From: Bankrate While COVID-19 wreaked havoc on nearly every aspect of the travel industry, the cruise industry was possibly hit the hardest. The pandemic led to the voluntary suspension of worldwide cruising in March 2020, and most cruise enthusiasts have been waiting with bated breath since then. The economic impact has been substantial, both for cruise lines and those they employ. According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), financial losses from mid-March 2020 until the end of September 2020 added up to $50 billion in economic activity worldwide. On top of that, 334,000 jobs were lost in the industry worldwide, which led to $15 billion in lost wages. In the U.S., stats show the cruise industry contributes over $53 billion in economic activity each year, and 421,000 American jobs depend on it. Further, every 30 cruisers from ports in the U.S. support one American job, and each day the suspension of cruise operations continues leads to $110 million in economic losses and the loss of up to 800 U.S. jobs. READ MORE (PRESS RELEASE)_SANTA CLARITA, Calif., (October 14, 2021) – Princess is announcing plans for additional ships returning to service in the United States for February, March and April 2022 sailing from Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver and Ft. Lauderdale. Starting between February 13 and April 22 cruises onboard three additional Princess MedallionClass™ ships will take guests to the Caribbean, Hawaii and the California Coast. Crown Princess, Island Princess and Royal Princess join the eight Princess ships scheduled to restart in 2021, representing 79 percent of Princess’ ship capacity.
“It has been thrilling to have our guests on board enjoying real vacations in Alaska and on the west coast,” said Deanna Austin, Princess Cruises chief commercial officer. “By April of 2022 we will have 11 of our ships back at sea, with the support of government and port officials, creating vacation memories for our guests.” Princess cruises sailing through February 2022 are available for guests who have received their final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise and have proof of vaccination. Crew vaccinations will be in accordance with CDC guidelines. We will continue to monitor the latest guidance from the CDC as well as local, state and federal officials in the ports we sail from and those we visit and will adjust our onboard protocols and vaccination requirements, as necessary. Should our vaccination approach change, we would notify guests prior to final payment. (PRESS RELEASE)_APEETE, TAHITI, October 14, 2021 – U.S. headquartered Windstar Cruises now has two of its six yachts in French Polynesia, making it the biggest small ship cruise line in the region. Windstar resumed cruising in French Polynesia and the Islands of Tahiti in July with vaccinated guests + crew aboard the line’s 148-passenger Wind Spirit sailing yacht, which was specifically designed for the region, capturing the South Pacific trade winds in its billowing sails. Windstar has established roots in Tahiti and amongst the local community while operating in the region for four decades. Wind Spirit typically sails year-round from Tahiti; however, Windstar’s reimagined, new all-suite Star Breeze yacht carrying 312 guests will begin sailings from Papeete on October 17, remaining on a limited engagement until the end of March, 2022. “It gives guests a unique chance to sail in Tahiti on the larger, more amenity-intensive yacht in spacious ocean-view suites,” explained Windstar President Christopher Prelog. “Tahiti and the local Tahitian community are a big part of Windstar’s family, and we are thrilled to have two ships in this amazingly beautiful part of the world for the first time in the company’s history. I am looking forward to a visit soon. “In addition, Star Breeze’s presence will allow Wind Spirit to receive some planned maintenance and updates from mid-November through February without interrupting options for our guests to celebrate milestones, rekindle a romance, or just spend time with friends and family in this spectacular location,” added Prelog. The line’s three all-suite Star Plus Class yachts (Star Breeze, Star Legend, and Star Pride) have been undergoing major transformations, with Star Breeze as the first to launch in June. It has two additional dining experiences (one is an outdoor barbecue concept with grilling guru Steven Raichlen and the other a Spanish small plates restaurant from Anthony Sasso, one of the youngest chefs to be recognized by the Michelin Guide), a true spa and fitness center, an elegant infinity pool, and more outdoor deck and dining areas. Windstar offers a complimentary private event on their Tahiti cruises: an exclusive beach party and locally sourced feast on one of Bora Bora’s tiny motus, followed by a kinetic fire-dancing performance. It is available on all sailings/both yachts. An aft Watersports Platform lowers into the water on both yachts to allow swimming from the yacht. Guests have free access to use all watersports activities including snorkeling gear, floating mats, kayaks, paddle boards, waterskiing and tubing. For more details on Windstar Cruises, visit www.windstarcruises.com. (PRESS RELEASE)_PALERMO, ITALY, October 13, 2021 – U.S. headquartered Windstar Cruises has taken delivery of its all-suite Star Plus Class Star Pride today at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Palermo, Sicily, Italy. The yacht is the third and final of the line’s Star Plus Class yachts to be stretched and transformed over a multi-year, $250 million project that is considered to be the most complex and comprehensive renovation project ever undertaken in small ship cruising. “We are thrilled to have all three of our yachts completely reimagined, from the new, more environmentally-friendly engines to the gorgeous new restaurant spaces, spacious suites, and romantic spas,” said Windstar President Christopher Prelog. “We couldn’t be happier with the results. Our passengers who are already sailing with us on these transformed yachts are raving, giving us higher customer experience scores than we’ve ever received in our company’s history.” Star Pride will remain in Italy until the yacht resumes guest operations in April in the Mediterranean. Sister yacht Star Breeze begins sailing in Tahiti next week, while Star Legend is completing a short season in the Mediterranean before sailing to the Caribbean in November. All three yachts increased in maximum capacity from 212 guests to 312 and now provide more of what Windstar’s customers want, like additional dining experiences (one is an outdoor barbecue concept with grilling guru Steven Raichlen and the other a Spanish small plates restaurant from Anthony Sasso, one of the youngest chefs to be recognized by the Michelin Guide), a true spa and fitness center, an elegant infinity pool, and more outdoor deck areas. These three all-suite yachts, together with Windstar’s three classic sailing yachts, remain small enough to continue to visit the special small ports and waterways of the world. In addition, due to the pandemic, Star Pride and all of Windstar’s yachts received renovations to update HVAC systems, adding new hospital grade high-efficiency particulate (HEPA) filters along with a UV-C air zapping process (ultraviolet germicidal irradiation) to clean the air on board. For more details on Windstar Cruises, visit www.windstarcruises.com. (PRESS RELEASE)_Los Angeles (October 13, 2021) – Viking® (www.viking.com) today announced its newest ocean ship, Viking Saturn®, will join the company’s award-winning fleet in early 2023. The 930-guest sister ship will spend her maiden season sailing three new itineraries in Scandinavian and Nordic countries, including two 15-day journeys, Iconic Iceland, Greenland & Canada and Iceland & Norway’s Arctic Explorer, and the 29-day Greenland, Iceland, Norway & Beyond voyage. In addition to the three new itineraries, Viking also announced today that the company will bring back the popular 8-day Iceland’s Natural Beauty itinerary starting in August 2023. “The thousands of guests who sailed our Welcome Back voyage in Iceland this past summer enjoyed the experience so much they provided record-level ratings,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “These new itineraries are ideal for curious travelers and trace routes of the early Viking explorers to Iceland and other North Atlantic destinations known for their natural beauty. We look forward to welcoming Viking Saturn to our fleet and to offering guests even more ways to explore this unique part of the world in comfort.” New and Returning 2023 Nordic Itineraries: · Iconic Iceland, Greenland & Canada (NEW) – This 15-day itinerary spans Iceland, Greenland and the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Sailing between New York City and Reykjavik, guests will admire the volcanic landscape of the Westman Islands, enjoy the relaxed pace of life in Djúpivogur, and stroll the streets of picturesque towns like Seydisfjördur and Akureyri. (PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, October 13, 2021: Azamara – the boutique cruise line dedicated to Destination Immersion experiences – is pleased to unveil 39 new itineraries across its four-ship fleet for 2023 and 2024. This latest deployment will take Azamara guests to every corner of the world, with each ship embarking in a different location: Azamara Pursuit® in South Africa, Azamara Quest® in South America, Azamara Journey® in Australia and Asia, and Azamara OnwardSM in the Mediterranean and Caribbean regions. Azamara’s winter voyages will also feature several new shore excursions, pre- and post- cruise land programs, and AzAmazing Evenings®, all designed to bring guests deeper into the heart of each destination and spark a sense of wonder as travelers explore the unique culture of each city. “With this itinerary release, we are thrilled to offer over 20 maiden ports, dock in smaller destinations that large ships can’t access, and most exciting of all, for the first time we will have a ship in every corner of the world. In addition, this November we will be unveiling a new, highly requested offering from Azamara, which involves travel across the globe,” says Carol