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Holland America Line extends its pause of cruise operations to all departures through Dec. 15, 2020

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 August 2020 12 August 2020

With the continuation of travel and port restrictions due to global health concerns, Holland America Line is extending its pause of cruise operations and cancelling departures on all ships through Dec. 15, 2020.

The pause extension affects Caribbean, Mexico, Panama Canal, Pacific Coastal, South America, Antarctica, Hawaii, South Pacific, Australia and Asia itineraries.

Those with impacted cruises automatically will be cancelled, and no action is needed for guests opting for the Future Cruise Credit (FCC). All guests will receive an FCC per person as follows:

– Paid in Full: Those who had paid in full will receive 125% FCC of the base cruise fare paid to Holland America Line.

– Not Paid in Full: Those with bookings not paid in full will receive an FCC of double the amount of the deposit paid for the cruise. The minimum FCC is $100 and the maximum will be an amount up to the base cruise fare paid.

The FCC is valid for 12 months from the date of issue and may be used to book sailings departing through Dec. 31, 2022. All other funds paid to Holland America Line may be transferred to a new booking or will automatically be refunded via the method of payment used to purchase the services.

Guests who prefer a 100% refund of monies paid to Holland America Line can visit the Cancellation Preferences form https://book2.hollandamerica.com/cp/ to indicate this preference no later than Sept. 15, 2020.

The above options are not applicable to guests booked on a charter sailing. Other booking and cancellation conditions and policies may apply if the cruise was not booked through Holland America Line. See the terms and conditions in the Cancellation Preferences form <https://book2.hollandamerica.com/cp/> for all details.

Recognizing the vital role travel advisors play in the success of the cruise industry, Holland America Line will protect travel advisor commissions on bookings for cancelled cruises that were paid in full and for the total amount of the FCC when rebooked.

As previously announced, Holland America Line paused global cruise operations and cancelled all Alaska, Europe and Canada/New England cruises for 2020; additional departures from the port of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 2020; and select Hawaii itineraries for early 2021.

Royal Caribbean Group second quarter loss $1.6 billion

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 11 August 2020 11 August 2020

Royal Caribbean Group (RCG), the second largest cruise shipping group in the world, has booked a deep loss in the second quarter and raised liquidity so that it can continue to weather the Covid-19 storm.

Net loss amounted to $1.6 billion in the second quarter of this year compared to a profit of $472.8 million in the same period last year.

The company has taken a number of steps to strengthen its finances in the recent past. These include:

-The issuance of $1.0 billion of priority guaranteed notes and $1.15 billion of convertible notes;

-The issuance of GBP 300 million of commercial paper in the UK providing over $370 million of additional liquidity;

-Completed a $0.9 billion 12-month debt amortization holiday from all export-credit backed facilities;

-Amended over $11 billion of commercial bank and export credit facilities to provide covenant waivers through the fourth quarter of 2021; and

-Further reduced operating expenses due to the fleet layup measures and actions to decrease sales, marketing and administrative expenses.

As per 30 June, debt worth $300 million was to mature before the end of this year, while $1.3 billion would mature in 2021.

RCG has $11.3 billion of committed credit facilities that are available to fund ship deliveries originally planned through 2025.

The company had $4.1 billion in liquidity at the end of the quarter and it reiterated its earlier assessment that its cash burn amounts to about $250 million to $290 million per month, it said.

AIDA, Marella and MSC Cruises gear up to restart of operations

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 10 August 2020 10 August 2020

Three deep sea cruise lines are working to resume operations in the coming weeks, the companies in question say.

AIDA Cruises in Germany, whose plans to resume sailings had to be shelved at a short notice, said it plans to start cruising on 6 September. “The prerequisite for this was the approval of the flag state Italy for the restart concepts,” the company said in a statement.

The fact that it had not obtain an approval from Italian authorities had forced the company to cancel a number of cruises that had been scheduled for this month.

“The first trips from Kiel will start on September 6, 2020. The first cruises with AIDAperla to the Norwegian fjords start from Hamburg on September 12, 19 and 26, 2020,” Rostock based AIDA Cruises said. The company is part of the Carnival group.

Meanwhile, Marella Cruises in the UK said it intends to commence fly cruises from Corfu on 2 October. This follows an earlier decision to suspend all operations until the end of September. The company will employ Marella Explorer on these cruises.

MSC Cruises has confirmed plans unveiled earlier to resume operations in the Mediterranean this week. MSC Grandiosa will welcome guests in the West Mediterranean from 16 August 2020 and MSC Magnifica in the East Mediterranean from 29 August 2020, the company said.

Costa Group's Michael Thamm: "We want cruise responsibly"

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 09 August 2020 09 August 2020

Following the authorization to cruise by the Italian Government, Costa Crociere prepares to gradually restart its operations in light of the new protocols that will be officialised soon.

“We are extremely excited that we will be able to cruise again soon and we want to thank the Italian Government and all the authorities for their constant availability and support. The cruise industry and Costa specifically, as the only Italian cruise company, create significant value to the economy and to the destinations we visit. The gradual restart of our operations will give relief to the local economies in port communities and to the whole ecosystem of almost 5,000 suppliers and business partners, and over 7,500 travel agents, in Italy, who have been suffering from the pause of our activities.” stated Michael Thamm, Group CEO Costa Group and Carnival Asia “

The resumption of our operations in this phase is also a great responsibility towards our guests, our crew members and the residents of the communities we visit. In the next days, we will be working closely with national and local authorities, ports and terminals, RINA and internally on board our ships, for the full implementation of the protocols issued by the Italian Government so we can all together guarantee a smooth, well organized and safe restart of our cruises, both on board and ashore. We look forward to announcing shortly the full program of our itineraries so that thousands of loyal Costa Guests can have the opportunity to sail again with us for the holiday they missed so much."

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to use Havana as turnaround port 2021-22

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 07 August 2020 07 August 2020

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, the UK based destination focused operator, said that the 2021-22 Caribbean season aboard Braemar will be served with the turnaround port of Havana, Cuba, as the company enhances destination experiences for guests.

The company said it is relaunching its Caribbean itineraries for next year to showcase two types of holiday experience for guests: those looking to refresh and refuel with some winter sunshine, and those looking to immerse themselves in the history and vibrant culture of the islands they visit.

Clare Ward, Director of Product and Customer Service at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said in the statement: “Too often the Caribbean is thought of as a single destination, but it is so much more than that, with so many islands offering different and unique yet equally exceptional experiences.”

“The eastern Caribbean, with destinations such as St Kitts and St Maarten provide the perfect setting for those looking to recharge their batteries and enjoy the laid back way of life while escaping the colder winter temperatures back home. Guests can take in the many stunning waterfalls and beaches in St Lucia, take a trip on a Rhum Runner in Grenada and indulge their Bob Marley knowledge in Port Royal,” she continued.

“Meanwhile the western islands offer endless opportunities to explore, immerse and learn. For example, during calls into Cozumel, guests can explore the Mayan Ruins – one of the Seven Wonders of the World – and trek through the jungles in Belize.”

“Using Havana, Cuba, as our new turnaround base allows us to really showcase the Caribbean in all its glory. It also means we can offer extended stays into Havana so that our guests have plenty of time to enjoy this vibrant city, with late-night departures or overnight stays where possible. Havana has always delivered high guest satisfaction ratings on our sailings, so it is great to be able to offer more opportunities for them to explore this wonderful port,” she concluded.

The cruise facilities in the Cuban capital are operated by Global Ports Holdings, the Istanbul based company that is the world’s largest cruise port operator.