AIDA Shows Off 3D Virtual Tours of Crew Areas

AIDA Shows Off 3D Virtual Tours of Crew Areas

AIDA Cruises is now offering a glimpse of its crew areas through a series of 3D virtual tours created in partnership with Liquid Ambient.

According to a report by Crew Centre, the 360º views give seafarers and future employees a behind-the-scenes look at life onboard.

The tours allow potential crew members to explore crew areas, including dedicated restaurants, bars and training centres.

The feature is available for all AIDA vessels, with tours divided by the fleet’s three ship classes: Helios, Hyperion and Sphinx.

Future employees can also explore staterooms onboard the vessels, which include single cabins, single cabins with a shared bathroom and double cabins.

The company said that its ships are not just a place to work but also a “second home” for their employees.

As such, all AIDA vessels also offer further features for crew members’ well-being, including gyms, saunas, sun and pool decks, hairdressers and relaxation areas.

The vessels also offer a Crew Recreation Centre, which is said to provide books, movies and board games.

According to the company’s website, AIDA currently employs 18,000 personnel worldwide in two offices and on 11 ships.

The company’s staff comes from 60 countries and spends three to six months onboard its vessels per contract.

With two newbuilds debuting in the future, the company is expected to add at least 2,500 new crew members to its lineup over the next six years.

Ordered from the Fincantieri shipyard earlier this year, AIDA’s next-generation vessels are set to enter service in 2030 and 2031. At 150,000 tons, the new LNG-powered ships will have a capacity for 4,200 guests each.

In addition to building new vessels, AIDA is currently investing in updating its Sphinx Class ships, which are set to undergo refits over the next few years.

As part of the AIDA Evolution program, the seven vessels are getting a fresher look, as well as more suites, updated public areas and new features.

Fred. Olsen Crew Members Receive Service Awards

Fred. Olsen Crew Members Receive Service Awards

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ crew have received Norwegian Ship Owners Association Medals for their long service at sea.

Eight crew members have amassed over 270 years’ worth of service onboard Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines ships, according to a press release.

“Our crew are a vital part of everything that we stand for and they are central to the specialness of a Fred. Olsen cruise,” said Pete Deer, managing director of Fred. Olsen.

“We are incredibly proud of our wonderful team on board who, in turn, are proud to welcome our guests. To have so many crew members who have decided to spend more than 30 years of their career with us is truly special and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines would just not be the same without them.”

The longest-serving crew members Victor Magbanua and Carmelita Lao have each spent 37 years with the cruise line, the company said.

Magbanua, an oiler, began his career with Fred. Olsen in August 1986 as he wanted to work at sea and travel the world. He has worked on board the Black Prince, the Black Watch, the Borealis and the Balmoral.

“My favorite ship to work on was the Black Prince and New York is my favorite destination,” he said. “I’ll be retiring soon so I’m enjoying my remaining contracts and will really miss working on board the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines fleet.”

Room stewardess Carmelita joined Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines in February 1987 after founder Frederik Olsen visited the Philippines to hire crew for the Black Prince.

“I was one of the lucky ones who was chosen and was so fortunate to be able to provide for my family,” Lao said. “Black Prince – which I called Happy Ship – was my favorite, but I’ve also worked on Boudicca and Balmoral, and I’ve loved visiting a variety of new places and meeting people of all different nationalities.”

First engineer on Balmoral Jose Villalobos and fitter Roberto Rebite have served for 34 years each.

“My role as first engineer in the technical department ensures the smooth operation of the ship,” said Villalobos, who began his maritime career in October 1989. “I love the strong sense of camaraderie on board, it feels like I’m part of a larger, seafaring family.”

Rebite also joined Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines in October 1989 on board the Black Prince. His work spans various departments including deck fitting, engine fitting and welding.

“I really enjoy working on small ships and my favorite is Black Prince,” he said. “I love working for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines and hope to do so for as long as possible.”

Assistant Housekeeper Ruth Manaog has been part of Fred. Olsen since December 1991. She has worked on the Black Prince, the Boudicca, the Black Watch, the Balmoral and the Borealis.

The five crew members were presented with their long service awards during the Fleet in Funchal event in November.

 

Three other crew members have also been recognized for their service but were unable to attend the celebrations in Madeira – tank cleaner Roberto Cortez for 36 years, deck carpenter Noel Cuevas for 33 years and chef de partis Gimmie Macatangay for 31 years.

 

Carnival Corp Named One of the World’s Best Employers for Third Time

Carnival Corp Named One of the World’s Best Employers for Third Time

Carnival Corporation was named one of the World’s Best Employers for 2023 by Forbes for the third consecutive year.

Carnival Corporation was recognized among 700 international employers spanning more than 20 industries for cultivating a positive workplace environment, work-life balance, career advancement opportunities and employee diversity, according to a statement. 

