TRAVEL
Cruise Control Safely taking to rivers and high seas for your next vacation BY JOANNE CLEAVER
A SHOT IN THE ARM FOR BOOKINGS
“Healthy return” is the byword at Royal Caribbean Interna-
30 55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | WINTER 2022
Photo: iStockphoto.com/damircudic.
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assengers flocking back to cruises are finding a new definition of normal. With CDC requirements for passenger COVID-19 vaccinations firmly in place, cruise lines now find themselves in the happy position of offering customers COVID-safe bubbles. Advance bookings are booming, coinciding with the long-planned introduction of new ships. Travelers itching to either return to cruising or knock a coveted cruise off their bucket lists will find refreshed amenities, new procedures and few bargains. As ardently as the cruise industry wants to streamline COVID-19 protocols, the new procedures require non-negotiable advance proof of vaccination and last-minute testing. The extra effort has boosted passengers’ determination to make the most of their cruises: people are booking bigger suites, earlier, and for longer cruises. “People are saying, ‘If I’m going to go through all this testing and effort, I’m going to go for a longer vacation,” says John Kusek, manager of travel agency operations with AAA Hudson Valley in Albany. For financially beleaguered cruise lines, the burst of bookings is building needed momentum. For passengers, the upswell of interest, combined with the difficulty of conforming with last-minute health protocols, complicates bargain-hunting. The upshot: if you crave a particular cruise, especially with sufficient private space on board to escape the crowds, don’t delay.
