LIVES OF THE LINERS: CRUISING & CRUISE SHIPS & COVID – SEP 16, 2021

From Bill Miller

Update:  September 2021

Wed Sep 8^th Virgin Voyages:  The Scarlet Lady has set sail from Portsmouth, England, after spending the summer in the UK. According to a press release, the 2,800-passenger Virgin Voyages ship is now heading across the Atlantic to New York. Portsmouth International Port said that over 8,000 passengers enjoyed the Summer Soiree Series, which saw Virgin Voyages launch its world’s first commercial sailing from Portsmouth.

Carnival announced today that it has an agreement with the city of New Orleans and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide the Carnival Glory for first responders housing through Sep 18th.  The same ship is seen below on the right and berthed at New York.

Saga Cruises: A report from recent passengers: “At last we are back to cruising.  We did not quite believe it until we were on board and set sail.  It is lovely to be back on the Spirit of Discovery and she is as good as ever.  We are only 670 guests and 570 crew – the sort of ratio we like! The food is wonderful and the specialty restaurants are out of this world. Drinks are included, but we must stop having wine with lunch – just too decadent! 

We had to be tested before being allowed out of the car and to board. It was very well organised. We have to wear masks around the ship and in the theatre, but take them off when seated in a bar or at a restaurant table. They have installed very smart marble wash-basins in the restaurants and you have to wash your hands on entry. Everyone had to be tested again on Sunday before being allowed to dock in Gibraltar, but that was all fine. We did not get off. You can only get off to go on a ship’s tour. We have booked for 6 of the 8 ports we are going to as they are included and it will make a change. Probably nothing new!

It is really lovely to be sailing again after 21 months. The age on board is very high. I think it is just those trying to offload some of their cash and feel that at this stage in their life they might as well take a risk. We were talking to a 97-year-old in the queue to book for the fish restaurant, which is very popular. We have a few friends on board and have met some pleasant people. We enjoyed our lunchtime fish & chips in the open air at the back of the ship with Algeria just 20 miles away.”

Below:   Stephen Card’s splendid painting of sistership Spirit of Adventure

Thu Sep 9^th Queen Mary:  Closed for 18 months due to Covid and in declining condition, the 85-year-old Queen Mary has been described in local Long Beach, California press as being “shipwrecked!”  Another report headlined:  “A little-known real estate investment firm had big plans for the Queen Mary, but now they owe hundreds of millions to an array of creditors—and the fate of the city’s most famous asset is more uncertain than ever.”

Ritz-Carlton:  New luxury cruise line Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has delayed its foray into the industry again — for the fifth time — citing shipyard issues due to COVID-19.  “While we are eager to welcome guests onboard the Evrima, we have had to reevaluate the timing of our first voyage given the rapidly changing circumstances and their impact on the Evrima’s completion.” 

Disney:  Have you always wanted to sail on a Disney Cruise Line ship that wasn’t overrun with kids? Now’s your chance! The family-focused cruise operator last Friday announced plans to only allow passengers vaccinated for COVID-19 on an upcoming Disney Wonder sailing through the Panama Canal. That means that — assuming vaccination eligibility rules don’t change in the coming weeks  — no children under the age of 12 would be allowed on the voyage. Children under the age of 12 currently are not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.

European Ferries are showing increases in passenger traffic with relaxation of some Covid restrictions.

Holland America:  By late spring 2022, Holland America Line will have a complete fleet back to cruising with the restart of operations for the Noordam, Oosterdam and Westerdam. The Noordam will restart with a March 14^th 2022, cruise in Japan; Oosterdam will begin cruising May 1^st  in the Mediterranean, and Westerdam will return to service May 8^th  in Alaska.

Fri Sep 10^th Carnival Corp is rolling out a new initiative making pre-cruise COVID-19 testing more convenient and accessible for travelers on Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn. Testing will be available at more than 1,500 Quest Diagnostics patient service centers and retail pharmacy testing locations throughout the US. 

