St. Vincent and the Grenadines Lifts COVID Restrictions for Cruise Passengers

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Lifts COVID Restrictions for Cruise Passengers

The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has removed COVID protocols for cruise passengers for the 2022-23 season, according to a press release.

Carlos James, the tourism minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, made the announcement to stakeholders this week, during the 28th Florida Caribbean Cruise Association Conference in the Dominican Republic.

“In spite of the many challenges encountered in the last two cruise seasons, from a global health pandemic to the eruption of our country’s La Soufriere volcano, your strategic partnership allowed us to navigate those turbulent times,” commented James on the decision.

In addition, the tourism minister assured stakeholders and leaders in the cruise industry that St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be risk-free and safe to visit during the 2022–2023 cruise season.

Following a period of low infections globally and low COVID-related admissions to the island's medical facilities, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has decided to relax its health protocols for arriving cruise passengers, claims the tourism minister.

The multi-island State put protocols in place to help cruise travellers during the most recent cruise season, including safe zones set up for vaccinated cruise travellers. St. Vincent and the Grenadines will replace these protocols with more relaxed health regulations for the upcoming 2022–2023 cruise season, allowing unvaccinated passengers to visit the area for the first time in two years.

Norwegian Escape Resumes Service After Drydock

Norwegian Escape Resumes Service After Drydock

Norwegian Bliss arriving in Southampton photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

The Norwegian Escape is resuming service today in Civitavecchia, Italy. After spending most of September at a drydock in France, the vessel is welcoming guests for the final part of its 2022 season in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The program, which started in May, includes nine- to 11-night cruises to popular destinations in Greece, Malta, Italy and France.

The Oct. 12 departure, for instance, sails to Livorno, Naples, Messina, Valletta, Corfu, Piraeus and Santorini before returning to Civitavecchia.

Following an incident that took place earlier this year, the drydock period was confirmed by Norwegian Cruise Line in June.

At the time, the cruise line said that the ship required a shipyard visit but did not reveal the nature of the work being carried out onboard.

Previously, in March, the Norwegian Escape ran aground in the Dominican Republic during a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.

After being refloated, the 163,000-ton ship was said to have suffered minor damage and spent a month undergoing repairs before resuming regular operations in mid-April.

The Norwegian Escape is set to return to North America following its European cruise program.

In November, the ship offers a trans-Atlantic crossing to New York City before kicking off a season in the Caribbean.

Highlighted by a visit to the Azores Archipelago, the 16-night voyage includes calls in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the United States.

Continuing its winter program, the 4,200-guest vessel launches a series of week-long Eastern Caribbean cruises on November 19.

Departing from Port Canaveral, the regular itineraries sail to the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Before returning to its Florida homeport, the vessel also visits the British Virgin Islands and the Bahamas.

Part of the Breakaway-Plus Class, the Norwegian Escape originally entered service in 2015. After nearly two years out of service due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the vessel resumed revenue operations in late 2021.

Norwegian Escape Resumes Service After Repairs

Norwegian Escape Resumes Service After Repairs

The Norwegian Escape is back in action. After a month out of service due to a grounding incident, the Norwegian Cruise Line ship welcomed guests back on Saturday in Port Canaveral.

Marking its first cruise since Mar. 12, the 2015-built vessel departed on a seven-night Eastern Caribbean voyage that includes calls in Tortola, St. Thomas, Puerto Plata and Great Stirrup Cay.

The Norwegian Escape ran aground off Puerto Plata on Mar. 14. The ship was freed on the following morning but was said to have suffered minor damage.

With the ship back alongside in the Dominican Republic, guests were sent back to the United States between Mar. 16-18 using charter flights.

Upon returning to its homeport with no passengers on board, the Escape remained docked in Port Canaveral while repairs were being carried out.

A total of five cruises have been affected by the incident. While the Mar. 19, Mar. 26, Apr. 2 and Apr. 9 departures have been entirely cancelled, the Mar. 12 sailing was cut short due to the event.

Upon completing the Apr. 16 Caribbean cruise, the Norwegian Escape is set to cross the Atlantic for a summer season in Europe.

Based in Civitavecchia, Italy, the vessel is offering a series of ten- and 11-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Mediterranean.

