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Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines to offer spa experiences with those with long term health conditions

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 10 September 2021 10 September 2021

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines (FOCL) said it has become the first cruise line to partner with wellbeing experts Made for Life Organics, to offer inclusive spa experiences including for those living with long-term health conditions.

“New ships Bolette and Borealis will be the first in the fleet to offer the new rituals, which will include meditative back, body and scalp treatments and facials, suitable for those with sensitive skin and living with cancer,” the company said in a statement.

The rituals use organic, botanical ingredients.

Thomas Rennesland, Hotel Operations Director at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “This is a really important advancement for health and wellbeing treatments at sea, and we are really proud to be the first cruise line to partner with Made for Life Organics.

“Relaxation is such an important part of any holiday, Amanda Winwood and the team at Made for Life Organics have really revolutionised the spa experience for those living with long-term health conditions. We are looking forward to being able to share this with our guests.”

Amanda Winwood, Founder Made for Life Organics said: “It has been an absolute pleasure for the Made for Life team to have worked alongside the Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines team including Maria Hristova, Fleet Spa Co-ordinator to deliver Made for Life Touch Therapy training across the Spa teams onboard Fred Olsen Cruise Lines.

“These specifically curated Touch Therapy treatment rituals open wellbeing to all and are tailored around each guest experience, to provide total relaxation. With such a wonderful team of professional and compassionate spa therapists, we know that wellness is well and truly ‘On Board’ with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines”

Made for Life Organics was launched in Cornwall in 2003 and developed advanced Cancer Touch Therapy training, enabling people going through cancer to receive the therapeutic benefits of touch. Treatments and training are approved and accredited by the Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care, the Complementary Medical Association and CIBTAC (The Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology).

Azamara completes first cruise with new programmes onboard and ashore

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 10 September 2021 10 September 2021

Azamara, the boutique cruise line that describes itself as dedicated to Destination Immersion experiences, has completed first sailing through the Greek Isles, with new programming ashore and onboard.

As the company sets sail throughout the Greek Isles for the first time as an independent cruise company, guests aboard the ship had the opportunity to experience several new offerings, the company said.

Highlights of the new experiences include:

Immersive Programming

The first Destination CelebrationSM took place in Rhodes, Greece, the adaptation of AzAmazing Evenings®, which brings the culture and heritage of the destination to life onboard and designed with the health and safety of Azamara guests and crew in mind.

Hosted on the pool deck, the exclusive, complimentary evening event featured music by Duo Violins with accompanying orchestra and a singer, as well as six Greek Gods in respective dress and insignia. Each guest was also provided with a local gift onboard following the event, which included Greek olive oil, olive soap and oregano to have as a keepsake.

Encouraging guests to get off the ship and immerse themselves within the destination, the Greek Isles itinerary brought new shore excursion programming to better connect people with the local culture, including Tracing the Origins of Zorba, which transports guests on a journey outside the walls of Heraklion to Myrtia to learn about the life of Nikos Kazantzakis, Cretan writer and philosopher who was famous for his novel, Zorba the Greek. A visit to the museum dedicated to his work is followed by a private lunch in Archanes Village with traditional Cretan cuisine and a live Zorba dance performance, where guests are also invited to learn the traditional Greek folk dance.

New Onboard Destination-Focused Experiences

Inspired by Azamara’s Destination Immersion approach to travel, onboard restaurants, such as Discoveries and Windows Café, have redesigned each menu to feature World Cuisine Selection dishes, which highlight some of the countries visits when sailing with Azamara, from the British Isles to Greece and Italy, the company said.

“Azamara has also taken a new approach to the traditional muster drill with a five-minute video that is conducted as soon as the guest boards the ship and before they enter their stateroom.”

“The videos are staggered and timed to the guest’s check-in time, allowing guests to socially distance. Keeping health and safety top-of-mind, Azamara guests and crew are required to be vaccinated two-weeks prior to their sailing. Each guest and crew member are tested prior to boarding the ship,” the company said in a statement.

Silversea confirms 2021-2022 Antarctica season with three ships departing from Chilean ports

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 09 September 2021 09 September 2021

Silversea Cruises, the leading ultra-luxury cruise line, has reached an agreement with the Chilean authorities to depart from Punta Arenas for its 2021-2022 Antarctica season, leading the return of Antarctica travel. Silver Cloud and Silver Wind will set sail from Punta Arenas, while the line's third Antarctica-bound ship, Silver Explorer, will continue with its scheduled plan to depart from Chile's Puerto Williams from November 2021.

