Norwegian Cruise Line Drops COVID-19 Testing, Masking and More

Norwegian Cruise Line Drops COVID-19 Testing, Masking and More

Norwegian Jade Photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Norwegian Cruise Line announced that it has updated its global health and safety protocols by removing all COVID-19 testing, masking and vaccination requirements effective on October 4, 2022.

Given the significant, positive progress in the public health environment, the Cruise Line updated its health and safety guidelines, which are now more aligned with other global travel organizations, the company said in a press release.

"Health and safety are always our first priority; in fact, we were the health and safety leaders from the very start of the pandemic," said Harry Sommer, Norwegian Cruise Line president and chief executive officer. "Many travellers have been patiently waiting to take their long-awaited vacation at sea and we cannot wait to celebrate their return."

NCL has cancelled cruises on seven ships

Cruise line NCL has cancelled cruises on seven ships over the next few weeks, due to ongoing travel restrictions implemented to slow the spread of the Omicron variant.

The line said in a statement: “The health and safety of our guests, crew and communities we visit is our number one priority. Due to ongoing travel restrictions, a select number of sailings across the fleet have been affected.”

NCL has announced that cruises on the following ships will be cancelled:

Norwegian Pearl - cruise departures up to and including 14 January 2022
Norwegian Sky - cruises up to and including 25 February 2022
Pride of America - cruises up to and including 26 February 2022
Norwegian Jade - cruises up to and including 3 March 2022
Norwegian Star - cruises up to and including 19 March 2022
Norwegian Sun - cruises up to and including 19 April 2022
Norwegian Spirit - cruises up to and including 23 April 2022

The line said that affected passengers would automatically receive a refund of their cruise fare.

They will also be given a future cruise credit (FCC) offering a 10% discount to be used on new bookings. This will be added to guests’ accounts from Friday (7 January) and can be used for bookings made up to 7 January 2023 for sailings through 31 May 2023.

NCL added that cruises on its other ships were currently going ahead as planned but warned some itineraries may have to be modified due to new Covid-19 rules and restrictions.

“As the global public health environment continues to rapidly evolve and destinations around the world modify their travel requirements or implement new travel restrictions, it is possible that itineraries may need to be modified,” advised the line.

Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line Cancel Sailings as Omicron Cases Surge

Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line on Wednesday cancelled sailings amid rising fears of Omicron-related coronavirus infections that have dampened the nascent recovery of the pandemic-ravaged cruise industry.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd called off its Spectrum of the Seas cruise for Jan. 6 after nine guests on its Jan. 2 trip were identified as close contacts to a local Hong Kong COVID-19 case.

The contacts have tested negative but the cruise ship will return to Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong on Jan. 5 to test all guests and crew who must take a second test on Jan. 8, the company said.

A similar decision to cancel trips by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd was made against the backdrop of the United States reporting the highest daily tally of any country for new coronavirus infections on Monday.

“Due to ongoing travel restrictions, we’ve had to modify a few sailings and unfortunately have had to cancel,” the 17-ship strong cruise operator said, with the embarkation dates for a few cancelled sailings as far out as late April.

The cruise line, which requires everyone on board to be vaccinated, has also had to cut short a 12-day round trip from Miami on its Norwegian Pearl ship, citing “COVID related circumstances.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had last week advised people to avoid cruise travel after launching investigations into onboard cases on more than 90 ships. The health agency starts scrutiny if at least 0.1% of the guests test positive.

Norwegian Cruise said guests, who were supposed to embark on the cancelled sailings on the eight ships, will receive full refunds and bonus credits for future bookings.

The Omicron-led travel uncertainty is also causing guests on other sailings to cancel their bookings as a few ships have also had to skip ports due to onboard infections.

“We booked the cruise last March and assumed that things would be getting back to normal… by mid-December, I was mentally prepared for a change of plans,” said Holly Bromley, a consulting arborist, who cancelled her booking on Norwegian Epic.