Currently, all passengers, regardless of vaccination status, must present a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than three days before their embarkation, along with additional health and safety requirements. Beginning Sept. 13, in accordance with US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention directives, all vaccinated travelers must present a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than two days before their embarkation. For example, if a cruise leaves on Saturday, the test should be scheduled the Thursday before embarking.

MSC Cruises:  The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cleared the MSC Divina for its conditional sailing certificate following the completion of a simulated voyage last week. This will make MSC Cruises’ 11th ship to resume cruising globally and the brand’s first to sail from Port Canaveral.

Crystal replaces 2022 world cruise with its 2022 “Grand Voyage, Caribbean Idylls & Mediterranean Masterpieces,” a 132-night odyssey on the Crystal Serenity from Miami to Los Angeles, Jan 17^th  to May 29^th.

Stockholm:  Unlike many other European ports, the port of Stockholm has stayed open throughout the pandemic.

Mon Sep 13^th  TUI Cruises, the big German cruise line,  has stated that it is suspending the Asian deployment of the Mein Schiff 5, which was due to start in Nov 2021, and taking the 2,500-passenger vessel out of service.  The 100,000-ton ship will initially take a break starting at the end of Oct. The reason as reported:  “We at TUI   cannot start the Asia season with Mein Schiff 5 in Nov as planned due to the ongoing corona-related travel restrictions in the region. The Mein Schiff 5 was previously scheduled for a season in Asia through May 2022. Sailings to/from Dubai, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Japan were part of the schedule.”

Virgin Cruises’ Scarlet Lady has arrived in New York on its first call and is berthed at the Cape Liberty cruise terminal in Bayonne, New Jersey (but later moved to Pier 88 in Manhattan and therefore the first cruise ship to berth there in some 18 months).

Wed Sep 15^th Return!  The cruising restart has seen a positive trend over the past few months. Fueled by various countries and markets reopening ports to cruise vessels, the industry saw an unprecedented number of vessels resuming revenue operations around the world over the summer. As the restart continues, 205 ships are expected to be in guest operations by the end of September. This number means that, for the second month in a row, nearly half of the entire global cruise fleet is in operation.  The combined fleets of the nearly 90 active cruise lines currently account for approximately 410 cruise ships. After significant growth over the previous months, 190 cruise ships were sailing with paying guests by Aug 31^st. With 15 additional ships entering service through the end of September, the active cruise fleet is growing nearly 8 percent this month.

AIDA Cruises has denied that it had plans to use its 2,030-passenger ship AIDAbella (below) as a ”quarantine ship” for Covid-infected patients.

Egypt:  Said to have been sold (just last year) to Egyptian buyers for use as a floating hotel in the Middle East (lastly, at Jeddah), the former Albatros (seen below) – operated by Germany’s Phoenix Reisen – now has gone instead to Indian scrap merchants.   Under the temporary name of Tros, the 28,500-ton ship has sailed off to the beaches of Alang (in late July) and to the wrecking crews.   The 48-year-old ship is the former Royal Viking Sea of Royal Viking Line.  Altogether, the 850-passenger ship had a varied life – in the mid ‘80s, she became the Royal Odyssey for Royal Cruise Line, then Norwegian Star for NCL and later for their shortlived Australian arm called Norwegian Capricorn Lines, then did a stint in lay-up as the renamed Crown, but then re-emerged on charter to Star Cruises (in the Far East) and then went over to the shortlived Spanish Cruise Lines as the Crown Mare Nostrum.  The Germans took her in 2004.  

Norwegian Cruise Lines: More and more, cruise lines are coming up with different, even unusual itineraries.   How about Christmas-New Year in southern Africa?  NCL’s Norwegian Jade (below) will sail on a 12-night itinerary from   Cape Town (South Africa) and then call at  Mossel Bay (South Africa), Port Elizabeth (South Africa), Richard’s Bay (South Africa), Durban (South Africa), Luderitz (Namibia) and Walvis Bay (Namibia).

