Costa and AIDA Eye Methanol With New Agreement

Costa and AIDA Eye Methanol With New Agreement

Costa Group and the leading methanol producer, Proman, have signed an MOU to drive further the implementation of methanol as a marine fuel for the cruise industry, according to a press release.

The partnership aims to accelerate the energy transition and decarbonization of the existing fleet for Costa and AIDA by enhancing the supply of sustainable methanol, paving the way for the retrofitting of existing vessels to operate on clean fuel, as well as investment in further methanol-fueled new builds.

“The technology to retrofit a vessel to accept methanol as a fuel is available today. Our methanol products can facilitate the transition to low-carbon intensity fuels. Methanol-powered vessels have a proven track record of reducing and eliminating major greenhouse gas emissions, delivering immediate air quality improvements around major ports and shipping lanes. We are excited to bring our expertise along the full methanol value chain to help deliver on Costa Group’s bold ambitions,” said Tim Cornelius, Proman’s Managing Director of Corporate Development.

“We are reducing the carbon footprint of our fleet while at the port and at sea, investing in advanced environmental technologies and partnering with companies such as Proman who share a passion for the sustainable energy transition. By enabling cruise ships to use methanol as a propulsion fuel, Costa follows the ambition to take the next big step towards GHG-neutral operations of our fleet by 2050,” added Dr Christoph Schladoer, VP of Decarbonization Costa Group.

Carnival’s AIDA Brand Reports Record Bookings

Carnival’s AIDA Brand Reports Record Bookings

AIDA Cruises has joined P&O Cruises UK as two Carnival Corporation brands reporting record cruise bookings to start 2023.

Felix Eichhorn, President of AIDA Cruises, said: “We are seeing very strong interest for AIDA cruises across all channels. The record level of bookings covers the entire cruise program for 2023 and beyond. We are delighted that the AIDA fleet is on top of so many people’s minds when planning their vacations and that – whether for the first time or for a repeat – they are embracing our multi-faceted travel offering to the world’s most beautiful destinations.”

For long-haul destinations, AIDA said it is providing additional flight options for sun-hungry guests.

Helping the bookings has been AIDA’s sales push, with children up to 15 years old travelling free in the same cabin as their parents, for cruises booked for the summer 2023 season by the end of January.

Itineraries that have performed well, according to the company, are seven-day voyages from/to Kiel with the AIDAnova to Norway and Denmark or the one-week  “Mediterranean Treasures from Mallorca” with AIDAcosma.

COVID Outbreak Ends Voyage For Thousands Already Aboard Cruise Ship

The German operator of a cruise ship that has been stuck in Lisbon’s port due to an outbreak of the coronavirus among its crew pulled the plug on the voyage on Sunday after some passengers tested positive, port authorities said.

The AIDAnova, with 2,844 passengers and 1,353 crew onboard docked in Lisbon on Dec. 29 while en route to the island of Madeira for New Year’s Eve celebrations, but was unable to continue the journey after 52 cases of COVID-19 were detected among the fully-vaccinated crew.

It had been allowed to leave port and head to the Spanish island of Lanzarote on Sunday, but now another 12 people have tested positive, including four passengers, captain of the port Diogo Vieira Branco told TSF radio.

“The company’s protocol was immediately actioned, with those infected, who are asymptomatic or displaying light symptoms, immediately isolated on the ship … and the company decided to end the cruise and disembark the passengers,” he said.

The passengers would be transported home by air, he added, without specifying when.

The company, AIDA Cruises, which is a subsidiary of Carnival Corp, did not reply to a Reuters request for comment.

Reuters footage showed passengers still enjoying the afternoon sun on decks with their drinks, and local media said the disembarking would begin after 6 a.m. on Monday.

The crew who had tested positive between Wednesday and Friday were transferred to Lisbon hotels and were in isolation there.

On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised people to avoid travelling on cruise ships regardless of their vaccination status.

The move delivered another blow to the industry that only returned to the seas in June after a months-long suspension of voyages caused by the pandemic.