NCL Cruise Ship Pulled Free After Grounding

A Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. luxury liner carrying thousands of passengers that ran aground while trying to leave a port in the Dominican Republic on Monday has managed to free itself after hours of being stranded.

The Norwegian Escape hit the channel bed as it was departing Puerto Plata on Monday afternoon, according to a company spokesperson. Tugs had been employed to free it most of the afternoon and evening, according to social media posts. Passengers posted the cruise ship, one of Norwegian Cruise Line’s biggest liners at 1,069 feet, was refloated after midnight, local time. 

Guests and crew were safe, and the ship wasn’t damaged, according to the spokesperson. Operations and services onboard also continued as scheduled.

Passengers on the ship, which originally departed out of Orlando, Florida, said the crew had been trying to extricate the vessel unsuccessfully for several hours into the night. 

Norwegian operates a seven-day Caribbean cruise that departs Florida on Saturdays and stops in Puerto Plata, or Silver Port, for passengers to take a cable-car ride to the peak of Mount Isabel de Torres before setting off for St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Built-in 2015, the Norwegian Escape carries a maximum of 4,266 passengers and 1,733 crew. According to local media reports, it’s currently carrying 3,223 guests and 1,618 crew.(Updates with ship freeing itself in the first paragraph.)

Oanh Ha and Tim Smith , With assistance from Michael Sin. © 2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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.

Miss Universe Puerto Rico Welcomes Carnival Mardi Gras to San Juan

Carnival Cruise Line’s celebratory cruise following the christening of its new flagship Mardi Gras last Saturday made its first stop with a call in San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to a press release.

As part of the festivities on Oct. 26, the reigning Miss Universe, Puerto Rico, Estefania Soto-Torres and the incoming Miss Universe, Puerto Rico, Michelle Colón welcomed some “very special guests” to their home island, Carnival said. The guests were Miss Universe Andrea Meza, Mardi Gras Godmother and Miss Universe, Dominican Republic, Kimberly Jiménez and Miss USA Asya Branch, as well as Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy.

The Mardi Gras was christened during a “Universe of Fun” celebration on Oct. 23 in Port Canaveral, Florida. The celebration marked the first ship naming ceremony held in the U.S. since the cruise industry’s restart this summer. Godmother Jiménez blessed the ship in both English and Spanish and activated the traditional champagne bottle break, officially naming the ship.

“We are thrilled to be back in Puerto Rico and allow our destinations to participate in the celebration of our new ship,” said Duffy. “And to be welcomed by the current and incoming Miss Universe, Puerto Rico has made it even more special.”

The Mardi Gras is the first cruise ship in the Americas to be powered by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and features BOLT, the first rollercoaster at sea.

The 5,200-passenger ship also features a host of entertainment experiences throughout its 19 decks and six themed zones, including the shipboard version of the hit TV show Family Feud and more than two dozen restaurants with venues from Guy Fieri, Emeril Lagasse, Rudi Sodamin and the line’s Chief Fun Officer Shaquille O’Neal.

The Mardi Gras is sailing year-round from Port Canaveral, offering seven-day itineraries to the eastern and western Caribbean.

New Carnival Mardi Gras Christened at Port Canaveral

Carnival Cruise Line has christened Mardi Gras at Port Canaveral, Fla. at a “Universe of Fun” celebration in the first ship naming ceremony held in the U.S. since the cruise industry’s restart this summer.

Carnival’s Chief Fun Officer Shaquille O’Neal attended the festivities and cut the ribbon of his first Big Chicken restaurant at sea that debuted on Mardi Gras when she began cruise operations on July 31.

Miss Universe, Dominican Republic, Kimberly Jimenez served as the ship’s Godmother and officially named the ship and was joined by Miss Universe, Andrea Meza and Miss USA, Asya Branch who sang the national anthem. The event featured a “World of Nations” flag procession to highlight the diversity of the 120 nationalities of Carnival crew members, and, of course, a Mardi Gras parade with a Second Line Band.

“Today’s naming ceremony of our flagship Mardi Gras, the first in the industry since our restart of operations, signifies excitement and optimism as we look to bring our entire fleet back into guest service by spring 2022,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “This ship has been amazing guests during her pre-inaugural season and the celebration today with our Chief Fun Officer Shaq, our Godmother Kimberly, and so many special guests, was extremely gratifying and emotional.”

