MARITIME HISTORY

• Janet from the Isle of White, asked Chris “With cruising now re0starting across the world, do you know how passenger ships have restarted after past events like The Great Depression, SAR’s etc.

CRUISE NEWS

• CLIA – Ready, Set, Sail Campaign
  • Support the return of local cruising in Australia. CLIA is calling on the Australian government to finalise a phased and carefully controlled resumption of domestic cruising.
  • Click now! TAKE ACTION https://bit.ly/3eQoXMa
• MSC restarts the UK Cruise season
  • MSC Virtuosa, MSC Cruises’ latest flagship, has arrived in Southampton, ready to welcome guests as cruising restarts in the UK. The newest and most innovative ship in MSC Cruises’ fleet, MSC Virtuosa will embark on her maiden voyage around the British Isles on 20th May.
  • With all of MSC Cruises’ trademark glamour and European style, MSC Virtuosa is set to bring guests an unbeatable summer holiday, with everything in one place.
  • The first cruise line to restart in the UK, MSC Cruises brings guests a choice of three- and four- night mini cruises starting from 20th May, then from 5th June, MSC Virtuosa will begin seven-night cruises. The week-long sailings include calls at the picturesque isle of Portland and the cultural city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, as well as offering multiple ports of embarkation including Liverpool and Greenock, close to Glasgow, Scotland, on top of Southampton.
  • MSC Virtuosa is one of MSC Cruises’ most innovative and environmentally advanced ships. The 19-deck ship will offer its British guests of all ages the very best of fine dining restaurants, world-class entertainment, relaxing bars and lounges, boutique shopping, spa and fitness centres, an aquapark and clubs for toddlers to teenagers. The ship’s show stopping feature is its iconic 112-metre promenade with a stunning LED sky dome, the social heart and hub of the ship.
  • The brand-new MSC Starship Club will launch on MSC Virtuosa. The world’s first futuristic, immersive experience at sea, MSC Starship Club will feature humanoid robotic bartender, Rob, shaking up a galactic choice of cocktails for guests.
• MSC Baltic Sea Sailing restart from Germany in July
  • MSC Cruises has announced it will restart its sailing operations in Germany on 3 July with is first ever deployment of an innovative Seaside class ship to operate in the Baltic Sea, MSC Seaview, and with a brand new itinerary for the region.
  • The vessel will homeport in Kiel until September and offer 7-night voyages – all to include protected shore excursions – to Visby on Sweden’s largest island of Gotland, the port of Nynashamn for Swedish capital city Stockholm, and Estonia’s capital Tallinn, before returning to the northern Germany port.
  • MSC Seaview will be available for guests of all ages from the Schengen area in Europe, plus residents of Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria.
•  Australian domestic cruises only for P&O this year.
  • P&O Cruises has this morning begun advising trade partners and guests of changes to all of its remaining 2021 international itineraries, which are being replaced with Australian domestic cruises.
  • No action is required if clients are happy with the new voyage, with bookings automatically updated to reflect the change.
  • P&O departures are currently paused until 17 September 2021, with the switch from international to domestic applying to selected cruises scheduled between 18 September and 31 December this year.
• Meanwhile P&O UK – Iona’s naming ceremony
  • Earlier this week, In an electrifying private set, Gary Barlow performed two iconic Take That hits: ‘Greatest Day’ and ‘Rule The World’. The rousing songs set the mood perfectly and had us in complete raptures.
  • Jo Whiley (BBC Radio) was the host for the evening – introducing all special guests, building the excitement for each performance. It was fantastic to see her interacting with the ‘live’ audience at home too – encouraging them to celebrate too.
  • As a bottle of Alex James’ Britpop sparkling cider smashed on Iona’s bow, Dame Irene Hays (iconic UK Travel Agency Owner – Hays Travel) officially christened the newest, most innovative ship. We also saw messages of support and congratulations from members of the Hays Travel team.
