Major players in the southern African cruising industry agree that the cruising market in the region has become considerably more buoyant since the relaxation of global COVID-19 regulations. Testing and vaccination requirements are falling away for itineraries, and cruisers are reportedly feeling safe at sea.
“Certainly, from our side at White Star Cruises, we have seen a substantial uptake in bookings and good interest for 2023 and 2024 cruises. We are also seeing that guests are certainly booking longer cruises and we have had a number of back-to-back cruise bookings,” says Shaun McCarthy from White Star Cruise and Travel.
“From a numbers point of view, what we are excited about is the longer cruise bookings and how quickly the cruise industry is recovering. Bookings are coming in and I think by 2024, bookings will be better than pre-COVID,” he adds.
The brands within the Cruises International portfolio are dropping restrictions as well.
Cruises International reports that masks are not required on board and, while guests who have not had their booster shots are not regarded as fully vaccinated, they are still welcome to cruise. However, important to note is that all cruise lines have to adhere to the regulations of the country they are visiting, and that could still include testing.
“Ships are sailing at a 70-80% occupancy level, which is a good indicator of the consumer sentiment,” Thaybz Khan, Head of Product at Cruises International, tells Travel News.
“We are handling a high volume of enquiries and bookings. At the moment the trend seems to be for last-minute bookings, so we are still working with many bookings to travel this year,” adds Gaynor Neill, Cruise Vacations MD.
There is no requirement for masks on board any of Cruise Vacations’ ships. Silversea recently dropped the requirement for guests to be vaccinated as well, but unvaccinated guests must test prior to boarding.
