The spread of COVID-19 aboard Mein Schiff 2 has forced TUI Cruises to cancel the upcoming Caribbean voyage. The last-minute cancellation comes as the number of positive cases among the crew has increased exponentially, especially within the service staff, which makes it impossible to maintain daily operations for guests. All passengers will disembark the ship today and tomorrow in Bridgetown, Barbados and will be sent home on charter flights back to Germany.

Cunard’s Mixologist, Ryan Lapag Latumbo is this year’s winner of the maritime division of the United Kingdom’s Bar Tenders Guild National Cocktail Competition. This talented bartender won his division with his cocktail “Sailor’s High Ball” and will join the other UKBG finalists in London in January 2022, for the chance to be crowned, overall winner of the prestigious National Cocktail Competition.

Royal Caribbean International started the “Crew free flow pilot program” allowing independent shore leave for employees on five cruise ships sailing to U.S. ports. The pilot program started last week with 50 crewmembers, from each ship, being granted shore leave on the Anthem of the Seas in Cape Liberty - Bayonne, Liberty of the Seas in Galveston, Allure of the Seas in Fort Lauderdale, Independence of the Seas in Port Canaveral, and Oasis of the Seas in Miami.

Crew Center received a letter from Silversea crew member who said that shore leave in ports is being denied since Silversea restarted cruises. On the cruise ship Silver Moon shore leaves for crew have been restricted since June 8th. Some crew members were only able to go out for 2 hours during tours to supermarkets or another spot when available. The crew member said that they only want the right to go out in ports and they will keep reporting until something is done by the company.

Hundreds of Pullmantur crew members are still waiting to receive their money back after they paid for return tickets. During the pandemic and the global shutdown of the cruise industry the company repatriated its crew back home, however before signing-off the company deducted money from their paychecks for returning airplane tickets, which they never used as the company filed for bankruptcy and two of the ships were sent to the scrapyard.

After Crew Center published two letters sent by crew members on board Norwegian Cruise Line ships, (Can you imagine how it feels not being able to get off in ports? and NCL Crew Demand Shore Leave Restrictions to be Lifted

A week ago Crew Center published a letter sent by a crew member from the Norwegian Breakaway seeking information when NCL will allow its crew shore leave. Crew Center received a subsequent letter, this time from a crew member aboard the Norwegian Epic.

Even though the number of crew members on board in the previous year was incomparably smaller to this year’s number, the Company is determined to continue the tradition that started during the pandemic. This includes a little attention that means the world to someone far, far away from home and families in these special moments. 

MSC Orchestra is one of the latest MSC Cruises ships in the fleet to enter dry dock in Valletta, Malta in a busy year of ships refurbishments. The vessel will stay in Dry Dock for the next two weeks before starting the winter season in South Africa. There are currently around 700 crew members and 100 contractors during the dry dock.

Letter from Norwegian Breakaway crew member - Can you imagine how it feels not being able to get off in ports while guests can?