Is a Cruise the Best Vacation for the Unvaccinated Traveler?

When the coronavirus pandemic arrived barely a month in 2020 – sort of like that that one unwelcome holiday guest who invariably starts a family war by talking politics and religion at the dining room table – the cruise industry became a pariah.

And, to be frank, it was a fair assessment early on when we didn’t know much about COVID, didn’t know how to fight it, and worried as it was clear this was something that was easily transmissible.

The virus tore through numerous cruise ships, causing mayhem around the world as ships were turned away from ports, passengers were confined to cabins, and escorted off boats in HAZMAT suits like it was something out of a movie.

Fortunately, cruise ships – like the airlines and hotel chains – used it as a teachable moment. For themselves. Many health and sanitary changes were made in the last two-plus years to the point now where I feel like I can say this:

A cruise is the best vacation option for unvaccinated travelers right now.

And that also includes interacting with other guests, and in a confined space like a cruise ship.

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Bookings on cruise ships have skyrocketed since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended its COVID-19 cruise requirement protocols – and if you’ve read this space with my name and ugly mug attached to it, you know my feelings about the CDC having used the cruise industry as a scapegoat for COVID for far too long.

In turn, cruise lines have begun to change their own protocols and have welcomed the unvaccinated onboard with proof of negative COVID-19 test.

There’s no doubt that vaccines were a huge key to helping the industry rebound and get boats and people back on the sea. But just like time heals all wounds, it also offers great perspective.

We know so much more about COVID and how it is transmitted and how to treat it. I mean, put it this way. Back in April, a federal judge in Tampa, Florida lifted the mask mandate on airlines and public transportation. Some saw it as a very politically partisan decision. The government screamed holy hell and threatened to fight it. Some saw it as being an “It’s about time” moment. Bottom line is, in four months nothing has happened. The government hasn’t tried to retaliate, there hasn’t been an egregious outbreak of the virus, and we’re all trying to get back to that sense of normalcy.

Why shouldn’t travel be a part of that?

“Quite frankly, the feedback that we’ve gotten across the board from most of our guests is they’re happy to see cruising return to normalcy,” travel agency CEO Danny Genung told the Washington Post. “That’s the word that we keep hearing over and over again.”

The cruise industry was the most highly scrutinized sector of travel in the wake of the pandemic. There are still places where tourists can travel by plane or car for that matter and still face the same kind of scrutiny or still must wear a mask or be vaccinated.

Cruises also have their inherent benefits. Feel like visiting different islands and towns? The same boat takes you there over the course of four days, seven days, 14 days, whatever. Sure, you can do that by plane if you don’t mind packing and unpacking multiple times during the week or two weeks. Or if you don’t mind having to get to an airport, multiple times, to wait in line to be screened. Or if you don’t mind having to adjust your schedule and itinerary, especially these days, due to delays and cancellations.

That’s not to mention that cruise fares are offering some of the best deals around on travel when it comes to fitting into your budget. Heck, the situation at some airlines is so bad right now that to cut down on passenger congestion – but to make sure they’re still getting their money – some carriers have even put a hold on selling their cheapest, most discounted fares.

Nope, for my money – that’s a literal and figurative expression by the way – the oversight and due diligence conducted by cruise lines to get back to this point make it the best bet for a vacation for unvaccinated travelers.