MSC Divina Approved by CDC, to Sail From Port Canaveral on Sept. 16

MSC Cruises has announced that it's MSC Divina has received approval from the CDC for its Conditional Sailing Certificate, following the successful completion of a simulated voyage last week.

With approval granted, the MSC Divina is set to become MSC Cruises’ 11th ship to resume cruising globally, as well as the company’s first to set sail from its new homeport, Orlando/Port Canaveral.

“After officially resuming cruises from the U.S. with the MSC Meraviglia in early August, we are thrilled to cross another significant milestone toward bringing our entire fleet back to sea around the world for safe, relaxing and enjoyable cruises,” said Rubén Rodríguez, President of MSC Cruises USA. “In the U.S. in particular, the MSC Divina’s restart will bring us into an entirely new, easily accessible embarkation destination, providing our guests with more choice when cruising with us to popular destinations in The Bahamas and Caribbean, including our stunning new private island destination, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.”

With MSC Divina’s upcoming restart, MSC Cruises’ guests can select from a variety of three-, four- and seven-night itineraries from two embarkation ports in Florida: Miami and Orlando/Port Canaveral.

Following MSC Divina’s restart, the MSC Meraviglia will add seven-night cruises to The Bahamas and Caribbean.

All cruises will continue to operate under MSC Cruises’ health and safety protocol – including testing measures, vaccine requirements, mask-wearing, social distancing, enhanced sanitization and more. MSC Cruises itineraries from Florida ports also feature stops at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in The Bahamas.

With ships docking at the island from early morning into the evening – and often overnight – guests can enjoy the two miles of pristine, white-sand beaches and activities including stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, wave runner rides and more, MSC said.

Norwegian Cruise Line to Redeploy Eight Additional Ships

Norwegian Cruise Line today announced that it will resume operations from additional U.S. and international ports this fall with eight more ships in service.

Guests will once again sail aboard Norwegian Breakaway, Encore, Escape, Pearl, Jewel, Sun, Spirit and Norwegian's Pride of America.

Voyages expected to operate in the U.S. are contingent on obtaining a Conditional Sailing Certificate from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Today the company announced its redeployment plans for the following ships:

• Norwegian Joy will cruise from Miami beginning Oct. 19, 2021, with five to 11-day Caribbean voyages.
• Norwegian Breakaway will cruise seven-day itineraries to Bermuda from New York beginning Oct. 24, 2021.
• Pride of America will offer seven-day Hawaii interisland voyages from Honolulu beginning Nov. 6, 2021.
• Norwegian Bliss will cruise from Los Angeles for seven-day Mexican Riviera voyages beginning Nov. 7, 2021.
• Norwegian Encore will offer seven-night itineraries from Miami to the Caribbean beginning Nov. 14, 2021.
• Beginning Nov. 20, 2021, Norwegian Escape will cruise for the first time from Orlando (Port Canaveral), Fla., offering seven-day itineraries to the Caribbean.
• Norwegian Pearl will sail from Miami offering Panama Canal, Bahamas and Caribbean cruises beginning Dec. 23, 2021.
• Beginning Jan. 20, 2022, Norwegian Jewel will be the first ship in the fleet to offer roundtrip Panama Canal cruises from Panama City (Colón and Fuerte Amador).
• Norwegian Sun will sail for the first time in Asia beginning Jan. 28, 2022, offering a five-day Japan itinerary from Hong Kong, before sailing a variety of 11-day cruises from Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok.
• Norwegian Spirit will cruise 12-day Australia and New Zealand voyages from Sydney, and Auckland, New Zealand beginning Feb. 9, 2022.

Further redeployments will be announced in the near future.

"When we first welcome our guests aboard Norwegian Jade this July, it will be exactly 500 days since our ships last sailed," said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. "I am so happy that we're finally getting back to what we love the most, and I'm very proud that we continue to redeploy our fleet methodically. We always said we wouldn't rush to sail again, but that we'd get back to it when we felt we could do so safely while maintaining our incomparable guest experience. Our efforts to resume cruising safely will continue to be slow and steady, guided by the science-backed protocols of our SailSAFE™ health and safety program and in collaboration with our destination partners as well as with a variety of governing bodies. We cannot wait to see our guests rediscover the world and make memories with their loved ones again."

