Costa Toscana to Host Fashion Show Before Inaugural Cruise

Sustainable fashion producer Jessica Mh Anhin is set to transform the new LNG-powered cruise ship, the Costa Toscana, into a sky-high ocean catwalk on Feb. 28, 2022.

According to a press release, the, J Spring Fashion Show 2022 will be held against the cinematic backdrop of the Italian Riviera to deliver a message of “sustainability and style.” The event will welcome some global media and famous people on board the Costa Toscana, before its inaugural cruise in Portofino, Italy.

Participating brands, which will be unveiled in mid-February 2022, will premiere a combination of haute couture and ready-to-wear collections from five continents. Minh Anh’s previous catwalks included Paul Costelloe, Montblanc, Yumi Katsura, Ziad Nakad, Shiatzy Chen, and Tony Ward.

The red-carpet experience will feature Italian art, architecture, culture, luxury and delicacies alongside the impressive catwalk.

“This particular moment in history provides an opportunity for a sustainable ‘restart’ of our society. The Costa Toscana aligns perfectly with my mission of highlighting sustainability in a visually attractive way. It runs on liquefied natural gas, one of the most advanced technologies to reduce emissions right now. It represents a breakthrough in the travel industry. I am honoured to celebrate the resurgence of business and style on such a unique ship,” Minh Anh said.

According to the press release, J Spring Fashion Show 2022 is Minh Anh’s “comeback catwalk” after the success of “Runway on the Runway” at JFK international airport held before the pandemic. The show will combine three of Minh Anh’s catwalk series, namely Fashion x Sustainability, Catwalk-On-Water, and Sky-High. Previous editions took place atop the Eiffel Tower, London’s Tower Bridge, Grand Canyon Skywalk, Hoover Dam, Gemasolar Power Plant, and cruise ships in Dubai, New York, Sydney, and Hong Kong.

“Jessica Minh Anh is a pioneer in marrying fashion with sustainability, just like Costa Cruises in offering the most advanced sustainable ships”, said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises. “Costa has been the first in the world to operate LNG-powered ships and focuses on value-driven, sustainable and inclusive tourism. As the travel industry is gradually recovering, it is very exciting for us to welcome Jessica on board, and have her launch such an important message in a creative way on our new flagship, the Costa Toscana. We are also proud that this collaboration will happen in Italy and specifically the Ligurian Riviera!”

A site visit took place last weekend on the Costa Toscana in Civitavecchia, where Minh Anh met with the president of Costa Cruises to discuss the floor plan, schedule, setup and treatments for the media and guests.

The official campaign video captured Minh Anh running atop the sky-high catwalk in a bright pink dress against the backdrop of the ship, deep blue sea and skyline.

Princess Cruises: Eight Ships Now in Service in North America

Princess Cruises first welcomed passengers back in July 2021 offering Alaska cruises with the Majestic Princess and local domestic cruising in England with the Regal Princess.

Six months after the restart, Princess Cruises has added a total of eight ships back in service, including the new Enchanted Princess, which welcomed its first guests in November.

Back in Action in the Caribbean, West Coast and Hawaii

Pursuing a phased restart plan, Princess grew its active fleet to eight ships in the past six months.

The premium brand is now offering cruises in the Caribbean, West Coast and Hawaii, sailing from three different homeports.

Here are the details:

Majestic Princess
Capacity at 100%: 3,600
Date: In service since July 25, 2021
Region: West Coast
Homeport: Los Angeles (United States)
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Mexican Riviera

Regal Princess
Capacity at 100%: 3,600
Date: In service since July 31, 2021
Region: Caribbean
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: 5 to 7 nights
Itinerary: Eastern and Western Caribbean

Sky Princess
Capacity at 100%: 3,600
Date: In service since August 30, 2021
Region: Caribbean
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Western and Eastern Caribbean  

Grand Princess
Capacity at 100%: 2,600
Date: In service since September 25, 2021
Region: West Coast
Homeport: Los Angeles (United States)
Length: 10 to 15 nights
Itinerary: Mexican Riviera, Sea of Cortez and Hawaii

Emerald Princess
Capacity at 100%: 3,100
Date: In service since October 15, 2021
Region: Caribbean
Homeport: Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: 14 and 15 nights
Itinerary: Panama Canal and Southern Caribbean

