Cruising comeback heats up as 2 more major lines announce restart plans
In another sign that the comeback of cruising is gaining steam, two more major cruise lines have announced plans to restart operations in the coming months.
Miami-based Oceania Cruises and sister line Regent Seven Seas Cruises on Wednesday said they would resume departures in August and September, respectively.
Oceania said it would restart operations on Aug. 29 with just one of its six ships, the 1,250-passenger Marina. The vessel will resume originally scheduled departures to Scandinavia and Western Europe out of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Regent said it would restart operations on Sept. 11, also with just one ship, the 750-passenger Seven Seas Splendor. The vessel will resume operations with an 11-night voyage out of Southampton, England, to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. It'll then reposition to the Mediterranean for fall sailings before heading to the Caribbean for the winter.
In addition, another sister line to the brands, Norwegian Cruise Line, on Wednesday announced restarts for two more of its 17 ships -- Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Getaway -- to take place in September and October, respectively. The line already had announced restart plans for three of its vessels earlier this month.
The announcements are just the latest sign that cruising is finally in the midst of a widespread comeback after more than a year when many lines weren't able to operate a single departure. Cruising around the world ground to a halt in March of 2020 after the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic.
Oceania's Marina sailing in August will mark the line's first departure in more than 17 months. When Regent resumes operations in September, it will have been nearly 18 months since its last sailing.
“We are pleased to unveil the next chapter of our resumption of cruise voyages embarking outside of the U.S. with sailings in Europe on all three of our award-winning brands," Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings president and CEO Frank Del Rio said in a statement accompanying the announcements. "We value the health, safety and well-being of our guests, crew and the communities we visit above all else and we have worked tirelessly to develop our science-backed plan to safely resume cruising, including mandatory vaccinations and robust [health] protocols."
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is the parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
In the statement, Del Rio suggested the company still was holding out hope that it could get approval to restart cruise operations from U.S. ports over the summer. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently is blocking cruise lines from sailing in U.S. waters, citing the risks of COVID-19.
The restarts that Norwegian Cruise Line announced for Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Getaway on Wednesday will take place in the Mediterranean.
Norwegian Epic will operate seven-night Western Mediterranean sailings out of Barcelona starting on Sept. 5 through Oct. 24. Norwegian Getaway will operate 10- and 11-day Greek island voyages out of Civitavecchia, Italy (the port for Rome) starting Sept. 13 through Oct. 25.
Earlier this month, luxury line Silversea announced plans to restart sailings in June with a single ship sailing out of Piraeus, Greece, and luxury line Seabourn announced it would resume sailings in July with voyages to the Greek islands out of Piraeus.
Other lines that recently have announced restart plans include Celebrity Cruises, which is restarting cruises to the Greek islands out of Piraeus and Caribbean sailings out of Philipsburg, St. Maarten (the Dutch side) in June.
Royal Caribbean also in is the midst of adding sailings out of various ports in North America and Europe including Greek island sailings out of Cyprus that start in July.
And MSC Cruises in recent days has mapped out a comeback plan for 10 of its 18 vessels.
As part of their announcements, Oceania and Regent said they had canceled sailings on other vessels that weren't part of the announcements through the end of September.
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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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| 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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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.