Tag: CRUISE NEWS

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE CANCELS MORE SAILINGS

Today December 2, 2020, Norwegian Cruise Line extended the suspension of cruises to include all cruises embarking through February 2021, as well as sailings on the following ships through March 2021; Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Sky, Norwegian Sun, and Pride of America.

Currently, NCL has not suspended cruises in March 2021 for Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Joy.

Guests who have an active reservation on a suspended cruise through March 2021 will automatically receive a refund of their cruise fare in the original form of a payment for the amount paid by January 7, 2021. Additionally, a 10% off coupon will be automatically added to the guest’s account which is valid for one year from date of issue, and can be used for any Norwegian Cruise Line voyage embarking through 2022 and is combinable with any future cruise credits and all future promotions at time of booking.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN SHIP UPDATES FOR 2021-2022

Today Royal caribbean announced updates to their 2021-2022 winter sailings that includes a refreshed line-up of ships and itineraries in the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand. Guests will have even more choices in the Caribbean with ships sailing from the most popular cruise ports across Florida and Texas. In Australia, vacationers can choose from three ships sailing throughout the South Pacific and New Zealand. The new itineraries, combined with Royal Caribbean ships and crew, will deliver the signature vacation experience that guests know and love. Highlights of Royal Caribbean’s updated 2021/2022 Winter season include: 

The Caribbean

  • Explorer of the Seas, which was originally scheduled to sail from Miami, will call San Juan, Puerto Rico home for the season and sail 7-night Southern Caribbean itineraries.
  • Freedom of the Seas, will move from San Juan to the world’s cruise capital of Miami and strengthen short Caribbean escapes with 3- and 4-night cruises to The Bahamas & Perfect Day at CocoCay.
  • Radiance of the Seas, originally planned to sail from Brisbane, Australia, will instead opt for 5- and 9-night sailings from sunny Miami.

Australia

  • Serenade of the Seas,  will make the voyage from Vancouver, British Columbia to Sydney, which will be her homeport through February 2022. Guests can choose to embark on 12- to 15-night cruises around the South Pacific to Fiji and New Zealand, or take a short break in Melbourne and around the east coast of Australia.
  • Quantum of the Seas,  is now slated to sail from Brisbane, Australia, offering a variety of cruises that range from 3-night weekday getaways to 7- to 9-night adventures throughout the South Pacific.  

ROYAL CARIBBEAN MAKES 2021 CHANGES


Today, Royal Caribbean announced updates to their summer 2021 deployment as a result of market research and valuable feedback that they have received from their guests.  These unrivaled itineraries, combined with Royal Caribbean’s award-winning ships, are guaranteed to deliver an unforgettable vacation.
With new options in Europe and additional island time in the Caribbean, this new deployment line-up opens the door for bucket-list adventures — both near and far! 
Reintroducing a desirable Southern Caribbean summer cruise from San Juan and a first-ever season of shorter Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona, the choices are endless. Highlights of Royal Caribbean’s updated 2021 summer season include:
Europe
Adventure of the Seas, which was previously scheduled to sail from Copenhagen and Stockholm, will head to Barcelona offering a mix of 4- and 5-night short Mediterranean itineraries to historic destinations like La Spezia and Rome, Italy; Ajaccio, Nice and Marseille, France; and Palma and Ibiza, Spain. A full season of shorter Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona is a brand first!
Jewel of the Seas, originally planned to homeport in Amsterdam and Barcelona, will now sail from Copenhagen and Stockholm on 7-night cruises calling on Northern Europe’s picturesque ports of Helsinki, Finland; Tallinn, Estonia; and Visby, Sweden.
Caribbean
Independence of the Seas, originally sailing from Fort Lauderdale offering 3- and 4-night cruises, will now make the neighboring city of Miami her home for the summer season and offer a combination of 6- and 8-night cruises to the Southern and Western Caribbean, visiting far-flung islands including Aruba and Curacao.
Vision of the Seas, previously planned to sail from Barcelona, will sail from San Juan, offering a new summer program from the island of enchantment. She will offer 7-night Southern Caribbean itineraries to exotic destinations
like Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis; St. John’s, Antigua; Castries, St. Lucia; and Bridgetown, Barbados.
Brilliance of the Seas, will stay in Tampa for the summer. She will sail 4-, 5- and 7-night cruises to the Caribbean, elevating Caribbean summer sailings from Florida’s west coast.
Updates listed below:

ANOTHER CRUISE SUSPENSION FOR ROYAL CARIBBEAN

Royal Caribbean, in alignment with the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the suspension of all cruise operations is now extended through September 30, 2020 (excluding China sailings).

Royal Caribbean stated “the well-being of our guests, travel partners, crew and the communities we visit remains our utmost priority here at Royal Caribbean. We are committed to health, safety and doing our part to combat the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Royal Caribbean has extended their 3 compensation options prepared for your consideration listed below, specifically those confirmed on sailings departing September 16-30, 2020 and not previously canceled under our Cruise with Confidence offer.

ODYSSEY OF THE SEAS DEBUT IS DELAYED UNTIL 2021

 As we have all been wondering will the new ships that were planned to make their appearance in 2020 be completed on schedule, Royal Caribbean announced today confirming their newest ship Odyssey of the Seas will be delayed.  The health crisis has unfortunately also impacted the shipyard operations, as well as their supply chain. As a result, the debut of their newest fleet member, Odyssey of the Seas, will be delayed, resulting in the unfortunate cancellation of all sailings between November 5, 2020 – April 17, 2021.

Royal Caribbean stated “We are saddened to have to share this news. There’s nothing we wanted more than to launch this revolutionary ship this fall,  but trust us when we say that Odyssey will be well worth the wait”.

Royal Caribbean understands that this update will impact many guests and they want to be sure they’re taken care of. The compensation options from their global suspensions will also apply to these impacted sailings.

When Odyssey of the Seas does arrive, there will be a couple of updates…. to two onboard activities.  The trapeze school will no longer be a feature of the SeaPlex. Also, they are modifying the age restrictions to the Sky Pad. Guests must be at least 7 years old to jump, and at least 13 years old to jump with a virtual reality headset.

So it looks like the Odyssey of the Seas, will now be debuting in 2021.  From what they are saying it will be April, although we will have to wait and see if this remains the case as we lead into 2021.