Happy New Year

 

Happy New Year And Thank You For Your Support

Cruise Ships Dock and Anchor in Funchal for New Year's Fireworks

Cruise ships are stacked in Funchal (Madeira) for the city's landmark midnight fireworks display to mark the start of a new decade.

At Anchor:

• CMV Columbus
• CMV Marco Polo
• Saga Sapphire
• Pullmantur Zenith
• TUI Mein Schiff 3
• Fred. Olsen Balmoral
• Marella Explorer
• Phoenix Reisen Amera

Docked:

• Cunard Queen Victoria
• Ocean Majesty
• AIDAstella
• P&O Aurora

The Top Cruise Stories of the Decade

During this past decade, the cruise ship orderbook grew from 27 ships on order in 2010 to more than 110 ships entering 2020. Not only is the current orderbook a record, it also contains more different ships than ever before from 9,000 to 100 passengers, from contemporary and mass market ships to ultra-luxury and expedition vessels.

The expedition market has taken off in the last few years. Traditionally dominated by a handful of operators with older ships, new ships are taking over while also growing the market segment and attracting new players, including most of the major cruise companies.

China has been a roller coaster for the industry. When the market “discovered” cruising, too many operators put too many ships in there too fast which resulted in an adjustment period as the market and its sales model were overwhelmed. Having modified its sales model, the market now seems to be coming back, but operators are more cautious.

Better satellite service and more broadband have accelerated internet and phone services aboard the ships so passengers now essentially can enjoy the same connectivity they can at home. In addition, apps and services like Princess’ Ocean Medallion.

Increasingly stricter environmental regulations have been introduced, requiring ships to operate on low-sulfur fuel or use scrubbers to clean the exhaust gases from heavy fuel oil. These restrictions also extend to ports which may also require low sulfur fuels or that ships turn off their engines and connect to shorepower.

New technologies have also been explorer and introduced due not only the environmental regulations but also the cost of fuel, seeking to reduce fuel consumption which in turn also reduces emissions. These technologies include LNG as a new fuel, research into hybrid solutions including fuel cells and batteries, optimized hull and bow shapes, hull coatings, trim optimization, LED lighting, and more.

Women have stepped up the plate and broken the so-called glass ceiling assuming top jobs as presidents and CEOs of cruise brands, as well as senior executives. Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises have women at the helm. Also at sea, women have assumed roles as captains in addition to senior officer positions.

The decade has also seen the dramatic growth of MSC Cruises sailing up to be the third largest cruise company. In addition, newcomer Viking Ocean has established itself in the premium market and is now also reaching into the expedition segment. Also launched has been the new brand of Virgin Cruises, so far with four ships being built.

Drydockings have evolved from being mainly class inspections, repairs and basic refurbishments to becoming major revitalization projects, including stretchings, sometimes transforming older ships into literally new ships, to the tune of as much as $200 million per project.

All was not positive during the decade, however, the grounding of the Costa Concordia with the resulting loss of life in addition to eventual scrapping of the ship, made a strong if temporary dent in the industry’s safety public perception. Incidents of violation of environmental regulations also took place, resulting in hefty fines.

 

After All-Nighter, Carnival Glory Patched and Cruising

After All-Nighter, Carnival Glory Patched and Cruising

The Carnival Glory has sailed on her Christmas cruise from New Orleans after an all-night effort to repair damage to the ship following a collision in Cozumel with the Carnival Legend on Friday.

Crews worked through the night to enclose the aft dining room which took the brunt of the damage, removing damage and welding in new steel to cover the opening. 

The 2003-built ship departed a day late on her itinerary, but passengers were able to board on Dec. 22 as scheduled. The itinerary called for a sea day on Dec. 23 followed by calls in Cozumel, Costa Maya, Mahogany Bay before two more sea days and a conclusion in New Orleans on Sunday, Dec. 29.

Carnival honored refunds for guests that opted not to join the sailing. For passengers embarking, they received one day pro-rated refund and a $100 onboard credit per stateroom.

