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CLIA UK & Ireland welcomes relaxation of Covid testing rules in England

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 06 January 2022 06 January 2022

Rules regarding testing for Covid-19 will change in England from tomorrow Friday and CLIA UK & Ireland CEO Andy Harmer has welcomed the new steps.

"We welcome the changes in testing rules for travellers arriving in England. With the peak holiday booking period under way, measures that allow for more seamless travel are vital. We will continue to work with Government to help cruise and other travel industries further open up,” Harmer said in a statement.

The BBC reports that for fully vaccinated people, the new rules will be as follows:

From 04:00 GMT on Friday 7 January, people who are fully vaccinated and those aged under-18 will no longer need to take a test two days before travelling to England from countries outside the UK and the Common Travel Area of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. On arrival, they will have to take a PCR test but they will no longer have to self-isolate while awaiting the result
From 04:00 GMT on Sunday 9 January they will only have to take a lateral flow test instead of a PCR test on day two. But this test must be bought from a private test provider - free NHS tests are not allowed
Unvaccinated passengers will need to continue to take a pre-departure test, PCR tests on day two and day eight, and self-isolate for 10 days

The devolved governments in Cardiff (Wales), Edinburgh (Scotland) and Belfast (Northern Ireland) have the power to set their own rules regarding measures against the virus.

Three vaccinations will soon be needed for travel - British PM

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 05 January 2022 05 January 2022

People will soon need to have three vaccinations against the Covid-19 virus to be accepted as fully vaccinated, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on TV on Tuesday.

Many cruise lines require full vaccination against the pandemic virus as a condition of carriage. As per Tuesday, 59.8% of the UK population over the age of 12 had received their third, booster jab.

Johnson said that instead of lockdowns and other restrictive measures including discouraging travel, the government in London would resort to other ways to tackle the Omicron variant that is spreading rapidly.

However, although the numbers of both infections and hospitalisations have increased in the recent past, the numbers of deaths relating to the virus have remained stable at a low level - a significant difference from a year ago, when also deaths tracked infections higher.

It should be noted that the devolved governments in Cardiff (Wales), Edinburgh (Scotland) and Belfast (Northern Ireland) have the power to set their own rules regarding measures against the virus.

Royal Caribbean Group prices $1.0 billion note offering at 5.375%

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 05 January 2022 05 January 2022

Royal Caribbean Group, the world’s second largest cruise shipping group, said it has priced its private offering of $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.375% senior unsecured notes due 2027.

“The aggregate principal amount of Notes to be issued was increased to $1.0 billion. The Notes will mature on July 15, 2027. The Notes are expected to be issued on or around January 7, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions,” it said in a statement.

The amount was increased to $1,.0 billion from an originally planned $700 million.

The company intends to use the proceeds from the sale of the Notes to repay principal payments on debt maturing in 2022, including to pay fees and expenses in connection with such repayments. "Pending such uses, the Company may temporarily apply the proceeds to repay borrowings under its revolving credit facilities or other borrowings,” Royal Caribbean Group said.

SH Minerva currently on its maiden voyage

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 January 2022 03 January 2022

On Thursday, December 30, 2021, Swan Hellenic's new SH Minerva departed Ushuaia on its maiden cultural expedition cruise tothe Antarctic, a 9-night New Year celebration of discovery.

Cruising in the expert hands of industry veterans Captain Tuomo Leskinen and Hotel Director Philipp Reutener, SH Minerva’s first guests look forward to celebrating the New Year deep in the splendours of Antarctica. Here, they will soon be exploring the inspiring sights and wildlife of the Peninsula and milder Shetland Islands in the company of Expedition Leader Pablo Brandeman, polar expert Steve Blamires and renowned ornithologist Andy Bunten.

Internationally acclaimed chef Jörg Lehmann is bringing Swan Hellenic’s distinctive new gastronomic vision to life on board, presenting varied menus of freshly cooked delicacies that include original Italian and Asian fusion dishes, created in partnership with multi-award-winning Consultant Chefs Andrea Ribaldone and Sang Keun Oh.

Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito commented: “We are immensely proud to have welcomed our first guests aboard this wonderful new ship to live unique new experiences that advance the revered Swan Hellenic tradition, taking them to see what others don’t in exceptional comfort and style.”

CLIA issues statement in response to CDC Level 4 warning against cruise travel

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 02 January 2022 02 January 2022

The decision by the CDC to raise the travel level for cruise is particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard – far fewer than on land – and the majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, posing little to no burden on medical resources onboard or onshore. No setting can be immune from this virus—however, it is also the case that cruise provides one of the highest levels of demonstrated mitigation against the virus. Cruise ships offer a highly controlled environment with science-backed measures, known testing and vaccination levels far above other venues or modes of transportation and travel, and significantly lower incidence rates than land.

While we are disappointed and disagree with the decision to single out the cruise industry – an industry that continues to go above and beyond compared to other sectors – CLIA and our ocean-going cruise line members remain committed to working collaboratively with the CDC in the interest of public health and safety.

Additional Information:

– Cruise industry protocols are unique in their approach to effectively monitor, detect, and respond to potential cases of COVID-19.
– Protocols encompass the entirety of the cruise experience, incorporating testing, vaccination, screening, sanitation, mask-wearing and other science-backed measures.
– Many of our members have announced additional measures in response to the Omicron variant, including strengthening testing, masking and other requirements, as well as encouraging booster vaccine doses for those eligible.
– Over 100 cruise ships have returned to U.S. waters, carrying nearly more than one million people from a U.S. port since late June 2021.
– The cruise industry is the only industry in the U.S. travel and tourism sector that is requiring both vaccinations and testing for crew and guests.
– Vaccination rates onboard a cruise ship typically are upwards of 95 percent—significantly higher than the overall U.S. population which is hovering at 62 percent.
– In the U.S. alone, the cruise industry administers nearly 10 million tests per week—21x the rate of testing in the United States.
– The latest data show that, even with higher rates of testing, the cruise industry continues to achieve significantly lower rates of occurrence of COVID-19—33 percent lower than onshore.
– According to the CDC’s color-coding system, a cruise ship may be determined to be “yellow” – and, therefore, subject to CDC observation – if a threshold of 0.10 percent or more passengers (i.e., 7 out of 6,500) have tested positive in the last seven days, or if even just one crewmember tests positive.