More News

CDC issues next phase of the Conditional Sail Order for cruise ship operators

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 April 2021 03 April 2021

Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the next phase of technical guidance under the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) requiring cruise lines to establish agreements at ports where they intend to operate, implement routine testing of crew, and develop plans incorporating vaccination strategies to reduce the risk of introduction and spread of COVID-19 by crew and passengers.

This phase, the second of the CSO issued in October 2020, provides technical instructions on:

– Increasing from weekly to daily the reporting frequency of COVID-19 cases and illnesses.
– Implementing routine testing of all crew based on each ship’s color status.
– Updating the color-coding system used to classify ships’ status with respect to COVID-19.
– Decreasing the time needed for a “red” ship to become “green” from 28 to 14 days based on the availability of onboard testing, routine screening testing protocols, and daily reporting.
– Creating planning materials for agreements that port authorities and local health authorities must approve to ensure cruise lines have the necessary infrastructure in place to manage an outbreak of COVID-19 on their ships to include healthcare capacity and housing to isolate infected people and quarantine those who are exposed.
– Establishing a plan and timeline for vaccination of crew and port personnel.

The next phase of the CSO will include simulated (trial) voyages that will allow crew and port personnel to practice new COVID-19 operational procedures with volunteers before sailing with passengers.

CDC is committed to working with the cruise industry and seaport partners to resume cruising when it is safe to do so, following the phased approach outlined in the CSO.

COVID-19 vaccination efforts will be critical in the safe resumption of passenger operations. As more people are fully vaccinated, the phased approach allows CDC to incorporate these advancements into planning for resumption of cruise ship travel when it is safe to do so. CDC recommends that all eligible port personnel and travelers (passengers and crew) get a COVID-19 vaccine when one is available to them.

Cruising safely and responsibly during a global pandemic is difficult. While cruising will always pose some risk of COVID-19 transmission, following the phases of the CSO will ensure cruise ship passenger operations are conducted in a way that protects crew members, passengers, and port personnel, particularly with emerging COVID-19 variants of concern.

CDC will continue to update its guidance and recommendations to specify basic safety standards and public health interventions based on the best scientific evidence available.

Viking.TV celebrates one year of programming

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 April 2021 01 April 2021

Viking this week marks the one-year anniversary for its enrichment channel, Viking.TV (https://viking.tv/). Launched last March, in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Viking.TV was conceived as a way to build community, stay connected and share positive experiences while people are staying home. As of this week, Viking.TV has broadcast more than 340 live sessions featuring original cultural content and virtual Privileged Access to people and places around the world. The free daily livestreams and archived content on Viking.TV have had more than two million viewers, including past Viking guests, employees and those who have not yet traveled with Viking. The new milestone follows a year of accolades for the channel, including the “Breakthrough Award for Product Innovation” in the 2020 Silver Travel Awards.

“This time last year, we were all trying to find our way in a changed world. We launched Viking.TV because we felt there was a need to connect our guests, crew and other curious people to the world during a time of great isolation, uncertainty and fear. Now after 12 months, we are honored to have welcomed so many esteemed guests from our longstanding cultural relationships – and to have brought them virtually into the homes of so many people,” said Karine Hagen, Executive Vice President of Viking. “We greatly look forward to restarting limited operations in May, and in the meantime, we are pleased to continue offering Viking.TV as a source of daily positivity and learning.”

This Week – Atlantic Crossing on Viking.TV

Viking.TV will mark the anniversary with a week of new content, including a special interview with the lead actors and the creator of the new PBS MASTERPIECE series, Atlantic Crossing, loosely based on the relationship between U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt and Norwegian Crown Princess Martha during World War II. As part of the Guest Speaker Thursday series airing on Thursday, April 1 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time / 11 a.m. Pacific Time, esteemed British broadcaster and journalist Anne Diamond will interview Atlantic Crossing’s actors Kyle MacLachlan and Swedish star Sofia Helin, as well as the creator and director, Alexander Eik. Airing in eight episodes during MASTERPIECE’s 50th season, Atlantic Crossing will premiere, April 4, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on PBS.

