Author: Alfredo Casuso

LIVES OF THE LINERS: CRUISING & CRUISE SHIPS – July 4, 2021 

From Bill Miller

July 4^th 2021

Mon Jun 21^st Bits’n Pieces:  After confirming its service resumption in Alaska, Princess Cruises has announced its intent to return to service in other US ports, sailing from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Fort Lauderdale this fall.  By the Nov, eight big Princess  ships will be once again taking guests to the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Mexico, Hawaii and the California Coast. … Cruise lines are planning restarts in various phases in 2021, including a number of smaller European niche brands. … Although I won’t list them, some cruise lines are offering “insane” deals to recruit passengers following the long, otherwise very costly pandemic shutdown.

Tue Jun 22nd Holland America Line is gearing up to restart cruising out of Port of San Diego in California beginning with a season of cruises to Mexico, Hawaii and along the California coast aboard Koningsdam and Zuiderdam. The cruise line has expanded the season with the addition of six new cruise departures for Zuiderdam and two new cruises on Koningsdam, offering a total of 40 cruises from San Diego from Sep 2021 through Apr 2022. With the resumption of service on the West Coast, Holland America also is looking toward cruising in the Caribbean with four ships. All sailing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the season will begin Oct 23rd 2021, with Nieuw Amsterdam. The ship will be joined by the new Rotterdam Nov 3, Eurodam Nov 14 and Nieuw Statendam Nov 21. Caribbean cruises range in length from four to 14 days, span the entire region and include a call at Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line’s private island.

Royal Caribbean International embarked on its first simulated voyage Sunday as the cruise industry continues moving in the direction of resuming regular sailings. Last Sunday, the 3,600-bed Freedom of the Seas welcomed employee volunteers on board at Port Miami.

Celebrity Cruises:  Excitement, anticipation, and awe. These three words captured the feeling of passengers and onlookers as Celebrity Apex sailed out of the Port of Athens, on Sat Jun 19^th, to begin her maiden voyage and first summer season in the Aegean. The much-anticipated sailing marks an historic moment for the company, which had originally planned to introduce its newest ship in late Mar 2020. Guests and fans of the brand have waited ever-since with huge anticipation to experience the fleet’s new flagship.

Wed Jun 23rd More Bits’n Pieces: Christmas-New Year holiday cruises are just about heavily wait-listed across the board. Travelers are anxious to get away. Disney, as example, is promising the best holiday trips yet! … Denmark: From Jun 26th, vaccinated cruise guests will be allowed to go ashore in Denmark without any restrictions.

P&O Cruises has announced its expected deployment and phased re-start plan for the remainder of 2021 and into early 2022.  The Britannia will begin the planned western Mediterranean itineraries on Sep 25^th  and the brand new Iona will start her Atlantic coast holidays from the same date. These cruises will follow the series of UK coastal cruises beginning in June.  The Ventura’s first cruises will be the planned program of Atlantic islands holidays from Oct 3rd.  Following the Mediterranean season, running until Oct, the Britannia will reposition to the Caribbean for her winter season as scheduled, followed by the Azura which will begin Caribbean fly/cruises slightly later than published from Dec 10^th. 

Thu Jun 24^th Carnival Cruise Line announced plans yesterday to grow its fleet by two additional ships by 2023, taking the delivery position of an Excel-class ship that had previously been assigned to sister line AIDA Cruises that will arrive in late 2023, as well as taking ownership of the Costa Magica from another of its European sister lines, with that ship going through a dry dock, renaming and Carnival-branded conversion and joining the fleet by mid-2022.

More News from Carnival Corp:  Eight cruise line brands from Carnival Corporation have announced plans to resume guest cruise operations, with AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Seabourn sailing in the United States, the Caribbean and Europe. The company said it expects to have 42 ships in service through the end of its fiscal year 2021 (Nov 30th), representing 52 percent of the company’s total capacity across its global fleet of 91 cruise ships.

Hurtigruten, best known for its Norwegian coastal service and expedition cruising, is heading into Galapagos cruising, having inked a deal with Metropolitan Touring to take guests to the region starting in Jan 2022. Hurtigruten now has a satellite: Hurtigruten Expeditions.

Sea Days!  While it is all a matter of choice, the well respected Cruise Critic has selected 8 ships for the “best days at sea”.  