Presented by Forbes and Statista, the World’s Best Employers list was determined via a survey that involved more than 170,000 employees from 55 countries working part-time or full-time. Participants were asked if they would recommend their employers to friends and family, and to anonymously rate their workplaces based on criteria such as image, economic footprint, talent development, gender equality and social responsibility.

Employees could also rate other companies in their industries and countries. Based on these factors, only the top 700 companies out of thousands of organizations were recognized as the World’s Best Employers by Forbes.

“Our highly talented global team of shipboard and shoreside employees are at the heart of everything we do and we want to make sure we are fostering an environment where people from all different backgrounds, experiences and walks of life can thrive,” said Bettina Deynes, global chief human resources officer for Carnival Corporation.

“As we continue to prioritize a positive company culture and drive initiatives to grow each of our team members’ careers, we are honored to be recognized once again by Forbes for our efforts and commitment to be the employer of choice for hospitality, travel and leisure careers.”

Carnival Corporation has over 160,000 employees, who represent 150 countries.

Crew Members Go Months Without Shore Leave During Pandemic

Some crew members working back onboard have not stepped a foot ashore for months, according to Cruise Industry News’ research.

Employees of AIDA, Norwegian Cruise Line and Marella Cruises, and other major cruise lines have said on the grounds of anonymity that they have largely not been allowed to leave the cruise ship they’re working on, with one crew member admitting that this left him feeling “pretty depressed.” Some crew interviewed asked not to identify their ships or employers. 

An employee working on the Norwegian Jade said that he and his fellow crew members have been on board for two months with only one shore leave – for vaccination purposes.

“We left the ship escorted with busses to get our vaccinations done where there were military police. Once vaccinations got done, we were escorted back to our bus to go straight back to the ship,” he said.

“Everyone was assigned to a group with a leader and counted before (boarding) the bus and on the bus,” he added.

However, according to him, Norwegian's no-shore-leave policy will be re-evaluated once the ship cruises with guests for two months.

“Shore leave might be discussed,” he said. “If a crew member is coming to travel, bring a long lens camera because right now it’s about staying healthy while supporting our families.”

A crew member with a major cruise line also said that he was not allowed to go onshore.

“Before the pandemic, crew shore leave was allowed whenever crew member was off duty, with shuttle buses organized more or less every 30 minutes, or you could go on your own,” he explained.

An employee working on a Marella cruise ship for the last two months said that he was lucky to be able to go ashore before shore leave was banned entirely.

“I have been ashore once for 30 mins, which was strictly to buy essentials and come straight back. Shortly after, shore leave was banned entirely by the company because they are restarting operations soon, and they worry that if a crew member brought COVID onboard they wouldn’t be able to have passengers,” he said.

“I’ll be on board for another few months but highly doubt I’ll be able to go ashore again,” he added.

According to him, prior to the pandemic, crew members could go ashore “more or less every day.” Not being able to leave the ship, as well as lack of socialization, is making crew members “pretty depressed,” he said.

However, other crew members were more optimistic.

“Shopping-wise, the cruise lines have brought the necessities onboard to purchase. They also have agreements with Amazon and port agents so that you can still purchase personal items online. Ships need to stay in the guidelines right now in order to keep us up and running,” one crew member said.

Royal Caribbean to Temporarily Stop Hiring Indian Crew

Royal Caribbean International has made the decision to immediately suspend incoming crew movement from India, according to a letter sent from the company and report by Crew Center. The letter was later obtained by Cruise Industry News.

The company said it was "based on various reasons and related to recently announced travel restrictions and complexities with crew movement to and from India," where COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

Those crew members who are currently at hotels pending joining a ship, or are currently en route (already flying) will also be notified and accommodation will be provided to them under quarantine guidelines untll further notice, according to the cruise line.

Indian crew have confirmed that their assignments have been cancelled due to developing travel restrictions.

"It's not the way we want to operate but it is the reality of quick changes we need to make based on different reasons that are often unplanned or beyond our direct control," Royal told crew members that saw their assignments cancelled.

CDC Drops No Sail Order For Framework For Conditional Sailing Order

Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has dropped its controversial "No Sail" order in favour of a so-called Conditional Sailing Order.

In short, the "No Sail" order has been lifted and the industry will work with the CDC on a realistic, phased-in return to service.

"The initial phases will consist of testing and additional safeguards for crew members," the CDC said in a statement posted to its website.

"CDC will ensure cruise ship operators have adequate health and safety protections for the crew while these cruise ship operators build the laboratory capacity needed to test future passengers. Subsequent phases will include simulated voyages to test cruise ship operators’ ability to mitigate COVID-19 risk, certification for ships that meet specific requirements, and a phased return to cruise ship passenger voyages in a manner that mitigates COVID-19 risk among passengers, crew members, and U.S. communities.

