Carnival Cruise Line To Provide Carnival Glory To Support New Orleans Recovery Efforts From Hurricane Ida

• Carnival Cruise Line announced today that it has an agreement with the city of New Orleans and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide Carnival Glory for first responders housing through Sept. 18.
• Related to this announcement, Carnival will cancel Glory’s cruise scheduled to depart on Sept. 12 and will plan to restart its guest operations with Carnival Glory from New Orleans on Sunday, Sept. 19. Carnival had already cancelled the Sept. 5 departure for Carnival Glory.
• Carnival Glory arrived at the Port of New Orleans on Friday and underwent a required U.S. Coast Guard inspection.  The ship began provisioning food, water and materials to prepare for up to 2,600 hospital workers, first responders, city and utility workers and other emergency personnel to join the ship.  The ship will stay in port and serve as emergency housing for frontline workers directly involved in the city’s infrastructure recovery and healthcare needs.

Holland America Line Announces Spring 2022 Return-to-Service Dates for Final Three Ships in the Fleet

• By late (northern) spring 2022, Holland America Line will have a complete fleet back to cruising with the restart of operations for Noordam, Oosterdam and Westerdam. Noordam will restart with a March 14, 2022, cruise in Japan; Oosterdam will begin cruising May 1 in the Mediterranean, and Westerdam will return to service May 8 in Alaska. The ships will join Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam and Zuiderdam, which have returned to service or are slated to restart cruising by December 2021. Volendam and Zaandam will return in May 2022.
• Noordam Plans Return to Service in Japan
  • Holland America Line is working with Japanese authorities to begin cruising for Noordam next spring in Japan with four sailings scheduled.
  • When Noordam sets sail in March, the ship plans to offer three 14-day cruises that deeply explore Japan. Sailing roundtrip from Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan, the ship makes several calls around the exotic country and with a one- or two-day visit on each itinerary to South Korea, Taiwan or Russia. The 14-day journeys can be combined to form 28-day Collectors’ Voyages.
  • In April, Noordam will cross the Pacific Ocean and sail a season in Alaska with cruises between Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and Whittier, Alaska.
• Oosterdam Returns to the Mediterranean
  • Guests eager to visit the Med next year can embark Oosterdam beginning with the May 1 departure. The ship will sail the season in the region, cruising between Civitavecchia (Rome) and Venice, Italy; and Barcelona, Spain, and Venice; or roundtrip from Venice on seven- and 12-day itineraries. Oosterdam will explore ports in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Montenegro, Croatia, Albania, France, Malta and Israel.
  • Following a transatlantic crossing in November 2022, the ship will transit the Panama Canal and take a southerly route to offer a series of South America and Antarctica expeditions ranging from 14 to 22 days between Buenos Aires, Argentina, and San Antonio (Santiago), Chile.
• Westerdam Sets Sail for Alaska
  • When Westerdam returns on May 8, the ship will embark on a season of seven-day Alaska cruises roundtrip from Seattle, Washington. Come September, the ship will cross the Pacific Ocean and begin a season in the Far East offering a variety of 14-day itineraries from Singapore; Hong Kong, China; and Yokohama (Tokyo).
  • Guests on January to May 2022 Cruises Will Move to 2023
  • With these restart dates for Noordam, Oosterdam and Westerdam, cruises in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and South America and Antarctica from January 2022 through the return-to-service departures will be cancelled.

Seabourn Announces Updated Restart Date For Seabourn Quest

• Seabourn, the ultra-luxury cruise line, continues to work with various global government and port officials to develop plans for a full return of cruise travel. Seabourn has updated the restart of one of its remaining ships, Seabourn Quest, in time for the summer season in the Mediterranean on May 10, 2022.
• The ship will resume service in Europe, where it will spend its summer 2022 season homeporting from Venice, Italy. Seabourn Quest will visit the historic countries in the Adriatic and Ionian seas through mid-July before turning west and north to explore coastal destinations across Spain, Portugal, France and the United Kingdom.
• The revised restart date also means the brand is cancelling the 2021-2022 Antarctica and South America season on Seabourn Quest, which also includes the Amazon region. The line is currently operating two of the five ships in its fleet, Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Ovation.

Oceania Cruises, has unveiled the Inaugural Season of voyage itineraries for Vista, the line’s newest ship

• Oceania Cruises, the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, has unveiled the Inaugural Season of voyage itineraries for Vista, the line’s newest ship. The 18 Inaugural Season voyages commence in April 2023 and will span more than 24 countries across four continents, from the ancient sands of Asia in the east to the glittering hills of Hollywood in the west. Vista’s Inaugural Season voyages are now available for travellers and travel partners to preview online at OceaniaCruises.com and will open for sale on 16 September 2021.
• Inaugural Season Highlights
  • The gala Maiden Voyage sails from Rome to Barcelona on 14 April 2023
  • 18 voyages spanning more than 24 countries across four continents
  • Spanish, French, and Italian Rivieras; Greek Isles; Holy Lands of Turkey and Israel; Canary Islands; Wine Country of Spain, Portugal, and France; The British Isles & Ireland; Colonial America; and Panama Canal
  • Overnight stays in Lisbon, Venice, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Bordeaux, Montreal, and New York City
• Vista’s Inaugural Voyages
  • Maiden Voyage – Rome to Barcelona, 14 April 2023, 12 days
    Sorrento/Capri, Messina, Valletta, Florence/Pisa/Tuscany, Monte Carlo, Toulon, Port-Vendres, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Valencia
  • Barcelona to Lisbon, 26 April 2023, 10 days
    Alicante, Granada, Arrecife, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Tangier, Lisbon (overnight)