When Royal Caribbean’s gargantuan and game-changing Oasis of the Seas debuted as the then-world’s largest ship in 2009, people wondered if anyone would bother to get off the ship in port, as it could take a week to try out all the onboard activities. With 24 dining options, 21 pools and hot tubs, multiple live performance venues (including an ice rink and AquaTheater for high-diving shows) and seven “neighborhoods,” the ship practically guarantees that no one will have trouble finding something to do.  Well, lots of cruise travelers prefer spending time onboard – including during port calls – and the top 8 cruise ships for “stay aboard” cruising are:

1. Norwegian Escape
2. Carnival Vista
3. Harmony of the Seas
4. Disney Fantasy
5. Queen Mary 2
6. Crystal Serenity
7. Celebrity Reflection
8. Regal Princess

Fri Jun 25^th Further News from Carnival:  “Our strategic decision to accelerate the exit of 19 ships has lowered our capacity growth to roughly 2.5% compounded annually from 2019 through 2025, that’s down from 4.5% pre-COVID,” said Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation, on the company’s second quarter earnings call on Thursday.  “Moreover, we have opportunistically rebalanced our portfolio through the ship exits as well as the ship transfer and a modification to our newbuild schedule, the combination of which will transfer 8,000 berths from our Continental European brands to America’s favorite cruise line, Carnival Cruise Line to optimize the current environment, maximize cash generation and improve our return on invested capital.”

For Sale!  Carnival Corporation’s AIDA Cruises brand today announced the AIDAcara has been sold and will leave the fleet soon after 25 years in service for the German cruise brand. A buyer was not named.

Added News from AIDA:  AIDA Cruises has announced it will open the 2021 season at a third German cruise port, Hamburg, with AIDAmar on Jul 31^st.

Royal Caribbean:  Two young unvaccinated passengers on a Royal Caribbean International cruise out of the Bahamas tested positive for the coronavirus.  The passengers, who were younger than 16 and traveling in the same group, left the Adventure of the Seas before the end of the cruise on Thursday in Freeport with their companions. They returned home to Florida on a private flight arranged by the cruise company.

Single Travel:  Solo cruising is about to get a major upgrade on Atlas Ocean Voyages. The cruise line just unveiled its first Solo Suites – 183-square-foot escapes that travelers won’t have to pay extra for to get all to themselves. Each suite comes with a queen-sized bed, television, desk, mini fridge, and en suite bathroom featuring a rainfall shower. Most suites also have balconies from which to enjoy the expansive ocean views.

Sat Jun 26^th US Cruising:  When the Celebrity Edge departs Port Everglades today, it will mark the first revenue cruise with paying passengers on a large cruise ship sailing from a U.S. port in more than 15 months.   

Yes, it is all resuming – normalcy and step by step, cruise line by cruise line, ship by ship – bon voyage to all!

Out of the old shoebox:  A Saturday afternoon sailing from New York’s Pier 95 for the very popular Queen of Bermuda.  

Thank you to all our readers, correspondents, those “agents” in faraway places! 

LIVES OF THE LINERS: CRUISING & CRUISE SHIPS – JUNE 21, 2021 

From Bill Miller

June 13-19^th 2021

Sun Jun 13^th  Liverpool:  Our good friend Alva James was on hand for the departure on Jun 6^th of the first UK cruise in sixteen months.^.  Below is the MSC Virtuosa, which at 181,000 tons might just be the largest passenger ship ever to visit the famed port of Liverpool.   It certainly surpasses the 45,000-ton Aquitania of more than a century ago.

Carnival is among nearly a dozen cruise lines adding new exterior color schemes to their ships as cruising restarts.   Others making changes include Princess, P&O, Marella & Silversea.

MSC Cruises confirmed that while the Government had canceled a stop last week  at Greenock, but said they hoped cruise calls in Scotland can commence soon. Instead, the MSC Virtuosa extended its stay in Liverpool for a second day. Other cruise lines had also planned to cruise from Scotland as part of the summer restart of domestic cruising for UK passengers.

Above:   Onboard the Viking Sea

Mon Jun 14^th Nassau:  Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas (below) departed last Sat  on her first cruise from Nassau (to Mexico & Coco Cay).  Vaccinations, temperature checks & other Covid era formalities were in full force.   

Tue Jun 15^th  Resumption:  Almost all cruise lines now have fixed dates for a return to cruising.   UK-based Saga Cruises, as an example, is returning shortly:   the  Spirit of Discovery on June 27^th.  the Spirit of Adventure on July 26^th.  

Wed Jun 16^th  Royal Caribbean postponed the inaugural sailing of its  Odyssey of the Seas after eight vaccinated crew members tested positive for Covid-19.

Cunard:  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 Oct 18, 2021 up to and including Mar 9, 2022.  World Voyages on Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria in 2022 are now cancelled. Queen Victoria’s sailings from Sep 10, 2021 up to and including Apr 29, 2022 are now cancelled.  