Short Cruises!  Our good friend & grand cruise enthusiast Andy Hernandez wrote today:  “I’ve been on several short Bahamas cruises since the ships resumed service.  I did the MSC Meraviglia (below) recently and am going to sail on Freedom of the Seas in about 10 days. While it’s been sad to see these ships sailing almost empty, it’s sure nice to have the ship all to yourself!   The Meraviglia sailed with just 750 on board (capacity is about 5600).”

And from over in England, our dear friend Maureen Ryan wrote:  “I disembarked the Queen Elizabeth yesterda – it was great to be back on board and everyone on the ship was so helpful and kind — had a lovely cabin, flowers, etc.  Embarkation in Southampton was very smooth and fast, complete with Covid test.  Ship went to Glasgow, Liverpool and Belfast and shore excursions were popular.  The staff on board went out of their way to be helpful — lovely atmosphere.”

Thu Sep 16^th New York:  Our good & learned friend Brad Hatry reports:   “New York City plans to welcome cruise ships back to its Manhattan terminal starting in late September. The city’s Economic Development Corporation will allow the mega ships back to Big Apple berths for the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The agency expects about 50-60 cruise departures by the end of the city’s current fiscal year on June 30th 2022.”

Fri Sep 17^th  Greece:  Our good friend Nikki Sepsas is one of the best lecturers on all the seas & one of the most knowledgeable.   Recently, he’s been in the Eastern Med and sent this report:  “I thought you might enjoy a look at what’s going on in the Med as I am 2 weeks into a 7-week lecture assignment with Seabourn.

Their newest ship, the Seabourn Ovation (seen below), began operations in July doing 7 day r/t cruises out of Piraeus. What is so nice is that guests who want to do back to back cruises can do 14 days without repeating the same ports. Rhodes is the only port featured on both their itineraries in the Greek isles.  Greece requires all arriving passengers to present a vaccination certificate. A Personal Locator Form (PLF) also required showing where you are the first 24 hours in country.  Seabourn embarkation also requires all guests to show a vaccination card, and an antigen test is administered at embarkation. In addition, all crew are fully vaccinated and they wear masks while in pubic areas. Guests are not required to wear them, but can do so if they choose.

Guests are happy to be traveling again and the crew are ecstatic about being back at work! Their enthusiasm and excitement are infectious! All ports are open to passengers. Masks are urged when in indoor venues (tavernas, etc) and required in cruise terminals. In addition, all guests and crew on the Ovation are tested every 7 days. Disembarking guests are given a printed copy of their test to present to the airlines for their return flight to the U.S. and at Immigration at their arrival airport as it is required for entry.

Have also seen ships of Celebrity, MSC, Costa, Viking, and others operating here in the eastern Med, even though numbers are far below capacity.  Bottom line is that cruise ships with fully vaccinated guests and crew are among the safest places to be today, especially in light of the spike in new cases in the US!”

Royal Caribbean’s newest and largest cruise ship, the 230,000-ton 6,800-passenger Wonder of the Seas, which was due to begin sailings from Shanghai, China, in early 2022, will now sail Caribbean and Mediterranean itineraries. Royal Caribbean, which restarted sailings from Singapore in late 2020 with the Quantum of the Seas, still has a presence in Asia. Due to COVID-19, however, China is currently not allowing cruises, so the line will relocate the Wonder of the Seas — the newest and largest in the line’s much-loved Oasis Class — to Fort Lauderdale, where it will begin a series of spring Caribbean voyages on March 4, 2022. Port calls will include Cozumel; St. Maarten; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, among others.

Out of the old shoebox:   

Below:  The Cunard Princess departing & the Vasco da Gama at her New York berth seen in the summer of 1989.

Thank you to all our readers, correspondents, those “agents” in faraway places! 

