03/20/2021 9:34 AM
Clarín.com
Trips
Updated 03/20/2021 9:34 AM
Two ships of the US shipping companies
Royal Caribbean
and
Celebrity
will be the first to return to the Caribbean starting next
June
after a long industry paralysis since March 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, and they will do so with vaccinated adult passengers and crew .
"
Vaccines
are clearly a game changer for all of us, and with the number of vaccines and their impact growing rapidly, we believe that starting with cruises for
vaccinated adult passengers and crew
is the right choice," said Michael Bayley, President of Royal Caribbean. International, based in Miami (United States).
Royal Caribbean will offer
new seven-night itineraries
with the Adventure of the Seas ship from Nassau (Bahamas), where it has its base port, passing through the private island of CocoCay and even that of Cozumel (Mexico), the company announced this Friday in a release.
For its part, Celebrity Cruises,
based on the tourist island of St. Maarten
, announced two itineraries on a luxury cruise ship, the Celebrity Millennium.
One of the routes connects Aruba, Curaçao and Barbados, and the other the islands of Tortola, Saint Lucia and Barbados.
Asking passengers for a negative covid test is also being evaluated.
Photo: Shutterstock
Requirements
Both cruise lines reported that they are
contemplating requiring a negative COVID-19 test.
"We are excited to return to offering an unforgettable vacation in the Caribbean, gradually and safely," said Bayley.
Passengers must comply with the Bahamas travel requirements, which include a negative test for the virus.
The Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Hubert A. Minnis, was "especially pleased" that Royal Caribbean has chosen that archipelago as a base port when navigation is resumed.
"This is truly
a new day for tourism
. It should inspire many small and medium-sized businesses, tour operators, taxi drivers, restaurants and retailers to prepare for the brighter days ahead," Minnis said.
Celebrity Cruises announced that their ship will sail with a
vaccinated crew
and will be available to vaccinated adult passengers, as well as those under 18 years of age with a negative test result.
Reservations will be on sale starting next Thursday, March 25.
Cruises in the Bay of the city of Miami.
Photo: EFE / Giorgio Viera
Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo said she was pleased to "offer people the opportunity to have a
safe vacation
aboard the revolutionary Celebrity Millennium."
"Returning to the Caribbean after more than a year away is a very important moment for us. It marks the measured beginning of the end of what has been an exceptionally challenging time for all of us," he added.
Industry in crisis
In its most recent report, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents 95% of companies with ocean cruises, calls
the losses from Covid-19 "devastating".
It points out that between March and September 2020 there were global losses of 77,000 million dollars, 23,000 million dollars in salaries and 518,000 jobs due to the pause of shipping companies.
CLIA estimates that
each day that cruise ships are not operating means 2,500 fewer jobs
.
For now, Royal Caribbean will be the pioneer starting next May in offering on its new ship, Odyssey of the Seas, cruises from Israel to the Greek islands and Cyprus with passengers and crew fully vaccinated against covid-19.
EFE
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