12 Reasons Why Cruises are One of the Safest Ways to Travel

When people hear we love cruising, one of the first questions they ask is if cruises are safe during a pandemic. Spoiler alert: cruises are actually the safest way to travel during a pandemic – and beyond a pandemic.

We’re going to elaborate on why, and all that the cruise lines and industry are doing to ensure the health and safety of their passengers.

This extends long before the pandemic into the present day, including adjustments made to the ships and cruise lines' procedures as a result of the pandemic. 

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post, which means we may earn a small commission if you click the link and proceed with a purchase, at no cost to you. We truly only recommend hotels, products, and services we personally use. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.

It’s in the Cruise Lines’ Best Interest to Ensure Health & Safety Protocols are in Order, so they can Sail Safely 

No other travel sector is as closely monitored or scrutinized as the cruise industry. Not hotels, nor destinations themselves, or airlines. The cruise industry does more reporting on health and safety than any of those travel areas.

It’s partially for this reason that it is in the best interest of cruise lines to have their protocols in order. This includes making their messaging clear to passengers and potential guests and making the crew aware of all health and safety procedures.

Specifically, it's in their best interest to have their health procedures in order for guests to feel safe and secure when cruising. The cruise industry is big business, and they need to make money and stay in business.

The cruise industry employs countless people, from shoreside employees to port workers to corporate team members. They work in offices, onboard, and shoreside. All these people want and need to work. The safer cruise lines make it to sail, the more secure those people’s jobs are.

The cruise lines have their health and safety protocols in order because that means everyone wins. Including them.

Cruises Require Passengers to be Vaccinated to Sail

Slowly but surely, more and more cruise lines have announced that they require proof of vaccination to sail even though many have done away with providing COVID test results before you cruise. Some even require proof of TRIPLE vaccination (two shots, plus a booster).

As the allowance of vaccinations for children ages 12 and younger is updated according to CDC guidelines, cruises also stay up-to-date with their policies, which reflect those changes. 

And, because most small-format cruises skew older, not younger, you’ll likely to be amongst an entire ship of vaccinated passengers, from crew to guests. This is even better for guests who are concerned about health safety when it comes to cruises. 

Though vaccines don’t prevent viruses, they reduce the chances of getting it or at least the severity of those symptoms if you do get the virus. It’s well known that if you get COVID after you’ve been vaccinated, the symptoms are typically less severe and more manageable.  

The health concern with non-cruise vacations right now

Conversely, if you sign up for a non-cruise vacation, you have no idea if other guests – at your hotel, or on a tour, or even on your airplane – are vaccinated.

This means that the airplane ride to get to your cruise’s point of embarkation is potentially riskier than the cruise sailing you’re about to board.

Flying to your Port of Embarkation versus Driving

If the thought of traveling on an airplane is your biggest concern regarding booking a cruise, we recommend a cruise within your country.

You’ll likely want to find an option with the same ports of embarkation and debarkation that you can drive to. (A cruise that begins and ends at the same port location is called a “closed jaw” or “closed-loop” cruise.)

This way, you don't have to get on an airplane. You can leave your car at the port parking lot while you sail.

We suggest looking into Great Lakes cruises or US River Cruises if you're based in the United States. Check out our US Cruise Ports map to get some ideas as well.

Some Cruise Lines Still Require Proof of a Negative COVID Test to Sail

This is quickly becoming a thing of the past, but because you can still get COVID even if you are vaccinated, some cruise lines still require to show proof of a negative test for COVID when you embark.

Depending on the cruise, many people who are vaccinated don't have to show proof of a negative test. However, it's likely you'll have to show proof of vaccination.

Consider if testing onboard is a determining factor of whether or not you'll sign up for a cruise. If so, it’s best to ask the cruise line you’ll be sailing with for their most current policies regarding testing.

Cruise Lines must Abide by the Rules and Regulations of their Port Cities and Countries

Not only are cruises the safest way to travel because they test onboard, but they have to abide by the regulations of their port cities. 