Following remarks by Duffy and Carnival Corporation President and CEO Arnold Donald, Carnival friends and partners Romero Britto, Emeril Lagasse, Kathie Lee Gifford, Vanna White and Guy Fieri provided their congratulations on the ship’s naming and helped bring the champagne bottle to the ship.

Godmother Jimenez blessed the ship in both English and her native Spanish and activated the traditional champagne bottle break, officially naming the ship. In a celebration of the ship’s name, a special Mardi Gras parade with Duffy, Donald and O’Neal leading it, capped off the festivities.

Carnival Cruise Line Back and Sailing from Miami

Carnival Cruise Line kicked off its first cruise in almost 16 months from PortMiami today with the departure of Carnival Horizon.

It's the second Carnival ship back in cruising action in two days as the Vista sailed from Galveston on Saturday.

Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, Carnival Corporation President and CEO Arnold Donald and Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald kicked off the festivities with a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially welcoming guests onboard. Prior to Duffy’s remarks, a moment of silence was held to honour those affected by the tragedy in Surfside.

“PortMiami is our number one homeport in terms of ships and passenger embarkations and today’s return to cruising with Carnival Horizon represents an important first step in getting our company back to business while infusing much-needed capital to the thousands of workers who rely on the cruise industry for their livelihood,” said Duffy. “The past year has been challenging to say the least and I wish to thank our state and local officials, PortMiami, and our business partners and suppliers for their incredible support and patience during this time.”

“The restart of cruise ships from Miami is an exciting day for Miami’s longshoremen. We have approximately 800 members at PortMiami and their wages dropped as much as 80% during the nearly 16-month cruise suspension. Today with Carnival Horizon’s first sailing, we get back to work and look forward to supporting our families again,” said Torin Ragin, president, International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) Local 1416.

Carnival Horizon will set sail today at 4 p.m. for a six-day cruise with stops in Amber Cove (Dominican Republic) and the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay.

In addition to Carnival Horizon’s departure this afternoon, Carnival Vista departed Galveston yesterday, with Carnival Breeze departing from Galveston July 15 and Carnival Miracle kicking off the line’s Alaska season from Seattle July 27. Mardi Gras, the line’s newest ship, sets sail from Port Canaveral on July 31. Other ships in the Carnival fleet will begin service in August.

Norwegian Cruise Line Sets Restart Plan With 3 Ships From Greece, Jamaica and Dominican Republic

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings today announced it will restart service this July with cruises from Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Greece with the Norwegian Joy, Jade and Gem. 

The Jade will sail seven-day cruises to the Greek Isles from Athens starting on July 25. The Norwegian Joy will sail seven-day itineraries from Montego Bay starting on August 7, and the Norwegian Gem will launch service from the Dominican Republic on seven-day cruises starting on August 15.

The Jade's Greek Isles program will see a different port call daily, including Iraklion, Rhodes, Mykonos, Olympia, Corfu and Santorini.

Both Caribbean sailings each feature four ports and two days at sea. Sailing from Montego Bay,  Norwegian Joy's calls include Harvest Caye, Roatan, Cozumel and Ocho Rios. Sailing from La Romana in the Dominican Republic, the Gem will visit Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten and Antigua.

Guests wishing to go ashore will need to purchase a Norwegian Cruise Line shore excursion for sailings taking place in July and August. Norwegian said this policy will be continually evaluated and it will modify requirements accordingly.

The company said the news was part of a two-pronged plan for its long-awaited return to cruising this summer, also including the proposal the company sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC on April 5, 2021, outlining its plan to restart cruising from U.S. ports starting July 4 and requesting the CDC lift the Conditional Sail Order.

All initial voyages will operate with fully vaccinated guests and crew in addition to the company’s robust, multi-layered SailSAFE health and safety program, which includes universal COVID-19 testing prior to embarkation.

The company has also announced the formation of the SailSAFE Global Health and Wellness Council, the company’s expert public health council, chaired by former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Dr Scott Gottlieb, which will complement the work of the Healthy Sail Panel (HSP).

