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Carnival sees slower than forecast cash burn, bookings stage strong increase

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 07 April 2021 07 April 2021

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise shipping company, said bookings had stated a strong recovery in the first quarter to 28 February, whereas its cash burn had fallen short of forecast.

The company said its monthly average cash burn rate for the first quarter of 2021 was $500 million, which was better than the $600 million it had expected, primarily due to the timing of capital expenditures. However, the fresh figure was unchanged from the previous quarter.

"The company expects the monthly average cash burn rate for the first half of 2021 to be approximately $550 million, which is better than previously expected,” Carnival said in a statement.

Carnival made a net loss of $2.0 billion in the quarter, which was unchanged from the previous three month period. Liquidity, however, increased by $2.0 billion and amounted to $11.5 billion at the end of February.

Regarding bookings, President and CEO Arnold Donald said: "Booking volumes are accelerating. During the first quarter of 2021 they were approximately 90% higher than volumes during the fourth quarter of 2020 reflecting both the significant pent up demand and long-term potential for cruising."

Cumulative advanced bookings for full year 2022 are ahead of a very strong 2019 as of March 21, 2021. The company highlights this level of bookings was achieved with minimal advertising and marketing. Due to the pause in guest cruise operations in 2020, the company's current booking trends will be compared to bookings trends for 2019 sailings.

Total customer deposits as of February 28, 2021 and November 30, 2020 were $2.2 billion, the majority of which are future cruise credits. “During the quarter, customer deposits on new bookings essentially offset the impact of refunds provided. As of February 28, 2021, the current portion of customer deposits was $1.8 billion, of which $0.7 billion relates to bookings for the remainder of 2021,” Carnival said.

P&O Cruises launch winter 2022/23 programme

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 07 April 2021 07 April 2021

P&O Cruises, the UK focused contemporary market unit of Carnival Corporation & plc, has launched its winter 2022/23 programme, which includes the first cruises of Arvia.

Arvia’s 14-night Canary Islands maiden voyage, departing from and returning to Southampton, is followed by a special Canary Islands Christmas and New Year cruise before a season of seven and 14-night Caribbean fly/cruises from home port Barbados and, new turnaround port, Antigua.

Arvia will be the second of two 185,000 gross ton LNG powered ships of the line and it is due to enter service in 2022. The first unit of the class, Iona, was delivered last year and is due to make its maiden voyage this summer.

"Arvia’s Caribbean holidays all include an overnight call in Barbados with new itineraries also featuring La Romana in the Dominican Republic - a maiden port of call for P&O Cruises; Curaçao; Martinique; St Kitts; St Lucia and St Maarten,” the company said in a statement.

In a P&O Cruises first, winter sun Canary Islands fly/cruises from Tenerife will be available as Azura offers a programme of two alternating seven-night cruises which can be combined to create a 14-night holiday.

Iona will sail a winter 2022 season of Spain, Portugal and Canary Islands holidays featuring overnight calls in Lisbon or Barcelona as well as European city breaks.

P&O Cruises will offer a full world cruise, over 99 nights on Arcadia departing January 3, 2023, includes calls to Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Tauranga New Zealand, and Kuala Lumpur (from Port Kelang).

Aurora’s 65 night circumnavigation of South America will depart January 6, 2023, spending two days in Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, San Antonio and Lima (from Callao) among many more destinations.

Saga Cruises reports very strong bookings for 2022/23

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 07 April 2021 07 April 2021

Saga Cruises, which is part of the UK based financial services to travel group Saga plc, has reported a fall in bookings for 2021/22 from year on, but says that bookings for 2022/23 are very strong.

“Cruise bookings for 2021/22 are lower than the same point last year by 20% and 23% for revenue and passenger days respectively due to our decision to suspend operations for Spirit of Discovery until at least June 2021 and for Spirit of Adventure until at least July 202,” the company said in a statement.

“However, demand is very strong for 2022/23 departures, with revenue and passenger days ahead of the prior year by 160% and 142% respectively. Around 45% of revenue booked for 2021/22 is from customers choosing to rebook cruises cancelled in 2020,” saga said.

The company has two ships of about 57,000 gross tons each that offer an all inclusive product for those over the age of 50, which is the target group to which the company sells its products.

Seabourn receives approval from Greece to relaunch cruises from July

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 06 April 2021 06 April 2021

Seabourn, the ultra-luxury cruise line, together with the Government of Greece is developing plans to restart Seabourn operations in the Mediterranean with a series of sailings operating round-trip out of Athens beginning July 3, 2021.

Seabourn Ovation will operate a series of 7-night cruises exploring beautiful and historic ports throughout the Greek Isles. The voyages are scheduled to open for booking on April 12. Guests will also be able to book longer 14-night voyages, which combine individual 7-night voyages with a variety of different ports on each. Seabourn will take guests to the ports of Agios Nikolaos, Rhodes, Mykonos and Nafplion as well as Limassol, Cyprus on one itinerary. On the other, guests will have the opportunity to experience Patmos, Rhodes, Thira and Spetsai along with a call at Paphos, Cyprus.

Each sailing also includes a sea day for time spent onboard enjoying venues like Earth & Ocean for al fresco dining, cooling off with artisanal gelato made fresh by the culinary team, or a host of activities available aboard Seabourn Ovation. Those who prefer quiet relaxation can find a comfortable chair in Seabourn Square to read or even take time to sit and watch the scenery go by from their private furnished veranda in their suite.