A LITTLE POST CARD FROM THE CRYSTAL SYMPHONY #2

From Bill Miller 

Thu Sep 2^nd Bermuda:  A quiet, very restful day – lots of reading in a shady corner – then specially prepared Steak Tartar (by Roland, a longtime Austrian chef turned restaurant manager here on Crystal) for dinner, then a gala, high-spirited show (at 9 and themed to Broadway musicals) and finally the full band playing up on deck, under the stars & as we sail from Bermuda.  Then out into the dark abyss!

Below:   Bermuda is famous for its crystal clear, turquoise-blue waters … today, Michael found a small, rock-lined hideaway not too far from the ship itself for some quiet time, reading & swimming … 

Our friend Allan Davidson, a local Bermudian & former officer with the Furness-Bermuda Line, took this photo (above) of the Crystal Symphony by night   

Fri Sep 3^rd at sea:   Sound the trumpets, well softly – he doesn’t like personal celebrations.  Today is Michael’s birthday and, quietly, we go off to Prego, the ship’s Italian grill, for a celebratory supper.   A delicious 5 courses!

Crystal is noted for its lecture program – absolutely one of the very best on all the seas:   authors, astronomers, movie stars, economists, political analysts and even experts telling us how to live longer & live better.   Myself, in 100 trips on Crystal (since Aug 1990), I’ve sailed with & enjoyed listening to countless celebrity speakers:   Walter Cronkite & Barbara Walters, Debbie Reynolds & Jane Russell, Marvin Hamlish & Dionne Warwick, Anne Jeffreys & Marion Ross, Art Linkletter & Hugh Downs, Dr Ruth & Rex Reed.   This trip, we have two splendid speakers:   General Anthony Zinni (below), with a huge military & US Government history and holder of no less than three PhDs;   and Dr Alec Murphy, a well regarded geographer.   Both present their talks with that great added ingredient:   passion for their subject.   (PS:   Alec Murphy discover today that we actually sailed together some 40 years ago, on the Polish liner Stefan Batory (in Sep 1981), traveling from London to Montreal.)

Otherwise, smooth, glass-like seas as we head north to Boston.

Fluffy towels, a shaded chair, a smiling steward delivers a tall glass of iced tea … 

Michael likes Hendrik’s gin for a pre-dinner drink!

A fiery ending to a dreamy day at sea!

A LITTLE POST CARD FROM THE CRYSTAL SYMPHONY

From Bill Miller

All photos by Bill Miller: used with permission 

Tue Aug 31^st Bermuda:  Knives & forks!  The food onboard is nothing short of superb – and of course wickedly appealing.   Tonight after a dinner of Caesar Salad, Boston clam chowder and grilled, well seasoned prawns, three of the many dessert offerings (in Waterside, the ship’s main restaurant) included a Vanilla Tart with Chocolate Flavors, French Apple Tart a la Mode and something called Dream of Raspberry Trifle.   (PS:   Behind the scenes, that small army of Austrian chefs & bakers are always thoughtful – no portion is too big, too overwhelming. And the presentation is usually on very large plates or canyon-style bowls.    But then, with little more than a yum-yum and even a slight smile, the waiter will deliver a 2^nd helping!  Yes, it can all be downward in deep decay.)

Elegant, beyond thoughtful and almost royally poised at 6 ½ feet in height, Dragan (from Serbia) has been a most splendid server!   He has been with Crystal Cruises for 21 years.

Wed Sep 1^st Bermuda:  We have only 175 passengers aboard (950 is normally top capacity) – so with over 400 crew, the ratio is roughly 2-to-1.  A half-dozen waiters crowded round us at lunch and, at dinner, it was three servers & a wine stewardess.   A longtime Crystal regular later noted, “The entire ship is like a big yacht.   In your lectures, you used to say that on Crystal they all but chew the meat for you!   Well, now, they just about swallow it for you as well!   Can it get more pampered!”    And a lady on her very first Crystal voyage noted:   “This is spectacular!   I think I really am onboard one of the ‘floating palaces’ you talk about in your lectures.”

