Cruises
Cruise Bookings on the Rise for 2021
The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has brought the cruise industry to a virtual standstill, forcing coronavirus.html” target=”_self” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>cancellations into May and stranding more than a dozen ships at sea.
Nonetheless, analysts at investment banking company UBS have reported some encouraging findings.
“Booking volume in the last 30 days for 2021 is actually up 9 percent versus the same time last year,” UBS equity analysts wrote in a report on cruise lines Tuesday, according to coronavirus-outbreaks-cruise-bookings-are-up-for-2021/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>Quartz. “That includes people applying their future cruise credits from sailings that were canceled this year, but still shows a surprising resilience in desire to book a cruise.”
The analysts also found that 2021 bookings for voyages to and in places like Asia and Alaska are higher than usual. What’s more, the Caribbean remains resilient. The Mediterranean Sea was the lone underperforming destination, the analysts found.
While the report is undoubtedly encouraging for an industry that wasn’t included in the U.S. government’s $2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, it’s unknown how much of the spike in booking volume can be attributed to guests rebooking canceled trips.
For now, many cruise lines have provided passengers the option to cancel up to 48 hours before their sail date and put their funds toward future cruises.
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European Waterways offers the perfect solution to socially distant family travel in Europe.
As the coronavirus pandemic begins to wane and countries begin to reopen their borders to international travelers, families are expected to look to travel to reconnect with one another, and European Waterways is ready for the surge, offering the ideal opportunity for families to explore on private, chartered river barges.
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Derek Banks, managing director of European Waterways, says that he is already observing increasing interest.
This isn’t surprising seeing as how these vessels offer ideal accommodations for families, with room for anywhere between six and 20 passengers. Guests can cruise Europe’s canals and smaller waterways as well as the less-populated countryside.
“Cruising with European Waterways has always been about taking ‘the path less traveled,’ so much of our outdoor activities already take our guests away from crowded tourist attractions to the more exclusive, less populated settings,” said Banks. “Until travel returns to normal, we are further committed to providing a safe and healthy onboard environment for our guests, with pre-cruise checks for all on-board and the implementation of more stringent cleaning procedures, among other policies.”
Social distancing will likely be the norm for a while in Europe and around the world, and these barges offer the chance to enjoy scenery while still remaining safe.
For the most part, meals are served on board by the master chef and cruises feature exclusive private tours of castles, aristocratic estates and vineyards, plus other excursions, tailored to avoid the crowds.
L’Art de Vivre is the ideal barge for a family vacation. The eight-passenger vessel once carried supplies during World War One. Now, the boat has been completely modernized and cruises the Canal du Nivernais in Burgundy, France.
Family-friendly excursions include a visit to the Caves of Arcy-sur-Cure, which features some of the oldest cave paintings in the world, a medieval castle under construction using traditional methods at the Chateau Guedelon; the age of the dinosaurs in Cardo Land; and the fun and wildly eclectic artwork on display at the Fabuloserie Art and Sculpture Museum.
Family charters can also incorporate activities such as tennis, ice-skating and mini-golf as well as kayaking, quad biking and horseback riding.
European Waterways’ Family Charters are available throughout France, the U.K., Ireland, Scotland and Italy.
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