"These phases are subject to change based on public health considerations and cruise ship operators’ demonstrated ability to mitigate COVID19 risk. CDC will issue additional orders as needed that will be published in the Federal Register and technical instructions that will be subsequently posted on CDC’s website."

The framework allows for individual cruise lines to progress through phases at variable paces, according to the agency, and enables cruise lines successfully implementing public health measures to return to passenger operations more quickly while others by necessity may move more slowly.

The framework not only encourages cruise lines that are more successful at mitigating the spread of COVID-19 but provides a realistic timeline that anticipates COVID-19 continuing to be present and affecting cruise ship travel, the CDC said.

The phased-in approach will include (1) establishment of laboratory testing of the crew onboard cruise ships in U.S. waters; (2) 15 simulated voyages designed to test a cruise ship operators’ ability to mitigate COVID-19 on cruise ships; (3) a certification process; and (4) a return to passenger voyages in a manner that mitigates the risk of COVID-19 introduction, transmission, or spread among passengers and crew onboard ships and ashore to communities.

These phases will be further determined based on public health considerations including the trajectory of COVID-19 transmission and the demonstrated ability of cruise ship operators to successfully employ measures that mitigate the risk of COVID-19.

As part of the initial crew testing phases, the additionally contains requirements for (1) shoreside COVID-19 laboratory screening testing of all crew currently onboard; (2) onboard diagnostic testing capabilities for symptomatic travellers (crew and future passengers); (3) shoreside COVID-19 laboratory screening testing of all newly embarking crew; and (4) continued compliance by cruise ship operators with their complete, accurate, and acknowledged No Sail Order Response Plans.

Special Report: The great cruise gratuities debate

Special Report: The great cruise gratuities debate

I took this Photo on the Norwegian Jade, the gentleman in the front has gained a promotion. The crew that you see and don't see work hard to make sure that we have the best possible cruise experience, they deserve our Gratuities and more.

A hike in rates by Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises reignited the debate about onboard tipping. Amie Keelie and Harry Kemble report

News that Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have upped their gratuities by 7% prompted dozens of responses from cruisers on consumer forums (Travel Weekly, January 4).

Some questioned whether the service they receive justified the hike. Some asked if charging gratuities meant cruise lines get away with paying staff low basic salaries. And some wondered if the tips even went to the staff.

Others said they were happy to reward hardworking crew for the long hours they put in to make their holidays as good as possible.

So which lines charge the most, why do gratuities even exist and are they justified?

Why do gratuities exist?
The concept of automatic gratuities stemmed from cruise ships being a cashless environment. Generally, passengers did not carry wads of cash and so were unable to reward crew members for excellent service.

It also became a way to distribute tips fairly to all the crew, including those behind the scenes working just as hard as the butler that passengers saw every day.
Lines justify the cost by claiming a superior level of customer service guests receives on a cruise ship compared with a hotel or resort on land.

“When we do our survey of guests, one of their top reasons they give to cruise is the service levels, so we stand up well against other sectors,” says Andy Harmer, Clia’s senior vice-president for membership.

“In cruise, you get to build up a relationship with the crew – you see them several times a day – compared to a hotel where you might not see the person turning down your bed at all.”

Ben Bouldin, associate vice-president of Royal Caribbean International and managing director for the UK and Ireland, agrees. “Gratuities are something our customers are comfortable with because they understand the outstanding level of service.”

However, as one agent told Travel Weekly: “If a cruise line is going to increase its gratuities, it had better make sure its customer service is impeccable”.

It is accepted that American cruisers are more than happy to pay automatic gratuities, often in advance of their cruise, but Brits much less so. Cruise lines have adapted their policies to reflect the different markets they sell in, allowing cruise customers to opt out of paying auto-gratuities at the end of their cruise when they pay their final bill.

“[In Britain] we don’t have a history of tipping in the way other cultures have,” says Harmer. “What a lot of passengers don’t realise is that if they do have issues, they should raise these on the ship so they can be dealt with and if they’re not happy they can have [the gratuity] taken off.”

Mike Hall, Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ head of marketing, says: “The reason why gratuities are such an issue is because of that cultural difference. Americans will give a staff member $50, while here in the UK, a conversation about gratuities is one we do not want to have.”

Gratuity rates
Royal and Celebrity Cruises’ recent increases now mean passengers pay $14.50 a day in standard accommodation, making it one of the highest in the sector.

“Royal and Celebrity need to be careful because it could put customers off,” the cruise agent added. “For a couple travelling on a 14-night cruise that’s an extra $400, so it needs to be better than a hotel which doesn’t have auto-gratuities.”