Now quite rare – a quartet of those red British phone boxes!

Hear ye, hear ye – Crystal’s back in town!

Berthed in the Dockyard, the former Royal Navy base here in still very British Bermuda, and then ashore for a café lunch with Stephen Card, a dear friend of some 40 years & of course the celebrated, very gifted, quite brilliant maritime artist.   His glorious paintings have been covers for many of my books.   But time has passed indeed – I still remember having dinner with Stephen here in Bermuda nearly 35 years ago, in June 1988,  on a cruise visit, but then on Royal Caribbean’s Nordic Prince.  Just two years ago, Stephen came aboard the Viking Sea for another happy dinner (but then docked in Hamilton).

Exotica!   Tonight, we dine in Umi Uma, the ship’s superb Asian grill.   Umi Uma (which means “seahorse” in Japanese and the symbol of Crystal Cruises) and which offers legendary Nobu’s fusion cuisine Japanese/Asian/Latin American.   Alone, there are 35 varieties of sushi.   But my choices are much more moderate:    Shrimp Tempura (with Nobu’s Dipping Sauce), then Soft Shell Crab Spring Rolls (with Nanban Salsa) followed by Filet of Wagyu Beef (with grilled onions & asparagus and coupled with 3 sauces accompanied by steamed Japanese vegetables & brown rice) and finished off with Vanilla & Coconut Tapioca Soup (really a cross between pudding & ice cream and served with green tea ice cream).  The setting alone is stunning, the food & service flawless.   (PS:   Remember that Crystal Cruises itself was Japanese owned until several years ago, but now comes under the umbrella of the Genting Hong Kong Group, the huge casino, hotel & travel operator.)

Often redecorated & restyled, Umi Uma began on the Company’s first ship, the Crystal Harmony (back in 1990), as Kyoto (and when guests were given ivory chopsticks) and then became Jade Garden and finally Silk Road.  It is quite divine & has always been a very “hot ticket” on Crystal ships.

Overnight in beautiful Bermuda … shoreside lights, the ship itself aglow, a few thousand stars overhead & so pleasant dreams!

LIVES OF THE LINERS: CRUISING & CRUISE SHIPS – AUGUST 26, 2021 

Above:  Cruising in Hawaii on the Independence (Jul 1980)

From Bill Miller

Update:  August 2021

Sun Aug 15^th Return!   Some 160 cruise ships were back in service by August – operating with new onboard protocols and reduced capacities and masked staff & crew.  Most voyages are reportedly full.

Mon Aug 16^th Raising the anchor!  With more cruise vessels sailing again, premium cruise brands are quickly resuming operations around the world.

MSC Cruises marked a full year of resumed cruising today.

Tue Aug 17^th Norwegian Cruise Lines has resumed cruising from Miami & from their brand new, state-of-the-art terminal.

Carnival China:   In a huge shipyard near Shanghai, work is progressing on the first of Carnival China’s new mega-cruise liners.  The unnamed ship will be approximately 100,000 tons, carrying 2,500-plus passengers and is due late next year.

UK Cruising:   David Hutchings reports: The first was on Saturday, August 7th, and the second on Saturday, August 14th, after the UK welcomed the return of the cruise industry.  ABP would like to thank all teams who helped make these weekends such a success and who continue to support operations as we gear up to for the return to international cruise over the coming months. 

• Eight cruise liners head to Southampton port in one weekend 

The ships in port on August 7 and their terminals were as follows: Anthem of the Seas at City Cruise Terminal; Marella Explorer at QEII Cruise Terminal; Regal Princess at Mayflower Cruise Terminal; and MSC Virtuosa at the new Horizon Cruise Terminal; with Iona returning from her maiden voyage at Ocean Cruise Terminal. 

• P&O Cruises Iona leaves Southampton on maiden voyage 

Marella Explorer, MSC Virtuosa, Iona and Regal Princess all returned to the Port of Southampton on Saturday, August 14, when they were joined by Celebrity Silhouette. 

