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Showing posts from August, 2020

Our NYCruiseInfo Blog Is Moving. - Come Visit Us At Our New Web Address.

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Our Blog Will Continue But We are Moving to A New Address - Still Covering Cruising From New York and New Jersey. Due to recent events, we have decided to consolidate our blogs and move the hosting of those blogs from Blogspot to our own website. We will continue to provide cruise news, ship reviews, cruise schedules, features articles  and more.  We will be focusing our efforts on continuing to provide a detailed web site focused on cruises sailing from the Port of  New York and New Jersey. I hope you will visit us at  NYCruiseInfo.com Website for daily cruise news posts going forward. THANK YOU for your loyal readership over the years and I appreciate your support. Come See Us At Our  New Location -NYCruiseInfo.com Website - We are Waiting For You   .

Cruise Lines Association Attempts to Put Cruise Industry Impacts in Perspective for Americans.

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  Cruise Ships Miami - CLIA study exposes the contribution of the cruise industry to the United States Economy  Whent the coronavirus broke out and funding / loans were made available for American Companies, the cruise lines did not qualify to recieve funding. Most of the cruise lines are incorporated in forign coutires and pay none/limited United States taxes. Cruise Lines were instructed to go to the countires their ships were registered in for assistance. In an attempt to educate the United States Government officials and cruise passengers - the CLIA (Cruise Line International Association Released a study of the contributions the cruise industry makes to the US economy. According to CLIA’s most recent Economic Impact Study , cruise activity in the United States supports nearly half a million (421,000) American jobs and generates $53 billion annually in economic activity throughout the country. Each day of the suspension of U.S. cruise operations results in a loss of up to $110 m

Genting Hong Kong Restructuring - Potentially Star Cruises, Dream Cruises and Crystal Cruises Impacted.

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  Dream Cruises Ship Part of Genting Group Hong Kong Genting Hong Kong has suspended all payments to creditors, sparking a 33% drop in the company’s share price. Genting cited COVID-19’s impact on its operations  — which include Dream Cruises, Star Cruises and Crystal Cruises — for the cash crunch, in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange Wednesday night.   ‘The Group has undertaken a number of cost reduction and cash conservation measures to mitigate the effects of the resultant loss of revenues from its operations,’ the statement said. The company owed a total of $3.4bn as of July 31.   Bank fees due on newbuilds On August 17, Dream Global One Ltd and Dream Global Two Ltd (subsidiaries of Genting HK) were required to pay bank fees amounting to  €3.7m in connection with the financing of the construction of ‘certain ships’, said the company statement. Those fees were not paid.   Earlier this month Genting warned of a year delay in deliveries of Crystal Endeavor and Glob

World Wide Cruise News - Silversea Charters ships, Grand Cayman Says no ships until 2021, 2021 World Cruise

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  Although cruise news from New York and New Jersey seems a little light right now, cruise news worldwide is ramping up with some cruise lines trying to resume operations in Europe. News on Ships that were sold or are under construction. New amenities and more.   Here are some cruise news articles from our sister blog - NicksCruiseCorner. Click on the links below to read each article.   Grand Cayman Suspends Cruise Operation until 2021.     Silversea Cruises’ Silver Spirit Chartered by Saudi Arabian Red Sea Cruises     Anex Tours / Cruises’ First Ship Arrives in Turkey.   Cruise Travel Magazine Stop Publication – Latest Victim of the Corona Virus   Luxury Operator Seabourn Cruises Cancels Additional Sailing Some Into 2021.   Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours’ Is Celebrating The One Year Anniversary of Their Luxury Yacht Scenic Eclipse   Quark Expeditions’ Twin-Engine Helicopters Play Key Role in Innovative Greenland Adventure Program   Viking Cruises Viking Star will Sail 2021 / 20

Norwegian Cruise Lines' Ships Move Ships To Distant Shores.

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Norwegian Cruise Lines Move Ships to Distant shores - Some indication where they expect to resume service.   Unfortunately there has been no news on cruises resuming from the Port of New York and New Jersey as of today. Looking at where the Norwegian Cruise Line ships are currently located - it does not appear that resuming New York / New Jersey Cruising is not in the near future.   At this time, the Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Escape are located off of Singapore. The   Norwegian Joy spent some time in drydock in Singapore last week.   The Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Encore are located in Copenhagen, Denmark and the Norwegian Star is in Southampton, England. The Norwegian Spirit and Norwegian Dawn are in Syracuse, Sicily Italy. The Norwegian Breakaway is in Marseilles, France.   The Norwegian Epic is in Civitavecchia, Italy. The Norwegian Jade is currently in Naples, Italy.   Norwegian Gem and Norwegian Sun are in Aruba. The Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Pearl are currently

Rumors Circulating Carnival Corporation Seeking buyers for Cunard Line and Seabourn Cruises.

