CRUISE NEWS

• Australian Borders now closed to Jun
  • THE three-month extension to 17 Jun of Australia’s biosecurity emergency declaration by Health Minister Greg Hunt, cites the ongoing COVID-19 situation overseas which continues to pose an unacceptable health risk to Australia, including the emergence of more highly transmissible variants.  “The extension of the emergency period…is about mitigating that risk for everyone’s health and safety,” noting the move extends restrictions on outbound international travel, predeparture testing and mask wearing on international flights, restrictions on trade of retail outlets at int’l airports, and restrictions on the entry of cruise vessels within Australian territory.
• Path to cruise resumption needed as losses approach $5 billion
  • Australia’s cruise industry will continue to advocate strongly for a phased and controlled return to domestic cruising following the Federal Government’s decision to continue its year-long biosecurity ban. Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said $5 billion had been lost to the Australian economy over the past 12 months since the industry stopped operations in March last year. The cruise industry, which has been amongst the hardest hit in the travel sector, supports more than 18,000 full time equivalent jobs across a range of sectors including thousands of Australian travel agents, farmers, entertainers, tour operators, ports, and marine and logistics services.
• P&O Cruises to offer UK summer sailings, other cruises cancelled through August/September
  • A series of short sailings and weeklong cruises in the UK this summer will go on sale later this month, while cruises on Arcadia, Aurora, Azura and Ventura have been cancelled until the end of August, and on Britannia and Iona until the end of September. The coastal sailings will be from P&O’s homeport of Southampton and available for bookings later this month.
•  Extended Pause on Cruises Round-trip Southampton through Sept 25, 2021
  • Following the recent UK Government announcement on the roadmap to ease lock-down and related international travel restrictions, Princess Cruises is extending the pause of its UK-based cruise vacations, sailing round trip from Southampton, through September 25, 2021 on Sky Princess, Regal Princess and Island Princess. For UK guests, Princess Cruises will launch a series of new short cruises departing in late summer on Regal Princess and Sky Princess from Southampton that will go on sale later this month.
• Royal Caribbean to resume sailings in the Med from Haifa with vaccination mandate on Odyssey of the Seas
  • Royal Caribbean International’s Odyssey of the Seas will debut in May, sailing from Haifa and offering Israelis a combination of three- to seven-night cruises visiting the Greek Isles and Cyprus.
  • In conjunction with Israel’s health and tourism authorities, Royal Caribbean will offer fully vaccinated sailings, where both crew and guests above the age of 16 will be vaccinated against COVID-19. Details on the additional health and safety measures to be implemented will be announced at a later date.
  • Originally planned to debut in the Eastern Mediterranean based out of Civitavecchia (Rome) in November, Odyssey’s delivery from Meyer Werft was delayed until April 2021. It will be the first Quantum Ultra-class ship to homeport in the region. The itineraries, round-trip from Haifa, will feature Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos and Piraeus, Greece; and Limassol, Cyprus.
  • Odyssey of the Seas’ features include the next-generation SeaPlex, a reimagined Adventure Ocean kids program and Social180 teen lounge. Dining venues include Teppanyaki and the cruise line’s first Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar. Signature features include the FlowRider surf simulator, skydiving with RipCord by iFly, the North Star , and robot bartenders at Bionic Bar.
• Aurora to sail Australia after 30 years
  • Aurora Expeditions is set to launch a new extensive season of domestic journeys in Australia from Jun. It is the first time in Aurora’s 30-year history the cruise line will offer a full season of voyages ex- Australia, with adventures to also visit Antarctica’s Commonwealth Bay and Ross Sea.
  • Other destinations for the season will include the Bass Strait Islands; the Coral Coast, Western Australia; South Australia’s Kangaroo Island; the Kimberley; the Ningaloo Coast, the South West; Tasmania and more.
  • Bookings will open on 11 Mar.
• Scenic Eclipse Kimberley 2021 Discovery Voyages
  • Scenic Eclipse Kimberley 2021 Discovery Voyages Scenic Eclipse home to Australia, with the launch of our 11 Day Kimberly Coastline cruises. As a proudly Australian founded travel company, we are delighted to invite your clients to cruise the Kimberley with Scenic Eclipse. Guests will have an unrivalled ultra-luxury discovery experience with up to 228 guests during this exclusive Australia 2021 season (June through Aug 2021).
  • Guests will enjoy the experience of a lifetime, as we reveal the many wonders of this remarkable region from the elegant surrounds of Scenic Eclipse, The World’s First Discovery Yacht™. Soar above the horizon by Helicopter to view iconic waterfalls and landscapes. Explore by Zodiac with an expert Discovery Team who will share unique insights of the region’s native flora, wildlife and ancient spiritual heritage. Season on sale from Friday 5 March.
• New for 2022 European River Cruises Riviera Plus – Luxury additions for premium suite passengers
  • Luxury European river cruise line, Riviera Travel River Cruises, will debut a new VIP guest program in 2022 called Riviera Plus which offers premium suite passengers luxury additions designed to enhance the enjoyment of their five-star cruise.
  • From next year, guests booked in deluxe and superior suites and all upper-deck cabins will receive a host of complimentary benefits including use of a smart handset with maps, translator, currency converter, unlimited calls, text messages and internet service for use onboard or ashore. Premium suite guests will also receive L’Occitane en Provence luxury toiletries, a bottle of chilled Prosecco on arrival, a platter of fresh seasonal fruits during the cruise and a refreshing aperitif each evening.

VIRGIN VOYAGES

• Shane Riley Associate Vice President of International Sales joins the podcast to update us on all things Virgin Voyages including their onboard policies post COVID.
• Voyage Well: http://bit.ly/30i3seV
• Ships: http://bit.ly/3kRFVuT
• Onboard: http://bit.ly/38g9pNY
• When looking for a travel advisor seek out a CLIA accredited and “Certified First mate” with the below logo. Only Certified First Mates have undertaken the “Seacademy” to truly understand what makes a Virgin Voyage experience so unique and how to secure and available Sailor Loot (onboard credit).

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• Now available branded podcast t-shirts, cruise-tees and Christmas gifts or design your own in the studio. All using organic cotton, printed using green energy and plastic-free packaging! https://bit.ly/32G7Rdh

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• If you have a cruise tip, burning question or want to record a cruise review get in touch with us via the website https://thebigcruisepodcast.com/join-the-show/  

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• Chris Frame: https://bit.ly/3a4aBCg    
• Chris’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ChrisCunard  
• Peter Kollar: https://www.cruising.org.au/Home  

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