For example, if you’re going on a Danube River cruise that leaves from Nuremberg, Germany, they’ll abide by Germany’s current rules. If you need a negative COVID test and proof of vaccination to arrive in Germany, then the cruise line will likely mention it in your booking information.

Naturally, it's in the cruise line's best interest to communicate port regulations to you. (Especially ports of embarkation and debarkation.) Cruise lines with online pre-check-in procedures, from cruise lines like Disney Cruise Line and Viking, to many more, are great with this.

Cruise lines need to abide by the rules and regulations of the port cities. They also want their passengers to be able to safely and efficiently get on board. 

Some Cruise Lines Have their Own Insurance, including Housing Agreements, in the Event You Need Health Assitance Onboard

If you catch a virus during your trip while you're staying on board, and the cruise line needs you to disembark to quarantine on land, some cruise lines have housing agreements figured out to help you do so. This means you won’t feel abandoned or stranded if you test positive while cruising. 

This is why it's extra important to opt into a cruise line's additional-cost insurance policy right now and to make sure you read through it. Or, at the very least, understand what their included, baseline insurance (if they have it) covers.

For example, Viking’s Travel Protection Plan can be added to their cruises. It includes necessary medical, quarantine or repatriation expenses.

Cruises are Safe during a Health Crisis Because They can Track Viruses, like COVID, Onboard 

Cruise lines can use technology to track their passengers' whereabouts on ships. For example, Royal Caribbean’s RFID bracelets allow them to know where you were in case you get COVID. Or, it helps them track a person's close contacts if he or she gets COVID and they need to inform and tests passengers who were nearby.

This contact tracing ensures the safety of all passengers and crew on board. 

Conversely, if you travel by land for a land vacation, most areas have no way to track COVID or a virus case and then inform you that you may have been exposed. You’re taking the risk of potentially getting te virus by coming into contact with someone who has it (whether they know it or not, being asymptomatic and unaware).

Cruise ships are safer in this way because you’ll likely know if you’re at risk due to another passenger getting the virus.  

Cutting Edge Technology is Used to Sanitize and Clean All Areas of a Cruise Ship

Cruise ships quickly went to work to outfit their ships with the latest technology and cleaning techniques as soon as the pandemic hit. As they continue to make strides in this area, companies continue to come out with amazing devices to ensure that all germs are killed. Thus, health issues spread through germs onboard are lessened.  

Long before COVID-19, cruise ships had hand sanitizing stations in dozens of locations onboard. They have even more now! Some have also added more “traditional” handwashing stations (aka a sink with soap) at additional key places onboard. (Example being right before you enter a restaurant.) 

Cruise ships have been – and remain – places where they make sanitization a priority and commit to high cleaning standards. 

Tips to Cruises Safely and Efficiently in a Post-COVID World

Check your cruise line’s health & safety policies before you sail

This is most important to follow. Know the cruise line's current policies at two times in particular, before you sail:

• Before you book to make sure you’re comfortable with the cruise line’s current policies.
• One or two weeks before you sail.

You may even want to check again within a few days of sailing to stay educated in case any new regulations arise. 

Buy Travel Insurance

No matter what, if the pandemic has taught us anything in terms of traveling, it’s that you need good travel insurance. First it was cancellations due to COVID tests, then it was the “summer of canceled flights” because of airline staffing issues around the world. Who knows what unpredictable thing will happen next that affects travel!

Make sure you have a policy that covers COVID/pandemic-related expenses.

We recommend insurance from Travel Insurance Master. They let you compare insurance plans from their 10 providers and cover important things like cancellation for medical or work reasons, and travel delays or trip interruptions. Select “cruise” as your trip type upon checkout.

Current cruise line policies will likely allow you to rebook before the cruise begins, but that may not cover you if you need to change course on board because of COVID. If you're unsure, explicitly ask the cruise line for details.

If you stay in the area where you are cruising abroad after your cruise ends, you'll definitely need additional travel insurance to be safe.

Going on a cruise? Read this next:

• 26 Helpful Things to Know your First Time on a River Cruise
• Anti-Nausea Medication and Other Cruise Sea Sickness Solutions 
• Awesome Cruise Gift Ideas for Cruise Fans & People Going on a Cruise