Ports hampered by pandemic without cruises
Cruises have been cancelled since last march, resulting in over 100,000 Americans losing their jobs per a November report. Florida has been especially hard hit with the state being home to the three busiest cruise ports in the world.
How does a mini vacation sound right about now?
Royal Caribbean International is betting that pent-up travelers will want to set sail in shorter stints in the future, specifically with a new slew of short cruises to the Caribbean.
The cruise line announced opened bookings for the new offerings on Wednesday, with ships set to sail 17 different itineraries from Florida and Texas in 2022 and 2023. The mini trips aim to "redefine" the art of the getaway, giving "vacationers with the flexibility they need without sacrificing the adventure they crave," Royal Caribbean said.
The Adventure of the Seas, pictured, will sail from Galveston, Tex. for four and five-night trips to western Caribbean itineraries to Cozumel and Costa Maya. (Royal Caribbean)
Eight ships will sail from five ports for three- to five-night voyages, with two ocean liners traveling year-round and four vessels sailing for select tropical trips.
The Freedom of the Seas will launch from Miami to Nassau, and hit Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas, during three- and four-night cruises. The Independence of the Seas will travel from Port Canaveral in Orlando to the Bahamas, making full-day stops in Nassau and on CocoCay. Both the Freedom and the Independence will sail these short cruises year-round.
For seasonal sailings, there's even more choices. The Liberty of the Seas will leave Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to sail "alternating" three- and four-night winter trips to the Bahamas, hitting CocoCay and Grand Bahama Island. The Mariner of the Seas will depart Port Canaveral through the winter, heading south for the western Caribbean and CocoCay.
The Mariner of the Seas, pictured, will depart Port Canaveral through the winter, heading south for the western Caribbean and CocoCay. (Royal Caribbean)
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The Brilliance of the Seas, meanwhile, will spend the winter in Tampa and cruise four- and five-night western Caribbean itineraries, with select four-night voyages to Nassau and Key West, Fla.
The Rhapsody of the Seas will make four- and five-night escapes from Tampa to Cozumel, Mexico, and George Town, with jaunts to the Grand Cayman planned for the spring and early fall. During the summer months, travelers can even extend the fun with a seven-night trip to Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico.
Finally, the Adventure of the Seas will sail from Galveston, Tex. for four- and five-night trips to western Caribbean itineraries to Cozumel and Costa Maya, and the Grandeur of the Seas will leave Galveston in summer 2022, sailing four- and five-night trips to Costa Maya and Cozumel.
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In a fourth-quarter earnings call on Monday, the CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises wagered that the cruise line’s new coronavirus protocol will make sailing "safer than a walk down Main Street" when cruising resumes at an officially undetermined date amid the global pandemic.