MSC Cruises to Operate Palumbo Malta Shipyard in New Joint Venture

MSC Cruises and Palumbo Group today officially announced they have formed a joint venture to operate the Palumbo Malta Shipyard. The news was previously reported by Cruise Industry News earlier this year. 

The new joint venture sees MSC Cruises take a 50 per cent stake in the shipyard and become an equal partner alongside the current owner Palumbo Shipyards. The yard has four drydocks of various sizes and will be available to other cruise operators, according to MSC.

The companies said they are planning a major update to the yard, which will become the yard of choice for MSC Cruises' vessels as well as from MSC Group cargo ships and ferries while continuing to serve the shipyard's existing clients. 

Of note will be the potential introduction of cutting-edge technology to allow servicing and repair of the next generation of LNG powered cruise ships being built for the MSC Cruises’ fleet, according to a statement. 

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises said: “I am proud to be forming this joint venture with Mr Palumbo and his group today. This is a natural culmination of our already warm and close relationship that has developed from the professionality he has shown over the years. We look forward to the professional service and repairs our vessels will receive.”

Antonio Palumbo, the founder and Chairman of Palumbo Group, added: “I am happy with this joint venture with the Aponte family because, in addition to having a personal and consolidated friendship over the years, it unites us with common business philosophy. This agreement is not just a financial transaction but is aimed at strengthening our network and is part of a group corporate strategy.

“Today I am proud to expand our services, consolidated over the years thanks to far-reaching experiences, through this partnership with a world-class player. I am sure that the future will prove us right, leading this shipyard to consolidate itself as one of the most important multi-purpose structures in the markets of cruise, merchant and advanced-technology ships, providing refitting services, general maintenance and installation of Eco-Friendly systems where Palumbo Shipyards already holds a leading position. Not least, the whole Maltese community will benefit from a new economic boost." 

Holland America Line announces name change for new build

Holland America Line announces name change for new build

Holland America Line has changed the name of its new build as it looks to honour the brand’s 150-year history.

The line’s new ship, expected to be delivered on July 30 next year, was due to be named Ryndam. However, the brand today announced it was changing the name to Rotterdam, with the new ship set to become the flagship for the fleet.

It comes two weeks after the line revealed it was selling four ships – including one called Rotterdam which is one of two vessels sold to Fred Olsen Cruise Line.

The new build, which will be delivered two months later than initially planned due to the pandemic, will be the seventh ship to hold the name Rotterdam. Guests who were booked on the ship’s inaugural cruise in May and itineraries through to July 30 are being contacted with rebooking options.

When the ship launches it will spend the summer in Northern Europe and the Baltic on roundtrip cruises from Amsterdam.

The new seven-day ‘Premiere Voyage’ departing from Trieste to Civitavecchia will depart on August 1. It will be followed by a 14-day sailing which ends in Amsterdam.

Between August 22 and October 10 the ship will sail roundtrip from Amsterdam on three seven-day itineraries to Norway, one 14-day cruise to the Baltics and one 140day cruise to Norway, Iceland and the British Isles.

It will then sail transatlantic on a 14-day voyage from Amsterdam to Fort Lauderdale in Florida.

To accommodate guests booked on cancelled itineraries which had been due to sail from May to July, some changes have been made to Nieuw Statendam’s deployment to match up with the former Ryndam cruises.

Guests who were due to sail on the original Premier Voyage will be rebooked on the new Premier Sailing and will receive a $100 per person onboard credit.

All other guests who were booked on impacted Ryndam or Nieuw Statendam cruises will be automatically rebooked to a similar future cruise date during the summer at the same far paid. They will also receive a $100 per person credit for cruises of 10 days or less and $250 per person for itineraries of 12 days or more.

Just retired MS Rotterdam.

Gus Antorcha, the line’s new president, said: “The first ship for Holland America Line was the original Rotterdam, the company was headquartered in the city of Rotterdam for many years, and the name has been a hallmark throughout our history since 1872 … so clearly the name is powerful and symbolic.

“With the current Rotterdam leaving the company, we knew we had a unique opportunity to embrace the name as our new flagship and carry on the tradition of having a Rotterdam in our fleet. Seven is a lucky number, and we know she’s going to bring a lot of joy to our guests as she travels across the globe

“Guests and travel advisors will be notified today of this news and coming changes to current itineraries.

“We ask everyone, though, to please bear with us just a few weeks for all of the details as we rebuild itineraries and put the finishing touches on several desirable alternatives. We will follow up with specific details very soon so everyone knows their options.”

Holland America Line’s first ship, Rotterdam, sailed on its maiden voyage from the Netherlands to New York on October 15, 1872.

Rumoured sale of Cunard and Seabourn denied by Carnival Corporation

Rumoured sale of Cunard and Seabourn denied by Carnival Corporation

Carnival Corporation has scotched speculation that luxury brands Cunard and Seabourn could be sold as the cruise giant seeks to navigate recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The company was responding to a specialist media report.

Global shipping news service TradeWinds claimed a sale could be prompted by ageing passenger demographics and a need to generate higher returns.

But a Carnival Corporation spokesman said: “There is no truth to this rumour.

“Cunard and Seabourn are iconic brands for our company, and both lines have a strong track record of success over the years.”

The company announced that it is to dispose of a further two ships, in addition to the disposal of 13 ships across its brands and the delayed delivery of new vessels announced earlier this month.

