We Travel 2U-Weblog
TTG goes onboard MSC Virtuosa – the first ship to restart sailings from the UK – to find out how the pandemic has changed the cruise experience and how the line has adapted. Watch what’s needed for embarkation, see what health and hygiene protocols have been put in place and hear from some of the first guests to return to cruising since the pandemic began.
Sorry for the Audio at the Start.https://youtu.be/eL4Km6uVpRo
We Travel 2U-Weblog
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has claimed to have broken company booking records after its newly announced ship Norwegian Prima went on sale last week.
Prima, the first in a new series of six vessels, brought NCL it’s best-performing opening sales day and week in the line’s 54-year history.
Launching in August 2022, Prima will feature a number of brand firsts for NCL across its design, venues and guest experience – including Ocean Boulevard, Indulge Food Hall, Infinity Beach and Oceanwalk.
Prima will also see the line’s suite “ship-within-a-ship” concept, The Haven, expanded and moved to the aft.
NCL president and chief executive Harry Sommer said Prima’s sales during its open booking day has doubled the record set by Norwegian Bliss in 2018.
Nearly 20% of bookings made for Prima were for Haven suites, which Sommer said showed NCL guests’ “desire for top-of-the-line experiences”.
“Norwegian Prima is already proving to be a game-changer for NCL,” he said.
“Every aspect of Prima, from bow to stern, was conceptualised with the guest in mind. With this world-class ship, we are providing our guests with more wide-open spaces, elevated service, thoughtful design and a variety of experiences that go beyond expectation.
“Our record-breaking sales are a clear indicator of our guests’ excitement to return to the ocean and of the significant demand for a premium vacation experience.”
We Travel 2U-Weblog
The Costa Luminosa is back in service for Carnival Corporation’s Italian brand as the ship today sailed from Trieste, becoming the company’s second ship to resume operations in 2021 after the Costa Smeralda reentered service earlier this month from Savona.
The Luminosa will offer Adriatic Sea itineraries and also call in Greece as part of Costa’s four-ship sailing plan for summer 2021, all operating under the company’s Costa Safety Protocol.
In addition to Trieste, Costa Luminosa’s one-week itinerary includes visits to Bari and Corfu, Athens, Mykonos and Katakolon/Olympia. The deployment is scheduled through mid-November, totalling 27 departures.
Costa Luminosa’s restart was celebrated in Trieste by Costa Cruises President Mario Zanetti, together with several key figures, including the Mayor of Trieste, Roberto Dipiazza; the Councilor of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Pierpaolo Roberti; the Captain of the Trieste Coast Guard, Vincenzo Vitale; and the CEO of Trieste Terminal Passeggeri, Francesco Mariani.
“With the restart of the Costa Luminosa, we are finally bringing cruises back to the Adriatic Sea and Greece, one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations, and reviving a sector of great importance to the economy of many European countries, including Italy, as well as the eastern part of the Mediterranean,” said Zanetti.
“Just to illustrate the importance of this restart, before the pause caused by the pandemic, our company generated an annual economic impact of almost €13 billion in Europe, creating over 63,000 jobs. We are particularly pleased to be resuming from Trieste, a city that has always welcomed us warmly, and which will be the home port of Costa Luminosa not only this year but also in 2022. We look to the future with optimism, and we are working to make Trieste even more strategic for cruises, promoting sustainable development and a quality guest experience,” he added.
Next for Costa, on June 26, the Costa Deliziosa will restart with week-long cruises in Greece. July 4 will see the departure of the Costa Firenze with one-week cruises in Italy.
In addition, starting on July 3 Costa Smeralda will begin sailing in international itineraries, with one-week cruises in Italy, France and Spain.
“Trieste welcomes the return of the Costa Cruises ships. In recent years we have developed a very important collaboration with the company that guaranteed a regular presence of Costa ships in our beautiful city. Trieste is a city with a tourist vocation and the return of Costa rewards us for the work we are doing, but above all, it means that tourists are back,” said the Mayor of Trieste, Roberto Dipiazza.