 

Free WhatsApp for Holland America Crew

Holland America Line is giving crew free WhatsApp access across its fleet in time for the holidays.

Holland America Line also launched its Crew Self-Service (CSS) platform, which gives crew free access to their employment information.

“Our crew members are at the heart of our operation, and we know how important it is for them to be able to communicate with their loved ones from anywhere in the world, especially over the holidays,” said Orlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president, in a statement.

“We’re always looking for ways to ensure our crew know how much we value and appreciate them, and we’re happy to be able to offer WhatsApp along with other new applications like CSS to make communications easier and more efficient for them.”

Through the CSS system, shipboard employees can access their contract details, see port details, rotation schedules and more. An announcements board within CSS enables the company to communicate directly with all crew electronically.

Croatian Media: Flying Clipper Has Been Sold

Croatian Media: Flying Clipper Has Been Sold

A news report out of Croatia says the Flying Clipper has an owner.

"As we find out in Brodosplit, the ship has been sold, and the new owners of the Flying Clipper will be revealed soon," 24sata reported.

Built for Star Clippers at Brodosplit in Croatia, the Flying Clipper was completed earlier this year but was never delivered to its owner.

Brodosplit has since been showing off the ship and has released various photos and videos, showing a completed interior, staterooms and public areas. Sources previously told Cruise Industry News that the vessel was available to other customers, either for sale or on a long-term charter for Brodosplit.

The shipyard did not reply to a request for comment. 

The ship is said to be the most advanced sailing vessel in the world, built for 300 guests at an estimated cost of $100 million. 

Happy Christmas 2019

Have a Great Christmas Day and take a day off and enjoy a bottle of fizz with your Family and Friends
All the Best
Dave
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Crystal Cruises’ new adventure ship emerges from shipyard

Crystal Cruises’ new adventure ship emerges from shipyard

 

The latest Crystal Cruises’ adventure ship Crystal Endeavor has been rolled out of a German shipyard eight months before it is due to enter service.

The 200-passenger polar class expedition vessel touched water for the first time at the MV Werften yard in Stralsund.

The all-suite ship is due to set off on its first cruise from Tokyo on August 10, 2020.

Crystal Endeavor will feature helicopter pads and a submarine capable of carrying seven passengers 980ft under water.

Other facilities include chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s Umi Uma & Sushi Bar; a spa and fitness centre; mud rooms and a helicopter lounge.

Itineraries available until early 2023 range from the Arctic, Antarctica and Australia to Africa, Europe and Indonesia.

Crystal Cruises’ president and chief executive Tom Wolber said: “Each milestone marked in the journey to introducing Crystal Endeavor to the world becomes more thrilling, as we know that the most adventurous luxury travellers are eagerly awaiting the unforgettable experiences that lie ahead, just as we are.

Carnival Corp. 2020 Outlook

Carnival Corporation provided adjusted earnings guidance for 2020 on today’s Q4 and year-end earnings call from $4.30 to $4.60 per share, compared to 2019 adjusted earnings of $4.40 per share.

Carnival President and CEO Arnold Donald said that he expects cruise revenues to be up approximately 5 percent on capacity growth year-over-year of 6.6 percent.

At this point, he said, the company is entering 2020 with a record booked occupancy position but at slightly lower prices.

Donald noted the headwinds Carnival has faced this year, some of which will continue into 2020, including the impact of Cuba being off limits to cruise calls, events in the Arabian Gulf, Hurricane Dorian, unscheduled drydocks and ship delays, compounded by a decline in market demand in Continental Europe, particularly Germany, while Southern Europe is also challenging.

Noting these as “unusual events,” Donald said they had had a $0.23 negative impact on 2019 earnings.

In order to improve the market situation and accelerate demand growth in Southern Europe, Donald said that two older ships are being removed from the Costa fleet in 2020, following the recent introduction of the new Costa Smeralda. He said the new ship is much more efficient than the ships being removed.

