Fred Olsen creates ‘Plain Sailing Guarantee’

Posted on 29 April, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines No Fly Cruises from Dover - 2020 2021 No ...

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines has created a ‘Plain Sailing Guarantee’ including ‘quibble-free refunds’ and flexibility for guests wishing to transfer to alternative cruises.

The guarantee, which is “designed to offer reassurance during the Covid-19 pandemic”, also spells out revised payment terms including balance payments being due 28 days before departure, rather than 90 days.

Guests who transfer to another cruise will receive a future cruise voucher on top of any funds that have already been paid, which can be put towards another sailing. This voucher will be valid for 24 months, with all funds to be automatically refunded, plus an additional 5%, if it is not used within this time.

Any guest with a 2020 cruise booked can also choose to transfer to another cruise on sale, even if their sailing has not been cancelled.

Jackie Martin, marketing & sales director, said: “What our new Plain Sailing Guarantee does is set out clearly what options are available to guests.

“Of course, it goes without saying that all guests are entitled to a full refund on any monies paid when a cruise is cancelled. But we know that a number of our guests are keen to enjoy cruising with us again when they can, so we have made it easy for them to transfer their booking.”

She added: “We know that everything seems a little uncertain just now, and some people may want a little more time to decide where and when they may want to travel again, which is why our future cruise voucher will last for 24 months.

“If at the end of this time some guests have still not managed to find a cruise to suit, we will automatically refund everything they have already paid, plus an additional 5%, as a thank you for their support and to cover any interest they may otherwise have accrued during this time.

“This is a challenging time for us all, and I would like to thank all of our guests for their support as we sail these choppy seas, and we can’t wait to welcome our guests back on board with us as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Last week, Fred Olsen extended the cancellation of sailings to an unspecified date beyond May 23 in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The line will be assessing all upcoming cruises from May 23 in date order.

Meyer Turku Announces 450 Permanent Layoffs

Posted on 29 April, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

A cruise ship under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland. Photo: Meyer Turku

HELSINKI, April 28 (Reuters) – German shipyard Meyer Werft’s Finnish subsidiary on Tuesday started statutory talks to lay off up to 450 of its roughly 2,000 employees because of a hit to business from the coronavirus pandemic.

The shipyard, in Turku on Finland’s west coast, had initially started talks over temporary layoffs but said the market situation had now forced it to look for permanent cuts.

“These negotiations will include the permanent layoff of 450 people and another 900 are affected by other measures. These include temporary layoffs of different length, work time adjustments and other arrangements,” the company said in a statement.

Instead of ramping-up from one to two large ships delivered per year until 2023, the assumption is now that the Turku yard will build just one large cruise ship per year, it added.

“The corona pandemic has changed the situation unexpectedly and totally. We are facing the fact that the corona-caused pause in cruising requires to stretch the order book,” said Meyer Turku Chief Executive Jan Meyer. (Reporting by Anne Kauranen; Editing by Mark Potter)

Nearly 150 Total Coronavirus Cases Confirmed on Cruise Ship in Japan

Posted on 28 April, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

An aerial view shows Italian cruise ship Costa Atlantica in Nagasaki, southern Japan April 21, 2020. Kyodo/via REUTERS

Nearly 150 cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed among crew members of an Italian cruise ship docked in Japan after health authorities finished testing everyone on board, an official said on Saturday.

The Nagasaki prefecture official said 57 more crew had tested positive, bringing the total infections on board the Costa Atlantica to 148, roughly one-quarter of the vessel’s 623 crew members.

Authorities began testing after one crew member tested positive for the virus earlier this week. No passengers are on board the vessel, which has been docked in Nagasaki in southwestern Japan since February for repairs and maintenance after the pandemic prevented scheduled repairs in China.

The official told a news conference that the prefecture was discussing with the national government how to handle a large number of positive infections on the ship.

He added that there was no change in plans to send those testing negative to their home nations as soon as possible.

The infection cluster on board the vessel comes as hospitals are running out of beds in some parts of Japan, where the national tally of virus cases has risen above 13,000. Some 350 people have died. Nagasaki, excluding the ship figures, has seen a relatively low number of 17 infections and one death.

Of those infected on board the Costa Atlantica, only one crew member has been admitted to hospital, while others remain onboard, having shown slight or no symptoms.

Nagasaki authorities had quarantined the vessel on arrival and ordered its crew not to venture beyond the quay except for hospital visits.

But prefecture officials said earlier this week that some of the crew had departed without their knowledge, and sought detailed information on their movements.

The cruise ship infections follow a similar incident earlier this year when more than 700 passengers and crew tested positive for the virus on the Diamond Princess cruise liner docked in Yokohama. (Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu and Chris Gallagher; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Ros Russell)