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Cunard publishes UK summer programme

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 26 March 2021 26 March 2021

Cunard, which is part of Carnival Corporation & plc group, has published a programme of summer cruises from Southampton on Queen Elizabeth

“Voyages will be between July aand October 2021, and comprise of British Isles scenic cruising and special Sun Voyages, sailing to wherever the sun shines brightest.

Ten British Isles Voyages and three Sun Voyages, lasting between three and twelve nights, are available,” the company said in a statement.

British Isles Voyages include scenic sailings along Britain’s coastline including The Jurassic Coast, England’s only natural UNESCO world heritage site, Cornwall including Land’s End and Scotland including the Isle of Arran, Mull of Kintyre and Sound of Mull.

Four voyages will make various port calls, including Liverpool, Greenock, Invergordon, Belfast, Newcastle as well as a maiden call for Cunard’s fleet to the Welsh port of Holyhead.

Given the advanced progress of the UK vaccination programme - more than 30 million doses have been given - and strongly expressed preference on the part of its guests for this limited series of UK coastal cruises, these sailings on Queen Elizabeth will be for UK resident Covid-19 vaccinated guests only. All other voyages on sale currently do not require guests to be vaccinated, Cunard said.

Cunard is the third Carnival group company to publish its summer 2021 cruise programme for the British market - it follows P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises.

Also, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines and MSC Cruises have unveiled corresponding programmes and Marella Cruises, which is part of the TUI group, has indicated that it would also offer similar cruises this summer. Most of these do not include calls at any ports.

Photo: Queen's Room on Queen Elizabeth

Two Royal Caribbean Group units to cruise Eastern Mediterranean in summer

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 March 2021 25 March 2021

Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, both parts of the Royal Caribbean Group, will operate a series of cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean this summer.

Celebrity Apex will commence a series of seven night cruises from Athens on 16 June that include calls at Mykonos, Rhodes and Santorini, Greece; Limassol, Cyprus; and Haifa and Jerusalem, Israel. The sailings will open for booking on March 30 and the cruises will operate through to September.

“Celebrity Apex will sail with all crew and guests above the age of 18 vaccinated against Covid-19, and those under the age of 18 with negative PCR test results. The announcement comes just days after Celebrity Cruises announced its Caribbean comeback with 7-night summer cruises departing from St. Maarten also beginning in June,” Celebrity Cruises said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean International will offer seven night cruises departing from Limassol, Cyprus. "Starting July 10, Jewel of the Seas will call Cyprus home for the first time and sail to the picturesque shores and ancient ruins in Cyprus, Greece and the Greek Isles through October. Travelers can visit a combination of culture-rich cities and idyllic islands, including Limassol, Athens, Greece and the Greek islands of Rhodes, Crete, Mykonos and Santorini,” Royal Caribbean International said.

Earlier this week Royal Caribbean announced a series of sailings from Bermuda onboard Vision of the Seas.

Phptos: above, Celebrity Apex, below, Jewel of the Seas

Royal Caribbean increases note offering

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 25 March 2021 25 March 2021

Royal Caribbean Group, the world’s second largest cruise shipping group, said it had increased a private offering of senior unsecured notes due in 2028 to $1.5 billion from $1.25 billion due to strong demand.

It also said it had priced the notes at 5.50%.

“The Company intends to use the proceeds from the sale of the Notes to repay principal payments on debt maturing or required to be paid in 2021 and 2022, and the remaining for general corporate purposes (including to pay fees and expenses in connection with such repayments),” it said in a statement.

Photo: Silver Moon of Royal Caribbean Group member Silversea Cruises

Royal Caribbean in $1.25 billion five year note offering

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 24 March 2021 24 March 2021

Royal Caribbean Group, the world’s second largest cruise shipping company, has announced that it has commenced a private offering of $1.25 billion aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured notes due 2028.

Marella Cruises plans to launch UK domestic cruises

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 24 March 2021 24 March 2021

Marella Cruises, the UK focused contemporary market cruise unit in the TUI AG group, plans to launch domestic cruises in the UK this summer.

Managing Director Andrew Flintham of the northern region of the TUI group said in a webcast interview: “You will see us operating either domestically or in a more limited way to start with while they prove the regulation that is needed.”

“We will shaped by the opportunity. The team is looking at a multitude of scenarios; Dover has never looked so attractive,” he said in an interview with Travel Weekly. He did not elaborate.

P&O Cruises, MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines are among the cruise lines that have unveiled similar programmes and Cunard has said that it would launch its own itineraries soon.

Marella Cruises has four ships left of a fleet that comprised six units prior to the pandemic, but it axed Marella Celebration and Marella Dream, the two remaining 1980s built vessels from is fleet since then.