Photo by Rodrigo Varela
If there’s one thing Dondra Ritzenhaler wants people to know it’s that cruising has never been safer or more consumer friendly.
“It’s one of the safest vacations you can take because everyone has to be vaccinated,” says Ritzenhaler, senior vice president of sales, trade support and service for Celebrity Cruises, which is based at PortMiami.
Still, in early January the Centers for Disease Control began recommending that Americans avoid travel on cruise ships, regardless of their vaccination status. And as this article went to press all cruise lines were reporting Covid-19 cases.
“One of the things we have learned in the last couple of years is that change is inevitable. We are staying fluid and close to the CDC and close to consumer sentiment and what is going on with Covid and we are making best decisions with information we have,” says Ritzenhaler, who took a cruise on the Millennium in December with her family.
COVID-19 caused the cruise line to implement protocols that not only have enhanced safety, but also have improved the overall cruising experience. For example, there are no long lines to stand in at the buffet, guests are seated and served. Passengers can view the safety video and life jacket demo in their room or on their personal device instead of being ushered into muster stations like cattle.
Celebrity Cruises also instituted a Cruise with Confidence policy where passengers can cancel up to 48 hours before a cruise and get a future cruise credit. The Covid Assistance Program, provides passengers with a 100% refund if they test positive for COVID-19 14 days before setting sale.
“If you test positive the day of the sailing at the ship, we will give you a full refund. These are the types of things that post-Covid world consumers appreciate,” Ritzenhaler says.
Celebrity has 11 of its 15 ships back on the water and expects to have all back in service by May 2022. It’s a good thing, says Ritzenhaler, because demand has exploded. One of the biggest trends she has seen is that passengers are booking more than one cruise at a time and those who have cruised with Celebrity before are booking one or two classes higher than in the past. Passengers also are doing more of what is on their bucket list.
“There is pent up demand and desire. People think, ‘We haven’t gone on vacation in a couple of years and it’s time and let’s do it right,’” she says. “We want our consumers confident, and we want to continue on this trajectory of being back on the water and it’s smooth sailing in the coming years.”