Cabezas, President of Azamara. “From connecting with locals in the tiny village of Boca da Valeria, Brazil; to cycling on the 600-year-old Xian City Wall in China, our new voyages will offer endless opportunities to rediscover yourself through travel and connect to local people and cultures.” (PRESS RELEASE)_CELEBRATION, Fla. (Oct. 12, 2021) – In early 2023, Disney Cruise Line will return to top tropical destinations in the Bahamas – including Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay – as well as the Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera, delighting guests of all ages with one-of-a-kind vacations at sea. A variety of enchanting itineraries will set sail coast-to-coast from U.S. home ports including Miami and Port Canaveral, Florida; New Orleans; Galveston, Texas; and San Diego. Bookings open to the public on Oct. 21, 2021. More details can be found on the Ports and Itineraries for 2023 page of disneycruise.com. Vacations to the Bahamas and Caribbean from Florida Disney Cruise Line will create even more fun in the sun like never before with an array of departures from the Sunshine State in early 2023, visiting tropical destinations throughout the Bahamas and Caribbean. Two ships will sail from Port Canaveral near Orlando, Florida, and a third ship will depart from Miami. Every cruise from Florida includes a visit to Disney’s private island oasis, Castaway Cay. Departing from Port Canaveral, the Disney Wish will sail into 2023 with three- and four-night voyages to Nassau, Bahamas and Castaway Cay. Cruises aboard Disney’s newest ship combine enchanting new entertainment and storytelling, with the unparalleled service and magical moments that guests love when sailing with Disney. (PRESS RELEASE)_Seattle, Wash., Oct. 10, 2021 — Waving flags, cheering team members and a “Welcome Home” sign greeted guests as they joined Holland America Line’s Koningsdam at the Port of San Diego today for the cruise line’s first West Coast departure since the start of the industry-wide pause. The Pinnacle Class vessel is the largest Holland America Line ship to be sailing from the West Coast, and Oct. 10 is the first in a series of 23 seven-day cruise to the California Coast or Mexico that run through April 3, 2022. “We are thrilled to get back to cruising from San Diego and to supporting this wonderful city and the ports we visit along the West Coast — from Mexico to Washington,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “Our guests are eager to be back on board and our team members look forward to reconnecting with them and providing a memorable vacation. We’re ready for a successful season of cruising.” In addition to Koningsdam, Zuiderdam also will sail roundtrip cruises from San Diego on longer Mexico explorations, a grand monthlong voyage to Tahiti, and Panama Canal departures. Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam each make one call in spring 2022. Holland America Line Cruises from San Diego in 2021-2022: Koningsdam
Zuiderdam
Eurodam
Nieuw Amsterdam
About Holland America Line in San Diego: Holland America Line has been homeporting out of the Port of San Diego since the 1990s. For the upcoming 2021-2022 season, the cruise line will bring more than 81,000 guests to the city, which will result in more than $35 million in direct spending. Operationally, each ship visit directly contributes $364,000 to the local economy in provisioning (fuel, food, flowers, piano tuning, supplies), port taxes, and spending. When Koningsdam and Zuiderdam call at San Diego, both ships will be using shore power, reducing the ships’ carbon footprint. Throughout the years, Holland America Line has been actively involved with more than 30 nonprofits in San Diego County through giving, shipboard lunches and cruise donations, including La Jolla Playhouse, San Ysidro Health and Girl Scouts San Diego. For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com. By GERRY BARKER RELATED: USVI Dancers at Seatrade MIAMI BEACH_Pam and I had our first truly memorable travel experience during the honeymoon we spent in the Virgin Islands. We started with a week on the smallest of the islands, St. John, where we had a tent for $10 a night in the national park at Cinnamon Bay. With its pristine waters and pure white sand beaches, it was paradise. Fast forward many years, and many trips back later. I am meeting at Seatrade with Joseph Boschulte, Commissioner for the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, who tells me that same experience today would cost quite a bit more. No doubt! READ MORE AT ALL THINGS CRUISE By GERRY BARKER MIAMI BEACH, Fla._The motto for Atlas Ocean Voyages is “All Inclusive, All the Way.” Now the cruise line that specializes in “luxe adventure” has enhanced that even more. At the 35th edition of Seatrade, Atlas President Alberto Aliberti announced their new “Atlas Assurance” program, which protects guests with medical, travel and legal coverage, in addition to emergency medical evacuation insurance. It is complimentary with the cruise fare. READ MORE AT ALL THINGS CRUISE |
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