Category: The Cruise Examiner

by Kevin Griffin

Three stories this week, two involving expedition ships and one involving the ship left over after the Alaska season – after a series of cruise ship withdrawals from the Australian cruise market. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Three stories this week, two involving reductions on smaller ships – 10% off on Aranui 5 to the South Pacific and 20% off on Albatros Expeditions to Antarctica. And Cunard plans two special late season Transatlantic crossings by the Queen Mary 2 from from Southampton to New York and back either side of Christmas. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Three related stories this week. Australia has finally announced the softening of some of its travel bans, Cunard plans a special sailing from Southampton to Singapore by the Queen Elizabeth, and Singapore considers loosening some of its own travel bans. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Argentina is finally reopening its borders and Albatros Expeditions has announced a new Antarctica programme for the Ocean Victory meanwhile Europe to Iceland cargo-passsenger route returns on the 22,200-ton Jonni Ritscher. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

On Thursday, May 20, MSC Cruises departs Southampton on the UK’s first so-called “staycation” cruise, restricting her calls to UK ports only, meanwhile new UK operator Ambassador Cruise Line has announced that it will acquire the 1,400-berth Ambience, and The Cruise People will be using in its office, London shopfront, blog and customer email campaigns. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Norwegian Cruise Line’s next delivery, the first of a new class of six ships, is to be named Norwegian Prima when she enters service in August 2022. Meanwhile, Carnival has put a hold on bookings to most of its fleet while it works out its re-start plans. And Costa Cruises has returned to service in the Med. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

After many normally Us-based cruise ships moved their bases from US ports to Barbados, St Maarten, Nassau and Bermuda, the US Centers for Disease Control have allowed cruise ships to return to US ports starting in |July. Elsewhere, Hurtigruten is back with revised schedules and new dates for the Maud, sailing from Dover, and Princess Cruises is boosting its Medallion as a heathy anti-Covid device due to its contactless feature and elimination of queues. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

This month Cunard Line announced three centenary voyages that will celebrate Cunard’s first World Cruise by the Laconia in 1922-23. Cruise re-starts also continue, with three ships to be brought back into service by Norwegian Cruise Line and two additional UK cruises announced by Viking Cruises. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

The return of cruising gained even more momentum last week, with Viking Cruises announcing its Viking Orion for Bermuda and Virgin Voyages its Scarlet Lady for Portsmouth. Finally, while Prince Philip was more a battleship and destroyer man, we revisit one of his merchant ship visits, eighty years ago. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

The return of cruising gained much momentum last week, with four major cruise lines – Celebrity, Saga, MSC and Royal Caribbean – all announcing new domestic cruise plans for the UK this summer. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

A brief look this week at Oceania’s seventh ship, the Vista. And as with last week, the return of cruising is gaining momentum with Royal Caribbean Group adding two more ships in the Mediterranean, while further operators examine joining the UK coastal trades to English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh and Manx waters. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

The return of cruising is beginning to gain momentum in both the UK and North America by way of Caribbean ports. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Big and small ships feature this week, with an arm of Disney chartering two 264-berth Ponant ships for Antarctica sailings from Ushuaia and a third vessel for the Galapagos. Princess Cruises has meanwhile announced the addition of two larger 3,560-berth ships to the UK short cruise trade out of Southampton, while Hurtigruten have announced more plans for 2022. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Malcolm Ginsberg, editor in chief of the UK’s Business Travel News today sent us his summary of restart prospects for the UK this summer. Elsewhere, we have a quick look at solo travel, with Albatros Expeditions offering dedicated single cabins and also male and female share cabins. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

In January, we commented on The Sunday Times carrying the first real cruise supplement in almost a year. Yesterday, it ran an item on some of the five- and six-digit cruise fares that are now being booked for the post-Covid market. Elsewhere, cargo ship passengers will have to wait almost a year before they can sail between Europe and Australia again. And in a changing market, The Cruise People introduce a life coach who their customers can contact for a free trial. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

Two weeks ago, Canada once again put a ban on cruise ships entering Canadian waters, primarily to prevent that country from acquiring more unwanted cases of Corona-19 from outside of Canada. But not only do these decisions affect Canada and the Vancouver-Alaska trade, but also the Seattle-Alaska trade, Great Lakes cruising, the Canada/New England cruise trade and cruises in the Canadian Arctic. This week, we also look at a Valentine’s Day cruise for 2022 and some no fly tall ship cruises from Harwich for this year. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

This week we look at more positive developments. From London’s Sunday Times came suggestions of dozens of cruise, mostly by smaller ships. While no cruise ships are operating from the USA at the moment, plenty is available for European cruisers. And in one effort to avoid the malign influence of the Centers for Disease Control, Royal Caribbean is going to base a ship in Barbados, beyond the CDC’s control. (more…)

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…)

by Kevin Griffin

After last week’s demise of Cruise & Maritime Voyages in the mid-size sector, this week’s news is exclusively from the small ship sector. The biggest news is the return of Swan Hellenic Cruises using two ships presently under construction in Helsinki for delivery to Vodohod in 2021 and 2022. Elsewhere, Norway’s Hurtigruten have announced four ex-UK cruises they intend to operate this September as the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic hopefully recede. And France’s Ponant, at the beginning of its own post-Covid 19 recovery is now up to operating eight ships. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

While several older, less efficient cruise ships have gone for disposal recently and it is to be surmised that newer more cost-efficient ships wiill be replacing them. Last year, 30 million cruisers took to the seas. With the latest Covid pandemic having wrecked this year’s cruise market, how many intending travellers will actually end up saililng in 2020? With full seasons cancelled in many cases – Alaska, the Great Lakes, Canada and New England and elsewhere – will cruise travel fall by more than half? And how quickly will it pick up again? And we take a quick China check with Royal Caribbean. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

The UK affirms a “vague” piece of advice advising all its citizens against taking cruises. Meanwhile, Pullmantur Cruises may on the ropes and ugly words and attitudes circulate in the once calm, waters of the cruise world. Is cruising becoming a victim of politics? (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

While Hurtigruten was the first operator to begin regular cruises again following the latest Covid-19 pandemic, more news from the same operators says that they will begin cruising from the UK in March 2021, with a series of new itineraries from Dover. Elsewhere in Europe, Celestyal Cruises is cancelling all Greek Island cruises until 2021. And the European Union has released a 49-page guide to suggestions for healthy cruising in Europe. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

While Hurtigruten and SeaDream cast off for the Norwegian Fjords and the North Cape, to restart cruising after the world economy was hit so hard by the Coronavirus Pandemic, the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency a week ago announced that it was detaining five of six ships operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages. And this week guest reviewer Jennifer Holland PhD, reviews Christopher Wright’s new book Of Penguins and Polar Bars. (more…)

by Kevin Griffin

The MSC Seaside, which had been dedicated to the Miami cruise trade, is about to be sent back to Europe, where she will cruise from Genoa. The smaller MSC Armonia will now replace the Seaside in Miami. And MSC will enter the port Canaveral trade. Meanwhile, new expedition and Mississippi ships are planned to join Viking’s fleet of ocean and river cruise ship over the next few years. (more…)