Ultra ultra Luxury!  There are few experiences as singularly luxurious as eating caviar in bed. Or returning to your suite to find your butler has cleaned your sunglasses, untangled your charging chords and drawn a post-massage bath. There are far worse ways to spend a vacation.

On Silversea’s new Silver Moon, which was completed in October of 2020, but sat unused until this June due to the coronavirus pandemic, travelers can expect this type of timeless luxury. At the French restaurant La Dame, for example, Dover sole is filleted tableside. All guests have access to a butler, and there are live orchids in the suites and fresh flowers at every turn.

Wed Aug 18^th Carnival Cruise Line is temporarily moving to an every-other-day bacon schedule at its Lido Buffet fleetwide.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ new flagship, the Bolette, set sail from Dover, England on Aug 16th. According to a press release, the Bolette is offering a three-day sailing of the Isles of Scilly’s 140 islets, where guests will be able to explore rock formations, long, sandy beaches, and the coastlines of the Channel Islands.  The Bolette is the former Amsterdam of Holland-America.

Fri Aug 20^th Royal Caribbean:  There’s a milestone moment coming this weekend in the cruise world — one that has been mostly overlooked amidst the flurry of cruising restarts in recent weeks: New York City finally will become home to one of the world’s largest cruise ships.  Royal Caribbean‘s famously giant Oasis of the Seas — the groundbreaking vessel that ushered in the current era of 5,000-plus-passenger megaships — will begin, on Sun Aug. 22nd,  sailings out of the New York City area’s Cape Liberty Cruise Port. Measuring 226,838 tons, the soaring Oasis of the Seas will be by far the largest cruise vessel ever to sail out of the region.  (Photo below from Captain Justin Zizes)

Commissioned in 2009, the Oasis of the Seas is an icon in the world of megaships. At the time of its debut, it was nearly 50% bigger than the next biggest cruise ship, and it was chock full of then-unprecedented features (three separate deck-top pool zones; a boardwalk-like amusement area that mimicked the Jersey Shore; and a tree-lined “Central Park” to name a few — all part of seven distinct “neighborhoods”).

Even today, the Oasis of the Seas remains one of the world’s three biggest and most-amenity-filled passenger vessels. It’s only surpassed in size by two sister ships that have rolled out since 2016, and only by a tad. It can hold up to 6,699 passengers with every berth filled.

PS:   Just in case you wanted to know, the ship’s funnels had to be clipped by a few week so as to squeeze under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.  The Queen Mary 2 just makes it with 14 feet clearance.

Pricing!   There are some amazing deals out there – like $54 per person per day on a Royal Caribbean trip and $42 per person   on MSC Cruises.

Sat Aug 21^st Regent Seven Seas Cruises has achieved the largest booking day in the company’s 29-year history with the launch of its 2023-2024 Voyage Collection when sales opened at 8:30am on Aug. 18th.  Reservations surpassed Regent’s previous largest booking day – which was set on Oct. 21st 2020, with the launch of its 2022-2023 Voyage Collection – by 15 percent.

Regent said that travel trends identified from the booking day include a desire for “longer, more exclusive experiences in bucket-list destinations, as illustrated by a significant rise in bookings of the $11,000-a-night Regent Suite and more unfamiliar and exotic regions being reserved.”

Sun Aug 22^nd Royal Caribbean International’s new Wonder of the Seas has departed on sea trials from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard at St Nazaire, France and where she is under construction. The 230,000-ton Oasis-class ship will now spend a few days at sea, testing systems and performance with teams from the shipyard, vendors, class society and other stakeholders aboard. Originally set to debut this year, the Wonder will now enter the cruise market in 2022 and become the biggest cruise ship in the world, and the fifth Oasis-class ship in service after the Oasis, Allure, Harmony & Symphony of the Seas.   The new ship can carry up to 6,800 passengers, has a crew of 2,400 and measures 1,188 feet in length.  