Ruby Princess
Capacity at 100%: 3,070
Date: In service since October 31, 2021
Region: West Coast
Homeport: San Francisco (United States)
Length: 15 nights
Itinerary: Hawaii and Panama Canal    

Enchanted Princess
Capacity at 100%: 3,600
Date: In service since November 10, 2021
Region: Caribbean
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: 10 nights
Itinerary: Southern and Eastern Caribbean    

Caribbean Princess
Capacity at 100%: 3,100
Date: In service since November 28, 2021
Region: Caribbean
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale (United States)
Length: 7 nights
Itinerary: Western and Eastern Caribbean

Most of the Fleet Set to Return by May

As Princess returns to additional destinations in 2022, more vessels are resuming service. According to the company’s current restart plans, most of the fleet is set to be sailing again in May, in time for summer seasons in Alaska and Asia.

Here are the planned service resumption dates:

Discovery Princess
Capacity at 100%: 3,660
Date: March 27, 2022
Region: West Coast
Homeport: Los Angeles (United States)
Length: 7 nights
First itinerary: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta

Island Princess
Capacity at 100%: 1,950
Date: April 27, 2022
Region: Panama Canal
Homeport: Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles (United States)
Length: 14 nights
First itinerary: Cartagena, Panama Canal (old locks), Puntarenas, San Juan del Sur, Huatulco and Puerto Vallarta

Diamond Princess
Capacity at 100%: 2,600
Date: April 28, 2022
Region: Asia
Homeport: Yokohama (Japan)
Length: 6 nights
First itinerary: Nagasaki, Busan and Kagoshima

Royal Princess
Capacity at 100%: 3,600
Date: May 2, 2022
Region: Alaska
Homeport: Vancouver (Canada)
Length: 12 nights
First itinerary: Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Sitka, Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm, Ketchikan and Victoria      

Crown Princess
Capacity at 100%: 3,070
Date: May 7, 2022
Region: Alaska
Homeport: Seattle (United States)
Length: 7 nights
First itinerary: Juneau, Glacier Bay Park, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria

Sapphire Princess
Capacity at 100%: 2,600
Date: August 28, 2022
Region: Asia
Homeport: Hong Kong to Fremantle (Australia)
Length: 12 nights
First itinerary: Nha Trang, Phu My, Singapore and Lombok

Coral Princess
Capacity at 100%: 1,950
Date: September 3, 2022
Region: Australia
Homeport: Sydney (Australia)
Length: 35 nights
First itinerary: New Zealand, Hawaii, Tahiti and South Pacific

MSC CRUISES EXTENDS BELLISSIMA'S ARABIAN GULF SEASON

MSC Cruises has announced plans to extend its current season in the Arabian Gulf after the destination proved to be "particularly attractive" to its customers this winter.

Bellissima will finish its planned Red Sea itineraries homeporting in Jeddah on 26 March and then move to the Arabian Gulf to take over from Virtuosa on 2 April. 

 

The vessel will then offer additional seven-night cruises calling in Dubai, Sir Bani Yas and Doha from 2 April through to 25 June.

 

Virtuosa, which has sailed the region since November 2021, will sail back to Europe to homeport in Southampton for the summer season.

 

In July, Bellissima will move to the Far East to perform its itineraries in Japan and China. Sales for the additional Bellissima cruises opened today.

The line said its Arabian Gulf sailings have proven to be "particularly attractive" to guests this winter, thanks to the "appeal of the itinerary" with extended stays in port and two overnights in Dubai.
 
Gianni Onorato, chief executive of MSC Cruises, said: "We have seen that the itineraries in the UAE and Qatar have been very popular with our guests and so to respond to this demand we have decided to extend our presence in the region.

 

"The decision to deploy MSC Bellissima for this extended part of the season was taken because this is a highly popular and well-appreciated ship with a richness of features, entertainment and dining as well as offering the MSC Yacht Club."

Spectrum of the Seas to Sail From Singapore From April 2022

Royal Caribbean International's Spectrum of the Seas will sail a program out of Singapore starting from April 2022, which is six months ahead of the previous schedule. This was reported by the Singapore Cruise Society.

According to the Singapore Cruise Society, booking for the program will open on Thursday, Jan. 27.

