Thanks to the vaccine, our lives are s-l-o-w-l-y returning to a sense of normalcy.

So many businesses and industries were hit hard when the world began to shut down because of the pandemic a year ago. Restaurants closed, theme parks closed, live concerts stop touring, offices went virtual, classrooms went online and the cruise industry shut down along with so many others. More than a year later, there are signs that the world and the cruise industry are ready to make a comeback, but with some significant changes though.

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So many American's love to take to the high seas and set sail on a luxurious cruise ship where there's plenty of food, drink and fun. Passengers who are used to traveling may still be leery of doing it,  While the cruise industry has been shut down over the last year, the major cruise lines have made some improvements to their ships and protocols.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has just announced that they will be boarding passengers on their ships and returning to the open seas this June. Bookings for the cruises will begin online as early as March 24th with departures out of Galveston.. Without sounding like an endorsement and a commercial for Royal Caribbean, it appears as if the cruise giant has made some sweeping changes as they get ready to set sail again. I just happened to check out their site and one of the major changes to their policies is in regards to the vaccine.

In order to board the ship, you must be fully vaccinated and anyone under 18 must test negative before boarding. They've made quite a few other changes too ,that you can read about, including COVID-19 Protections and the cost of your cruise.  Royal Caribbean will refund 100% of the cost of your cruise if you test positive within 14 days before boarding and if you test positive after the cruise they'll offer you a 100% refund too.

Earlier in the week, Royal Caribbean announced they are going to build a $100 million cruise terminal in Galveston! With more Texans becoming vaccinated it seems like we could be back to our (some what) normal routine and activities by the end of the year and for those that want to go a little earlier, well, you could set sail and cruise the open water before you know it.

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

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