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I love all things Cruise and add that to my hobby Photography I’m in dreamland, I’m an exTravel agency owner with the inside contacts, so I will try to keep you updated in all things travel related with a side serving of images and other maritime stories.
  • We Travel 2U - Weblog

    We Travel 2U-Weblog

    Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady Leaves Portsmouth for New York

    The Scarlet Lady has set sail from Portsmouth, England, after spending the summer in the UK. According to a press release, the 2,800-passenger Virgin Voyages ship is now heading across the Atlantic to New York.

    Portsmouth International Port said that over 8,000 passengers enjoyed the Summer Soiree Series, which saw Virgin Voyages launch its world’s first commercial sailing from Portsmouth.

    A pop-up terminal was created to host passengers while keeping strict COVID-19 health protocols in place after the CDC cruise restrictions in America curtailed plans for stateside launch, guests instead enjoyed a season sailing in domestic UK waters.

    Portsmouth port said that the Scarlet Lady brought a “much-needed boost to the city after a challenging year.” and it felt honoured to receive an open letter of thanks from the Virgin Voyages team.

    “(Y) you’ve welcomed us to your home and you will forever have a place in our heart. We couldn’t be more grateful for your support as we sailed for the first time,” the letter read. “While the Scarlet Lady is saying Bon Voyage after a brilliant Summer Soiree season, we can’t wait to see you next year when our second ship, the Valiant Lady, makes her debut, right here. She’s quite the head-turner too, and there’s nowhere else we’d rather start her off.”

    Mike Sellers, Portsmouth International Port’s director said: “Seeing the Scarlet Lady in the port has been the result of years of hard work, from securing investment to extend our cruise berth to accommodate larger ships, to building confidence with the Virgin Voyages’ team that we could look after their world-first sailing … Everyone at the port stepped up, during the most challenging time, to make sure this was a success and I’m so proud of their hard work and professionalism.”

    Sellers noted that it has also been impressive to see the Virgin team in operation with some spending months in the city to make sure “everything went smoothly, becoming very fond of Portsmouth in the process.”

    “We want to become the port of choice for luxury, boutique cruises, and with plans for a terminal extension underway we’re on our way there … We’re looking forward to seeing Virgin’s new build Valiant Lady in the city next year, and welcoming back the team. In the meantime, the hard work continues as we continue to build our position as a major player in the cruise industry,” Sellers said.

  • We Travel 2U - Weblog

    We Travel 2U-Weblog

    Hurtigruten’s Fridtjof Nansen To Be Christened in Svalbard

    Hurtigruten’s Fridtjof Nansen will be christened in Longyearbyen on Svalbard September 14 – in the northernmost naming ceremony ever to be held for a passenger ship, according to a press release.

    “When looking for a location for the naming of MS Fridtjof Nansen, we couldn’t think of a better place than Svalbard. For expedition cruising, this is where it all began,” said Hurtigruten Expeditions CEO Asta Lassesen.

    “For us, Svalbard and Spitsbergen are much more than just a destination; it’s a part of our history. As history has told us, we need to work closely with local communities when we develop sustainable tourism for future generations of explorers. When we embark on our Svalbard expeditions, we combine our 125 years of experience with our year-round land-based presence, creating jobs and value for the local community that lasts way beyond our cruise calls,” Lassesen said.

    To further mark commitments and long-lasting relationships with the Svalbard community, Hurtigruten Expeditions has chosen Longyearbyen to be MS Fridtjof Nansen’s port of registry – making her the first cruise ship to proudly call Svalbard her home.

    The Fridtjof Nansen will be named by breaking a chunk of ice rather than the traditional bottle of Champagne, just as sister ship MS Roald Amundsen was when she in 2019 was the first ship ever to be named in Antarctica.

    The naming ceremony is set to take place on September 14 and will be live-streamed.

  • We Travel 2U - Weblog

    We Travel 2U-Weblog

    A Promising 2021 for Limassol Cruise Terminal

    Cruising is back to DP World Limassol’s Cruise Terminal, said its Commercial Manager Lazaros Charalambous.

    “Cruises are going strong until October 2021,” he told Cruise Industry News.

    Royal Caribbean, Celestyal, Seabourn, Azamara and Celebrity have all either already returned or are about to return to Cyprus with their ships this summer.

    “Moreover, cruise lines have been taking the necessary steps to ensure that COVID-19 does not spread to their cruise ships, with many requiring passengers to be vaccinated or hold a negative PCR test. This has boosted the morale of cruise lovers, who have been itching to get back to the seas for some time now,” said Charalambous.

    He added that the Cyprus government has prepared and announced a “rigorous health protocol for cruises, which will add to the momentum of the industry.”

    “As it comes to the year 2022, I believe that demand will continue to increase, as more passengers will be vaccinated and keener than ever to travel. I strongly believe that (Cyprus) has great potential to further develop the cruise sector and attract many more cruise lines and passengers,” Charalambous noted. “Cyprus’ stakeholders, including DP World Limassol, are hard at work to promote the safe conduct of cruise tourism and successfully seize the opportunity of the widespread reshuffling happening in the cruising industry because of the pandemic, with a view to establishing the Limassol port as a major cruise hub in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

    According to him, DP World Limassol operates a strict environmental policy in an effort to reduce its footprint as much as possible.

    “We use energy-efficient processes and products, regularly monitor and seek to improve energy efficiency across our operations, while we have adopted an ‘impact and sustainability’ and recycling policy throughout our business. At the global level, DP World aims to reduce its output per unit of movement by increasing efficiency and promoting clean energy, with the ultimate goal being to create a zero-emission supply chain across our networks,” Charalambous said.

    The port also tries to forge partnerships with local organizations and boost its community engagement.

    “We regularly join forces with the local municipality as well as civil society organizations like CYMEPA, to carry out a series of activities such as beach clean-ups, supporting them in their efforts to make Limassol a greener city. Our aim is to help Cyprus achieve its sustainability targets by investing in the port’s equipment, digitization and automation. Such investments, boost the port’s efficiency and resilience, helping it reduce its environmental footprint,” Charalambous said.

    The port is always assessing the best international practices while monitoring its own facilities to identify areas for improvement, he explained. “Most recently, we opened two duty-free shops within the terminal, providing exclusive offers on luxury items and a comfortable shopping experience. We have (also) upgraded our check-in equipment, and we are working with the local authorities to improve the overall efficiency of the terminal,” explained Charalambous.

    He said that he believes that the pandemic has presented the port industry with “an opportunity to embrace digitization and automation.”

    “DP World has always heavily invested in state-of-the-art digital equipment and is continuously introducing innovations in terminal operations that boost resilience and automation, thereby allowing us to evolve and enhance the services we offer our customers. Indicatively, at DP World Limassol, we have introduced digital payment solutions, while this past February, we launched the new ZODIAC cloud-based Terminal Operating System (TOS). The migration into ZODIAC TOS was a big milestone for us at DP World Limassol,” he said.

    “The new system helps us reduce maintenance costs and improve productivity, while it connects all supply chain participants through a single integrated platform, which provides real-time information on vessel, yard, gate and rail movements,” Charalambous added.