  • When Iona sets sail for her maiden cruise, Captain Wesley Dunlop will be at the helm. It was clearly a proud moment for the highly experienced captain as he introduced Dame Irene Hays and watched her officially name the ship
• Norwegian Prima prompts the lines biggest week of sales ever!
  • Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), is once again breaking the boundaries of conventional cruising and holiday experiences, with the reveal of Norwegian Prima, which has become the Brand’s most in-demand ship ever, with record bookings on the first day and week of sales.
  • With voyages beginning August 2022, Norwegian Prima, the first of six ships within NCL’s all new Prima Class, will offer guests exciting itineraries, the highest staffing levels and space ratio of any new cruise ship in the contemporary and premium cruise categories, and Brand-first experiences with Ocean Boulevard, Indulge Food Hall, The Concourse, Infinity Beach and Oceanwalk.
  • First of Six Next-Generation Vessels Sets Single-Best Booking Day
  • Best Initial Booking Week Sales in the Company’s 54-Year History
  • Norwegian Cruise Line’s Record-Breaking Sales Demonstrate Strong Demand for Cruise Travel
  • Nearly 20 percent of bookings are for our Haven suites, indicating the desire for top-of-the-line experiences
• New Crystal Endeavor Iceland & Norway Expedition
  • Crystal this week announced the next bold journey for its new expedition yacht Crystal Endeavor, a spectacular itinerary exploring Iceland, known as the “Land of Fire and Ice,” and the breath-taking fjords of Norway. The 10-night Journey of Vikings: Iceland & Norway will sail on September 5, 2021, from Reykjavík to Tromsø on a voyage that showcases some of nature’s most remarkable wonders and the region’s historic and charming cities. The new sailing follows Crystal Endeavor’s recently announced inaugural series of five, 10-night Luxury Iceland Expeditions that opened to extraordinary demand with 50 percent of capacity reserved within the first 24 hours of its release.
  • The 20,200-GRT vessel is designed to the highest standards of renowned German engineering and, with her responsive, agile manoeuvrability, safety and technical capabilities, the yacht is akin to a finely tuned German-built elite sports car for seakeeping (like Porsche, a fast, smooth, powerful ride) and little vibration (like Mercedes).
• Funnel suite anyone?
  • Disney’s ‘Imagineers’ have dreamed up a first-of-its kind suite for the cruise line’s upcoming Disney Wish.
  • Set high in the vessel’s forward funnel the Wish Tower Suite, will boast a design inspired by the seafaring animation Moana, as well as incomparable ocean views. The almost 200m2 penthouse in the sky will comfortably sleep up to eight guests with two main bedrooms, located on the upper-left loft, a children’s room, a library that converts to a bedroom and four-and-a-half bathrooms.
  • The living room will be flanked by an open dining area, and a large pantry and a bar, all offering extraordinary views across the upper decks to the horizon through an expansive two-storey window wall.
• Southampton Shore Power
  • Associated British Ports is planning to install shore power for the Port of Southampton’s Mayflower terminal by the end of the year.
  • Once employed, the Port could see an 863 kilogram reduction in carbon dioxide emissions each year. The announcement is in line with Carnival UK’s plans for sustainable cruising, following the Port’s partnership with the cruise line, in readiness for its new LNG ship Iona.
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• Costa restarts in Trieste
  • Costa Cruises announced that Costa Luminosa set sail again on May 16 from the port of Trieste, becoming the company’s second ship in 2021 to resume operations and the first to resume cruises in the Adriatic Sea and Greece. Overall, Costa has a total of four ships scheduled to resume cruises this summer.
