Issue #
166
|
Volume
9
September 18, 2020
In this Issue
Here are some of the news articles we are following:
- All ashore -- but only on the cruise lines' terms
- New Technology Driving Royal Caribbean's Return to Service
- Cruise Industry News Launches Return to Service Publication
- Cruise Ship Fleet Headed to Auction Block
- What are people telling the CDC about cruise? We took a look.
- Cruise Ship Job Scams Are on The Rise
- CLIA acknowledges the Government's decision to extend Australia's cruise pause
- 7 Months After the Global Shutdown Mauritian Crew Are Still Stranded on MSC ships
- Fact Check: Are Cruise Ships Safe?
- Silversea Cruises ship in Saudi Arabia sails back after suspected Coronavirus case
- Cruise Travel and COVID-19: Perception vs Reality
- Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines reveals sailings for Bolette
- Cruise CEOs Call for Return to Service in United States
- Got a few million to spare? You now can own your very own Carnival cruise ship
- New Holland America president finds plenty of reason for optimism
- Seatrade Cruise Virtual – 5-8 Oct 2020
Cover Image by:
All ashore -- but only on the cruise lines' terms
"Large-ship cruising will be slowly restarting in Europe this month and next, and at least one emerging protocol will result in a profoundly different sailing experience: Passengers can only leave ships at port on official cruise line shore excursions. MSC Cruises resumed cruising earlier this month on the MSC Grandiosa, operating at 70% capacity and with Europeans only, while Costa Cruises plans to launch the Costa Deliziosa on Sept. 6 from Trieste, Italy, allowing only Italians to sail. The Costa Diadema is set to follow on Sept. 19."
New Technology Driving Royal Caribbean's Return to Service
"Royal Caribbean Group, citing its mantra of continuous improvement, has unveiled new technologies on its mobile app to help its return to safe operations. Earlier this year, the company released a reimagined safety drill. The new approach, Muster 2.0, encourages higher levels of safety and health by reframing a process originally designed for large groups into a faster, more personal approach. At the core of Muster 2.0 is the cruise company’s digitally advanced, guest-empowering mobile app, first introduced in 2017 and now available on many Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara ships, according to a press release. A number of features and capabilities currently within the app – released in different combinations across the cruise company’s 63-ship fleet. Mobile app functionalities include…"
Cruise Industry News Launches Return to Service Publication
"Return to Service by Cruise Industry News is now available as a complimentary download as the industry begins to mount its comeback to guest operations. The 84-page special edition magazine has been printed and shipped and highlights the return to service, with in-depth reporting profiling cruise line strategies at Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Windstar and others. The latest technologies are on also display in Return to Service as key cruise industry vendors and technology partners show off their latest products and innovations to ensure a healthy and smart operating environment."
Cruise Ship Fleet Headed to Auction Block
"Five ships from Cruise & Maritime Voyages will be auctioned off via CW Kellock & Co in October as five separate lots. In accordance with various court orders following the insolvency of Cruise & Maritime Voyages, each vessel is to be sold by separate sealed tender, "as is where is" at the time of sale, on the Admiralty Marshal’s Conditions of Sale, with clean title and free of encumbrances."
What are people telling the CDC about cruise? We took a look.
"One month after the CDC put out a request for public input on the resumption of cruising, nearly 2,700 people have submitted opinions and suggestions to the online system. The CDC said the input may be used to inform guidance and measures related to the resumption of cruise travel. CLIA has been urging travel advisors to submit comments. Looking at a random sampling of the posts, many are from cruise fans eager to begin sailing again, and quite a few tell the CDC that it is unfairly targeting cruise lines."
Cruise Ship Job Scams Are on The Rise
"The unprecedented level of unemployment caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people to seek employment opportunities and search for a job. There have been reports in the past month of an increasing number of cruise ship recruitment scams seeking to take advantage of the people during the crisis. Fraudsters are known to create official-looking websites or profiles on social media in order to convince potential victims they are legit. Most often these job offers include application fees to be paid up front without a justification. The latest job fraud was revealed by the popular cruise website Portal Cruceros who reported that Genting Hong Kong Limited announced fraudulent job offers were made under its brand name Dream Cruises."
CLIA acknowledges the Government's decision to extend Australia's cruise pause
"Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) acknowledged the decision of Australia's Government to extend cruise suspension. Australia's minister for health Greg Hunt announced that the human biosecurity emergency period under the Biosecurity Act 2015 had been extended by 3 months. The emergency period, in place since March 18, will now run until at least December 17, 2020, and includes restrictions on the entry of cruise vessels to Australia as well as retail stores at international airports, overseas travel, and protections of the supply/sale of certain essential goods."
7 Months After the Global Shutdown Mauritian Crew Are Still Stranded on MSC ships
"It is hard to believe that after 7 months since the global shutdown of the cruise industry there are still crew members waiting to be sent back home. While majority of the crew were repatriated long time ago, about 103 of our fellow crew members from Mauritus are still stranded on 3 MSC cruise ships in Brazil. They have patiently waited for a positive news from their Government, MSC cruises and their recruiting Agency Oceangoers to return home and be with their loved ones.
“We are 25 Mauritian crew member onboard MSC Musica near the port of Santos Brazil and there 2 more ships for the MSC Poesia and MSC Seaview. Poesia 29 Mauritian crew Seaview 49 Mauritian crew Its been 7 months we are stuck on the ships” reports one of the stranded crew members."