The agent also warned that if gratuities continued to rise on mainstream lines, luxury cruise brands, which more often than not include them in the price, would become more appealing.

By comparison, discretionary gratuity fees for P&O Cruises, MSC Cruises, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, CMV and Carnival Cruise Line range from £4 to €13 per passenger per night and continue to be automatically added to onboard accounts. The majority of river cruise lines suggest a recommended amount to give the crew at the end of their cruise.

Last year, Norwegian Cruise Line became the first mainstream line to incorporate gratuities, among a host of other ‘extras’, into its fares, when it rolled out its Premium All Inclusive concept.

NCL’s Nick Wilkinson said: “Premium All Inclusive has driven greater simplicity for agents having to explain and sell cruises, and greater confidence in consumers having to budget.

“The biggest change since introducing Premium All-Inclusive is double-digit growth we’ve seen in the long-tail of agents we’ve never worked with before, now selling Norwegian. They are comfortable selling us.”

So could other mainstream lines follow suit? Wilkinson added: “I think it’s very telling how many mainstream lines are using the term ‘all-inclusive’ in their wave campaigns as they recognise it appeals to agents and consumers.

“But we are the only mainstream line offering a truly all-inclusive product, including gratuities.”

Full breakdown by cruise line here

Views on gratuities
“Gratuity fees should be phased out, not increased. They are an archaic way of paying salaries, they should be included in the fare.”
David Speakman, chairman, Travel Counsellors

“I wish all cruise companies would include them [gratuities], then everyone would pay the same. It would stop a lot of people asking for them to be taken off once on board.”
Travel agent, name withheld

“As customers, we would never take off service and hotel charges but, in a way, I hope many do. You never know, we might yet see the dawn of non-deductible service or all-inclusive charges on cruises. If all passengers paid their gratuities on a two-week cruise, that would be $578,000 on Eclipse – getting a little silly, don’t you think? The cruise lines are cutting back and increasing gratuities.”

Crew Member Dies in Life Boat Accident on the Coral Princess

A crew member on the Coral Princess was killed last Friday in a tragic accident involving a lifeboat while the cruise ship was in Colon, Panama.  The incident was first reported by Cruise Law News.

Two crew members were in a lifeboat doing maintenance work on the hull of the Coral Princess when a cable snapped dropping the boat into the water.  Both of the workers were sent to a local hospital for treatment but one of the men died from injuries.

Reports are stating that the cable snapped as the lifeboat was being raised back onboard the ship.

The crew member that passed away was Husnan Fauzan, a 10 year veteran who served as a SCP1 for Princess Cruises.  The other worker was Bosun Steven Bagshaw who is currently still in the hospital in stable condition.

Cruise Fever reached out to Princess Cruises and received the following statement:

“On October 24 two of our crew members were in one of the ship’s rescue boats doing some maintenance work on the hull of the Coral Princess.  When the boat was being raised back onboard the ship, one of the cables that raises and lowers the boat parted, and the boat dropped back into the water with our two crew members inside.

We immediately responded and discovered that these crew members had, unfortunately, sustained injuries which necessitated their transfer to a shoreside hospital for evaluation and treatment.

It is with an extremely heavy heart that we confirm that one of our crew members subsequently passed away from his injuries. This has devastated everyone across the entire Princess Cruises organization.

We are, and will continue to support his family during this difficult period.”

Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of Husnan Fauzan and the crew of the Coral Princess as they deal with this tragedy.

The Coral Princess is a 2,000 passenger cruise ship that has been in service since 2003. The ship was on a 12 night cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida that was sailing to the Southern Caribbean and Central America at the time of the incident.

Cruise lines set up relief funds for Philippines

By Tom Stieghorst

Several cruise lines have organized relief efforts for victims of Typhoon Haiyan, which swept through the Philippines.

The Philippines is home to tens of thousands of cruise ship workers.

Costa Cruises said it has set up a $100,000 fund to support employees and families, and is planning a charitable donation as well.

A spokeswoman for CLIA said that Holland America Line has made donations to the Red Cross. Other cruise lines in the Carnival Corp. family also will be sending donations.

A Royal Caribbean spokesman said that company is working on a disaster relief plan, the details of which may be announced late Monday.

MSC, which also has Filipino workers on its vast fleet of container ships, is organizing relief efforts at its Geneva headquarters.

Norwegian Cruise Line has set up a relief fund and is collecting donations throughout the company and across the fleet. Guests onboard can contribute at the guest services desk, while past guests can mail a donation to corporate headquarters in Miami.

Norwegian said it has been in contact with its partners in Manila, who are actively reaching out to contact crew members and their families located around Manila and outlying provinces.

"Crew members onboard are being supported to help make contact with their families and we are making arrangements for those who need to return home to do so,” a Norwegian statement said.