“We are excited to unveil our initial plans for the resumption of cruise voyages embarking outside of the U.S. with sailings to the Caribbean and Europe. In addition, we continue to plan for a resumption of cruising from U.S. ports and await further discussion with the CDC regarding our proposal for a July 4 restart to participate in America’s national opening. As we prepare for our return to cruising, the health and safety of our guests, crew and communities we visit is our first priority, as demonstrated by the establishment of our robust, multi-layered SailSAFE health and safety program and our Company’s SailSAFE Global Health and Wellness Council,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

“Safe and highly effective vaccines are a gamechanger and to create the safest environment possible, we will require all guests and crew to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccine requirements will be combined with multiple additional layers of protection against COVID-19 introduction, including universal testing, and we will continue to evaluate and modify protocols over time as the science dictates.”

Del Rio continued: “The return to cruising has been much-anticipated by our loyal guests, valued travel partners, the destinations we visit and our team members across the globe. We look forward to once again delivering best in class vacation experiences and also restarting our cruise ecosystem, bringing much needed economic benefit back to our homeports and the destinations we visit that have been significantly impacted by the halt in cruising.”

As Norwegian Cruise Line makes its final preparations to welcome guests onboard, guests will have the opportunity to follow along with its new docuseries, EMBARK – The Series, premiering April 15 at www.ncl.com/embark and Facebook.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises will announce details on their voyage resumption plans at a future date. All voyages on these brands with embarkation date through July 31, 2021, have been cancelled.

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines puts shipbuilding programme on hold

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines puts shipbuilding programme on hold

The boss of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines said its shipbuilding programme has been put on hold amid high prices for slots in yards across the world.

Chairman Fred Olsen Jnr revealed in 2018 that the line was looking to place an order for a 600-passenger ship to expand to its existing four-ship fleet.

Olsen Jnr, pictured, said it was “not all doom and gloom” as the line had refurbished ships Braemar, Balmoral and Black Watch last year and plans to revamp Boudicca this autumn.

“We had a serious look last year at a small ship,” he said. “We are staying calm for the moment. We do have a shipbuilding programme, but the prices are high in the shipyards.”

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines targets ‘exploration’ cruise growth

Managing director Peter Deer, who took over from Mike Rodwell last year, said it was his job to put the concept together and persuade Olsen Jnr and his family to invest in a new vessel.

However, he added: “We know that the moment is not right today. We are getting better with creativity but it will take some time before we get there with that. Bear with us, we are going in the right direction.”

Meanwhile, Braemar was prevented from docking in La Romana in the Dominican Republic last week due to “a small number of influenza-like cases on board”.

Olsen Jnr admitted that the line was working hard to provide reassurance to customers over the spread of coronavirus during these “troubling times”.

“We’re trying to provide reassurance so that they do not get scared,” Olsen Jnr said. “We just need to reassure the public and tell them to go and enjoy their holiday.”

The line has launched a new “booking reassurance guarantee”, allowing passengers to cancel their cruise for free and change to another sailing in the same year.

The deal applies to new bookings made from March 4 until May 5.

“It is important that we work together so people continue to travel,” Deer added. “Risk is everywhere…let’s carrying on cruising.”

Fathom's Dominican Republic cruises to add Cuba call

Carnival's Fathom, ex-P&O Adonia

Fathom, Carnival Corp.'s social-impact cruise line, has been given permission to visit Cuba on cruises scheduled to go to the Dominican Republic.

Fathom will offer a port call in Santiago de Cuba, on the island's southeast coast, on six cruises next year that primarily go to Amber Cove, Carnival's port in the Dominican Republic.

The seven-day cruises will take place during the weeks of February 26, March 12 and 26, April 9 and 23, and May 7. Prices start at $599 per person.

The cruises depart Miami on Sundays. Fathom said the Santiago de Cuba port call will occur on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Travelers already booked for those cruises will need to add a $75 Cuban visa.

Fathom's ship, the Adonia, already sails every other week to Cuba with stops in Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago. Prices for those cruises start at about $1,900 per person.

In November, Carnival Corp. said that Fathom is discontinuing cruise operations next June. The Adonia will be returned to the P&O Cruises  fleet.

P & O Cruises receives Adonia

P&O Adonia

In April 2015, launched Carnival Corporation with large appearance topical social cruise brand Fathom . The unusual for the Carnival Group company offered from Miami / Fl . alternating, "effects-based" cruises in the Dominican Republic and later to Cuba to.