Carnival Panorama Marks Carnival Return to the West Coast

Carnival Cruise Line is returning to the West Coast this Saturday, as the Carnival Panorama resumes service in California.

Based in Long Beach, the 2019-built vessel is departing today on a seven-night cruise to the Mexican Riviera.

The sailing marks the return of the brand to the region after a 17-month operational pause.

One of Carnival’s newest and biggest ships, the Panorama will visit three different destinations in Mexico, including Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta.

Before returning to Long Beach, the vessel also visits Cabo San Lucas, a city known for its rock formations and beaches.

Sailing from Long Beach every Saturday, the ship is set to repeat the itinerary through December.

Built-in Italy, the 4,000-guest Carnival Panorama is the last in a series of three ships known as the Vista Class. Larger than its predecessors, these ships introduced several new features for the Carnival brand, such as the SkyRide a twin-track suspended bike course.

The Vista-class also debuted the Havana Staterooms, Carnival’s first cabin enclave, complete with its own private pool deck and lounge and lanai balconies.

Other highlights are the Sky Zone, a trampoline park and the Carnival Kitchen program, a hands-on culinary experience led by the line’s chefs. Both attractions were first introduced by the Carnival Panorama.

With the Panorama back in action, Carnival has eight cruise ships in revenue operations, including the new Mardi Gras – which entered service from Port Canaveral, on July 31.

In August a total of three vessels resumed operations for the company. In addition to the Carnival Panorama, the Carnival Magic welcomed guests back on August 7 and the Carnival Sunrise did the same on August 14. The ships are now sailing from Port Canaveral and Miami, respectively.

In September and October, seven more ships are set to resume operations, launching service from additional homeports, such as Baltimore and New Orleans.

Carnival Mardi Gras Ready to Sail with First Cruise Guests

To celebrate Carnival Cruise Line’s maiden voyage of its newest ship, the Mardi Gras, Carnival President Christine Duffy and Mardi Gras Captain Giuseppe Giusa led a “Back to Fun” ribbon-cutting ceremony officially welcoming guests onboard today in Port Canaveral.

The Mardi Gras is the first cruise ship to set sail with guests from Port Canaveral since the industry-wide pause in operations 16 months ago.

"Mardi Gras has been five years in the making so to finally welcome guests on board to experience this one-of-a-kind ship is something that we’ve been looking forward to for a very long time,” Duffy said. “Not only is Mardi Gras providing a truly unique vacation experience to our guests, but it’s also so gratifying to be able to play a role helping the local community by providing much-needed jobs and a boost to the economy.”

Added Giusa, “Today was a truly emotional moment for our entire Mardi Gras team. Having the distinction as the flagship of Carnival Cruise Line is a great honour and our entire team is ready to provide our guests with the vacation they have been so patiently waiting for. We are ready to get back to the fun!”

Mardi Gras will set sail this afternoon at 6 p.m. from Port Canaveral’s Cruise Terminal 3 for a weeklong cruise with stops in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Amber Cove, Dominican Republic and Nassau, The Bahamas.

Mardi Gras is the fifth Carnival Cruise Line ship to resume service with additional vessels set to restart operations soon. By October, 15 Carnival ships will be sailing – more than half its fleet.

Carnival Investing in Connectivity Experience

“Stable, fast, affordable, and easy to connect to and use,” said John Harshaw, vice president of global infrastructure, describing the connectivity experience aboard the Carnival Cruise Line fleet.

Harshaw said Carnival had been consistently making what he called significant investments to enhance shipboard internet access across its fleet.

“This includes accessing high-capacity links, deploying resilient infrastructure, creating service offerings consistent with our guests’ expectations, and an increased focus in overall guest satisfaction,” he said, in an interview with Cruise Industry News.

“In a typical home or office environment, we see a significant increase and adoption of video conferencing, content streaming, and social media applications, and we expect this demand to continue.”

Social media and video-hungry guests and crew mean bandwidth requirements are always increasing.

