulated by cruise operators, they can be the most effective strategies to attract customers to purchase cruise trips and increase the economic, hedonic, and functional value of cruise service.

Financial strategies have a positive effect on the customers' perceived value of cruise service.

2.3. Direct effect of value on customers’ intention for cruise service

According to the customers' perceived value theory, previous researchers have revealed that increasing customers' perceived values can improve customer behavioral intention, including purchase intention and recommendation intention [ 49 ]. More utility that cruise experience brings to customers may mean more subjectively positive assessments of behavioral intention [ 50 ]. For example, if cruise operators can provide cruise service with higher economic, hedonic, functional, and social value, customers will not only be willing to purchase and repurchase cruise service but also recommend cruise trip experience to people around them, which will bring positive and sustainable customer flows for the cruise industry. Moreover, based on the customers’ perceived value creation framework, companies capable of providing cruise services with superior value for customers can maintain a more advantageous market position compared to their competitors [ 51 ]. With the more favorable market position and high-quality services, these cruise companies can acquire better brand attachment and distinctiveness from customers, and consequently, attract more intentions for their cruise business as well as keep high profitability [ 52 ].

Therefore, intentions for the cruise industry can be increased by improving hedonic, economic, functional, and social customers’ perceived values. Furthermore, companies providing cruise service with a higher value can attract more intentions in the market.

The value has a positive effect on customer intention for cruise service.

2.4. Indirect effect of value on customers’ intention for cruise service

In the current research, trust is defined as the customer expectation that cruise operators will have trustworthy behavior instead of opportunistic behavior of taking advantage of customers' dependence and vulnerability [ 53 ]. Trust can be measured according to expertise (i.e., cruise operators' capability to accomplish promises for customers), integrity (i.e., cruise operators' behavior has high consistency, reliability, and honesty), benevolence (i.e., cruise operators' sincere concerns of putting customers' interest and welfare in the first place), competency (i.e., cruise operators' ability to provide successful and efficient service) [ 54 ], and reliability (i.e., cruise operators' trustworthiness and consistency of service quality) [ 55 ]. The definition of trust suggests that customers' trust in cruise service can be increased if (1) the utility of cruise service increases and (2) the vulnerability accepted by customers during cruise trips decreases. Due to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study focuses on customers' trust in the pandemic management of cruise companies. For brevity, customers' trust refers to the customers’ trust in the pandemic management of cruise companies.

The elevation of customers' perceived value, which represents the net utility of application of the four categories of management strategies onboard, can increase the expected benefits of cruise service, and consequently improve customer trust in the cruise industry. For example, the implementation of health management strategies can raise the functional value and increase the utility of cruise service because customers' health and safety onboard can be further guaranteed. These benefits can provide more incentives for customers to trust cruise services. Meanwhile, the improvement of customers' perceived value can reduce the vulnerability accepted by customers during cruise trips and allow customers to trust in cruise service more. For instance, the application of social and communication management strategies can solve customers’ problems efficiently and effectively, and help customers avoid unnecessary waste of money and time, which will improve the economic and functional value of cruise service. The prevention of waste and losses will decrease the vulnerability accepted by customers and increase their trust in the cruise industry.

Therefore, receiving cruise service with the expected value will augment the customer trust of cruise operators [ 56 ]. In addition, increasing customers’ perceived value will improve customer trust in cruise service.

The value has a positive effect on customer trust in the pandemic management of cruise companies.

According to the trust theory, raising customer trust will increase the intention of cruise service [ 57 ]. During and post the COVID-19 pandemic, the infection and health risks of traveling in limited spaces like cruise ships have been extremely high, causing a huge negative impact on customer intention for cruise service. To counter this uncertain and special situation, customers must form trust in the cruise industry, which can help develop and maintain sustainable customer–operator relationships in the long term and motivate customer's intention to choose cruise service [ 58 ]. For instance, if customers believe in the overall management quality of cruise service, and their health, safety, enjoyment can be guaranteed with reasonable expenditures during the cruise journey, they will have a positively increasing intention of purchasing and recommending cruise service.

Therefore, the elevation of customer trust will lead to increasing intention for cruise service.

Customer trust in the pandemic management of cruise companies has a positive effect on customer intention for cruise service.

3. Methodology

Structural equation modeling is used to test the theoretical model and hypotheses in the current study. SEM is considered the most suitable method to analyze the relationships among the constructs because the latent constructs in the model are multidimensional. Three aspects will be covered in the consecutive subsections: (1) the measurement items for construct operationalization, (2) survey design and administration processes, and (3) the demographic profile of respondents.

3.1. Measurement items

For the operationalization of constructs (i.e., quality management strategies, health management strategies, social and communication strategies, financial strategies, trust, value, and customers’ intention to use cruise service post COVID-19 pandemic) in the theoretical model, the corresponding measurement items are developed by referring to the literature ( Table 2 ).

Constructs and measurement items.

Quality management strategies are defined as service strategies that cruise operators implement onboard to help improve customer experience during cruise trips, which include three dimensions concerning the physical environment, interactions, and outcome [ 32 ]. Physical environment refers to the facilities and surroundings onboard; meanwhile, interactions examine staff service during cruise trips based on customer experience, and outcome relates to the benefits customers received from cruise trips.

Health management strategies are defined as health-related strategies and policies applied during cruise trips to avoid virus outbreak onboard and guarantee customer health post COVID-19 pandemic. According to the “COVID-19: EU Guidance for Cruise Ship Operations” [ 39 ], mainly eight dimensions are mentioned in the measurement of health management strategies (i.e., information and communication, physical distancing, health screening, use of personal protective equipment, cleaning and disinfection, persons going ashore and re-embarking, emergency procedures, and the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC)).

Social and communication strategies are defined as strategies implemented to improve relational quality between customers and cruise operators by providing customers with identification, recognition, and familiarity [ 40 ]. The measurement of social and communication strategies consists of five dimensions, which are system, scheme, staff, structure, and style [ 59 ]. The system refers to the innovations of online service platforms of cruise operators, the scheme relates to the operators’ marketing strategies, the staff is about all the service provided by cruise personnel throughout cruise trips, the structure covers different service forms available for customers, and style looks into the service philosophy and culture of cruise operators.

Financial strategies are defined as the economic attractants provided by cruise operators as their competitive advantages. Five dimensions are applied for measuring financial strategies: loyalty points, discount, privilege, lowest price guarantee, and integrated package [ 15 , 60 ]. By earning loyalty points, members can enjoy extra discounts and privileges during cruise trips. Also, seasonal discounts and the lowest price guarantee (i.e., refund price difference to customers if tickets become cheaper in the future) are available for all customers to motivate them to use cruise service. The integrated package refers to the promotion strategy in which customers can enjoy low prices by purchasing shore tours and cruise trips as combinations.

Trust is defined as customers' belief in the trustworthy behavior of cruise operators [ 53 ]. The measurement of trust contains five dimensions, which are competency, expertise, benevolence, integrity [ 54 ], and reliability [ 55 ]. Competency is the capability of cruise operators to serve customers successfully and efficiently. Expertise refers to customers' belief in operators' professional skills to provide satisfactory services during cruise trips. Benevolence is related to operators' motivation that they care about customer benefits more than their interests. Integrity covers the sustainability of operators’ values and behavior, as well as their moral principle of fairness. Reliability is about the trustworthiness of operators, and their ability to serve consistently well.

Value is defined as the benefits and utility that customers receive from cruise service, including economic (i.e., price attractiveness and fairness), functional (i.e., the performance of cruise operators' service), hedonic (i.e., customers' positive experience during cruise trips), and social values (i.e., positive externalities of using cruise service) [ 22 ]. This study focuses on the cruise service post COVID-19 pandemic; thus, an additional dimension of health and safety value is added to the measurement, which is defined as operators’ guarantee on customer health and safety when using cruise service.

Finally, customers' intention is defined as customers’ willingness and plans to use cruise service post COVID-19 pandemic. Five commonly applied measurement items in previous studies are used to operationalize the intention [ 17 , 61 ]. The first three measurement items refer to the behavioral intentions of customers to use cruise service post COVID-19 in the next traveling trip. The other two items are related to the attitudinal intentions of customers to recommend and give positive comments on cruise services post COVID-19 pandemic.

A 9-point Likert scale (i.e., “1” equals unimportant at all and “9” equals extremely important) is used for quality management strategies, health management strategies, social and communication strategies, and financial strategies. In addition, a nine-point Likert scale (i.e., “1” equals strongly disagree and “9” equals strongly agree) is used for trust, value, and intention.

3.2. Survey design and administration

The adopted and adapted measurement items are combined into a questionnaire to collect survey data for the current study. The questionnaire is composed of three sections. The first section presents an introduction of our research, a description of the current unoptimistic situation of the cruise industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, and an explanation of the objectives of the survey. The following section consists of demographic questions, and the last section involves the measurement items shown in Table 2 . Before sending the questionnaire officially, 5 people randomly picked from the public were invited to conduct the survey. All of them indicated that the introductions, as well as the questions, are clearly described, which no longer requires further explanation. Moreover, the survey assures the anonymity of respondents.

