Crystal Symphony to return service in August with sailings from Antigua

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 09 April 2021 09 April 2021

Crystal continues to be at the forefront of the cruise industry’s return as the company announced that Crystal Symphony will sail a series of 15 10-night Luxury Caribbean Escapes round-trip from St. John’s, becoming the first ship ever to homeport in Antigua. Beginning August 5 through December, including a holiday sailing on December 23, Crystal Symphony will visit the coveted island locales of Barbados, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago*, St. Maarten and British Virgin Islands, offering travelers tropical luxuries and ample wide-open spaces to discover the local cultures with plentiful air options from most major U.S. cities. Crystal Symphony’s return to sailing marks the resumption of service for 97% of Crystal’s oceangoing fleet in the summer of 2021. Reservations for the new Luxury Caribbean Escapes open on April 20, 2021.

“The islands of the Caribbean are a warm welcome back to traveling the world, rich in fascinating history and the kind of natural beauty that astounds even the most seasoned travelers, and St. John’s is an ideal home port to begin luxury journeys through such a paradise,” said Jack Anderson, Crystal’s interim president and CEO. “Minister Charles Fernandez and his team, and the local tourism businesses throughout the islands, have been working to renew travel to the islands safely and we are thrilled to partner with them to support economic growth in the region and to deliver the kind of luxuries and hospitality Crystal guests have been craving for the past year.”

He added, “We’re looking forward to welcoming our Crystal onboard family back, as well, as Crystal Symphony’s new itinerary, combined with Crystal Serenity’s Luxury Bahamas Escapes and Crystal Endeavor’s Luxury Iceland Expeditions will mean that nearly all of our Ocean crew members will return to work very soon and we know they are as excited about returning to the seas as our guests.”

"We are delighted to welcome Crystal Symphony and her guests to Antigua and the Caribbean, as this represents an important milestone in reinvigorating tourism here, as well as deeper support of our island communities’ economies as Crystal becomes the first cruise line to homeport on a scheduled basis in St. John’s,” said the Honorable Charles Fernandez, Minister of Tourism and Investment for Antigua and Barbuda. “Together with the local health authorities, we have developed the requisite health and safety protocols to ensure the protection of residents and our guests. With the continued commitment of the government of Antigua and Barbuda and our port operator, Global Ports (Antigua) Ltd., we are certain that Crystal guests will find themselves at home here, as our local businesses and tourism specialists share Crystal’s spirit of hospitality and relish sharing the rich culture and beauty of our islands with travelers.”

“To have Crystal Cruises as our new homeport partner is truly a milestone in Antigua’s cruise history and reaffirms our commitment to the development of our country’s cruise experience,” said Done Regis-Prosper, general manager of Global Ports (Antigua) Ltd. “We are very happy to play an integral role in restarting cruise travel in the Caribbean after this long pause. Having just completed construction of our fifth berth just in time for the start of the season developing our port health and safety procedures in collaboration with local health authorities, we’re prepared to welcome Crystal guests to this beautiful island.”

Crystal Symphony’s Luxury Caribbean Escapes** will take guests to the Caribbean’s most celebrated destinations, famed for their colorful boutiques; intriguing histories still showing Dutch, French, British and other global influences; innate spirit of outdoor adventure; and breathtaking shorelines of brilliant blue waters and powder-soft beaches. The itinerary spends overnights in St. John’s, Bridgetown and Phillipsburg, with sunset-sail-aways in Tobago, Castries and Tortola. While uniformly spectacular, each locale boasts its own character and highlights for Crystal guests.

 

Celestyal Cruises to introduce seven night cruises from Piraeus

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 09 April 2021 09 April 2021

Celestyal Cruises, the Cyprus based cruise line that specialises in the Eastern Mediterranean region, said it would introduce seven night cruises from Piraeus, starting at the end of June.

They would visit Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, Agios Nikolaos, Rhodes and Limassol. The cruises would be operated by the 37,584 gross ton Cristal Olympia.and the first cruise would sail on 28 June.

The itinerary would be repeated weekly until the end of August, after which the ship would be employed on a different itinerary.

Royal Caribbean Group extends suspension of certain sailings while continuing its measured return based on science-backed protocols

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 08 April 2021 08 April 2021

Royal Caribbean Group announced today that it is extending the suspension of some sailings, including all sailings from the United States until June 30, while continuing its measured return to service with more sailings scheduled from different regions around the world.

