As the United States emerges from the darkest days of the Covid-19 pandemic, closely followed by Europe and Canada, every day the news is filled with announcements of border openings and restart dates for flights, tours and cruises. Vaccinated travelers can now visit much of Europe, with more to come in the coming weeks. Cruises in North American waters have resumed, and ocean cruises from American ports will begin later in June. While the testing and vaccination requirements remain in place, the options for travelers continue to expand. Unsurprisingly, as I discussed in previous columns, the demand for travel has exploded – ironically, one of my colleagues noted that travel capacity constraints are the new toilet paper shortages of 2021 …
While much of the travel industry has been in a state of suspended animation since March last year, the industry hasn’t just been hibernating. Many resorts, tour operators and cruise lines have taken the opportunity to make significant investments in their products, offering travelers new and exciting options that were not available before the pandemic.
At the front of the resort, popular warm weather travel destinations are seeing new and improved options. Sandals and Beaches Resorts, the leading resort company in the Caribbean, used this time to add new and more luxurious accommodations to several of its hotels. Two couples-only Sandals resorts in Jamaica and Antigua offer a new category of private villas with plunge pools and butler service. Sandals and their family-oriented Beaches brand have also announced that they will be opening four new resorts next year – three in Jamaica and one in the up-and-coming destination of Curacao. Other resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico have introduced new restaurants, pools, and spas. If you’re looking to head south in winter, I recommend booking now – many resorts are already sold out for the popular vacation and spring break dates and even fully booked in the traditionally quieter months of January and February.
New cruise lines delayed by the pandemic are advancing. Mainstream cruise lines like Norwegian and Royal Caribbean have put brand new ships online and invested in upgrading their Caribbean private islands with new amenities. Destination-oriented lines such as Holland America, Celebrity and Princess are also bringing new ships to market and modernizing on-board dining options, cabins and leisure facilities on existing ships. Princess has invested heavily in their new “Medallion” technology, which enables faster boarding and a more personalized cruise experience, including the ability to make individual meal reservations at different times each evening. Cruise bookings are very brisk and popular destinations, like Alaska in the summer of 2022, are filling up quickly.
There are also numerous new opportunities in the luxury cruise sector. Crystal, Seabourn, Ponant and Scenic all launch brand new luxury expedition ships that allow travelers to explore the most distant parts of the world – think Antarctica – in absolute comfort. Small ships are a great way to explore these remote areas, and some even offer guests the option to explore by helicopter and submarine. New river cruise ships are also cruising the rivers of Europe and North America and offer up close and personal voyages of discovery. Due to the small size of these ships, many are already fully booked for 2022, so 2023 could be the first opportunity to experience them.
Many families are looking for the opportunity to reconnect after a year of separation, and several tour operators have started offering exclusive departures for family groups of twelve or more travelers. By leveraging the resources of these large companies, families can reconnect and travel together as a group, providing a unique, private way to explore the world.
The travel renaissance is here and business is doing very well. While it is always a good idea to plan ahead when traveling, those who follow this advice will be best able to benefit from the new and improved travel landscape over the next few years. Do not wait!