The questionnaire was administered mainly to the residents in China because China had the second-largest customer group in the cruise industry in 2018 following the United States [ 62 ]. Moreover, China has been implementing comprehensive and strict safety precautions since the start of COVID-19 pandemic, which allows Chinese residents to have a clear understanding of the situation on cruise ships with the application of safety precautions. To ensure the respondents living in China can understand the questionnaire without confusion, as well as the accuracy of the survey, the original English version was translated into Chinese and back-translated into English by two different translators. After the survey questions were examined by a professional translator, both English versions were compared to note discrepancies, and adjustments were made to the Chinese version based on the suggestions of the translator. The final Chinese version was published on a professional survey website called Wen Juan Xing ( www.wjx.cn ). Furthermore, after evaluating and comparing different channels (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, Weibo, WeChat Moments, other online questionnaire survey platforms etc.), the questionnaire link was shared in WeChat tourism groups via travel agencies in the urban coastal areas in China to ensure the representativeness of the samples received and avoid the limits of the researchers’ own social circles. Also, an e-voucher was attached to the survey for whoever finished the questionnaire. Using cruise service has no limitations; hence, people of all ages and from all backgrounds are eligible to participate in the survey.

The questionnaire link was available for around six weeks from December 2020 to January 2021. In total, 603 completed questionnaires were received. All the responses were required to pass the validation test to be qualified (i.e., answer three attention check questions, including attention filter, trap question, and reverse question). After conducting the validation test, 376 responses were valid and further analyzed.

3.3. Profile of respondents

According to the data analysis, the proportion of respondents’ genders was 48.94%–51.06% for the male to female, which is fairly even and similar to the male to female ratio of the total population in China (i.e., 105.30 males per 100 females) in 2020.

As for the respondents' ages, around 57% of the respondents are younger than 40 years old, which is a bit higher than the statistic of 51% in 2020 [ 63 ]. The marginal dissimilarity is reasonable because the questionnaire was distributed via online channels, which can lead to a slightly higher proportion of young generations participating in the survey. Regarding the monthly income, the average amounts to 10,715.25 CNY, which is higher than the average salary in China in 2019 (i.e., 7541.75 CNY) [ 64 ]. The difference is understandable because most respondents who live and work in the urban areas in China are more likely to use cruise services. Concerning the educational level, over 70% of the respondents have undergraduate and graduate education experience, which has consistency with the data of 77% from the World Education Services (WES) [ 65 ]. Moreover, nearly 30% of the respondents have used cruise service before. Since the factor ‘experience’ has been tested to be a non-significant control variable in the theoretical model and t-tests have been conducted to prove that there is no non-response bias (i.e., no difference between responses from the participation and non-participation groups) in the survey, respondents' past experience of using cruise service will not affect their responses in the survey. Finally, half of the respondents live in a residential area with cruise ports and terminals (i.e., 50.27% have cruise ports and terminals in their residential area, whereas 49.73% do not have them). The almost equal proportions provide a more balanced view on the usage of cruise services, which is extremely desirable because the equal subcategories of respondents will indicate the distinctions in their responses obviously [ 66 ]. These statistics provide some assurance that the sample is representative of the Chinese population.

4. Results and discussion

Three subsections will be discussed in this section: (1) the overall model fit, (2) the structural model analysis, and (3) total effect analysis.

4.1. Measurement model analysis

The measurement model's overall fit was examined by conducting the confirmatory factor analysis. The standardized factor loadings (λ), average variance extracted (AVE), and composite reliability (CR) of the constructs are presented in Table 3 .

Confirmatory factor analysis results.

Note: Model fit indices: χ 2 /df = 2.02, (p < 0.05); CFI = 0.974; TLI = 0.969; RMSEA = 0.054; SRMR = 0.056.

The measurement model fit indices are shown in Table 3 , including the result of chi-square divided by the degrees of freedom χ 2 / df  = 2.02 ( p  < 0.05), comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.974, Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) = 0.969, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.054, and standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.056. All the values satisfy the minimum requirements specified by Hu and Bentler [ 67 ]; indicating a satisfactory model fit.

The CR values of the constructs indicate the items’ reliability. In the survey, all the CRs are above the cut-off criteria of 0.70 (i.e., between 0.908 and 0.967), which suggests a high internal consistency [ 17 ].

Validity is measured by both convergent validity and discriminant validity. The constructs’ AVE, correlation, and squared correlation values are presented in Table 4 . AVEs are above the acceptable threshold of 0.50 [ 68 ], and all AVE values of the construct pairs are higher than the squared correlations, confirming convergent and discriminant validity.

AVE, correlations and squared correlations of the constructs.

a AVEs are on the main diagonal.

b Squared correlations are above the main diagonal.

Common method bias can impact the result validity because survey data were collected from a homogenous source, that is, the Chinese population, which may exhibit a high degree of acquiescence. Harman's single factor test using principal component analysis was used to check the common method bias, and to examine whether the proportion of single factors' contribution in the measurement model variance is larger than 50% [ 69 ]. After loading the measurement items onto a single factor, the variance was tested to be around 38%, indicating the little influence of common method bias on the results.

Moreover, since the questionnaire was distributed only via online channels, the possible acquiescence and altruism of responses may lead to non-response bias, which can also affect the validity of the survey results. The extrapolation approach was used to examine the non-response bias – to compare the differences between responses from the early and late respondents, assuming that the late or less ready responses have a higher possibility to be non-responses [ 70 ]. T-tests were applied to compare the measures’ means of the first 50% and last 50% responses and no significant differences were discovered, suggesting no non-response bias in the survey results.

Overall, the data analysis results indicate an adequate fit of the measurement model and the reliability and validity of the measurement items. Moreover, the common method bias and the non-response bias have little impact on the survey results. Therefore, the formal testing of the structural model can proceed.

4.2. Structural model analysis

The standardized estimated correlations among the constructs and the corresponding squared multiple correlations ( R 2 ) are presented in Fig. 2 . Also, the control variables (i.e., experience, age, and education) are included to examine their influence on customers’ use intention for cruise service post COVID-19 pandemic.

Parameter estimation of the proposed model. Note: * indicates that the path estimate is significant ( p  < 0.05); Model fit indices: χ 2 /df = 2.23, ( p  < 0.05); CFI = 0.969; TLI = 0.962; RMSEA = 0.062; SRMR = 0.070.

In general, a good model fit is supported by the model fit indices. In addition, the squared multiple correlations ( R 2 ) are close to or larger than 0.50, the exogenous variables, which support a good model fit.

As shown in Fig. 2 , all four of the relational bonding strategies’ components (i.e., quality management, health management, social and communication, and financial strategies) have significant, positive effects on value, whose standardized effects are 0.218, 0.375, 0.319, and 0.408 accordingly. Therefore, H 1 – H 4 are all accepted. These four constructs explain 70.1% of the variance in value ( R 2  = 0.701). Overall, these outcomes are coherent with the arguments in this study that the perceived value of cruise service will be created by implementing the relational bonding strategies during cruise trips.

According to the social exchange theory, customers are willing to use cruise service and maintain their relationships with cruise operators only when cruise experience can provide customers with more rewards compared to costs. In particular, the creation of value in cruise service is due to the increase of rewards for customers from the strategies. For example, the application of quality management strategies will increase customers' hedonic and functional value by improving the physical environment (i.e., infrastructures and surroundings on cruise ships), service interaction (i.e., customers' assessment of staff service), and outcomes (i.e., utility and benefits of cruise experience) during cruise trips [ 71 ]. Moreover, the implementation of health management strategies (i.e., policies designed for the pandemic) allows customers to enjoy smooth cruise trips, helps guarantee customer health and safety, and reduces customers' concerns about getting infected post COVID-19 pandemic, which increase the functional, hedonic, and social value of cruise service. Moreover, the social and communication strategies can increase customers’ feeling of identification, recognition, and familiarity [ 40 ], which will improve the hedonic, social, and functional value of cruise service. Eventually, both monetary (e.g., discounts and special price offering) and non-monetary (e.g., time savings) incentives of the financial strategies [ 45 ] can increase the economic, hedonic, and functional value of cruise service. The results indicate the creation of and increase in the value of cruise service by implementing various strategies, which can improve the overall attractiveness and quality of cruise experience.

Fig. 2 also presents the significant and direct effect of value on customer intention for cruise service (b = 0.521, p  < 0.05). Therefore, H 5 is accepted. According to the customers’ perceived value theory, customer intention of using cruise service will increase with a higher value of cruise experience, including hedonic (i.e., customer feelings), economic (i.e., financial savings), social (i.e., social identity and acceptance), and functional (i.e., service attributes) values [ 27 ]. The increase in values motivates customer intention to use cruise service post COVID-19 pandemic.

