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Royal Caribbean Group offers shares and notes for total of up to $1.07 billion

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 13 October 2020 13 October 2020

Royal Caribbean Group, the world’s second largest cruise shipping company, said it has commenced an offering of equity and convertible notes for a maximum value of $1.07 billion, the company said in a statement.

The equity offering comprises an underwritten public offering of $500 million of shares of common stock and the company intends to grant the underwriters an option to purchase up to $75 million of additional shares.

The company also has commenced a private offering to eligible purchasers of $500 million aggregate principal amount of senior convertible notes due 2023. The amount could be increased up to $575 million aggregate principal amount if the initial purchasers exercise in full their option to purchase additional convertible notes , the company said.

Mystic Invest buys Vasco da Gama

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 13 October 2020 13 October 2020

Mystic Invest Holding, the Portuguese company that has foothold in river and expedition cruising and the construction of these vessels, has bought the 1993 built Vasco da Gama at an auction in the UK, Tradewindsnews.com reports on its website.

The ship, which had started life as Statendam of Holland America Line, was the first of five ships formerly operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV), a UK based destination focused cruise operator, which went out of business in the aftermath of the Covid 19 pandemic.

The report said that Mystic Invest would look at the British and German cruise markets to employ the 55,451 gross ton vessel. It is by far the largest vessel the company owns. CMV was also active in both markets and Vasco da Gama sailed from German ports during the summer.

Mystic Investment last year sold a 40% stake in its cruise unit to Certares, a New York based hospitality focused investor, for €250 million. The unit includes Mystic Cruises expedition cruises operator and two river cruise companies, Nicko Tours that has presence on 12 rivers and which is based in Germany, plus Douro Azul that operates on Portuguese waterways. In the U.S. Mystic owns Atlas Ocean Voyages.

Mystic Invest owns in full the WestSEA shipyard in Portugal, where it is building its expedition ships.

The remaining four ships that CMV chartered from the same Greek principal would be auctioned later, one at a time.

New venture promotes ex Pacific Dawn as floating business community

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 13 October 2020 13 October 2020

A new venture is promoting the former Pacific Dawn of P&O Cruises Australia as a floating business community, the company in question says on its website.

To be called Satoshi, the ship will offer 777 cabin condos plus fitness and medical facilities. “We are passionate crypto entrepreneurs and we wanted to create a place for blockchain (and non-blockchain) enthusiasts to live and work in crypto friendly environment. All onboard businesses will accept bitcoin, US dollar sand other forms of payment,” Ocean Builders, the company behind the venture, says.

The first 100 cabins would go for auction on 5 November, it said.

The ship had been sold to a Greek company that was to long term time charter it to Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) in the UK, but the sale fell through following the collapse of CMV in the summer.

Jalesh Cruises goes out of business

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 13 October 2020 13 October 2020

Jalesh Cruises, which operated the former Crown Princess as Karnika on the Indian market, has gone out of business, MumbaiLive. com reports on its website.

The 1990 built vessel has not operated since the spring due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the crew that remain onboard is facing in dire conditions with e.g. no fuel, the report said.

The 69,845gross ton ship started life as Crown Princess of Princess Cruises in 1990 before spending seven years in Germany, first as Arosa Blu and then Aida Blu. In 2007, the carnival group transferred the ship to the UK, where it operated as Ocean village Two until 2009, when it became Pacific Jewel of P&O Cruises Australia for 10 years.

A company called Zen Cruises acquired the ship last year and Jalesh Cruises, a new operator, introduced it on the Indian source market as Karnika.

Carnival Cruise Line cancels Miami and Port Canaveral cruises for November 2020

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 12 October 2020 12 October 2020

Carnival Cruise Line has notified guests and travel agents that it is cancelling the remaining cruises for the six total ships operating from PortMiami and Port Canaveral for November 2020.

It has also cancelled five cruises scheduled to operate from Sydney, Australia from Jan. 16 – Feb. 8, 2021.

Following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) decision to extend its no-sail order for cruise operations until Oct. 31, Carnival cancelled all but PortMiami and Port Canaveral cruises for the rest of the year. It has now determined that November 2020 operations will not be feasible.

Carnival continues to work on protocols and procedures that would allow for the resumption of cruise operations, with a gradual, phased-in approach, designating Miami and Port Canaveral as the first two homeports for embarkations. Cruises currently scheduled for December from those two homeports remain in place for the time being while Carnival evaluates options. However, guests booked on cruises in December out of Miami and Port Canaveral still have the ability to voluntarily cancel their reservation and receive the same offer that all other impacted guests are receiving, which includes a combination future cruise credit (FCC) and onboard credit (OBC), or a full refund.

In Australia, Carnival is notifying guests and travel agents that five cruises on Carnival Splendor from Jan. 16 – Feb. 8, 2021 have been cancelled. Those guests will receive the same offer of the combination FCC/OBC, or a full refund.