by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:23 AM ET, Mon August 30, 2021
Oceania Cruises welcomed guests back to sailing on Sunday for the first time in 524 days.
Guests boarded Oceania Cruises' Marina on Sunday in Copenhagen, marking the cruise line's first vessel to return to service after pausing operations due to the coronavirus. The ship was also the first to sail from the port of Copenhagen since 2019.
As passengers climbed the gangway to board the vessel, a sign saying 'Welcome Back Home' helped make guests feel welcome as Marina prepared to set sail. The first travelers preparing to board cut a ribbon upon embarkation at the port.
"Today is one of those days we will all remember for a lifetime as we reunite with our shipboard families and our guests to start exploring the world once again," Oceania Cruises CEO Bob Binder said.
All Oceania Cruises voyages are operating with 100 percent of guests and crew being vaccinated, creating a safer experience for travelers. The cruise line is using a phased restart process that utilizes a science-backed plan that protects passengers, employees and communities visited.
Marina's first sailing will take the ship from Copenhagen to ports in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland before concluding in Stockholm.
The Oceania Cruises' vessel will spend the remainder of the summer and autumn cruising around Western Europe, the Mediterranean and the Greek Isles before setting sail for Miami, where she will arrive on December 1.
The cruise line announced its Riviera ship would resume sailing in the Greek Isles on October 18, while Insignia will debut in Miami on December 21. Sirena will continue sailing in the Caribbean on January 21, 2022, Regatta will start sailing on February 5, 2022, in Polynesia, and Nautica will return to the Mediterranean on April 1, 2022.
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