Disney Cruise Line announces return to New Orleans, popular itineraries to tropical destinations in early 2021

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 01 October 2019 01 October 2019

In early 2021, Disney Cruise Line will return to New Orleans for a limited-time engagement with sailings to the Bahamas and Caribbean, including visits to Disney’s private island paradise, Castaway Cay. A lineup of popular itineraries will continue across the Disney fleet with cruises to tropical destinations from Texas, California and Florida.

Bookings open to the public on Oct. 3, 2019. More details on the itineraries spanning from January through May 2021 can be found on the Ports and Itineraries for 2021 page of disneycruise.com.

Return to New Orleans

Back by popular demand, the Disney Wonder will return to the bayou from late January through February 2021 with a series of magical voyages. A pair of 4- and 5-night cruises to the Western Caribbean kick off the season from New Orleans. The 5-night voyage includes a visit to Progreso, Mexico, a new port of call for Disney Cruise Line on the Yucatan Peninsula. This quaint town is filled with treasures for families to explore together, from ancient Mayan ruins to hidden swimming holes filled with crystal-clear water.

Three 7-night sailings to the Bahamas with a stop at Castaway Cay, plus a 14-night Panama Canal cruise, round out the departures from the Crescent City in early 2021.

Guests sailing from New Orleans will experience the flavors and flair of the Big Easy both onboard the Disney Wonder and ashore. The sounds and sights of New Orleans come to life at Tiana’s Place restaurant, where families are transported to an era of southern charm, spirited jazz and street party celebrations with live music and other surprises inspired by the Disney animated film “The Princess and the Frog.” Before or after their cruise, guests can savor the city’s distinct cuisine, visit family-friendly museums and parks, and take in the sounds of world-renowned live jazz music.

Popular itineraries from Texas and California

The Disney Wonder will also return to the popular home ports of Galveston and San Diego in early 2021. Guests sailing from Texas can enjoy the white-sand beaches of the Western Caribbean on a series of four- and six-night cruises to Grand Cayman and Cozumel. One seven-night departure will feature stops at Key West, Nassau and Castaway Cay.

Following the season in New Orleans, the Disney Wonder heads to the West Coast for a variety of sailings to Baja and the Mexican Riviera departing from San Diego. Families can hunt for gold aboard a pirate ship in Cabo San Lucas, embark on an off-road adventure in Ensenada or sunbathe on glittering sand beaches on cruises ranging from three to seven nights.

Bahamian and Caribbean getaways from Florida

Disney Cruise Line will have three ships sailing to the Bahamas and Caribbean from Florida in early 2021, and every cruise includes a day at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. This destination, reserved exclusively for Disney Cruise Line guests, is the ultimate escape for everyone in the family. A day at Castaway Cay offers opportunities for adventure and relaxation in a lush, tropical setting filled with classic Disney storytelling.

– From Miami, the Disney Magic will sail 3-, 4- and 5-night Bahamian and Western Caribbean cruises.
– From Port Canaveral, the Disney Fantasy will sail 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
– From Port Canaveral, the Disney Dream will sail 3- and 4-night Bahamian cruises.

Hurtigruten to base Maud in Dover for series of Arctic cruises in winter of 2021-22

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 30 September 2019 30 September 2019

Hurtigruten, the Norwegian expedition cruise line, will offer winter sailings from the Port of Dover as part of their new Norway Expedition 2021-22 programme.

Available from October 2021 to March 2022, Maud, currently trading as Trollfjord and to be rebuilt with three other ships of the line – will sail on the 14 night cruise along the coast of Norway and offering more time in familiar and new ports.

“In addition, there will be more expedition team members onboard, who will be on hand to share their knowledge of the Norwegian coastline and help guests find their inner explorer on and offshore,” the company said in a statement.

Anthony Daniels, Hurtigruten UK MD, said: “We are delighted to launch our first ever season from Dover. This new route offers a truly exceptional way for guests to explore the coast of Norway and experience the Northern Lights all at the convenience and comfort of a UK departure. Not only will we take guests to new highlights, but with an increased presence of Expedition team leaders onboard we will help new and existing guest to become immersed in the rich wildlife and cultural offering of Norway.”

Hapag-Lloyd to start using 0.1% sulphur fuel in July 2020

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 30 September 2019 30 September 2019

The ships of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, the luxury and expedition cruise ship operator that is part of TUI AG, will use marine gas oil with a maximum sulphur content of 0.1 % (LS-MGO) exclusively.

The figure is well below the maximum permitted under the new IMO rules that will take effect from the beginning of next year.

“From January 2020, the IMO will ban ships from using fuels with a sulfur content above 0.5%, compared with 3.5% now. “Only ships fitted with sulfur-cleaning devices known as scrubbers will be allowed to continue burning high-sulfur fuel,” the IMO said on its website.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will cut the emissions of its fleet of both luxury and expedition ships significantly. “By transitioning to the low-pollutant fuel voluntarily, the sulphur emissions of the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ fleet will be cut by 80 %. Additionally, the switch to marine gas oil means a reduction in soot and particulates of up to 30 %,” the company said in a statement.

