MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique made an announcement about MSC’s next-generation ships, the World Europa will have two 75 kW solid oxide fuel cells onboard running on natural gas. The ship’s power will be produced from a liquid natural gas that will run the main engines.
The new variant of COVID, Omicron is new to us but has a swift impact worldwide. Caused several restrictions for many countries and hit many companies, especially the travel companies. This is one more obstacle for the cruise industry traveling to ports around the world. The questions that need to be answered are: whether the new variant is more transmissible and will the vaccines be less effective?
Being on a 21-month operational pause, the Royal Caribbean's vessel is finally sailing again. This news is followed by launching a new program that presents Barbados as a new homeport. Bridgeport, Connecticut is where the Vision-class vessel sailed from, to offer itineraries ranging from seven to fourteen nights, fulfilled with exploring of the islands around the Southern Caribbean and Latin America, including some new ports of call as well.
Despite the strict measures and immunization policies against the COVID-19, NCL’s cruise ship Norwegian Breakaway, returned to New Orleans with 17 positive cases, including one “probable case” of the Omicron variant in a South African crew member. The ship departed from New Orleans on the 28th of November visiting Belize, Honduras and Mexico, with 3,200 passengers onboard.
The cruise ship Nautica operated by Oceania Cruises is under quarantine after several contractors and crew members onboard tested positive for Covid-19, reports one crew member currently on board. Nautica is at the wet dock in Genoa, Italy for refurbishment when the first cases were reported and lock dock was announced by the Port on December 3. The crew member said that the virus originates from contractors who boarded after the ship entered the port.
Late on Saturday evening, around 10 p.m. as announced by the German Society for Rescue of Shipwrecked People (DGzRS) the crew of the rescue cruiser "Hans Hackmack" in Cuxhaven has received an emergency call about a sick child. The sea rescuers responded immediately and started off a corresponding rescue operation for the toddler, arriving alongside the 300-meter AIDAprima in the Elbe estuary.
The trio planned to return to Alaska - Ovation, Quantum and Radiance of the Seas will be joined by Enchantment of the Seas, on seven-night voyages in 2023. Ovation and Quantum of the Seas to set sail from Seattle and give passengers the unforgettable experience of observing the North Star in their observation capsule and the iFly skydiving simulator on board.
It is a milestone for St. Kitts to welcome guests from four cruise ships, emphasized by the fact that three of them belong to one cruise company, Celebrity Cruises. The cruise ships Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Apex, and the German operator AIDA, with AIDAluna docked on this beautiful island on December 7.
The Norwegian Dawn, as the 10th ship in the NCL fleet to resume cruises, welcomed guests back on December 8, with cruises from Tampa in Florida. Adding NCL to the choice list for those wishing to sail from Tampa, makes four major US-based cruise lines: Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Line.
The Island Escape ferry was involved in an accident on Monday night and certainly will need time before it resumes transporting passengers. According to the ferry crew, the control system failed, which caused it to drift for a while and soon after, collided with the docked cruise ship Aida Luna, at St John’s Harbour, Antigua.