Four older Holland America Line ships have been sold, including two to Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, while P&O Cruises’ Oceana has left the fleet and Greek line Celestyal Cruises acquired Costa Cruises’ Costa NewRomantica.

In June, Carnival Corporation said it was speeding up the disposal of ships after a registered $2.4 billion adjusted net loss in the three months to May 31.

It has raised at least $10 billion through a series of financial transactions since March, and had “taken significant actions to preserve cash and secure additional financing to maximise its liquidity”.

It also confirmed $8.8 billion of credit facilities to fund ship deliveries originally planned through to 2023.

Cunard sailings by Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria are suspended until November 1 and Queen Elizabeth until November 23.

Seabourn’s five-ship fleet is on an extended pause in operations into October and November.

The brand had previously announced a suspension of its global ship operations from March 14 until June 30.

FTI Cruises To Shut Down

As part of a restructuring, FTI Group has announced it will shut down its one-ship cruise brand.

The German tour operator will cease operating the FTI Berlin, which had sailed under the FTI banner since 2012 as was originally delivered in 1980.

The ship had global routes and carried 420 guests. Of note, the vessel was stretched in the mid-1980s.

Prior to the news, FTI had only published cruises through October 2020 and the Berlin was slated to sail in Northern Europe during the summer, before moving to the Mediterranean in the fall and the Caribbean for the winter, including Cuba.

The last cruise of the Mediterranean season was scheduled roundtrip from Nice to Palamos, Sant Charles de Rapita, Ibiza, Formentera, Palma de Mallorca and Mahon, Menorca.

Royal Caribbean Group appoints a chief medical officer

Royal Caribbean Group appoints a chief medical officer

Royal Caribbean Group has named Dr Calvin Johnson as its global head of public health and chief medical officer.

In the newly-created role, he will lead the cruise giant’s global health and wellness policy across its brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea.

Johnson will manage the group’s public health and clinical practice, and determine its strategic plans and operations of its global healthcare organisation as well as collaborate with the Healthy Sail Panel which also involves representatives of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

Richard Fain, chairman and chief executive of Royal Caribbean Group, said: “Calvin’s extensive experience in public health and clinical care will help us raise the bar on protecting the health of our guests, crew and the communities we serve.”

Dr Johnson was most recently principal at Altre Strategic Solutions Group and has previously served as chief medical officer for of correctional health care provider Corizon Health and for Temple University Health System.

He was also secretary of health for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 2003-2008 and was medical director for the New York City Department of Health from 1998-1999.

Johnson has previously led response efforts during active infectious disease outbreaks and was responsible for ensuring all aspects of patient care while overseeing a clinical operation with 1,300 caregivers and more than 300,000 individuals.

He said: “Royal Caribbean Group is committed to going beyond requirements. I am excited to join the industry leader, who is clearly establishing the way forward in managing public health initiatives and protecting health and safety.

Johnson added: “The Healthy Sail Panel is doing critical work to help us develop enhanced standards, and achieve readiness for the return to service, and I am looking forward to being involved in that work.”

Royal Caribbean Group senior vice president for safety, security, environment, medical and public health, Jennifer Love, added: “Calvin will add critical expertise in our mission to elevate the quality of care. His appointment is a testament to our commitment to transforming healthcare for those we serve.”

European Union cruise return guidance published

European Union cruise return guidance published

Mein Schiff 3 returns to service

Cruise body Clia has welcomed the publication of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) guidance on the resumption of cruise ship operations in the European Union.

The 36-page document does not set a date for a return for cruising in the EU but Clia said member lines envisage a gradual, ‘phased-in’ approach to resumption.

The EMSA guidance provides recommendations relating to the development of ship and port management plans and the interaction between cruise operations and ports and terminals.

Co-authored with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the EMSA guidance follows the recent publication of EU Healthy Gateways guidance on the resumption of cruise ship operations.

Viewed together, these guidance documents aim to establish a pan-European benchmark for national maritime transport and public health authorities for the future resumption of cruising in Europe.

Clia and its member cruise lines have been engaged in the development of the guidance, and lines are also identifying appropriate ‘door-to-door’ protocols based on evolving guidance from health authorities and medical experts that cover passengers from the time of booking their cruise to the holiday itself and their safe return home.

Tom Boardley, secretary-general of Clia Europe, said: “This guidance from the European Maritime Safety Agency is an important resource for authorities and operators focused on the safe resumption of cruising in Europe.”

In American waters, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has implemented a No Sail Order to the end of September.

Foreign Office warns against all non-essential travel to the whole of Spain

Foreign Office warns against all non-essential travel to the whole of Spain

The Foreign Office has extended its advice against all but essential travel to the whole of Spain.

An update from the FCO on Saturday advised against non-essential travel to mainland Spain but excluded the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.

That announcement corresponded with the government’s decision to remove the whole of Spain including the islands from the list of countries from which travellers are exempt from quarantine on arrival in the UK.

Industry leaders had called for air bridges to be set up between the islands and the UK, arguing that they were safer destinations than the mainland. On Monday afternoon, the BBC said a government source had confirmed talks were ongoing.

Major tour operators including Tui and latterly Jet2holidays suspended their programmes to mainland Spain but were continuing to fly to the Canaries and Balearics based on the FCO’s guidance.

The FCO said it has now extended its advice to cover the entire country following an assessment of Covid-19 risks.

It said the advice was based on evidence of an increased number of cases of Covid-19 in several regions including Aragon, Navarra and Catalonia, which includes the cities of Zaragoza, Pamplona and Barcelona.

