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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.

Cruise ship sinks in Beirut Harbour

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 05 August 2020 05 August 2020

As more details emerge of the horrific explosion that rocked Beirut yesterday, we've learned that a cruise ship was also a casualty. Abou Merhi Cruises' Orient Queen, docked at the harbor, had been laid up and docked there. The ship, which turned on its side and eventually sank as a result of the blast's force, was originally built as the Vistamar in 1989. Two crew members, according to local press reports, lost their lives onboard.

Abou Merhi Cruises had been marketing the vessel to the local Lebanese market for 2019 voyages.

UnCruise Adventures first sailing returns to port early due to positive COVID-19 test

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 05 August 2020 05 August 2020

The American owned, U.S. flagged small-boat adventure company, UnCruise Adventures, confirmed yesterday that a guest received a phone call from the State of Alaska with notification of a positive COVID-19 test while onboard. At the time of receipt, the Wilderness Adventurer was anchored in a secluded harbor while offboard activities were underway. The company’s first sailing received a high level of support this past week returning to sail with energized passengers. The vessel will arrive in Juneau tomorrow and all guests will be placed at a local hotel where they will quarantine as prescribed in the company’s Alaska state-approved COVID-19 contingency plan. 

“We are focusing all efforts on care of the guests, crew and the local community.” shares Owner and CEO, Dan Blanchard. “This is very discouraging news and not what we had hoped for, but we’ll deal with it professionally. The guests are taking the news well, and the crew has executed our contingency plan quickly.”

The identified guest took the 5-day testing option prior to their departure from home with a negative result as required to embark on UnCruise Adventures. A second test was taken upon arrival at the Juneau airport which then resulted in a positive. The guest is showing no symptoms and no other guests or crew are showing outward symptoms of any kind. Subsequently, all guests were informed and asked to restrict themselves to their cabins where plated meals were served.

The company understands that this unprecedented virus requires unprecedented standards and has planned extensive operations for months in preparation to return to sail. UnCruise Adventures continues to follow its approved contingency plan moving forward. The hotel and meal costs for all guests are being paid for by the company while in quarantine in Juneau. The crew will quarantine on the vessel in port at Juneau. 

The company’s top priority is to move swiftly to provide ongoing safety for the guests, crew, and the community of Juneau with Alaska State contact tracing protocols. They are working closely with Alaska state and local health officials to comply with relevant protocols and their own safety standards.

“With the spotlight on the cruise and small boat industry we understand there are risks in operating and travel in general. With months of preparation we were still able to pivot quickly in response to this event,” states Blanchard. “We wish to thank those that have worked rapidly to isolate and implement the appropriate processes as we determine the next steps.” he continues.

We wish to emphasize that UnCruise Adventures sees providing a safe and responsive environment for all travelers as imperative. All precautions were taken, as supported by public health authorities and interim guidelines. As an additional precaution, UnCruise Adventures has canceled future Alaska departures and their dedicated team is working with guests.

Hurtigruten CEO says COVID-19 protocols had not been followed

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 04 August 2020 04 August 2020

An outbreak of COVID-19 onboard Hurtigruten’s expedition cruise ship Roald Amundsen last week could have been avoided if protocols to combat the virus had been followed, said Daniel Skjeldam, CEO of the company.

“I shall begin by being completely honest. We have betrayed. We have failed. We have made mistakes. What we see now is not what Hurtigruten should represent or what it will be. We apologise this deeply,” Skjeldam said at a press conference on Monday that was webcast in Norwegian media.

He said it would be too early to go into every detail, but it had become clear that quarantine rules and a number of other procedures had not been followed, which had resulted in the outbreak of the virus. “Had we followed the procedures, we would not have had an outbreak onboard,” Skjeldam said in the webcast.

On Tuesday morning, the number of persons that had contacted the virus on Roald Amundsen rose to 40 as a passenger had treated positive, the Norwegian broadcasting company NRK reports on its website.

A local health authority had on Wednesday last week informed FHI, the Norwegian national health authority, that a person had fallen ill with the virus two days after disembarking Roald Amundsen.

“We had a meeting with Hurtigruten in which we explained that they should inform passengers on the current cruise and they confirmed to us that they would do this,” FHI department head Line Vold was quoted by NRK as saying.

“We were not informed that Hurtigruten after this had decided to change its standpoint and not to inform the passengers. It was only on Friday we understood that Hurtigruten had broken the agreement made at the meeting and decided not to inform the passengers,” she was quoted as saying.

AIDA forced to delay short cruise start on flag state issue

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 August 2020 03 August 2020

AIDA Cruises, the German unit in the Carnival Corporation & plc group, said it had been forced to cancel a number of planned short cruises from Rostock as it had not received final approval for its plans from Italy, the flag state of its fleet.

“The concepts and certifications for the restart of our cruise operation have been successfully developed and confirmed with the responsible authorities. Contrary to our expectations, the final formal approval for the start of the short trips from August 5, 2020 by our flag state Italy is still pending,” the company said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, we therefore have to cancel the planned short trips with AIDAperla and AIDAmar with departure dates between August 5 and 12, 2020,” AIDA Cruises said.

The company stated that after intensive preparations with the support of many national and international authorities and health experts, we have developed comprehensive concepts for the restart and implemented all increased hygiene standards and measures to protect against COVID-19 on board our ships.

“We assume that we will receive the last formal approval by the flag state Italy in a timely manner,” the company noted.