Those in charge of the group decided that for the cruises of Fathom Adonia use. The smallest ship of P & O Cruises , another Carnival offshoot offers, maximum 710 beds. Carnival's marketing campaigns in the US have identified around a million people who want to be socially engaged during their holidays by working on economic and environmental projects. And these were the offers of the shipping company.

P & O Adonia © P & O Cruises

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From April of 2015 to the Adonia took from Miami seven-day trips to Amber Cove . This is the main retreat port in the north of the Dominican Republic near Puerto Plata. For three days, the guests were invited to take part in various activities for the benefit of the local population. Fathom cooperated locally with two local social organizations, which received a share of the proceeds from the sale of cruises. In the current year it was announced that Cuba would be started as a further destination.

At the end of November 2016, Carnival's sources indicated that the special socially responsible activities of the company would be terminated with effect from June 2017. An official Carnival statement was not available. - Now it is official: P & O informs that the Adonia back to the P & O fleet controls. There she is, the third P & O Adults-only ship called " Discovery Itineraries company". These "discoveries" bring guests to small, fancy destinations and places as well as unique cities and new cultures. The destinations to be discovered are located around the Mediterranean Sea, Iceland, the East Atlantic and the Caribbean.

The travels of Adonia in 2017 are now bookable. 

Fathom to lose only ship as Adonia rejoins P&O fleet

Fathom to lose only ship as Adonia rejoins P&O fleet

Small ship Adonia is to rejoin the P&O Cruises fleet in 2017 after just a year operating for US-based social impact sister brand Fathom.

Parent company Carnival Corporation confirmed that the 710-passenger vessel would be returning to Southampton-based P&O Cruises for next summer.

Adonia moved across to Fathom in May to launch the first US departures from Miami to Cuba in more than 50 years.

The ship was revamped during a period in dry dock in the Bahamas and has also been running alternate seven-day cruises to the Dominican Republic, using Amber Cove, Carnival Corporation’s dedicated port on the north of the Caribbean island.

The corporation announced earlier in the month that social impact excursions pioneered by Fathom brand in the Dominican Republic are to be extended to six of the group’s other cruise lines including P&O Cruises.

The shore trips include helping at a women's’ chocolate-making co-operative and at a craft-making business using recycled paper.

The company said at the time that it was also exploring additional opportunities globally and with sister brands to bring the Fathom concept on board and on shore to deliver “engaging, purposeful experiences” to a broader audience of travellers.

A spokesman said last night: “The Fathom experience has been expanded across our many Carnival Corporation brands sailing to the Dominican Republic and beyond, and the Adonia is being scheduled to sail in the UK for the summer season for our P&O guests.”

Fathom (P&O Adonia) visiting Cuba

Carnival Corporation has requested approval from Cuba to sail there with other brands from June 2017.

The spokesman said: “We plan to continue sailing to Cuba for many years to come based on the success of our first cruises to the country, which have proven extremely successful.

“Fathom continues to receive some of the highest ratings in the company based on guest surveys, and we hope to expand the Fathom experience to other markets in the future.”

However, demand for Fathom’s Cuba cruises outstripped interest for the Dominican Republic sailings.

Prices for sailings to Amber Cove have been discounted from $449 to $299 for an outside cabin for departures up until May 21, 2017, while the lowest priced Cuba sailings currently cost $999 for an inside cabin.

P&O Cruises senior vice president Paul Ludlow said: "The Fathom experience has been expanded across our many Carnival Corp brands sailing to the Dominican Republic and beyond and we are extremely pleased to have Adonia, our well loved small ship, here for our guests beginning with the summer season, sailing a range of discovery itineraries."

Thomson Cruises adds Guatemala to winter programme

Thomson Cruises adds Guatemala to winter programme

Thomson Cruise ship (the shadow is of MSC Poesia); photo by Dave Jones

by Phil Davies
Guatemala is being introduced together with more Cuba calls in an expanded Caribbean programme by Thomson Cruises for winter 2017-18.

Three ships will be based in the region including Thomson Celebration moving to a new homeport of La Romana in the Dominican Republic.

All-inclusive ships Tui Discovery and new addition Tui Discovery 2 will join Thomson Celebration and will sail out of Bridgetown, Barbados and Montego Bay, Jamaica respectively.