In the UK, Carnival has been able to grow revenue yield despite Brexit, and Donald noted that P&O Cruises’s New Iona is booking at a significant premium over other ships on comparable itineraries.

In North America, the Caribbean is strong and so is Alaska. However, Alaska is seeing what he called an over-concentration of capacity and will need to absorb another industrywide capacity increase of 10 percent in 2020, on top of a 15 percent capacity increase in 2019.

As for China, Donald said Carnival will focus on its new joint venture cruise line. Meanwhile, he said, Costa had a good year in China in 2019 and looks forward to another good year in 2020, with more direct business, but is also happy with its charter model.

Carnival will essentially have six new ships in six different markets for the full year in 2020, starting with the Carnival Panorama, which just entered service on the West Cost, the Costa Smeralda in Southern Europe; P&O’s Iona in the UK; the Enchanted Princess in Europe and North America; the Mardi Gras in Florida; and the Costa Firenze in China.

According to Donald, Carnival is also accelerating marketing and media spend in all of its key markets to drive demand in 2020.

Carnival Glory Update; Ship to Be Repaired, Next Cruise on Schedule

The Carnival Glory will be repaired during her turnaround day in New Orleans on Dec. 22, according to a statement from Carnival Cruise Line following the Friday collision between two of its ships.

"The ship is on its way to New Orleans and will dock tomorrow morning to operate your cruise. With the exception of a section in the aft Platinum Dining Room, all features are operating and all activities will be offered, including the Christmas dinner menu we know our guests love," the company said. "Our team is working hard to complete weather-proofing and cosmetic work to the damaged area in the aft restaurant and this will require that we depart at midnight on Sunday."

Carnival is advising guests to arrive at the port two hours later than originally scheduled. "Given the impact to the aft restaurant, we will have to make some adjustments to our dining plan for next week's cruise," the company said. "Some guests who requested assigned dining will have to move to "Your Time Dining." (Guests on 'Your Time' open seating may dine any time in the Main Dining Room between 5:30 PM and 9:00 PM. Guests are seated on a first-come, first-served basis depending on party size.) Our team on board will do everything possible to accommodate affected guests to minimize any impact. Guests being moved will be contacted directly via separate email prior to boarding."

Pacific Northwest sights and flavours in Seattle

The Norwegian Bliss docked at Seattle’s Bell Street Terminal. In the distance are two ships at the Smith Cove terminal. Photo Credit: TW photo by Tom Stieghorst

The Port of Seattle used to take a back seat to Vancouver as a turnaround port for Alaska cruises, but no more.

With the 2017 upgrade of the downtown Bell Street Terminal at Pier 66, the continued use of the Smith Cove terminal and plans for a third terminal to be carved out of the cargo port on the south end of Elliott Bay, more and more cruisers will be visiting.

The port expects 1.2 million passengers in 2019.

And for anyone planning a pre- or post-cruise stay in Seattle, the biggest problem is choosing from among the cornucopia of things to see and do.

You might as well start, as I did on a recent visit, with Pike Place Market, where fish get thrown, flowers get sold and plenty of fresh food, mostly local, is laid out in a market-style atmosphere.

Pike Place Market, with its views of Elliott Bay, is Seattle’s top tourist attraction, with an estimated 13,000 visitors daily. Photo Credit: TW photo by Tom Stieghorst

The market is Seattle's No. 1 tourist attraction, with an average of 13,000 visitors a day. One way to beat the crowd is to take a pre-opening tour with Savor Seattle Food Tours.

On my two-hour tour, we made seven stops at vendors who were either just opening for the day or opened early for us. Guide John Lefor pointed out that the market serves as a small-business incubator, and he enjoyed telling stories of how vendors succeeded with their chosen speciality.

Lefor seemed to know everyone at the market, and they greeted him warmly, giving us an inside view of the place. We went to a little-known garden, got tips on some of the best stalls to visit and ate everything from cheesy biscuits to smoked salmon.

