Like many nations struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic, Myanmar faces additional destabilizing risks from the military coup. Cruise ship crew members from this country shared their concerns about the current situation and worries that this might affect their next sign-on date. In hopes that the cruise lines will not forget them they sent an open letter voicing their concerns.

Today Diamond Princess collected crew members from the Philippines and senior officers from other nationalities which will be later transferred to other Carnival Corp. cruise ships in the region.

P&O and Princess Cruises announced a series of short itineraries sailing from the United Kingdom this Summer with strict corona vaccination requirements. Only British citizens are allowed to board the ships, with proof that they've been fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

The float out ceremony of the cruise ship Discovery Princess, took place today at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. The 145,000 gross tons Discovery Princess is the sixth ship of the Royal class, built on the basis of the successful project for Princess Cruises, further consolidating Fincantieri's long-time partnership with Carnival Corporation. The shipyard will now start Interior fittings, leading the vessel to delivery, scheduled for 2022.

The new Interim orders announced by the Canadian Minister of Transport, the Honorable Omar Alghabra, banning cruise ships in Canadian waters until February 28, 2022 has put Alaska cruise season on ice. The big reason why the latest Canadian ban on cruise ship impacts Alaska season is that there is no getting to Alaska without stops being made in Canada. The Jones Act requires foreign-flagged cruise ships to stop at a foreign port between U.S.

The former Princess Cruises ship, Sea Princess received a new hull art and has been officially renamed to “Charming”. The 77,499 gross tonnage vessel has completed the dry dock refurbishment on January 28, 2021 in China Merchants Industry Holding Co shipyard at Mazhou Island.

Azamara has announced today that they have bought another R-class ship and the cruise line now has a fleet of 4 vessels. Azamara’s new owner Sycamore Partners has confirmed the cruise line has bought the cruise ship Pacific Princess, just days after Princess Cruises confirmed the sale. The latest addition to the fleet will undergo full renovation, and the ship, which will be renamed, will sail its inaugural season in Europe in 2022.

Princess Cruises announced today that the company is canceling voyages on all 15 ships in the fleet through March 31, 2021. In a press release, the company said the reason for extending its pause in global operations is to allow more time for the preparation needed for completing required activities by the CDC "Framework for Conditional Sailing Order" prior to sailing and taking into consideration the temporary seven-day cruises cap on itineraries that call at a U.S. port. 

Today the popular cruise website Cruise Capital reported that Princess Cruises has sold two of its cruise ships as part of Carnival Corporation restructuring plan to sell 18 ships from its fleet this year amid the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Diamond Princess Captain Gennaro Arma was honored with the recognition of Magister of Amalfi Civilization for the Byzantine New Year for his role as a leader of the ship that was quarantined for nearly a month in Yokohama, Japan. Known as "The Brave Captain" among his crew and passengers, Captain Arma demonstrated incredible leadership at the helm of the Diamond