As many of you know through my recent blog posts, I was fortunate enough to be on the 4th US based sailing in the last 15 months! It’s wild to think an entire industry was put on pause for over a year because of the Coronavirus pandemic. While cases still surge and new variants emerge, we are beginning to adapt to a post (or continued) pandemic world.
Last week, I sailed for 7 nights on the beautiful Celebrity Edge. While I will eventually write a review of this incredible ship, I will share what it was like sailing. What is the good, bad, and different now that we are back to cruising again.
Vaccine Mandates
While each cruise line will be different in their views of vaccination, and the policies will likely change weekly, I can specifically speak to my experience sailing in July 2021. When you began the boarding process, you go through a health screening even before scanning your boarding pass or going through security. This made the boarding process significantly slower. What this process entailed was confirming that the health questionnaire you filled out 24-hours prior was still correct. Then they took photos of your vaccination card and you continued on your way. There was no testing or temperature taking. However according to the Celebrity’s Health and Safety policy, if you choose to not provide proof of vaccination you will need to take and receive a negative covid test on the spot at your own cost. Children under the age of 12 will also need to take a test but will not be required to pay. Additionally, all unvaccinated cruisers will need to be wearing masks on board, be subject to additional testing, and only be able to get off the ship with a Celebrity cruise excursion. Through my embarkation experience I did not see anyone having any issues with the health screening. Celebrity made it very clear, multiple times prior to sailing on what would be expected of you. Additionally, during our time in Nassau, the ship alerted us that we would need to show proof of vaccination to enter Atlantis and some restaurants. In this case a photo of your vaccine card was fine.
Mask Wearing
Be sure to bring lots of masks. Depending on the islands you go to they will have different rules. All cruisers were required to wear a mask during embarkation and debarkation because the rules are the same as traveling on an airplane. Additionally, the makes rules through our 3 stops were consistent and the crew will let you know upon arrival of the mask mandates. In Nassau, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten they ask that you wear masks in all indoor facilities as well as public transportation. They even requested you wear your masks outdoors when gathering near others.
Limited Travelers
The best part of the cruise was that the ship was only at 60% capacity. So, for those of you who cruise you know how big of a deal this is. We never had to be crowded in an elevator, we never struggled finding a pool chair at any point during the day. We never were bumping into each other in the pool or waiting in long lines at the buffet or at the bar. Even better because at the current time only a few cruises are sailing the Caribbean, we were never in port with another passenger cruise. While there were cruises docked at the same ports none of them were carrying passengers. This was great because no excursion was too crowded, stores had plenty of room and were willing to offer great deals, and the island truly felt more relaxing because it was far less busy.
Limited Crew
Now with limited passengers, comes limited crew. While we didn’t feel the crew restraints through most of the ship, we noticed it in the dining room. There were less servers than usual, and it seemed that the whole dinner experience was slower than in the past. You could tell the servers were struggling to keep up with limited staff. However, for a 60% crewed ship I will say they did a heck of a job and would not say it affected our cruise. Just be prepared to spend a little bit longer in the dinning room.
Shopping Experience
Shopping is a big draw in the islands because of the great deals and the addition of everything being duty free. While my mom, brother, and I all took advantage and got some good deals at the local jewelry stores in St. Maarten I will say the experience is not what we are used to. You will notice when shopping in the islands for the time being there is limited inventory both in jewelry and in liquor. You will see a lot of empty shelves and cases. The islands, just like the United States are struggling to get stock and don’t want to load up on new inventory until cruising is 100% back. Additionally, and unfortunately a lot of stores are closed. Many could not survive being closed for so long.
Nassau Closure
The most disheartening part of our trip was our stop to Nassau. We had planned to shop and explore downtown because we had limited time in port. Unfortunately, all the shops, bars, and restaurants were all closed. Not because it was a Sunday, but because on that day the government decided that no one was allowed to open near the cruise terminal because of the coronavirus state of emergency. While I am unsure of all the details and what will happen moving forward, be sure to have alternate plans in all your stops. Just like the US, the coronavirus is having every country confused on what to do and what is next. Just be flexible and pivot your plans. Because of the downtown closure we still had a good day and were able to take a taxi over to Atlantis and explore.
For many people, cruising is a sign that life is getting back to normal and I would like to say how thankful I am that I was able to have this opportunity to set sail again. I absolutely love cruising and enjoy the time it allows me to spend with my family making memories. It has taken me to many countries and provided me so many amazing experiences. I am happy to say that cruising post pandemic is very similar to life before coronavirus. The fun and relaxation you have is still there you just need to pack your mask!!
Hope you all set sail soon and as the Captain of the Celebrity Edge, Captain Kate says, “Seas the Day”!