Next, I spent some time along the waterfront, where I marvelled at the change since my last visit in 2014. Because Seattle tore down the elevated freeway that divided the docks from the city, the area is now open and far more attractive.

Also new is the Seattle Wheel, a Ferris wheel that offers a nice view of the bay. Cruisers who will be leaving from the Smith Cove terminal can look down the waterfront and see their ships in the distance, with Norwegian Cruise Line ships at Pier 66 in the foreground.

The wheel is nice, but the recently opened Wings Over Washington next door should not be missed. It features a jaw-dropping, 20-minute simulated flight over a couple dozen land- and seascapes around the state. It costs $17, and I nearly plunked down a second $17 to do it twice.

One pier down from the wheel is the Seattle Aquarium, where I spent an hour or so in the company of sea otters, fur seals and other marine creatures found in Pacific Northwest waters.

For lunch, I visited the Crab Pot for a warm bowl of clam chowder. Plenty of diners had ordered the house speciality, a pot full of steamed clams, mussels, shrimp, corn on the cob and hot red potatoes in their jackets poured out on butcher paper over a big table. It is meant for two or more diners and starts at $25.95 per person.

A nighttime view of the Space Needle, with a glass sculpture from the Chihuly Garden in the foreground. Photo Credit: TW photo by Tom Stieghorst

One of the unique dining experiences in Seattle used to be the revolving restaurant in the Space Needle, but the dining area was yanked in a recent renovation in favour of the Loupe, an observation deck with a revolving glass floor. It's a great platform to see Seattle and a fun place to learn about the 1962 World's Fair.

Visitors from downtown hotels were whisked to the fair on a Disney-style monorail that still operates, a fun, retro trip. The three-minute blast from the past is $5 roundtrip.

An ideal time to visit the Space Needle is at dusk, which also puts you in position to see the Chihuly Garden at night. I've seen Chihuly glasswork before, even in a garden setting, but this collection by Washington state native Dale Chihuly is truly stunning and one of the must-see attractions when visiting Seattle.

Another unique venue is the Center for Wooden Boats, which shows the craftsmanship involved in boat building. I happened to be in town when the centre's annual festival was on, so a mini-flotilla of the wooden craft was on display. 

The centre at the foot of Lake Union is adjacent to Seattle's Museum of History and Industry, another nice stop that is located in an old Navy armoury. Exhibits run from the pioneer days through Seattle's ascendency as a hub for tech giants such as Microsoft and Amazon.

Heirloom tomato bruschetta served at the Pink Door restaurant. Photo Credit: TW photo by Tom Stieghorst

Lodging is plentiful in downtown Seattle, if expensive. The State Hotel, where I was hosted for two nights, is a 1904 medical building that has recently been converted to a 91-room, contemporary hotel.

The location is hard to beat for convenient access to Pike Place Market, the Bell Street terminal and the waterfront. Amenities include an excellent cocktail bar and open-kitchen restaurant off the lobby and a rooftop deck with a clear view of Elliott Bay.

The room interiors are a nice mix of quality materials and industrial-chic design. Prices in December are generally $144 a night, with a few dates higher. 

Seattle is full of restaurants with good Pacific Northwest cuisine. A favourite of mine is the Pink Door, located in an alley with simply the pink door as an identifier. Diners step down into a multiroom dining area, one of which has views of the bay. Its heirloom tomato bruschetta is particularly delicious.

Deadly earthquake rocks the Philippines

At least three people are reported to have been killed as an earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Sunday.

The 6.9 magnitude quake occurred in Davao Del Sur province on the island of Mindanao.

The country’s second-largest island is a popular tourist destination.

Videos posted on social media showed hotel swimming pools overflowing and mass evacuations of people from shopping centres, CNN reported.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned that transportation throughout the area may be disrupted.

“A number of aftershocks have been reported,” the FCO said in updated travel advice.

“If you’re in Davao Del Sur, or are planning to travel to the area, you should be careful of aftershocks, monitor local media for up-to-date information and follow the advice of local authorities.

“You should check with transportation companies for any changes or cancellations of schedule.”