Holidaymakers in Spain are not being advised to leave at this time.

The updated advice says: “The FCO is not advising those already travelling in Spain to leave at this time. Travellers should follow the advice of the local authorities on how best to protect themselves and others, including any measures that they bring in to control the virus.

“If you are returning from Spain you will be required to self-isolate on your return to the UK, but the FCO is not advising you to cut short your visit. You should contact your tour operator or airline if you have any questions about your return journey.”

SeaDream introduces a flexible booking policy

SeaDream introduces a flexible booking policy

SeaDream Yacht Club has introduced an ‘Ultimate Booking Assurance’ policy which allows clients to cancel or postpone their booking up until the day of departure.

The luxury line, which returned to cruising in June, said it believed the initiative would mean consumers could “book with peace of mind”.

The policy means guests will have the option of a full cash refund or a 120% future cruise credit for all new bookings made after July 22. It applies to sailings before June 30, 2021, that are affected by travel restrictions.

SeaDream said if there are no travel restrictions and clients don’t want to travel, they will move funds to future sailing.

It said clients had up until the day of their departure to adjust their plans without penalty.

In a statement, SeaDream said: “SeaDream Yacht Club was proud to become the first luxury line back in operation in June. We are now equally proud to announce our new ‘Ultimate Booking Assurance’.”

Saipem Wins More Offshore Wind Work for Saipem 7000

The Saipem 7000 installs a wind turbine at the Hywind offshore wind project located approximately 30 km off the coast of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Photo courtesy Saipem

Italian oil services giant Saipem has announced multiple new contract awards related to offshore wind projects currently under development off the coasts of England, Scotland and France.

First, the Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Farms, the joint venture between Equinor and SSE Renewables, has awarded Saipem with a contract for the transportation and installation of two offshore High Voltage Direct Current platforms for the first two phases of the Dogger Bank project: Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B. Both platforms will have a capacity of 1.2 GW and will consist of a 2,900-ton jacket and a. 8,500-ton topside.

Once completed, Dogger Bank will be the world’s biggest offshore wind farm, located some 130km off the North East coast of England. The project is the first to use HVDC technology in the UK’s offshore wind market.

Next, Saipem has also been awarded an installation contract by Seaway 7 related to the Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm, a 1,075 MW joint venture project between SSE Renewables (49%) and Total (51%) off the East coast of Scotland. The scope of work entails the installation of 114 foundations for an equivalent number of wind turbines.

Finally, Saipem has been awarded a contract for the transportation and installation of the jacket and topside of the offshore substation at St-Brieuc offshore wind farm, located in Brittany, France, which is being developed by Ailes Marines, part of the Iberdrola group. All project management and engineering activities shall be executed by Saipem SA, Saipem’s French subsidiary established in Paris.

All three offshore installation projects will be carried out by the crane vessel Saipem 7000. Previously the Saipem 7000 was hired to mount five floating offshore wind turbines for the Highwind project in the UK North Sea.

Saipem values the contracts in the north of 90 million euros combined. The company says the contracts help to further establish the company within the renewables sector, for which a dedicated business line has been recently established within the E&C Offshore division.

“These new contracts confirm Saipem’s participation in the most relevant offshore wind farm developments and are the tangible results of a strategy which has led us to become a global reference player in the energy transition,” said Francesco Racheli, Chief Operating Officer of Saipem’s E&C Offshore Divisio. “This significant achievement has been attained by leveraging on our capabilities, our technological flexibility and our distinctive assets.”

Carnival ships Fantasy and Imagination depart fleet

The Carnival Fantasy in Mobile, Alabama, in 2017. Photo Credit: Alabama Cruise Terminal

Carnival Cruise Line has sold two Fantasy-class ships and will put two others in a layup.

Carnival also will bolster deployment throughout its network of homeports in mainland U.S. drive markets. 

The Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Inspiration have been sold and are headed to Turkey. The ships were sold to undisclosed buyers, but they are en route to Izmir, home of one of the world’s largest shipbreaking yards.

The Carnival Fascination and Carnival Imagination will move into a long-term layup with no timeline identified for their return to service.

The line also made changes to its ship deployment in order to leverage its U.S. homeports. 

The Carnival Sensation will move from Miami to Mobile, Alabama, and assume the itineraries that the Fantasy and Fascination had been sailing. Passengers on those ships are being rebooked on the Sensation.   

The Carnival Sunrise will move from Fort Lauderdale to Miami, assuming the Sensation’s itineraries. The change puts a larger, upgraded ship (the Sunrise received a $200 million upgrade in 2019) on short itineraries out of Miami. Passengers booked on the Sunrise’s four- and five-day itineraries from Fort Lauderdale will be automatically moved to sailings from Miami. 

Itineraries for the Imagination and Inspiration from Long Beach, Calif., were cancelled through April. The Carnival Panorama will continue to operate seven-day cruises from Long Beach while the Carnival Miracle will operate shorter itineraries from San Diego to Baja, Mexico. 

The Carnival Radiance will go directly from Europe, where it is scheduled to undergo a $200 million upgrade, to Long Beach in April, to assume the short Baja Mexico itineraries previously served by the Imagination and Inspiration. Passengers will be rebooked on the Radiance, which will have new features including Shaq’s Big Chicken Restaurant and an expanded waterpark.

Carnival cancelled the Fascination’s sailings from San Juan and Barbados this year and next and will not replace them. 

