BOSTON — Boston is getting ready to cruise again.
The first cruise ship to leave the seaport since 2019 will be docking this morning.
The Crystal Symphony will be arriving at the Black Falcon Terminal at 9 a.m. Wednesday. The ship will be empty, but that’s because the crew will be getting it ready to set sail Sunday on its first voyage to Bermuda in over a year.
The cruise line has four trips planned from Boston to Bermuda.
The first trip is this Sunday.
All passengers and crew will be fully vaccinated. City and state health officials have signed off on the voyage.
The ship is arriving at the terminal early to get a few last things approved by the CDC.
This big step forward comes as the mask mandate for travel has been extended. The mandate was set to expire on September 13, but the TSA is now requiring people to wear masks while traveling on planes, trains, and buses through January 18.
This extension comes as the delta variant is causing cases in the country to spike.
The mask mandate will now be in place through the holiday travel season.
The CDC says we all look forward to the day masks are not required, but we are not there yet.