Meanwhile, bigger rival Carnival Corp said it has not cancelled any upcoming voyages, but its shares fell on Wednesday to close down 2.6%. Royal Caribbean lost 2.1% and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings 3.6%. (Reporting by Praveen Paramasivam in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Arun Koyyur)

Carnival Rolls Out Enhanced Casino Program

There’s fun for all ages on the new Carnival Horizon. ( Photo by Andy Newman courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line.)

High rollers on the high seas now have more to look forward to aboard Carnival Cruise Line.

A refresh of the Carnival Players Club casino program is bringing new offers and experiences to the table. And, the benefits apply ashore, as well.

The program includes a new “Dealer’s Choice” offer with exclusive cruise savings opportunities, complimentary in-casino drinks for qualified guests, and invitation-only Carnival Players Club events.

Carnival has also upgraded several new programs that provide guests with an enhanced cruise and casino experience. Value-added benefits, privileges and exclusive events are based on the level of play. Four different program levels include Getaway, designed for players interested in a short vacation. It’s available on three- to five-day cruises. Guests receive extras such as in-stateroom gifts, priority check-in and luggage delivery, complimentary in-casino drinks for qualified players, and a chance to win up to $10,000 in free play, cash, and prizes.

The Premier level is for more avid players. Premier is available on cruises of six days or longer. Guests receive all the benefits of the Getaway program. Additionally, they receive a complimentary pre-cruise gift, priority debarkation, a special Welcome Aboard party, invitation-only casino tournaments, and a chance at $20,000 in free play, cash, and prizes every cruise.

Loyal players will receive an invitation to the Ultra level. They’ll receive all the benefits of the Premier program, plus a chance to win $100,000 in cash and gifts on board.

The Elite program is reserved for the line's best players. It provides perks such as complimentary parking or local airport pick-up and drop-off; early stateroom access, complimentary drinks throughout the cruise; a free shore excursion and Wi-Fi; special Welcome Aboard and sail away parties, and VIFP Platinum status for the entire voyage.

“Carnival offers the most enjoyable and rewarding casinos aboard our 26 ships and with our enhanced Carnival Players Club program we’re providing our valued guests with a variety of expanded offers and unique experiences simply based on their level of play,” said Marty Goldman, Carnival’s senior vice president of global casino operations.

Additional enhancements to the program include new branding and logos, plus a new Carnival Players Club web site.

The line's newest ship, Carnival Horizon, was christened in New York a few weeks ago.

Norwegian to auction cabin upgrades

Haven Suite photo by Dave Jones

Borrowing a page from Priceline, Norwegian Cruise Line said it will allow select passengers to bid on cabin upgrades prior to sailing but after making final payment.

The process would let passengers upgrade one or two meta-categories. So for example, a guest in an ocean view cabin could bid to move to a balcony or mini-suite, but not a suite. 

Norwegian said passengers eligible would be notified by email, as will their travel sellers. Selection is based on a variety of criteria including but not limited to what guests already paid and the type of cabins available on their sailing. 

After bidding a "nominal" amount, guests will be notified with an immediate confirmation email of a winning bid. If a bid has not been accepted, guests can improve it or cancel it up to 48 hours prior to departure.

Travel agents are only notified of winning bids, and are eligible for additional commission on the upgraded fare. They will get incremental commission due in a separate commission payment, Norwegian said.

Norwegian is not taking bids on identifiable cabins or specific categories, but only at the meta-category level. Guests eligible to bid on suites or The Haven will be able to bid on each separately.

Norwegian did not say if minimum bids would be set.

The program, called Upgrade Advantage, is scheduled to start Feb. 8 on the Norwegian Escape, Getaway, Breakaway, Epic and Pride of America, with the remaining fleet set to begin participating in the second quarter.

Agencies are allowed to opt out of eligibility by sending an e-mail to NCL sales. 