A previous series of 6.6 and 6.5-magnitude quakes struck Mindanao in October, killing 14 and injuring more than 400.

A ‘Confident’ Carnival Cruise Line plans more European deployment

A ‘Confident’ Carnival Cruise Line plans more European deployment

Carnival Legends signature Funnal. Photo credit Dave Jones

Carnival Cruise Line’s chief operating officer has suggested more ships will be deployed in Europe after the line gained “confidence” in the US market.

The US-based line has 18 homeports around North America and has never consistently based ships in Europe.

There were no Carnival ships based in Europe last summer.

However, Carnival Legend and Carnival Radiance will both operate in the Mediterranean next summer while yet-to-launch 5,200-passenger Mardi Gras will visit the UK as it repositions to the US.

Carnival will offer nine departures out of Dover on 2,124-passenger vessel Carnival Legend in 2021.

Speaking on the maiden voyage of the line’s new ship Carnival Panorama in the Mexican Riviera, Gus Antorcha said: “With Europe, we focused and then pulled back a little bit and then focused. You will see Europe becoming more important.

Dover seafront photo credit Dave Jones

“We have grown in the US so that gives us more confidence that we can fill a ship at good yields and there is still demand. When we design the right deployment in Europe, it is very popular.”

Antorcha said it was vital that when Carnival tries a market “we should try and stay there for a number of years” as agents were able to build their knowledge and learn from customer feedback.

“It is easier to sell if you’re selling the same product,” he added. “It gives consistency. Some of our sister lines and competitors are moving ships all over the world and they are adding new itineraries every week. That is harder to sell if you are sell.

“If you are selling a consistent product you build the feedback on the product.”

Iain Baillie, the line’s vice president of international sales, called on agents to encourage the line to base ships in Europe by ensuring passengers were “profitable”.

“It is up to us,” he said. “It is how we educate our guests. We want to make sure our guests are profitable – we want them to choose the bars, the casino and the excursions. If we can get those metrics correct we can keep the ships coming.

“For us to have nine ex-Dover departures [in 2021] – we are going to jump all over that. It is going to be a race though because that [European] deployment is very popular with the US market.”

Christine Duffy, the line’s president, told Travel Weekly: “We feel with Carnival Legend – a Spirit-class ship – we can have some consistent European summer deployment.

“We will put the capacity where we feel we can generate the demand.”

Antorcha said the line’s net promoter scores given by passengers had risen by “25% to 30%” since he first took over as chief operating officer in November 2017. Antorcha briefly left Carnival earlier this year to become the chief executive of SeaWorld Entertainment before returning in October to his former role.

“Now we are north of 50ish, which is very high,” he said.

New Seabourn expedition ship to be christened in London

Seabourn’s first expedition ship Seabourn Venture will be christened in Greenwich before its maiden voyage.

The 132-suite ship will call into the London port in June 2021 before sailing on to Oslo.

It will visit more than 150 destinations through to April 2022.

Seabourn Venture will operate a pre-inaugural sailing to London from Lisbon after it has been delivered by shipyard T.Marriotti in Italy.

UK managing director Lynn Narraway revealed the christening location to Travel Weekly at an event in London on Friday.

More:  New details of expedition ship revealed by Seabourn

Senior vice president, global sales and marketing, Chris Austin, also gave more details about the line’s second expedition ship due in 2022.

He revealed that the vessel’s debut programme would go on sale in “four to six weeks” and that the name would be announced in February.

“We are trying to get our itineraries out much earlier,” Austin said, adding that the line had recruited a second member of staff to its itinerary planning team.

He added that the US ban on cruises to Cuba had got “in the way” of deployment planning.

“We had planned five [Cuba] itineraries so we had to plan five more,” Austin said.

“[Cuba cruise ban] was probably the biggest obstacle we have ever had.”

House Oakland's Homeless on a Cruise Ship?

The Oakland, California city council president has floated an idea to house 1,000 of the city's homeless on a cruise ship, according to local news reports.