Carnival president Christine Duffy said that the line will continue to invest in its four remaining Fantasy-class ships.

“[They] work so well for shorter itineraries from smaller ports that cannot accommodate our larger ships,” Duffy said. “With our future fleet plan resolved, we are focused on ensuring we are ready to return to operations once it is determined that the time is right to resume cruising in the U.S.”

Carnival also confirmed that the sister ship to the Mardi Gras will arrive in November 2022. Under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard, the ship will sail out of Miami as previously announced. It will be the Carnival’s second ship to be powered by liquefied natural gas. 

The 10 Things I/We Miss The Most About Cruising.

Dawn and I on the Formal Night on the MSC Splendida

We like to book our cruise experiences about 18 months in advance so we can pick our stateroom and which deck we are on, I know you probably can get a better deal about 10 weeks prior to sailing but there is less choice of location and staterooms, and we have gone on the last minute and even had a guarantee cabin and was very satisfied. 

We have cruised on different companies including MSC, Costa, Royal, Carnival, and NCL and have a booking on Celebrity next year (2021), and on the vast majority of the cruise's, it was the itinerary that made up our minds, with the company and ship a close second. With our last cruise cancelled; a transatlantic crossing via Greenland, Iceland, and Ireland, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were left feeling flat and very disappointed, so we were thinking what is it making us miss the cruising experience the most, and this is the 10 reasons we came up with.

In Reverse order;

MSC Magnifica Atrium

10- Ships entertainment- We have seen some great shows such as 'The Million Dollar Quartet' and great comedians/jugglers, but after a few cruises the shows are repeated and you can start to predict the magician and the acrobats do the same turns, we have even watched the Beatles with Scottish accents and a Take That tribute band had the worst Manc accents going. The ships own singers and dancers are normally of  High Quality and work very hard and put on great productions. The Bar and Lounge singers and musicians are also very entertaining and it's strange how you seem to have a favourite such as Siglo on the NCL Bliss ( https://youtu.be/XeyoCso4bvI) and the Guitar Man (Great Neil Diamond singer) on the NCL Jade who moved to the NCL Epic and we sang/screeched into the small hours.

9- Style and Exploring the ship- In all the cruise companies I named at the beginning MSC stand's head and shoulders above the rest from the way the ship looks like to the way the ship is furnished, there is no fake marble or columns, the artwork is genuine and there are even expensive Swaroski crystals in the stairs and on some ships a 4 deck waterfall in the atrium. The main reason I enjoy exploring the ship is that I love taking photos around the ship using long exposure to try and get a great shot of the interior, which can be challenging due to the low lighting and low ceilings. Click on the above Atrium photo to see more of MSC Magnifica images. First off this is not sponsored by MSC in any way but they do have a certain smell, not in a bad way but a welcoming fragrance I can't explain it but as soon as I board the ship and catch the smell I feel like an old friend has just greeted me, I know that sounds weird but it just is.

8- Sunsets and the storms- We live by the seaside and are used to seeing lovely sunsets over the beach and the shoreline, but if you have ever cruised then you know the sunsets at sea with nothing on the horizon are some of the best romantic sights you can enjoy, the colours are so vivid and vibrant and you just have to a portrait taken with it in the background. If you have a balcony cabin or are up on deck keep an eye out on the horizon you might just see the best fireworks at sea put on by Mrs Nature, thunder and lighting are great to watch and from the safety of the ship, the show can be electrifying and really lights up the pitch-black night sky. On clear nights the star gazing is wonderful so pack your binoculars and get looking for ET.

7- Dance/Zumba sessions- 

Marella further extends cruise cancellations until September 30

Marella further extends cruise cancellations until September 30

Marella Cruises is further extending the cancellation of sailings until September 30.

The Tui UK & Ireland line’s only ship sailing this summer will be Marella Explorer from Corfu from October 2.

The extension of the cancellations was blamed on on-going travel restrictions in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

All cruises had previously been cancelled last month until at least August 27.

Passengers whose bookings are impacted by the changes will receive a refund credit and up to 10% incentive of the total value of their booking.

Alternatively, they can request a cash refund via an online form on the Tui website.

The company added: “Due to the on-going uncertainty customers with bookings due to depart in October can amend their cruise for free before the 31 July to any other holiday on sale until October 2021.”

Spirit of Adventure Leaves Building Hall

Do you think they have put the smokestack the wrong way around?

Saga's new Spirit of Adventure has left the building hall at Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.

With the ship leaving the building hall, the funnel was also fitted by a crane.

The British brand's second newbuild will now move pierside for final outfitting.

The ship was originally set to start her revenue service in August. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that has been delayed until early November.

Nigel Blanks, Managing Director of Saga Cruises, said: “This is a very exciting day as it brings us another step closer to being able to welcome Spirit of Adventure to our fleet. Over the past 18 months, we have been focused on creating a British boutique cruising experience for our guests that is not available elsewhere on the market. The arrival of Spirit of Discovery last year was the first milestone in this plan and the ship has been extremely well received by our guests. I’m confident that Spirit of Adventure will see an equally warm welcome and I cannot wait for guests to join us on board and enjoy all she has to offer”.

Royal Caribbean to Debut New Safety Drill Concept

Independence of the Seas in Southampton photo by Dave Jones

Royal Caribbean Group is replacing the safety drill with Muster 2.0, an entirely new approach to delivering safety information to guests, the company announced.

The new program reimagines a process originally designed for large groups of people into a faster, more personal approach that encourages higher levels of safety.