  • In addition to Trieste, Costa Luminosa’s one-week itinerary includes visits to Bari and four beautiful Greek destinations: Corfu, Athens, Mykonos and Katakolon/Olympia. It will be available throughout the coming summer season and part of the autumn until mid-November 2021 for a total of 27 cruises
  • Costa Luminosa is the second of four Costa ships that will operate in summer 2021, offering cruises in the Mediterranean. On May 1, the flagship Costa Smeralda departed from Savona with an itinerary exclusively dedicated to Italy. On June 26, Costa Deliziosa will restart with week-long cruises in Greece. July 4 will see the departure of the Costa Firenze, the new ship inspired by the Florentine Renaissance, with one-week cruises in Italy. In addition, from 3 July Costa Smeralda will begin sailing in international itineraries, with one-week cruises in Italy, France and Spain
• Carnival Cruise Line Goes Global To Select Godmother For Mardi Gras
  • With a global television audience estimated at 500 million looking on, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy presented Miss Dominican Republic Kimberly Jiménez with the “Spirit of Carnival” award for embodying the company’s values of fun, friendship, diversity and inclusion during the MISS UNIVERSE broadcast, and bestowed the honour of serving as godmother to the line’s newest and most innovative ship, Mardi Gras, set to debut from Port Canaveral, Fla., later this year.

• Royal Caribbean cancels Israel debut of Odyssey
  • The current Israel-Palestine crisis has led to Royal Caribbean International cancelling its Odyssey of the Seas Jun journeys through to Oct. RCI was set to visit Israel for the first-ever time next month, with its newest ship Odyssey set to make its debut in Haifa, but will now spend its inaugural season sailing Florida. Details of the new deployment are yet to be announced.
• A-ROSA plans to resume cruising in June
  • A-ROSA currently plans to resume cruising on Europe’s rivers in June. The move follows the success shown in both the ongoing vaccination roll out and the measures put in place to control the pandemic across Europe.
  • It is expected that A-ROSA’s cruises on the Douro, Rhine and Danube will restart by mid-June at the latest and in France by the end of June.
  • Countries across Europe are currently outlining their plans to reopen for tourism. Portugal has already opened its borders to tourists whilst Austria will allow river cruises on the Danube again from 19 May. Slovakia and Hungary have not yet given dates for when hotels (including river cruises) will open, but both countries are now recording low case numbers. The German federal states along the Rhine have included tourist accommodation (including river cruises) in their current reopening of tourism plans, expected to be in place by mid-June. The Netherlands and Belgium are also expected to follow suit and in Switzerland, hotels are already open. A four-stage plan in France is set to allow cruise and passenger ships to operate from 30 June.
  • Last year A-ROSA sailed successfully for five months under a series of strict health and hygiene protocols.
  • International guests will be welcomed on board in line with each countries entry and exit requirements.
• Viking Announces July 2021 Restart Of European River Sailings
  • Viking announced today that it will restart its European river operations in July 2021 with select itineraries in Portugal, France and along the Rhine. Offered exclusively for vaccinated guests as part of Viking’s Welcome Back collection, the first five European river itineraries now available in July are among the company’s most popular: Rhine Getaway (8 days; Amsterdam to Basel), Portugal’s River of Gold (10 days; Lisbon to Porto), Paris & the Heart of Normandy (8 days; Paris roundtrip), Lyon & Provence (8 days; Avignon to Lyon) and France’s Finest, a 15-day journey that combines the northern and southern France itineraries in one seamless experience. This announcement comes immediately after the European Union agreed today to reopen its borders to vaccinated Americans and other travellers.
• Viking Venus named as line restarts
  • Viking’s newest ocean ship, Viking Venus, has officially been named by her godmother, British journalist & broadcaster Anne Diamond, as the cruise line prepares to return to service following 14 months of paused operations.
  • The new 930-guest Venus was welcomed to the fleet with a celebration at sea in the English Channel, with Diamond offering a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the ship.
  • Guests will embark this Sat from Portsmouth for the first of five roundtrip sailings of the England’s Scenic Shores itinerary, which will carry British passengers to local destinations, including Liverpool, the Isles of Scilly, Falmouth and Portland.
• Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic To Reactivate Two Additional Ships In Alaska This Summer
  • Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic has announced plans to add additional voyages for the 2021 season in Alaska this summer.  Due to robust demand for their Alaska programming, Lindblad will reactivate its two remaining U.S.-flagged vessels – and has added an additional 13 departures. The 62-guest sister ships, National Geographic Sea Bird and National Geographic Sea Lion will explore Alaska on a series of Wild Escape departures starting June 25, 2021 and continuing through August.
  • The 6-day Wild Alaska Escape: Juneau to Ketchikan and Wild Alaska Escape: Sitka to Juneau voyages explore Alaska on an active, exciting expedition to see the region’s iconic wildlife and epic landscapes in the compact time frame of one work week. Guests will hike through forests of towering trees, kayak long routes deep into glacially carved fjords, with opportunities for active adventure —all with our nimble expedition ship as their moving base camp.  Guests looking for a more epic voyage can combine both Wild Alaska Escapes and benefit from 10% off. Rates begin at $4,570 per person based on double occupancy in a category 1 cabin.
  • All guests 16 years of age and over will be required to be vaccinated prior to travelling onboard. A complete list of health and safety protocols are listed here.  Key components include: negative COVID-19 tests, daily guest temperature checks, and thorough cleaning protocols.  From start to finish, guests will travel exclusively with their expedition community.
• Seabourn focusses on longer Alaska Voyages for 2023
  • Seabourn, the ultra-luxury cruise line, is already looking forward to setting sail in 2023 with immersive voyages scheduled for Alaska, the Pacific Coast, and Canada/New England. Seabourn Odyssey will head north to “The Great Land” of Alaska with a total of 18 sailings from May through October, including voyages ranging from 7 to 11 days, with the option to sail from Vancouver, British Columbia, on 14-day Combination Cruises. The season concludes with an 8-day cruise down the Pacific Coast to Los Angeles. To the east, Seabourn Quest will offer six sailings along the coasts of Canada and New England from August 24 to November 6, with voyages from 12 to 14 days including a final repositioning cruise from Montreal to Miami. These 2023 voyages open for sale and available to book today, May 19, 2021.
  • With its boutique, club-like atmospheres, and award-winning onboard luxury services and amenities rivalling any resort, Seabourn is the best way for travellers to explore these North American treasures, as well as to lock in a great vacation for summer and fall 2023. As with all Seabourn vessels, the intimate size and manoeuvrability of Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Quest – carrying just 458 guests – assure privileged views at every turn, as well as exploration of coastal areas that larger cruise ships cannot access.
  • Highlights of the season include 14 7-day itineraries sailing north or south between Vancouver and Juneau; seven 14-day voyages, created by pairing two of the above, with multiple glacier experiences and no repeating ports of call. Three of the 7-day itineraries (and their corresponding Combination Cruises) will include a visit to Glacier Bay National Park, departing May 26, September 1 and October 6. The season will also offer two 10-day Alaska Fjords Odyssey voyages sailing round-trip from Vancouver on June 9 and September 8, and two 11-day Inside Passage & Alaska Fjords voyages sailing round-trip from Vancouver on June 19 and September 18.
• HAL commences the vaccination of crew
  • Holland America Line crew members from Koningsdam received their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination today at the Port of San Diego in California. Arranged in partnership with Sharp HealthCare, a not-for-profit regional health care group, 118 crew came ashore to be vaccinated.
  • During a brief ceremony, Captain Henk Draper, master of Koningsdam, remarked how the crew vaccinations were a welcome step as the ship waits to resume cruising. Also on hand were Rafael Castellanos, commissioner of the Port of San Diego, and Brett McClain, executive vice president and COO of Sharp HealthCare.
  • On Thursday, May 20, Sharp HealthCare also will vaccinate 179 crew aboard Noordam, which will be at a nearby anchorage just off Coronado for the day.
  • Likewise, 231 crew from Nieuw Amsterdam will receive Pfizer vaccines from healthcare provider Ambulnz on Friday, May 21, while the ship is alongside at San Pedro, California.
