Recognized as the founder of the modern-day cruise industry, Norwegian Knut Kloster (pictured above, left, with Captain Torbjorn Hauge on the Norway) has passed away at 91. He also built a reputation as a visionary, an idealist and humanitarian for whom corporate social responsibility was a key performance metric. (cruiseindustrynews.com)

Costa Diadema’s itinerary, which marks the return of Costa’s cruise holidays to Liguria and the Western Mediterranean, only includes calls at Italian ports and is reserved for guests resident in Italy. (more…)

On Wednesday afternoon, Florida Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio introduced a bill aimed to get cruise ships sailing again. The duo rolled out the Set Sail Safely Act, which would establish a Maritime Task Force, in coordination with a private-sector advisory committee to address health, safety, security, and logistical changes to allow cruise lines to resume sailing and ports to remain operational. (cruiseradio.net)

Japan’s new Tokyo International Cruise Terminal opened on 10 September 2020, welcoming Mitsui OSK Passenger Line’s Nippon Maru as its first visitor. To be managed by the Port of Tokyo, the terminal was originally scheduled to open on 14 July to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics, which were due to begin on 22 July. (cruiseandferry.net)

Many cruise lines have canceled or altered scheduled sailings in Asia and other parts of the world as coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) continues to spread. In January, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, following an emergency committee meeting in Geneva. (cruisecritic.com)

With ocean and river cruise lines temporarily suspending service around the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping track of the seemingly minute-by-minute changes to the cruise industry can be challenging. (cruisecritic.com)

Onboarding cruise passengers quickly and efficiently has always made sense. It is absolutely vital in the post-COVID-19 age. This spring, eCruise introduced an addition to its iPad-driven Mobile Check-In application. The easy-to-use system that cut embarkation times in half was given a health questionnaire option and no-touch thermometer reader. (cruiseindustrynews.com)