Celebrity Cruises Marks Australia and New Zealand Return

Celebrity Cruises Marks Australia and New Zealand Return

Saturday marked a new beginning, as Celebrity Cruises celebrated its highly anticipated return to Australian and New Zealand waters.

On Saturday, the Celebrity Eclipse set sail from Sydney, Australia, on a 12-night itinerary exploring the ruggedly scenic wilderness of New Zealand.

According to a press release, this voyage is the first of 17 sailings departing from Sydney and Auckland through April 2023, and the first for Celebrity Eclipse in Australian, New Zealand and South Pacific waters.

“The return Down Under has been long-awaited but someday has finally arrived! Celebrity Eclipse is the first Celebrity ship to sail this region for 930 days - a momentous occasion for the brand and our team members who have worked so hard to get to this point; and the first of many wonderful sailings ahead,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. “Returning to this region is another significant milestone in the industry’s global recovery, as we sail forward into a bright future.”

Celebrity Cruises Vice President and Managing Director of Australia and APAC, Tim Jones, added, “We’ve been patiently waiting for this moment for so long, and to finally see the freshly painted blue hull of Celebrity Eclipse slice through the waters of Sydney Harbour didn’t disappoint. We were one of the remaining major cruise markets to return to service, and we are proud to be contributing to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific tourism industries once more, alongside rebuilding the economy of crucial coastal communities.

“Continuing our momentum in the region, next year we’ll be taking the guest experience to the ‘Edge’ with the debut season of Celebrity Edge Down Under! It’s the great outdoors that make this region truly exceptional and we can’t wait to welcome an equally exceptional ship that’s been uniquely designed to connect guests with their surroundings. Whether you’re flying Down Under to join us, or stepping aboard from your front door, Celebrity Edge is a chance to explore our exotic landscapes like never before, all while sailing in complete luxury. ” 

CANADA TO CONDITIONALLY ALLOW RETURN OF CRUISE SHIPS IN NOVEMBER

Canada to Conditionally Allow Return of Cruise Ships in November

Canada will allow cruise ships back into its waters starting in November as the COVID-19 pandemic fades, but they must fully comply with public health requirements that have yet to be finalized, Ottawa said on Thursday.

Earlier this year, Canada extended a ban on cruise ships until February 2022, citing the need to protect public health. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said in a statement that the restriction would now be lifted on Nov. 1, 2021.

“We will welcome cruise ships – an important part of our tourism sector – back in Canadian waters for the 2022 season,” he said.

The news should please major operators who complained that Canada’s ban was hurting their business on the West Coast. U.S. law obliges foreign-flagged cruise ships sailing from Washington state to Alaska to make a Canadian stop.

Canada, however, has not yet lifted a ban on non-essential travel with the United States. A Canadian government official said Alghabra’s announcement would allow both countries to work on ways of safely managing the cruise sector.

“We’re working hard through our embassy, through our officials, myself, through our department, and ensuring that we maintain business as usual,” Alghabra told reporters.

He gave no indication of when the border between the United States and Canada would reopen to tourists.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Montreal on Thursday that Ottawa would make an announcement on the next steps to reopening the border in the coming weeks.

A day earlier he had said it “would be catastrophic and heartbreaking to have to go back into lockdown, as some countries are now looking at with surges in the Delta variant because we were overly eager to reopen by a few weeks.”

2021 Alaska Cruise Season May Be Saved as U.S. Senate Passes Key Bill

The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that will allow foreign-flagged cruise ships to operate in Alaska without calling on a Canadian port as the Alaska Tourism Recovery Act was passed on Thursday. 

It's a huge step to saving part of the 2021 Alaska cruise season. 

The legislation was the work of Alaskan Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan.

Next, the bill goes to the U.S. House for approval.

The House will need to vote it through and then President Joe Biden will need to sign it.

"Huge victory today in my effort to provide an opportunity for economic recovery for Alaskan communities who rely on cruise ship passengers -- the Senate just passed my bill," said Senator Murkowski in a social media post.

If the bill moves through other branches of the U.S. government efficiently, the next step would be for the industry to gain CDC approval to operate. 

Royal Caribbean: U.S. Cruise Service Start By July Realistic

“We believe we are now seeing a clear way forward to safe cruising in the near future,” said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group, on Thursday's business update call.

