MSC Pushes Back Date For No More Pre-Cruise Testing
Just days after announcing that vaccinated guests will not have to take a test for short cruises as of today, August 8, MSC Cruises quietly pushed the date back on Friday to the end of the month.
A viewer told Cruise Radio that MSC Cruises is now dropping the testing requirement as of August 29. The website shows: “Beginning August 29, 2022: For fully vaccinated guests sailing 5 nights or less from U.S. ports, COVID-19 testing within 3 days of embarkation is recommended, but not required.”
The new August 29th date contradicts the August 8th date announced last week. Always check with your cruise line for up to date policies and dates.
Sailings Canceled on Carnival Paradise
If you’re sailing Carnival Paradise next fall, you may want to check to make sure you still have a booking. The ship will be in dry dock October 8th to 26th of next year, in turn canceling five sailings.
A letter from the cruise line to booked guests read, “In our continuous efforts to enhance our product, Carnival Paradise has now been scheduled for dry dock. As a result, we’re sorry to inform you that your reservation has now been canceled.”
The return sailing will now be October 30, 2023.
Tourism Not Expected to Fully Recover Until 2024
Last year, financial experts claimed that 2022 was supposed to be a big bounceback year for the tourism industry. The war in Ukraine and global inflation put a damper on those plans, and the World Tourism Organization now says that tourism won’t fully recover until at least 2024.
A recent survey conducted by Passport Photo Online sampled 1,000 Americans to find out how inflation has affected their vacation plans this year.
The survey found that while 96 percent of Americans still plan to vacation in 2022, 88 percent are downgrading their trip plans, cutting spending in areas like lodging and entertainment.
The majority of travelers had to budget 11 to 20 percent more towards travel to keep their vacation plans in place, which is over the 9.1 percent inflation rate — the highest in four decades.