This special episode on Viking.TV builds on Viking’s continued commitment to enriching cultural programming both on board and at home. Viking has partnered with PBS’ MASTERPIECE series for 10 years, and the company became a household name during its sponsorship through the years Downton Abbey aired. Viking also maintains partnerships with TED, The Metropolitan Opera, BBC, Highclere Castle, RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Oslo’s Munch Museum, St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre, among many others.

Viking.TV Year of Highlights

It has long been known by explorers and astronauts that a daily routine is essential to maintaining overall well-being during periods of stress and isolation. Resonating during a year of uncertainty, Viking.TV provided new daily routines with cultural enrichment livestreams and viewer Q&A each day at the same time, as well as archived content for continued exploration. Since its launch, Viking.TV has featured exclusive interviews and live Q&A with remarkable explorers, museum curators, musicians, astronauts, actors, artists, performers, photographers, filmmakers and more. Highlights include:

– Mondays – Museum directors, curators and experts from Viking Cultural Partners have hosted virtual Privileged Access to cultural institutions around the world, including Oslo’s Munch Museum, London’s British Museum, St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum and Iowa’s Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum.
– Tuesdays – Viking Resident Historians, who typically provide destination-specific curriculum on ocean itineraries, have shared virtual lectures about world history. Additionally, Viking Resident Photographer Alastair Miller has hosted conversations with notable individuals such as filmmaker Ric Burns and wildlife filmmaker, Amos Nachoum.
– Wednesdays – In the spirit of exploration, Wednesdays have featured sessions with explorers including archaeologist Anne Stine Ingstad and Thor Heyerdahl, Jr., whose father famously crossed the Pacific Ocean on the Kon-Tiki raft. Other Wednesday sessions have been dedicated to the arts featuring interviews with Los Angeles Opera Maestro James Conlon, Royal Academy of Arts curator Ann Dumas, plus more.
– Thursdays – Every Thursday, iconic British broadcast journalist and Viking Venus® godmother, Anne Diamond interviews significant figures, including Yo-Yo Ma, world-renowned cellist; the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon; the Duke of Devonshire; former PBS MASTERPIECE Executive Producer Rebecca Eaton; Downton Abbey’s “Mrs. Patmore,” actress Lesley Nicol; actor Sir Michael Palin of Monty Python; award-winning French chef Eric Ripert; and polar explorers Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft.
– Fridays – The Countess of Carnarvon has led more than a dozen virtual Privileged Access tours and glimpses of life at her home, Highclere Castle, widely recognized as the filming location of Downton Abbey. Additional “At Home” sessions have been hosted by members of the Viking family, providing local insights into iconic cities. A special session even explored space as home with a panel of former astronauts.
– Saturdays – Yoga instructor Mona Therese leads Mind & Body yoga sessions every Saturday.
– Sundays – Sunday sessions featured musical performances from our onboard artists and Sissel Kyrkjebø, a Norwegian National Treasure and Viking Jupiter godmother.

Livestream sessions on Viking.TV start every day at 2 p.m. Eastern Time / 11 a.m. Pacific Time, and all content is archived and available on-demand for anyone who cannot view at the original time of the broadcast. Also, on Viking.TV there are more than 200 original short-form Destination Insight documentaries and 60 additional pieces of content from Viking Cultural Partners, with programming from TED, BBC’s Wonderstruck, Libera and more.

Photo: Karine Hagen (Photo credit: Viking)

Quark Expeditions takes ownership of Ultramarine

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 April 2021 01 April 2021

Quark Expeditions took ownership today of the polar vessel, Ultramarine. The official handover of the technologically-advanced ship took place in Split, Croatia, attended by Malcolm Ellis, Senior Vice-President of Operations for Quark Expeditions, and members of the Brodosplit shipyard team.

“Today, we took ownership of more than a new ship. We officially welcomed into our fleet a game-changing vessel that will soon become an unrivalled operational base for polar adventures,” said Andrew White, President of Quark Expeditions. “Every aspect of Ultramarine has been designed and engineered to enable our teams to get guests off the ship and deep into the polar wilderness better than ever before. This new vessel – in the hands of the most experienced team in the expedition industry – will allow us to create truly immersive off-ship adventures for our guests while providing them with a superior onboard experience.”

“This game-changing ship was delivered after more than five years of dedicated work and considerable financial resources,” said White. “This commitment of time and money, especially during an industry-challenging pandemic, reflects our confidence in the future of polar travel and underscores our commitment to delivering life-changing polar experiences no one ever thought possible.”