Citing the letter that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released last night, modifying its requirements for the industry’s return to service, Fain said it represented a significant improvement in their dialogue with the CDC.

Added Michael Bayley, CEO and president of the Royal Caribbean International brand: “With what (CDC letter) we received last night July looks very realistic (for restarting cruises in North America).”

As for the Alaska season, Fain noted there are uncertainties and that service resumption may require a waiver from the Passenger Vessels Service Act as long as Canada will not allow ship calls. Alternatively, Canada could allow technical calls.

“Given the momentum, there is the reason for optimism,” he added.

“We have had a very constructive dialogue with the CDC and other government agencies over the past few weeks,” Fain continued. “Many elements of the CSO (Conditional Sail Order) were unrealistic. The letter was very encouraging with multiple corrections to the existing CSO, elements that were very challenging. Certainly, vaccinations were a major element of change.”

Fain also pointed out that the company’s brands in Asia and Europe have carried some 125,000 passengers since the shutdown with only 21 COVID-19 cases and that has been without the benefit of vaccinations.

“With cruise ships, we can control the environment and we have already demonstrated that we can do that," Fain said. 

There are still some uncertainties, however, and Bayley noted that he hopes to see further clarifications in the next few days and weeks.

According to the CDC, ships can reportedly bypass the simulated test voyages it had required before and move to sailings with paying passengers if 98 per cent of the crew and 95 per cent of passengers are fully vaccinated. It will also respond to applications for simulated voyages within five days rather than 60 days as previously suggested.

Commented Bayley: “As soon as we have port plans lined up, we can now apply to the CDC for permission to sail. The process has improved considerably."

The CDC also stated it will update its testing and quarantine requirements to align with its guidance for fully vaccinated people.

The CDC letter comes as pressure has been mounting on the agency through public opinion, legislative initiatives and lawsuits.

Canada Effectively Cancels Its Cruise Season, Expanding Ban Through October

Halifax in Nova Scotia.

Citing the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian authorities have effectively cancelled the rest of the 2020 cruise season in Canadian waters by banning any ships with overnight accommodations allowed to carry more than 100 persons from operating in Canadian waters until October 31, 2020.

The order came down via the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau.

The news cancels the Alaska season except for U.S.-flagged vessels and will put a stop to the late summer and early autumn fall foliage sailings in Canada/New England. It will also impact expedition operators in the Arctic. 

"Our Government is committed to protecting Canadians, particularly during these challenging times. It is for that reason I am announcing updated measures for cruise ships and other passenger vessels in Canada, which includes prohibiting larger cruise ships from operating in Canadian waters until October 31, 2020. Our Government continues to work with other levels of government, transportation industry stakeholders, and Indigenous peoples to re-examine measures and to ensure Canada's transportation system remains safe and secure during this time. We are all in this together," said Garneau.

As of July 1, 2020, all other passenger vessels must follow provincial, territorial, local and regional health authority requirements for timelines and processes to resume operations, the government said.

Passenger vessels with the capacity to carry more than 12 persons continue to be prohibited from entering Arctic coastal waters (including Nunatsiavut, Nunavik and the Labrador Coast) until October 31, 2020.

Beginning July 1, 2020, passenger vessels will be allowed to operate in inland rivers and lakes in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon. 

Bliss to Break Record in Strong San Francisco Year

There will be three first-time visits to the Port of San Francisco in 2018, highlighted by the new Norwegian Bliss and two ultra-luxury ships: the Silver Explorer and Ponant’s Le Soleal.

The Explorer will dock in May, while the Bliss will tie up on Oct. 3, on the way back from her debut Alaska season, to be followed by the Le Soleal a day later.

The Bliss will be the biggest ship to ever call on the city by the bay.

Meanwhile, the Grand Princess will continue to sail from the port year-round, offering a mix of Alaska, California, Mexican Riviera and Hawaii itineraries starting at seven days. The 1998-built ship will offer 35 cruises from San Francisco this year.

The port was expecting a slight increase in traffic for 2017, with 300,000 passengers, up from 286,352 the year prior. A total of 82 calls were projected, while 76 calls are on the books for 2018.

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