“The entire Seabourn family is truly excited to provide our award-winning travel experience aboard Seabourn Ovation starting again this July in the Greek Isles,” said Josh Leibowitz, president of Seabourn. “We’re grateful to the people of Greece for welcoming Seabourn back to the Mediterranean this summer.”

“Seabourn has been visiting Greece for more than 30 years and we look forward to welcoming their ships back to our unique destinations this summer,” said Honorable Minister Harry Theoharis, Ministry of Tourism – Hellenic Republic. “Tourism is a vital part of our economy and our plans place a priority on health and safety to help restore traveler confidence to all. We are sure that once again all your guests will have the best experiences in Greece creating memories to last a lifetime.”

The cruises are open to any guests that are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. “Fully vaccinated” means a minimum of 14 days following the final dose of the currently approved Covid-19 vaccines being administered. Proof of vaccination and the dates given will be required. Approved forms of documentation will be confirmed closer to time of departure and must be shown at the terminal prior to boarding.

Seabourn passengers will be required to comply with all health protocols that may be in place at the time of their departure. Travelers should check on travel requirements regularly, for both inbound travel and their return home, since policies continue to change based on the latest advice.

Additional initial preventive health measures under Seabourn’s “Travel Safe” program will also be in place including health screening questionnaires, face mask requirements, physical distancing and capacity controls for indoor venues, as well as enhanced environmental sanitation and HVAC upgrades.

Seabourn Ovation will continue to follow stringent health and safety protocols. The brand’s protocols are subject to change as work continues in collaboration with medical experts and government bodies to ensure the practices evolve in line with the latest advice. Seabourn’s priority is to protect the health and safety of our guests, team members, and the people in the communities the brand visits. More details on the protocols are available on the Seabourn website.

Seabourn is finalizing additional details for these voyages, including more information on the shoreside experiences, and will share them in the coming weeks. They will also be posted on the Seabourn website. Guests are encouraged to book early for best suite selection and the brand will offer flexible cancellation terms as well. Guests with existing 2021 Greek Isles bookings will be notified with specific details for their updated itinerary under the same booking number. Airfare is available for purchase at competitive rates using Seabourn’s FlightEase program, which includes complimentary transfers from the airport to the ship. Travelers can also book a private charter flight through Seabourn Private Air, which provides the ultimate in privacy and convenience.

Viking continues restart of limited operations from Bermuda, Iceland and UK

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 06 April 2021 06 April 2021

Viking announced today that it will continue restarting limited operations with a collection of sailings around Bermuda and Iceland beginning in June 2021. As a result of strong demand among past Viking guests in the United Kingdom, Viking has also added two additional sailings of the England’s Scenic Shores itinerary in June 2021. All of Viking’s new Welcome Back voyages will be available exclusively for vaccinated guests, in accordance with local entry rules in many of the destinations that will welcome Viking ships – and as a complement to Viking’s new health and safety protocol enhancements, which were designed to protect guests and crew even while the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is still moving forward. Reservations for the new Bermuda, Iceland and UK voyages are now open.

For the new Bermuda Escape itinerary, Viking Orion will homeport in Hamilton for 8-day roundtrip itineraries; with the new Iceland’s Natural Beauty itinerary, Viking Sky will homeport in Reykjavik for 8-day roundtrip itineraries. For both itineraries, the small size of Viking’s ocean ships will allow convenient access to both small and large ports in Bermuda and Iceland – and both itineraries will be available for a limited time this summer.

Viking has been working closely with officials in the UK, Bermuda and Iceland for months; these destinations were chosen specifically because of their popularity among Viking guests, as well as their commitment to welcoming Viking ships, offering enriching experiences and reviving the travel industry in their respective countries. The company is actively working on developing Welcome Back sailings in a variety of other popular destinations, including Greece, Turkey and Malta – with the goal of announcing further 2021 sailings as soon as government approvals are given.

“We applaud the governments of the United Kingdom, Bermuda and Iceland for their collaboration and support in restarting the cruise industry safely,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “No other travel company has implemented the same science-led approach that includes a vaccination requirement for all guests, plus frequent non-invasive saliva PCR testing among all guests and crew. Therefore, we believe there will be no safer way to travel the world than on a Viking voyage. We look forward to welcoming guests back on board—and welcoming them back to the world.”

Today’s news follows Viking’s recent announcement that it would initially restart operations with domestic sailings in England for UK residents on board Viking Venus® beginning in May 2021. These initial sailings sold out within a week.

Those who sail the new UK, Bermuda and Iceland voyages will also experience Viking’s industry-leading health and safety program. Grounded in scientific research, the Viking Health & Safety Program was developed in partnership with an international team of medical advisors, including Raquel C. Bono, M.D., Viking’s Chief Health Officer. Dr. Bono is a board-certified trauma surgeon and retired Vice Admiral of the United States Navy Medical Corps – and recently led Washington State’s medical and healthcare systems response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing a full-scale laboratory installed on every Viking ocean ship, all guests and crew will receive quick and easy non-invasive saliva PCR tests at embarkation and frequently throughout the itinerary. New air purification technology has also been installed on all Viking ships, which have always featured independent air handling units for all guest staterooms. And additional health checks, sanitization and physical distancing measures will provide further protection for Viking guests and crew at all points of the journey.