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Couple complete equivalent of 20 marathons in lifeboat fund raising drive

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 April 2023 21 April 2023

A British husband and wife team have completed the equivalent of 20 marathons as Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ ship Borealis travels ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ – in a bid to raise £10,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) that operates lifeboats on the coasts of Britain, the company said in a statement.

Following as closely as possible in the footsteps of fictional explorer Phileas Fogg, smaller ship Borealis set sail on the ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ cruise at the end of February, with Stephen and Claire Ward, from Wellington in Somerset, among the guests due to join.

However, when Stephen was unable to join at the last minute, the couple decided to continue with the feat to complete the equivalent of 10 marathons each - with Claire tallying up her miles on board, and husband Stephen completing his ashore, including by running the Brighton Marathon earlier this month. The pair have already completed 22 marathons between them, and plan to continue to see how many they can accomplish in total.

To help the couple towards their fundraising, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines challenged other guests and crew aboard Borealis to see if they could travel the 30,828 miles of their cruise by walking, running, cycling, swimming or any other means before the end of the cruise in May.

Guests have been competing sponsored laps of the deck and are able to log any miles walked ashore as they explore, while crew have been completing sponsored relay races in the pool, and have so far travelled 15,659 miles.

As a united team effort, Stephen, Claire, guests and crew have raised £5,055 for the RNLI – with over three weeks still to go before Borealis arrives back in Southampton on 13 May 2023.

P&O Cruises publishes summer 2025 programme

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 April 2023 21 April 2023

P&O Cruises, the UK focused contemporary market unit in the Carnival Corporation & plc group, has released a series of holidays for summer 2025.

This includes new ports of call and itineraries alongside introductory offers, including a 10% saving on applicable Select Price holidays, as well as a 10% low deposit offer, the company said in a statement.

Holidays booked by June 5, 2023 and departing between March and October 2025 will include:

10% guest saving. Guests can save 10% on applicable Select Price summer 2025 holidays
10% deposit offer. Available on applicable Select Price or Early Saver holidays
Extra guests sail free of charge. When guests book an applicable holiday departing between March and October 2025, third and fourth guests in the cabin can sail free of charge. This offer is available on selected off-peak cruises sailing from and to Southampton for six nights or more when sharing an applicable inside cabin with two adults paying full fare.

New holiday highlights

New British Isles cruises

Britannia - to celebrate its 10 year anniverary, flagship Britannia will offer guests a homeland adventure on a 14-night British Isles cruise. Ports of call include Belfast where guests can explore the mythical site of The Giant’s Causeway and an overnight stay in Liverpool with the opportunity to follow in the The Beatles footsteps. Prices start from £1,179 for an inside cabin.
Aurora – a new 16-night British Isles holiday on board Aurora will call to Waterford (from Dunmore East) in Ireland – a first for the fleet since 2015. Prices start from £1,529 for an inside cabin.

New Mediterrranean ports of call

Arvia – P&O Cruises newest ship Arvia will call at two new ports on its Western Mediterranean itineraries, Toulon (France) with shore experiences to St Tropez and Malaga (Spain) with shore experiences to the Picasso Museum or hiking the narrow gorge of Caminito Del Rey (The King’s Little Path). Prices start from £849 for an inside cabin.
Arcadia – Arcadia’s 19-night Mediterranean holidays will include a maiden call to Granada (from Motril) in southern Spain with shore experiences to the Alhambra, one of the finest Islamic buildings in Europe. Prices start from £1,729 for an inside cabin.

New Norway and Scandinavia itineraries

Aurora – a new 16-night Northern Europe and Scandinavia cruise in July 2025 will include ports of call to Copenhagen and Gdansk (from Gdynia). Prices start from £1,399 for an inside cabin.
Britannia – a new 14-night Northern Europe and Scandinavia cruise in August 2025 will include an overnight port of call to Copenhagen. Prices start from £1,099 for an inside cabin.
Iona – On selected Iona holidays to Norway, guests will call at Flåm following successful calls in 2022. Prices start from £679 for an inside cabin.

New time in destination

Azura – on selected 14-night Mediterranean fly-cruise holidays on board Azura, guests will be able to enjoy two full days in Valletta to spend more time experiencing Malta’s diverse mix of culture, history and beaches. Prices start from £999 for an inside cabin.

New USA port of call

Aurora – on USA and Canada holidays on Aurora, guests will call to new port Rockland (Maine), famous for its lobster and windjammer boats. Prices start from £3,249 for an inside cabin (R517)

Swan Hellenic partners with JRE - Jeunes Restaurateurs

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 April 2023 21 April 2023

Swan Hellenic, the Cyprus based expedition cruise line, said that it has partnered with JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs to create Maris, a tailored dining experience, lived with the gourmet organisation’s chefs.

“Maris brings a different JRE leading light aboard in a series of exclusive cultural expedition cruises on Swan Hellenic’s elegant designer ships SH Vega and SH Diana.”