Docking the Oriana at Reykjavik in Aug 201

Carnival Cruise Line returned to the West Coast on Saturday, as the Carnival Panorama resumed service in California. Based in Long Beach, the 2019-built vessel departed on a seven-night cruise to the Mexican Riviera. The sailing marks the return of the brand to the region after a 17-month operational pause.

Tampa, Florida:   Our good friend Tom Cassidy reports: “Earlier this week the Port of Tampa Authority announced that cruising will begin again. RCI will resume sailing from the port in Oct with the Serenade of the Seas. Celebrity and Carnival will follow in Nov and NCL in Dec.  

Mon Aug 23^rd Re-start:  As half of the world’s cruise fleet returns to revenue sailings in August, 58 cruise lines are currently in service globally.

Fred. Olsen has announced that it has become the first cruise line to complete an international voyage since the resumption of cruising, as their Borealis returned to the UK from Iceland this morning.   The 68,000-ton Borealis set sail for the rugged landscapes of Iceland on Aug 14th with some 800 guests onboard. It was the first international voyage to set sail from British waters since all UK cruise operators paused their operations in March 2020.   The cruise called into Reykjavík, Ísafjörður, Eyjafjörður and Seyðisfjörður, and guests were able to leave the ship and explore ashore in organised shore excursions.   The Borealis is the former Rotterdam of 1998.

AIDA has sold their Aidacara to Russian buyers, who reportedly will operate the ship as Astoria Grande.  The 38,500-ton ship dates from 1996.

Norway  is marking the official opening of the Hurtigruten Museum. The opening ceremony takes place on Aug 28^th.  The Museum highlights the famed Norwegian Coastal Express of passenger ships and includes the preserved coastal vessel Finnmarken.

Out of the old shoebox:   

Below:  A Sat afternoon in Sep 1973 at New York – the Sea Venture outbound for Bermuda

Thank you to all our readers, correspondents, those “agents” in faraway places! 

CRUISING, CRUISE SHIPS & THE CORONA VIRUS – AUGUST 15, 2021

WEEKLY NEWS & UPDATES

from Bill Miller

August  2021

Mon Aug 9th  Baltic Cruising:  In case you’re thinking of a Baltic cruise in future, Finland has been voted as the “happiest” country on the planet.  And in the top five, there’s also Iceland, Denmark & the Netherlands. 

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has announced today that a Florida judge ruled in its favor granting a preliminary injunction which paves the way for the company’s three brands to require documentation confirming a guest’s vaccination status prior to boarding for cruises departing from Florida.

China Merchants Viking Cruises won’t be cruising in August and has delayed its start up until further notice.    The company had previously gotten the green light to sail a series of 8-day cruises from Shenzhen to Hainan Province with the former Viking Sun, now the Zhao Shang Yi Dun and sailing under the Chinese flag. The company cited the evolving pandemic situation in China as the reason for the delay and said it was “the right decision to postpone all voyages.” Another locally-flagged operator, Astro Ocean Cruises with their Piano Land (ex-Oriana) , was expected to start up in August as well. That program is also said to be delayed.  

American Queen Steamboat Company announced that the American Queen welcomes her first revenue guests in 18 months today, becoming the fourth vessel to return to service for the U.S. flagged cruise line.  

Tue Aug 10th Norwegian Cruise Line and luxury sister brands Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises will be allowed to require passengers to show proof of vaccination in order to sail, following a preliminary injunction granted by a judge on Sunday. Since cruise lines announced they’d be resuming sailings from the U.S., Norwegian Cruise Line has been the only brand to commit to a 100% vaccination rate for both crew and passengers. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made that more difficult to achieve when he issued an executive order in early May that prohibits Florida businesses from requiring customers to show proof of vaccination in order to enter the premises.  