• • Lisbon to Venice, 6 May 2023, 14 days              
    Seville, Málaga, Cartagena, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Marseille, Monte Carlo, Rome, Sorrento/Capri, Messina, Dubrovnik, Venice (overnight)
  • Venice to Athens, 20 May 2023, 12 days
    Split, Bari, Kotor, Mykonos, Kavala/Philippi, Istanbul (overnight), Ephesus, Rhodes, Santorini
  • Athens to Istanbul, 1 June 2023, 10 days
    Santorini, Heraklion, Bodrum, Antalya, Limassol, Rhodes, Ephesus, Bozcaada, Istanbul (overnight)
  • Istanbul to Rome, 11 June 2023, 14 days
    Istanbul (overnight), Izmir, Santorini, Rhodes, Limassol, Jerusalem (overnight in Haifa and visit to Ashdod), Chania, Argostoli, Taormina, Salerno
  • Rome to Athens, 25 June 2023, 10 days
    Naples/Pompeii, Messina, Valletta, Mykonos, Istanbul (overnight), Ephesus, Santorini
  • Athens to Venice, 5 July 2023, 10 days
    Mykonos, Istanbul (overnight), Ephesus, Corfu, Kotor, Dubrovnik, Venice (overnight)
  • Venice to Rome, 15 July 2023, 10 days
    Split, Dubrovnik, Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Argostoli, Taormina, Salerno
  • Rome to Barcelona, 25 July 2023, 10 days
    Naples/Pompeii, Messina, Valletta, Florence/Pisa/Tuscany, Monte Carlo, Saint-Tropez, Marseille, Palma de Mallorca
  • Barcelona to London, 4 August 2023, 14 days
    Málaga, Tangier, Seville, Lisbon (overnight), Oporto, La Coruña, Bilbao, Bordeaux (overnight), Saint-Malo
  • London to London, 18 August 2023, 12 day
    Edinburgh, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Glasgow, Belfast, Liverpool, Dublin, Holyhead, Waterford, Portland
  • London to New York, 30 August 2023, 18 days
    Paris, Saint-Malo, Torbay, Cork, Belfast, Dublin, Killybegs, St. John’s, Saint-Pierre, Saint John, Bar Harbor, Boston, Newport
  • New York to Montreal, 18 September 2023, 11 days
    Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Shelburne, Sydney, Saguenay, Quebec City, Montreal (overnight)
  • Montreal to Miami, 29 September 2023, 15 days
    Montreal (overnight), Quebec City, Saguenay, Sydney, Shelburne, Bar Harbor, Portland, Martha’s Vineyard, New York (overnight), Charleston
  • Miami to Los Angeles, 16 October 2023, 16 days or Los Angeles to Miami, 3 November 2023, 16 days
    George Town, Cartagena, Panama Canal, Puntarenas, Corinto, Puerto Quetzal, Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Ensenada (3 November voyage operates in reverse order)

 Vista Highlights

• • 12 dining options, four of them brand new
  • 1,200 guests served by 800 crew members = two crew members for every three guests
  • The most spacious standard staterooms at sea – more than 26 square metres
  • All Penthouse Suites and Staterooms feature large bathrooms with oversized rainforest showers
  • All Owner’s, Vista and Oceania Suites feature luxurious soaking tubs
  • Palatial Owner’s Suites and top-of-ship Library styled exclusively in Ralph Lauren Home
  • New Concierge Level Veranda Staterooms for Solo Travellers
  • Eight bars, lounges, and entertainment venues
  • Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center and Aquamar Spa Terrace

NCL Latest episode of EMBARK now live

• Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel with a 54-year history of breaking boundaries, today premieres the next episode of EMBARK – the Series, “Welcome Aboard,” which will be live at 10am AEST at www.ncl.com/embark and Facebook.
• The Company’s five-part docuseries chronicling its return to cruising journey continues with a behind-the-scenes look at its Great Cruise Comeback when Norwegian Jade becomes the first ship in the fleet to welcome guests back on board after 500 days.
• In this fourth episode, viewers will witness the emotional moments when crew reunite for the first time after many months, as well as their excitement to do what they do best – deliver memorable cruise experiences. The episode will showcase the final preparations to ready the ship before the first guests embark and Norwegian Jade makes history as the first ship in the NCL fleet to homeport in Athens.

