Cruise
Explore The Mekong With Emerald Waterways
Emerald Waterways is offering savings on its 2021-2022 Mekong River cruise season through Cambodia and Vietnam aboard the line’s newest Star-Ship, Emerald Harmony. Along with being Emerald Waterways’ newest ship, it’s also the greenest, built to the highest level of European emission standards and featuring a commitment to a single-use plastic-free experience. Guests booking any 2021-2022 Mekong River cruise and tour itinerary of 13 days or longer will receive 50% off one cabin upgrade category (up to a Category S cabin) or CDN$400 per couple off the booking. Combined with...
European Waterways Upbeat About 2021
There is growing optimism in the travel community that the 2021 season will see a more positive “return to normal” in destinations around the world. Many travellers whose vacations were cancelled in 2020 have rescheduled for 2021, while new bookings continue at a steady pace. Travellers feel hopeful that health concerns will have diminished by next year as countries reopen their borders to international tourism. With its season beginning in late March, Derek Banks, managing director of European Waterways observed that: “Our guests are definitely more optimistic. Hotel...
Crystal Expands Crystal Confidence 2.0 Program
Crystal is expanding its Crystal Confidence 2.0 program extending its relaxed cancellation terms and final payment deadline to 60 days prior to first date of service for all new and existing bookings on voyages in March, April, May and June 2021. In addition, guests sailing on voyages departing March 26 through June 30, 2021 can now enjoy Crystal’s 2.5% early final payment savings up to 90 days prior to their first date of service. The new policies augment the recently announced extension of the no-money-down deposit window until Jan. 5, 2021 for new and existing bookings...
MSC Cruises Extends Pause
MSC Cruises will further extend the temporary pause of its US-based sailings through to and including Dec. 31, 2020. The decision affects the schedules of three ships based in Florida: MSC Seaside in Port Canaveral, and MSC Meraviglia and MSC Armonia both in PortMiami. Guests booked through MSC Cruises Canada on the impacted sailings will be offered a 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) of the original cruise fare where they have the opportunity to transfer the full amount paid for their cancelled cruise to a future cruise of their choice – on any ship and any itinerary –...
CLIA Responds To CDC’s New Order
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said that recognizes from the announcement by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that it will replace the previous No Sail Order with the “Framework for Conditional Sailing Order.” In a statement, CLIA said: “Guided by the recommendations of leading experts in health and science, including the Healthy Sail Panel (HSP), our members are 100% committed to helping to protect the health of our guests, our crew and the communities we serve, and are prepared to implement multiple layers of protocols informed by...
Canada Extends 14-Day Quarantine
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency preparedness, Bill Blair and Minister of Health, Patty Hajdu have announced that the federal government is extending the Mandatory Isolation Order and temporary travel restrictions for all non-US travellers -- unless their travel is for non-discretionary reasons – to Nov. 30, 2020. The federal government has also made some practical adjustments to provisions allowing limited Canada-U.S. cross-border travel, in a few specific circumstances. Effective Oct. 31, 2020, residents of Campobello Island, New Brunswick; Stewart, British Columbia;...
NCLH Extends Suspension of Sailings
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. -- which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands – will extend its previously announced suspension of global cruise voyages to include all voyages embarking between Dec. 1 through Dec. 31, 2020 for its three cruise brands. NCLH said it will continue to work in tandem with global government and public health authorities and its Healthy Sail Panel expert advisors to take all necessary measures to protect its guests, crew and the communities visited. The company said that guests who are currently...
To Sail Or Not To Sail
While Canada’s minister of transport, Marc Garneau has extended measures prohibiting cruise ships (carrying over 100 overnight passengers) from operating in Canadian waters until Feb. 28, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) appears ready to ease restrictions, announcing what it describes as a “framework for a phased resumption of cruise ship passenger operations.” Garneau announced that “given the ongoing situation with COVID-19,” the measures pertaining to cruise ships and pleasure craft until February 28, 2021. And that means that: Cruise ships with...