When might ‘cruise’ and ‘carefree’ start to align?

Deck Talk: The serenity that cruising seeks to deliver is not helped by the uncertainty of the industry’s Covid policies

Welcome sight? A cruise ship off the coast of Italy (Simon Calder)

Cruises – whether you love them, hate them or feel you have better things to do than think about them – aim to open up the world and remove barriers to travel.

“You only need to unpack once,” is the mantra of the industry – and the appeal is strong. You are staying in a luxury hotel that glides, apparently effortlessly, around the Mediterranean, the Baltic or the Caribbean. Each day you arrive at a different location, ready to explore; and at sunset you set sail for a new horizon, ideally with a drink in hand.

The epitome of carefree travel. Or is it?

The UK government doesn’t exactly inspire confidence: “Although operators have taken steps to improve infection control, cruise ships continue to experience Covid-19 outbreaks, affecting passengers and seafarers.

“The confined setting on board and combination of multiple households enables Covid-19 to spread faster than it is able to elsewhere.”

Cruises with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 cases have previously been denied permission to dock or to disembark passengers. This can have serious implications for those on board. To be fair, the government hasn’t updated its guidance on cruise-ship travel for the past six months. And this week, some restrictions eased – with Norwegian Cruise Line saying “all travellers are invited to sail with us once again, regardless of vaccination status”.

Except that what the cruise line says is one thing; what the destination requires is another.

“Destinations on your itinerary may have various requirements, such as specific documentation, testing, or having a booked shore experience,” says Cunard. Anyone who has not been jabbed and who wants to sail to or from, say, Spain or Canada, is unable to do so.

While the direction of travel is the steady easing of restrictions, many cruise lines still demand proof of vaccination and testing.

Marella, the Tui cruising arm, insists for all sailings this month that passengers aged 12 and up have been jabbed (and if the initial course was more than 270 days ago, proof of a booster injected at least a week ago must also be provided).

Everyone aged two or over must take a Covid test the day before flying out to join a Marella ship, whether in Mallorca or Corfu – which injects a fair amount of jeopardy to any trip. Until a negative result comes through, you do not know whether you will be able to sail.

Fred Olsen concurs: “All guests are required to take their own lateral flow test at home within 24 hours of the departure date of the cruise and bring the proof of a negative test result to show at check-in.” But then, says the cruise line: “A small number of guests will be randomly re-tested at check-in.” I am not sure that quite aligns with the cruise line’s assurance that “you can enjoy a stress-free check-in”.

Given the potential downside of testing positive for Covid-19 on board the ship, it is certainly the lesser of two evils.

For example, this is the Marella policy for someone who, when on board, may be infected with the virus:

“Initially, any guest with Covid-19 symptoms or a positive antigen test will be asked to take a PCR test and remain in isolation on board,” says the cruise line.

“If their PCR test is positive, they’ll move to isolation in a port destination (usually in a designated quarantine hotel) if required by the local authorities or continue to isolate on board.

“While the destination authorities take over the management of isolation ashore, we’ll remain in regular contact at least every other day throughout the isolation period.”

Such uncertainty jars with the serenity that cruising seeks to deliver.

Those of us fortunate to have lives allowing plenty of flexibility may be happy to accept the risk involved in the array of small probabilities. But many will wait until the world as a whole, and the travel industry in particular, agrees global rules on travel with an endemic virus like Covid-19.