“Here, they take guests on a parallel voyage of discovery, exploring the celebrated culinary creativity that has made their name, driven by a passion for tradition, sustainability and quality local ingredients,” the company said in a statement.

SunStone takes delivery of Ocean Albatros

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 21 April 2023 21 April 2023

SunStone Maritime Group A/S, the world’s largest tonnage provider to the expedition cruise industry, has taken delivery of the sixth Infinity class vessel, the Ocean Albatros. “Final documents were signed on Thursday, April 20, completing delivery of the vessel from the CMHI Shipyard in Haimen, China, to the SunStone companies. She will now begin repositioning before going on a year-round charter to Albatros Expeditions,” the company said in a statement.

The Infinity series is the product of collaboration between European design and technology and Chinese shipbuilding efficiency, resulting in an expedition cruise vessel with best-in-class safety and comfort features as well as high operating efficiency. The Infinity series has been awarded the Magellan Awards Gold Medal for two consecutive years. Albatros Travel won the gold medal for the Ocean Victory as the Overall-Eco-Friendly “Green” Cruise Ship in 2021, and Aurora Expedition received the gold medal for the Greg Mortimer as the Overall-Eco-Friendly “Sustainable” Cruise Ship in 2022, SunStone said.

Infinity class vessels are 104 meters long and 18 meters wide, with a draft of 5.1 meters. They feature a passenger capacity between 130 and 200 and a crew capacity between 85 and 115. The Vessels feature the X-Bow® by Ulstein Design & Solutions.

They are Ice Class 1A, Polar Code 6, and are being built with Safe Return to Port, Dynamic Positioning, and Zero Speed Stabilizers. They are both large enough to provide all expected services and amenities, including a swimming pool, bar and restaurants, lounges, a boutique, a gym, a spa, and a sauna, while still being small enough to create an exclusive atmosphere.

Six Infinity Class new builds have now been delivered: the Greg Mortimer, the Ocean Explorer, the Ocean Victory, the Sylvia Earle, the Ocean Odyssey, and now the Ocean Albatros. The seventh and final Infinity Class vessel will be delivered in 2025. All vessels ordered have long-term charter agreements in place.

MSC Cruises launches year-round sailings from New York City on MSC Meraviglia

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 20 April 2023 20 April 2023

MSC Cruises – the world’s third-largest and fastest growing cruise line – arrived in New York City this morning when MSC Meraviglia docked at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Starting Saturday, the modern and glamorous megaship will sail from the Big Apple to The Bahamas and Florida, Canada and New England, and Bermuda. Itineraries will be available year-round, resulting in a sizeable and ongoing economic impact to the region and confirming MSC Cruises’ commitment to the New York cruise market.

MSC Meraviglia is one of the world’s biggest ships, with a long list of activities and amenities to match. She is known as “The Ship for All Seasons” thanks to expansive indoor and outdoor public spaces and a pool deck with a roof that opens and closes depending on the weather. MSC Cruises is deploying the ship to New York as part of an ongoing pledge to bring its largest, most modern ships to the U.S. market as it continues to grow in the region. New York City joins Miami and Port Canaveral on the cruise line’s roster of North American homeports.

Rubén Rodríguez, President, MSC Cruises USA, said: “When we chose New York as the next step in our North American expansion, we knew that MSC Meraviglia would be the perfect ship, given her versatility and offerings for a wide variety of climates. She’s big and innovative, she offers something for everyone, and now she’s more accessible than ever for our guests in and around New York. We’re thrilled to give guests from the Northeast a direct link to our private destination – Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve – which is part of our fantastic itineraries to The Bahamas. As the year goes on, they’ll have other options like spending several days exploring Bermuda, or heading north for the breathtaking fall foliage in Canada and New England."

Itineraries from New York on MSC Meraviglia include:
– The Bahamas and Florida – Tropical 7- to 11-night sailings with a selection of destinations including Miami and Port Canaveral, Florida; Nassau and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, The Bahamas; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico.
– Bermuda – Starting in August, guests can enjoy 5- and 6-night sailings to Kings Wharf in Bermuda, with several days in port to explore the beauty of the island.
– Canada and New England – Just in time for the fall, MSC Meraviglia will offer 10- and 11-night itineraries calling at Newport, Boston and Portland in the U.S and Saint John, Halifax, Charlottetown, and Sydney in Canada.

Economic impact

According to data from the NYC Economic Development Corporation and CLIA, the Cruise Lines International Association, MSC Cruises’ expansion to New York City and ongoing deployment of MSC Meraviglia in the region is expected to generate significant economic impact:
– Up to 10,000 full time-equivalent jobs, including the direct hiring of 150 New Yorkers to facilitate terminal operations in partnership with SMS International Shore Operations and NYC’s Workforce1.
– More than 200,000 domestic and international visitors to the city each year.
– Up to $102 million in local spending each year while those visitors are ashore.