In conjunction with today's redeployment announcement, the cruise line has cancelled all voyages on Pride of America through Oct. 30, 2021; Norwegian Escape through Nov. 2, 2021; Norwegian Jewel through Jan. 9, 2022; Norwegian Pearl through Dec. 7, 2021; Norwegian Spirit through Jan. 28, 2022; Norwegian Sun through Jan. 18, 2022; and the Oct. 24, 2021 itinerary aboard Norwegian Bliss.

Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay Drives Rate and Short Market

“To describe Perfect Day as a home run wouldn't do it justice. It really resets the bar in the short cruise market,” said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises, on the company’s second-quarter earnings call.

Fain highlighted Perfect Day CocoCay as part of Royal Caribbean’s strength to adapt to an ever-changing business environment.

“We continue to do well because we continue to adapt our product to the changing desires of our current and future guests and the changing environment which we operate,” Fain added.

Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said that through 2020, 11 Royal Caribbean ships will call at the private island that now features an expansive water park. 

“If you may recall, we put Mariner, Navigator and Independence through Royal Amplified and we completely changed the product offering in the short cruise market and literally put the biggest best ships in that short market, which is about 20-something per cent of the entire American cruise market,” Bayley said. “So we already started to see demand increasing for those products because they are truly great products.”

Bayley said that since May when the new experience opened, the company has taken around 350,000 guests to CocoCay.

“It's now rated the number one resort globally for Royal Caribbean. It's knocking it out of the park in terms of truly delivering a phenomenal day. The guest satisfaction is extremely high. And so the demand that we're seeing is coming from all segments. It competes very well with Orlando,” Bayley said, adding that 40 per cent of guests in the short cruise market was new-to-cruise.

“We’re seeing both significant increase in volume and of course that's driving rate,” Bayley noted.

Top Two Reasons to Visit Universal Orlando

Top Two Reasons to Visit Universal Orlando

Banking on the popularity of a pair of global franchises, Universal Orlando is bookending the summer of 2013 with two major attractions, Transformers: The Ride-3D and The Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield.

Transformers: The Ride-3D

At the grand opening of Orlando’s Transformers: The Ride-3D on June 20th, Bill Davis, president & COO of Universal Orlando said, “We think [Transformers] is going to kick start the summer for us.” The park hopes that momentum will carry right through to the end of the summer with the unveiling of the completed Springfield.

Recognizing that Transformers is an important franchise worldwide, Universal wanted to create a ride to bring guests right into the action. The Transformers: The Ride-3D attraction debuted in 2011 at Universal Studios Singapore and was followed by a second installment in 2012 at Universal Studios Hollywood.  As a result of the huge success in those two parks, Transformers was fast-tracked to Orlando, taking only one year to complete construction.  While the Transformers ride is the same as it is in Singapore and Hollywood in terms of the experience, the architecture is different and there are technological nuances that are unique to the Orlando attraction, including projection and animation advances that have been implemented in the newest version of the ride.

“This attraction is ground-breaking in the level of immersion [and] it is ground-breaking technologically and visually,” said Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative. “It is at the top tier of attractions in the world.”

As a result, the scale and level of execution of the Orlando version of the Transformers attraction is unparalleled. Because the characters of Megatron and Optimus Prime are both about 30 feet tall, the ride’s creators wanted to ensure that guests fully appreciate their massive scale. To accomplish this, they created a “media silo” in which riders travel vertically through a 60-foot high screen. In addition, the attraction incorporates sequences with director Michael Bay’s signature “slow-motion” style, the first attraction of its kind to feature this cinematic device. Another Transformers exclusive is the character of Evac, who was created especially for the ride. In fact, Evac merchandise is not available anywhere except inside Universal’s parks, which makes Evac toys and gifts very popular souvenirs for park visitors.

Springfield Comes to Universal Orlando

Capitalizing on the massive appeal of yet another well-known franchise, Universal created the award-winning The Simpsons Ride in 2008 to take riders into the animation of television’s “The Simpsons,” but now park guests can actually walk into Springfield and immerse themselves completely in the Simpsons’ hometown. Bringing Springfield to life was a group effort by Universal Orlando, Fox Studios and Gracie Films. The result is not only true to the vision of the show but every detail is completely accurate, down to the pickle on the top of every Krusty burger. Currently, about half of Springfield is open to the public including Moe’s Tavern, the Quik-E-Mart and a Simpsons-themed food court offering menu items that are not available in any other area of the park. The remaining construction is expected to be completed by the end of the summer, featuring an entirely new interactive ride called Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl, which will make its debut at Universal Orlando.

“People from around the world should definitely put at the top of their [summer] itinerary a visit to Universal Orlando Resort to see the terrific brand new Transformers attraction,” said Tom Williams, chairman and CEO, Universal Parks & Resorts.

