NEWS
Crystal Cruises
Crystal Cruises will be first ocean-going line to restart sailing in Americas MIAMI — Crystal Cruises has announced it will be the first ocean-going cruise line to restart cruises in the Americas, with new all-Bahamian 7-night cruise itineraries onboard Crystal Serenity starting July 3, 2021. Crystal Cruises’ interim CEO Jack Anderson said sales for the new cruises will open on March 18. The “100% Bahamian itineraries” will operate July 3 through October 2021, said Anderson, adding, “this is an exciting day for cruising.” The week-long cruises will depart from Nassau or Bimini. Ports of call include Harbour Island, San Salvador, Long Island and Great Exuma. Capacity onboard Crystal Serenity will be capped at 900 passengers. Last month Crystal became the latest cruise line to announce required proof of vaccination for all passengers once operations resume. The cruise line is requiring all guests to be fully inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to their Crystal cruise. Guests will need to provide proof of vaccination before embarkation and must have received both doses of the vaccine if recommended by the manufacturer by that timeline. In addition, passengers must also complete an online form acknowledging this requirement before their cruise tickets will be issued. An FAQ
document on the advisory alert section of Crystal’s website has been published for more details. Dionisio D’Aguilar, Minister of Tourism & Aviation for The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, said The Bahamas is “thrilled to welcome back cruise passengers after a one-year hiatus.” He added that passengers can add pre- and post-stays in The Bahamas, and noted that in addition to Crystal’s vaccination requirement, visitors need proof of a negative PCR test taken no more than 5 days in advance of arrival. Passengers will also need a Bahamas travel health visa. “This is a milestone achievement. After a year of despair and doubt, we will remember this moment,” said D’Aguilar. “We are delighted with this partnership.”
When will the CanadaU.S. border reopen? More questions as vaccinations on both sides of the border ramp up TORONTO — Vaccination shots are now happening for more than 2 million Americans per day, and U.S. President Joe Biden suggested in a televised address last week that the country’s July 4 celebrations could also mark Independence Day from COVID-19 in the U.S. Canada’s vaccination program is also
underway, albeit at a slower pace. The rollout on both sides has not surprisingly led to more questions for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about when the Canada-U.S. border will reopen. It was one year ago next week that the Canada-U.S. border closed. Asked about the ongoing closure and possibility of reopening the border as part of an interview with CTV’s Your Morning on March 12, Trudeau said: “We will see what vaccinations look like, we will see what case counts look like. We will listen to experts on when we can start easing restrictions, but the safety of Canadians needs to come first.” Many in the travel industry are asking for more of a plan, or at least benchmarks. And not just for the Canada-U.S. border, but for Canada’s borders to all travel. Listing off the agenda for ACITA’s upcoming Zoom meeting with Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, ACITA co-founder Brenda Slater told Travelweek on March 15: “We also need a clear plan to reopen our borders when it’s safe to do so, so we are able to rebuild confidence in advisors and consumers and restart our industry.” ACITA has secured an upcoming meeting with Alghabra though the exact date has remained under wraps as scheduling can change. ACITA co-founder Brenda Slater told Travelweek on March 15 that the meeting is a go: “Our intention is to run the call in exactly the same format we normally do,” says Slater. “The three co-founders, the Minister and members of our group. Specific priority will go to those who have been involved in getting meetings booked, help us with our various projects and have consistently supported us by attending the MP calls.” Slater says the agenda will drive home ACITA’s key messaging points. “We continue to push for solutions to gain access to federal grant programs, extensions for the CRB, and alternatives to the 3-day quarantine hotel stay,” she says. “We also need a clear plan to reopen our borders when it’s safe to do so, so we are able to rebuild confidence in advisors and consumers and restart our industry. It is important to us that he understands the full picture of why we are struggling and what his ministry can do to help the entire travel community." And ACTA, which has had talks with March 18, 2021 | TRAVELWEEK | 9