“The overall capacity a single ship consumed just a few years ago is now available to a single user,” Harshaw said. “This trend will only continue and the expectation of high throughput bandwidth readily available to a single vessel will be the norm.”

Helping drive more capacity has been upgraded satellites beaming down the internet to the ships.

"There are now many new high throughput satellites available serving the ocean regions where we operate,” Harshaw explained. “Though we utilize GEO- and MEO-based networks to serve our fleet, deployments of new LEO networks and constellations are now being launched, with several industry disruptors providing potentially greater options for connectivity in the years ahead.”

Throwing bandwidth at the problem isn’t the only solution, as that capacity needs to be managed, leading to improving automation and utilizing machine-learning data-driven bandwidth management.

“As we migrate static bandwidth pipes to more intelligent routing traffic pipes, creating better visibility into demand usage, we can meet and exceed the price and performance requirements of our guests,” continued Harshaw.

“We have seen a significant measurable increase in guest and crew satisfaction with our internet experience onboard, largely due to the investments and increased focus we have made in this area.”

Excerpt from Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine: Summer 2021

Cruise Shares Rise as CDC Outlines Quicker Path to Sailing’s Return

Port of Miami.

Cruise shares advanced after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined a new path to the resumption of voyages.

According to the new guidance in a letter to companies on Wednesday, ships can return to U.S. waters with paying customers if 95% of guests and 98% of the crew are vaccinated, bypassing a previous requirement for starting with trial voyages, according to a summary provided by a person with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be named discussing private communications. The letter was previously reported by USA Today.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. rose as much as 5.7% to $92.45 in New York trading. Carnival Corp., the industry market-share leader, rose as much as 4.8%, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. advanced as much as 7.1%.

On Thursday, Royal Caribbean alluded to the letter in its quarterly business update, saying the message had addressed some of the company’s “uncertainties and concerns.” Royal Caribbean said it now sees a pathway to sailing from the U.S. again during the Alaska cruise season, which runs from roughly May to September.

The CDC didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. cruise industry has been essentially banned from operating via U.S. ports since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. The companies have recently ramped up lobbying efforts to win approval for a return, arguing in part that the industry was unfairly singled out for the strictest treatment even as other tourism businesses have returned in some fashion.

CDC Checklist

Technically, the CDC lifted its hard ban on cruising in October, but it replaced it with a checklist for restarting cruises that no operator has yet managed to complete. The industry had previously criticized the conditional sailing order as overly burdensome and out of touch with the new reality since the arrival of Covid inoculations. Florida, where the major cruise companies are headquartered, even sued the federal government to hasten the return of the industry.

But Royal Caribbean said the recent discussions with the CDC have turned more productive.

“They have dealt with many of these items in a constructive manner that takes into account recent advances in vaccines and medical science,” Royal Caribbean said Thursday in its first-quarter business update.

The company reported revenue totalling $42 million, which was slightly better than expected by analysts tracked by Bloomberg.

It said it has started to spend slightly more cash to cover expenses related to restarting the fleet. Royal Caribbean also noted that cumulative advanced bookings for the first half of 2022 are “within historical ranges and at higher prices” to its 2019 pre-pandemic baseline.

New Discovery Princess Floats Out at Fincantieri

The Discovery Princess, the sixth Royal-class ship built Princess Cruises, floated out today at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone.

Interior fittings will now begin, leading the vessel to delivery, scheduled next year for Princess, which is owned by Carnival Corporation.

The 145,000-ton ship is a sister vessel to the Royal Princess, Regal Princess, Majestic Princess, Sky Princess and Enchanted Princess, which were all built and delivered in the same shipyard starting from 2013.

The partnership between the Monfalcone yard and Princess Cruises will continue with two next-generation cruise ships. These will be the largest built so far in Italy with a gross-tonnage of 175,000 tons, will accommodate approximately 4,300 guests and will be the first of the ship owner’s fleet to be dual-fuel powered primarily by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Deliveries are scheduled for 2023 and 2025.