With Muster 2.0, the key elements of the safety drill – including reviewing what to expect and where to go in case of an emergency, and instructions on how to properly use a life jacket – will be accessible to guests on an individual basis instead of a group approach that has been followed historically.

eMuster will be used to help provide the information to guests via their mobile devices and interactive stateroom TVs.

Travellers will be able to review the information at their own time prior to setting sail, eliminating the need for the traditional large group assemblies, the company said.

The new approach also enables everyone on board to maintain better spacing as guests move about the ship, and it allows guests to enjoy more of their vacation with no interruption.

After reviewing safety information individually, guests will complete the drill by visiting their assigned assembly station, where a crew member will verify that all steps have been completed and answer questions. Each of the steps will need to be completed prior to the ship's departure, as required by international maritime law.

"The health and safety of our guests and crew are our number one priority, and the development of this new muster process is an elegant solution to an outdated, unpopular process," said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. "The fact that this will also save guests time and allow the ship to operate without pause means that we can increase health, safety and guest satisfaction simultaneously."

"Muster 2.0 represents a natural extension of our mission to improve our guests' vacation experiences by removing points of friction," said Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean Group's senior vice president of digital. "In this instance, what's most convenient for our guests is also the safest option in light of needing to reimagine social spaces in the wake of COVID-19."

This marks the first dramatic change to the safety drill process in a decade since Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas moved the life jackets from guest staterooms to the muster stations, which improved the evacuation process and has been widely followed throughout the industry.

More than a year in the making, Muster 2.0 is also an initiative that will be part of the comprehensive set of protocols and procedures Royal Caribbean Group is developing along with the Healthy Sail Panel that was recently assembled in collaboration with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

"This new process represents the kind of innovation that the Healthy Sail Panel is focusing on as part of its mission to enhance the health and safety of cruising," said former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, co-chair of the Healthy Sail Panel. "It shows that we can accomplish a lot if we try to think outside the box on safety."

"I'd like to extend my congratulations to Royal Caribbean Group on this innovative milestone. It's exactly what our industry needs during these unprecedented times and we appreciate the generous offer to participate in this innovation," said Frank Del Rio, President and CEO, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. "In this industry, we all work cooperatively to enhance health and safety, and this is an example of that."

Scotland’s Majestic Line set to sail again in August

Scotland’s Majestic Line set to sail again in August

Scottish small-ship cruising company Majestic Line is set to start cruising again from August 29.

Two ships from the four-vessel fleet will be operating six-night cruises with a reduced number of guests onboard.

Majestic Line has completed VisitScotland’s Good to Go accreditation to show it is adhering to the government and public health guidance and has carried out a Covid-19 risk assessment.

Customers will be able to choose from the line’s most popular cruises – Mull and Her Inlets and Islands or Skye and the Inner Hebrides – plus one-off itineraries called Captain’s Choice, and Isles of the Clyde and the Southern Hebrides.

Ken Grant, managing director, said: “We have many guests who are very keen to cruise with us this year and having looked long and hard at the options and how best we can confidently offer a cruise experience that is enjoyable and safe we feel that we are now in a position to cruise safely once again.”

Crew members are tested weekly to ensure they are Covid-free, and staff and passengers will also have their temperatures checked.

There is increased daily cleaning and sanitisation of all public areas.

Majestic Line offers trade sales, with 5% commission.

The UK government currently advises against cruising in international waters but Majestic Line operates solely in Scottish waters.

Each Majestic Line cruise carries no more than 12 guests with four crew.

Carnival Sells Two Ships, Provides Further Fleet Update

Carnival Cruise Line today announced it had sold the Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Inspiration. A buyer was not named. 

Meanwhile, the Carnival Fascination and Carnival Imagination will move to a long term lay-up status, with no specific timeline identified for a return to operation.

The company also announced that its second Excel-class ship will join the fleet in November 2022 from Meyer Turku and sail out of PortMiami as previously announced.

The Carnival Sensation will move from Miami to Mobile and take up itineraries previously assigned to the Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Fascination, with guests on those two ships being re-accommodated on Carnival Sensation.

The Carnival Sunrise will move from Port Everglades to PortMiami and assume the itineraries previously operated by Carnival Sensation, providing a larger, upgraded ship for short itineraries with the many new features installed during Carnival Sunrise’s $200 million transformations completed in 2019. Guests booked on the Sunrise itineraries from Port Everglades will be automatically moved to sailings from PortMiami.

Carnival Inspiration.

The Carnival Fascination's itineraries from San Juan and Barbados have been cancelled for 2020-2021 as the cruise line focuses its return to operations on mainland drive markets in the U.S., the company said.

Itineraries for the Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration from Long Beach have been cancelled through Apr. 19, 2021. Carnival Panorama will continue to operate 7-day cruises from Long Beach while Carnival Miracle will operate shorter itineraries from San Diego to Baja Mexico.

The Carnival Radiance will now move directly from Europe after its $200 million transformations and homeport in Long Beach in April of 2021, where it will assume the short Baja Mexico itineraries previously served by the Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration. Guests booked on Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration after April 22, 2021, will be re-accommodated on Carnival Radiance.

Carnival also said it notified its Australian guests that it has extended its pause of operations in that country, and has cancelled six cruises scheduled to operate between Sept. 25 and Oct. 29, 2020.

Carnival Radiance.