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Rumors Circulating Carnival May Sell Off Brands.   Rumors are circulating that Carnival Corporation is looking for a buyer for Cunard Line and Seabourn Cruises. Although Carnival denies the rumor, it is expected that both cruise lines will find it hard to rebound from the Coronavirus pause in operations.  Both cruise lines attract older and wealthier clientele who will be more likely to stay away from cruising until they feel it is safe to return. The pressure will be on these cruise lines to assure they have  all the safety precautions in place to assure passengers remain virus free. Other Carnival brands that attract older passengers include Holland America and Princess Cruises. As part of Carnival's plan to shed older ships and raise cash - the Holland America fleet was extensively reduced. Only time will tell if the rumors are true. It should be noted that Cunard ships had no reported cases of Coronavirus when they were operating. Stay tuned to NYCruiseInfo.com for updates.   -

Viking Ocean Cruises Has Announced a Pause In Operations Until Year End.

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  Viking Ocean Cruises Has Announced a Pause In Operations Until Year End.  Following is an important message from Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen, who has also recorded a video message that can be viewed here . Dear Viking Guest, On March 11, when we became the first cruise line to temporarily suspend operations at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I would not have imagined that in August we would still not be sailing and that I would be writing this letter to you. Every day I am encouraged by the scientific advancements toward COVID-19 therapeutics and a vaccine. But as you well know, recent events have shown us that the recovery from this pandemic will be sporadic, and the ability to travel freely across borders remains some time away. Fortunately, the U.S. State Department has lifted some travel advisories for Americans, but many countries are still limiting tourists. As keen as we may be to get back to exploring, for now, international travel must wait. Just last week

Select Cruise Lines Try To Reenter Service With New Restrictions and Preventative procedures.

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  German and Italian Cruise Brands start limited service - sailing short cruises restricted to domestic ports and Italian and German Nationals Select cruise lines has decided to start cruising operations outside of United States waters Norwegian cruise line - Sea Goddess has started cruises for Norwegian citizens on their private yachts - only calling at ports within Norway. Carnival Owned German cruise line Aida Kreuzfarten  is planning to start operations from German ports calling at select German cities. Royal Caribbean's jointly owned German cruise operation Mein Schiff began cruising last month - sailing short cruises to to nowhere for German nationals only. As part of the cruise, the ship sailed to the shipyard where is was built allowing passengers a view of the shipyard. Later this month Carnival Cruises' Italian brand Costa Cruises - will start sailing from Italy with 2 ships. The ships will be restricted to carry only Italian citizens and call only at Italian ports. 

Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Escape Heads to Singapore.

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    Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Escape Heading From Manila to Singapore. Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Escape repatriated crew home to the Philippines. The ship has been in Manila harbor for months but is now on the move to Singapore - it is unclear whether she has a full crew as she heads west.  The Norwegian Escape is expected to arrive in Singapore on August 21. Singapore has substantial facilities for ship repair and renovation so it is unclear if the call is to refuel, enter drydock or just to remain local for Asia cruises. The Norwegian Escape was a fixture in the New York to Bermuda Cruise circuit in 2019, calling weekly during the spring / summer / fall, to the island nation. In addition, the Norwegian Escape conducted cruises to New England and Canada as well as Florida and the Bahamas. Stay tuned to NYCruiseInfo to find out what's next for the Norwegian Escape. To learn more about the Norwegian Escape - Check out this review. ----------------------------

CLIA Member Cruise Lines Extend Pause In Operation Until October 31.

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  CLIA Member Cruise Lines Extend Pause In Operation Until October 3 1. Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the leading voice of the global cruise industry, announced today that its ocean-going cruise line members have agreed to voluntarily suspend U.S. cruise operations until at least 31 October 2020. The Association issued the following statement on behalf of its members: Despite the valuable alignment between CLIA’s previous voluntary suspension to 15 September and the CDC’s current No-Sail Order date of 30 September, we believe it is prudent at this time to voluntarily extend the suspension of U.S. ocean-going cruise operations to 31 October. This is a difficult decision as we recognize the crushing impact that this pandemic has had on our community and every other industry. However, we believe this proactive action further demonstrates the cruise industry’s commitment to public health and willingness to voluntarily suspend operations in the interest of publi

Royal Caribbean's Earnings Call - Royal Caribbean May Sell Off Older Ships.