The 4,200-passenger Quantum Ultra-class ship was originally poised to begin the Singapore-based season in October 2022. It was last engaged in a season of short domestic sailings to nowhere, exclusive for Hong Kong residents. But, after a mid-January update to local COVID-19 prevention policies by local authorities, the cruise line started cancelling Hong Kong voyages onboard the Spectrum.

According to Singapore Cruise Society, Spectrum’s older fleet mate, the Quantum of the Seas, which was most recently operating sailings out of Singapore, will be redeployed for a season of voyages in Alaska, starting in May.

Carnival Corporation Driving Technical Innovation

“Where there are particularly large refits or complex ones, we provide project management resources to support the brands,” said Chris Millman, vice president of corporate marine technology at Carnival Corporation.

Perhaps the biggest project coming up for Carnival Corporation is a battery system retrofit for AIDA Cruises, as the German brand will get a 10MW battery installation with the goal to manoeuvre into port, hook up to shore power, and then sail out of port, all with zero emissions.

“The impact of that will be zero emissions for a port call, which is something we are looking at,” Millman said, adding that a fuel cell installation was also happening in the near future on an AIDA vessel.

Long-term planning is centred around fewer emissions with the eventual goal of finding the zero-emissions fuel of the future.

Varying Projects

Many of the ideas and project topics come from the brands themselves, noted Mike Kaczmarek, vice president of corporate shipbuilding.

Thus, those projects can turn into company-wide refit projects, energy-efficiency initiatives and help lend resources and support to prototype future technologies.

“We have been running a technical prototype initiative whereby we are assessing the impact of different technologies on the ships,” said Millman, pointing to variable speed pumps, fan controllers, different hull coatings and LED lights.          

"We’ve developed a recommended package for all our ships … it brings all the ships into line with technologies we’ve identified as being effective at improving energy efficiency and waste management,” he said.

After seeing the results of an air lubrication system on a pair of newbuilds, that technology has now been retrofitted to a handful of existing ships, where Carnival first equipped the ships with the fastest itineraries in the fleet that would benefit the most.

Hull Coating

"“Following the pause period, and with ships returning to service, they needed hull cleaning and we needed to understand which ones needed it the most,” Millman explained.

New is a remote hull cleaning drone that also collects all the fouling of the hull, alleviating concerns from port authorities and letting Carnival evaluate what was on the hull.

With no shortage of hull coating options available, different water temperatures ship speeds and itinerary patterns, the company is constantly evaluating new hull paint.

Carnival ships are sailing globally with different hull coatings, and test patches of new coatings.

“In one case we coated a whole hull with completely new paint. It has proven to be very successful,” Millman said. “We haven’t seen it through to the end of five years yet but we are moving to do another couple of trials.”

Support

Supporting initiatives include a host of subject matter experts at the corporate level – whether it’s a hydrodynamics wizard, a waste heat genius or other top minds in specific fields.

“The background assistance is there for the brands,” said Millman.

Getting pitched all the time with the latest emissions-saving gadgets, the corporate technology team goes through potential projects, brings in subject matter help and then evaluates proposals.

“We would then prioritize what to trial depending on what we feel would bring the best ROI on improving energy efficiency,” Millman said. “Then run the trial and report back.”

Company-wide, a technical team gathers twice a year for two to three days, going through all the projects, providing updates and making decisions on where the future focus should go.

“The biggest (future) tech initiative will be on alternative fuels … that is a major way to decarbonization.”

Excerpt from Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine: Winter 2021-2022 

MSC CRUISES PARENT OPENS TALKS TO BUY ITALIAN AIRLINE

MSC Group has told the Italian government it is interested in acquiring a majority stake in the new carrier ITA Airways.

ITA was born after the demise of Alitalia and MSC aims to create a partnership with the Italian government and Lufthansa as the project’s “industrial partner”.

 

MSC said: “Lufthansa has already expressed its interest in taking part in the initiative.”

 

Both parties now enter a 90-day period of exclusivity when the Italian government, which established ITA, will examine their proposal. Regulators will also examine the bid for any competition issues.

 

MSC added: “MSC Group’s interest derives from the possibility of activating positive synergies for both companies in the cargo and passenger sectors where the MSC Group is a global leader.”

Players in a Likely Crystal Cruises Acquisition

With Crystal Cruises suspending operations through April with owner Genting Hong Kong warning of cash troubles, there is no shortage of speculation of what will happen to one of the key luxury brands in the industry.