“Safety is the first priority, and we know that cruising can be safe, as we have seen in Europe and Asia,” said Richard D. Fain, Royal Caribbean Group chairman and CEO. “The rising number of Americans who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, layered on top of the rigorous health and safety measures we are implementing under the Healthy Sail Panel’s guidance, enables us to create a safe environment to take a cruise. We strongly believe that President Biden’s stated goal for society to reopen in time for Independence Day is a realistic goal.”

While we continue to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States and government authorities around the world, we have made the following adjustments to upcoming 2021 itineraries:

Royal Caribbean International

– Suspending sailings through June 30
– Excluding all ships which have recently announced many new homeports around the globe

Celebrity Cruises

– Suspending sailings through June 30
– Excluding all ships which have recently announced many new homeports around the globe

Silversea Cruises

– Suspending sailings through June 30
– Excluding Silver Moon, Silver Origin and Silver Explorer

The Group’s thoughtful return to sailing continues with announcements in the past 30 days of eight more ships that will be welcoming guests beginning in June with science-backed protocols, including vaccines.

Royal Caribbean International

– Adventure of the Seas will sail from new homeport Nassau, The Bahamas, on 7-night cruises that include Perfect Day at CocoCay beginning June 12.
– Vision of the Seas will sail from first-time homeport Bermuda on 7-night cruises that include Perfect Day at CocoCay beginning June 26.
– Jewel of the Seas will sail from its new homeport of Cyprus on 7-night cruises in the Greek islands beginning July 10.
– Anthem of the Seas will sail from Southampton, England, on 4-, 5- and 8-night cruise in the British Isles beginning July 7.

Celebrity Cruises

– Celebrity Silhouette will sail from Southampton, England, on 6- to 8- night cruises around Britain’s coastline beginning July 3.
– Celebrity Apex will make its debut from Athens with stops around the Mediterranean beginning June 19.
– Celebrity Millennium will sail from new homeport St. Maarten with stops in the Caribbean beginning June 5.

Silversea Cruises

– Silver Moon will sail from new homeport Athens, Greece, on 10-night cruises that include Israel and Cyprus beginning June 18.

These ships join Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas, which has been sailing safely in Singapore since December 2020, and Odyssey of the Seas, which, as previously announced, will begin sailing from Haifa, Israel, beginning on June 2.

Royal Caribbean Group continues to work with our Healthy Sail Panel of globally recognized scientific and medical experts to come back stronger, and we look forward to welcoming all of our guests back on board.

Silversea to return service in June

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 08 April 2021 08 April 2021

Silversea Cruises, the leading ultra-luxury cruise line, today announced protocol for its healthy return to service, as well as brand new voyages aboard Silver Moon from June.

In line with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for safe international travel and in recognition of the importance of Covid-19 vaccinations in ensuring the safety of travellers, the cruise line will require all embarking crew and guests to have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The requirement will apply to all Silversea voyages globally, with the exclusion of sailings departing from Australia, for which protocol is still under evaluation.

Setting sail from June 18, Silver Moon – the cruise line’s new flagship – will welcome guests, departing on 10-day itineraries to the Eastern Mediterranean from Greece. Including calls in some of Greece’s most beautiful destinations, such as Santorini, Paros, Mykonos, and Crete, as well as Haifa (Israel) and Cyprus, the new round-trip itineraries will be unveiled and on general sale from April 15.

“Our guests share our excitement for our eagerly-anticipated healthy return to service. In recent months, we have seen the cruise industry resume responsibly in destinations around the world and we are delighted to announce these new inaugural sailings for our flagship,” says Roberto Martinoli, President and CEO of Silversea Cruises. “Vaccinations will play a critical role in ensuring the health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit, which we prioritise above all else. Paired with our science-backed onboard procedures, which leverage on the expertise of the Royal Caribbean Group’s Healthy Sail Panel, vaccinations will enable our guests to travel deep into the world once again, with a renewed sense of appreciation for our beautiful planet. Backed by the Royal Caribbean Group, we have introduced a range of initiatives—including our ‘Cruise with Confidence’ programme and our COVID-19 protections—to enable our guests to travel in superlative comfort and with unwavering confidence.”

Vaccinations will form part of a comprehensive, multi-layered set of science-backed protocol, which, informed and approved by the Royal Caribbean Group’s Healthy Sail Panel, will help to safeguard the health and safety of guests, crew, and visited communities. Silversea will continue to work closely with relevant governing bodies and health authorities to evolve its health and safety procedures, as new health recommendations are issued and as the fluid situation advances.

The protocol includes enhanced sanitation procedures, providing the highest standards of cleanliness in travel; increased air filtration to ensure the supply of fresh and filtered air from outdoors; high-quality onboard medical care with state-of-the-art medical equipment; and enhanced medical teams on each ship.