Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty announced that the company is ramping up testing for vaccinated passengers on many of its voyages. Beginning August 8, testing will be required for unvaccinated guests on all trips and for vaccinated guests only on trips of six nights or longer.
Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, Co-Chairman of A&K Travel Group, Christina Levis, CEO of A&K Travel Group, and Fincantieri Shipyard executives welcomed the arrival of the recently acquired 'Cristal Symphony' and 'Crystal Serenity' in Trieste, Italy, where the ships are being refurbished.
The new Seabourn Venture officially entered service in Norway, as Seabourn's first purpose-built expedition ship, the ultra-luxury cruise ship welcomed guests to Tromso on a voyage to Svalbard. The one-way itinerary sails to the North Cape and the Northern Islands before ending in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen. In addition to visits to Storstappen Island, Hornvik, Skarsvag and Bear Island, the expedition includes a seven-day in-depth exploration of the Svalbard archipelago.
The German police are investigating two fires that broke out on the cruise ship Arvia, which is currently under construction at Meyer-Werft Shipyard in Papenburg. The small fires that broke out two weeks ago were located at the storage room where workers found a burning garbage bag, and inside a nearly completed cabin, said the police spokesperson. During the incident, one security guard was hospitalized and treated for smoke inhalation.
Princess Cruises is making a series of adjustments to some of its planned Alaska routes due to the recent decision to close Skagway, Alaska berth off the White Pass Railroad.
Virgin Voyages cruise ship the Valiant Lady will be home to the next episodes of the hit romantic reality show, “The Bachelorette,” beginning on August 1 on ABC.
Holland America Line guests and team members celebrated a major milestone this weekend, marking one full year of returning to sailing after the cruise industry was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nieuw Amsterdam was the first ship back on the line, resuming her cruise on July 24, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. The ship reached the one-year mark while in port in Wither, Alaska.
Tradewind Voyages has suspended sailings until October as it continues to "restructure its operations and financing" after sanctions were imposed on its main lender, Russia-based bank VTB Germany. The tall ship line suspended cruise sales last month and warned the trade and passengers to "expect" cruise cancellations.
Finally, after 10 years the Italian Republic will honor the late Costa Cruises crew member Giuseppe Girolamo, with the highest award for Civil Valor. The award honors Giuseppe’s act of exceptional courage that clearly manifest solidarity, recognizing his heroic act to save others during the Costa Concordia disaster.
Royal Caribbean International celebrated Enchantment of the Seas 25th Birthday, one of the company’s most mature ship. This legendary vessel was completed in Finland back in July 3, 1997, and was one of the first-ever liners to have Dynamic Positioning System.
