Cruise
Celebrity Takes Virtual Delivery of Apex
In what may be the first virtual delivery of a cruise ship, Celebrity Cruises executives accepted official command of Celebrity Apex Friday (March 27), the second ship in the line’s highly acclaimed Edge Series, via video conference with officials from Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard. In keeping with tradition, Captain Dimitris Kafetzis ordered the exchange of the French and American flags, while each country’s national anthem played in the background. “Every delivery is unique just as every ship is unique. While the circumstances are quite unique right now, it’s...
COVID-19 Update: Transat, Hola Sun and More
Transat to Operate Special El Salvador, Guatemala Flights Air Transat has announced the deployment of two special flights over the next few days to return Canadians stranded in El Salvador and Guatemala back home. These flights, operated in collaboration with the Government of Canada, are in addition to those already planned by the airline. “To date, our repatriation flights have brought approximately 46,000 customers back home, and this number will continue to rise in the coming days,” says Jean-Marc Eustache, president and chief executive officer of Transat....
Poseidon Suspends March, April Cruises
Poseidon Expeditions has suspended cruise operations aboard its 114-passenger expedition vessel Sea Spirit for the balance of March and April. Postponed until 2021 are a sub-charter in the mid-Atlantic and a cruise along the coastline of Portugal, Spain and France. All sales and reservation offices are available to provide assistance to booked and prospective passengers and to answer questions about upcoming Spring and Summer 2020 cruises and future cruises. “We certainly understand the COVID-19 related concerns and questions from our travel partners and the travellers booked on...
Atlas Ocean Voyages Acquires Four Additional Ships
Atlas Ocean Voyages is adding four more ships to its fleet. The “Luxe-Adventure” cruise brand’s fleet will total five ships by the end of 2023, with the first ship, World Navigator, launching in mid-2021. World Navigator’s inaugural season is open for reservations. Travellers can choose from 10 itineraries, ranging from seven to 15 nights throughout the Holy Land and Eastern Mediterranean, Western Mediterranean, and the Black Sea. The fleet expansion will allow Atlas to offer more itineraries in more global regions to accommodate the growing demand for the brand’s...
AmaDahlia to Sail Egypt’s Nile in September 2021
AmaWaterways reports its 25th river cruise ship, the new AmaDahlia, is scheduled to set sail on Egypt’s legendary Nile River beginning September 2021. The 11-night cruise and land adventure includes a seven-night round trip river cruise from Luxor and is paired with three nights pre- and one night post-cruise stays in historic Cairo at the five-star Four Seasons, Cairo at The First Residence. This immersive Secrets of Egypt & Nile itinerary will provide travellers a unique opportunity to experience the ancient wonders of Egypt, while embraced in the luxurious, warm and...
Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Further Suspend Operations
Given the gravity of the public health crisis around the world, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Celebrity Cruises have further extended their global cruise operations. Royal Caribbean, which includes Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises and Silversea Cruises, has further extended operations for another month until May 12. The company won’t resume operations in Alaska and Canada/New England until July 1. “We are working with our guests to address this disruption to their vacations and we are genuinely sorry for their inconvenience,” the...
Costa Cruises Extends Suspension Until April 30
Due to the protracted emergency situation for the global pandemic of COVID-19 and the further introduction of containment measures — such as port closures and restrictions on the movement of people — which do not actually allow us to operate, Costa Cruises has decided to extend the voluntary suspension of its cruises until April 30, 2020. As previously communicated, the cruises currently underway are ending their current itinerary only to allow guests to disembark and return home. Costa Cruises North America is taking steps to inform North American travel agents and...
A Staggering Number
It is a staggering number. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) says that 1 million jobs are being lost every day in the travel and tourism sector due to the sweeping effect of the coronavirus pandemic. The growing job losses, the WTTC reports, are affecting every level of the industry and are gathering pace, as countries go into lockdown to tackle the virus. The industry association points to the widespread closure of hotels, suspension of the majority of international and domestic airline flights, cessation of cruise lines operations and growing global travel bans are...