At a public meeting Tuesday, Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan said a ship in the city's harbour could act as emergency housing for the city's ballooning homeless population, which rose from 1,900 to more than 3,200 since 2018, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Kaplan reportedly plans to officially propose the idea in January.

The council president claimed to already be in discussions with cruise lines about the project, which would offer cabin space on a pay-what-you-can scale, based on income.

She said similar efforts had worked to temporarily shelter aid workers after natural disasters and to house Olympic athletes.

Obvious unaddressed problems include the overall cost of per-square-foot cruise cabins versus shoreside apartments:

• Fuel and crew pay to get a ship to Oakland.
• Fuel to operate the ship while in the harbor.
• California shoreside power regulations, both current and future.
• Wastewater produced by the ship.
• Freshwater needed for the ship.
• Paying the necessary ship's crew while in the harbor.
• Comparatively quick degradation of ship infrastructure versus that of land-based buildings.

National Geographic Endurance Floats Out

National Geographic Endurance Floats Out

Lindblad Expeditions Holdings celebrated the float out of National Geographic Endurance in Ulstein Verft, Norway on Saturday, December 7, 2019.

The first polar newbuild for the line, the 126-guest vessel is fully stabilized with the highest ice class (PC5 Category A) of any purpose-built passenger vessel, according to a press release.

The vessel is scheduled for delivery in January 2020.

Carnival Cruise Line names final Vista-class ship

Carnival Cruise Line has officially named Carnival Panorama in Long Beach, California, where the 4,008-passenger ship will be based.

No cruise line has deployed a new ship on the US west coast for 25 years, Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy told more than 2,000 guests at last night’s ceremony onboard.

Carnival Corporation chairman Micky Arison, Arnold Donald, the corporation’s chief executive; and Princess Cruises’ president Jan Swartz were just some of the leading industry figures in attendance for the naming of the line’s final Vista-class ship.

Chefs Guy Fieri, Emeril Lagasse and Rudi Sodamin were all given a rousing reception by the crowd on the ship’s lido deck.

Duffy said: “This is the first new ship that will homeport here year-round for 25 years. We are very happy to homeport [Carnival Panorama] here in Long Beach alongside Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Imagination.”

Carnival Panorama has several new features including cooking school Carnival Kitchen, trampoline park Sky Zone and military veterans venue Heroes Tribute Bar.

Duffy said Heroes Tribute Bar on deck five was the feature which had “the most meaning”.

“At Carnival Cruise Line, we look to the godmother to personify the Carnival mission,” added Duffy, who introduced Carnival Panorama’s godmother Vanna White.

TV host White, who has starred in US game show Wheel of Fortune for 37 years, officially named the ship by pressing a button which smashed a bottle against the ship’s hull.

She said: “This naming of a brand-new ship is a once in a lifetime opportunity and one that I will never forget.

“Thank you, Carnival Cruise Line, for allowing me to serve as the ship’s godmother. I just know that the ship will provide endless fun for families for years to come.”

Carnival Panorama is operating six, seven and eight-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach year-round.

New Zealand tragedy: Royal Caribbean issues hotline numbers

New Zealand tragedy: Royal Caribbean issues hotline numbers

The death toll from the White Island volcanic eruption in New Zealand rose overnight while two British women are among the injured.

As many as 13 people are presumed to have died, including eight still missing on White Island.

Thirty-eight of the tourists visiting the island when disaster struck at 2.11pm local time on Monday were reported to be passengers and crew from Royal Caribbean International ship Ovation of the Seas.

Police said a total of 47 people had been on the island – a popular tourist attraction – at the time.

There were 24 visitors from Australia, nine from the US, five from New Zealand, four from Germany, two from China and one person from Malaysia.

A total of 27 people were taken to hospital with burns to a third of their bodies. Others are also suffering from inhalation burns.

Two British women were among those receiving treatment, according to Laura Clarke, the UK High Commissioner to New Zealand.