"Leading the return of cruising in Antarctica, as facilitated by our agreement with the Chilean government, represents our commitment to delivering unforgettable travel experiences for our guests,” says Roberto Martinoli, Silversea’s President and CEO. “I commend the Chilean government for its unwavering dedication to restarting cruising to the White Continent in a safe and enriching manner.”

"Thanks to our unique destination expertise, we are able to lead the return to cruising in Antarctica with the precious addition of Punta Arenas as a departure port, says Conrad Combrink, Silversea's Senior Vice President of Expeditions, Turnaround Operations and Destination Management. “We commend the Chilean authorities for their collaborative approach and we look forward to building a long-term partnership for an enhanced guest experience. Chile is a fantastic gateway with a stable infrastructure and excellent services. From here, our guests can discover the unique allure of the Final Continent in luxurious comfort. With four ships already sailing in other regions of the world, we have demonstrated our commitment to delivering unforgettable travel experiences for our guests in the safest possible manner.”

Enjoying the most inclusive Antarctica package in ultra-luxury cruising, guests of Silver Cloud and Silver Wind will now fly into Santiago, Chile, where they will enjoy an overnight hotel stay before flying into Punta Arenas the next day to embark the ship. Guests embarking Silver Explorer will do so in Puerto Williams, Chile – except those benefitting from Silversea's Antarctica Bridge, the first ultra-luxury fly-cruise service to Antarctica, which will see travelers fly directly from Punta Arenas to King George Island in Antarctica.

Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, and Silver Explorer will provide unrivaled opportunities for travelers to discover the enchanting wildlife and icescapes of this remote wonderland in the cruise line's signature standard of comfort. Each all-suite, butler-serviced ship carries a team of expedition experts who lead immersive shore excursions for guests. These passionate and knowledgeable professionals offer informative lectures, discussions, recaps on board, guided explorations by Zodiac® and kayak, and immersive hikes and nature walks ashore -- all of which are included in the fare.

Silversea's expansive Antarctica cruise collection includes a series of mostly 10-day explorations of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, as well as shorter sailings of just 5, 6 or 9 days as part of the Antarctica Bridge fly-cruise program. Longer journeys encompass the Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands, Falkland Islands, Elephant Island and South Georgia. Two ‘Deep Antarctica’ itineraries will spend 20 days tracing a path beyond the Antarctic Circle, attempting to reach a latitude of 69 degrees south. Plus, two unique sailings will offer guests the chance to witness the solar eclipse on December 4, 2021, from Antarctica – the only place on Earth where it can be viewed in totality.

Photo: Silver Cloud, photo credit: Ryun Alarcon

Crystal Cruises sells Crystal Esprit

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 08 September 2021 08 September 2021

Crystal Cruises, the luxury cruise line that is part of the Genting Going Kong group, has sold the 62 passer capacity cruise yacht Crystal Esprit.

The 3,370 gross ton ship was built in Germany in 1991 and it entered service with Crystal Cruises in 2015, when Genting Hong Kong that owned the vessel at the time acquired the Los Angeles based company.

The ship has operated in the waters of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean and in Europe, catering also for the full ship charter market. The single small-yacht concept does not fit into future plans of Crystal Cruises in the post-pandemic world as it will continue to concentrate on ocean, river and expedition fleets, the company said.

Steel cut to start work on first Princess Cruises’ Sphere class ship

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 04 September 2021 04 September 2021

The steel of the first of two LNG cruise ships for Princess Cruises, a brand within Carnival Corporation & plc, took place in San Giorgio di Nogaro (Udine) at Centro Servizi Navali, Fincantieri said in a statement.

This is a company specialised in logistics and production of sheet metal for the Fincantieri yards located in northeastern Italy. The ship will be built in the Monfalcone yard.

At 175,000 gross tons the “Sphere” vessels will be the largest ships built so far in Italy. They will each accommodate approximately 4,300 guests and will be based on a next-generation platform design, being the first Princess Cruises ships to be dual-fuel powered primarily by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

According to the original plans, the first ship of the class was due for delivery in 2023 and the second one two years later. Fincantieri did not mention the delivery date of the ships in its statement on the start of work on the first ship.