18 CRUISE NEWS The Future is Small - Finds Survey!


A SURVEY by the UK’s oldest cruise retailer, Mundy Cruising, has revealed that nearly a third of luxury cruisers are planning to downsize to a smaller ship once coronavirus travel restrictions are lifted. The survey revealed that Mundy clients are bullish


about their future travel plans, with the majority (63%) planning to cruise again in 2021 and a sizable minority (15%) hoping to return to the waves this year if possible. A further 20% plan to cruise in 2022 or later, while just 3% indicated that they would not cruise again. There was also great news for river cruise lines, with 30% of respondents planning a river cruise for their next trip. This renewed sense of optimism about the future


of cruising is reflected in Mundy’s sales figures, with business last month up 63% compared to June 2019. Many clients are opting for itineraries closer to home, with in-demand destinations including the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. More surprising is the demand for North America and the Caribbean, though this tallies with findings from the survey, with 41% of respondents prepared to consider a long-haul trip for their next cruise.


Other key findings from the survey include: l


The majority of respondents (56%) plan to travel on a ship carrying 50-500 guests after coronavirus,


Just 7% plan to travel on a ship carrying more than 1,000 guests in future, compared to 19% before


coronavirus l


an expedition cruise l


l


11% of respondents expect their next cruise to be 26% of respondents would consider a no-fly cruise


from continental Europe, joining their ship by road or rail


The survey results, based on 332 responses, are


great news for Mundy Cruising, who specialise in small ship ocean, river and expedition cruises. “We are buoyed by our clients’ confidence in the


future and their excitement about cruising again,” commented managing director Edwina Lonsdale. “The cruise industry is leading the way in safe global travel, collaborating widely to ensure guests can return safely to their favourite type of holiday.”


Princess Cruises Announces Deployment Changes in Alaska and Europe for Summer 2021


PRINCESS Cruises announced today changes to its deployment in Alaska and Europe for summer 2021 with Majestic Princess arriving to the West Coast and setting sail for her inaugural Alaska season, and Regal Princess returning to Europe. In 2021, guests will be able to experience Majestic


Princess for the first time in Alaska. She will be deployed to Alaska replacing Regal Princess, picking up all Regal Princess published Seattle Inside Passage departures from May to September, except Regal Princess May 4, 2021 departure of a five-day Alaska Sampler which will be cancelled. Regal Princess will sail from Southampton,


England replacing Grand Princess for summer 2021. Regal Princess will sail on 17 roundtrip departures from Southampton to the Mediterranean, Norway, Scandinavia, Iceland and other popular destinations in Europe. As a result of this change, the Regal Princess South Pacific Crossing, and two Grand Princess seven-day Europe cruises will be cancelled. Grand Princess will be deployed to the West Coast


for a new summer Mexico and California Coast season departing from Los Angeles with details to be announced later this summer. Guests booked on Regal Princess Alaska and Grand


Princess Europe voyages will have their booking automatically moved from Regal Princess to Majestic Princess in Alaska, and from Grand Princess to Regal Princess in Europe, and will receive a new booking confirmation.


Crystal Introduces Crystal Confidence 2.0 For All New Bookings


AS TRAVELLERS continue to navigate the uncertainty of planning travel during this time, Crystal is expanding its peace of mind focused booking policies. For a limited time, the new Crystal Confidence 2.0 allows travellers 90 days from the time of booking to place their deposit on all new 2020-2023 reservations across all brand experiences – Crystal Cruises, Crystal River Cruises, Crystal Yacht Cruises and Crystal Expedition Cruises. In addition, the company is relaxing final payment deadlines for all its current savings programmes. Crystal developed the new policy updates in response to the current environment as the global Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact when and where cruising can resume. Differing requirements from countries worldwide and no established guidelines for resumption of service continue to delay cruise lines’ ability to operate, creating uncertainty for cruise lines and travellers alike.


“We understand that many travellers are eager to


begin planning holidays and exploring the world again but may be hesitant to make commitments of travel time and resources during this challenging period,” said Carmen Roig, Crystal’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales.


compared to 44% who preferred this size of ship before l


August 2020 Travel News LOCAL TOUR OPERATOR BLASTS FCO


CRUISE BAN L


OCAL Tour Operator, Travel Solutions, has blasted the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO)


decision to harden its advice on cruise holidays, now advising against all cruise ship travel “at this time”.


In a statement, the FCO said: “The


Foreign & Commonwealth Office advises against cruise ship travel at this time. This is due to the ongoing pandemic and is based on medical advice from Public Health England. “The government will continue to


review its cruise ship travel advice based on the latest medical advice. “If you have future cruise travel plans, you should speak to your travel operator, or the travel company you booked with, for further advice. The initial advisory in March only urged over-70s or anyone with underlying health conditions not to take a cruise, however that advice has been upgraded to a blanket ban on all age groups cruising. Peter McMinn, Managing Director


of Travel Solutions said: “It’s too easy for faceless civil servants to issue blanket bans which have major financial effects on an industry struggling to get back on its feet.


