MARITIME HISTORY & LISTENER QUESTION

• Further information on The Royal Yacht Britannia & Fingal (Hotel Ship): https://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/

CRUISE NEWS

• Cunard Announces New Itineraries across Fleet
  • Cunard resumes operations from July 19, 2021 as Queen Elizabeth welcomes guests on board for a series of UK voyages from Southampton, England; and beginning October 13, 2021, sailing internationally with new voyages including to the Iberian coast and the Canary Islands. Queen Elizabeth will then leave the UK in mid-February to resume her previously scheduled season in Japan from April 13, 2022.
  • Queen Mary 2 will resume sailing with a Transatlantic Crossing on November 14, 2021 as per her existing schedule, and will now sail on a series of voyages around the Caribbean between January and April 2022, with embarkation options from Southampton, New York and Hamburg before resuming her existing published schedule on April 24, 2022.
  • Queen Victoria will embark on three new voyages departing from Southampton from April 22, 2022 which includes Western Europe, the Baltics and the Iberian Coast before resuming her existing published schedule on May 20, 2022.
  • Due to the ongoing complexities of navigating global travel, Cunard has today announced that they will be cancelling the following voyages:
    • Queen Elizabeth’s sailings from the UK to Australia and her homeport season in Australia from October 18, 2021 up to and including March 9, 2022.
    • World Voyages on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria in 2022 are now cancelled.
    • Queen Victoria’s sailings from September 10, 2021 up to and including April 29, 2022 are now cancelled.
    • However, five of Queen Victoria’s sailings will transfer onto identical voyages on sister ship Queen Elizabeth. These voyages are V126, V128, V129, V130 and V201.
• A-ROSA sets sail again
  • River cruise line celebrates successful first departure of 2021
  • A-ROSA successfully welcomed guest back onto its cruises on the river Douro. After an enjoyable first night on board in Porto, this morning, A-ROSA ALVA and her guests departed on a seven-day cruise through the Douro Valley to the Spanish border and back.
  • Cruises on the Danube will resume in two days’ time on 19 June, on board A-ROSA DONNA, calling at three European capital cities – Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava. By the end of this month cruises on the Rhine will be back in operation and by the middle of the summer, A-ROSA plans to have three quarters of its fleet operating along the Rhine, Main, Moselle, Danube, Douro and Rhone rivers.
  • Having sailed successfully for over five months in 2020, A-ROSA used the winter months to further fine tune its sophisticated health and hygiene protocols. 2021 will see the return of A-ROSA’s popular gourmet buffets, plus as in 2020, the SPA-ROSA with its sauna, treatments room and gym, the pool/whirlpool and a range of excursions will be available, all in compliance with strict hygiene measures.
• An Icon Is Born As Royal Caribbean Starts Construction On Revolutionary Ship
  • An iconic day for the cruise industry’s next iconic ship took place on Monday, June 14 when Royal Caribbean International marked the start of construction on its first Icon Class ship. To celebrate the milestone, the world’s largest cruise line held a steel-cutting ceremony at Finnish shipyard Meyer Turku, where the revolutionary ship’s name was revealed as Icon of the Seas.
  • Debuting in fall 2023, Icon will be the cruise line’s first of three ships to be powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas). LNG and the state-of-the-art ship’s additional environmentally friendly applications, such as shore power connection, will boost energy efficiencies and reduce carbon footprint. More details about Icon’s advanced environmental technologies will be revealed at a future date.
• Viking ex Malta
  • Viking announced new details about its upcoming Welcome Back voyages in the Mediterranean that launch in July 2021. Over the course of summer and early fall, Viking will homeport three sister ships—the Viking Star®, the Viking Sea® and the company’s newest ship, the Viking Venus®—for three different 11-day itineraries that explore the Mediterranean, roundtrip from the Maltese capital city of Valletta, a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site. Viking also announced today that it has partnered with Lufthansa to offer non-stop flights from Newark Liberty International Airport to Malta, exclusively for Viking guests.
