Excitement reigns as we are just days away from a cruise restart from the Bahamas. Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas sailed into the port of Nassau on Tuesday in preparation of what can be reasonably called a significant moment in the restart of cruises in North America.
It has been a long 15 months since we saw ships sailing from the Bahamas, and the arrival of Adventure of the Seas is received with a warm Bahamian welcome.
Warm Welcome for Adventure of the Seas
Adventure of the Seas will sail on a series of 7-Night Bahamas & Perfect Day cruises from Nassau starting June 12, the first ship in the fleet to sail in North America since March of 2020. The arrival of the ship was fittingly celebrated by the port of Nassau with a traditional water salute from the Nassau Harbor Pilots Association.
Nassau, Bahamas Travel Tips: What You Need to Know
Mike Maura, the CEO of Nassau Port, reported the following: “We couldn’t be happier. This vessel and all the hope that this first voyage will carry out to sea on Saturday have been a long time in the making. We are very appreciative that Royal Caribbean has chosen to partner with us, with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, and all our industry partners to make this home port launch from Nassau possible. As you can imagine, we are all extremely excited and working overtime to ensure that this launch is successful.”
Passengers can expect to experience a genuine Bahamian welcome with a “Party In da Backyard” when they arrive at the port this Saturday. The welcome will involve live music, junkanoo performances, drills by the students of the LJM Maritime Academy, and of course, ice-cold Bahamian Kalik beers.
The arrival also means Bahamians can experience the cruise ship for themselves while not traveling to the mainland USA.
The Bahamas is for a great deal dependent on tourism for its income, and the return of cruising will bring a restart of tourists arriving at the islands in more significant numbers once again.
Maura continued to say, “This is our time to shine and to put Nassau on the map as a homeporting destination of choice. We will do so with immense pride, making the Bahamian people proud and making our guests and cruise line partners excited that they chose to start and end their cruise in Nassau. This is the beginning of an incredible voyage for us all.”
Cruisers can expect to see a port that is undergoing a complete makeover; the cruise port already made significant updates to its facilities and will be able to accommodate three Oasis-class ships at the same time by November 2021.
Royal Caribbean Restart In Full Swing
Royal Caribbean has been preparing for a restart in North America for many months now, and the company is taking full advantage of the chances it is getting. The cruise line plans to be sailing with twelve ships by the end of August this year.
Worth Reading: Six Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships to Restart This Summer out of Florida and Texas
Cruises in the United States will kick off on July 2nd when Freedom of the Seas starts sailing from Miami on a Fourth of July weekend sailing to Perfect Day at CocoCay. Other ships that are lined up for a restart in the United States are Odyssey of the Seas which will sail six- and eight-night Southern and Western Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, starting July 3, and Serenade of the Seas which will sail from Seattle on seven-night Alaska sailings starting July 19.
Adventure of the Seas will be sailing on 7-night cruises from Nassau in June and July which will call in Nassau, Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas, Cozumel, Mexico, and Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas before returning to Nassau, Bahamas
Increased Health Protocols
In this day and age, it comes as no surprise that cruises onboard Adventure of the Seas come with increased health requirements to ensure all have a safe voyage and time onboard. Royal Caribbean launched its revised health protocols a while ago for Bahamas cruises and these include a number of protocols:
- The cruise line expects all guests to be fully vaccinated before coming onboard. All crew onboard will similarly be fully vaccinated.
- Guests under the age of 16 must do a COVID-19 PCR test before traveling to the Bahamas, again before boarding the ship, and before the ship enters back into port.
- Whether vaccinated or not, all guests must wear their masks during transit and passing customs and immigration. Vaccinated guests do not need to wear a face-covering on the ship or a Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Also Read: Royal Caribbean Releases Health Protocols for Bahamas Sailings
While Adventure of the Seas prepares for her sailings, you can follow the fun during a live coverage through the Nassau Cruise Port Facebook page.