According to sources familiar with the situation, Crystal is drawing interest for its brand name, past passenger list of wealthy American clients, its new 200-guest expedition ship and fleet of river ships. Less interesting, according to sources, are the company’s larger ocean-going ships.

Catching up with industry sources, Cruise Industry News put together a list of possible suitors and scenarios.

Potential Players:

• Genting: Could Genting reorganize using bankruptcy protection and continue to operate Crystal? The company could emerge stronger with reduced debt loads, new money and a fresh outlook if a reorganization takes place.
• Lindblad: Lindblad Expeditions and Genting have already been at the negotiating table as Lindblad bought the Crystal Esprit in 2021. Lindblad has been active in the acquisition space, also having bought up complementary companies in recent years. While Crystal’s big ocean-going luxury ships don’t fit the Lindblad product, the river ships, new Endeavor and passenger list could be ideal.
• MSC: MV Werften and a 75 per cent-finished 5,000-gest Global Dream could present an interesting opportunity for fast-growing MSC Cruises. The family-owned company is known to make quick decisions and wants to dominate the cruise industry. Could a shipyard and newbuild designed-for-China give them a platform to accelerate future growth even more? It could prove tempting. The Endeavor would also allow the company to enter the expedition market overnight.
• Carnival/Royal/Norwegian: Could one of the three major players acquire Crystal into their portfolio of brands? It would prevent potential new competition. However, chances are the answer is no, as all three would see significant pushback from the investment community, which is focused on short term financial performance.
• Azamara/Sycamore: After buying Azamara Cruises from Royal Caribbean Group in early 2021, Sycamore Partners, a private equity company, added the fourth ship with the acquisition of the Pacific Princess. It’s no secret in the industry circle they have been looking for more. A new parent company could operate both brands, with a lean shoreside organization, and vessel management from V. Ships Leisure, which is already running the Azamara fleet. It would allow Sycamore to add to its ocean-going capacity while entering the expedition and river markets.
• Ponant: Another small cruise line that has been quickly growing is Ponant. With well-financed French owners, the boutique luxury operator has acquired both Travel Dynamics and Paul Gauguin and introduced a fleet of new ships for the Ponant brand.
• National Investment Fund: It’s not a matter of if, but when, as it relates to a major public investment fund from a Middle Eastern country buying majority control of a cruise line.
• Hotel Chain: The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Margaritaville enter the cruise industry in 2022. For hotel chains with a fear of missing out, this may be a key opportunity to get into the business.
• New Money: The pandemic has brought new private equity money, hedge funds and new investors into the cruise industry. According to sources, there are still multiple deep-pocketed investors waiting for the right time to buy-in.
• River Operator: The Crystal river ships are said to be drawing interest from a number of existing European river operators.

Atlas World Navigator Crew Receives Vaccination Booster

Atlas Ocean's World Navigator staff and crew received their COVID-19 vaccination booster shot prior to Atlas’ first 2022 Antarctica expedition, according to a press release.

The booster shot that all staff and crew received was the Pfizer-BioNTech booster vaccine.

“The health and safety of all guests, staff and crew is our top priority,” said Alberto Aliberti, President of Atlas Ocean Voyages. “Enhancing our staff and crew’s resilience to Covid-19 will help elevate the onboard health for our guests too. Atlas Ocean Voyages takes extra steps like these to help ensure a safe environment for all who sail aboard our ships.”

Arrest Warrant Issued for Crystal Symphony

The Crystal Cruises saga may just be starting as a Miami court has issued a warrant for the arrest of the Crystal Symphony. 

Peninsula Petroleum Far East Pte. Ltd. filed a lawsuit in Miami earlier this week against the Crystal Symphony, Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises for what it says are unpaid fuel bills. 

Parent company to Crystal Cruises, Genting Hong Kong, warned earlier this week it would run out of cash by the end of January. Crystal Cruises also announced it would suspend operations through April. 

The unpaid fuel on the Crystal Serenity dates back to late 2021, according to the supplier. The filing also claims that Star Cruises has not paid various fuel bills dating back to 2017.

Total claims are $1.2 million against the Crystal Symphony, $2.1 million against Crystal Cruises, and $1.3 million against Star Cruises.