Moreover, value has a positive and direct effect on customer trust in cruise service (b = 0.615, p  < 0.05), and trust also has a positive and direct effect on customer intention (b = 0.235, p  < 0.05), which indicates an indirect effect of value on customer intention for cruise service. Therefore, H 6 and H 7 are accepted. The positive relationship between value and trust is consistent with customers' perceived value theory and trust theory, which posit that increasing value can create customer trust in cruise service if cruise operators exhibit expertise (i.e., the capability of promise accomplishment), integrity (i.e., high consistency, reliability, and honesty of behavior), and benevolence (i.e., concerning customer interest and welfare as the most important) [ 72 ]. Here, value acts as an essential antecedent for trust because it reflects customers' assessments of cruise operators’ expertise (e.g., through quality and health management strategies), integrity (e.g., through quality, health, and financial strategies), as well as benevolence (e.g., through health management, social and communication, and financial strategies). According to the data analysis, the value explains 51.1% of the variance in customer trust ( R 2  = 0.511), which emphasizes the importance of value in influencing customer trust.

Including the control variables, value and trust together explain about 50% of the variance in customer intention for cruise service ( R 2  = 0.492). The standardized effects of “experience,” “age,” and “education” are 0.074 ( p  > 0.05), 0.040 ( p  > 0.05), and 0.065 ( p  > 0.05) respectively, and all of them are not significant on customer intention. Surprisingly, respondents' experience (i.e., whether he or she has used cruise service before) is not significant because the former customers of cruise service would have a clearer understanding of cruise experience, which would consequently result in less confusion and fear for using cruise service post COVID-19 pandemic. To further determine if there are significant differences in the responses of the two groups of respondents (those with and without cruise experience), t -tests are conducted to compare the means of all latent constructs. The results are not significant. This suggests that the responses can be aggregated since there are no significant differences in the responses between both groups. The elderly people are easier to be infected by the coronavirus [ 73 ]; hence, this vulnerable group would be more cautious about traveling post COVID-19 pandemic, especially high-risk places like cruise ships [ 36 ]. Therefore, the finding that “age” is not significant is also surprising. However, the insignificance of “education” is not surprising because the people living in China are aware of the strict and effective precautions during the pandemic. In this situation, they can understand the results of the precautions implemented during cruise trips regardless of their educational level. Nevertheless, the insignificant results suggest that the latent constructs proposed in these studies are stronger predictors of customers’ intention compared to demographic profile.

4.3. Total effect analysis

The direct, indirect, and total effects of the constructs are presented in Table 5 .

Direct, indirect and total effects.

As for direct effects, the exogenous variables of value are financial strategies ( a 41 = 0.408), health management strategies ( a 21  = 0.375), social and communication strategies ( a 31 = 0.319), and quality management strategies ( a 11 = 0.218) in decreasing order. The only direct predictor of trust is value ( a 52  = 0.615). In addition, the two direct predictors of customer intention in decreasing order are value ( a 53  = 0.521) and trust ( a 63  = 0.235).

For indirect effects on trust, financial strategies ( b 42  = 0.251) and health management strategies ( b 22  = 0.231) are the most effective for the increase in customer trust, followed by social and communication strategies ( b 32  = 0.196) and quality management strategies ( b 12  = 0.134). Moreover, the indirect effects of the four relational bonding strategy components on customer intention for cruise service are fully mediated by value and partially mediated by trust ( Fig. 2 ).

For the total effects, value ( c 53  = 0.666) is the most influential predictor of intention, followed by financial strategies ( c 43  = 0.272), health management strategies ( c 23  = 0.250), trust ( c 63  = 0.235), social and communication strategies ( c 33  = 0.212), and eventually quality management strategies ( c 13  = 0.145). The ranking indicates that for the relational bonding components, people pay more attention to the financial strategies and health management strategies post COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, customer intention for cruise service can significantly increase when the value of cruise experience is created through implementing relational bonding strategies.

5. Conclusion

5.1. theoretical contribution.

This study aims to design a series of strategies that can be implemented onboard to increase value and customer's use intention for cruise service post COVID-19. Three theories are synthesized and used to examine and explain the influence of factors on customer intention, namely, social exchange theory, customers' perceived value theory, and trust theory. The combination of these theories provides a unique insight into explaining customers' intention to use cruise services post COVID-19, as well as enhances the social exchange theory and relational bonding strategies with the incorporation of health management strategies.

Moreover, a nomological structure has been established in the theoretical model, which examines the mediation relationships among the factors – customers' perceived value serves as the full mediator between the relational bonding strategies and customers' intention to use cruise service post COVID-19, while trust is the partial mediator between customers’ perceived value and intention.

In addition, this study introduces health management strategies as part of the relational bonding strategies, which fills the research gap concerning the lack of a combination of health management and classical relational bonding strategies for enhancing customer intention to use cruise services. Customers’ concerns about health issues will increase during cruise trips post COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, the combined strategy series shall be essential for the revitalization of the cruise industry.

This study also contributes to the creation of a new latent construct (i.e., trust in pandemic management), which reflects customers' trust in the capability of the cruise companies in managing and implementing health, safety measures onboard cruise ships. This construct has been demonstrated to be an effective determinant of customers’ intention to use cruise service post COVID-19. It is also influenced by the perceived value of customers.

Furthermore, the total effect analysis indicates the major impact of value on intention, as well as the relative importance of the theories in explaining customer intention to use cruise services post COVID-19 (i.e., customers' perceived value theory has the most significant impact, followed by relational bonding strategies, and finally, trust theory). These findings provide valuable recommendations for cruise operators. They should prioritize increasing customer rewards (i.e., customers' enjoyment from the high-quality service and facilities during cruise trips) to improve customer's use intention for cruise service. Moreover, they can spend more effort on financial and health management strategies because they have a larger influence compared to other relational bonding strategies as well as trust in pandemic management.

5.2. Policy and strategy implications

This study provides suggestions of applicable policies and strategies for policymakers and cruise operators to increase customer intention for cruise service post COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on the rankings of total effects, value has the most significant impact on customers' intention to use cruise services post COVID-19. In other orders, customers will be more willing to use cruise service after the pandemic if policy makers and cruise operators can provide higher value (i.e., customers’ overall assessment of benefits) for cruise trips. To attract more potential customers to use cruise services post COVID-19, policymakers can provide residents and tourists with cruise vouchers together with corresponding hotel, shore tour, and attraction vouchers (economic value). Furthermore, they can publicly recommend cruise companies with outstanding social contributions (e.g., donate to support hospitals and communities) or performance (e.g., follow government instructions and implement effective precautions) in the pandemic (social value). On the other hand, cruise operators should apply the precautions seriously to avoid virus outbreaks onboard (e.g., all the customers and staff should submit negative viral test results within 48 h before boarding, maintain safe distancing during cruise trips, etc.) and provide high-quality services (e.g., stable and high-speed Wi-Fi onboard, efficient and effective service available when needed, etc.) (functional value). Moreover, for customer experience, cruise operators should try ensuring normal activities on board to create or maintain excitement (e.g., sports facilities and entertainment activities, such as swimming pools and live shows, can be enjoyed as usual during cruise trips) (hedonic value).

Customers' trust in pandemic management will also affect their intention to use cruise service post COVID-19 pandemic. Cruise operators should provide timely and helpful service to meet customer needs (competency), exhibit their capability (e.g., well-arranged order when boarding) to reassure customers (expertise), care about customer's health (e.g., equipped with a professional medical team onboard to cope with emergencies) and even return to port when necessary (benevolence), treat every customer with equal courtesy regardless of their ticket tier (integrity), and ensure customer safety in all circumstances (reliability). This will allow customers to perceive cruise operators as more trustworthy, which will motivate their use intention for cruise service.

Meanwhile, the financial strategies have the most significant impact on customer intention to use cruise services post COVID-19 among the relational bonding strategies. The results suggest customers’ greater willingness to use cruise service if cruise operators offer huge seasonal discounts, provide extra special service and privilege (e.g., free Wi-Fi, massage, exclusive cinema, etc.) for the members with higher loyalty points, and communicate with local travel agencies to offer cost-effective integrated packages of cruise trips and shore tours. Additionally, the lowest price guarantee scheme (i.e., the price difference will be refunded to customers who booked cruise tickets for the same cruise trip earlier if the ticket price decreases later) will also help cruise operators attract more customers post COVID-19.