Royal Caribbean set up hotlines, including 0800-014-8339 in the UK, for those concerned about relatives travelling onboard Ovation of the Seas.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he “feared” three of the five confirmed dead were from Australia.

He said that 24 Australians were from a cruise ship exploring the island in the Bay of Plenty when the volcano erupted. Of those, 13 people had been hospitalised and 11 were unaccounted for, he added.

There were two groups on the island at the time, “those who were able to be evacuated and those who were close to the eruption,” according to New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern.

Some survivors were rescued by boat in the immediate aftermath, but police said it was too dangerous to mount a rescue operation.

Helicopter rescue flights later picked up several people from the privately-owned island, 30 miles off the coast of New Zealand’s North Island.

Ovation of the Seas had been docked at Tauranga, a coastal city near White Island.

Royal Caribbean said: “The news from White Island is devastating. The details that are emerging are heartbreaking.

“We are working to help our guests and the authorities in the aftermath of this tragedy in any way we can.

“We are communicating with our guests and their families. We’re making sure they are taken care of in terms of medical help, counselling, accommodations, and transport. Our hearts go out to them, and we want to be as supportive as we can.

“Staff from our Sydney and Auckland offices office are already on-site, and we’re going to be offering all our resources while this terrible tragedy sorts out.

“We are grateful for the work of all the first responders and medical personnel. We also thank the prime minister and her team, the local authorities and everyone who has reached out to help with their kind thoughts and prayers.”

Ovation of the Seas was on a 12-day itinerary which left Sydney last Wednesday.

White Island or Whakaari is one of New Zealand’s most active volcanoes yet attracts frequent day trips and scenic flights.

In updated travel advice, the FCO said: “The Whakaari/White Island volcano erupted on 9 December. Emergency response is underway. If you are travelling in the area, you should follow the advice of the local authorities and/or your tour operator.

“If you’ve been affected by the incident and need urgent consular assistance, you should contact the British High Commission in Wellington on +64 (0) 4 924 2888.

“If you are in the UK and you’re concerned about friends or relatives in the area, you should contact the FCO in London on 020 7008 1500.”

Around 200,000 British nationals visit New Zealand every year.

Low-interest savings account a negative for cruise sales

Amid all the positive signs for cruise growth going into 2020, one thing that remains troubling is the continued low return for savings.

Interest rates continue to be anaemic by historical standards, which should give pause to an industry still dependent to a great degree on seniors.

Unemployment is low, home sales are healthy, inflation subdued, the stock market at record highs. All of those things bode well for cruise sales. But anybody on a fixed income hasn't gotten a raise for quite a while.

I wrote about this seven years ago, and remarkably little has changed. Yields on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note closed 2012 at 1.76%, and as I write this the yield on the 10-year is currently 1.79%. For savers, it takes a nice sum in the bank or in CDs to be able to afford a cruise on that kind of return.

Interest rates did move up above 3% for a good part of 2018 as the Federal Reserve tried to wean the economy off of artificially low money rates that have been in place since the 2008-09 recession.

But it was forced to back off because of weak economies in Europe. Interest rates in Germany and some other European countries are now negative, which explains why Aida and Costa Cruises have had such a lousy year.

Christie Brinkley named Seven Seas Splendor godmother

Former supermodel Christie Brinkley will be the Seven Seas Splendor godmother when the ship is christened in Miami on Feb. 21.

"Christie Brinkley is a universally beloved icon who is synonymous worldwide for her beauty, style and commitment to health and happiness," said Jason Montague, president and CEO of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. 

"It's fitting that the godmother of Seven Seas Splendor reflects timeless elegance, vitality and sophistication, as Regent has perfected all the details of luxury onboard Seven Seas Splendor."

Brinkley gained fame with her three consecutive appearances on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, starting in 1979. She is also known for her appearance in "National Lampoon's Vacation" as the girl in the red Ferrari and as a longtime model and spokeswoman for CoverGirl cosmetics.

The Regent Seven Seas Cruises ship is a 750-passenger sibling of the Seven Seas Explorer.