P&O Cruises Names New Ship Arvia

P&O Cruises has revealed the name of its second LNG-powered Excel class ship. The ship, which will join the P&O Cruises UK six-ship fleet in December 2022, will be named Arvia.

According to a press release, the name means “from the seashore”

“The Arvia will join the Iona as an innovative and future-focused ship offering an outstanding, varied and contemporary holiday. The Arvia has been designed to travel to the sun year-round and to maximize views of the ocean and the seashore from everywhere on board, so it seemed a very fitting name and one which will reflect the experience for guests on board,” said P&O Cruises President Paul Ludlow.

“The seashore is known for its relaxing properties and tranquillity and a holiday on the Arvia will, indeed, celebrate this and have relaxation at its heart. The rejuvenating and restorative qualities of a walk on the beach and invigorating sea air will be reflected in the experiences both onboard and onshore as well as the vast space onboard which has enabled us to include a number of new and extraordinary features,” he added.

The name of the 5,200-passenger ship was unveiled through a video reveal made up of outlining the letters in the name in various different locations, all relating to the beach and the seashore.

Holidays on the Arvia will go on sale in March and further details of the ship, its design and experiences onboard will be released over the coming months, P&O Cruises said.

Costa Restarts Cruises With New Program From March 27

Costa Cruises will be restarting service on the Costa Smeralda from March 27 and on the Costa Luminosa from May 2. This was announced by its parent company, Carnival Corporation, in a press release.

“The cruise ships of Costa Cruises … are ready to set sail again and offer guests holidays filled with leisure and relaxation, along with enhanced health and safety protocols,” the company said.

The Costa Smeralda program will consist of an unchanged itinerary across Italy for three- or four-day mini-cruises or, alternatively, a 7-day cruise, calling at Savona, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Naples, Messina and Cagliari.

On May 1, the Costa Smeralda will return to one-week cruises in the Western Mediterranean with visits to Italy (Savona, Civitavecchia and Palermo), France (Marseille) and Spain (Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca).

The Costa Luminosa will be departing from Trieste from May 2, and the following day from Bari, confirming its program of one-week cruises in Greece and Croatia, according to the press release.

“Costa is working with national and local authorities of the countries included in the itineraries of its ships outside Italy to define the details of the restart of cruise operations, with enhanced health and safety measures through the implementation of the Costa Safety Protocol,” Carnival Corporation wrote. “The protocol contains operational measures related to all aspects of the cruise experience, both onboard and ashore, which were implemented in the past months of cruise operations.”

All other cruises scheduled until the end of May, and not included in the program updated on Feb. 17, will be cancelled. Costa is in the process of informing travel agents and customers affected by changes.

Former Sea Princess Gets New Look as Charming Princess

The former Sea Princess is now officially the Charming Princess, having received a new livery during a drydock in China.

The vessel was drydocked at China Merchants Industry Holding Co shipyard at Mazhou Island, according to Crew Center.

Also appearing on the ship is the brand Foresee Cruises. The vessel was sold by Carnival Corporation to Sanya International Cruise Development Co. in 2020.

Cruises are expected to start in May aboard the 1998-built ship.

'Positive Signs' as Holland America Moving Six Ships Toward U.S.

Holland America Line is preparing for a gradual restart and is said to be moving six cruise ships toward the U.S. citing positive signs and a new conversation around the return to service.

The news came in a letter sent to crew from President Gus Antorcha, reported by Crew Center, and also obtained by Cruise Industry News.

"Following in-depth discussions with the CDC, other government agencies, and medical and science authorities, we have decided to start moving six Holland America Line ships toward U.S. waters over the next several weeks to begin completing the requirements for conditional sailing," Antorcha said in the letter sent to the crew.

The ships heading to U.S. waters are the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam, and Noordam. Holland America did not specify port information but the line has traditionally had a strong presence in the winter from Port Everglades and Tampa, which would pull from a large drive-to market.