Health management strategies are demonstrated to be the second most influential relational bonding strategies for customer intention of using cruise service, which emphasizes the increasing health concerns of customers post COVID-19 pandemic. To ease customers' worries, cruise operators should implement strict and effective precautions before, during, and even after cruise trips. For example, customers and staff should conduct serologic testing for IgM against SARS-CoV-2 and upload their negative test reports, which will be checked by cruise operators before boarding. In addition, cruise operators should continue reviewing the relevant information about the prevention measures and the protocols of repatriation and disembarkation in a possible virus outbreak onboard during the entire cruise trips (i.e., from pre-boarding to disembarkation). During cruise trips, cruise operators should ensure that everyone onboard follows the precautions and wears personal protective equipment, such as masks, in public places. The cleaning and disinfection frequencies for each space category on the ship and the corresponding products and techniques used should be planned and monitored by the cruise operators, which can protect customers from being infected onboard. Moreover, a health monitoring system should be established onboard and used during the entire trip (e.g., temperatures should be taken periodically to discover any possible infected cases without delay). At the end of cruise trips, cruise operators should ensure the complete cleaning and disinfection of the cruise ship's internal environment, and report customers' health conditions to the local health authorities and relevant government departments in the destination. With effective health management strategies, customers will be less concerned and enjoy more during cruise trips.

The implementation of social and communication strategies will help increase customer intention for cruise service. Cruise operators can give customers souvenirs with customer names on them (identification) to express their appreciation of customer's willingness to support the cruise industry post COVID-19 pandemic (recognition). Moreover, operators can organize chat groups for customers before trips, which allows them to get familiar and make friends with each other in advance (familiarity). Additionally, cruise operators can develop mobile app services for customers (e.g., purchase tickets, order meals and rooms, check schedules and available slots, 24/7 live chat services in several languages, etc.), which will make the cruise trips more convenient and enjoyable and increase customers' intention to use cruise services post COVID-19.

Lastly, the quality management strategies will also influence customer intention for cruise service. Customers will be motivated to use cruise service post COVID-19 pandemic if cruise operators can decorate and arrange cruise ships with useful and attractive facilities (e.g., easily found information counters, comfortable rooms, clean restaurants, etc.) (physical environment), provide thoughtful service when dealing with customer problems (e.g., reasonable advice for trip arrangements according to customer needs, such as time, price, and entertainment activities onboard) (interactions), and bring pleasant and meaningful experience (e.g., well-trained ground staff and professional crews onboard providing timely and effective solutions) (outcomes).

5.3. Limitations and recommendations

Although contributions have been achieved, this study has some limitations. For instance, the survey was conducted online, which only provides people exploring the internet the opportunity to obtain the questionnaire links. This could result in an unbalance among different ages, and the opinions of the elderly may not be included in this study. Future studies could randomly invite respondents with paper questionnaires after the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the balance among different ages. Moreover, future studies can conduct research with a higher proportion of residents with participation experience in cruise service post COVID-19 pandemic, which can further ensure the randomness and accuracy of the results.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Norwegian Epic

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line |

Find a Cruise on Norwegian Epic

with a cruise advisor

Traveler Reviews

A ship’s traveler rating is provided under license by Cruiseline.com , which manages one of the largest databases of cruise reviews and ratings by travelers. A total of 2976 guests have reviewed Norwegian Epic , giving it a rating of 3.7 on a scale of 1-5.

Cruiseline Travel Rating:

Reviews by traveler type, most recent reviews.

Mar 28th, 2024

Such an amazing cruise. We loved the history and all the beautiful architecture. We would definitely do this cruise again

Traveler Type

Mar 27th, 2024

1st Norwegian cruise! I had the best time, although we couldn’t dock in the Bahamas, so I missed swimming with the pigs which was the reason I arranged the vacation ???? The staff in the bars and restaurants are extremely hard working. My room steward missed my room twice.

Singles/Friends

4-6 cruises

Epic Waste of a Week

A few things nobody will tell you about this cruise: 1. They don’t really go to the Bahamas - just a glorified sand bar a few miles off into the water. 2. Multiple days, the ship leaves the port EARLY EARLY EARLY in the afternoon. 3. Only a few hours in St. Thomas, the orettiest island in the whole Cartibean, but then a long, full day in the brackish muddy waters of the Dominican Republic where you can choose between which of 6 identical jungle tours you want to purchase or take your life into your hands by venturing out on your own. Instead, do what the vast majority of passengers on our cruise did—just stay on the ship. 4. Perhaps we went the week of an AARP discount, but the average age of the passengers had to be 80. Not a problem unless you are not facile at laying Frogger as you duck and dodge around the horde of electric scooters that clog up every single passageway and corridor. Not my first cruise. Not my first NCL cruise. Definitely my last NCL cruise and likely my last overall cruise. What a waste of money and worse yet, a waste of a week of my life.

Too crowded and too noisy for me!

Mar 25th, 2024

I hated how this ship was more crowded than pre-pandemic times. The noise and crowds, amplified by the scarcity of staff and entertainment, made this the worst experience we have ever had on NCL. We shouldn't have to pay to find a quiet spot to enjoy a drink and conversation, but there certainly weren't many of those in the common areas. And, the lack of information regarding most activities - no price, no place to sign up online for small events was ridiculous in this day of apps - you have an activity with a fee - have a link to find out the specifics and the amount of the fee.

cruise was okay

Mar 24th, 2024

Do not go on this ship!!!! Must book specialty restaurants weeks before cruise begins. Understaffed at specialty restaurants and all bars. Room layout is not good at all! Toilet, shower, and sink area!!!

Mar 22nd, 2024

First time cruising with Norwegian, would cruise with them again on a newer ship and not during spring break.

Big disappointment

Mar 20th, 2024

This ship was not for us. We made the mistake of doing this cruise during spring break

Wonderful cruise with friends!

Mar 19th, 2024

Fun cruise with friends! Great ship and ports!

Great cruise overall, on the EPIC.

Mar 15th, 2024

We went with an open mind and really enjoyed the cruise. There were just a few negatives but lots of positives.

Great Family Cruise

Mar 14th, 2024

Wonderful cruise, we had the best time! While I probably won't sail the EPIC again, I can't wait to sail again next year! Let the planning begin!

Family (older children)

Disclaimers about ship ratings: A ship’s Health Rating is based on vessel inspection scores published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If a ship did not receive a CDC score within 22 months prior to the calculation of its Overall Rating, its Health Rating appears as N/A; in such a case, the ship’s Overall Rating is calculated using the average Health Rating of all CDC-rated ships within the cruise line. All ship Traveler Ratings are based on ratings provided under license by Cruiseline.com.

You Might Also Like

Norwegian Pearl

Norwegian Gem

Norwegian Jade

If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content.

Recommended

Five passengers on first post-covid cruise from nyc test positive.

• View Author Archive
• Get author RSS feed

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

At least five passengers on the first cruise out of New York City since the COVID-19 pandemic began have tested positive for the virus.

The passengers were aboard the Crystal Symphony , en route to Bermuda, when their PCR tests came back positive, according to Crystal Cruises.

The COVID-positive were transferred to quarantine hotels on Bermuda. The passengers and ship were then subjected to quarantine and retesting on the ship.

The 781-foot vessel can carry 848 passengers, according to the company , which wouldn’t say how many were aboard.

All guests were required to be vaccinated to board the cruise.

They departed Sept. 24 from Manhattan’s Pier 88. The ship returned to New York on Friday — before turning around for another trip to Bermuda’s Royal Naval Dockyard.

Fares for the Oct. 8 voyage start at $2,099.

The Bermuda government didn’t immediately return requests for comment.

Share this article:

• Nationwide Travel Insurance
• AXA Assistance USA
• Seven Corners Travel Insurance
• HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance
• World Nomads Travel Insurance

Cruise Travel Insurance Tips

• Why You Should Trust Us

Best Cruise Insurance Companies of April 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

A cruise vacation can take much of the stress out of planning a vacation. With a pre-set itinerary on the high seas, you don't have to worry about how you're getting to your destination and what you're going to do there. However, an unexpected emergency can take the wind out of your sails and money out of your travel budget. So you'll want to ensure you have the best travel insurance coverage that won't leave you high and dry in an emergency.

Best Cruise Insurance Companies

• Nationwide Travel Insurance : Best Overall
• AXA Assistance USA : Best for Affordability
• Seven Corners Travel Insurance : Best for Seniors
• HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance : Best for Expensive Trips
• World Nomads Travel Insurance : Best for Exotic Locations

Compare the Top Cruise Insurance Offers

• Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of trip costs (for cruises) or up to $30,000 (for single-trip plans)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Three cruise-specific plans to choose from
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Annual travel insurance plans available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Strong trip cancellation coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cancel for any reason coverage available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. CFAR insurance not available with every single plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage is lower than what some competitors offer

Nationwide Travel Insurance offers many of the standard benefits you might see with a travel insurance policy. This can include things like trip cancellation coverage, so you can recover pre-paid costs or trip interruption in the event your vacation is interrupted by an unexpected event. There's also baggage delay coverage and medical coverage.

• Cancel for any reason coverage available

• Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of the trip cost
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous medical evacuation coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1,500 per person coverage for missed connections on cruises and tours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Covers loss of ski, sports and golf equipment
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage ceilings per person
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage only available for most expensive Platinum plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. CFAR coverage ceiling only reaches $50,000 maximum despite going up to 75%

AXA Assistance USA keeps travel insurance simple with gold, silver, and platinum plans. Emergency medical and CFAR are a couple of the options you can expect. Read on to learn more about AXA.

• Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans available
• Trip interruption coverage of up to 150% of the trip cost
• Emergency medical coverage of up to $250,000

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Diverse coverage options such as CFAR, optional sports equipment coverage, etc.
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Available in all 50 states
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Prices are higher than many competitors
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Reviews around claims processing are mixed
• Trip cancellation insurance of up to 100% of the trip cost
• Trip interruption insurance of up to 150% of the trip cost
• Cancel for any reason (CFAR) insurance available

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Three plans to choose from
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Reasonable premiums
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. CFAR coverage available with some plans
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. High medical emergency and evacuation coverage
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Special coverages for pets, sports equipment, etc not available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited reviews with complaints about claims not being paid
• Trip cancellation of up to $5,000 with the Economy plan and up to $50,000 with the Preferred plan
• Cancel for any reason insurance and missed connection insurance available with the Preferred plan
• Baggage delay insurance starting after 24 or 12 hours depending on the plan

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Coverage for 200+ activities like skiing, surfing, and rock climbing
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Only two plans to choose from, making it simple to find the right option
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. You can purchase coverage even after your trip has started
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. If your trip costs more than $10,000, you may want to choose other insurance because trip protection is capped at up to $10,000 (for the Explorer plan)
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Doesn't offer coverage for travelers older than 70
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) option
• Coverage for 150+ activities and sports
• 2 plans: Standard and Explorer
• Trip protection for up to $10,000
• Emergency medical insurance of up to $100,000
• Emergency evacuation coverage for up to $500,000
• Coverage to protect your items (up to $3,000)

Cruise Insurance Reviews

Best cruise insurance overall: nationwide travel insurance.

Nationwide Travel Insurance  is a long-standing and reputable brand within the insurance marketplace that offers cruise insurance plans with solid coverage and reasonable rates.

It has three cruise insurance options: Universal, Choice, and Luxury. The Nationwide Choice plan, for example, offers $100,000 in emergency medical coverage and $500,000 in emergency medical evacuation coverage.

The right plan for you depends on your budget and coverage needs. But each plan offers cruise-specific coverages like ship-based mechanical breakdowns, coverage for missed prepaid excursions if your cruise itinerary changes, and covered service disruptions aboard the cruise ship.

Read our Nationwide Travel Insurance review here.

Best Cruise Insurance for Affordability: AXA Travel Insurance

AXA Assistance USA  offers three comprehensive coverage plans: Gold, Silver, and Platinum. Each of these plans offers coverage for issues like missed flights, medical emergencies, lost luggage, and more.

The highest-tier Platinum plan provides $250,000 in medical emergency coverage and $1 million in medical evacuation coverage. The baggage loss coverage is $3,000 per person, and their missed connection coverage is $1,500 per person for cruises and tours.

In addition, travelers can take advantage of AXA's concierge service, which provides an extensive network of international service providers. They'll be able to assist you with things like restaurant reservations and referrals, golf course information, and more. This service could come in handy if you're stopping at a variety of unfamiliar destinations during your cruise.

The coverage limits on AXA's policies are on the higher end compared to other providers. And you can buy coverage for a little as 4% of your trip cost depending on your age, travel destination, and state of residence.

Read our AXA Travel Insurance review here.

Best Cruise Insurance for Seniors: Seven Corners Travel Insurance

Seven Corners Travel Insurance lets cruisers enjoy traveling in their golden years with the knowledge they're covered in the event of an accident or emergency. While other providers do offer coverage to those 80+ years old, Seven Corners is known for its affordable premiums while offering above-average medical expenses and medical evacuation coverage limits — two areas of travel insurance coverage that are even more important as we get older.

Seven Corners also offers the option of a preexisting conditions waiver and CFAR insurance at an additional cost, plus "Trip Interruption for Any Reason" coverage, which you won't find on many policies.

You can choose between the Trip Protection Basic or Trip Protection Choice plans, with the higher-tier Choice plan costing more but providing more coverage.

Read our Seven Corners Travel Insurance review here. 

Best Cruise Insurance for Expensive Trips: HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance

HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance  offers three levels of trip protection: TripProtector Economy, Classic, and Preferred. The higher the tier, the more coverage you'll get for things like baggage delays, trip delays & cancellations, and medical expenses. But their premiums remain reasonable even at the highest tier of coverage.

Not only does the HTH Worldwide Trip Protector Preferred plan offer higher-than-average medical emergency and evacuation coverage limits ($500,000 and $1 million, respectively), but you'll also get a baggage loss coverage limit of $2,000 per person and coverage for trip interruption of up to 200% of the trip cost. You also have the option to add CFAR coverage for an additional cost.

Read our HTH Worldwide Travel Insurance review here.

Best Cruise Insurance for Exotic Locations: World Nomads Travel Insurance

World Nomads Travel Insurance  has been a top choice for comprehensive travel insurance for many years now. And it's a great option when it comes to cruise coverage, too.

Even the most basic Standard Plan comes with $100,000 in medical emergency coverage and $300,000 in emergency evacuation coverage. And you'll get higher coverage limits with their Premium Plan. Plus, unlike many other providers, World Nomads trip cancellation and emergency medical coverage include COVID-19-related issues.

What sets World Nomads apart from many other insurance companies is that its policies cover 200+ adventure sports. This can be important for adventurous cruisers who plan to take part in activities like jet skiing, scuba diving, or parasailing during their cruise.

Read our World Nomads Travel Insurance review here.

Introduction to Cruise Insurance

Cruise insurance may offer unique coverage like missed port of call and medical evacuation coverage. You might not need the flight protections of a regular travel insurance plan if you're catching a cruise at a port near you, but medical and cancel for any reason coverage could be critical.

Understanding the Basics of Cruise Insurance

At its core, cruise insurance is your financial lifeboat, designed to protect you from unforeseen events that could disrupt your sea voyage. Whether it's a sudden illness, adverse weather, or other unexpected occurrences, having the right insurance can make a world of difference.

Why Cruise Insurance is Important

Picture this: You're all set for your dream cruise, but a sudden family emergency means you can't set sail. Or worse, you fall ill in the middle of the ocean. Without cruise insurance, you're not just missing out on an adventure, but also facing potentially huge financial losses. That's why securing cruise insurance isn't just recommended; it's a crucial part of your cruise planning.

Types of Cruise Insurance Coverage

Cruise insurance isn't a one-size-fits-all life jacket. There are various types of coverage, each tailored to protect different aspects of your cruise experience.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Coverage

This coverage is like your safety net, catching you financially if you need to cancel your trip last minute or cut it short due to emergencies, be it due to personal, health-related, or even certain work conflicts.

Medical Coverage

Being on a cruise shouldn't mean being adrift from medical care. Medical coverage ensures that if you fall ill or get injured, your medical expenses won't sink your finances.

Emergency Evacuation Coverage

In the rare case that you need to be evacuated from the ship due to a medical emergency or severe weather, this coverage ensures you're not left adrift in a sea of expenses.

Baggage and Personal Effects Coverage

Imagine reaching your dream destination only to find your luggage lost at sea. This coverage ensures that lost, stolen, or damaged baggage doesn't dampen your cruise experience.

Buying Cruise Insurance

Securing the best cruise insurance isn't just about finding the best price; it's about ensuring it covers all your potential needs.

When to Purchase Cruise Insurance

Timing is everything. Purchasing your insurance soon after booking your cruise can often provide additional benefits and ensure you're covered for any early surprises. As you get closer to your trip your coverage options may get more expensive, and certain providers may not be able to offer you coverage.

How to Find the Best Deals on Cruise Insurance

Keep a lookout for deals, but remember, the cheapest option isn't always the best. Balance cost with coverage, and ensure you're getting the protection you need at a price that doesn't rock your financial boat. A travel insurance comparison site like SquareMouth is a good place to compare multiple quotes from all of the major carriers at once.

How to Pick The Best Cruise Insurance for You

When buying travel insurance for a cruise, consider the additional risks that are specific to cruising. These include hurricanes and other weather-related concerns, strict cancellation terms, high pre-paid costs of a cruise, and the distance to emergency medical assistance.

To find the policy that's right for you, it's best to compare several different cruise insurance policies based on the pricing and coverage they provide. Remember too that all reputable insurance providers will offer a "free-look period." This allows you to return the policy you've purchased for any reason, within a specific time period, for a full refund.