Thomson launches flights with 'world's most-modern' aircraft

By Ian Taylor

Thomson Airways launched commercial services with the Boeing 787 on Friday, taking 290 passengers from Gatwick to Mahon, Menorca, on the Dreamliner’s maiden UK-operated flight.

Dave Burling, UK managing director of Thomson parent Tui Travel, said the 787 added a key piece to the company strategy of offering upmarket ‘differentiated’ holidays.

The aircraft will be deployed from next month on services to Cancun and Orlando and later to Thailand, Mauritius and the Pacific coast of Mexico.

Burling said: “The Dreamliner is important in differentiating our long-haul holidays. The flight is a bigger part of a long-haul holiday.”

He added: “We are very confident with the product at the other end.” Burling revealed Thomson opened 35 exclusive or differentiated properties in May.

The company describes two-thirds of its mainstream hotel product as ‘differentiated’, a proportion Burling said would increase. More than 90% of hotels in the programme are exclusive to Thomson.

The state-of-the-art Dreamliner is touted to transform long-haul flying because of its fuel efficiency and range, and the comfort it offers passengers.

Thomson Airways had planned to launch its summer 2013 long-haul programme with the 787 on May 1, but only took delivery of the first of its eight Dreamliners at the end of May.

The aircraft was grounded worldwide in January following a battery fire and only resumed flying last month.

Thomson will launch its long-haul 787 programme on July 8 with flights from Glasgow to Cancun and Manchester to Orlando. Gatwick flights will start the following day and services from East Midlands at the end of July.

The airline will add flights to Phuket in Thailand this winter – the first direct flights to the island from the UK – and to Mauritius and Puerta Vallerta in Mexico next summer.

The company has yet to announce plans for other destinations, but the 787 is capable of flying non-stop from the UK as far as Hawaii.

In the meantime, many passengers on Thomson Airways flights around the Mediterranean will get to experience the aircraft as the airline uses short-haul flights to familiarise its crew.

Those aboard on Friday and Saturday had been told in advance they would fly on the 787, but passengers on future short-haul flights will only find out at the airport.

The pilot, Captain John Murphy, told passengers: “This is a historic day for Thomson Airways. You are the first to fly on the 787 in the UK.

“We’ve been modernising our holidays and flights, and the 787 is the most modern aircraft in the world.”

Disney introduces ID bracelets for park entry and more

By Michelle Baran

Within the next few months, guests to Walt Disney World will be able to enter the parks, purchase food and merchandise, enter their hotel room and access certain rides using MagicBand bracelet, which will serve as an optional payment account.

The MagicBand bracelet is part of a larger, technological initiative called MyMagic+ that Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is rolling out over the next several months in an attempt to improve the guest experience.

“Imagine booking guaranteed ride times for your favorite shows and attractions even before setting foot in the park,” Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, wrote on theDisney Parks Blog. “With MyMagic+, guests will be able to do that and more, enabling them to spend more time together and creating an experience that’s better for everyone.”\

Staggs wrote that MyMagic+ will be rolled out over the next several months at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

They will include the MagicBand as well as a new website and mobile app called My Disney Experience.

Through an enhanced FastPass system (FastPass is the current system that allows guests to skip attraction lines) called FastPass+, guests will be able to book dining and other activities, and reserve times for certain attractions and shows. They will also be able to use their smartphones to change their plans while at the park.

They will also be able to reserve viewing areas for fireworks and parades, as well as Disney character meetings.

The MagicBand will provide access to all the FastPass+ experiences selected and will serve as a connection to Disney’s PhotoPass program (PhotoPass is a photo taking, storing and sharing service).

The MagicBand will initially be made available to select Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests and guests who purchase other products, though Disney didn’t elaborate on which products those are.

Other guests will be able to use their standard ticket to access the benefits of MyMagic+, such as making FastPass+ selections on My Disney Experience.

“The MagicBand does not store any personal information — it contains a code that securely links to an encrypted database that associates the MagicBand with the benefits a guest has purchased,” Disney said in a statement. “Extensive measures are in place to protect the privacy of guests and the security of the personal information they choose to share.”

Guests are not required to participate in the MyMagic+ program or use the MagicBands, which can be disabled if lost. There is no additional charge for the MyMagic+ program.

“We’ll be testing, adjusting and adding features to MyMagic+ and My Disney Experience over time and will continue to make improvements based on our guests’ feedback,” wrote Staggs.