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  Empress of the Seas is One of the Royal Caribbean Ships At Risk Of Being Sold In a recent earnings call Royal Caribbean Group announced that they are indeed looking at possibly shedding older ships in addition to the Sovereign and Monarch (ex Monarch of the Seas and Sovereign of the Seas) which were recently beached in Alaiga, Turkey. Royal Caribbean has announced that the 3rd ship in the Pullmantur fleet - the Zenith - which sailed for many years from New York to Bermuda for Celebrity Cruises - will most likely be scrapped. The Zenith is laid up in Lavrio Greece.  Just as a side note the Zenith was supposed to be chartered/purchased by Peaceboat,org for world wide peace missions. She was supposed to sail along side the Ocean Dream (originally built as Carnival Cruises' Tropicale). Based on the announcement above it is unclear which ship(s) Peaceboat will operate in 2021. The Zenith's identical sister ship - the Horizon is also at risk. The Horizon was also a popular ship for

Norwegian Cruise Line Ships Leave US Layup and Head to the Caribbean and Europe

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  Norwegian Encore One Of  Many Norwegian Cruise Lines Ships Shuffled in August In a strange move of events Norwegian Cruise Line has relocated their ships away from the United States shores in search of cheaper lay-ups and calmer weather.  On August 1st, the Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Spirit departed Norfolk between 9:15 AM and 10:30 AM. The Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Encore headed north toward Canada to avoid a hurricane. Sailing off the coast of Aquaforte Canada, in a surprising move, the Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Encore headed east toward Denmark. Sailing about 2-3 nautical miles the entire crossing the ships arrived in Europe on August 12.  Today the ships are alongside in Copenhagen Denmark. The Norwegian Spirit after departing from Norfolk immediately started sailing west toward the Mediterranean. In a surprising event, the Norwegian Dawn, which departed Miami on July 31, met the Norwegian Spirit in the Atlantic and the two ships sailed to Siracusa It

American Cruise Line's Sells / Donates The American Glory as an Artificial Reef Off of the Delaware Coast.

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I missed this news worthy item from November of 2019. he 215-foot-long cruise ship American Glory slips below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean off the Delaware coast  American Cruise Line's Sells / Donates The American Glory as an Artificial Reef Off of the Delaware Coast. There was no emergency response when a cruise ship sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean about 16 miles off the coast of Delaware’s Indian River Inlet. Instead of sounding the alarm Monday, state leaders celebrated. The American Glory is the latest addition to an artificial reef. For more than 20 years, old ships have been given new life there as a gathering site for fish on the bottom of the sea. Delaware’s Redbird Inshore Artificial Reef has also become the final resting place for nearly 1,000 New York City subway cars that bore the “redbird” paint scheme. The latest addition to the reef carried passengers in the Chesapeake Bay and coastal waters for 15 years. The 215-foot-long ship i

Fred Olsen Cruises' Balmoral to Sail a Special New England, Canada, New York, Bermuda and More in September 2023 From Southampton England.

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Fred Olsen's Balmoral to Sail a Special New England, Canada, New York, Bermuda and others in September 2023 Fred Olsen Lines has announced a new 2023 cruise featuring the northeast US, including a call in New York City and stops in Canda, New England, Bermuda and more. An interesting aspect of this cruise is that the cruise is expected to head-up the Hudson River giving cruise passengers a first hand look at the Hudson River's fall colors.. Here is what Fred Olsen Said about the cruise in a special announcement. We’re delighted to announce that today we’ve released a new exciting voyage of American Waterways & Canada in the Fall! This is your first chance to book. This 34-night sailing on board Balmoral is the first launch from our forthcoming 2023 program. We’ve created an attraction-packed itinerary and we hope you’re as excited as we are. Departing Southampton, your first four stops will be along Canada’s rugged Eastern Seaboard, perfectly

Luxury Cruise Operator Crystal Cruises Has Cancelled Cruises for the remainder of 2020

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Luxury Cruise Operator Crystal Cruises Has Cancelled Their Ocean Going Cruises For the Remainder Of The Year. Luxury cruise operator Crystal Cruises has cancelled cruises for the remainder of 2020 on board its 3 ocean going ships - the Crystal Symphony, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Esprit. The cruise line cited the constantly changing variables related to COVID-19, coupled with differing restrictions for international travel. Crystal Cruises had previously cancelled their 2020 New England / Canada cruises  based on covid cases and the closure of Northeast United States ports. Crystal has traditionally attracted wealthy, older clientele with a desire to explore ports worldwide on a longer cruise voyages. Crystal Ocean Cruising is now planning to start operations in January 2021. Crystal River Cruises throughout Europe may resume service sooner.   RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Websit

Royal Caribbean Schedules Meeting to Announce 2nd Quarter Results.

