Princess Cruises has reintroduced its onboard mask mandate on three Alaska-based ships.

It comes after the line reinstated mask-wearing on Island Princess last week following a number of positive Covid tests amongst staff and guests.

 According to a Princess Cruises spokesperson, those who tested positive and their close contacts have been quarantined and are being monitored and cared for by the onboard medical team.

 

"We recently identified some positive Covid-19 cases among our guests and teammates onboard Island Princess," they added.

 

"Out of an abundance of caution, we will now be requiring guests to wear face masks while indoors at all times, except when eating or drinking or in their own staterooms."

 

Each of Princess’ ships follows the primary health protocols of the country or region they depart from at the start of their voyage. The line said it will continue to make "any necessary adjustments" as conditions warrant during future cruises.

 

The company has since reintroduced face coverings on Alaska cruises onboard Royal Princess, Majestic Princess and Grand Princess sailing from Whittier and Vancouver until further notice. Guests will be provided with a mask if needed.

 

A spokesperson for the line said: "In an abundance of caution masks are required in indoor locations on Alaska cruises aboard Royal Princess, Majestic Princess and Grand Princess sailing from Whittier and Vancouver until further notice.  Masks will be provided to guests if needed."

Norwegian Cruise Line to Require Masks Aboard

Norwegian Cruise Line is making operational changes to upcoming sailings and will require guests to be worn in indoor areas, according to a letter sent to booked guests.

"In advance of our upcoming cruises. we want to ensure you are aware of our latest health and safety protocols and requirements," the company said. "Among the latest developments, we are asking guests to wear masks onboard while indoors. except when actively eating or drinking or when in their stateroom: wear masks outdoors when social distancing is not possible; adhere to local regulations when visiting ports of call."

Norwegian requires all guests are required to be fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to departure and they must show proof of vaccination at the terminal in order to board the vessel.

The company is testing all guests prior to sailing and recommends guests self-test at home prior to departure.

The new rules include upcoming sailings including the December 18, 2021 cruise aboard the Norwegian Escape from Port Canaveral and the Norwegian Joy from Miami. Also affected is the December 19, 2021 cruise onboard the Norwegian Breakaway from New Orleans, and the December 19, 2021 departure aboard the Norwegian Gem from New York.

Royal Caribbean Tightens Onboard Protocols; Requiring Indoor Masks

Guests aboard the Royal Caribbean International fleet will now be required to wear masks at all times when indoors through at least January 5, according to a letter sent to booked guests.

"With the recent uptick of COVID-19 in the world and added Omicron variant concerns, we feel it prudent to temporarily tighten our onboard health protocols to require masks indoors at all times unless actively eating or drinking. This new update also applies to vaccinated areas and venues," the company said, in the letter sent to guests and travel agents.

 

Carnival Cruise Line: Masks Now Required Through January

Carnival Cruise Line made a number of health and safety protocol updates that will stay in place through January, according to a letter sent to booked guests. 

Carnival said it was responding to the Omicron variant, and now all guests aged two and above will need to wear masks indoors except when eating or drinking, or when in their cabins; and when outdoors if in large gatherings and physical distancing cannot be maintained.

As advised by health authorities, guests are recommended to use higher-grade masks indoors, the company said.

In addition, Carnival is banning smoking in the casino through Jan. 31, 2022.

"Lastly, the CDC has strongly recommended that all persons over 16 years obtain a COVID-19 booster vaccination when eligible. We strongly encourage all guests who are eligible to get their booster vaccine at least seven days before boarding," the company said.

"We expect these measures to be temporary as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve and truly appreciate your cooperation as we seek to protect everyone's health and safety."

Brazil Says Cruise Is A Go, 2021-2022 Season Is On

With government permission now granted, cruise ships are returning to Brazil in November.

After months of negotiations, the green light for the country’s domestic cruise restart was announced on Saturday.

“We’ll have cruises this year: the cruise season is authorized,” Brazil’s Minister of Tourism, Gilson Machado Neto said in a social media video.

The government was committed to bringing the ships back, he added, as the cruise industry “generates 42,000 direct and indirect jobs in Brazil.”

The country is now working with local authorities in homeports and ports of call, in order to create an operational plan for the cruise ships.

Specific health rules, protocols and quarantine definitions are also in the works and set to be published soon, the government said in a press statement. 

Preliminary protocol plans call for ships operating with reduced capacity, COVID-19 testing for all passengers prior to boarding, vaccinated crew, use of face masks onboard and more.

Shore excursions will need to be organized by the cruise lines in a bubble format, following the protocols implemented by, not only the ships, but also of the cities being visited.

The government expects calls in several destination around the country, including Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Angra dos Reis, Búzios, Fortaleza, Maceió and Ilhabela.

Popular in the region, itineraries to Argentina and Uruguay are out of the plans for the time being. So are transatlantic crossings and other international itineraries.

Seven Ships, 570,000 Berths

After a 20-month gap, the country is set to host seven vessels for the local 2021-2022 season.

The highlight is the 2019-built Costa Smeralda, which is set to become the biggest ship ever to sail in the country.  

According to the government, 566,000 berths are being offered during the season; 35,000 up on the 2019-2020 season.

In total, 130 cruises and 570 cruise calls are set to take place between November 2021 and April 2022.

“The cruise sector is essential for the development of the nautical tourism in our country … we congratulate our partners for this victory,” said Carlos Brito, Executive Director of the Brazilian Tourism Board (Embratur).

Norwegian CEO Frank Del Rio: ‘Let Us Cruise’

"Just let us cruise, CDC,” said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), on the company's Thursday earnings call, expressing his frustration with what he called ridiculous regulations and overreach by the agency.

“But is it not just the CDC (holding the industry back),” Del Rio added. “To be fair, the rest of the world has to open up as well – Europe, Asia and South America.

“How quickly we can return to normal will depend on travel restrictions being lifted and borders being opened.

“There are 50 million people who have not been able to cruise for the last year and a half and now want to cruise. There is pent up demand setting us up for a beautiful scenario to improve pricing.”

Forward bookings and pricing are up compared to 2019 which was a record year, Del Rio said. 

Part of Del Rio’s frustration comes from Norwegian submitting an “ironclad proposal” to the CDC on April 5 and has not yet received an answer, which also puts the mid-July return to service in jeopardy.

Among the impractical and onerous requirements, the CDC has released is that passengers must wear face masks onboard all the time, only lifting the mask to take a bite of food or a sip of a drink, according to Del Rio. He said he was hoping these requirements would not be applicable to fully vaccinated ships.

NCLH will require 100 per cent vaccinations of passengers and crew wherever the ships are sailing and do not plan to participate in the simulated sailing program of the CDC, Del Rio noted.

He said he was outraged that the cruise industry is being treated differently than airlines, casinos, etc. and said that cruise ships will be the safest place on earth.

“We will have 100 per cent vaccinated passengers and crew in addition to our SailSAFE program,” he said.