{"id":47672,"date":"2021-12-21T12:35:44","date_gmt":"2021-12-21T17:35:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=47672"},"modified":"2023-05-06T18:17:51","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T22:17:51","slug":"caribbean-cruising-2022-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/destinations\/caribbean-cruising-2022-style\/","title":{"rendered":"Caribbean Cruising, 2022 Style"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\" <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Experiencing uncrowded anchorages is one trade-off for the changing regulations and new fees that sailors can expect to find if they head south to the Caribbean this winter.<\/span>\n Alison Langley<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Good news: As this issue goes to print, almost every country touching the Caribbean<\/a> welcomes arrivals by sea. Optimism swells for cruising the islands in 2022, following the challenges, closures and uncertainty of the past two winters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It won\u2019t be exactly the same, however, as pre-pandemic cruising. There are new rules to follow and new fees to pay. These will influence seasonal planning and likely affect the routes of many cruisers. But they\u2019re surmountable, and unlikely to be permanent fixtures. Rather, they\u2019re just steps along the path to the other side of the pandemic. Meanwhile, warm clear waters invite swimming, waterfall hikes beckon exploring, and that ti\u2019 punch will still have a delicious bite! For those who go, here are the trends we anticipate this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greater Due Diligence <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

More than ever, it is essential to research entry processes in advance. Pandemic realities have introduced strict new protocols and fines for transgressions. Every country has specific requirements, and no two are the same. Do you need to bring a negative COVID-19 test from your prior port? Which COVID tests are acceptable, PCR or antigen? How many days is a test valid? Is proof of health insurance covering a COVID-related illness required? Will there be quarantine time? Sometimes tests will need to be repeated in-country to complete clearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Voyage <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The crew aboard the Voyage 44 Ancha is one of several that plan to transit the Panama Canal and head for Mexico.<\/span>\n Courtesy S\/V Ancha<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

If that sounds intimidating, don\u2019t be put off: Caribbean \u00adcruising in 2022 just requires some advance homework and a check for updates before departure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best place for at-a-glance updates on the region is Noonsite\u2019s global update page (noonsite.com) for COVID. Local contacts help them stay current, and each country has a timeline of changes during the pandemic. With past behavior to draw upon, it\u2019s easier to feel comfortable with how a given island might respond in the future. Noonsite also lists links to government websites and health authorities. It is best to confirm information with these primary sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Steve <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Steve and Karen Haver (on left) and friends Dave and Nicki Bettis, aboard SoulShine<\/em>, have taken to slow cruising.<\/span>\n Karen Haver<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Still overwhelmed or \u00adworried that published info is dated? Noonsite\u2019s editor Sue Richards says, \u201cJust email us!\u201d She\u2019s helped countless individual boats connect with the latest information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Costlier Clearance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Expect to pay more to sail between islands in the Caribbean this year. Out of 32 Caribbean destinations open for arrivals as we go to print, advance COVID tests are overwhelmingly required. The cost of testing ranges from around $50 to $150 per person. This can add up meaningfully: A hypothetical family of four on a typical route from Florida, through the Bahamas, passing through Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands and St. Martin, then south with stops in a handful of islands on the Antilles chain, can estimate spending about $4,000 in COVID tests alone. Bigger crew? More fees. Stopping at every island? Add a few thousand dollars more. This doesn\u2019t include other costs of entry, such as cruising permits (Bahamas: $300) or required berthing or moorage while waiting out any quarantine days. In Grenada, for instance, mooring balls go for $30 a day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slower Cruising <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cruisers who\u2019ve visited the islands report a developing go-slow trend that is rooted in the realities of 2021. During the pandemic, border closures, domestic restrictions and lockdowns prevented anything resembling the island-hopping of past years. While varying restrictions are expected this year, 2022 should offer more predictability. Slow cruising is a natural outcome as sailors seek to mitigate the hassle and expense of frequent movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cOne of the best results for us during the past year and a half was the change from island-hopping to slow travel,\u201d Karen Haver says, from aboard the Wauquiez Amphitrite SoulShine<\/em>. She and her husband, Steve, sailed south from Havre de Grace, Maryland. \u201cWe had the opportunity to get to know the islands and the people of Dominica, Grenada and the Grenadines much better than previously.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also appreciated the savings to the cruising kitty. As \u00adhurricane season waned, their plans for 2022 drew on these \u00adbenefits, and they anticipate a similar scale of activity this \u00adseason. \u201cI hope that we are able to spend time at islands we missed, return to friends on islands we\u2019ve been to, and really enjoy our stops along the way.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Cally <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Singlehander Cally Duncan and Tala<\/em> are island-bound for the second time. If she has to quarantine, there\u2019s plenty to do on the boat.<\/span>\n Karen Gilbert<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Fresh Flexibility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Experienced cruisers planning for the months ahead all referenced the value of flexibility. While crews with COVID vaccinations and deeper pockets can move more easily, there remains an element of unpredictability that\u2019s necessary to accommodate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Singlehander Cally Duncan is Caribbean-bound for the second time; her first cruise was pre-pandemic. \u201cI expect my plans to be similar, with many stops. Since I\u2019m likely to be on my own a lot, I won\u2019t have the luxury of jumping a few hundred miles at a time.\u201d Rolling with requirements along the way is part of the deal. She\u2019s OK with the possibility of some quarantine time, should it be required. \u201cAs long as I can stay aboard my boat, Tala<\/em>, there\u2019s plenty of work to do,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flexibility is cultivated by most cruisers; the pandemic reinforced this trait. Last year, Susan and Travis Ruse headed to the Bahamas for the first cruising season aboard their Privil\u00e8ge catamaran, Motu<\/em>. \u201cIt seemed the rules and the openings and closings of island groups changed daily. We had many plans needing to be changed.\u201d While they have hopes to stretch down to Grenada this year, Susan says: \u201cWe haven\u2019t even made hard-fast plans for the Caribbean or really looked at what is open and closed yet. Things seem to shift so quickly.\u201d This practical, one-island-at-a-time outlook is typical of many cruisers planning for 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some who found the whiplash of changing requirements to be frustrating have opted out; most are choosing to limit their range in favor of predictability. Karen Haver says, \u201cIf there is one thing that the past year has taught us, it is that plans need to be even more fluid than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More Newcomers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The makeup of the Salty Dawg\u2019s Caribbean Rally is a bellwether for a surge in new cruisers plying Caribbean waters in 2022. Rally director Bob Osborn said that fully two-thirds of this season\u2019s fleet (a typical size, with over 80 boats) were first-timers. That flip to the usual ratio of a majority of veteran sailors aligns with what many have discovered thanks to the pandemic: Getting on the water is a great way to feel liberated from the restrictions onshore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lydia Onimo and her family are among those making the leap to cruising. They tested the waters by living aboard a starter boat for most of 2021, then purchased a Beneteau 50 that suits the bigger plans for their family of five. She says, \u201cBy living aboard, we are able to achieve three things incredibly important to us: living a minimalist lifestyle close to nature, quenching our (kids included) growing thirst for adventure and understanding of other cultures, and most importantly, living a slow-paced lifestyle that centers on family and community.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With location-independent work and home-school experience, she and husband Jon Schroeder already have a leg up on two key challenges many newcomers face. Learning the lifestyle and their boat through interisland sails in the Bahamas, they\u2019re hoping to reach farther into the Caribbean as the season unfolds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Jamie <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Jamie Gifford of Totem<\/em> \nclearly recalls good times cruising the Caribbean.<\/span>\n Behan Gifford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