Karl J. Pojer, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises: “With our years of expertise in the luxury and expedition segment, we set the highest standards in the industry with our ships and are committed to adhering to strict environmental protection standards. Already we have made significant progress in this context and never stop working to improve even further. These efforts have taken us far beyond the minimum statutory requirements. The decision not to use heavy fuel oil is a significant step towards operating environmentally-conscious cruises and an important investment in our future.”

In 1993 Hapag-Lloyd Cruises stopped using heavy fuel oil in the Arctic of its own volition and only uses marine gas oil with a maximum sulphur content of 0.1 %. At the start of the year, the company announced its decision to transition gradually and stop using heavy fuel oil in its expedition fleet in future. This important development now continues.

Additionally, all new ships of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises – including the EUROPA 2 and the new expedition class – are compatible with cold ironing and have been fitted with modern SCR (selective catalytic reduction) catalytic converters. These converters clean exhaust gases and lower nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 95 %.

The global routes will be planned and carried out with an average speed that is environmentally-friendly, cutting fuel consumption by over one third. The Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ fleet is also equipped with seawater desalination technology to produce clean water, as well as with biological sewage treatment plants. The bow thrusters and stabilisers run on environmentally-friendly bio-petroleum.

“I believe that travel is immensely valuable and an important means of developing an understanding of the world. Cruising with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises means understanding nature better, coming face-to-face with it and even feeling a sense of humility before it,” added Pojer.

 

 

San Giorgio del Port to transform Costa neoRiviera into AIDAmira

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 29 September 2019 29 September 2019

The Costa Group is relying on Genoa's technical skills, announcing its decision to bring to Genoa an important restyling project on a ship in its fleet, for a total investment of 50 million euros.

The order also involves the San Giorgio del Porto shipyard, whose contribution was made official today with the signing of an agreement, at the Italian company's Genoa headquarters, by Michael Thamm, Group CEO Costa Group and Carnival Asia, and Ferdinando Garrè, CEO of San Giorgio del Porto, in the presence of the President of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, Paolo Emilio Signorini and the Councilor for City Planning, Public Property and Urban Renewal of the Municipality of Genoa, Simonetta Cenci.

The restyling work, which will last about a month, will lead to the transformation of the Costa neoRiviera, a ship currently in service for the Costa Cruises brand, into the new AIDAmira, destined for the German brand AIDA Cruises. Both brands are part of the Costa Group, a market leader in Europe and China. A total of about 1000 workers will be involved, 150 of them working directly for the shipyard.

“This new investment in the city of Genoa, with a local partner like San Giorgio del Porto, is a further tangible sign of our link with Genoa and Liguria and of the positive impact that our Group can have locally. We have carried out a study on this subject, which has given very impressive results: in just one year, the Costa Group has generated an economic impact in Europe of 12.6 billion euros and over 63,000 jobs. It is precisely the shipbuilding industry that accounts for the largest part of this impact, thanks to the plan to expand and renew our fleet, but also the contribution that comes directly from each guest, amounting on average to 74.60 euros in every port visited, is particularly significant. Italy is among the top destinations for our guests, with 3.2 million passenger movements, a figure that is going to grow also thanks to AIDAmira, which will be calling at three ports in Southern Italy next summer," said Michael Thamm, Group CEO Costa Group and Carnival Asia.

“We are honored that the Costa Group continues to give us confidence and to believe in the know-how and technical skills of the Genoese shipbuilding industry and of San Giorgio del Porto in particular, despite the many infrastructure-related difficulties that continue to prevent the full development of ship repair and refitting activities. Costa's decision to bring a job of this magnitude to Genoa could not be taken for granted and for this we are grateful to the company," said Ferdinando Garrè, CEO of San Giorgio del Porto.

Costa neoRiviera will complete its last eleven-night cruise in the Mediterranean on October 29, 2019 in Savona. The next day the ship will arrive in Genoa to start the work, which will last until November 28. At the end of the operations, a completely renewed ship will leave the San Giorgio del Porto shipyard and arrive in Palma de Mallorca on November 29 to be renamed AIDAmira.

This will be the fourth ship in the "AIDA Selection" family, the German brand's offer designed for travelers who want to discover new destinations in a unique way, with long stops on land and an intimate atmosphere on board. AIDAmira will have large outdoor spaces, 5 different restaurants, 7 bars, a wellness area measuring 1,100 m² and about 700 cabins, including 125 with balcony or private sun terrace. After a 4-night vernissage cruise in the Western Mediterranean, the ship will be positioned to South Africa, offering 7-day cruises from Cape Town. From May to September 2020, she will offer two different one-week itineraries, which can be combined into a single 14-day cruise, departing from Corfu: one to Athens, Santorini, Crete and Brindisi, and the other to Malta, Catania, Crotone, Olympia and Kefalonia.