The most important coverages to look for in cruise insurance are:

• Medical coverage — This coverage will pay for medical bills outside the US. But because treatment can be more expensive while onboard, make sure your policy offers sufficient coverage ($100,000+).
• Medical evacuation coverage — This coverage will transport you to the nearest hospital or even back home if you become sick or injured during your journey. But an evacuation from sea will be more expensive than one from land. So you'll want to make sure your coverage has sufficiently high limits ($250,000+).
• Missed connection (missed port of call) coverage — This type of coverage will help you catch up to your itinerary if you miss your port of call for a covered reason, like a delayed flight on the way to the airport.
• Coverage for hurricane warnings — With this type of coverage, you don't actually need to be affected by the hurricane. You can cancel and be reimbursed for your trip if the NOAA issues a hurricane warning. If you're cruising anywhere during (or on the tail ends) of hurricane season, this can come in handy. Just note: You can't buy travel insurance to cover a weather event once a storm or hurricane has been named.
• Cancel for any reason (CFAR) — This is the most comprehensive coverage you can get, as it allows cancellations and reimbursement for pre-paid expenses for any reason. This can be a wise add-on for cruise coverage given the often higher prepaid expenses associated with cruising. See our guide to the best CFAR travel insurance options to learn more.
• Preexisting conditions — This coverage ensures that no known health conditions are excluded from coverage. Obtaining a preexisting condition waiver usually requires purchasing your travel insurance soon after booking your trip.
• Personal possessions insurance — Because of the events and fancy dinners cruise ships hold, you might take more valuable clothing or jewelry with you on a cruise. This type of coverage will insure your belongings against loss or theft while cruising.
• Baggage loss and delay — This coverage will reimburse you up to a specified amount for essentials if your bags are delayed or if your bags get lost en route.

As a rule of thumb, you can expect to pay between 5% and 10% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses for cruise insurance coverage. The price will vary depending on factors like your age, your travel destination, and whether you require additional coverage.

If you're booking a cruise, we recommend purchasing travel insurance when you make your first trip payment. That could be for the cruise itself or an expense like airfare to get you to your cruising destination. This way, if you have to cancel your trip, you'll have the most extended coverage period possible.

You can buy your own cruise insurance that isn't offered directly through the cruise line operator. In fact, this could be a better option if you want coverage for your travel to the cruise's departure point, not just for the cruise itself.

The difference between traditional travel insurance and cruise insurance is that cruise insurance offers more specialized coverage, for situations such as missing a departure port and more coverage for medical evacuations, since it's more expensive to evacuate someone at sea than on land. 

Most cruise insurance includes coverage for missing a departure port, so you should be able to claim for a missed port. Just make sure you check the details of your policy before you file a claim, and before you travel so you know what compensation you're entitled to.

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Chose the Best Cruise Travel Insurance

When comparing cruise travel insurance providers, we evaluated them based on the following criteria to come up with our list of top picks:

Customer Satisfaction

We look at ratings from JD Power and other industry giants to see where a company ranks in customer satisfaction. We also look at customer review sites like Trustpilot and SquareMouth.

Policy Types

We look at policy types and offerings, from standard travel protections to adventure sports coverage. We look at the amount of insurance offered

Average Premiums

We compare average premiums per trip. Some companies also offer annual plans, and we compare policies accordingly.

Claims Paid

How frequently do companies pay claims easily and quickly? We check customer reviews and other resources to see which companies honor policies most effectively.

We look at the company's overall behavior. Is it operating ethically? Companies can earn additional points for such behaviors.

You can read more about how Business Insider rates insurance here.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

**Enrollment required.

• Main content

What Happens If You Get Sick on a Cruise Ship?

W hether you prefer family cruises or adults-only cruises , no one wants to get sick while they're on vacation. This is especially true when you're on a ship—after all, it's tricky to cut your trip short if you're floating in the middle of an ocean. Plus, falling ill on a cruise ship can have bigger implications these days. There are considerations related to cruise ships and COVID-19 that are designed to keep everyone aboard safe and healthy.

If you're planning a trip on one of the best cruise lines or one of the most affordable ones, you need to know what to do if you feel under the weather on a cruise ship, whether it's a little sea sickness or a more serious illness or injury. Consider this advice some of the essential cruise tips that all passengers should keep in mind before they board.

Get  Reader's Digest ’s   Read Up newsletter for more travel, cleaning, humor, tech and fun facts all week long.

Are there still pre-boarding health checks?

Yes. To protect you as well as your fellow passengers and the crew, cruise ship staff screens passengers for health issues prior to boarding. You'll be asked to fill out a form that addresses health questions and illness symptoms like fever, vomiting and diarrhea. You may also have your temperature taken by walking through a thermal-imaging scanner. Checks for certification of COVID-19 vaccination or negative tests have, at least for now, ended (here are other recent changes that might affect your cruise ). A staff member may ask you additional questions, and you might be sent for secondary screening by a doctor. Should they determine that your or anyone else's health would be jeopardized, they may not let you board.

"It's always important to answer any pre-boarding health questionnaires truthfully and to report any signs of illness to the ship's crew as soon as symptoms arise," says Cruise Critic's editor-in-chief, Colleen McDaniel. Don't worry—it doesn't necessarily mean you won't be allowed to board or you'll wind up quarantined. Being honest not only affects your health and the health of everyone on the ship, but it could also affect the care you receive and any compensation either from the cruise line or your travel insurance if something goes wrong. We'll give you more details about insurance below.

What kind of medical facilities are on a cruise ship?

Choosing a cruise line that's a member of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)—the largest trade association for the cruise industry—means you'll know the ship meets or surpasses a minimum standard for health and safety. CLIA requires infirmaries to have an equipped examination room and a room for intensive care. Equipment is required to assess and monitor vital signs, administer medications and IV fluids and process some lab tests like checking blood sugar and electrolyte levels and diagnosing some infections. Other typical onboard equipment includes defibrillators, ventilators, cardiac monitors and stretchers. Some ships even have X-ray capabilities.

CLIA members must follow mandatory guidelines for their oceangoing ships, but many non-CLIA members have great medical facilities too. Check any cruise line's website before you book. The number of medical staff on board depends on the size of the ship. Larger ships usually have more than one doctor, as well as a combination of paramedics and nurses. All crew, regardless of their jobs, need to be trained in safety and first aid too.

What happens if you get sick on a cruise ship?

The medical staff on cruise ships can diagnose and treat some illnesses on board and prescribe medications too. While cruise ships typically stock a broad range of meds, including antibiotics, there's not always a large supply. Doctors may give you a prescription that you can fill at a pharmacy in the next port.

If medical staff are concerned about your condition, they may advise—and even require—you to seek the advice of specialists on shore, says William Spangler, MD, global medical director with AIG Travel. Port agents will often arrange a taxi or even an ambulance to the treatment center for you. In the best-case scenario, your appointment will be quick, your issue resolved or aided by the specialist, and you can hop back on board to your cruise cabin to heal while watching the scenery go by.

But that's not always a guarantee. "It's really up to the physician as to how comfortable they feel with keeping you aboard, versus disembarking you to make your way home or to a nearby facility where you can be definitively cared for," says Dr. Spangler. Sometimes it's the ship's itinerary that poses the problem. For example, if the ship has a number of days at sea before it reaches the next port, the ship's doctor and captain might be worried that you couldn't get the help you need if your condition worsens and could deny you continuing with your cruise.

Here are some of the more common illnesses and how they are typically handled onboard.

If you get seasick

Though ships are equipped with stabilizers to maximize comfort, seasickness can happen to even those with the strongest of stomachs in rough waters. Many cruise ships offer seasickness medication to passengers—sometimes it's free of charge and you can take pills from a basket outside the infirmary or at the purser's desk. Medication is also available at the gift shop.

However, it's wise to make a cruise packing list and travel with the medications or remedies that you know work for you, like Dramamine, Gravol or a motion sickness patch. Many people rely on sea sickness bracelets that activate a pressure point on the wrist. Ships' doctors can prescribe stronger medications if needed.

If you have a cold or other mild illness

Before COVID-19, colds and other minor respiratory illnesses were not taken as seriously as they are now. If you have any respiratory symptoms on a cruise, you may be asked to take a COVID test—likely on multiple days and with swabs of both the mouth and nostrils—to rule it out. If COVID-19 is ruled out and the ship's doctor thinks you likely do have just a cold , no one else on board wants to get a cold or other mild illness either. So be extra diligent about washing your hands often, and wear a KN/N95-type mask to keep your germs from spreading.

The ship's medical center will likely give you the same advice as you would get at home—drink lots of (nonalcoholic) fluids and rest. If the doctor suspects your symptoms are caused by bacteria rather than a virus, they may prescribe an antibiotic.

If you have COVID-19

If you come down with COVID-19 while you're on your cruise, you'll likely be quarantined in your cabin. It's important to prevent the spread, because it also affects the blood vessels, and one in 10 infections is causing long-term problems to the heart, circulatory system and brain. If you're quarantined, says Dr. Spangler, "they bring you your meals and they check on you once or twice a day accompanied by one of the ship's nurses." There's likely medication on board that will help ease some of your symptoms, but don't assume that the ship (or the country you're traveling in) will be able to provide antivirals like Paxlovid, even by prescription.

Dr. Spangler also notes that patients may be treated differently. He says a healthy, young person with COVID-19 would likely be quarantined in their cabin, but "if you're 75 years old, with a condition like COPD, hypertension or diabetes, you will likely be disembarked." Cruise ships rarely take chances with passengers that are very ill—or somewhat ill with the likelihood of getting worse.