Celebrity Cruises Invites Consumers To See This Wonderful World Again

• Celebrity Cruises, today launched a multi-million-dollar global advertising campaign enticing all consumers to reawaken their wanderlust and reconnect with the people and the world around them.
• With the tagline, “Journey Safe, Journey Wonderfull,” the campaign powerfully taps into the transformative wonders of experiencing the world from the perspective of a Celebrity ship. The campaign blends new luxury experiences with places and people at its heart, doubling down on a message of inclusivity. 
• The campaign’s television spot opens by posing the question, “How many precious moments have we missed?”, before taking the viewer on a journey filled with experiences and wonders one might not immediately associate with a cruise.
• Set to a remix of Louis Armstrong’s iconic life-affirming ballad “What a Wonderful World,” the spot draws on the lyrics, enticing the viewer at every moment to return to experiencing the fullness of life.  
• The spot also reminds viewers that there are new safety considerations in today’s travel environment that Celebrity Cruises takes seriously. Like many other travel brands, Celebrity Cruises paused its operations in March 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic took hold. After nearly 16 months, it became the first cruise operator to sail with passengers from both North America, and then, the first to sail from a U.S. port when Celebrity Edge left Fort Lauderdale on June 26 for a seven-night cruise of the Caribbean.
• https://youtu.be/uQet84z_quE

Carnival Corporation to Provide Convenient Access to Pre-Board Testing (USA only)

• The world’s largest cruise company, today announced a new initiative making pre-board testing more convenient and accessible for its guests. The effort will facilitate access to pre-cruise COVID-19 viral testing for guests of Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn at more than 1,500 convenient Quest Diagnostics patient service centers and retail pharmacy testing locations throughout the U.S.
• The program helps streamline pre-cruise preparation for guests planning to sail aboard Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line or Seabourn. Currently, all guests, regardless of vaccination status, must present a negative COVID-19 viral test taken no more than three days before their embarkation, along with additional health and safety requirements. Beginning September 13, 2021 and after, in accordance with CDC directives, all vaccinated guests must present a negative COVID-19 viral test taken no more than two days before their embarkation (for example, if a cruise leaves on a Saturday, guests should schedule their tests for the Thursday before embarking). Details about requirements are available on the Carnival Corporation cruise line brand websites.
• The pre-board test (molecular or antigen) is one of the added measures recently implemented by the company’s cruise lines, which have been operating with enhanced health and safety protocols designed to change as needed to adapt to the evolving public health environment.
• Guests may schedule testing with Quest Diagnostics at more than 1,500 locations, including Quest Diagnostics patient service centers and select Walmart and other retail pharmacy locations throughout the U.S. Appointments are required and may be scheduled online via secure link provided by Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line or Seabourn. Results are typically available within 48 hours via email or mobile application*

A-ROSA unveils spa offering on A-ROSA SENA

• A-ROSA River Cruises has released the latest details and renders of its spa offering on board its newest ship, A-ROSA SENA, launching in May 2022. Setting the bar high in both sustainability and on board innovations, the ship will feature an extra-large wellness area with a fitness room. Located on the first deck, the spa introduces a new standard, one might not expect to find on a river cruise vessel.
• The SPA-ROSA will feature a whirlpool, a Finnish sauna, heated benches for relaxation and an ice grotto with an ice fountain for cooling off. There are two treatment rooms where guest can enjoy a range of spa treatments and massages.
• The fitness room is much larger than on the existing fleet, enabling more group classes to be offered. There is space for up to six yoga mats, one of them with a TRX sling. The room is also equipped with eight premium fitness machines including rowing, cycling and running machines for endurance training plus strength machines for the upper and lower body.
• With flexibility key at A-ROSA, guests using the gym can choose to workout independently, enjoying the ever-changing scenery outside or they can use the machines to access an array of workouts using ‘Life Fitness on Demand’ with guidance and instruction from trainers. In addition, guests can link the machines in the gym to their smartwatches to ensure their training activity onboard is logged.
• Ensuring that all guests of the SPA-ROSA stay hydrated between treatments and training sessions, refreshments such as drinks and wellness snacks will be available at a self-service bar. There is also a relaxation room with loungers, a sofa, armchairs and a fireplace. For those who want to relax outside, the sundeck boasts two pools and loungers.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines introduces Made for Life Organics aboard new ships to offer inclusive spa experience

• Fred. Olsen has become the first cruise line to partner with wellbeing experts Made for Life Organics, to offer inclusive spa experiences including for those living with long-term health conditions.
• New ships Bolette and Borealis will be the first in the fleet to offer the new rituals, which will include meditative back, body and scalp treatments and facials, suitable for those with sensitive skin and living with cancer. The rituals use organic, botanical ingredients.
• Made for Life Organics was launched in Cornwall in 2003 and developed advanced Cancer Touch Therapy training, enabling people going through cancer to receive the therapeutic benefits of touch. Treatments and training are approved and accredited by the Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care, the Complementary Medical Association and CIBTAC (The Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology).