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Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings collaborate to develop enhanced health and safety standards

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines

Published: 06 July 2020 06 July 2020

Cruise industry leaders Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. announced a collaboration to develop enhanced cruise health and safety standards in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The companies have asked Governor Mike Leavitt and Dr. Scott Gottlieb to serve as co-chairs of a newly formed group of experts called the “Healthy Sail Panel.” The panel is tasked with collaboratively developing recommendations for cruise lines to advance their public health response to COVID-19, improve safety, and achieve readiness for the safe resumption of operations.

The expert panel has been working for nearly a month and will offer its initial recommendations by the end of August. The cruise lines said its work will be “open source,” and could be freely adopted by any company or industry that would benefit from the group’s scientific and medical insights.

“This unprecedented disease requires us to develop unprecedented standards in health and safety,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. “Bringing aboard these respected experts to guide us forward demonstrates our commitment to protecting our guests, our crews and the communities we visit.”

“We compete for the vacationing consumer’s business every day, but we never compete on health and safety standards,” said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “While the cruise industry has always had rigorous health standards, the unique challenges posed by COVID-19 provide an opportunity to raise the bar even higher.”

“Health and safety are the highest priority for all CLIA cruise line members as demonstrated by this initiative on the part of two of our largest members. We commend this and parallel efforts of all of our members, large and small, who are working tirelessly to develop appropriate protocols based on input from health authorities and medical experts in the U.S. and abroad,” said Kelly Craighead, president and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

Fain and Del Rio said they initiated the panel to assure the plans they will submit to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other regulators apply the best available public health, science and engineering insights. The work of the panel will be shared with the entire industry and regulators.

“In convening the Healthy Sail Panel, we sought the participation of a diverse group of leading experts in areas of science and public health that are directly relevant to the considerations listed by the No Sail Order,” said Governor Leavitt. “We view our work as a profoundly important public health effort. The health and safety of passengers, crew, and the communities that cruise ships visit will be the principal focus of this project.”

Dr. Gottlieb said, “We know that the public health issues that must be addressed are complex, and in some areas, tackling them will require novel approaches. Our goal in assembling this team of leading experts was to develop best practices that can improve safety and provide a roadmap for reducing the risks of COVID-19.”

The panel is co-chaired by Governor Leavitt, former Secretary of the U.S. Department Health and Human Services (HHS), and Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The panel’s members are globally recognized experts from various disciplines, including public health, infectious disease, biosecurity, hospitality and maritime operations.

Baltic operator Birka Cruises to cease operations

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines

Published: 03 July 2020 03 July 2020

Birka Cruises, which is part of Rederi AB Eckero group in Finland, has decided to cease operations, the company said in a statement.

The company, which has mainly sold its cruises on the Swedish market, has concentrated on one-night trips between the Swedish capital, Stockholm, and Mariehamn on the Aland Islands, which belong to Finland.

Birka Cruises blamed the economic aftermath of the Covid-19 outbreak and uncertainty regarding the development of the tourist market for its decision to cease business that it had launched in 1971. It was forced to cease sailings in March and to lay off most of its staff.

Birka Cruises has operated the 34,924 gross ton Birka Stockholm that was purpose built to the company in 2004. Unlike the cruise ferries that operate in the region, the 1,800 passenger capacity ship does not have a drive through vehicle deck. Media reports say the ship will be put up for sale.

As it was built for year round service in the Baltic, Birka Stockholm has high ice class – 1 A Super in the Finnish/Swedish system. The ship has four diesel engines that develop in total 23,400kW and they drive two propellers via gearboxes rather than use electric drive, as is the case with most deep sea passenger ships.

Eckero group’s ferry services between the Aland islands and the Swedish mainland and the Finnish and Estonian capitals are not affected.

Two postponed deliveries delay more than $1.0 billion payments to Meyer Werft

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines

Published: 29 June 2020 29 June 2020

Postponed deliveries of two ships mean that Meyer Werft, the German shipbuilder, faces a delay in the payment of more than $1.0 billion to its bank account and the company has to seek funding to fill the gap.

The delivery of Iona to P&O Cruises in the UK that had been intended to take place in May, was first postponed to July and it is now hoped that the delivery could take place at the end of August,  Bernard Meyer, head of the shipbuilder said in a video presentation to the company’s staff.

The postponed delivery, resulting from suspension of cruise operations of the Carnival Corporation & plc unit, means that the shipbuilder will not be able to receive the 80% of the contract price that is due to be paid on delivery until much later than originally planned. Consequently, the company has to seek additional short term funding to maintain its liquidity, Meyer said in the presentation to the staff of the company.

Iona has a contract price of USD1.1 billion, according to Shippax Info, the Swedish cruise and ferry industry publication. The amount due to Meyer Werft on delivery would thus amount to $880 million.

Spirit of Adventure, a newbuilding of about 56,000 gross tons for Saga Cruises in the UK, is also nearing completion and Meyer expects to deliver the vessel at the end of September. It was originally planned to be delivered in August. The ship’s contract price is $330 million, according to Shippax Info, of which the 80% due on delivery amounts to $264 million.

The cruise industry has been forced to postpone the commencement of operations, from early summer to late summer in some cases and in the case of the US, until late this year.

As cruise lines do not know when they can resume operations, it has not been possible to conclude talks about new delivery dates of ships they have on order at the shipyard, Bernhard Meyer said, describing the discussions as “complex.”

Dream Cruises to resume operations at the end of July

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines

Published: 29 June 2020 29 June 2020

Genting Cruise Lines announced the restart of cruise operations for Dream Cruises with Explorer Dream operating two and three-night “Taiwan Island-Hopping” itineraries beginning from 26 July 2020, departing from Keelung and calling at Penghu, Matzu and Kinmen islands.

“After months of detailed planning with the authorities to ensure the safety and health of guests and crew, we appreciate the approval of Explorer Dream resuming cruise operations in Taiwan. Dream Cruises will be the first cruise line in the world to begin sailing after the global cruise industry was shut down due to the pandemic,” said Tan Sri KT Lim, Chairman and CEO of Genting Hong Kong.

“Our new standard operating procedures to ensure passenger safety draws on our first-hand experience from the charter of two of our ships in Singapore to house foreign workers and cooperating with DNV GL, the world’s largest classification society, for Explorer Dream to receive the world’s first “Certification in Infection Prevention for the Marine industry (CIP-M),” he continued.

Taiwan is the ideal destination for Genting Cruise Lines to resume Dream Cruises’ operations with the company’s 25 years of history with the island as both a destination and as a homeport and because of Taiwan’s popularity among travellers due to its scenic splendours and friendly citizens. Taiwan’s low numbers of COVID-19 cases compared to global figures has also been lauded by experts as one of the most effective response scenarios in the world.

Due to the success Taiwan has experienced in controlling the pandemic within its borders, the local authorities have taken the proactive step to reinvigorate their economy and open up tourism. To support this endeavour, Dream Cruise will offer special island-hopping cruises calling into the popular ports and islands of Peng Hu, Matsu Island and Kinmen where Taiwanese guests will again be able to enjoy refreshing short getaways on carefree ocean voyages.

“We thank Taiwan for their initiatives to re-start their economy and the tourism industry and the trust they have placed in Dream Cruises. As well, we appreciate the support of the travel industry in the restart of our cruise operations. This is truly a remarkable achievement which was made possible by the Taiwan authorities’ swift and effective handling of the COVID-19 crisis and their foresight in resuming the tourism industry to benefit all the ports, the economy and the lifestyle of the people of Taiwan,” said Kent Zhu, President of Genting Cruise Line.

During the past few months, Genting Cruise Lines has completely re-examined and enhanced all of its health, hygiene and operating protocols to ensure the safest environment for everyone on board including social distancing in dining, entertainment and public areas, 100% fresh air ventilation in staterooms and operations throughout the ship.

Genting Cruise Lines has also worked with DNV GL, the largest classification society in the world, to adapt their hospital “Certification in Infection Prevention (CIP) for the Marine industry (CIP-M). Explorer Dream will be the first cruise ship in the world to receive the CIP-M certification, which will further verify the procedures and systems in place for the proper prevention, control, and mitigation of infection, to protect her passengers and crew.

In accordance with Taiwan’s regulations prior to resuming sailing, Explorer Dream has undergone a thorough deep cleaning and observation of strict quarantine procedures for her crew. The majority of crew will be from other Genting Cruise Lines ships who have been quarantined for the last 3 months and all will undergo a mandatory 14 day quarantine on land after the ship arrives in Keelung on 30 June. Upon negative nucleic acid test results, an additional 7 day isolation period on board Explorer Dream will provide a total of 21 days of exhaustive preventive procedures before operations begin on 26 July.

To safeguard the well-being of guests, stringent health screening processes and guidelines prior to embarkation, disembarkation and social distancing measures on board, as well as thorough sanitization and disinfection and enhanced hygiene practices for guest cabins and crew member quarters, public areas and recreational facilities, along with safe food and beverage handling procedures will be in place.

For example, all of Genting Cruise Lines’ ships allow for 100% external fresh air to be filtered and supplied to each passenger cabin as well as on board public areas ensuring a constant and healthy flow of fresh air throughout the vessels. Isolation wards are available in the Medical Centre and cabins can be converted into quarantine rooms if required.

As a further testament to the efficacy of the company’s enhanced preventive measures, two of Genting Cruise Lines’ ships, SuperStar Aquarius and SuperStar Gemini, are currently in Singapore as temporary accommodations for foreign workers after successfully completing careful assessment checks covering various aspects including safe distancing practices, the ships’ ventilation systems, and preventive and infection control measures. Throughout this successful initiative in collaboration with the authorities, the company has been able to further refine its standard operating procedures within a real-world context to ensure that all its Genting Cruise Lines’ ships, including Explorer Dream, will be the safest cruise ships for guests in the post-COVID era.