Archives for May 2021

While Nassau, Bahamas is known for its world-class resorts, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to relax by the water. You can visit some of the best beaches in Nassau free of charge — no fancy hotel suite required. Grab a taxi and head for one of these free public beaches in Nassau for a beach day to remember. 1. Cabbage Beach Cabbage Beach (Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative … [Read more...]

Today, the US Senate passed the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act from Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski to temporarily waive the federal requirement for cruise ships transiting to Alaska to stop in Canada. At the bill’s core, is a temporary waiver of the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA). The PVSA prohibits the transportation of passengers between two different U.S. ports on any vessel … [Read more...]

A possible solution to Canada's cruise ship ban is one step closer.The United States Senate unanimously passed a bill that allow foreign flagged cruise ships to sail to Alaska without having to stop in Canada.The Alaska Tourism Recovery Act (H.R. 1318) passed the Senate in a vote on Thursday, and will now to go to the U.S House of Representatives for a vote.The bill was introduced by Lisa … [Read more...]

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidance which is a major step toward normality. The agency says that fully vaccinated no longer have to wear a mask or follow social distancing in most cases. How can this impact cruises moving forward? And it could be another good sign for allowing a safe return by mid-July. Normality is Making a Comeback Another change … [Read more...]

Oceania Cruises has announced the first of a new series of onboard enhancements rolling out across the fleet as part of its OceaniaNEXT program. During its pause in sailing, the Oceania Cruises team has continued to invest in creative ways to evolve the onboard experience and provide enhancements to the line’s culinary offerings and service. The changes will debut aboard Regatta, … [Read more...]

A federal court judge will decide whether or not to issue a preliminary injunction lifting CDC restrictions on cruise ships sailing from Florida.  The state’s lawsuit over the CDC’s ‘Conditional Sailing Order’ (CSO) was presented to a judge in federal court in Tampa on May 12. State attorneys argued that the CSO exceeds the public health agency’s mandate and that its guidelines are … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean is closely monitoring the escalating political tensions in Israel, but thus far does not have any plans to change cruise itineraries scheduled for Odyssey of the Seas out of Haifa. Odyssey of the Seas is due to homeport in Haifa from June and sail week-long Mediterranean cruises visiting Cyprus and the Greek Isles, but those deployment plans were announced before a renewed spate … [Read more...]

While the Port of Baltimore might not be the biggest cruise port in the United States, it might just pack a punch for the cruise industry. This week Governor Hogan of the state of Maryland announced he would repeal all limits on indoor and outdoor venues as soon as the state hits 70% vaccinations and remove all remaining limits on indoor and outdoor dining on May 15. The state will also allow the … [Read more...]

A week after Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) said it might have to pull its ships from Florida if due to the state’s new law against vaccine mandates, Florida's Governor did not seem phased.Speaking at a press conference on Thursday in Ormond Beach, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) did not seem concerned with the potential for NCL to move its ships away from the state.NCL wants to … [Read more...]

The new MSC Virtuosa has arrived in Southampton in anticipation of her maiden voyage and kickstart the UK cruise industry. In one week from now, the new Meraviglia-Plus class cruise ship will depart, a huge moment for the industry and the start of a busy summer season of UK domestic sailings. MSC Virtuosa Prepares The giant new vessel arrived at the Port of Southampton in the UK on Wednesday … [Read more...]

MSC Cruises’ newest flagship, MSC Virtuosa, has arrived in Southampton, England. The vessel is preparing to welcome guests as the first cruise line to restart cruises in the United Kingdom. Virtuosa‘s maiden voyage around the British Isles will begin on May 20. Upon MSC Virtuosa‘s restart, MSC Cruises will offer guests a choice of three and four-night mini cruises starting May … [Read more...]

We have another positive sign the U.S. cruise industry is moving towards re-opening.Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R-MD) announced plans for many restrictions to be lifted from the global health crisis, and that includes re-opening its cruise terminal.As a result of widespread vaccination efforts and subsequent declines in key health metrics, Governor Hogan believes the time is right for … [Read more...]

Cruises from the UK will finally resume next week with MSC Cruises being the first cruise line to offer cruises from Southampton.MSC Cruises’ newest flagship, MSC Virtuosa, has arrived in Southampton and is preparing to welcome guests. The newest and most innovative cruise ship in MSC Cruises’ fleet, MSC Virtuosa will embark on her maiden voyage around the British Isles on May 20. Upon MSC … [Read more...]

CDC Updates Mask Guidance For Cruise Ships Even as the hearings began regarding the lawsuit between the state of Florida and the CDC, we got more evidence that the agency and cruise lines are slowly working out kinks in the plan that would allow sailings to resume from U.S. ports. On Wednesday, there were several new tweaks to the CDC guidance. Most notably, the CDC said that fully-vaccinated … [Read more...]

The Walt Disney Company stock closed for the day at $178.10 a share before reporting their earnings for the second quarter (Q2) of fiscal year 2021 which ended on April 3, 2021. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations for the quarter increased to $0.50 from $0.26 in the prior-year quarter. Excluding certain items, diluted EPS for the quarter increased 32% to $0.79 from $0.60 … [Read more...]

MSC VIRTUOSA ARRIVES IN SOUTHAMPTON, READY TO RESTART CRUISING IN THE UKMSC Cruises’ latest flagship, MSC Virtuosa, has arrived in Southampton, her homeport for the summer, ready to restart cruising in UK on May 20MSC Virtuosa will embark on her maiden voyage around the British IslesShe will become the third MSC Cruises ship back at sea, sailing 3- and 4-night mini cruises, before … [Read more...]

There’s great news this morning for cruisers who are fully vaccinated! In last weeks Technical Instructions for Simulated Voyages by Cruise Ship Operators under CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, the CDC outlined exactly what needs to happen for cruise lines to begin operating simulated voyages.Many in the cruise industry saw this set of guidelines as overly restrictive, … [Read more...]

OCEANIA CRUISES UNVEILS NEW OCEANIANEXT ENHANCEMENTS TO THE GUEST EXPERIENCEPhase One of the Transformation Sees the Line Reveal Thoughtfully Crafted New Dining Experiences and Reimagined Menus, To Elevate Its Dining and Service Levels On BoardMiami, May 13, 2021 – Oceania Cruises, the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, has announced the first in a series of … [Read more...]

A new cruise line will be sailing around the British Isles next year in what can reasonably be called a surprise move. Ambassador Cruise Line will be sailing with its one vessel on cruises on sale this June and sail in the Spring of 2022. The vessel they will be using is the MS Ambience, formerly Pacific Dawn which, more interestingly, is the ship also known as Satoshi. This ship was slated to be … [Read more...]

There’s a lot to love about Norwegian Cruise Line. From its signature Freestyle Approach to dining to the onboard activities and entertainment, there will never be a lack of fun and excitement during your cruise. Not to mention, the cruise line offers some of the best watering holes at sea. If you are looking to grab your favorite cruise drinks, then you will want to head straight for one of these … [Read more...]