Cunard unveils 2021-22 international voyage programme

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 14 July 2021 14 July 2021

 

Cunard, the UK based premium and luxury market unit of Carnival Corporation & plc group, has announced more than 40 voyages across its fleet in 2021 and 2022.

This follows a start of cruises from Southampton in the UK for the domestic market this summer on Queen Elizabeth.

The ‘Overseas Escapes’ will range from two to 40 night sailings, visiting some 50 destinations on board flagship Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, the company said in a statement.

Queen Mary 2 will resume its transatlantic crossings in November, 2021 before sailing short breaks in Western Europe followed by three winter sailings to the Caribbean. 

“Guests can enjoy the flexibility of embarking the Caribbean voyages from Southampton, New York, Fort Lauderdale or Hamburg with overnight calls in Bridgetown and Barbados as well as visiting St. Maarten and Dominica, St. Lucia and St. Kitts,” the company said.

Queen Victoria will mark its return to sailing in April, 2022 with three new roundtrip itineraries from Southampton, visiting 11 countries, treating guests to time ashore in destinations such as Copenhagen, Helsinki, Tallinn and Gdynia, together with overnight calls in Amsterdam, Lisbon and St Petersburg.

Following its summer exploring Britain’s coastline, Queen Elizabeth will depart on a series of new sailings from Southampton to Western Europe followed by the Iberian Coast and the Atlantic Islands. Overnight port stays include Lisbon and Funchal as well as late departures from Malaga, offering time to experience these destinations after dark.

In late February, Queen Elizabeth will depart for Asia, sailing through the Suez Canal to Dubai, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, where the ship will resume its scheduled programme in April.

Swan Hellenic revises 2022 itineraries, drops Australia, Oceania

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 13 July 2021 13 July 2021

 Swan Hellenic, the Nicosia based expedition cruise line, has published 10 new itineraries for 2022 to replace ones published that included Australia and New Zealand, where travel restrictions remain in place.

 “Ranging from Patagonia and the Antarctic to Mexico, Alaska and the Russian Far East, each will also be a superb introduction to Swan Hellenic’s new purpose-designed five-star expedition cruise ship SH Minerva, which was recently floated out of her dry dock in Helsinki Shipyard,” the company said in a statement

The cruises will be departing Ushuaia, Valparaiso, Lima, Panama, Puerto Quetzal, Mazatlán, San Diego, Vancouver and Seward on 10-14-day itineraries between February and May next year, offering a choice of opportunities for wildlife, archaeological and cultural discovery.

“These range from encounters with penguins, seals and whales to Chilean fjords, glaciers and native settlements, (desert towns), volcanoes, Nazca lines , Moche and Zapotec remote archaeological sites, desert islands with rich marine ecosystems and the extraordinary wilderness areas and glaciers of the North,” Swan Hellenic said.

The company said it was planning to return to Australia and Oceania in 2023.

MSC Cruises to expand Saudi Arabia program with summer 2021 cruises

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 12 July 2021 12 July 2021

MSC Cruises, the contemporary brand of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, today announced that MSC Bellissima, one of the line’s most modern ships, will sail 21 Red Sea voyages from Jeddah, the commercial hub of Saudi Arabia, between the end of July and late October.

The Meraviglia-class MSC Bellissima, which first came to service in 2019, will offer 3- and 4-night cruises to Safaga near Luxor, Egypt or Aqaba near Petra, Jordan before returning to her Saudi homeport. MSC Bellissima will be the largest cruise ship ever to sail the waters of the Red Sea.

The summer sailings will add to MSC Cruises’ previously announced winter 2021/22 Red Sea voyages from Jeddah starting in November.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises said: “As the tourism industry of Saudi Arabia grows progressively for its own residents and international visitors, we at MSC Cruises are looking forward to make a positive and lasting contribution as more people explore and discover the rich heritage and incredible cultural attractions it has to offer.

“With our cruises this summer from Jeddah of MSC Bellissima and a ship dedicated for the winter season in the Red Sea we are committed to serve holidaymakers with the very best cruise experiences. This, we believe, will accelerate the attractiveness of holidays at sea in the region and significantly help in the growth of tourism.”

MSC Bellissima was delivered in 2019 and is one of MSC Cruises’ most innovative ships and fitted with a wide range of environmental features and innovative technology to reduce her environmental footprint, as well as endless hours of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.

With both a 975-seat mainstage theater and an aft Carousel Lounge, the ship offers incredibly intricate performances, as well as a Grand Canyon theme for the aquapark with three exhilarating water slides, a full-size bowling alley, F1 simulator and XD cinema for guests of all ages. All this in addition to the award-winning kids offering and impressive 7,534 sq. ft. Kids Club.

MSC Bellissima also features an iconic Mediterranean-style promenade with a 262 ft. LED sky screen as the social hub of the ship and a shopping gallery with more than 200 brands will delight those looking for retail therapy. For those looking for relaxation and rejuvenation, the authentic Balinese MSC Aurea Spa offers 79 different body and facial treatments along with a stunning thermal area.

Borealis refit met zero to landfill target

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 12 July 2021 12 July 2021

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, the UK based destination focused cruise operator, said it has achieved its aim of sending ‘zero to landfill’ in the refurbishment of Borealis.

The company purchased the now 1,360-guest ship Borealis last September from Holland America Line and has conducted a large refurbishment, including upgrades to public areas and guest cabins and the replacement of a number of bathrooms.

“Working with the Binn Group, based in Perth, Scotland, Fred. Olsen has been able to recycle tiles into cement and materials for construction sites, carpet into wood blocks to create fuel and timber to create chipboard flooring,” the company said in a statement.

In addition, items such as bath tubs and panels, wood and pillows will also now be used to help create energy.

Thomas Rennesland, Hotel Operations Director at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “Our crew have worked tirelessly on the refurbishment of Borealis, to ensure that when guests join us on board on 5th July they are stepping onto a ship with all the Fred. Olsen touches that we are so well known for.”

“Borealis is a beautiful ship, and while we wanted to make her our own, we also wanted to ensure that we were not wasteful. It makes us very proud to have achieved ‘zero to landfill’ for this project, and I would like to thank the Binn Group who have worked with us to help us achieve our goal.”

Brian Harkins, Managing Director for the Binn Group, said: "Working together we have not only provided the best solution for our customer but also the best solution for the planet. Carbon impact and sustainability is at the heart of what we do and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines have been a pleasure to work with given that their values on sustainability and carbon align so well with our own.”