Your key card will likely be deactivated while you're under quarantine. If you disobey the doctor's orders and leave your cabin anyway, you could be removed from the ship, and the cruise line may ban you from ever traveling with them again. Everything is "at the discretion of the ship's doctor," says Dr. Spangler, "and policies vary on different ships." Some ships will quarantine you for five days, and others will while you're showing symptoms, plus for another 72 hours beyond that to ensure you're symptom-free. Often you'll need to test negative on two antigen tests taken on subsequent days before your quarantine ends.

If you have norovirus

If you haven't heard of this one before, it's also known as viral gastroenteritis, which is highly contagious and presents with symptoms we commonly associate with food poisoning . It's not the stomach flu, though many people use this term to describe it. The CDC estimates there are about 20 million cases of norovirus in the United States annually. It can occur anywhere, and because it is very contagious, it spreads particularly easily when people are in close quarters—like on an all-inclusive cruise . You might hear about norovirus on cruise ships, because cruise lines are required to track outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease, though hotels and restaurants are not.

As with COVID-19, you might be quarantined in your cabin if the ship's doctor suspects you have a contagious disease like norovirus. The doctor may prescribe medications to prevent vomiting and diarrhea and give you advice to drink lots of fluids and rest as much as you can, but there is no treatment for norovirus, and it usually clears up after a few days.

When there are suspected cases of viral gastroenteritis onboard, many cruise ships change their operating procedures. This includes more frequent cleaning of high-touch items like door handles and railings, insisting that passengers sanitize their hands when entering dining rooms, and changing buffets so that it's only staff who touch the serving utensils. You might want to pop on a KN95-type mask too, as there's increasing evidence that norovirus is airborne.

If you have a medical emergency

If you have a serious problem like a heart attack or a stroke or need surgery, the ship's crew will do their best to treat and stabilize you until you can get to a facility at the nearest port that has the resources you need. Someone who has a heart attack or a stroke might be initially treated on board with a defibrillator or thrombolytic medications (which can help break up a blood clot). However, cruise ships' infirmaries are not hospitals, and they are not equipped to treat every health problem. Should the ship's doctor decide that you need care at an onshore hospital, they'll keep you as safe and comfortable as possible until you get there.

Sometimes that means being transferred by boat or helicopter to shore, even diverting the ship from its planned itinerary to reach shore faster. When you're too sick to be treated onboard, Dr. Spangler says, "the ship will disembark you at the next port, and it may not be anywhere near a major metropolis with highly rated medical facilities." It's a wise idea to have a travel insurance plan with robust medical evacuation coverage, since you must follow their orders if the ship's doctor decides you must be medically disembarked.

What happens if you get hurt on a cruise ship?

Dr. Spangler says that really depends on the size of the cruise ship as well as the type of injury. A cut needing a few stitches can usually be addressed on board, as can minor burns. And for something like a minor fracture or a broken arm, "they might provide a splint and pain medication to get you through the end of the cruise," says Dr. Spangler.

More serious bone breaks—like when the bone protrudes through the skin—will be handled differently, according to Dr. Spangler. "Obviously, with an open fracture, you're going to be disembarked after first aid is administered."

How much does it cost to see the doctor on a cruise ship?

Doctors on cruise ships are independent contractors and set their own rates. You can expect a basic visit to cost at least $100. Tests, medications and the use of equipment, like X-rays, will be charged separately.

If you do get sick or injured aboard a cruise ship, any medical costs will be added to your shipboard account. You'll then need to submit receipts to your insurance company to determine what will be reimbursed.

Will your regular medical insurance cover these expenses?

Your everyday medical insurance is unlikely to cover any medical expenses aboard a cruise ship, even if that ship is in U.S. waters. That means it's important to have good travel health insurance. It's a small price to pay for peace of mind and, if you do get sick or injured, coverage of potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars of medical expenses.

Prior to your trip, check your existing insurance to see what it covers and determine any additional insurance you need to purchase. Both third parties and cruise lines offer insurance, but insurance purchased from the cruise line may not be as comprehensive, and reimbursement might be in the form of credit for a future cruise rather than a cash refund. Every insurance policy is different; it pays to read the fine print.

Your insurance may or may not cover a full or partial refund if, for example, you're denied boarding, quarantined in your cabin or have to leave the cruise partway through. That depends both on the reason for not being able to continue with your cruise and the type of insurance you've purchased.

A good travel health insurance company can help you find the closest medical facility that's best suited to treat your condition and, assuming it's not nearby, help you get there, even if it requires expensive transportation. If your condition is very serious, many travel health insurance policies will help a family member get to you or arrange a medical evacuation for you to get home. If you had to pay for these services out of pocket, Dr. Spangler says the price tag could range "from $20,000 easily into the six figures."

How can you stay healthy on a cruise?

Cruise lines' crew work hard to keep everything clean to minimize the spread of communicable diseases, but it's up to you to be cautious as well.

It may bring you peace of mind to know that many cruise lines updated their HVAC and ventilation systems in the first few years of the COVID pandemic. This helps with not just the spread of COVID-19, but also colds, flus and even gastrointestinal diseases. You can also hang out on the deck of your cruise ship rather than indoors whenever possible.

Washing your hands frequently is also important to prevent illnesses. Sanitizer is better than nothing, but washing with soap and water does a better job—though here are the ways you might be washing your hands wrong . Aboard many cruise ships, you'll be asked to sanitize your hands when you enter the dining room. Washing your hands after you leave the restaurant or bar minimizes the spread of your germs too. That keeps everyone, including you, much safer.

Another stay-healthy tip is to try to touch fewer things. No one is suggesting not using the handrail on a staircase, but get in the habit of pushing the elevator button with your elbow and not putting your hands on the bar when you order a drink. And just FYI, if you're sharing these things that germ experts wouldn't share , you're putting yourself at an increased risk of getting sick.

Whenever you travel, you should bring a first-aid kit packed with these essentials  so you have key products on hand whenever you need them. For a cruise, add seasickness medication (whether in tablet form like Bonine and Dramamine, or motion sickness patches). Many people find that anti-nausea acupressure wristbands work for them.

• Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic
• William Spangler, MD, global medical director with AIG Travel
• Cruise Lines International Association: "Public Health and Medical"
• Cruise Critic: "Cruise Ship Doctors and Medical Facilities Onboard
• British Heart Foundation : "Is coronavirus a disease of the blood vessels?"
• Infection Control Today : "CDC Offers Tips on Preventing the Spread of Norovirus"
• Centers for Disease Control : "Ventilation in Buildings"

The post What Happens If You Get Sick on a Cruise Ship? appeared first on Reader's Digest .

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Jail Cells? Morgues? Your Cruise Ship Has Some Surprises for You.

Here are five unexpected features on ships, some of which you hopefully won’t discover on your own.

By Ceylan Yeğinsu

Cruise ships have hidden features that many passengers, particularly first-timers, don’t know about. Some ships are as big as small cities, and while it’s relatively easy to familiarize yourself with a seemingly endless number of amenities — water parks, tattoo parlors, multiple restaurants — there is also an entire ecosystem, often below passenger decks, that is shrouded in mystery.

Here are five things that cruisers may not know about cruise ships:

There’s a morgue …

Cruise ships carry millions of passengers each year, and it is not uncommon for deaths to occur on board. Most vessels are required to have a morgue and additional body bags in the event of an emergency.

The morgue, usually a small stainless steel refrigerated room on the ship’s lowest deck, accommodates between two to 10 bodies, depending on the size of the vessel. When a passenger or crew member dies, officials on the ship will notify the authorities on shore and a medical team will assess the body and move it to the morgue, where it is kept until arrangements are made for repatriation. In most cases, the body will be removed at the next port of call, but sometimes will remain on board until the end of the voyage.

…and a jail

There are no police officers on cruise ships, but most vessels have small jails known as the brig, and unruly passengers could find themselves locked up if the ship’s security team determines that they have violated the cruise line’s code of conduct.

The brig, usually a bare-bones room with a bed and bathroom facilities, does not have iron bars like a traditional jail cell. It is used to detain guests who commit serious crimes like assault or possession of illegal substances. Drunk and disorderly passengers may be put under “cabin arrest,” meaning they cannot leave their cabin without a security escort.

Depending on the circumstances, most passengers put in the brig will stay there until they can be handed over to law enforcement officials.

Many ships don’t have a Deck 13

Many cruise ships do not have a Deck 13 because of the widespread superstition in Western culture that the number is unlucky. Ships with a Deck 13 typically use it for public areas, not cabins.

Some ships, like Royal Caribbean’s Quantum class vessels, have a Deck 13 because the vessels are used mainly for the company’s market in Asia, where the number is not considered unlucky. MSC ships also have a Deck 13, but not a Deck 17, because the cruise line’s founder is Italian and 17 is considered unlucky in Italy.

