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.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings today announced additional voyages as part of its U.S. voyage resumption plan.
According to a press release, Norwegian Cruise Line plans to set sail beginning summer 2021 with voyages from New York, Los Angeles, Port Canaveral and Miami and the line announced that the Norwegian Encore will debut in Alaska this summer in place of Norwegian Bliss.
Voyages expected to operate in the U.S. are contingent on obtaining a Conditional Sailing Certificate from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the company said. All initial voyages will operate with fully vaccinated guests and crew.
“I am pleased to continue our Great Cruise Comeback with plans already announced for 23 of our 28 ships across our three brands beginning in July 2021 and phasing in through early 2022,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.
“We want to thank Governor DeSantis and the State of Florida for fighting in support of our industry. His leadership helped bring the CDC to the table. We are currently in communication with his staff and legal counsel to ensure that we can offer the safest cruise experience for our passengers departing from the cruise capital of the world.”
Deployment Moves:
• Norwegian Gem will cruise seven-day itineraries to the Caribbean beginning August 15, 2021, and a four-day voyage to the Bahamas in November from Miami; • Additional itineraries on Norwegian Breakaway are open for sale to Bermuda starting September 26, 2021, from New York; • Norwegian Bliss will sail on October 24, 2021, to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles; • Norwegian Escape will sail on November 13, 2021, to the Caribbean from Port Canaveral; • In addition, the Norwegian Encore will make her debut on the West Coast, taking the place of the previously announced Norwegian Bliss for the 2021 summer Alaska cruise season. The Alaska itinerary will include visits to Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Icy Strait Point, while also offering guests majestic views of Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier or Glacier Bay.
Building up its return to service, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings plans to have most of its fleet back in service by early 2022.
Here’s the latest, brand by brand:
First sailing: July 25, 2021 Ships: Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Breakaway, Pride of America, Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Spirit Regions: Mediterranean, Caribbean, Bermuda, Hawaii, West Coast, Bahamas, Panama Canal, Asia and Australia
According to its current plans, Norwegian Cruise Line will have 13 ships back in service by February 2022.
The first ship to resume cruising will be the Norwegian Jade, which is set to offer new itineraries from Greece starting on July 25. Later, in September, two additional vessels are entering service in Europe as the Norwegian Epic and the Norwegian Getaway resume their originally announced schedule in the Western Mediterranean.
Oceania Cruises First sailing: August 29, 2021 Ships: Marina, Riviera, Insignia and Sirena Regions: Northern Europe, Mediterranean, Caribbean and World Cruise
Norwegian’s upper premium brand, Oceania Cruises plans to reenter service in August. The company announced that it will resume cruise operations with the 1,250-guest Marina sailing in Scandinavia and Western Europe.
The vessel will resume her originally published voyage schedule, commencing on August 29, 2021, in Copenhagen.
Regent Seven Seas First sailing: September 11, 2021 Ships: Seven Seas Splendor, Seven Seas Explorer, Seven Seas Mariner, Seven Seas Navigator and Seven Seas Voyager Regions: Northern Europe, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Panama Canal and World Cruise
Regent Seven Seas Cruises announced its return to sailing with Seven Seas Splendor. The vessel will begin cruising from the UK in September, resuming its previously scheduled itineraries in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.
While most of the ships are set to sail previously announced itineraries in Europe or the Caribbean, the Seven Seas Mariner will offer a World Cruise. The vessel is poised to sail on a published Panama Canal itinerary, before starting the 120-night itinerary on January 5, 2022.
The cabin options for cruise ship guests are usually if not endless, then at least plentiful. For a pricey fee, guests can upgrade all the way to penthouses and ship-within-a-ship concepts onboard most major cruise lines.
But what about crew accommodations?
Cruise Industry News spoke with several crew members working on different ships to find out. They agreed to provide comments on the grounds of anonymity.
Cabin Types
A crew member who worked for all the major cruise lines – Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International – said that the higher the position of the crew member, the higher will their deck usually be.
“Management onboard and most ‘second’ management get their own cabins. On Norwegian and Princess, you have the best management cabins that are like guest staterooms, with many perks. Royal Caribbean and Carnival management cabins are not as luxurious as most and vary between the size of the ship and position,” they said.
“Crew and staff cabins are anywhere between two and four team members. Four members are usually with housekeeping/bar/restaurant as these are the biggest departments. During the comeback to sailing, all cabins are limited to two crew members. Cabins with more than one crew member have bunk beds with curtains and are not made for privacy. You need to time your morning showers and so on properly – otherwise, you will be late for your shifts,” they added.
The crew member explained that crew cabins are made only for resting, not living. And closet space can barely hold the cruise uniform and some personal belongings.
A crew member on a Disney Cruise Line ship told Cruise Industry News that they had a cabin to themselves.
“All officers have their own cabins while the rest of the crew used to share a cabin (two per room). It seems like as of now, all crew members will have a single cabin. Cabins are, I would say, ok … There are three cabinets, bed, sofa, working desk and chair, tv, porthole, bathroom including shower cabin,” they said.
A crew member with Viking Ocean Cruises said that crew members on their ship shared cabins with a fellow department staffer.
“The cabins are really tiny, and you will have to think wisely before purchasing anything. They are all inside cabins,” they said.
Two crew members from AIDA ships said that until passenger sailings resume, they got to stay in a passenger room with a balcony on their own. However, normally, a cabin is shared between two crew members.
An employee with Silversea said that “in general,” they liked their cabin. It was “nice” and a “perfect” size for one. The bed was comfortable, the pillows were of good quality, the linen was great, they said. The TV was 39 inches, with “lots of movies on demand.”
They also said they were given $25-worth of free laundry, and their cabin was cleaned twice a week.
“That we can’t complain about. And we have a minibar. And good entertainment on TV. I’m happy with my accommodation; I had it much worse on other ships,” they said.
“Some positions – such as waiters, bartenders, housekeeping, cooks etc – always share a cabin between two people. But it’s enough space for two,” they added.
Improvements?
A crew member with one major cruise brand said that usually, crew cabins get virtually zero improvements.
“There are very often some minor improvements – like new carpet, new shower cabin … but in general, no improvement,” they said.
The crew member with Silversea said that crew cabins had gotten better over time.
“Cabins got better and a little bigger. The bed is now higher – that was a smart thing to do, so we have a lot of space for our luggage and storage,” they said. “The new air conditioner system is modern and can be adjusted by a little screen on the wall.”
The crew member who worked for multiple cruise lines said that, despite numerous drydocks and wet docks, crew cabins rarely undergo major changes.
“I’ve been working on ships for many years on many brands. Cabins have not changed at all, bar refurbishment. During wet and drydocks all cruise lines maintain the same cabin structures,” they said.
They warned that cruise ship crew members’ life often looks glamourous on the outside, but a lot remains hidden behind the façade.
“You will become very close to your peers as they are constantly in your face from the second you wake up …