Thomson Celebration’s move to the Dominican Republic opens more opportunities to combine cruises with beach stays, with the new Sensatori Resort Punta Cana among properties added to the portfolio.

The port of Santo Tomas de Castilla in Guatemala is introduced on new Tui Discovery 2 itinerary, as well as Nassau in The Bahamas as part of re-positioning sailing.

The number of Cuban sailings on the new ship will be increased, giving passengers more chance to explore Havana during overnight stops.

Other destinations include St Lucia, Grenada and Antigua, St Maarten and Martinique.

Tui Discovery will sail on two new itineraries from Barbados, which include calls St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The cruises will be served by new regional Thomson Airways flights from Cardiff, Doncaster Sheffield, East Midlands, Glasgow, Newcastle and Stansted in addition to Birmingham, Manchester and Gatwick.

Thomson Dream will move to its new homeports of Santa Cruz, Tenerife and Las Palmas, Gran Canaria in November 2017.

Thomson Majesty and Thomson Spirit will both embark on their last sailings in November 2017 from Malaga and Limassol respectively before they leave the fleet.

The winter 2017 programme goes be on sale from Thursday (November 17).

Free all-inclusive upgrades are available on selected cruises on board Thomson Celebration, Thomson Dream, Thomson Majesty and Thomson Spirit which set sail between November 2017 and April 2018. Tui Discovery and Tui Discovery 2 offer all-inclusive packages as standard.

Thomson Cruises managing director Richard Sofer said: “We’re really excited about the introduction of the Dominican Republic as Thomson Celebration’s base for next winter.

“This is the first time we’ll have had three ships in the Caribbean and that means we can continue to offer more choice and flexibility to our customers, who we know are looking more and more for holidays further afield.”

Carnival Corp.’s profit skyrockets in ‘remarkable’ Q2

The launch of Holland America's Koningsdam was one of Carnival Corp.'s second-quarter highlights.

Driven by higher ticket prices and fuller ships, Carnival Corp. had net income of $605 million in the second quarter, up from $222 million a year earlier.

Net revenue yields rose 3.6%, significantly higher than the range of 1.5% to 2.5% in the company’s earlier forecast.

The results came despite a currency-exchange drag and fuel price increase equal to $127 million.

“This was among the most remarkable quarters in the history of the company,” said CEO Arnold Donald, citing not only the earnings but the introduction of three new flagships (Carnival Vista, Holland America Line’s Koningsdam and the AidaPrima) and the historic launch of Cuba cruises by the new Fathom brand.

Carnival’s revenue advanced slightly to $3.7 billion from $3.6 billion.

The increase in yield was a combination of a 3.5% increase in ticket prices and a 4% rise in onboard spending, CFO David Bernstein said.

Prices for Europe cruises on Carnival’s North America brands are lower although occupancies are up, Bernstein said.

Donald positioned the decision by Britain to leave the European Union as a boost for Cunard Line and P&O Cruises because their fares in the weakened pound sterling are now more competitive with land vacations abroad for British travelers.

Bernstein said every change of 10% or more in the pound’s value has an effect of about 8 cents a share, or about $60 million, on Carnival’s full-year results.

Donald said Carnival has looked at its U.K and European forecasts in light of the Brexit vote. “At this point, we have no reason to adjust anything,” he said.

Cruise stocks, including Carnival’s, were hit harder than the market in general after the British vote. After the earnings release, Carnival shares were up more than 4% but were up less than 0.25% by 11:30 am Eastern.

Asked about the future development of Fathom, Donald said that its cruises to the Dominican Republic are geared toward a “travel segment rather than cruise,” and that Carnival’s ability to access that segment is “challenging.” He said Cuba sailings on Fathom have been successful and are very strongly booked for fall, but that there are still unsold cabins on summer departures.

On a Fathom cruise, a sea day like no other

Impact guide Gil Lang tells Fathom passengers how to improve their storytelling skills. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst

Travel Weekly cruise editor Tom Stieghorst is sailing on the first cruise for Fathom, Carnival Corp.'s new social-impact line.

ABOARD THE ADONIA — Fathom’s cruise to the Dominican Republic begins with a day-and-a-half at sea, and the activities onboard really set it apart from any other cruise I’ve been on.

