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Hurtigruten CEO says COVID-19 protocols had not been followed

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 04 August 2020 04 August 2020

An outbreak of COVID-19 onboard Hurtigruten’s expedition cruise ship Roald Amundsen last week could have been avoided if protocols to combat the virus had been followed, said Daniel Skjeldam, CEO of the company.

“I shall begin by being completely honest. We have betrayed. We have failed. We have made mistakes. What we see now is not what Hurtigruten should represent or what it will be. We apologise this deeply,” Skjeldam said at a press conference on Monday that was webcast in Norwegian media.

He said it would be too early to go into every detail, but it had become clear that quarantine rules and a number of other procedures had not been followed, which had resulted in the outbreak of the virus. “Had we followed the procedures, we would not have had an outbreak onboard,” Skjeldam said in the webcast.

On Tuesday morning, the number of persons that had contacted the virus on Roald Amundsen rose to 40 as a passenger had treated positive, the Norwegian broadcasting company NRK reports on its website.

A local health authority had on Wednesday last week informed FHI, the Norwegian national health authority, that a person had fallen ill with the virus two days after disembarking Roald Amundsen.

“We had a meeting with Hurtigruten in which we explained that they should inform passengers on the current cruise and they confirmed to us that they would do this,” FHI department head Line Vold was quoted by NRK as saying.

“We were not informed that Hurtigruten after this had decided to change its standpoint and not to inform the passengers. It was only on Friday we understood that Hurtigruten had broken the agreement made at the meeting and decided not to inform the passengers,” she was quoted as saying.

AIDA forced to delay short cruise start on flag state issue

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 03 August 2020 03 August 2020

AIDA Cruises, the German unit in the Carnival Corporation & plc group, said it had been forced to cancel a number of planned short cruises from Rostock as it had not received final approval for its plans from Italy, the flag state of its fleet.

“The concepts and certifications for the restart of our cruise operation have been successfully developed and confirmed with the responsible authorities. Contrary to our expectations, the final formal approval for the start of the short trips from August 5, 2020 by our flag state Italy is still pending,” the company said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, we therefore have to cancel the planned short trips with AIDAperla and AIDAmar with departure dates between August 5 and 12, 2020,” AIDA Cruises said.

The company stated that after intensive preparations with the support of many national and international authorities and health experts, we have developed comprehensive concepts for the restart and implemented all increased hygiene standards and measures to protect against COVID-19 on board our ships.

“We assume that we will receive the last formal approval by the flag state Italy in a timely manner,” the company noted.

Isle of Man Steam Packet Company orders new ferry

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 02 August 2020 02 August 2020

On Friday, July 31, the Board of Directors signed a contract on behalf of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company with one of the world’s major shipbuilders, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD), based in Ulsan. It follows a week-long visit to Korea by senior personnel from the company, during which they visited the shipyard where the vessel will be built, viewed a recently completed ship to assess the standard of work and discussed technical and commercial considerations with HMD executives.

Work on physically constructing a replacement for the conventional ferry, Ben-my-Chree, is now due to start in mid-2021 after detailed plans are finalised and agreed between builder and buyer. The process began last autumn when the Company commissioned a tender exercise, during which a large number of shipyards around the world expressed an interest in building the bespoke vessel.

Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Chief Executive Mark Woodward said: "For some time we have been conducting detailed analysis as we develop plans for major investment in our fleet. I am delighted to confirm that, following lengthy discussions with a leading shipyard in South Korea, we have confirmed specifications for the vessel and today signed a contract with Hyundai Mipo Dockyard. This truly is an exciting time in our history and, in the year we marked our 190th anniversary, the new vessel will take the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company forward to our 200th anniversary and beyond."

The new vessel, expected to commence service in Spring 2023, will be an important part of the Company’s future plans, bringing high levels of on-board facilities and enhanced freight capability. The Company is also committed to maintaining a third back-up vessel, intended to be the Ben-my-Chree when the new vessel arrives, to enhance security of both passenger and freight links and also help increase capacity during the TT and Classic TT.

Woodward continued: "The final specification and build programme is still in development but it is expected the new vessel will be slightly larger than the Ben-my-Chree in most respects but with considerably more passenger space. It is also intended to be more environmentally efficient and manoeuvrable in poor conditions. Factoring in various technical and logistical considerations for a new vessel, and taking into account the recent public consultation exercise where possible, our aim for when we introduce the new addition is to ensure we provide an even higher level of service to the Island community and our customers."

Crystal Cruises not to sail before next year

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 31 July 2020 31 July 2020

Crystal Cruises announced today further cancellations of its ocean and yacht sailings.

"Like all travel enthusiasts, we are eagerly anticipating the day we can return to sailing the world again and welcome our guests back aboard. Unfortunately, the constantly changing variables related to Covid-19, coupled with differing restrictions for international travel, continue to determine when and where this can happen. The uncertainty surrounding this global health crisis hinders the ability for all cruise lines to operate, and it is with deep regret that we have had to cancel all Ocean voyages (aboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity) and Yacht voyages (aboard Crystal Esprit) through the remainder of 2020," the company said in a statement.