Cruise lines entertain other superstitions, like appointing godmothers to bless new vessels and ensure the safety of passengers and crew. They also hold naming ceremonies in which a bottle of champagne is smashed against the hull of a new ship for good luck. If the bottle fails to break, the vessel will, according to superstition, have bad luck. These days, cruise lines use mechanical devices to ensure that does not happen.

Hidden pools and facilities for the crew

There are typically more than 1,000 crew members on board large cruise ships, and while they spend most of their time serving passengers, there are several areas on the lower decks designated for them to unwind.

The facilities vary from ship to ship, but there are usually small pools in the ship’s bow exclusively for crew members, as well as restaurants, bars and recreational areas like game rooms and gyms. The designated bar, a central social hub for employees after they have finished their shifts, often hosts live music and events in the evening.

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, has an entire “neighborhood” dedicated to its 2,300 crew members, with a clubhouse that has massage chairs and virtual balconies — large screens that show real-time views from outside — as well as a restaurant with portholes looking out to the ocean.

Most ships host A.A. meetings

With all-inclusive beverage packages and countless bars, cruise ships can be a tough environment for guests in recovery. Many cruise lines offer daily Alcoholics Anonymous meetings that are usually scheduled as “Friends of Bill W.,” a reference to William Wilson, who co-founded the A.A. program in 1935.

The meetings are usually held in a quiet place like the library, where guests can feel comfortable and maintain their anonymity. They are also open to other support group members, like Women for Sobriety and Narcotics Anonymous.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Ceylan Yeginsu is a travel reporter for The Times who frequently writes about the cruise industry and Europe, where she is based. More about Ceylan Yeğinsu

Come Sail Away

Love them or hate them, cruises can provide a unique perspective on travel..

 Cruise Ship Surprises: Here are five unexpected features on ships , some of which you hopefully won’t discover on your own.

 Icon of the Seas: Our reporter joined thousands of passengers on the inaugural sailing of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas . The most surprising thing she found? Some actual peace and quiet .

Th ree-Year Cruise, Unraveled:  The Life at Sea cruise was supposed to be the ultimate bucket-list experience : 382 port calls over 1,095 days. Here’s why  those who signed up are seeking fraud charges  instead.

TikTok’s Favorite New ‘Reality Show’:  People on social media have turned the unwitting passengers of a nine-month world cruise  into  “cast members”  overnight.

Dipping Their Toes: Younger generations of travelers are venturing onto ships for the first time . Many are saving money.

Cult Cruisers: These devoted cruise fanatics, most of them retirees, have one main goal: to almost never touch dry land .

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

Research Roundup: How the Pandemic Changed Management

• Mark C. Bolino,
• Jacob M. Whitney,
• Sarah E. Henry

Lessons from 69 articles published in top management and applied psychology journals.

Researchers recently reviewed 69 articles focused on the management implications of the Covid-19 pandemic that were published between March 2020 and July 2023 in top journals in management and applied psychology. The review highlights the numerous ways in which employees, teams, leaders, organizations, and societies were impacted and offers lessons for managing through future pandemics or other events of mass disruption.

The recent pandemic disrupted life as we know it, including for employees and organizations around the world. To understand such changes, we recently reviewed 69 articles focused on the management implications of the Covid-19 pandemic. These papers were published between March 2020 and July 2023 in top journals in management and applied psychology.

• Mark C. Bolino is the David L. Boren Professor and the Michael F. Price Chair in International Business at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business. His research focuses on understanding how an organization can inspire its employees to go the extra mile without compromising their personal well-being.
• JW Jacob M. Whitney is a doctoral candidate in management at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business and an incoming assistant professor at Kennesaw State University. His research interests include leadership, teams, and organizational citizenship behavior.
• SH Sarah E. Henry is a doctoral candidate in management at the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business and an incoming assistant professor at the University of South Florida. Her research interests include organizational citizenship behaviors, workplace interpersonal dynamics, and international management.

Partner Center

Cruise line bosses now eyeing 2023 for full recovery from COVID-19 downturn

If you thought cruising was back, you ain't seen nothin' yet. That message from the leaders of some of the world's largest cruise lines came through loud and clear during a panel discussion Tuesday at Seatrade, the cruise industry's annual conference in Miami.

The higher-ups have been consistent in their message that, although things are trending upward, lines are unlikely to see things exceed 2019 levels until next year.

"We are definitely on the other side of this," said Jason Liberty, the president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. "You're seeing our guests and our crew going back to enjoying the best vacations in the world. We're still not fully out of the woods, but we can see all the light that's on the other side of this."

But Liberty cautioned that being too certain would be foolish. "I think the word 'futureproof' is dangerous. What we are is diligent, and we are constantly evaluating."

"We expect the back half of this year to begin to normalize," Liberty added. "We termed this as a strong transitional year, and we expect 2023 to look and behave like it did pre-COVID.... What does that all mean [for cruise lines]? All of our ships back up and running, occupancy and rates at levels that we were all seeing pre-COVID -- hopefully better -- and us operating in most of the [destinations] around the world."

For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

What does that mean for cruisers? In the wake of an extended wave season , they could see prices start to creep up as the result of both demand and rising fuel costs. As capacity increases, that also means ships could begin to feel more crowded.

That's not deterring the executives' optimism, however. They addressed, head on, the three main concerns potential cruisers are having right now: COVID-19, cost-of-living increases and the situation in Ukraine.

More than two years after the industry shut down, most ships are back in service, and capacity has increased, thanks to cruise lines' stringent safety protocols, many of which exceed requirements set forth by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Just look at the data," said Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corp. "The data [say] the incidents [are] far less on cruise ships than other forms of socializing and travel.... Whatever's in society eventually ends up on the ships, so you have to be able to manage that."

"What the industry has managed to achieve reputationally ... is so important," said Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises, which was the first major cruise line to resume operations with Mediterranean sailings in summer 2020. "I think we really conquered the public opinion on the capability to actually ensure a holiday."

Liberty agreed, stressing that, while perception is great, it's important to follow through. "We all worked very hard on sets of protocols to make sure that cruising not only was perceived but was the safest place you could possibly be.

"I think we've learned a lot about the capabilities of our different organizations, especially around safety and health protocols. I think that we will ... continue to work together to make sure that the platform for cruise and travel will be successful and will continue on."

Precautions taken by the cruise lines initially included reduced capacity, vaccine requirements , mandatory mask-wearing, social distancing, virtual muster drills, enhanced cleaning protocols, contact tracing implementation, beefed-up medical facilities and the development of onboard quarantine and isolation rooms .

Although some of the regulations, such as mask-wearing , have been relaxed, the rest largely remain in place.

Cost of living

Another concern for potential travelers is the rising cost of just about everything, from food to fuel, which could not only drive up vacation costs but also cause vacation budgets to shrink. However, with cruises providing notoriously great value for money, there's little worry from the cruise lines.

"The U.S. consumer is sitting on $2 trillion of savings," Liberty said. "[Cruises] still trade, unfortunately, at a significant discount to land-based vacations. You're seeing consumers spend a lot of money for land-based vacations; we have this opportunity to close that gap. We're still a great value relative to others."

Cruises were popular choices in previous inflationary periods, Donald added, because of their great value and largely affordable pricing.

The executives went on to say that, because their vessels are mobile, they're able to sail to different areas to procure the supplies and provisions they need if they're too expensive elsewhere. That has led to the lines' ability to avoid passing increased costs on to consumers -- for now.

"One of the things that we did during this pandemic ... is we had an opportunity to reshape our cost structures, which is allowing us to absorb some of these inflationary elements and maintain and also have the opportunity to grow our margins," Liberty said. "Fuel prices are certainly painful, and a lot of that is being driven by this unbelievable situation that's happening in the Ukraine."

"Ukraine was a shock obviously to Europe," Vago said. "That blocked the confidence of consumers in the beginning. Now, fortunately, ships again are moveable assets, so we stopped calling on St. Petersburg ... so we rerouted our itineraries in Northern Europe to more of the fjords and Scandinavia. We moved away a little bit from the Baltics in a sense. That is bringing the confidence for consumers to rebook.... People are coming back again because they feel secure."

Vago went on to remind the audience that ships are now returning to some areas, such as Tunisia, where political unrest was a problem previously, indicating that the situation in Ukraine is likely to ebb eventually.

Bottom line

The overarching theme of the discussion was one of hope, resolve and tenacity.

"The industry is resilient," Donald said, noting that he believes pent-up demand will fill increased capacity the industry expects to see in the near future. "We've had fuel spikes before. We've had geopolitical tensions before. The assets are mobile.... Fuel prices go up; they come down. The overall trajectory of the industry over all that time has been very positive growth -- and we're still tiny.

"There was a half-billion people a year, pre-COVID, that took extended vacations. [Only] 30 million took cruises because that's all the cabins we have.... We have a tremendous amount of growth opportunity.... The overall future for the business is extremely bright."