Greece on Saturday reopened six of its main ports to cruise ships for the first time in the coronavirus-shortened tourism season, but no ships are expected before three weeks. In a letter to the Cruise Lines International Association and three major cruise operators early this week, Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis said the ports of Piraeus in Athens, Rhodes, Iraklio, Volos, Corfu and Katakolo would accept passengers, state agency ANA reported. After docking at one of the six ports, cruise ships will be able to travel elsewhere in Greece, depending on ...

The cruise sector needs to think hard about how it can meet the social distancing requirements linked to COVID-19 while still delivering the expected luxurious experience of being onboard a cruise liner, all without destroying and bankrupting the industry. Christian Ioannou, Managing Director of MCTC Leisure, said that while the industry was being hit hard by COVID-19, life post virus would be very different. Costs will increase due to limitations in passenger numbers because of social distancing restrictions and there will be an increase in hygiene procedures and extra precautions ...

Genting Cruise Lines is pleased to announce that Dream Cruises’ Explorer Dream is the first cruise ship in the industry to receive the Certification in Infection Prevention for the Maritime industry (CIP-M) from the world’s leading classification society, DNV GL. The CIP-M certification of Explorer Dream is timely and in conjunction with Dream Cruises’ recent announcement that Explorer Dream will recommence operations in Taiwan from 26 July 2020 onwards, offering “Taiwan Island-Hopping” itineraries. Dream Cruises will be the first cruise line in the world to begin sailing after the global ...

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has been assisting hundreds of seafarers aboard the six Global Cruise Lines’ vessels currently in Tilbury and Bristol, in the United Kingdom. The seafarers have been stranded there because of global travel restrictions brought in to deal with the global pandemic. Crew on board the vessels have been stuck there for several months and many are now facing expired contracts and more than 12 months on board. The ITF and Global Cruise Lines have reached an agreement today that will see crew continue to ...

Trade association Interferry welcomes the European Commission’s guidance on the gradual relaxation of travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and relaunching of transportation links that will go into effect in advance of this summer’s travel and tourism season. Earlier, Interferry had issued its own ‘best practice’ guidelines for the safe resumption of passenger ferry services once local authorities provided the green light. “We welcome the growing signs in Europe and beyond that COVID-19 lockdown restrictions are starting to be eased,” says Interferry CEO Mike Corrigan. “The global ferry industry is ...

Sichterman has launched the first Libertas 15M and Felicitatem 20M at their shipyard in Workum, The Netherlands. With these aluminium yachts, the Dutch boutique yacht builder adds two vessels to its fleet, after the launch of the Inveni 18m in May 2019. Just like the Inveni 18M, the Libertas and the Felicitatem are the result of a collaboration between designer Cor D. Rover, naval architect Van Oossanen and yacht builder Workumer Yachtservice. Due to a smart building process and a disruptive interior program, the shipyard was able to complete the ...

Leading naval architecture and marine engineering firm Foreship has devised an initiative to limit the presence and spread of coronavirus and other pathogens on passenger ships and get the cruise sector back up and running. Entitled ‘Project Hygiea’, the four-step approach comprises interception, prevention, mitigation and evacuation. Foreship Business Development Director Mattias Jörgensen says that there is no “silver-bullet” solution for fighting viruses in the cruise industry. “However, by combining our own expertise with the knowledge of medical professionals and that of our extensive partner network, we have formulated a ...

The technology group Wärtsilä’s in-house ship design capabilities have been recognised with an order to develop a customised design for up to six new luxury expedition cruise vessels capable of carrying 200 passengers. The ships will be owned and operated by Amundsen Expeditions and are targeted primarily at the growing Chinese market. The design order with Wärtsilä was signed in the third quarter of 2019. “The ships are designed to operate efficiently in both tropical and polar waters. Because of the harsh environment and often remote location of the cruise ...

New additions to the Bolideck® range of ship deck covering solutions from Bolidt are illuminating design thinking across the cruise ship and superyacht sectors, with a first delivery of Bolideck® LED leading to follow up orders from several owners. Bolideck® LED is the latest variation of a decking solution which has established itself as the cruise industry market leader. Featuring integral LED lighting, the unique product has made a big impression after its first installation onboard the 2,894-passsenger capacity TUI Cruises vessel Mein Schiff 2. Bolideck® LED has been deployed ...

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global situation that has required an extraordinary response, and the cruise industry has placed public health at the heart of its response. Within 48 hours of the World Health Organization (WHO) announcing a global public health emergency, CLIA member cruise lines had adopted enhanced screening protocols worldwide. These measures were constantly reviewed and escalated based on the guidelines of international health authorities. Upon declaration by the WHO of a pandemic, CLIA member cruise lines voluntarily suspended operations worldwide – making the cruise industry one ...

Nine cruise ships and nearly 8,000 passengers are stranded at sea as major ports deny access to the vessels as the coronavirus continues to spread. According to cruise tracker site Cruise Mapper, Holland America-operated MS Rotterdam, Coral Princess, MS Arcadia, Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 are still at sea with passengers and crew members on board. The Queen Mary 2 is currently sailing back to Southampton and currently has 264 guests on board, according to a spokesperson for Cunard North America. “Most guests disembarked Queen Mary 2 in Fremantle, Australia ...

Online valuation and data provider, VesselsValue, has entered the passenger ship market with the launch of automated valuations, data and satellite intelligence for Cruise ships. VV now values over 59,000 vessels daily which have a cumulative value of USD 1.04 trillion. The global Cruise fleet consists of 483 vessels with an aggregate value of over USD 167 billion (data valid 31st March 2020). Individual assets can be worth in excess of USD 1 billion each, which is a first for the online platform and makes Cruise ships one of the ...

The next generation of ferry travel went into service yesterday evening (9th March) as Stena Line reaffirmed its commitment to operations on the Irish Sea and providing the ‘very best freight and travel experience for customers’. Stena Edda, the biggest ferry ever to sail on the Belfast to Liverpool route, embarked on its maiden voyage on Monday evening as it left Merseyside amid a host of celebrations which included a spectacular countdown lightshow. With 40% more deck capacity, 40% more cabins and 30% more fuel efficiency than current vessels on ...

Cruising is part of the hospitality industry — it’s all about keeping guests happy. Commercial shipping is part of the global logistics sector — it’s about moving cargo from A to B. But there’s a major overlap between the two: fuel. The cruise sector is a voracious energy consumer. Cruise ships don’t just burn bunkers for propulsion, they guzzle fuel to power their massive hotel superstructures: the rooms, restaurants, bars, casinos, elevators, shows, roller coasters, ice-skating rinks and wave machines. The sudden cessation of cruise itineraries due to coronavirus will ...

It is close to peak season at Port Everglades, Florida’s second-busiest cruise port, yet an air of deep anxiety hangs over the deserted quaysides and departure terminals. With all major cruise lines shuttering operations, countries closing ports to large passenger ships and thousands of workers laid off indefinitely, the $45bn (£35.6bn) US cruise industry is struggling to plot a course through the rough waters of the coronavirus crisis. In Fort Lauderdale, authorities warned that up to 50,000 passengers might have been in contact with port workers infected with the virus, ...