Above:   The Doric as seen arriving at New York from the QE2 

Thu Jun 17^th Royal Caribbean has won approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct a so-called “test cruise” with its record-setting, 5,518-passenger Symphony of the Seas out of PortMiami starting Aug 1st.  It was also revealed that a second giant Royal Caribbean vessel, the 5,484-passenger Allure of the Seas, also had gotten CDC approval to operate a test cruise out of Port Canaveral, Florida, starting July 27th.

Florida:  More than three-quarters of Floridians in a poll released Wednesday disagree with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ policy banning cruise lines from requiring passengers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. The survey, conducted by the University of South Florida School of Public Affairs, found just 24% said cruise lines should not be allowed to require guests to show proof of vaccination — which is Gov. Ron DeSantis’ position.

Princess:  Following collaboration with government officials, and evolving guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Princess is announcing its intent to return to service in the United States sailing from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Ft. Lauderdale this fall.  Starting between Sep 25 and Nov 28, 2021, cruises onboard eight Princess ships will once again take guests to the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Mexico, Hawaii, and the California Coast. 

Above:   The Azura of P&O Cruises at Antigua

Fri Jun 18^th The State of Florida has prevailed in its injunction against the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to lift the Conditional Sail Order (CSO) that has been restricting the cruise industry since Oct 2020. A court essentially ruled in favor of Florida that the CSO exceeds the CDC’s “statutory and regulatory authority.”

Above:   Fred Olsen Lines’ Black Watch

Sat Jun 19^th Staff & Crew:  Employees of AIDA, Norwegian Cruise Line and Marella Cruises, and other major cruise lines have said on the grounds of anonymity that they have largely not been allowed to leave the cruise ship they’re working on, with one crew member admitting that this left him feeling “pretty depressed.” Some crew interviewed asked not to identify their ships or employers.   An employee on the Norwegian Jade said he had one short leave in two months – and then only to be vaccinated.

Carnival Cruise Line announced last week it would continue it’s quick but staggered restart in the United States with more ships entering service in Aug.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lowered its cruise travel warning from Level 4 to Level 3, and specified the warning is now for “travelers who are not fully vaccinated.” The CDC said it recommends that people who are not fully vaccinated avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide.

Cunard:  The Queen Mary 2 will begin a refit in Sep prior to returning to service in mid-Nov.

Royal Caribbean International has confirmed its health and safety protocols for the Freedom of the Seas and its July sailings from Miami. The company said it strongly recommends that all guests 16 and older be fully vaccinated and that at check-in, guests will be asked to provide documentation of their vaccination, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card.

The Royal Caribbean Cruise Experience

• Royal Caribbean said that vaccinated and unvaccinated guests are required to wear masks indoors unless seated and actively eating or drinking.
• Masks are not required in a guest’s stateroom when they are with their traveling party, outdoors, or at Perfect Day at CocoCay, unless in a crowded setting. Guests under the age of 2 do not need to wear a mask.
• Masks won’t be required for vaccinated guests when in venues (bars, lounges, restaurants and entertainment) or at events designated for vaccinated guests only.
• In the coming days, the company said it is expecting updated guidance from the CDC on mask policies for vaccinated guests and may revise these protocols.
• Venues will be set up with proper spacing and Royal Caribbean said it would ask guests to abide by physical distancing, especially when interacting with those outside of their traveling party.
• SeaPass cards will be required to access lounges, shows and dining venues.
• All dining venues will offer spaced seating. The company said it is “strong encouraging” guests to make dining reservations via Cruise Planner before the cruise or the Royal Caribbean app onboard.
• In the Main Dining Room, the company said it will designate areas for vaccinated and unvaccinated reservations to dine separately.
• My Time Dining will not be available to unvaccinated guests. In addition, while Windjammer will be open, the food will be served by the ship’s crew
• Venues will offer spaced seating and more showtimes throughout the sailing. Select showtimes will be for vaccinated guests and others for vaccinated and unvaccinated guests. More information will be provided onboard.
• All guests are subject to restrictions and requirements as defined by local authorities in the ports the ship visits. “It is reasonable to expect that unvaccinated guests will be subject to stricter protocols than vaccinated guests,” the company said.

Out of the old shoebox:   

Above:  Crystal Symphony & MSC Orchestra at New York;       Below:   Bon voyage to the SS United States (1964) with Ocean Monarch, Queen of Bermuda & Michelangelo in the background

Thank you to all our readers, correspondents, those “agents” in faraway places!