  • Mediterranean Voyages Beginning in July 2021
    • Malta & Adriatic Jewels (11 days; Valletta to Valletta; Croatia, Montenegro & Malta) – Discover Malta’s millennia of history and visit ancient UNESCO sites. Explore Croatia’s captivating coastline and some of the great iconic cities of antiquity. Stroll the majestic city walls of Dubrovnik and visit Diocletian’s Palace. Or immerse yourself in nature and the great outdoors during a visit to Krka National Park. Join us for a fascinating journey as you witness rolling landscapes and ancient architectural treasures along Adriatic shores. Multiple sailing dates July through October 2021.
    • Malta & the Western Mediterranean (11 days; Valletta to Valletta; Italy, Spain & Malta) – Traverse the historic and heritage-rich waters of the Western Mediterranean during a 10-night roundtrip voyage from Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will discover the magnificent Amalfi Coast from elegant Naples, gateway to Pompeii, and visit Messina, Sicily’s cultural crossroad. See the storied sites of ancient Rome and immerse in Tuscan Florence and Catalonian Barcelona’s art and architecture during your unforgettable journey. Multiple sailing dates in September and October 2021.
    • Malta & Greek Isles Discovery (11 days; Valletta to Valletta; Greece & Malta) – Immerse in the ancient world as you discover the early empires of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. Visit historic UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the Maltese capital of Valletta and Rhodes’ Palace of the Grand Masters. Enjoy dramatic views of the Parthenon in Athens, uncover the mysteries of the Minoans on Crete and admire the white facades and azure domes of the clifftop villages of Santorini during this enchanting voyage through the centuries. Multiple sailing dates July through September 2021.
• Viking opens up Europe to American cruisers
  • Viking today welcomed Americans back to a reopened Europe. The 27 European Union countries reached an agreement to again allow travellers from the United States in a vote earlier today—a long-expected move that complements the CDC’s recent announcement that it has eased travel recommendations for 110 countries and territories. As part of the new recommendations, the CDC has specifically ranked Iceland and Malta—two key destinations for Viking’s Welcome Back voyages, which are offered exclusively for vaccinated guests – as “Level 1” or the lowest for risk of COVID-19.
  • Viking successfully restarted operations in May and has been sailing in the United Kingdom with British guests since May 22. Nearly 100 percent of guests on these sailings provided exceptionally high ratings. Earlier this week, on June 15, the company welcomed its first American guests back on board in Bermuda for the first of eight sailings of Bermuda Escape. Over the next month, Viking will launch Welcome Back sailings around Iceland and in the Mediterranean – and will restart its European river operations with select itineraries in Portugal, France and along the Rhine.
• Crystal Expedition Cruises Announces 2023-2024 Deployment for Luxury Expedition Yacht Crystal Endeavor
  • Crystal Expedition Cruises today announced the full roster of 2023 voyages as well as two early January 2024 itineraries for its luxury expedition yacht Crystal Endeavor.  The first ever “Made in Germany” Polar Class Six (PC6), all-suite, all-verandah ship will feature 27 world-spanning itineraries, taking guests on adventurous journeys to new and remote corners of the globe in bespoke luxury and comfort on the line’s state-of-the-art vessel.
  • Highlights include polar expeditions, remote island explorations, immersive voyages to Japan, Russia’s Northeast Passage, cruising into the heart of Seville, and more
  • Thoughtfully crafted itineraries range from 10 to 28 nights and will offer intrepid travellers a diverse range of adventures including expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic; South America and offshore islands; Cape Verde and the Canary Islands; the Mediterranean and Western Europe; the British and Scottish Isles; Iceland and the Faroe Islands; Norway, the North Cape and Svalbard; the Russian Arctic and the Northeast Passage; Japan and the Inland Sea; the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago; and Australia including New Year’s Eve in Sydney.
  • See Cruise News Post for full list of voyages: https://bit.ly/3vGlbdt
    • Philippines, Borneo & Indonesian Quest (Remote Expedition) – 16-night, November 21 – December 7, 2023, Taipei, Taiwan to Bali, Indonesia