"We extend our deepest apologies for this situation that is beyond our control and is a great frustration to all of us. Everyone at Crystal, along with the officers and crew of our ships fleetwide, are extremely disappointed that we were compelled to take this action as we were looking forward to exploring together.

What is certain is Crystal’s commitment to the safety and well-being of our guests and crew above all else. While we are looking forward to welcoming our valued guests back aboard again as soon as possible, we will not do so until it is deemed safe by governing health authorities.

We know this cancellation is extremely disappointing. In recognition of this, we are providing all affected guests with Credits* equal to 125% of the cruise fare paid on fully-paid reservations – along with a refund of port charges, taxes and fees paid, and any air and hotel packages booked through Crystal. For guests who have not fully paid, the credit will then be based on the deposited amount. Credits are valid on any Crystal experience (Ocean, River, Yacht or Expedition) embarking through December 31, 2023.

We encourage our guests to contact their travel advisor to assist them in selecting their ideal future Crystal cruise. Explore all cruise departures via our website's Find A Voyage page to review the 2021-2023 full-year voyage collections for each Crystal experience – all are available through 2022 as is our complete 2023 Ocean Collection. Our just-launched Crystal Confidence 2.0 provides the peace of mind our guests need now when making future travel plans.

While our fleet is paused, the Crystal team has been developing new procedures and policies that will support all public health and regulatory requirements and to ensure our guests’ vacations continue to be not only relaxing and pleasurable but safe and healthy. Building on our stringent protocols already in place, we recently launched Crystal Clean+® 2.0 – an enhanced level of measures to help safeguard the well-being of our guests and crew. Each protocol will be continually evaluated as new information becomes available.

We thank our guests, and our partners, for their continued understanding during this very challenging time. We, the Crystal team, remain at their service," the statement said.

Silversea launches a new culinary podcast

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 28 July 2020 28 July 2020

Silversea Cruises today announces the launch of S.A.L.T. Lab Radio – a new culinary podcast, produced in the same immersive spirit as the cruise line’s pioneering S.A.L.T. program (Sea and Land Taste), which will use storytelling to unlock entire ecosystems around culinary discovery when it launches aboard new ship Silver Moon. S.A.L.T. Lab Radio is available to stream for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

Hosted by Adam Sachs, Silversea’s Director of the S.A.L.T. program and former Editor-in-Chief of Saveur Magazine, and with special guest appearances from culinary experts, each episode of the new podcast will take listeners deep into the world’s richest culinary cultures. Its setting will change according to the geographical positioning of Silversea’s Silver Moon and the S.A.L.T. program. Along with Sachs, the podcast is co-produced by Howie Kahn, Rob Corso, and Casey Kahn at FreeTime Media.

“We could all use some transporting stories these days. And with grounded local experts to guide us, we can make connections to places that go beyond the usual chit-chat about where to eat and what to try where, though there will be plenty of practical useful advice for the hungry traveler too,” says Sachs. “We’ll follow the route of Silver Moon and meet up with passionate chefs, winemakers, informed food writers and other experts to help us appreciate the places we visit through the lens of what they grow and cook there.”

Sachs and team have travelled far and wide to digest the most engaging culinary stories and meet the most fascinating guests: recorded on location, S.A.L.T. Lab Radio will enable listeners to follow food to its source, to meet the people preserving culinary traditions, creating new ones, and teaching us all how to eat in more well-informed ways.

The first episode of the new podcast is available to stream for free on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts, as well as on Silversea’s blog:

EPISODE ONE: Legends of the Border: Friuli, Slovenia, Trieste

In S.A.L.T. Lab Radio’s first episode, Sachs speaks with three culinary innovators along the border of Italy and Slovenia: Ana Roš, widely regarded as Slovenia’s best chef and Co-Owner of Hiša Franko, the first restaurant in Slovenia to earn two Michelin Stars; Antonia Klugmann, Head Chef and Owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant L’Argine a Vencò in Collio, Italy; and Mateja Gravner, a Winemaker at the illustrious Gravner family winery, which straddles the Italy-Slovenia border and utilizes ancient winemaking techniques. As well as Ana’s quest to bring honor to her ingredients, the hurdles Mateja’s family faces, and the way Antonia draws influence from her complicated heritage, Sachs discusses Trieste’s most celebrated cookbook, ancient wine making techniques, and the world’s most surprising potato.

“Ana’s food reads like a Slovenian folktale filled with surprising twists and real wisdom. Mateja’s thoughts on wine sounded like a lesson on how to live your life. And Antonia’s personal and joyous cooking sheds light on a complex region,” says Sachs.

Additional episodes will be released in the coming weeks, with immersive dives into the culinary cultures of Albania, Sicily and Lisbon. Subsequently, as Silver Moon journeys towards the Caribbean and South America, additional series will take listeners deeper into the culinary cultures of these regions too.

“As the pioneering leader in the ultra-luxury cruise industry, we are always looking for innovative ways to respond to our guests’ needs, preferences and behaviors, and to enrich their travels,” says Barbara Muckermann, Silversea’s Chief Marketing Officer. “With anticipation growing around our soon-to-launch S.A.L.T. program, we have introduced our new podcast, S.A.L.T. Lab Radio, to begin sharing immersive culinary stories with our guests in an engaging and accessible way and to offer an alluring taste of what’s to come.”