Fact Check: Are Cruise Ships Safe?
"Ask an experienced cruiser if ships are safe, and you’re likely to get an eye roll, a heavy sigh, and maybe info on how many times they’ve sailed without once having encountered an accident, illness, or even a skipped port. However, it’s understandable why first-time cruise passengers would sincerely pose the question given how often reports of incidents on the high seas are reported by the mainstream media. The problem is that while those outlets are the first to report on the downside, they’re not as quick to tell the other side of the story. As it turns out, there’s a lot of stories to tell. Thanks to the crisis which shut the entire industry down, it’s not surprising that people have questions. While some of those will have to remain unanswered until newly-introduced (and still being developed) protocols are thoroughly tested, there are plenty of areas we can explore regarding the questions of safety aboard cruise ships. Long before the health crisis of 2020, cruise ships implemented health regimens and protocols that went far above what you’d find in just about any land-based facility."
Silversea Cruises ship in Saudi Arabia sails back after suspected Coronavirus case
"A top-luxury cruise ship in Saudi Arabia returned to port after a suspected Coronavirus (COVID-19) case was detected onboard. Silversea Cruises' superyacht Silver Spirit initially set sail last Thursday, September 3, from the port of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC, located along the Red Sea coast, around 100 km north of Jeddah) carrying guests on the Kingdom’s first recreational voyages. The management of MS Silver Spirit has confirmed the existence of a suspected COVID-19 case in a woman who had been isolated in the wings designated for those onboard who show signs of the virus. The vessel was scheduled to end her cruise Sunday morning, September 6, but returned to Port King Abdullah on Saturday, September 5, in order to ensure the safety of its passengers. Reports that all travellers will be isolated were not correct. There was no isolation and the case of Coronavirus hasn't been confirmed."
Cruise Travel and COVID-19: Perception vs Reality
"As we enter the third month of social isolation due to COVID-19, as a cruise journalist I’m trying to stay positive and optimistic about the future of an industry that employs millions of people around the globe. However, I am also deeply saddened by the adverse portrayal of cruising as a result of the pandemic. Countless articles and opinion pieces have condemned cruise travel as being unsafe and as the leading cause of spreading the disease. As Your Cruise Coach, my mission is to preach the merits of cruising to my readers, but it has become increasingly difficult to have a conversation with someone when their perceived image of cruising has been tarnished by the negative reporting. I have spent a lot of time organizing my thoughts and observations on the events and fallout of COVID-19. In this post, I hope to provide some thought-provoking insight and perspective into the perceived and actual reality of cruise travel."
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines reveals sailings for Bolette
"Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has revealed the inaugural cruise programme for its new ship Bolette, which will include a series of UK cruises. The ship’s maiden voyage will be a seven-night ‘Scotland and Northern Ireland’ cruise departing from Southampton, UK, on 5 March 2021. This will be followed by two further UK cruises before Bolette is redeployed to the Portuguese archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira in April. The programme will include itineraries previously scheduled for Boudicca (which will be retired from the fleet) alongside new sailings, largely operated from the port of Dover, UK. “Our new ships have been a long time in the planning, so it is great to be able to officially unveil our itineraries for Bolette today,” said Clare Ward, director of product and customer service. “We know that our guests can’t wait to get back cruising again, and to experience our new ships for themselves. Now they can really start planning their first holiday back with us, whether they are looking for a UK break, to escape to warmer climates or for something a little more adventurous.” "
Cruise CEOs Call for Return to Service in United States
"Cruise line CEOs aggressively called for a smart return to service during a meeting of the Miami-Dade County Tourism and the Ports Committee on Thursday morning. Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation said the company had been working non-stop with governments, health authorities, medical and scientific experts and stakeholders across the globe to develop science-based COVID-19 protocols. He pointed to Costa Cruises, the company’s Italian brand, which returned to service this week in Italy. Donald noted that the return to service would see the cruise industry manage risk without impact to communities.
“We want no one to experience a greater risk on a cruise ship than they would in shoreside activities,” he said, noting the company was committed to working closely with the CDC. However, he said the industry pause had generated a tsunami of negative effects on economic impact and employment. The urgency for the industry to come back and have the opportunity to operate is key, noted Miami Port Director and CEO Juan Kuryla, noting the industry was resilient."
Got a few million to spare? You now can own your very own Carnival cruise ship
"Call it the ultimate gift for the Carnival Cruise Line fan. One of the iconic vessels from Carnival’s early years, the former Holiday, is coming up for auction next month in the U.K. and, in theory, anyone can make a bid. London-based CW Kellock & Co, a ship auctioneer and broker, is handling the auction, which will be by sealed tender."
New Holland America president finds plenty of reason for optimism
"Like most people in the industry, Gus Antorcha, the newly appointed president of Holland America Line, is watching as cruises slowly resume service in Europe, including its sister brand, Costa Cruises, which launched its first ship since March over this past weekend. The progress makes him optimistic. "It shows it can be done," he said. "I think it's great and wonderful for the industry that there is a geography where we've started cruising." "
SeaTrade Cruise Virtual – 5-8 Oct 2020
"Join Us For The New Cruise Journey. Registration is now open for the inaugural Seatrade Cruise Virtual event. Grow your network and build key relationships as we unite the entire global cruise community."
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the articles above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this e-Newsletter
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the articles above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this e-Newsletter
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