The fuel supplier is asking the court to arrest the vessel to secure payment. 

On Thursday United States District Judge Darrin P. Gayles ordered that the court issue a warrant for the arrest of the Symphony.

The ship was set to dock in Miami this weekend but is instead ending its current sailing out of U.S. waters in the Bahamas.

Global Maritime Security has been appointed to oversee the arrest of the vessel.

Carnival Horizon Resumes Service After Emergency Drydock

The Carnival Horizon is resuming cruise service in Miami after the completion of an emergency drydock in Italy. The vessel is welcoming guests back today for its first Caribbean voyage since December.

The eight-night voyage will feature calls in four ports in the Southern Caribbean, including a 14-hour stop in Aruba.

Sailing year-round from Miami, Carnival Horizon’s program also includes six-night cruises to the Western Caribbean, in addition to varied eight-night itineraries to the Southern Caribbean.

The service resumption comes nearly two months after the 4,000-guest vessel was taken out of service to fix a propulsion problem in drydock. The downtime was also used to adorn the Horizon with the brand’s new red, white and blue livery.

To pick up the Horizon’s guests and itineraries from Miami, Carnival brought the Carnival Liberty and Carnival Sunshine back to service.

The 133,500-ton Horizon is part of the three-ship Vista-class. it originally entered service in 2018. According to Carnival, the vessels series was designed to connect guests to the ocean with “sweeping views” and plenty of activities, outdoors and indoors.

Among the ships’ unique features is the SkyRide – a suspended open-air cycling experience. The Vista-class also introduced new speciality food and beverage options, such as the New England-inspired Seafood Shack – a casual indoor/outdoor dining venue.

With most of its fleet now back in service, Carnival plans to have all of its U.S.-based ships sailing again soon.

The Carnival Ecstasy, Carnival Sensation and the Carnival Paradise are set to complete the domestic lineup when they resume service in March.

US CRUISE SHIPS TO MOVE TO VOLUNTARY SYSTEM OF COVID RULES

Cruise ships operating in the US are no longer be required to follow Covid-19 guidance from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) health agency.

The CDC’s guidance on Covid measures, known as the Conditional Sailing Order, has been in place for cruise ships since October 2020. But it was finally allowed to expire on Saturday (15 January), as planned and it has become voluntary for cruise lines to follow.

CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky told US Senate politicians last week the sailing order would automatically lapse, as the health agency “transitions to a voluntary Covid-19 risk mitigation programme”.

Walensky told US senators that the cruise industry had “stepped up” in the way it had implemented Covid procedures and was now “interested in exceeding the compliance” necessary to meet the sail order’s requirements.

From 15 January, cruise lines can decide to voluntarily follow the sailing order, with the CDC continuing to carry out oversight and provide technical support.

Less positively, Walensky also revealed that US cruise ships had seen a “30-fold” increase in onboard Covid-19 infections in the past two weeks, due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

Clia said the CDC’s decision to move to a voluntary system showed the industry’s “unwavering commitment” to implementing Covid health procedures.

“Cruise is the only segment of travel and tourism that requires – prior to embarkation for both passengers and crew – exceedingly high levels of vaccination and 100% testing of every individual,” added Clia in a statement.

Cunard Adds Over 150 Voyages for 2023 Season

Luxury cruise brand Cunard has unveiled over 150 new international voyages, sailing on its three ships between Apr. 23 and Dec. 15, 2023.

According to a press release, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, will call at 120 ports in 35 countries, with 23 late evening departures and 15 overnight stays with voyages between two nights and 37 nights in duration. The Queen Mary 2 will sail a program of 18 Transatlantic Crossings, with departures from both Southampton and New York.

Some of the highlights are a Mediterranean fly-cruise season from Barcelona, a series of 10-night roundtrips in Alaska, an Independence Day sailing calling in Boston, a 16-night Baltics voyage with an overnight call in St Petersburg and a 14-night Canada and New England voyage offering three full days in Quebec.

“We’re thrilled to launch such an exciting programme of new itineraries, giving the opportunity to those new to Cunard – or new to cruising in general – the chance to visit the places they’ve always dreamed of, escape, unwind and feel special,” said Carnival UK President, Sture Myrmell. “From famous city destinations to breathtaking natural wonders, the Cunard 2023 New Voyages offer the perfect way to rediscover the joy of exploration while enjoying our signature White Star Service and all the other special touches that set a Cunard cruise apart from the rest.”

