Royal Caribbean Drops ‘Cruise Line’ from Group Name

Posted on 1 August, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

Independence of the Seas in Southampton photo credit Dave Jones.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, the world’s second-largest cruise line operator, will now go by the new moniker: Royal Caribbean Group.

With the new name comes a new identity, as well. The company’s logo has also been updated with the iconic crown and anchor emblem being sharpened and made more symmetrical. The crown will officially now reside inside a circle at all times.

“The name is simpler, fresher and more modern. It’s also more descriptive—Royal Caribbean Group sounds like a parent company name, reflective of our growth and evolution since we last updated our identity more than 20 years ago,” said Royal Caribbean Group chairman and CEO Richard Fain.

Royal Caribbean Group’s flagship cruise line brands still include Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea, Azamara, TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Together, the brands operate 63 ships with an additional 16 on order as of July 10, 2020.

The new branding comes as the Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) has suspended all sailings through September due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The voluntary suspension is in-line with the U.S. CDC required suspension for cruise lines operating out of the United States.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings postpones return until November

Posted on 1 August, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

Norwegian Jade

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ three lines – Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas Cruises — will not sail until November.

NCLH is the latest cruise company to push back the suspension of sailings beyond the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s No Sail Order through Sept. 30.

Most of the major cruise lines serving the North American market have extended their pause to conform to the CDC order, including the Royal Caribbean Group brands, Carnival Cruise Line and MSC Cruises. Princess recently extended its suspension of nearly all cruises through mid-December, and many Holland America ships are not slated to set sail until mid-October or November.

Windstar Cruises recently pushed back its Tahiti sailings, which are to be the line’s first cruises to resume service, from Sept. 10 to Oct. 15, to align with the CDC order.

Rumoured sale of Cunard and Seabourn denied by Carnival Corporation

Posted on 30 July, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

Cunard - Ships and Itineraries 2020, 2021, 2022 | CruiseMapper

Carnival Corporation has scotched speculation that luxury brands Cunard and Seabourn could be sold as the cruise giant seeks to navigate recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The company was responding to a specialist media report.

Global shipping news service TradeWinds claimed a sale could be prompted by ageing passenger demographics and a need to generate higher returns.

But a Carnival Corporation spokesman said: “There is no truth to this rumour.

“Cunard and Seabourn are iconic brands for our company, and both lines have a strong track record of success over the years.”

The company announced that it is to dispose of a further two ships, in addition to the disposal of 13 ships across its brands and the delayed delivery of new vessels announced earlier this month.

Four older Holland America Line ships have been sold, including two to Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, while P&O Cruises’ Oceana has left the fleet and Greek line Celestyal Cruises acquired Costa Cruises’ Costa NewRomantica.

In June, Carnival Corporation said it was speeding up the disposal of ships after a registered $2.4 billion adjusted net loss in the three months to May 31.

It has raised at least $10 billion through a series of financial transactions since March, and had “taken significant actions to preserve cash and secure additional financing to maximise its liquidity”.

It also confirmed $8.8 billion of credit facilities to fund ship deliveries originally planned through to 2023.

Cunard sailings by Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria are suspended until November 1 and Queen Elizabeth until November 23.

Seabourn’s five-ship fleet is on an extended pause in operations into October and November.

The brand had previously announced a suspension of its global ship operations from March 14 until June 30.