“We have used this pause in operations to think carefully about our fleet and to build a plan that gives our guests new choices and upgrades to current ship offerings,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We have a great variety of ships across the Carnival Cruise Line fleet and we are thrilled to have been able to confirm a delivery date ahead of what we had anticipated for our second Excel ship, which is exciting news for guests interested in sailing from PortMiami on the sister ship to Mardi Gras! At the same time, we will continue to invest in the four remaining Fantasy-class ships that we are keeping in the fleet. We have many guests who prefer our Fantasy-class ships which work so well for shorter itineraries from smaller ports that cannot accommodate our larger ships. With a fleet that gives guests lots of choices in ships, homeports, destinations and features including a multitude of dining, entertainment and accommodation choices, we are very excited about the future for Carnival Cruise Line.”

Guests and travel agents are being notified directly about impacted sailings, guest re-accommodations and cancellations. Duffy thanked guests and travel agent partners alike for their continued patience, loyalty and support during this unprecedented time for the cruise industry. “With our future fleet plan resolved, we are focused on ensuring we are ready to return to operations once it is determined that the time is right to resume cruising in the U.S.,” she said.

Princess cancels cruises through Dec. 15

The Diamond Princess' pool deck.

Princess Cruises is extending its suspension of nearly all cruise operations through mid-December.

Sailings in Asia, the Caribbean, California, Hawaii, Mexico, the Panama Canal, South America and Antarctica, Japan, and Tahiti and the South Pacific are paused through Dec. 15. 

Cruises in and out of Australia are paused through Oct. 31.

“We share in our guests’ disappointment in cancelling these cruises,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president. “We look forward to the days when we can return to travel and the happiness it brings to all who cruise.”

Princess will protect travel advisors’ commissions on bookings that were paid in full.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week extended the No Sail Order for cruise ships from U.S. ports through Sept. 30. CLIA member lines had already decided last month to voluntarily suspend operations until at least Sept. 15, saying that it was “increasingly clear that more time will be needed to resolve barriers to a resumption in the United States.”

CLIA anticipates talks with CDC on return to the sea

MSC Magnifica at anchor in Queensferry Edinburgh

Days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended the No Sail Order for cruise ships from U.S. ports through September, CLIA expressed confidence that it was close to starting a meaningful dialogue with the agency about resuming sailings. 

CLIA global chair Adam Goldstein said that so far, its engagement with the CDC has focused mostly on the health and repatriation of crew members who were still aboard ships in U.S. waters. 

The CDC had not thus far engaged meaningfully with CLIA and the industry about resuming service, Goldstein said, but he was encouraged that would begin, citing commentary in the No Sail Order extension that indicated “a willingness for information exchange and development of approaches beyond what we had seen from them before.”

CLIA was also encouraged that its voluntary suspension through Sept. 15 closely aligned with the CDC’s No Sail Order extension to Sept. 30.

“The fact that we’re beginning to converge makes us more optimistic that the kind of engagement we’re looking for with the CDC as our regulator will begin in the near future and will allow their experts, our experts, our operations personnel, our leaders and their leaders to have the kind of dialogue that will result in the safe and successful resumption of service,” Goldstein said. 

According to CLIA, being involved in such high-level talks with regulators in Europe has helped enable the resumption of limited cruise operations in Germany and Norway. 

“The EU has engaged with us fairly intensively through multiple rounds of discussion to work toward an EU guidance permitting national regulators to adopt appropriate regulations, which, in combination with our protocols, we believe is what put Germany and Norway in a condition to restart under the limited conditions,” Goldstein said. 

CLIA believes more European countries in the near term may also begin limited cruise operations. 

“This is a reflection of one of the expectations we’ve had for a couple months now -- that cruising would restart in kind of a sequential manner,” Goldstein said. 

CLIA’s primary focus is still on its members’ primary source market, North America, and most popular destinations: the Caribbean, Alaska, Bermuda and Mexico. Goldstein said that CLIA and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association are in dialogue with destinations around North America “to work toward alignment” on how they can confidently open up to cruise ship visits.

“In order for the North American cruise market to regenerate, two things need to be true: The cruise industry needs approval from the CDC to resume operations in and out of the U.S., and the ports of call need to accept the ships,” Goldstein said. “This critical work will take time, but it is in everyone’s interest to come to a mutually agreeable approach.” 

In what seemed to be a response to the CDC’s citing a lack of consensus among cruise lines and the need for additional industry-led efforts regarding safely resuming passenger operations, Goldstein said that over the next weeks and months, CLIA expects to emerge with one or more policies that members will eventually sign onto in response to the pandemic.

“Our goal remains to emerge with a unified approach policy-wise across the associations that all member lines will sign up for,” he said. “I can’t tell you when that will occur or the steps that will get us there.”

Carnival gives construction update on Mardi Gras

Carnival Cruise's New build the Mardi Gras.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras is on schedule for a February 2021 debut, the line said on Monday.

Photos from the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, where the vessel is under construction, show the suspended track for the Bolt rollercoaster has been installed. The track will eventually encircle the ship’s upper decks and offer passengers a ride on the first rollercoaster at sea, with views from 187 feet above the water. 

The ship’s 2,600-plus cabins (including 180 suites) have been built and interiors are being outfitted. There are 11 stateroom categories.

The 5,282-passenger Mardi Gras will be Carnival’s largest ship and powered by liquefied natural gas. It will have six themed zones that include dining, beverage and entertainment options, including restaurants from Emeril Lagasse, Guy Fieri and Shaquille O’Neal. The 21-deck vessel will feature the Grand Central atrium with three-deck-high windows overlooking the sea.