Key itineraries of The World Awaits 2023 program include:

The Canary Islands: The volcanic terrain of Tenerife’s Teide National Park and Sintra’s Moorish palaces (tours from Lisbon) are the UNESCO World Heritage sites that will be visited on this 12-night voyage of Spain and Portugal. Queen Victoria departs Southampton on Apr. 27, 2023. Inside staterooms start from 1,299 British pounds per person.

North Cape Discovery: North Cape Discovery presents “a land of forest and water, where ancient wooden houses decorate the streets, waterfalls spill from verdant gullies, and soaring mountains reflect in mirror-like fjords,” according to the press release. Queen Victoria departs Southampton on June 6, 2023. Inside staterooms start from 1,699 British pounds per person.

Transatlantic Crossing, New England and Canada: This roundtrip itinerary from/to Southampton will take guests to New York via Transatlantic Crossing, before embarking on an exploration of New England and Canada that includes three days in Quebec. The Queen Mary 2 departs Southampton on Sept. 22, 2023. Inside staterooms start from 3,299 British pounds per person.

Mediterranean Highlights: Pisa’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed leaning tower, the Sistine Chapel in Rome, and Gaudi’s architectural legacy, the Sagrada Familia, are all part of this 14-night voyage sailing from Southampton. The Queen Mary 2 departs Southampton on June 9, 2023. Inside staterooms start from 1,999 British pounds per person.

Alaska: Guests will see the colourful totem poles in Ketchikan and Alaska’s tall glaciers and icy fjords, as well as looking for humpback whales. Queen Elizabeth departs Vancouver on June 8, 2023. Inside staterooms start from 1,499 British pounds per person.

Western Mediterranean: This seven-night Mediterranean voyage from Barcelona features the French Riviera, Pisa’s UNESCO-listed leaning tower and Ibiza’s old town, Dalt Vila. Queen Elizabeth departs Barcelona on Sept. 25, 2023. Inside staterooms start from 899 British pounds per person.

The World Awaits 2023 New Voyages are available to book for past guests on Feb. 1 and are on general sale from Feb. 2, 2022.

MSC Cruises has opened bookings for its second Seaside Evo-class ship, MSC Seascape.

The 5,877-passenger ship, a sister to MSC Seashore, is currently under construction in Italy and set to be delivered in late November. 

 

Seascape will begin operating its inaugural season from Miami the following month offering two choices of a seven-night itinerary to different parts of the Caribbean.

 

An Eastern Caribbean sailing will call at MSC’s Ocean Cay marine reserve and Nassau in the Bahamas, San Juan in Puerto Rico, and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.

 

Meanwhile, Seascape’s Western Caribbean voyages will also visit Ocean Cay, as well as Cozumel in Mexico, George Town in the Cayman Islands and Ocho Rios in Jamaica.

The ship is set to feature 11 dining venues, 19 bars and lounges, and six swimming pools, and offer the largest MSC Yacht Club area in the line’s fleet.

 

All MSC Voyagers Club members booking Seascape before 31 January will benefit from their customary 5% discount, plus a further 5% early booking discount and enjoy double Voyagers Club points. 

 

Members from Silver to Diamond will also earn a shipboard credit of €50pp.

 

All guests booking before 31 March will have the option to reschedule their cruise free of charge up to 15 days prior to departure.

 

MSC has also opened sales for two other US-based ships next winter, MSC Divina homeporting in PortMiami and MSC Meraviglia sailing out of Port Canaveral.

Norwegian Cruise Line Cancels More Sailings on Pride of America

Norwegian Cruise Line announced more cruise cancellations on Wednesday, citing ongoing travel restrictions.

Newly impacted, the company cancelled more cruises aboard the Pride of America, which will now restart in Hawaii in April as opposed to Feb. 26 as announced in an update last week.

The American-flagged ship was originally set to resume its program in Hawaii in January 2022, which has now been pushed back twice since the start of the year.