“While there is still much to be done, this is an important first step toward our goal of resuming cruise operation," the letter said.

"Holland America Line will continue to work with the CDC on our eventual return to guest cruise operations. We are fully aligned with the CDC on our top priorities for compliance, protecting the environment, and the health, safety, and well-being of our guests, the people in communities we touch, our crew, and shoreside employees."

P&O Cruises still planning Iona celebration in Southampton

P&O Cruises is still planning a celebration for when new ship Iona arrives in Southampton to begin her maiden sailings but said it would “judge the mood of the nation” first.

President Paul Ludlow said the new ship was looking “stunning” and would be “unlike anything ever seen before for the British market”.

He said: “It’s our intention to keep her in Europe when she comes to Southampton and we will absolutely celebrate her arrival into the UK. It will be such a feel-good moment that it would be remiss of us not to. But we will have to judge the mood of the nation.

“It’s difficult to predict the future at the moment, so until things are more certain, we will hold back with details of this event.”

Speaking as he launched the line’s summer 2022 programme, Ludlow said Iona’s sister ship was still on track for delivery in December 2022 and that steel-cutting for this vessel was due to take place in Germany before the end of this year.

He said bookings for the second half of 2021 were at the “upper end of historic levels”, those for spring 2022 had “surpassed the upper end of historic levels” and that summer 2022 pre-registrations were “akin to previous years”.

Ludlow said some bookings for 2022 were by customers whose 2020 cruises had been cancelled and who were redeeming their Future Cruise Credits.

“The majority of people took FCCs over a refund when their cruises were cancelled,” he said. “And of those who took an FCC, 50% have utilised it already. So that leaves 50% who are still waiting to utilise it. There were some who had bookings for 2020 and 2021, so they have been waiting to use the 2020 FCC in 2022.”

Ludlow also said that not all bookings were by loyal guests and that the “new to cruise market hasn’t completely gone away”.

“In the first, three or four months, new to cruise volumes actually exceeded my expectations,” he said. “That’s slowed down a little bit but even so, it’s exceeded my expectations as to how many new-to-cruise people wanted to book.”

Ludlow added: “For people taking their first cruise, the consideration period is lengthy. By the time they had invested all that time, [the pandemic] has not been enough for them to say ‘it’s no longer for me’.”

AIDA Cruises to Return to Sailing This Weekend in Italy

FILE PHOTO: MS AIDAblu. Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0 / Martin Falbisoner

Germany-based AIDA Cruises, part of the Carnival Corporation, will resume cruises in Italy this weekend, marking the second Carnival Corporation brand to resume sailing since the sailing suspension prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The return of AIDA follows the resumption of sailings by Italy-based Costa Cruises in early September.

Carnival Corporation, the world’s top cruise group, has adopted a phase-in approach to restart operations regionally with limited itineraries, adjusted passenger capacity and beefed-up health protocols developed in coordination with government and health authorities. The protocols require, among other things, that guests and crew test negative for COVID-19 prior to boarding.

AIDA Cruises will initially resume its cruise operations in Italy with AIDAblu, scheduled to depart from Civitavecchia near Rome on seven-day itineraries visiting Palermo and Catania in Sicily, Naples and La Spezia. The first cruise for the brand is set to begin Oct. 17, with voyages offered weekly until Nov. 28.

The restart plans for AIDA Cruises builds on the momentum of Costa Cruises’ return to cruise operations in Italy in early September, which began with two initial ships departing from Trieste and Genoa on seven-day itineraries with Italian guests visiting destinations in Italy. Costa Cruises further expanded last month with a third ship, flagship Costa Smeralda, sailing on one-week itineraries dedicated to the rediscovery of the best of Italy, including Savona, La Spezia, Cagliari, Naples, Messina and Civitavecchia. Since there return, there have been no reported outbreaks of the virus on board.