The ship has twice been delayed. Last December, Carnival postponed the ship’s debut from Aug. 31 to Nov. 14 because of a construction delay at the shipyard in Finland. More recently, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the line rescheduled its maiden cruise until Feb. 6, 2021.  The ship will sail out of Florida’s Port Canaveral.

Iata: ‘Widespread use’ of vouchers will accelerate cash burn

Iata: ‘Widespread use’ of vouchers will accelerate cash burn

The International Air Transport Association (Iata) has highlighted how the extensive use of refund vouchers will accelerate cash burn for airlines.

The association warned that the “widespread use” of vouchers in Europe is “one of the difficulties airlines will be facing as they are slowly moving towards restarting their operations”.

With the grounding of fleets in mid-March, as the pandemic crisis began to hit revenues, airlines opted to provide vouchers to passengers rather than immediate refunds.

“This proved useful in slowing down their cash burn and helped prevent bankruptcies,” reported Iata Economics in its latest Chart of the Week.

“However, airlines’ liability to transport these passengers was only deferred but did not disappear.

“A month after the easing of travel restrictions on intra-EU routes, we can already observe that passengers have used a large number of vouchers to pay for their travel.

“This means that airlines now incur the cost of transporting these passengers – against no or limited new revenues.

“Whilst the issuance of vouchers helped decelerate cash burn a few weeks ago, their use will now accelerate cash burn in the coming months.”

Iata also said the booking behaviour of passengers has changed “dramatically”, with 41% of global travellers booking up to three days before travel in June, compared to 18% last year.

“This makes it difficult for airlines to plan and optimise their schedules, crew and fleet,” said the association.

In April, Alexandre de Juniac, Iata’s director-general and chief executive, said airlines owed $35 billion for cancelled flights, so the use of refund vouchers would buy the industry “vital time to breathe”.

Last week, the Iata Economics chart showed how intra-Europe routes were leading the initial recovery in international flights after border restrictions were eased.

Most passengers were travelling to visit friends and family or going on holiday, rather than going on business trips.

United introduces new airflow on aircraft to tackle virus spread

United introduces new airflow on aircraft to tackle virus spread

United Airlines will introduce new procedures from July 27 to maximise the volume of airflow through its aircraft filtration systems during boarding and disembarking.

The cabin airflow plan is part of the carrier’s plans to further reduce the spread of coronavirus.

The aircraft's’ high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration systems, air conditioning and pressurisation systems recirculate the cabin air every two to three minutes.

This removes 99.97% of particles – including viruses and bacteria during ground and air operations.

United said this makes the air onboard a plane “significantly cleaner” than in restaurants, shops, schools or even some hospitals.

Scott Kirby, United’s chief executive, said: “We know the environment on an aircraft is safe and because the airflow is designed to minimise the transmission of disease, the earlier we maximise airflow over our HEPA filtration system, the better for our crew and our customers.

“The quality of the air, combined with a strict mask policy and regularly disinfected surfaces, are the building blocks towards preventing the spread of Covid-19 on an aeroplane.

“We expect that air travel is not likely to get back to normal until we’re closer to a widely administered vaccine – so we’re in this for the long haul.

Cruise & Maritime Voyages enters administration

Cruise & Maritime Voyages enters administration

Cruise & Maritime Voyages has entered administration after failing to secure additional funding.

The cruise line has ceased trading with immediate effect, as has its international sales offices in Australia, France, the United States and Germany.

There are no passengers onboard any CMV ships, although the suspension of its programme as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, from March 13, 2020, to August 25, 2020, has affected 50,000 passengers.

CMV was based in Essex and operated six ships with a seventh, Amy Johnson, due to join the fleet in 2021.

The US extends cruise ‘No Sail Order’ to end of September

In June, the line confirmed it was in talks with a range of financial institutions and banks to “improve its liquidity position” during the shutdown of cruising and said it was confident of reaching an agreement.

However, last week it declined to comment on reports that it was in talks with investor VGO Capital Management on a last-ditch deal to secure its future.

Chief executive Christian Verhounig said: “The directors have all worked tirelessly with CMV’s financial advisors, investment bankers, lawyers, and numerous private equity and hedge fund investors to try and secure the funding required to enable CMV to weather the storm.

“Only last year CMV was celebrating a record trading year and our first decade in cruising but the CMV journey has tragically been cut short by this unprecedented global pandemic. Prior to the onset of Covid-19, we had sold nearly 90% of 2020 capacity and we had bullish prospects for the future having sold nearly 50% of 2021 UK capacity.

“Despite this positive forward booking position, we could just not get the financing deal over the line in time to save this wonderful business. We are truly sorry to our loyal and hard-working shoreside staff and seafarers, travel trade partners and suppliers who have all patiently stood by us and to our valued passengers for the disappointment and further disruption to their cruising holiday plans.

“On behalf of the CMV family, directors and shareholders, I would like to thank everyone for their great support and sincerely apologise for these circumstances which are directly related to Covid-19 and beyond our control.”

When the coronavirus pandemic struck earlier this year CMV repatriated crew, passengers and six ships from around the world back to their home ports in the UK without one Covid-19 case.

Paul Williams, Phil Dakin and Edward Bines of Duff & Phelps have been appointed joint administrators, who said it is likely the administration will result in the redundancy of UK employees and an “uncertain future” for those employees in the wider group.