• • • Expedition to Bali, the Raja Ampat & Queensland (Remote Expedition) – 16-nights, December 7 – December 23, 2023, Bali, Indonesia to Cairns, Australia

• • • Holiday Expedition: Great Barrier Reef to Tasmania (Destination Exploration) – 14-night, December 23, 2023 – January 6, 2024, Cairns, Australia to Hobart, Australia
• Disney Cruise Line Offers More Holiday Cheer Than Ever Before in Fall 2022
  • The magic of the holidays returns to Disney Cruise Line in the fall of 2022 with Halloween on the High Seas and Very Merrytime Cruises across the fleet, including the first fall season on the all-new Disney Wish. With cruises departing from Florida, New York, Texas and California, guests will have many opportunities to experience holidays at sea with Disney Cruise Line.
  • “With five ships setting sail in fall 2022 from different homeports around the country, we are excited to offer more ways than ever before for families to make special memories with Disney Cruise Line,” said Thomas Mazloum, president of Disney Cruise Line.
  • Halloween on the High Seas returns to Disney Cruise Line in mid-September through October 2022. On select sailings across the fleet, guests can dress up and join Disney characters in their Halloween costumes at Mickey’s Mouse-querade Party; enjoy themed food, beverages and crafts; and immerse themselves in a ghostly ship takeover with elaborate decor and a magical Pumpkin Tree.
  • From early November through December, the Disney Cruise Line fleet is decked from bow-to-stern with holiday cheer and entertainment during Very Merrytime Cruises. Holiday magic is unwrapped for the whole family with festive holiday decor, favorite characters in their finest holiday attire and a special visit from none other than Santa Claus.
  • Bookings open to the public June 24, 2021
    • Tropical Escapes from Florida
      • In fall 2022, the Disney Wish and Disney Fantasy will embark on guest-favourite itineraries out of Port Canaveral, Florida, while the Disney Dream continues to sail from Miami.
      • The Disney Wish will continue its inaugural season with its first-ever fall and holiday sailings, offering a series of three- and four-night voyages to the Bahamas, while the Disney Fantasy will offer six-, seven- and eight-night vacations to the eastern and western Caribbean.
      • The Disney Dream will take guests on four- and five-night Bahamian itineraries and five-night Caribbean cruises to ether Grand Cayman or Cozumel, Mexico.
      • All sailings from Port Canaveral and Miami will include a stop at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island paradise outfitted for family fun and relaxation and brimming with special Disney touches.
    • Caribbean Cruises from San Juan
      • The Disney Magic will sail out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, for two special itineraries in early November. A seven-night southern Caribbean sailing will visit Antigua, St. Lucia, Aruba and Bonaire, while a following six-night voyage will feature stops in St. Thomas and Falmouth, Jamaica.
    • Baja Peninsula Voyages from California
      • Spooktacular sailings return to California in late September with Halloween on the High Seas cruises to the Baja Peninsula from San Diego. The Disney Wonder will host three-, four-, five- and seven-night vacations from southern California, allowing guests to celebrate the Halloween season at sea while taking in the mesmerizing beauty of Mexico.
    • Sailings to Bermuda and Canada from New York
      • The Disney Magic returns to New York in late September for a series of Halloween on the High Seas sailings to Bermuda and Canada. Guests can visit Bermuda’s pink sand beaches and colorful coral reefs on five-night vacations or set their sights for a special six-night cruise to the Canadian ports of New Brunswick and Halifax that includes a stop in Bar Harbor, Maine.
    • Vacations to Bahamas and Caribbean from Texas
      • The Disney Magic will visit Galveston, Texas, in late November for a variety of five- and seven-night Very Merrytime Cruises. Guests can experience the magic of the holidays on western Caribbean itineraries with ports of call that include Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Grand Cayman.
• Aida announces 2022 World Cruise
  • • After the great success of past world voyages, AIDA Cruises today announced that AIDAsol will sail its first world cruise in winter 2022-2023, a 117-day adventure that includes rounding Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope and visiting destinations such as Glacier Alley, Tierra del Fuego, Mauritius, Cape Town and New Year’s Eve in Sydney. In addition to popular destinations, AIDAsol will make first-time port calls at Suva in Fiji, Nuku’alofa in the Polynesian Kingdom of Tonga, Mystery Island in Vanuatu, Île des Pins in New Caledonia and Geraldton in Australia.
    • From October 26, 2022, AIDAsol will call at 43 ports in 20 different countries on four continents, pass the International Date Line and cross the equator twice. From Hamburg, the ship will first set course for South America. After calls on the Canary Islands and the Cape Verde Islands, dream destinations such as Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Ushuaia and Chile await guests.
    • From there AIDAsol continues westward to Tahiti, Bora Bora, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu (Christmas), New Caledonia and Australia to Mauritius. Guests welcome the New Year against the magical backdrop of Sydney.
    • The last leg of the voyage takes guests aboard AIDAsol via La Reunion to South Africa and Namibia. On the way back to Europe, travellers visit Tenerife and Madeira. The voyage continues via Lisbon and Cherbourg/France, to Hamburg, where it ends on February 20, 2023.
    • In addition, three legs of the world cruise can be booked. The duration of the voyage varies between 30 and 48 days — a perfect opportunity to fulfil the dream of a unique voyage in shorter stages. For example, AIDA guests can travel from Hamburg to San Antonio in 36 days, from San Antonio to Mauritius in 48 days or from Mauritius to Hamburg in 33 days.