In a note to agents, Norwegian senior vice president of sales Camille Olivere said a pilot program tested very well with guests and agents.

"I highly recommend that you participate in this program," Olivere wrote. "Upgrade Advantage is a great way for you to enhance the guest experience and earn more commission with very minimal effort."

Currently, Norwegian offers upgrades through an Upsell Department, which identifies sailings with potential for upgrades and emails guests, who can then call in and bid on upgrades.

"This new system will be completely automated and allow for a level playing field where all guests can easily bid for an upgrade simply by clicking through," Norwegian spokeswoman Christina Baez said. "It also notifies the travel partner who made the booking and automatically provides them with the commission on the higher fare if their bid is accepted."

The Escape a step forward for Norwegian Cruise Line

Part of the Guy Harvey hull painting on the Norwegian Escape. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst

PAPENBURG, Germany — The Norwegian Escape will be a bigger, and improved, version of the two ships that preceded it in the Norwegian fleet.

On a tour here, Norwegian executives showed off the line’s 14th ship, which is about six weeks away from its debut in Miami in early November.

Although it is based on the same platform as Norwegian Breakaway and Getaway, the Escape will be notably different in its details and carry more passengers.

Escape, designated Breakaway Plus in early discussions, will have one more deck of cabins, giving it a capacity of 4,270 at double occupancy, up from 3,969 for its predecessors.

The extra deck also allowed for a two-story design in the deluxe Haven area, which now has an elegant glass-enclosed curving staircase connecting the two levels. The Haven also has an indoor-outdoor restaurant, a feature from Norwegian Epic that was skipped on Breakaway and Getaway but is being resurrected.

The pool area of Norwegian Escape. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst

On almost every deck, Escape has something that distinguishes it as new. On the top deck, the ropes course has been expanded to three levels and has 99 elements, including five zip tracks. The Plank, a balance beam that extends out over the side of the ship, is now on either side of the ship, doubling the opportunity for passengers to try it.

The Aqua Racer water slide has been given a bigger diameter and can accommodate 1,000 riders an hour, up from less than 500 previously.

Breakaway/Getaway’s ice bar has been deep-sixed in favor of The Cellars, Norwegian’s first wine bar. Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville replaces the more generic Flamingo bar near the Spice H2O entertainment area, and his 5 O’Clock Somewhere bar will use the space occupied by the Fat Cats jazz and blues club on preceding ships.

At the new Food Republic, guests will order dinner on iPads. “These ships come out with ever-more innovative features with every ship we build,” said Norwegian President Andy Stuart.

Stuart said that the outdoor dining area in The Haven and the ropes course are among his favorite additions on Escape. “The ropes course is going to blow people away," he said.

Norwegian Escape to get larger sports complex and water park

Norwegian Escape to get larger sports complex and water park~Bocce ball court in the works, too

Rendering of the ropes course on Norwegian Getaway.

Norwegian Cruise Lines’ next ship will have a three-story ropes course and the largest aqua park in the fleet.

Norwegian Escape, due in 2015, will feature two Planks, the narrow steel beams on Norwegian Breakaway and Getaway that let guests walk eight feet out over the edge of the ship. The sports complex will have five zipline-style Sky Rails, including one that will loop out over the side of the 4,200-passenger ship.

In addition to a full-sized basketball court, Escape will have a bocce ball court, a first for the line.

Also, there will be a mini-golf course themed to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle characters, an expanded Aqua Park and a new tandem slide in the Aqua Park called Aqua Racer.

Norwegian said it is also adding the line’s first dedicated nursery for children ages 2 and under.

In expanding its “Guppies” program to children ages 6 months to three years, Norwegian will offer an active area for play time and age-appropriate activities and a separate space for napping.  In addition to the nursery services, the ship’s Guppies program will offer a dedicated open play area for parents and babies to play together.

Escape is scheduled to cruise the Caribbean year-round from Miami, starting next November.

