In the wake of a somewhat rocky re-entry into cruising, Royal Caribbean International is now requiring unvaccinated passengers age 12 and older to show proof of insurance that covers all COVID-19 medical expenses. The move comes on the heels of the discovery of COVID-19 cases on its recent cruises.

In June two teenagers tested positive for the virus on Adventure of the Seas.  And before that two other people tested positive on Celebrity Millennium. In all instances the cruise line covered quarantine and evacuation expenses.

The line also was forced to postpone its launch of Odyssey of the Seas after crew members proved positive for the virus.

Princess Cruises has announced that it will resume sailings with eight ships this fall, featuring itineraries along the West Coast and to the Caribbean and Panama Canal.

All that comes on top of Princess's announcement earlier this month that it is returning to Alaska starting July 25 with seven-day Inside Passage voyages round trip from Seattle aboard Majestic Princess.

John Chernesky, senior vice president, announced the following ships' itineraries:

Grand Princess

Grand Princess will be first in the water on Sept. 25, sailing a 5-day Cabo San Lucas Getaway from Los Angeles. The ship will sail 7-day California Coast and Mexico cruises, 15-day Hawaiian Islands voyages and 3- to 5-day getaways. 

Majestic Princess

After the ship returns from Alaska, starting Oct. 6 Majestic Princess will begin 7-day California Coast and Mexican Riviera cruises, 15-day Hawaiian Islands voyages and 3- to 5-day West Coast getaways. 

Silversea Cruises, the world’s premier ultra-luxury cruise line, on Friday marked its return to global operations with the maiden voyage of its new flagship, Silver Moon, from Athens (Piraeus). The launch of Silver Moon also represents the unveiling of S.A.L.T., the cruise line’s new culinary program.

The inaugural sailing of Silversea’s new expeditionary vessel, Silver Origin, departs from San Cristobal in the Galapagos today. Silversea’s first destination-specific ship will sail with all-new itineraries in the archipelago.

Silversea said its return to service under safe, healthy conditions, its fleet expansion and enhanced cultural offerings reflect the company’s commitment to international market growth, while meeting rising consumer demand for ultra-luxury travel, following a year-long travel pause.

Bookings are set to open on Thursday, June 24, for Disney Cruise Line's fleet of ships for when the cruise line resumes sailings in fall 2022. 

The cruise line, geared to family vacations, is taking a conservative approach given the complexities and uncertainties of vaccinations for children during the pandemic. 

Highlights of Disney's itineraries for fall 2022 sailings include theme cruises that will mark Halloween on the High Seas and Very Merrytime Cruises.

Said Thomas Mazloum, president of Disney Cruise Line: “With five ships setting sail in fall 2022 from different homeports around the country, we are excited to offer more ways than ever before for families to make special memories with Disney Cruise Line.” 

Here's the breakdown of sailings by ship: 

Disney Wish will mark its inaugural cruise at the start of summer 2022. Fall itineraries aboard the ship are scheduled to depart from Port Canaveral, Fla., with three- and four-night sailings visiting the Bahamas and Disney’s Castaway Cay.

Disney Fantasy also has itineraries leaving from Port Canaveral for six-, seven- and eight-night sailings stopping at Castaway Cay and the eastern or western Caribbean.

Luxury cruise line Seabourn announced the restart dates for the five ships in its fleet as the cruise line continues to work with various government and port officials.

Based on the latest revisions and travel restrictions, the cruise line announced Seabourn Ovation will depart from Athens, Greece, on July 3 and operate in the Greek Isles, while Seabourn Odyssey will depart from Bridgetown, Barbados, to operate in the Southern Caribbean starting July 18.

In addition, Seabourn Quest will depart from Miami to begin the Antarctica season on November 7, Seabourn Sojourn from Los Angeles to start the World Cruise on January 11, 2022, and Seabourn Encore from Athens, Greece, on April 17, 2022.

“We continue to assess the overall global situation so we can make thoughtful, logical decisions about when each of our ships will restart,” Seabourn president Josh Leibowitz said. “We know guests are beginning to restart travel on some level in their personal lives and we look forward to seeing them again as soon as possible, starting as early as this summer in Greece and the Southern Caribbean.”

MSC Cruises has announced that it has opened sales of its U.S. summer 2021 restart cruises, which will sail aboard the award-winning and popular MSC Divina.