“For all our brands, there is no higher responsibility and no higher priority than compliance, protecting the environment, and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, our crew and the communities we visit,” said Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer for Carnival Corporation. “We are excited to have AIDA joining Costa Cruises in resuming sailing operations with a gradual expansion of service over time. As we offer travellers a phased return to cruise vacations, we will continue sharing important learnings and best practices among our world-leading cruise line brands and across the industry to help ensure the resumption of cruise operations is done with the best interests of public health at the forefront.”

Third Costa Ship Back Cruising: Smeralda Departs From Savona

Costa Cruises now has three ships back in cruise operation as the Smeralda departed from Savona on Oct. 10 with guests aboard.

The ship joins the Deliziosa and Diadema as the Costa ships back in operation.

All three ships are sailing under the Costa Safety Protocol which is a strict set of new health and safety requirements including COVID-19 testing for all guests and crew. 

The LNG-powered ship will now offer five week-long itineraries through early November, calling at Italian ports La Spezia, Cagliari, Naples, Messina and Civitavecchia/Rome.

"It is very exciting to see our flagship depart once more from Savona, Costa's main port in the Mediterranean," said Michael Thamm, Group CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia.

"We are gradually returning to cruising with an increasing number of ships, in a safe and responsible way, thanks to new health protocols. The return of Costa Smeralda, which represents the most advanced vessel in our fleet in terms of reducing environmental impact, is also a renewal of our commitment to sustainable cruise development, which will be one of the key points in the recovery of our sector in the coming years," Thamm noted.

Savona is playing a leading role in the company's restart, with the Smeralda scheduled to homeport in the Italian city through the end of 2021. Plans call to offer different itineraries, per local regulations, that will include Italy, France and Spain.

Starting in November, the Costa Diadema will also dock at the Palacrociere cruise terminal in Savona and will offer 12-day cruises to the Canary Islands, 14-day cruises to Egypt and Greece, and 14-day cruises also to Turkey.

The Costa Fortuna, Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa will also arrive in Savona, offering mini-cruises in the Mediterranean and 10-day cruises to Portugal.

Costa Cruises to restart sailings in September

Costa Cruises to restart sailings in September

by Samantha Mayling
Costa Cruises plans to restart its sailings from Italian ports on a gradual basis from September 6, 2020.

On Monday, the Italian government approved the resumption of cruises and new health protocols developed in response to the Covid-19 crisis.

The first ship to set sail will be Costa Deliziosa (pictured), on September 6, offering weekly cruises from Trieste to Greece.

Costa Diadema will set sail on September 19, operating seven-day cruises in the western Mediterranean from Genoa.

Costa Cruises said it is working with authorities and the destinations to ensure a “responsible, smooth and well-organised application of the new regulations and protocols”.

Further details on the Costa Deliziosa and Costa Diadema itineraries will be announced in the coming days.

However, the cruise line is extending the suspension of its cruise season for other departures until September 30.

Costa Cruises’ new safety protocol is consistent with the health protocols defined by the Italian government and European (EU Healthy Gateways) authorities.

The UK Foreign Office last month advised against cruise ship travel.

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. 

Celestyal, Fred. Olsen pick up Carnival Corp. ships

Europe-based lines Celestyal Cruises and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines both said they had purchased ships from Carnival Corp., which has said will shed 13 ships from its nine brands this year.

Greece-based Celestyal said it had acquired the 1993-built, 1,800-passenger Costa NeoRomantica from Costa Cruises, while Fred. Olsen said it had purchased the youngest pair of the four ships leaving Holland America Line's fleet.

The U.K.-based Fred. Olsen said it had acquired the Amsterdam, built-in 2000, and the Rotterdam, built-in 1997 and would rename them the Bolette and Borealis, respectively, both names of former Fred. Olsen ships.

"We have chosen these vessels as they will fit seamlessly into our existing fleet of small ships, each carrying under 1,500 guests, bringing with them new and larger public areas whilst not compromising on our small-ship experience," said Fred. Olsen Jr., chairman of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, in a statement. "This increase in our capacity demonstrates our confidence in the future. With over 170 years of seafaring history, we have sailed through many difficult periods. With these new additions to the fleet, we will come out of this current situation stronger than ever, ready to deliver the award-winning itineraries that we are famous for."