  • Starting in October 2021 through April 2022, Koningsdam and Zuiderdam will homeport out of San Diego for a season of cruises to Hawaii, Mexico, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South Pacific. In total, fours ships will make 35 calls: Koningsdam in its inaugural season in San Diego (21 calls), Zuiderdam (12 calls), Eurodam (one call) and Nieuw Amsterdam (one call). The estimated economic impact of each ship visit is $300,000 for the San Diego region.
•  AIDA Cruises announces sailings in Winter 2021-2022 for its newest ship, AIDAcosma, and AIDAnova
  • Aida Cruises today announced the itinerary for its newest ship, AIDAcosma, will feature 7-day cruises around the Canary Islands in its debut season in winter 2021-2022.
  • Before the Canary Islands itinerary starts, AIDA Cruises will offer travellers a special voyage over Christmas and New Year’s Eve, with AIDAcosma embarking December 22, 2021, on a unique positioning cruise from Hamburg to Gran Canaria.
  • AIDAcosma, like its sister ship AIDAnova, is powered by environmentally friendly liquefied natural gas (LNG). It will offer guests exciting experiences with signature features from AIDAnova such as the Beach Club, the Theatrium with its 360-degree stage, TV studio and the lavish Body & Soul Organic Spa. Guests will have extensive options for dining and celebrating with 17 restaurants and 23 bars. More highlights include a boulder wall, a waterpark with double water slide and a spacious pool deck at the stern, which extends across the entire width of the ship. The breath-taking infinity pool offers magnificent views of the sea.
  • During the Canary Islands season, AIDAcosma sailings will be offered from January 5, 2022, to April 9, 2022. From April 13, 2022, the ship departs on a positioning cruise toward the Mediterranean. Subsequently, 7-day cruises to popular Mediterranean destinations starting in Palma de Mallorca or Barcelona are offered.
  • AIDAcosma’s sister ship AIDAnova will offer voyages in the Arabian Gulf. On November 5, 2021, the positioning cruise will start from Palma de Mallorca to Abu Dhabi or Dubai. The 7-day cruises in the Arabian Gulf will be offered throughout the winter season, starting November 26, 2021. Then on April 7, 2022, AIDAnova will return to Hamburg via the Mediterranean on a variety of positioning cruises.
  • Cruises with AIDAcosma departing from October 23 through December 21, 2021, cannot take place. Guests who were booked on impacted cruises and their travel advisors are being notified.
• Three Carnival Corporation Cruise Line Brands Plan to Resume Cruising in U.S. with Alaska Sailings in July
  • Princess Cruises will resume operations in Alaska starting July 25 through September 26, with seven-day cruises onboard Majestic Princess, a MedallionClass ship. Its cruises will visit signature ports, glaciers and attractions in Alaska including Glacier Bay National Park, Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.
  • Holland America Line will resume its cruise operations to Alaska with seven-day itineraries aboard Nieuw Amsterdam, calling at Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Sitka and Ketchikan, with scenic cruising in Alaska’s iconic locales, including Glacier Bay and Stephens Passage. The first cruise for the brand is scheduled to depart July 24, with 11 Saturday departures that will operate through October 2.
  • Carnival Cruise Line has already opened Alaska sailings departing from Seattle beginning July 27, with weekly departures through September 14 aboard Carnival Miracle. There are seven 7-day cruises featuring calls in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, as well as scenic cruising in Tracy Arm Fjord. The September 14 departure is an 8-day cruise with an additional stop in Icy Strait Point. Carnival Cruise Line is also working to finalize its plans to operate Carnival Horizon from Miami, and Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze from Galveston in July. Itineraries along with specific details about protocols are expected to be finalized and announced next week.
  • Additional details on the Alaska sailings will be announced in the coming weeks by each respective brand and available on their websites.

• and Finally…
  • Portugal, Malta and Barcelona all relax cruise restrictions and invite cruise lines to bring back the ships!!! Come on Australia!

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