“The very least we would hope is that


the FCO are engaging with the cruise companies to discover the systems being out in place to ensure passenger safety once the ships return to service so that they can review this decision soon.” In a statement, CLIA said: “We have


noted the advisory issued today. The health and safety of guests and crew is an absolute priority for our member lines. “Since the voluntary suspension of operations, we have been working collaboratively with the Government on the road map to resumption involving a ‘door to door’ strategy – from the time of booking through to the passengers’ return home – with enhanced health protocols. We look forward to completing this planning exercise with Government and for the advice to be updated.” Peter Deer, Managing Director at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “We are very clear on our position that we will not resume sailing until it is safe for us


CELEBRITY Cruises’ one- of-a-kind wine program has been recognised, once again, in the Wine Spectator 2014 Restaurant Wine List Awards. 10 of 12 prestigious honours in the cruise category were awarded to Celebrity for its unique wine lists that are featured in each main restaurant. The publication’s “Award of Excellence,” is given for “wine lists that offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.” This is the second year that cruise lines have been included in the awards, which have honoured the world’s best wine lists since 1981. “To be chosen by Wine Spectator for ten of the highest honours in the cruise category, for the second consecutive year, is exciting and reconfirms our commitment to develop a wine programme that represents quality, innovation and an unmatched variety in the cruise industry,” said Chanelle Duarte, Beverage Consultant, Celebrity Cruises. “It’s an honour to receive these prestigious awards and to be recognised for having a serious wine program.” On average, Celebrity’s main restaurants have over 400 wines available, and they are presented as an extensive global collection of fine wines carefully selected to match both the modern luxury brand’s globally influenced blend of classic and contemporary cuisine and the diverse destinations it visits


Peter McMinn of Travel Solutions has blasted the governments advice on cruising


to do so. We chose to voluntarily pause our operations back in March as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and since then have been working tirelessly to prepare our ships, crew and staff for what a return to the water will involve. “We have been working very closely


with the other UK cruise lines and CLIA to consider what the future of cruising will look like, including our procedures for embarkation, onboard and ashore. This has included regular calls with the UK Shipping Minister, Kelly Tolhurst, and the Department for Transport, as well as Public Health England, working together to consider what needs to be done before we can resume sailing. “We have also conducted our own


research to understand what our guests would like to see happening whilst they are on their holidays with us. “When we return to cruising, it will be better, safer and stronger than ever, and we will not do so until we and our guests are confident that it is safe, and that the world is ready to welcome us again.” A spokesman for Norwegian Cruise


Line said: “Despite today’s news, we remain optimistic and hope to relaunch cruise operations in the near future.”


TUI Tests The Cruising Waters on Socially Distanced Trip for German


Guests TUI has tested the waters for a return to cruising by setting sail from Hamburg for a three day trip on the North Sea – where 1,200 passengers will test out a socially distanced cruise experience. The cruise ship normally carries 2,900 passengers. Mein Schiff 2 – literally “My Ship 2”


– set sail for a weekend cruise from the northern port of Hamburg for Norway and spent the weekend at sea with no land stops before returning to Germany. The ship used strict precautions to


keep passengers and crew as safe as possible. On board, passengers and crew were required to stay 1.5 metres (5ft) away from one another or wear protective masks and they will not be able to serve themselves at the ship’s buffet.


across the seven continents of the world. Each of Celebrity’s onboard specialty restaurants also have their own unique wine lists, created with the style of the dining menu in mind. More on Celebrity’s award- winning wine experiences: Designed to please the wide


range of Celebrity’s guests, from the novice wine drinker to the most ardent enthusiast, the upscale main restaurant wine lists are presented in a progressive format, where the wines are grouped by unique flavour profiles. In building the list, each


wine was carefully reviewed by Celebrity’s team of wine professionals and rated based on its unique characteristics. Categories contain wines with similar flavour profiles to help better define a wine in terms of what matters most, its taste. Wines are listed in sequence, starting with wines that are mild to wines that are more powerful, ending with wines on the sweeter side. Wine-savvy guests enjoy more technical language and descriptors included in the list, and guests who are still learning about wine have an opportunity to become more educated and comfortable with the topic.


