P&O Cruises Australia extends standstill to 17 September

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 05 May 2021 05 May 2021

P&O Cruises Australia, which is part of Carnival Corporation & plc, said that in line with its period review of the situation it has decided a six-week extension to the pause of its operations to 17 September, 2021.

“The extended pause is being applied as the cruise industry continues to work with relevant government authorities to establish a pathway for the restart of cruising in Australia,” the company said in a statement.

P&O Cruises Australia has a fleet of three ships that are all transfers from sister company Princess Cruises. Pacific Encounter (photo) has recently completed dry docking in Singapore, where it was renamed from Star Princess and adapted for the service of the Australian company.

MSC Cruises rolls-out fleet-wide Covid-19 vaccination program for crew

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 02 May 2021 02 May 2021

MSC Cruises announced yesterday that it has started a fleet-wide Covid-19 vaccination program for all its crew members. This becomes an additional core element of the company’s industry-leading health & safety protocol that has already supported MSC Cruises operations since its first ship returned to service in August last year.

The roll-out saw as its first step the Master of MSC Bellissima Captain Giuseppe Maresca and all of his crew completing their vaccinations two days ago.

In this initial phase, MSC Cruises will prioritize crew members on board its 10 ships earmarked for Summer 2021 cruise vacations in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, those scheduled to restart in the Caribbean out of U.S. ports as well as others that are gearing up for their restart. Crew of the flagship MSC Virtuosa will be vaccinated ahead of the ship’s maiden voyage from May 20 around the UK from Southampton.

The plan is for all MSC Cruises’ crew on board operational vessels, as well as ships preparing to restart in parts of the world the Company has served traditionally, to be vaccinated against Covid-19. It has been developed and will be delivered against with the support of a number of national government authorities, destinations and private sector entities.

Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said, “As our ships prepare to welcome more and more guests over the coming weeks and months, we are pleased to announce the start of a comprehensive plan of vaccinations for all of our crew. Our aim is of adding a further level of protection for both themselves and the guests they will welcome for their holidays as we lead the way in the industry’s restart this summer.

“Our health and safety protocol last year spearheaded a safe resumption of cruising in the global industry and our huge vaccination program for all of our crew further demonstrates our commitment to their wellbeing, of our guests and of the communities that our fleet of ships will visit in the months ahead.

“We focused and invested heavily in a health and safety protocol last year and worked relentlessly to engage and gain approval from a range of authorities to return to cruising safely and responsibly. Similarly, we have taken this approach to vaccinations for our crew - plan, prepare and perform.”

MSC Cruises became the industry’s first line to resume international sailings in August 2020 when the Company’s flagship MSC Grandiosa set sail from Genoa for a 7-night voyage in the Mediterranean. The company has since welcomed on board some 65,000 guests for a safe and relaxing cruise vacation at sea.

The company’s 10 ships set to serve the Mediterranean and Northern Europe this Summer have confirmed itineraries and ports of call in Italy, Malta, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, Germany and the UK with plans to add France, Spain and more, as more countries open their borders and relax their international and other travel restrictions.

CDC to allow cruise restart mid-summer on certain conditions

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 29 April 2021 29 April 2021

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is “committed” to the resumption of cruise industry passenger operations in the U.S. by mid-summer, CNBC reports on its website.

“If a ship attests that 98% of its crew and 95% of its passengers are fully vaccinated,” the agency said in a letter to the cruise industry released publicly, that ship may skip simulated voyages and move directly to open water sailing,” the news organisation cited CDC as saying.

"We are looking forward to resuming operations out of various ports around the world in the coming months. In addition, we have had very constructive dialogues with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in recent weeks about resuming cruising in the U.S. in a safe and healthy manner," said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO in a statement.

"Last night, the CDC notified us of some clarifications and amplifications of their Conditional Sail Order which addressed uncertainties and concerns we had raised. They have dealt with many of these items in a constructive manner that takes into account recent advances in vaccines and medical science. Although this is only part of a very complex process, it encourages us that we now see a pathway to a healthy and achievable return to service, hopefully in time for an Alaskan season,” Fain said.

MSC Cruises unveils details of Red Sea, Arabian Gulf programmes

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 29 April 2021 29 April 2021

MSC Cruises, the Geneva based cruise shipping company, has revealed today details of its Red Sea and Arabian Gulf cruises in the winter of 2021/22, with Jeddah in Saudi Arabia as the home port for the first named ones.

The company said a few weeks ago it would expand its operations to Saudi Arabia, which is in the process of developing of its nascent tourism business.

MSC Magnifica will offer seven-night cruises, starting from 13 November 2021 through to the end of March 2022. From Jeddah, the ship will call Aqaba for Petra in Jordan, Safaga for Luxor in Egypt, then the other Saudi ports of AlWajh and Yanbu before returning back to Jeddah.

 “Located at the cross-roads of the three continents of the old world, Saudi Arabia is exceptionally rich in culture, traditions and heritage. With five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Historic Jeddah and Al-Hijr Archaeological Site in AlUla, both accessible to MSC Magnifica’s guests, the Kingdom offers an unmatched voyage of discovery,” the company said in a statement.

 This itinerary will see MSC Cruises return to Egypt calling at the historic port of Safaga, from where guests will be able to reach Luxor - the world’s largest open-air museum with world-renowned Ancient Egyptian sites. 

To make the holiday stress-free, Fly & Cruise preferred packages will be available thanks to a dedicated partnership with the country’s national airline Saudia, a long-time member of SkyTeam. With Friday night flights out of most major European airports and New York, holidaymakers will conveniently arrive in Jeddah the night before their cruise begins. 

“Thanks to the ship’s late departure on Saturday evening, there will be time to enjoy Jeddah before the cruise departs, making the most of their stay. The same variety of return flights awaits guests for a Saturday morning journey home offering guests maximum of comfort and peace of mind to enjoy their holiday to the utmost,” MSC Cruises said.

Meanwhile, as the company had stated earlier, MSC Virtuosa will also be making her debut in Saudi Arabia as her winter 2021/22 programme in the Arabian Gulf has been enriched with calls in the port of Dammam, visiting AlAhsa oasis, another UNESCO World Heritage site. 

MSC Virtuosa will spend her first winter season homeporting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. From there, the ship will sail to the nearby modern metropolis of Abu Dhabi, on to Sir Bani Yas Island, where guests will have a chance to discover an exotic array of wildlife or bask in the warm sun on the immaculate beaches, all exclusive to MSC Cruises on the days which the ships call. The ship also calls Doha, the futuristic capital of Qatar, before returning to Dubai with an overnight in the city to discover all the marvels it has to offer.