    • On sale now via travel agents.
• Coral Expeditions releases two new North Australian expeditions in 2022
  • Coral Expeditions, Australia’s pioneering small ship cruise line, has today announced two special departures ‘Across the Top’ of Australia for early in the new year. The itineraries will operate between Broome and Cairns in January 2022 with only two 18-night voyages planned on the company’s state of the art 2019 expedition ship Coral Adventurer.  Covering over 4,000 km of remote coastline, the voyage will take a small number of like-minded guests through Australia’s great rivers, pristine outer reefs, and ancient traditional communities seen by very few in their lifetime. The expeditions will be hosted by Coral Expeditions’ renowned guides who will share insights into the rich history, geology, and indigenous cultures of the region.
  • “These voyages have been created for Australians and inspired by guest demand we see each year to join together our 10-night Kimberley and 11-night Cape York and Arnhem Land voyages” stated Commercial Director Jeff Gillies. “These are two of our most popular Australian expeditions.  This combined voyage brings together our greatest hits”
  • Voyage Details:
    •  18-nights | Broome to Cairns departing 1 January 2022 | Aboard Coral Adventurer
    • 18-nights | Cairns to Broome | departing 20 January 2022 | Aboard Coral Adventurer
• Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines unveils brand new sailings aboard new ships Bolette and Borealis in 2022
  • Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has today unveiled 16 brand new sailings aboard new ships Bolette and Borealis departing in early 2022.
  • The new cruises include a 34-night sailing to the Caribbean and a 15-night Mediterranean discovery, as well as sailings closer to home with a five-night scenic Ireland sailing and a two-night ‘no port’ short break. Also included are scenic sailings to the Norwegian fjords, opportunities to witness the Northern Lights and voyages to the Canary Islands or Iceland, to name a few.
  • Durations range from two to 38 nights, with departures available from Southampton and Liverpool.
  • Highlights of the new 2022 programme include:
    • Borealis’ 34nt ‘Cultural Caribbean and the Americas’ cruise, departing from Southampton on 6th January 2022.
      • Departure of a 38-night sailing is also available from (and returning to) Liverpool on 4th January 2022.  
      • Itinerary: Southampton, England – Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Azores, Portugal – St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda – Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis – Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands – Santa Marta, Colombia – Colon, Panama – Puerto Limón, Costa Rica (overnight stay) – Belize City, Belize – Cozumel, Mexico – Kings Wharf, Bermuda (overnight stay) – Southampton, England
    • Bolette’s 14nt ‘In Search of the Northern Lights’ cruise, departing from Southampton on 30th January 2022.
      • Itinerary: Southampton, England – Trondheim, Norway – Alta, Norway (overnight stay) – Tromsø, Norway (overnight stay) – Bodø, Norway – Ålesund, Norway – Southampton, England
    • Bolette’s 19nt ‘Ancient Adriatic with Venice’ cruise, departing from Southampton on 13th February 2022.
      • Itinerary: Southampton, England – Cartagena, Spain – Valletta, Malta – Split, Croatia – Venice, Italy – Zadar, Croatia – Dubrovnik, Croatia – Cruising Strait of Messina, Italy – Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy – Lisbon, Portugal – Southampton, England
    • Borealis’ 5nt‘Touring Scenic Ireland in Five Nights’ cruise, departing from Liverpool on 14th April 2022.
      • Itinerary: Liverpool, England – Cruising by Spike Island, Ireland – Cobh, Country Cork, Ireland – Galway, Ireland – Cruising by Cliffs of Moher, Ireland – Cruising by Dún Aonghasa, Aran Islands – Cruising by Clare Island, Clew Bay – Cruising by Croaghaun, Achill Island – Cruising by Inishkea Islands – Cruising Wild Atlantic Bay, Mayo – Cruising by Downpatrick Head, Mayo – Cruising by Malin Head & Sliabh Liag, Ireland – Cruising by Arranmore, Ireland – Cruising by Tory Island, Northern Ireland – Belfast, Northern Ireland – Liverpool, England
• Saga Cruises’ new ship Captains announced as the cruise liner returns to the waves
  • Saga Cruises is welcoming two new Captains to operate the cruise company’s sister ships, ‘Spirit of Discovery’ and ‘Spirit of Adventure’, as they return to the waves this summer, along with a familiar face who will be returning to take the brand new ‘Spirit of Adventure’ on her inaugural cruise.
  • Darin Bowland and Jason Ikiadis will join Kim Tanner as the Captains of Saga’s cruise ships that are exclusively designed for guests who are over 50.
  • Captain Bowland will take the helm of Spirit of Discovery on June 27 as she heads off around the British Isles, and Captain Tanner will take Spirit of Adventure on her inaugural 15-night cruise around the British Isles on July 26.
  • Captain Darin Bowland has previously held positions with Royal Caribbean and Carnival Corporation (Holland America), after starting his career as a cadet with the Royal Canadian Navy in 1985.
  • Captain Jason Ikiadis comes from a long line of seafarers, including his own father who was a ship’s Captain, and his paternal grandfather who was in the Royal Navy. “Captain Ikiadis first went to sea in 1984, and has held many positions since, working up the ranks to Captain for cruise lines such as Azamara and TUI
  • Regular Saga Cruisers will also recognise Captain Kim Tanner who has been with the cruise line for five years and is popular with guests and crew alike.

MSC VIRTUOSA

• Emma from Emma Cruises recently sailed on the first UK sailing onboard MSC Virtuosa. Emma joins the show at around 25 mins.
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