Like all the sessions I would attend on our first day at sea, it was participatory, interpersonal and a bit confessional. This is not a cruise for someone who wants to be left alone.Fathom has a philosophy to impart. After breakfast, everyone was asked to attend the "Being a Fathom Traveler" workshop, where an "impact guide" briefed passengers on the Fathom way.

To organize, Fathom grouped passengers into cohorts of about 10 to 12. The guide asked us each to name a favorite travel destination. Then we were all asked to sit next to someone we don’t know.

Paired off with a stranger, we had five minutes to describe to each other something bold we had done, an interesting fact about ourselves, and what we think the key to happiness is.

Our guide, Jeff, then told us about himself and what Fathom is – transformation through travel.  If Fathom has a motto, it is “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

We were introduced to some of the buzzwords that Fathom employs, such as "alongsidedness," which describes how Fathom passengers and Dominicans work together on the land part of the trip.

Fathom is a cruise with substance, a chance to take stock of who you are and where you’re going.

Some of the workshops are more practical. One teaches phrases in Spanish and another called “Empowering English Tutoring” is for passengers who will spend time helping Spanish-speaking students at school.

Later in the day, I attended “The Story of You,” a workshop meant to strengthen storytelling skills. We paired off again and did five exercises. The first one, creating a secret handshake together, was fun and helped break the ice. We told each other a story about our names and then spent the better part of an hour crafting a story about a dramatic moment in our lives.

We told the story three times to three different people, each time getting some techniques from our impact guide, Gil, to make the stories stronger, more vivid and memorable.

I caught part of another workshop, “The Curiosity Advantage,” about looking at things differently and staying open to fresh ways of doing things.

Impact guide Greg Shapiro with a slide showing the progress of a land-mine removal enterprise in Angola. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst

My final workshop for the day, “Social Innovation in Action,” was another group exercise. Four groups competed to create a social enterprise that would solve a big problem — overfishing and clearing land mines were the two we worked on.

Afterward, we saw videos of actual solutions created by social entrepreneurs, including the ingenious application of mine-sniffing rats in Angola to speed the de-mining process.

If this is your thing, there’s probably no better cruise than Fathom. It requires an open attitude and a willingness to contribute. The return is learning something about yourself and a jump-start toward knowing your fellow passengers.

Fathom is a cruise with substance, a chance to take stock of who you are and where you’re going. It might not be the cruise you want to do every time, but it won’t be the same old, same old, that’s for sure.

U.S. Coast Guard Cancels Carnival's Fathom line maiden voyage

U.S. Coast Guard Cancels Carnival's Fathom line maiden voyage

by kgnadmin (Crew Center.com)

The maiden voyage for the new social-impact cruise line Fathom has been canceled by the U.S. Coast Guard. The cruise ship Adonia, didn’t pass the U.S. Coast Guard safety inspection on Sunday after the authorities find out that 30 fire screen doors were not functioning properly.
MV Adonia was scheduled to set sail on April 10 from Miami on a 7-night voyage to the Dominican Republic, after a major dry dock renovation. Fathom says the April 10 cruise is completely canceled and, plans to make the maiden voyage on April 17.

Fathom passengers received the following letter:

“Dear Travelers

Thank you for being so gracious about the unexpected delay today. We are so sorry we did not sail as planned.

The ship arrived in Miami directly from re-fit and the U.S. Coast Guard is performing operational tests. These tests are still underway and the company hopes to sail once all tests are complete. We want to assure you that we are in constant contact with the Coast Guard and will continue to be throughout the night and into tomorrow to make arrangements to depart Miami.

We have arranged your dinner and breakfast at the hotel and have organized for late check out for you. Your check out is 1 p.m.

At 11 a.m. tomorrow, we will share more information in the lobby.

The Adonia is moving to a new terminal overnight – it will be at Terminal C on April 11.

We apologize that we haven’t been able to sail as planed but we sincerely hope that you have a restful evening.

The Fathom Team.”

U.S. Coast Guard conducts safety inspection when newly transformed cruise ship goes back to service in the United States. In order to provide safe environment in events of emergency, the vessel undergoes series of safety inspections on the watertight doors, fire doors, lifeboats and life rafts and their launch ramps, firefighting equipment and other safety procedures.