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Royal Caribbean Schedules An Investor Call to Reveal Second Quarter Earnings. Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) has scheduled a conference call for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time , Monday, August 10, 2020 , to provide a business update and discuss second quarter 2020 financial results.  The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations website, www.rclinvestor.com .  To listen to the call by phone, please dial (877) 663-9606 in the US and Canada.  International phone calls should be made to (706) 758-4628. There is no passcode or meeting number. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same site for a month following the call. You are encouraged to dial-in/register at least 15 minutes prior to start time to ensure your participation. RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cruise Schedule, Ship Reviews, Ports of Call & More. => Nick's Cruise

Norwegian Cruise Lines Extends Pause to October 1, 2020

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Norwegian Cruise Lines Extends Pause to October 1, 2020 In a written statement, Norwegian Cruise Line has stated they have extended the pause in operations to  October 1, 2020. Below is the official statement posted on the Norwegian Cruise Line Website. TRAVEL ALERT Updated: July 29, 2020 - Suspended 2020 Cruises  The safety, security and well-being of our guests, crew and communities we visit is our number one priority. We continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 coronavirus situation and the global health environment. With COVID-19 continuing to impact communities and ports around the globe, we have extended our voluntary temporary suspension of voyages through October 2020. We are committed to taking all appropriate steps and actions to combat the spread of COVID-19 and are working closely and in partnership with local, state, federal and global agencies. While this may result in additional future changes, please know our teams are working around the clock

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Schedules Earning Call.

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Norwegian Cruise Line's Holding Has Announced Earning Call on August 6th. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced it will report second quarter 2020 financial results on Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time with a conference call to discuss results at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The conference call will be simultaneously webcast via the Company’s Investor Relations website, www.nclhltdinvestor.com.  A replay of the webcast will be available at the same site for 30 days following the call. RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cruise Schedule, Ship Reviews, Ports of Call & More. => Nick's Cruise Corner Blog - News On Cruise Ships Sailing World Wide. => Follow Us on Instagram - NYCruiseInfo At Instagram => Subscribe to Our Monthly New York Cruises Newsletter .

Bahamas Loosen Restrictions On United States Citizens - But Still Not Ideal For Travelers

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Bahamas Loosen United States Citizens Restrictions - somewhat Just days after Prime Minister Hubert Minnis announced US travelers would be blocked from the Bahamas during a coronavirus spike, the government changed course. Americans are allowed, but they'll have to undergo a 14-quarantine in a government facility and pass a COVID-19 test at the end of their isolation, both at their own expense. This lightening of the rules, really does not benefit cruise visitors which are still restricted and eliminates anyone visiting the island for under 14 days.  ---------------------------------------   OUR OTHER SITES => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cruise Schedule, Ship Reviews, Ports of Call & More. => Nick's Cruise Corner Blog - News On Cruise Ships Sailing World Wide. => Follow Us on Instagram - NYCruiseInfo At Instagram => Subscribe to Our Monthly New York Cruises Newsletter ,

Cruise News Beyond The Port of New York and New Jersey.

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News about cruise ships sailing the world - including ship sales, scrapping, new companies, new ships, port of call and more. There is allot happening in the cruise industry beyond the New York and New Jersey cruises scene. There are cruise lines anxious to restart service; further Center For Disease Control (CDC) Restrictions, Cruise lines scrapping ships to raise cash and prepare for re-entry into the cruise industry and more. Check out some of these stories published on our sister blog at NicksCruiseCorner.Blogspot.com covering worldwide cruise events. Here is a sampling. Revealed: P&O Cruises Oceana Has Been Sold to Greece's Ferry Operator Seajets   Saga Cruises' New Spirit of Adventure Emerges From the Indoor Dry-Dock. TUI's Mein Schiff 2 - First Large Cruise Ship To Return to Service. Carnival Cruises' Carnival Fantasy Has Just Arrived Off of Aliaga Turkey For Scrapping Royal Caribbean's Sovereign - ex Sovereign Of The Seas - Beached i