Cruise
2020: A Year When The Sun Forgot To Shine
Across the Caribbean, the impact of COVID-19 on the travel and tourism industry has been more than apparent; in fact that impact was particularly evident during the April to mid-June period when there was literally no activity in some Caribbean destinations -- empty hotels and restaurants; deserted attractions; shut borders; laid-off workers; grounded airlines; and crippled cruise lines. While the region saw some fluctuations in the levels of visitors for the remaining months of the 2020, the Caribbean Tourism Organization's newly released 2020 Performance Review makes it clear that...
Celestyal Resuming Sailings On May 29
Celestyal Cruises has announced that it will resume operations on May 29 from Piraeus, Athens with its seven-night Idyllic Aegean itinerary. The start of the season was earlier planned for the end of April. The new recommencement date is in accordance with the recently announced Greek Ministry of Tourism roadmap to opening Greece to tourism and cruising for the 2021 season. The seven-night Idyllic Aegean itinerary starts as low as $729, per person, and will call upon Kusadasi, Rhodes, Santorini, Lavrion (for Temple of Poseidon), Mykonos, Milos and Crete. The company will...
An Anniversary No One Wants To Celebrate
One year. I have been thinking about the passage of time. In those early days, it passed like a dripping tap … drip … drip … drip … we left our offices, closed our businesses, abandoned our daily routines and barricaded ourselves in our homes because we needed to stay away from each other. As we scurried to our safe place, we searched frantically for toilet paper, paper towels, antiseptic wipes, masks, gloves and other supplies that we bought in bulk, believing by doing so we'd be protected from something that couldn’t be seen, but we all knew was out there. At home,...
Start The Countdown
MSC Cruises has revealed new details of the MSC Seashore which comes into service in August 2021. Building on the design of the Seaside class of ship, aimed at bringing guests closer to the sea, MSC Seashore, the first Seaside EVO ship, has been extended and enhanced with a variety of brand-new features, spaces and experiences for guests. This class of ship is designed to be lived and enjoyed outside and MSC Seashore takes this to a whole new level. Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises said that: “With each new ship we build, MSC Cruises continues to innovate and...
Cruising On Pause
Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Silversea, Azamara, Seabourn and Princess have all indicated that they are extending the pause of cruise operations further. Seattle-based Holland America Line advised that it’s extending its pause of European cruise operations to include departures through June 30, 2021as it continues to work with government and port authorities to develop its plans to return to cruising. Holland America indicated that the pause will impact cruises departing in May and June on Nieuw Statendam, Volendam and Westerdam, along with the Collectors’...
One Global Brand For Emerald Cruises
Emerald Waterways and Emerald Yacht Cruises are merging under a single global brand -- Emerald Cruises. The Emerald Cruises brand will feature river and yacht cruising via its new website, www.emeraldcruises.ca. Cruise seekers can now visit a singular site to research and shop based on their preferences for destination or cruise type, compare vessels, check availability and book their river or yacht cruise online. David Winterton, global director of brand & marketing for Emerald Cruises, said: “We are excited to announce the move to our new single brand, Emerald Cruises,...
Avalon Waterways Sets A Course To Protect the Planet
As Avalon Waterways sees it the natural surroundings of the world’s rivers are a benefit of river cruising and, it is up to Avalon Waterways – and other river cruise companies – to preserve this precious environment. This message of commitment is one Avalon holds dear and is sharing in time for the “International Day of Action for Rivers” – a day (March 14, 2021) when diverse communities from across the globe come together to say that “our rivers matter.” Pam Hoffee, managing director of Avalon Waterways, observed: “In the last decade, we have made great strides in...
Big Adventure For Allure Of The Seas
Royal Caribbean International is bringing the heat to its 2022-2023 winter deployment with weeklong Caribbean itineraries that will inspire guests to adventure again. The cruise line will set a bold tone for the season, breaking its own Texas-sized record with one of the world’s largest ships homeporting in Galveston for the first time ever, starting in November 2022. The adventure-filled Allure of the Seas will spend the season sailing 7-night Western Caribbean itineraries from Royal Caribbean’s new state-of-the-art cruise terminal, which will begin construction in April...