Fleet expansion helps Norwegian Cruise Line boost revenue

By Tom Stieghorst

Norwegian Cruise Line reported a net profit of $51.7 million in the first quarter, up from a $97.5 million loss a year ago.

Revenue rose 25.8%, to $664 million.

Results were helped by the addition of Norwegian Breakaway to the fleet in May 2013 and the Norwegian Getaway in January 2014.

After various special items are excluded, Norwegian said its adjusted first-quarter profit was $49.6 million, up from $12.9 million a year earlier.

Norwegian said it has authorized the buyback of up to $500 million of its stock. CEO Kevin Sheehan said the program allows Norwegian to be “flexible and opportunistic” in repurchasing shares at attractive levels.

The company completed a public offering in January 2013.

Norwegian Epic to call at Southampton

Norwegian Epic to call at Southampton

Norwegian Epic is to return to Southampton for the first time in five years from 2015, marking its first return to the port since its inaugural celebration in June 2010.

According to Travelmole, the ship will sail to the UK port during its two Iberian Peninsula cruises, which are scheduled for September and October next year.

First up is a six-night sailing departing from Barcelona on September 20th. Then, the first of the two cruises will depart from Southampton on September 26th, with port calls in Cartagena, Granada and Lisbon.

After that, there’s a seven-night cruise from Southampton to Barcelona on the cards, departing on October 11th. In the interim, the ship is scheduled to go into the dry dock in France.

There’s likely to be plenty more visits to the UK for Norwegian Epic once the ship relocates its home port to the Catalan city of Barcelona on a permanent basis.

At that point, it will offer year-round sailings to the Western Mediterranean and the Canary Islands and Morocco.

Getaway introduced in New York, but thoughts drift to warm Miami

By Arnie Weissmann

ABOARD THE NORWEGIAN GETAWAY — The frigid January weather in New York has kept most industry guests and media away from the Norwegian Getaway's distinctive outdoor attractions during the ship's inaugural sailing.

Few took advantage of the open-air dining on Waterfront, let alone the ropes course, water park with slides or other top-decks attractions.

The ship is a structural clone of its older sister, the Breakaway, which debuted last year, and having the passengers stay largely indoors kept them focused on the shifting of emphasis from themes of New York, where Breakaway homeports, to Miami, where the Getaway will be based.

“I like the subtle touches of Miami,” said Karen Giantomasi, client services supervisor for the online travel agency Cruise Direct International Voyager. “The mojitos in place of Champagne, Cuban food at the buffet.”

But many travel counselors said the shift in geographic emphasis inside really just supports the biggest change of all — that this ship will soon have a southern point of departure.

Although Wendi Randal of Liberty Travel in Pittsburgh doesn’t have clients in either homeport, the cold weather emphasized to her the importance of having a warm gateway. “You want [clients] to be able to try everything that’s outside, and you don’t want the weather to hinder that.”

One discerning couple didn’t mind at all that, other than the tweaking of restaurant and bar themes, the interiors were virtually identical. Sitting quietly and unnoticed at a side table at Sugarcane Mojito Bar off the atrium was Craig Cannonier, premier of Bermuda, and his wife Antoinette. 

He had been aboard during the inauguration of the Breakaway (which sails to Bermuda), and on this sailing was again in a suite in the Haven, the private area atop the ship which caters to upscale travelers.

“We’ve broken away, we’ve gotten away, next we’ll stay away — stay away from land,” he said. (He said he wasn’t worried about competition for Bermuda from cruising, and believes that port visits ultimately lead to subsequent longer land stays.)

As for the lack of differences — he did notice that “here, you have a mermaid painted on the outside” — he was sanguine. “They took a model that worked and built another. Why do something else? It’s not the same itinerary, so why not build a replica that works and take it to another destination?”

“We’ll bring our family aboard [the Breakaway] on our next vacation, down to our 3-year-old grandchild,” added Antoinette. “They do a good job.”