The 128-metre (420 foot) Ultramarine will accommodate 199 guests, and will feature:
– Two twin-engine helicopters and two heliports:

The two H145 helicopters, operated from two heliports, will allow more passengers to simultaneously experience new destinations accessible only by air, and to enjoy more unique aerial perspectives of the Polar Regions than on any other ship.

– Twenty quick-deploy Zodiacs:

The 20 quick-launching Zodiacs at four embarkation points mean the expedition team can load and embark Zodiacs faster, safer and easier than ever before.

– The industry’s largest selection of adventure options:

Ultramarine, with its two helicopters and 20 quick-deploy Zodiacs, will offer the most robust portfolio of off-ship adventure options in the industry, allowing guests to customize their polar experience. These include flightseeing, heli-hiking and helicopter-supported alpine kayaking, among others.

– Advanced sustainability features:

The vessel’s sustainability features include the Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS), which is the industry-leading system that converts waste into energy at the site that it's generated. MAGs eliminates the environmental impact of waste transportation, offering an innovative sustainability feature that exceeds all industry standards.

“The completion of Ultramarine – with its superior on-ship amenities and advanced technology – is a testament to the community of engineers, naval architects, welders, structural fabricators, riggers, electricians and all of the other crew at the Brodosplit shipyard – as well as the designers, innovators and operational team members in the Quark Expeditions head office – who’ve worked long and hard over the last three years,” said Malcolm Ellis, Senior Vice-President of Operations for Quark Expeditions. “So many people have contributed to the building of this vessel – and that includes our expedition team whose input spurred so many of the innovations that catapult Ultramarine into a league of its own.”

Below Ultramarine's Panorama Lounge

Swan Hellenic says demand strong across the board

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 April 2021 01 April 2021

Swan Hellenic, the Nicosia based expedition cruise line, said that interest in its cultural expedition cruises is translating into buoyant bookings across the board.

Driven by renewed consumer confidence, this uptick is particularly strong for the company's cruises of New Zealand & the Pacific Islands, UK & Northern France, the Scottish Islands and Antarctica. Indeed, its Antarctic Polar Solar eclipse inaugural cruise is already fully booked the company said.

“At the same time, the Swan Hellenic model of cultural expedition cruising has clearly hit a chord, strengthened by the news that construction of its all-new fleet of three 5-star ice-class expedition ships at Helsinki Shipyard is proceeding successfully on schedule,” the company said in a statement.

Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito commented: “Small expedition ships coupled with further afield destinations are considered well placed to lead the resurgence in cruising. We’re delighted to have inspired a diverse spectrum of curious minds in such numbers and look forward to welcoming them aboard to see what others don’t.”

Cunard reports busiest booking day for decade in UK

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 01 April 2021 01 April 2021

Cunard, the premium to luxury market unit in the Carnival Corporation & plc group, has reported its busiest day of bookings in the UK for a decade as its programme of domestic cruises went for sale.

Cunard president Simon Palethorpe said in a statement: “Guests are showing that their desire to travel with Cunard is stronger than ever as they seek a slice of luxury and exemplary service. This record-breaking day follows a phenomenal response to our Centenary World Voyages, on board Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria in 2023, which went on sale a few weeks ago.”

“In perhaps an indication that guests are upgrading having not travelled for a while, suites on board these voyages pretty well sold-out at the end of the first day of sales, with only one top suite remaining. We are delighted by this response from guests and particular thanks to all of our agent partners for their continued work supporting guest bookings,” he said

Cunard’s Summer at Sea voyages on board Queen Elizabeth, sailing between July and October 2021, comprise of scenic cruises along the UK coastline, voyages that include ports of call around Britain or those that simply sail to wherever the sun shines brightest. All are round-trip from Southampton.

British Isles Voyages include scenic sailings along Britain’s coastline including The Jurassic Coast, England’s only natural UNESCO world heritage site, Cornwall including Land’s End and Scotland including the Isle of Arran, Mull of Kintyre and Sound of Mull. Four voyages will make various port calls, including Liverpool, Greenock, Invergordon, Belfast, Newcastle as well as a maiden call for Cunard’s fleet to the Welsh port of Holyhead.