Celestyal's CEO, Chris Theophilides said that the NeoRomantica purchase is part of the line's strategic growth plan, despite being on pause until 2021.

"I'm delighted with the addition of this midsize cruise vessel to our fleet," Theophilides said in a statement. "She is ideally suited to our business model and is very well appointed following her significant transformation in 2012."

Details of the ship's delivery and deployment will be announced at a later date, Celestyal said. It is the second Costa ship to exit its fleet since Carnival Corp.'s announcement about shedding ships. The 23-year-old Costa Victoria was sold for scrap. 

Costa Victoria sold for scrap

Costa Cruises confirmed that the Costa Victoria has left its fleet, with ownership transferred to a subsidiary of the San Giorgio del Porto shipyard. The ship awaits demolition.

Earlier this month, Costa parent company Carnival Corp. said plans were in place to remove six ships within 90 days, with more to come. Carnival Corp. accelerated plans already in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Last week, the 23-year-old Costa Victoria arrived in Piombino, Italy, where San Giorgio has a subsidiary yard, according to the city’s mayor. In a Facebook post, the mayor said that the 1,928-passenger ship was being prepared for demolition. 

Carnival Corp. had said in an earlier release that San Giorgio is the only Italian company listed in the Register of Environmental Ship Reclamation & Recycling Facilities and able to carry out green ship recycling projects. 

San Giorgio is the shipyard that carried out the recycling and demolition of the Costa Concordia after the ship ran aground and partly sank in January 2012.

P&O Cruises says agents ‘vital’ as staff claim trade teams under threat

P&O Cruises says agents ‘vital’ as staff claim trade teams under threat

The boss of P&O Cruises has insisted agents’ support will be “vital” to developing the brand’s restart plans, despite claims the field sales team has been cut as part of a restructure at parent Carnival UK.

Paul Ludlow, president of P&O Cruises, said its commitment to the trade “remains as strong as ever” as a consultation that could see up to 450 jobs lost continues.

His comments came in response to claims from members of staff at Carnival UK that regional agent-facing sales teams at P&O and sister brands Cunard and Princess Cruises were set to be removed.

One staff member under consultation, who asked to remain anonymous, said the move was “completely the wrong decision”, claiming 60% of P&O Cruises’ UK bookings come from travel agents.

Agents also told Travel Weekly of redundancies in the trade sales teams, as well as senior staff going on long-term sabbaticals.

Carnival UK said no decisions would be made or communicated until the consultation finishes at the end of June.

However, a letter sent to staff confirmed it would not be making use of the government’s extended furlough scheme, which it said would “delay the inevitable need we have to right-size our business in order to sustain and protect it for the future”.

The letter also confirms sabbaticals were being discussed for some roles that were needed in the company’s long-term structure but not in the short term.

P&O Cruises has cancelled all sailings up to October, Cunard until November and Princess Cruises has cancelled all summer sailings as the industry battles the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement, Ludlow said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has not only affected the holidays of our guests but it has also impacted every part of our business; our future deployment; the guest experience; our supply chain and our people on ship and onshore. During our pause in operations, we have tried to create as much certainty and stability as possible for our colleagues in the office as well as those on board.

“Unfortunately though, and similar to many businesses, as Covid-19 has continued to impact our way of life it is necessary to make changes to our organisation to build a stable platform for the time we phase our ships back into service and for future growth.

“We appreciate it is a very difficult and unsettling time for everyone but we are following a clear and fair consultation process and considering the suggestions put forward by each individual.

“I am so proud to see so many examples of absolute professionalism throughout this period with everyone supporting each other. The process is still continuing and no decisions will be made or communicated until we reach the conclusion at the end of the month.

“Our commitment to the travel trade remains as strong as ever and support from agents will be vital as we develop our re-start plans.”