Williams said: “The travel, tourism and wider hospitality industry has been engulfed with a devastating and unprecedented global pandemic of seismic proportions impacting very hard on CMV’s once-thriving cruise business compounded by last week’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advisory against cruise travel.”

He added: “Unfortunately, despite the collective very best efforts and being very close to securing the long-term finance needed, CMV was unable to conclude the funding within the timescales required which has led to the administration of the business.”

Affected customers can make a claim for a refund of their cruise fares can be found on Cruise & Maritime Voyages and German brand TransOcean Kreuzfahrten’s websites.

Cruise & Maritime Voyages was a trading name of South Quay Travel Limited, which sold mainly cruise packages which are protected by Abta. The company also sold a small number of flight-inclusive packages which are protected by the Civil Aviation Authority’s ATOL scheme.

Sister companies Independent Coach Travel (Wholesaling) Ltd and Viceroy Ltd have also entered administration.

Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas Isn't Going to China in 2021

Royal Caribbean International is postponing Wonder of the Seas’ arrival in China until further notice.

Being built in France, the fifth Oasis-class vessel was scheduled to arrive in Shanghai in mid-2021.

According to the cruise line, the vessel is not going to be delivered next spring as previously planned.

"The coronavirus pandemic has caused an unprecedented impact on the global cruise ship industry and the construction of the new Wonder of the Seas was delayed due to the impact of it in shipyard operations," said the company, in a statement issued in the Chinese market.

While remaining hopeful to see the 5,448-guest ship in Asia "as soon as possible," the cruise line didn’t set an alternative timeline for it.

“We look forward to the arrival of Wonder of the Seas after the epidemic has been brought under control," the company said.

"Royal Caribbean believes that the fundamentals of the Chinese economy have not changed because of the epidemic, and the trend of the cruise ship market will not change. After the public health risks are controlled, people will pursue socialization. The instincts of reunion and leisure will not change and may even be strengthened," said Dr Zinan Liu, Chairman of the Royal Caribbean Cruises Asia, underlining the company's commitment to the market.

“We are fully prepared to show the public that Royal Caribbean ships are a safe place," he said.

BA’s 747 retirements ‘should bring forward aircraft scrappage scheme’

BA’s 747 retirements ‘should bring forward aircraft scrappage scheme’

The government must use British Airways’ retirement of its 747 fleets to bring forward aircraft scrappage scheme, says union Unite.

BA announced this morning that it is to retire its Boeing 31-strong 747 fleets as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The move was brought forward from 2024.

Unite national officer Rhys McCarthy noted the nostalgia of the aircraft but called on the aviation industry to use the landmark to move towards cleaner aircraft.

“While the 747 jet is held in high regard, it is time for the ‘queen of the skies’ to relinquish her throne,” he said. “The entire aviation industry’s stock of older more polluting planes needs to be replaced with the next generation of cleaner and quieter aircraft built and maintained in the UK.

“Other European countries, including France, Germany, Spain and the  have already committed to scrappage measures that will see their aviation industries invest in greener aircraft and help re-kickstart aerospace manufacturing so badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It is now time for the UK government to do the same and put together a sector-based strategy for the long-term future of our world-leading aerospace industry, and the thousands of highly skilled jobs it supports.

“Investment in research and development is vital if zero and ultra-low emission planes are to be built. However, this must be accompanied with an immediate industry-wide scrappage scheme so that the newest planes, which emit 25 per cent less Co2, are 25 per cent more fuel-efficient and 50 per cent quieter, can replace more polluting aircraft as quickly as possible.”

This week Boris Johnson said he would ‘examine’ the idea of an aircraft scrappage scheme. Transport secretary Grant Shapps recently announced a Jet Zero Council to work towards carbon-neutral transatlantic flights.

McCarthy said: “British Airways’ retirement of the 747 should be the impetus he needs to put such a [scrappage] scheme into action.”

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ chairman and chief executive, said: “This is not how we wanted or expected to have to say goodbye to our incredible fleet of 747 aircraft. It is a heartbreaking decision to have to make. So many people, including many thousands of our colleagues past and present, have spent countless hours on and with these wonderful planes – they have been at the centre of so many memories, including my very first long-haul flight. They will always hold a special place in our hearts at British Airways.

“We have committed to making our fleet more environmentally friendly as we look to reduce the size of our business to reflect the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on aviation.  As painful as it is, this is the most logical thing for us to propose. The retirement of the jumbo jet will be felt by many people across Britain, as well as by all of us at British Airways.  It is sadly another difficult but necessary step as we prepare for a very different future.”

Royal Caribbean Group extends cruise suspension

Royal Caribbean Group extends cruise suspension

Independence of the Seas in Southampton

Royal Caribbean Group has extended the suspension of its cruise operation in line with the US Centers for Disease Control’s

Cruise lines under the Royal Caribbean Group banner, including Royal Caribbean International, Celerity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea, will not sail before October.

Agents will be contacted about cruises their customers are booked on.

The move follow’s the US Centers for Disease Control’s No Cruise Order, essentially banning cruising up to July 24 to September 30.

Members of Cruise Lines International Association (Clia) had already voluntarily suspended cruises up to September 15.

A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said: “The health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we visit is our top priority. As we work with the CDC and others toward this shared goal, Royal Caribbean Group will be extending the suspension of sailings to include those departing on or before September 30, 2020.

“We will be reaching out to our guests and travel partners to share further details and address any questions or concerns they may have.”