Cunard:  The final touches are being made to the 92,000-ton Queen Elizabeth as the  cruise line prepares to return to sailing on Friday, August 13th after a 17 month break.

MSC Cruises:  Maiden voyage!  Passengers boarded at Barcelona, Marseille and Genoa on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively, as part of the ship’s inaugural seven-night western Mediterranean itinerary. The 1,112-ft long MSC Seashore (below) will next call Messina in Sicily and Valletta in Malta, then head back to Barcelona, Marseille and Genoa. Following her summer season in the western Mediterranean, the 5,900-passenger MSC Seashore will complete an 18-night trans-Atlantic crossing to PortMiami for seven-night Caribbean cruises this winter.

Viking Ocean: Viking’s entire ocean fleet is expected to be in service by August as the Viking Jupiter, Viking Star and others are added to the active lineup.  Since restarting service in May, Viking has been offering cruises in the United Kingdom, Iceland, Bermuda and the Mediterranean.   Below:   Three of Viking’s 940-passenger ships laid-up at Belfast.

Cash Burn!  Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings are still burning through cash as some ships emerge from lay up back into operations.  Cash burn numbers may be up in the third quarter with added costs to reactivate ships, needed maintenance, potential drydocks, procurement, getting crew back and more. Only one out of the three big cruise companies provided estimates on third quarter cash burn, indicating it would be up close to 45 percent.    Below:   Carnival’s P&O Cruises division.  

Wed Aug 11th Disappointment!  A young Italian couple planned a special honeymoon – taking a Mediterranean cruise, but especially standing on their shipboard terrace & watching the iconic sights of  beautiful Venice.   But cruise ships have been banned from the historic port and instead their MSC cruise ship berthed several miles away,  at nearby Monfalcone.  So, instead their honeymoon view was a shipyard, containers & a power plant.  

Thu Aug 12th Malta:  With at least three cruise ships now running cruises from Valletta, special charter flights are being offered from Newark NJ.  Maltese nostalgia:   The cruise ship Island Breeze (the former Transvaal Castle/S A Vaal/Festivale) is shown below.

Thu Aug 12th Celebrity:  Friends from Florida wrote today:  “Just returned from our Cruise on Celebrity Summit.  In and out of St. Maarten with stops in Barbados and Grenada. Next stops were Curaçao, and then Aruba.  Great weeklong getaway.  All passengers had to be vaccinated and proof of negative COVID tests coming and upon disembarking from the ship.  Only 300 passengers on board. They redid the ship and it’s a really nice upgrade.  We were in the Retreat section and in a suite.”

Somnio:   A ultra-luxurious residential yacht!  Tillberg Design of Sweden  has been appointed lead architect for master planning and interior concepts for Somnio, which features 39 onboard apartments with amenities.   The name Somnio derives from Latin, meaning “to dream”..

Shipyards are facing an almost overwhelming demand for slots as many cruise ships need refits & refurbishing before returning to service in the months ahead.

Norwegian Cruise Lines:  The innovative Norwegian Prima was recently floated out at a Fincantieri shipyard in Italy.   

The 142,500-ton Norwegian Prima is a very interesting looking  mega-ship.  She is the first of 6 Leonardo Class liners for NCL – and with options for 2 more.   The 965-ft long ship can carry 3,215 passengers and is designed for both North American & European cruising.

Sat Aug 14th Carnival:  Twenty-six crew members and one passenger have tested positive for Covid 19 aboard a Carnival cruise ship that departed this week from Galveston, Texas. The Carnival Vista  was carrying 2,895 passengers and 1,441 crew members, the Belize Tourism Board announced on Wednesday ahead of the cruiseship’s arrival.  All of the 27 people who contracted Covid 19 were vaccinated but had breakthrough cases that were either “​​asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms.  

Below:  From my old shoe box – Carnival Cruise Lines’ first ship, the Mardi Gras, in 1972;   she was the former Empress of Canada

Finest thanks to friends, readers, reporters & those faraway “maritime secret agents”