Ambassador Cruise Line is set to be the UK’s first new cruise line in over a decade when it launches in 2022, operating the former Pacific Dawn, which was most recently intended to become the crypto cruise ship Satoshi. Ambassador Cruise Line is remarkably similar to Cruise & Maritime Voyages, the popular boutique British cruise line that was forced into bankruptcy last year by the COVID-19 … [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...]

Norwegian Prima will have more open deck space and the largest accommodations of any recent newbuild, while also offering a heady mix of new and signature Norwegian Cruise Line food and entertainment options. RELATED: How MSC Americanised Seaside-class for the US cruise market  RELATED: The 20 dining options, all included in fare, aboard Scarlet Lady Norwegian Cruise Line waited … [Read more...]

After creating an uproar in the North American cruise market over its near-impossible-to-enforce COVID-19 mitigation rules, the CDC has updated the Conditional Sailing Order again. When the CDC announced that it would require all passengers to wear masks and social distance at all times, even while eating, regardless of whether they had been fully vaccinated, it was not received well by the … [Read more...]

Norwegian Cruise Line have revealed additional details about Norwegian Prima’s dining, entertainment, accommodation options and more as sales open for her maiden cruise season in 2022. The Norwegian Prima details released by the cruise line reveal a game-changing design for Norwegian Cruise Line, offering guests more wide-open spaces and experiences, and more dining and entertainment … [Read more...]

Carnival Cruise Line has cancelled additional sailings into July, but has also announced a plan to bring at least three ships back into service by the same month. Carnival Cruise Line notified guests and travel partners this week that it is cancelling additional sailings until July 30th, 2021, so that it can focus on a possible July restart in the US. Carnival Breeze and the Carnival Vista will … [Read more...]

Azamara has confirmed that all guests will need to be vaccinated when it returns to service as part of its Explore Well at Sea set of safety protocols. Azamara plans to return to service in August and has rolled out a set of COVID-19 mitigation protocols, with mandatory vaccinations for guests as a key element. Azamara Quest in port in Abu Dhabi RELATED: Azamara confirms purchase of Pacific … [Read more...]

Saudi Arabia cruises and the opening up of the country to cruise tourism will remove two key challenges that have long held the Middle East cruise sector back, and create three opportunities for future growth. Fawaz Farooqui, Managing Director of Cruise Saudi, and Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises at the signing of a homeport deal in Jeddah RELATED: What Royal Caribbean’s … [Read more...]

Norwegian Cruise Line has named the first of its Project Leonardo ships Norwegian Prima, in a nod to her chic styling and the Italians shipyard at which she is being built. Norwegian Prima is the first of six near-identical ships being built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and will debut in 2022. The Project Leonardo ships will now be known as the Prima-class RELATED: Norwegian Cruise … [Read more...]

Seabourn has released details of its 65-day Grand Pacific Voyage in 2022, visiting 41 ports, 30 islands, and 12 countries aboard Seabourn Odyssey. Seabourn Odyssey will depart Vancouver, British Columbia on September 30, 2022, with the grand voyage ending in Sydney, Australia, on December 5th, 2022. Seabourn Odyssey RELATED: Holland America Line opens bookings for its 2021 Grand Africa … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean will begin hiring Indian crew by the end of the month, along with crew from other countries where COVID-19 case numbers are surging, according to Michael Bayley, President & CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises. Royal Caribbean Cruises, which owns Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, is the world’s second-largest cruise company after Carnival Corporation, and was one … [Read more...]

The CDC’s updates to the Conditional Sailing Order regarding the resumption of cruises from the US were initially welcomed by the cruise industry, but now the latest guidance issued by the agency has effectively taken all the fun out of the cruise experience. As a result of the CDC’s draconian new rules, which call for social distancing, mandatory mask wearing (whether you’ve had a vaccine or … [Read more...]

The new Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal, which received its first cruise ships earlier this month, is a leap forward in terms of Dubai’s cruise infrastructure and position as a leading winter cruise destination. AIDA Cruises was the first line to use the new cruise terminal in March RELATED: AIDA Cruises says Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal boosts city as a destination RELATED: AIDA Cruises … [Read more...]

Holland America Line’s newest cruise ship MS Rotterdam has completed her sea trials and returned to the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera (Venice) ahead of her scheduled delivery in July this year. Rotterdam left Marghera on April 25th and performed preliminary sea trials for two days before going into drydock at Fincantieri’s Trieste shipyard, where standard pre-delivery hull maintenance and … [Read more...]

Just a few days after it was reported Royal Caribbean have been forced to suspend the hiring of crew from India due to a surge in cases there, it’s become apparent that four more countries have been added to the list. According to Cruise Industry News, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina and Chile are also now considered no-go zones for hiring of crew, with all major cruise lines limiting or … [Read more...]

Carnival Cruise Line has announced that all ships in the fleet will get new hull art and livery to match that of its newest cruise ship Mardi Gras. Carnival Cruise Line’s new livery and hull art is a celebration of its imminent 50th anniversary, but also underscores its brand identity as America’s cruise line. The new hull art livery is characterized by a stately navy blue hull, along with … [Read more...]

Princess Cruises has announced a dining concept called Dine My Way as part of its OceanMedallion cruise technology. Dine My Way makes it easy for guests to pre-plan and tailor their dining experiences, and pairs with the OceanNow on demand service to offer dining flexibility and convenience through the company’s MedallionClass platform. Dine My Way is part of the OceanMedallion suite of … [Read more...]

The CDC continues to finesse the guidance for cruise lines in the Conditional Sailing Order, which is intended to provide a pathway to the resumption of cruises from US ports. The latest updates to regulations impact the onboard dining and port call experience, with the CDC indicating that ship buffets will not be allowed, and only passengers on an organized shore excursions will be allowed off … [Read more...]

Holland America Line is resuming cruises for the first time, with Eurodam due to homeport in Athens from August, 2021. Eurodam will be the first cruise ship Holland America Line has put back into service since March last year when the global cruise industry was forced to suspend operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Holland America Line will sail the Greek Isles this … [Read more...]

Germany’s AIDA Cruises, part of the Carnival Corporation of cruise lines, will resume cruise operations out of Kiel, Germany later this month. AIDA Cruises is resuming cruise operations with its ship AIDAsol, sailing roundtrip from Kiel on short itinerary, the details of which have not yet been released. AIDAsol will cruise roundtrip from Kiel on short cruises RELATED: Dubai-bound AIDAcosma … [Read more...]