Category: The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

This week we look at more positive developments. From London comes news that CLIA is proposing to the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office that it loosen its ban for passengers sailing on members’ cruise ships from the UK. Elsewhere, the Sky Princess is to expand her UK season this autumn. And Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas is moving to a new base in India. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

This week we look at more positive developments. From New Zealand comes news that Ponant will be operating one of its ships exclusively in New Zealand waters and for New Zealand locals this year. This follows earlier market openings in Germany, Norway, Italy and Singapore, among others. In US waters meanwhile American Queen and Victory Cruise Lines have announced 2022 itineraries and recent indications are that two dozen cruise ships will hopefully be “checking in” at Los Angeles this winter for the 2021 Alaska an coastal trades. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Recent industry reports suggest cruise bookings are on the rise, with strong sales for 2022 and 2023. Travellers are rebooking cruises that were disrupted due to the pandemic and booking those bucket-list cruises. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

This week we look at one positive development and two delays. From China, the country that gave us the present Coved Pandemic comes a new join venture from China Merchants and Viking Cruises. Elsewhere, strict requirements from the US Centres for Disease Controls see further return to service delays by US-based cruise lines and the closure of many European ports because of European Coved lock-downs is causing the cancellation of remaining 2020 cruises, with returns planned in 2021. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

This week we look at when the cruise lines are preparing to return to service. As well we report on a possible two-ship revival for Pullmantur Cruises and revenue losses to date in 2020 that have been brought about by Covid-19. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

More news this week stemming from cruise lines trying to restart while a vaccines are developed for Covid-19. Royal Caribbean have recruited 100,000 free passengers while Carnival’s top three US lines Carnival, Princess and Holland America, have again been delayed in starting up. Elsewhere, Key West has voted to limit the numbers of cruise ship passengers arriving at that port. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Whilst the Covid-19 has seen the disappearance of CMV Cruises in the UK, whose ships have just been auctioned off to new owners, and Spain’s Pullmantur Cruises, whose ships have been sold for for scrap, even industry leader Carnival Corp has seen fit to dispose of 18 of its ships, equal to about 12% of its berth capacity. Ill as it’s effects have been, however, the Covid Pandemic also seems to be creating some potentially new cruise activities. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

SeaDream has now announced plans for forty cruises in 2020-21, the majority from Barbados to some of the smaller ports in the Caribbean. Other new services are being effected by Bahamas Paradise Cruses Lines, Royal Caribbean International, Dream Cruises and AIDA Cruises. While new Med start-up services have been generally successful so far, there have been a couple of hiccups, with small numbers testing positive on some ships. Generally, these have been controlled, but there are spikes occurring throughout Europe at the moment, including in France. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Last week, Cunard Line announced that the Queen Elizabeth would sail from the Med to Australia at the end her 2021 Mediterranean season. Elsewhere, the US Vice President lead a joint conference call with the US Cruise Industry. Finally, the Costa Diadema was cleared of having had any cases of Covid-19 on board when it was determined that among her tests were a number of false positive results. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Last week, the US Federal Marine Commission made its voice known in the world of cruising by backing a return to the seas by the mammoth worldwide fleet of cruise ships that has been laid up, but particularly those that traded from the previously busy ports of Florida. Elsewhere, we looks at Alaska Dream Cruises’ Inside Passage cruise between Sitka and Ketchikan in 2021, and Noble Caledonia’s 2022 plans for the Hebridean Sky. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

We have an assortment of cruise news this week. Will Carnival be back in the ex-US cruise market soon? Two more ships to leave Princess Cruises. And cruise pioneer Knut Kloster passes. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

We have an assortment of cruise news this week. Marella Cruises, the UK affiliate of TUI Cruises, adds new itineraries in Canada, Cuba and Asia. Holland America Line will have five ships in Europe next summer, and Crystal announces special booking incentives. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Last week saw the introduction, by SeaDream, of its planned new 2020-21 Caribbean season from Barbados. Also, the Croatian-built former Flying Clipper has found a new home in Tradewind Voyages. And CMV’s former ceo is involved in an effort to revive the now-defunct cruise line. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Last week saw the initial large ship cruise departure from Genoa, by MSC Cruises’ MSC Grandiosa, and recently announced plans could see ten large cruise ships operating in Europe by the end of September. Only one hiccup so far, when a family strayed (intentionally it seems) from their tour group and had to be prevented from boarding when they returned to the ship in Naples. Meanwhile, Genting Cruise, parent company of Crystal Cruises, has ben reported short of cash because of the effects of Covid-19. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Last week saw NCL sending most of its cruise fleet from North America to Europe, possibly with the idea that cruising may get an earlierstart in Europe than in North America, where the Centres for Disease Control have put a stop on all cruise activity. Elsewhere, after a number of trials by smaller ships, about ten larger ships are now being brought back into service on trial cruises in the Covid-19 era. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Last week saw the mainly unsuccessful culmination of a number of tries to re-start cruising in the midst of the Covid pandemic. The main big ship success so far has been four 3-night mini-cruises from Hamburg by TUI Cruises’ 1,200-berth (pre-Covid 2,900) Mein Schiff 2. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

This week sees the culmination of a number of efforts to re-start cruising despite the continued presence of the Covid pandemic. The success of the week was a 3-night mini-cruise from Hamburg to the North Sea by TUI Cruises’ 1,200-berth (pre-Covid 2,900) Mein Schiff 2. In North America, hopes are on UnCruise Adventures’ 38-berth (pre-Covid 60) Wilderness Adventurer on an Alaska cruise from Juneau to Glacier Bay. But the loser this week is Hurtigruten’s 350-berth (pre-Covid 530) Roald Amundsen, which had to give up her present summer itineraries because of the appearance of cases of Covid-19 in 36 of her crew, plus five passengers. Several other expedition cruises have also been cancelled on the Fridtjof Nansen and Spitsbergen. (more…)