Impacted Cruises: 

• Norwegian Pearl cruises with embarkation dates through and including January 17, 2022
• Norwegian Dawn cruises with embarkation dates through and including January 18, 2022
• Norwegian Getaway cruises with embarkation dates through and including January 19, 2022
• Norwegian Escape cruises with embarkation dates through and including January 22, 2022
• Norwegian Joy cruises with embarkation dates through and including January 22, 2022
• Norwegian Breakaway cruises with embarkation dates through and including January 23, 2022
• Norwegian Sky cruises with embarkation dates through and including February 25, 2022
• Norwegian Jade cruises with embarkation dates through and including March 3, 2022
• Norwegian Star cruises with embarkation dates through and including March 19, 2022
• Norwegian Jewel cruises with embarkation dates through and including March 20, 2022
• Pride of America cruises with embarkation dates through and including April 2, 2022
• Norwegian Sun cruises with embarkation dates through and including April 19, 2022
• Norwegian Spirit cruises with embarkation dates through and including April 23, 2022

Genting Files to Wind Up Company, Cash Running Out

Genting Hong Kong has filed to wind up its company as it warned investors cash would run out by the end of January, as the company said it had exhausted all efforts for fundraising.

Genting said it had  “exhausted all reasonable efforts to negotiate with the relevant counterparties under its financing arrangements." in a filing on Wednesday.

Genting did stress that certain operations would continue, including Dream Cruises, as it aims to "preserve and protect the core assets and maintain the value of the Group; however, it is anticipated that the majority of the Group’s existing operations will cease to operate."

Earlier this month, Genting-owned MV Werften filed for insolvency in Germany.

Genting's winding-up petition and appointment of provisional liquidators will be heard by the Supreme Court of Bermuda on Jan. 20.

Will Marella Cruises Be Handed Over To TUI Cruises?

TUI Cruises is set to grow in size and reach, according to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine.

The newspaper reported that British cruise line Marella Cruises, which is currently owned by TUI Group, will be integrated into TUI Cruises – a joint venture between TUI Group and Royal Caribbean Group.

The handover of Marella will grow TUI Cruises, which currently operates in the German market, into a European cruise line. Earlier, in 2020, another cruise line, Hapag Lloyd Cruises, was integrated into the TUI Cruises brand in a similar fashion.

Marella Cruises currently has a fleet of four ships – the Marella Explorer, Marella Explorer 2, Marella Discovery and Marella Discovery 2. The cruise line recently confirmed to Cruise Industry News that it would be growing its fleet to five ships in 2023 but did not disclose which ship those plans would involve.

TUI Clamps Down, Not Allowing Pre-Cruise Overnights

TUI Cruises has told guests on select sailings they cannot board if they have booked a pre-cruise stay or an overnight before the start of their trip, according to Schiffe und Kreuzfahrten, a leading German blog covering cruising. 

Coming on the heels of the news the company will require booster shots, the German brand is essentially telling guests to fly straight to the ship with no pre-cruise activity.

The company also said it will only take bookings with arrival and departure packages (i.e. flights) it books for guests along with the cruise, allowing it to control the full journey. Post-cruise stays are still okay.

Exceptions are being granted for guests that have already booked flights or other transportation, which will be checked by the cruise line at embarkation. 

Ships/Itineraries Impacted:

• Mein Schiff 2 from Jan. 28 to April 11
• Mein Schiff 3 from Jan. 20 to April 24
• Mein Schiff 4 from Jan. 23 to April 24
• Mein Schiff 5 from March 6 to May 22
• Mein Schiff 6 from Jan. 24 to Feb. 28

The Mein Schiff 1 is exempt as it continues to sail from German homeports, which are easily accessible for the company's German-speaking passengers.

Viking Marks New Vessal Floatout of New the Ship 'Viking Neptune'.

Viking Neptune

Set to debut in November, the vessel will spend its maiden season sailing itineraries in the Mediterranean.

 

It will then embark on the company’s 2023-2024 Viking World Cruise, a journey from Fort Lauderdale to London that spans 138 days, 28 countries and 57 ports, with overnight stays in 11 cities.

 

Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking, said: "It is always a special day when a new ship meets water for the first time, and we look forward to welcoming guests onboard the Viking Neptune this fall.

 

"Together with Fincantieri, we have built the world’s most elegant vessels, which truly allow our guests to explore the world in comfort."

 

The traditional float out ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard on Thursday (13 January).

 

Following a two-day process that will set Viking Neptune afloat, it will then be moved to a nearby outfitting dock for final construction and interior build-out.