This trend fits with the pandemic\u2019s shift for work and \u00adeducation to be centered online. Cruisers in locales where boats tend to accumulate at the end of a journey, such as Grenada and Guatemala\u2019s Rio Dulce, noted the growing trend as sales picked up on languishing vessels. One observed a growth in power cruising among newcomers, who may have felt the learning curve of power to be less challenging than sailing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing Exit Strategies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the biggest new trends in the Caribbean cruising scene is boats departing through the Panama Canal and sailing north rather than striking off across the Pacific, where islands remain largely closed. At press time, only Fiji and French Polynesia accepted applications to \u00adarrive\u2014with no guarantees for accommodation. But from Panama north to Mexico there are only a few borders to clear, and most carry fewer restrictions. It\u2019s an alternate migration path to hurricane-season safety without the hassle and fees of the islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Onimo-Schroeder <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The\u00a0Onimo-Schroeder family is making the leap by rallying their way south on their new-to-them Beneteau.<\/span>\n Courtesy Lydia Onimo<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

After a decade in the Caribbean and with miles under the keel of two successive Island Packets, Melissa and Dan Kenshalo are among those with plans to transit the canal and work their way slowly north. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to get to new cruising grounds,\u201d Melissa reports from Dancing on the Edge<\/em>, their IP 485 at anchor in Panama\u2019s Guna Yala. After exploring the Pearl Islands and Costa Rica, they plan to aim for Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Those Who Go<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If the past two winters have pressured people to retreat to \u00adsafety, the seasons have also reminded us to enjoy our precious lives to the fullest. For those with the opportunity to escape aboard their floating magic carpets and who are considering sailing in the Caribbean, a few closing thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Travis <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Travis Ruse, from the Privel\u00e8ge Motu, hopes to make it to Grenada this season, but he and his wife, Susan, remain flexible.<\/span>\n Susan Ruse<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Our escape from winter might be an islander\u2019s line to tug for another kind of liquidity. For those who go, consider how economically devastating the pandemic has been to many islands. Karen Haver\u2019s emailed reminder resonates: \u201cPatronize restaurants, shop locally, tip well, be kind, be patient, have fun, wear your mask, keep smiling, buy a useless trinket from the person on the beach. Rather than haggling on prices, overpay and tell them to keep the change; a few bucks likely will help someone a lot more than it will hurt you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human adaptability and tenacity shine on both sides, but \u00adnothing shines brighter than kindness, and those we encounter now as we sail might need that more than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behan Gifford is presently in Puerto Pe\u00f1asco, Mexico, where she and her husband, Jamie, are refitting their Stevens 47, <\/em>Totem.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The islands await sailors fleeing winter, but be sure to pack flexibility, realistic expectations and an open schedule as you put together your plans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":47673,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Behan Gifford","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"162","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Behan Gifford reviews what cruisers, sailors, and charter fleets can expect throughout the Caribbean islands in 2022.","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","custom_permalink":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"ad_targeting":"","sponsored_url":"","social_share":true},"categories":[162],"tags":[196,169,1891],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47672"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47672"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47672\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47673"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}