Marella Cruises and AIDA Cruises extend standstill

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 14 January 2021 14 January 2021

Marella Cruises in the UK and AIDA Cruises in Germany have decided to extend the standstill of their operations due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Marella Cruises, the UK focused cruise line in the TUI AG group in Germany, has pushed back operations for all European sailings until 31 March amid ongoing uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The line also confirmed that long-haul sailings – including voyages from Barbados and Jamaica – would not restart until April 30.

AIDA Cruises, which is part of the Carnival Corporation & plc group, said the extension of the lockdown in Germany until at least 31 January and a further tightening of the measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the restriction of the radius of movement in areas with high incidence rates or the further limitation of private contacts, have led to further restrictions of public life and international travel.

As a result, AIDA Cruises unfortunately must cancel all seven-day cruises with AIDAperla and AIDAmar around the Canary Islands through the end of February.

The company hopes to continue the Canary Islands season as of 6 March, after the infection situation in Germany has eased significantly.

For all other countries in the winter destinations of AIDA Cruises, the call of cruise ships is not permitted until further notice. Therefore, AIDA unfortunately must also cancel all cruises with AIDAprima in the Orient planned for winter 2021, including the transit voyage from Dubai to Palma (Mallorca).

Royal Caribbean to offer cruises from Barbados winter 2021-22

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 14 January 2021 14 January 2021

Royal Caribbean International will for the first time call Barbados "home" next winter, offering travelers fresh ways to experience the southern Caribbean on Grandeur of the Seas, the company said in a statement.

Three distinct seven and 14-night itineraries will each feature a unique lineup of bucket-list destinations – including three new ports of call in the islands of Tobago, Trinidad and St. Vincent. Showcasing the natural beauty and cultures of the region, weeklong sailings will island hop to a different destination every day or offer late-night stays in the famed ABC islands – Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

"Grandeur's longer escapes will tout an overnight stay in Aruba coupled with visits to Cartagena, Colombia; Colon, Panama; and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, among others," the company said. The itineraries depart on Sundays and ports of call for each are as follows:

The first seven night itinerary is called Southern Caribbean Island Hop, departing Bridgetown, Barbados (new) and visiting Scarborough, Tobago (new); Port of Spain, Trinidad (new); St. George's, Grenada; Kingstown, St. Vincent (new); Roseau, Dominica; and Castries, St. Lucia.

The seven night Southern Caribbean Adventure, departing Bridgetown, Barbados (new) and visiting St. George's, Grenada; Kralendijk, Bonaire; Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curacao; and Port of Spain, Trinidad (new).

The 14-night Ultimate Caribbean itinerary, eparting Bridgetown, Barbados (new) and visiting St. George's, Grenada; Kingstown, St. Vincent (new); Kralendijk, Bonaire; Oranjestad, Aruba (overnight); Willemstad, Curacao; Port of Spain, Trinidad (new); Cartagena, Colombia; Colon, Panama; and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.

Cruise passenger numbers seen to stage strong 2021 leap but remain way behind 2019

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 13 January 2021 13 January 2021

The number of people taking a cruise worldwide this year is likely to stage a strong rebound from 2020, but even this would leave the 2021 levels more than 50% below the figure reached before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, a leading research and forecasting consultancy Maritime Strategies International (MSI) said in a report.

“This year, we expect cruise passenger levels to increase to 11.9 million, an increase of 59% year-on-year, but still substantially below the 29.6 million cruise passengers recorded in 2019. The recovery is likely to be relatively slow and cautious, weighted towards the second half of the year with mature markets leading the recovery,” MSI analyst Niklas Carlen said in the report that the London based company published today.

MSI’s analysis shows that just 7.5 million passengers embarked on a cruise in 2020, a correction of 75% compared to 2019 levels. “The severity of the collapse compared to overall tourism spending reflects the fact that, whereas air travel was at least partially restored during the summer months, cruise has remained in almost total lockdown with a handful of exceptions,” it said.

Looking ahead, confidence in the safety of cruise shipping and the economic impact of Coronavirus on potential demand will challenge the industry’s attempts at a full 2021 recovery, In its latest biannual report, MSI that even with leading industry players keen to publicise advance ticket sales and enquiries as evidence of pent-up demand and with vaccines becoming available, it will take some time to rebuild confidence in the sector despite enhanced safety protocols and fewer passengers onboard.

Of greater concern, however, is the impact of COVID-19 on discretionary consumer spending. Cruising holidays have become more accessible to broader age and income groups over the last decade, but the economic impact of COVID-19 is expected to have the greatest bearing on lower income households with lower levels of education.

“According to a 2018 survey, US cruisers with an annual income of less than $100,000 per annum accounted for approximately half of all passengers and this population group is likely to see higher levels of unemployment and greater retrenchment in the near term,” said MSI Analyst Niklas Carlen in a statement.

In modelling the outlook for the sector, MSI constructed Low and High Case scenarios based on different timings in terms of vaccine availability and the resumption of cruising. While its fourth quarter Base Case projection is conservative, it acknowledges that there may be some upside to the forecast particularly if the levels of pent-up demand claimed by the industry hold true. Conversely, the ongoing ‘second wave’ and concerns over new COVID-19 mutations could prolong the misery for the cruise sector by delaying any significant restart.

Events at the end of 2020 and the start of 2021 are likely to increase economic pressure within advanced economies. “Thereafter we retain our belief that economic recovery in 2021 will be strong, although economies are highly unlikely to make up all the ground lost during the crisis until sometime in 2022, especially where labour markets are concerned,” Carlen added. “However, the pace at which they make up this ground once vaccine roll-out accelerates will be brisk.”

Several lines announce more cruise cancellations

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 13 January 2021 13 January 2021

A number of cruise lines unveil further cancellations of sailings due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Royal Caribbean International has announced it will cancel all of its cruises scheduled in March and April 2021, except for Quantum of the Seas’ sailings from Singapore, which resumed in December 2020. In China sailings on Spectrum of the Seas 16 to 28 February are  cancelled.

Celebrity Cruises suspension includes the May 1 Celebrity Apex transatlantic sailing and Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Constellation’s Europe sailings departing May through October 2021. May through Oct. 2021 Europe and transatlantic cruises on Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Constellation will also be cancelled.

Silversea Cruises will suspend sailings through 1 April, while Azamara Cruises will suspend sailings through 30 April. All four are parts of the Royal Caribbean Group.

In the UK, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines said the first sailing of Borealis thati s one of the two ships acquired from Holland America Line in the autumn,  will now sail on the seven-night ‘Sailing Around Iconic Ireland’ cruise from Liverpool on 22 May. Borealis was initially due to set sail on 23 April. It remains the first ship of the line to resume sailing, even after the delayed first cruise.