CDC to allow big-ship cruising from U.S. ports to restart in June
The return of big-ship cruising out of U.S. ports is finally at hand.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) late Wednesday cleared Celebrity Cruises to restart sailings from Fort Lauderdale with a single ship, the 2,908-passenger Celebrity Edge, on June 26.
The vessel will be the first big ship to sail from a U.S. port in more than 15 months.
“Someday is here,” Celebrity president and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo tweeted late Wednesday in what was the first announcement of the news. The line later followed up with a formal press announcement to media outlets.
“For the past 15 months our conversations with friends and loved ones about seeing the world have been accompanied by the phrase ‘someday,’" Lutoff-Perlo was quoted as saying in the press announcement. "I’m beyond proud and excited to say that day has arrived.”
Celebrity will require that all U.S. passengers over the age of 16 be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to sail on Celebrity Edge. The age cut-off will drop to 12 on Aug. 1.
Celebrity plans to operate Celebrity Edge with at least 95% of passengers vaccinated for COVID-19. As a result, the CDC will not require the ship to undergo simulated 'test cruises' before resuming operations with paying passengers.
When it returns to service, Celebrity Edge will sail alternating, seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean voyages out of Fort Lauderdale.
The two-year-old ship will be under the command of Kate McCue, the first American female captain of a major cruise ship and a social media star.
In its announcement of the sailings, Celebrity said the ship's initial comeback voyages would be available for booking starting immediately.
A major milestone
The CDC's clearance for Celebrity Edge to resume sailings out of a U.S. port is a major milestone in the cruise industry's multi-month attempt to return to normalcy. Cruises from U.S. ports account for a significant percentage of all cruises taken worldwide.
While we have seen a few cruise ships resume operations in Europe and other destinations around the world since last summer, most of the hundreds of vessels operated by major cruise lines around the world have been out of service since the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic in March of 2020.
The CDC has been blocking all but the smallest cruise ships from operating in U.S. waters since that month due to worries about the spread of COVID-19 on ships. Regulators in many other countries including Canada and Australia also have been blocking cruise lines from operating in their waters.
The only cruise ships that have resumed sailing this year in U.S. waters are very small vessels that sail on U.S. rivers and intracoastal waterways. Such vessels are not subject to CDC regulation.
Several cruise lines including Celebrity already have announced plans to restart cruises in North America in the coming weeks from ports located outside of the U.S., where they don't need CDC approval to sail.
Celebrity will resume Caribbean cruises on June 5 with one ship sailing out of the Dutch side of the island of St. Martin (known as St. Maarten). Sister line Royal Caribbean will resume Caribbean cruises on June 12 with one ship sailing out of Nassau in the Bahamas.
Other lines that have announced plans to start up sailings in North America from non-U.S. ports in the coming months include Crystal Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.
For now, the CDC only has approved Celebrity Edge to sail from a U.S. port. But cruise industry executives in recent days have said they expect approvals for more ships soon.
The lines have begun submitting requests to restart operations on a ship-by-ship basis to the CDC, as required by CDC rules.
To be allowed to restart, cruise lines must prove to the CDC that they have new health and safety protocols in place on ships designed to prevent outbreaks of COVID-19 and manage an outbreak should one occur.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.