Come August and September, the two ships will begin sailing three-, four-, and seven-night Caribbean itineraries out of Miami and Port Canaveral. And guests aboard all U.S. departures will get to visit Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the company’s private island destination in the Bahamas, which opened at the end of 2019, just prior to the onset of the pandemic.

MIAMI – Crystal Expedition Cruises on Thursday announced the full roster of 2023 voyages as well as two early January 2024 itineraries for its luxury expedition yacht Crystal Endeavor.  The first ever “Made in Germany” Polar Class Six, all-suite, all-veranda ship will feature 27 world-spanning itineraries, taking guests on adventurous journeys to new and remote corners of the globe in bespoke luxury and comfort on the line’s state-of-the-art vessel.

Specially crafted itineraries range from 10 to 28 nights and will offer intrepid travelers a diverse range of adventures including expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic; South America and offshore islands; Cape Verde and the Canary Islands; the Mediterranean and Western Europe; the British and Scottish Isles; Iceland and the Faroe Islands; Norway, the North Cape and Svalbard; the Russian Arctic and the Northeast Passage; Japan and the Inland Sea; the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago; and Australia including New Year’s Eve in Sydney.

American Queen Steamboat Company’s American Empress kicked off its Pacific Northwest season on June 14 roundtrip from Portland – with its entire roster of passengers and crew fully vaccinated.

The sailings mark the first overnight river cruises with 100 percent COVID-19-vaccinated guests and crew in the U.S., American Queen Steamboat Company said.

Passengers boarded the vessel in Spokane, Wash., the previous day. The itinerary is scheduled to call at Richland, Wash.; The Dalles, Ore.; Stevenson, Wash.; Astoria, Ore.; and Vancouver.

Tauck has announced it will officially restart operations in Europe and Africa with a staged approach. The tour operator will begin with select departures of its “Iceland” and “Treasures of the Aegean” small-ship ocean cruises in June and July.

The company will also restart its operations in the Galapagos and Costa Rica in July, operating cruises and its Tauck Bridges family adventure.

In August, guided safaris will begin again in eastern and southern Africa and land tours will take place in Spain, France and Portugal.

The tour operator will also begin river cruising again in August when sailings start on the Rhone and Seine rivers in France and the Douro River in Portugal. The bulk of Tauck’s remaining Europe land tours will start up in early fall as border openings permit.

Two more Royal Caribbean International ships have received approval for test cruises from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

“Yippee,” Royal Caribbean President Michael Bayley wrote on Facebook on June 3. “Just got approval from the CDC for our simulated sailings on Allure of the Seas for July 27 to July 29 from Port Canaveral and Symphony of the Seas sailing from Miami on August 1st to 3rd.”

Royal Caribbean previously received approval to operate a test cruise on Freedom of the Seas June 20-22 from PortMiami.

The simulated cruises are required for ships that don’t mandate vaccinations of at least 98 percent of its crew and 95 percent of its passengers – the latter of which is difficult to do for companies that attract families since most young children aren’t eligible for the vaccines yet.

Viking River Cruises announced today that it will restart its European river operations in July 2021 with select itineraries in Portugal, France and along the Rhine.

Offered exclusively for vaccinated guests as part of Viking’s Welcome Back collection, the first five European river itineraries now available in July are among the company’s most popular: Rhine Getaway (8 days; Amsterdam to Basel), Portugal’s River of Gold (10 days; Lisbon to Porto), Paris & the Heart of Normandy (8 days; Paris roundtrip), Lyon & Provence (8 days; Avignon to Lyon) and France’s Finest, a 15-day journey that combines the northern and southern France itineraries in one seamless experience.

Millions of people lost the opportunity to sail to Alaska last summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, which precipitated a long pause in cruise ship operations. One company, UnCruise Adventures, was among the hardest hit. But there’s good news: UnCruise is bouncing back big time with a relaunch of Alaska itineraries  from Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan.

“When recent changes were made affecting our Seattle departures, I knew I could not disappoint our guests with another cancellation. Some of our guests have been waiting on this cruise for two or three years,” said Dan Blanchard, the company’s CEO. “It makes me proud to see my team jump into action and ready to do what it takes to make this year one of the biggest comebacks we’ve ever had.”