Top Cruise Travel Stories From 2022

The Year’s Biggest Cruise Line Stories
The cruise industry had a bounce-back year, with a steady increase in bookings for 2022 and beyond, giving further hope that cruise lines have overcome the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Cruise companies have been working to improve the passenger experience, including updating COVID-related requirements, announcing new ships, revealing new terminals and so much more. From onboard food and entertainment offerings to celebrity-driven partnerships, the cruise industry is doing its part to get travel and tourism back on its feet following the devastation of the COVID crisis.

The cruise industry made major waves over the last year and here are the top cruise stories from 2022.

2022 Travvy Awards Recognizes Best Cruise Companies
Top cruise lines from all over the world were honored at the 2022 Travvy Awards in November. From the line with the best entertainment to the best cruise line based on destination to river cruises to the overall best ship, here are all the winners voted on by travel agents.

CDC Shuts Down Cruise Ship COVID-19 Program
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially ended its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships in July. The “voluntary” program replaced the CDC’s previous Conditional Sailing Order in February. Cruise lines operating in U.S. waters were compelled to strictly adhere to the COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships’ guidance to prove they were upholding best practices for the mitigation aboard their vessels.

It laid out the acceptable guidelines for passenger vaccination requirements, testing protocols and masking rules, onboard isolation protocols and the parameters for onboard medical facilities.

The Saga of Crystal Cruises
In January, Crystal Cruises suspended its operations after reports that its parent company, Genting Hong Kong, ran out of cash. In July, A&K Travel Group, Ltd. announced it has officially purchased the assets required to restart the operations of the former Crystal Cruises.

A&K Travel Group CEO Cristina Levis said the company is “committed to recreating the most luxurious, award-winning cruise brand,” and plans to complete significant refurbishments on the Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity ships.

Cruise Industry Study Finds Demand Surging
With restrictions being lifted for the cruise industry, a study from July found demand was rebounding after the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic. Of the respondents who had previously taken a cruise, 91.4 percent reported they plan to take a voyage within the next year, 2.5 percent would not cruise in the next year and 6.1 percent were undecided.

Hawaii Reopens to Cruise Ships
The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) welcomed back cruise ships to the island chain on January 15, with Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line signing the first port agreements to bring the passenger voyages back to the state.

Cruising Returns to Canada
In September, the cruise industry got a major boost when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the government would end coronavirus-related vaccination, testing and quarantine requirements for international travelers.

Hurricanes Impact Cruise Lines
Several cruise lines serving Florida and the Caribbean were impacted by hurricane season. Named storms such as Ian, Fiona and Nicole battered the region and caused delays and cancellations across the industry. Local communities worked relentlessly to bounce back and the industry is thriving again in impacted areas.

Saying Goodbye to Richard Fain
Cruise industry legend and former Royal Caribbean Group CEO Richard Fain officially stepped down from his position on January 3 after leading it for over 33 years. The company handed the reins to former CFO Jason Liberty, who now serves as president and CEO. Former Royal Caribbean Group senior vice president of finance Naftali Holtz was promoted to CFO.

Arnold Donald Steps Down From Carnival
In November, Carnival Corporation & plc announced that former President and CEO Arnold Donald was stepping down from the Boards of Directors after more than two decades of service. The cruise company revealed that the former CEO would continue to provide counsel and advice to Carnival and its Boards through a consulting agreement between December 1 and February 25, 2025.

Virgin Voyages Takes Delivery of Third Ship
Virgin Voyages has welcomed the brand’s third vessel, the 110,000-gross-ton Resilient Lady. Built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, Resilient Lady joins sister ships Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady as the company’s third new vessel in two years. On May 14, 2023, Resilient Lady will embark on her “MerMaiden” voyage around the Greek Isles from her homeport in Piraeus, Athens, stopping in Santorini, Rhodes, Bodrum and Mykonos.

Margaritaville at Sea Offering Free Cruises to Those Who Serve
Margaritaville at Sea announced it would offer free cruises to active and veteran military service members, first responders, law enforcement officers and educators. The cruise line launched the Heroes Sail Free fare discount program in September, which is applied at checkout or by clicking “View Pricing by Guests.” The offer can be used for new bookings through December 29, 2023, but the deal can’t be combined with other promotions.

BetMGM and Carnival Partner on Cruise Ship Gaming
BetMGM announced a new partnership with Carnival Corporation in June to deliver world-class retail and mobile sports betting and iGaming experiences to cruise ship guests. As part of the deal, gaming will be available on more than 50 ships ported in the U.S., spanning Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises.

Hurtigruten First Cruise Line to Implement SpaceX’s Starlink Internet
Hurtigruten Expeditions announced it is the first cruise line to implement SpaceX’s broadband service Starlink fleetwide. Utilizing a network of low-orbit satellites, the new service is free for both guests and crew members.

Celebrity Cruises Enters the Metaverse
Celebrity Cruises is entering the metaverse, launching a virtual experience of its newest ship, the 3,260-passenger Celebrity Beyond. The digital tour is dubbed “Wonderverse.” The cruise line said it is a “hyper-realistic, digital recreation of aspects” of the 140,600-gross-ton vessel, which began sailing from Port Everglades in November.

Casino Smoking Bans Lifted
Two major cruise lines announced in February that smoking would once again be permitted inside casinos onboard qualifying ships. Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises revealed they would lift restrictions on indoor smoking, a protocol implemented to combat the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Disney Cruise Line Debuts New Ship
In June, Disney Cruise Line (DCL) took delivery of the company’s newest ship, Disney Wish, as part of a ceremony at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany. The vessel set sail on her maiden voyage from Port Canaveral on July 14.

Carnival Brings Back Weddings at Sea
In September, Carnival Cruise Line started taking reservations again for weddings and vow renewals on every ship sailing from the United States, with passengers having various options to create an unforgettable ceremony.

Character Meet-and-Greets Back on Disney Cruises
Disney Cruise Line welcomed traditional meet-and-greet experiences and autograph sessions with beloved Disney characters back to the entire fleet in August. The cruise line also revealed it would no longer require children under the age of 12 to be vaccinated.

Carnival Implements Curfew for Minors
In September, Carnival Cruise Line enacted a new change to its Minor Guest Policy, implementing a fleetwide curfew for children aged 17 and under, a step it has taken to curb disturbances caused by minors. “Guests 17 years of age and under who are not accompanied by an adult in their traveling party, 21 years of age or older, must be clear of all public areas by 1:00 a.m. each evening unless involved in a Club 02 or Circle C teen activity,” the new policy reads.

Puerto Rico To Launch $425 Million Cruise Port Upgrade
In August, officials announced that nine San Juan, Puerto Rico, cruise ship docks would be expanded and modernized under a $425 million public-private partnership between the Caribbean island’s government and London-based Global Ports Holding. The project will “transform” cruise operations, enabling the destination to compete with other Caribbean countries for cruise ship calls, Puerto Rico’s governor Pedro Pierluisi said.