TORONTO — In a letter to travel agents, Crystal River Cruises’ Walter Littlejohn confirmed that plans are well underway to resume Europe operations starting Aug. 29, 2021.
Littlejohn, Crystal River Cruises’ Senior Vice President & Managing Director, said that the company is “cautiously optimistic” about the European Union’s imminent plans to allow entry for vaccinated travellers. The EU also announced last week that it’s targeting a July 1 start date for its new digital green pass, which will allow EU citizens to travel freely across the bloc’s 27 nations.
Here is Littlejohn’s letter in its entirety:
| Dear Valued Travel Partners,
I am pleased to announce that plans are well underway to resume river cruising in Europe beginning August 29, 2021 as we are cautiously optimistic about the recent news from the European Union allowing entry for vaccinated travelers. The European Union’s recently-approved protocol allowing leisure travel by vaccinated travellers was a necessary and welcome step toward the resumption of unfettered European river cruising. It is important to note the adoption of these protocols by the individual EU member states that impact our multi-country itineraries is a critical next step, as the member states ultimately control the borders. We are currently assessing our final ship deployment for Fall/Winter 2021 and will communicate further details when completed. In the meantime, we are readying the fleet as well as our devoted crew members in advance of resuming service to refresh their skills, ensuring the six-star standards for which our award-winning river ships are known. We have worked tirelessly in developing new health and safety protocols that address the unique challenges of COVID-19 with the greatest care for both our guests and our crew. Our stringent Crystal Clean+ measures include mandatory vaccination for guests and crew; COVID-19 testing at embarkation; suites set aside for isolation, if needed; HEPA filters; and more. As a reminder, our protocols are under continual review based on scientific data and evolving recommendations from local and global authorities. On behalf of everyone at Crystal River Cruises, I want to thank all of you for your understanding during this transitionary time in travel. We are looking forward to welcoming your clients back onboard our beautiful river ships on the Danube and Rhine rivers to experience the unrivaled personal care, service and luxury of the World’s Most Luxurious River Cruise Line. Best regards, Walter Littlejohn |