Celebrity Cruises’ team of


expertly trained sommeliers prides itself on enhancing guests’ wine experience. Each sommelier goes through extensive trainings on wine fundamentals, including viticulture,


Royal Caribbean Group Reinvents Cruise


Industry’s Safety Drill ROYAL Caribbean Group is replacing and redeveloping one of the most recognisable parts of a cruise holiday – the safety drill – with Muster 2.0™, an entirely new approach to delivering safety information


to guests. The


innovative program, the first of its kind, reimagines a process originally designed for large groups of people into a faster, more personal approach that encourages higher levels of safety. With Muster 2.0, the key elements


of the safety drill – including reviewing what to expect and where to go in case of an emergency, and instructions on how to properly use a life jacket – will be accessible to guests on an individual basis instead of a group approach that has been followed historically. New technology, eMuster™, will be used to


Viking River Cruises Adds New Ship to Mekong River


VIKING river Cruises is adding the purpose- built Viking Saigon to its summer Mekong River programme.


The new ship


is currently under construction and is set to launch on August 30, 2021.


Celebrity Cruises Sweeps Wine Spectator Restaurant Wine List Awards


wine making and food and wine pairing; regional knowledge, wine laws and regional terroir; tasting skills; storytelling, which helps sommeliers bring wines to life by painting a picture of its producer, grape varietal, region or even the origin of its label; and future trends. Celebrity offers a variety of


onboard activities and experiences that immerse guests in wine education and enjoyment. These include Riedel comparative wine glass workshops, wine and food pairing events, wine tastings and more.


help provide the information to guests via their mobile devices and interactive stateroom TVs. Holidaymakers will be able to review the information at their own time prior to setting sail, eliminating the need for the traditional large group assemblies. The new approach also enables everyone on board to maintain better spacing as guests move about the ship, and it allows guests to enjoy more of their holiday with no interruption. After reviewing safety information individually, guests will complete the drill by visiting their assigned assembly station, where a crew member will verify that all steps have been completed and answer questions. Each of the steps will need to be completed prior to the ship’s departure, as required by international maritime law.


Crystal Commemorates its 30th Anniversary


CRYSTAL marked a special milestone on July 24, as the company commemorated its 30th anniversary of luxury cruising. On 24th July 1990, Crystal Harmony sailed from San Francisco to Alaska on her maiden voyage debuting a single ship full of innovations including private veranda staterooms, alternative dining venues, extraordinary spaciousness and much more. Since that time, Crystal Cruises has welcomed its two highly awarded ocean ships, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, to the fleet as the company said goodbye to Crystal Harmony in 2005. Genting Hong Kong purchased the company in


2015, empowering Crystal’s vision to expand to new waters in response to its guests’ desire to travel the world in different ways in the embrace of the Crystal brand. Crystal Yacht Cruises launched in December that year with Crystal Esprit, followed by Crystal River Cruises in 2016, which now boasts the youngest and most luxurious fleet on Europe’s rivers. “I am immensely grateful for the officers and crew,


Crystal Society Members and travel partners who have made this 30th Anniversary milestone possible,” said Crystal’s president and CEO, Tom Wolber. “I want to thank all the members of the Crystal Family over the years who had the passion and dedication to create this company, and the vision for all the possibilities it represented, and our parent company, who has continued to empower this vision and steadfastly supports us every day.”


Crystal Symphony 2023 Voyages Now Open for Bookings


RESERVATIONS are officially open for the 2023 itineraries aboard Crystal Symphony, bringing three and a half years of luxury choices to market for discerning travellers. In all, Crystal Symphony will sail 36 all-inclusive itineraries of six to 15 nights, with 23 sailings of 10 nights or less. Itineraries focus in Southeast Asia and


India; the Middle East, Holy Land and Egypt; and the Mediterranean, Baltic and Australia – including a New Year’s Eve celebration in Sydney. For a limited time, the Crystal Confidence 2.0 programme offers guests 90 days from the time of booking to place their deposit on any of Crystal’s Symphony’s newly released 2023 voyages or any 2020-2023 sailings across all brand experiences – Crystal Cruises, Crystal River Cruises, Crystal Yacht Cruises and Crystal Expedition Cruises. In 2023, Crystal Symphony and Crystal


Serenity will sail a total of 68 individual itineraries, ranging from six to 23 nights, with many combinable options for longer journeys. The voyages span 216 ports – with an impressive 10 maiden calls – in 92 countries across six continents. Crystal Serenity will also offer routes in North America – exploring New England and Canada and the Caribbean. Both award-winning ships will offer extended seasons in the Mediterranean and Western Europe in the summer months.


Fred. Olsen Releases Black Sea Discovery Cruise Itinerary


FRED. Olsen Cruise Lines is offering guests a preview into its 2022 itineraries with the early release of a 28-night ‘Black Sea Discovery with the Mediterranean’ cruise, setting sail from Dover in September 2022.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28