Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. announced a partnership to create the “Healthy Sail Panel,” a team of cross-disciplinary experts enlisted to guide the cruise industry’s way forward in response to COVID-19.

Mauritian crew members stranded on the cruise ship Norwegian Epic for over 3 months, finally received good news about their repatriation flights back home. A crew member sent us an announcement attached on the crew notice board with details regarding the repatriation flight scheduled on June 28. 

As the cruise industry is suffering its biggest crises in history the cruise companies started to adjust its operational costs any way they can. As a result, a number of employees have already been laid off across all cruise lines. The latest cuts comes from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, with 300 employees on the private island destination Harvest Caye being left without jobs.

More than 200 Mauritian crew members are stranded onboard the cruise ship Norwegian Epic, waiting for a charter flight in order to be repatriated home. As the country has not lifted the ban of its citizens arriving by plane they are desperate after spending more than two months on ship. In order to raise awareness to the government, last night they decided to make a video, beginning the prime minister to allow them to return home. 

Dear Crew, whether you are at home battling through daily tasks, trying to cope with our new reality or still on board, trying to keep sane and healthy, - we are here for you.

Crew Center keeps its hand on crew-news pulse and does an admirable job at helping/supporting whoever we can.

Dear Crew Worldwide,

How are you today? We really hope you are managing as well as it is possible in these uncharted waters. We know it’s scary to find ourselves in this new reality with suspended jobs, no certainty and plenty of challenges to come. So, let’s take a few moments and explore the state of our inner world, our inner selves.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world's largest cruise industry trade association including members such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line, today issued the latest update saying that its members have expanded restrictions on Coronavirus preventive measures. The statement says that CLIA members will deny boarding on their vessels of anyone who has traveled in the affected regions in northern Italy.

Norwegian Seafarers' Union (NSU) has negotiated pay increases for all crew working onboard Norwegian Cruise Line ships for 2020. NSU, representing seafarers around the world reports that this is a successful outcome to their bargaining agreement with NCL.

 “Salary increases usually happen annually following negotiations with the companies we have agreements with.” Says the Union

Vaccination on a massive scale is currently underway at the  Marseilles shipyard (Chantier naval de Marseille) after 16 cases of pneumococcal infection were reported on people working on the refurbishment of the cruise ship Norwegian Spirit. The ship owned by Norwegian Cruise Line is currently in Dry dock number 10 at the port of Marseille, the largest in the Mediterranean and the third biggest in the world.

In just three weeks, an outbreak of coronavirus has spread from the central Chinese city of Wuhan throughout Asia and as far as the United States, to become a global threat. As of January 23, the National Health Commission announced the number of infected patients by the virus has gone to 830, while the death toll has risen to 26 people.