P&O Cruises and Cunard have “temporarily” stopped selling cruises

Posted on 26 February, 2021 by Spacejunkie2

P&O Cruises and Cunard have “temporarily” stopped selling cruises due to depart before 21 June as the lines look to the government for greater clarity on when travel will be allowed to restart.

The date was laid out by prime minister Boris Johnson on Monday (22 February) as a potential milestone for when all Covid restrictions in England could be lifted.

Johnson said a relaunched Global Travel Taskforce would examine how and when international travel could be restarted through a newly commissioned report, due on 12 April – with travel not currently slated to resume until at least 17 May.

In a statement released on Friday (26 February), P&O and Cunard said sales for itineraries before 21 June had been halted as the lines “await more clarity on likely dates for domestic and international cruising”.

The brands said they were seeking “additional clarification to fully understand the requirements” announced by the prime minister earlier this week.

“These cruises have not been cancelled and there is no action required from any guests booked on these cruises,” a spokesperson said.

“Should it be necessary to extend our pause and cancel any more cruise dates then we will advise our guests as soon as possible.”

Queen Mary 2 Takes Center Stage in HBO Max Film Let Them All Talk

Posted on 13 December, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

The Queen Mary 2 is among the stars of the new film “Let Them All Talk,” directed by the award-winning Steven Soderbergh, streaming on HBO Max.

As Meryl Streep’s character, Alice, steps out of the taxi upon arriving at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, she gazes in awe at Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. This is one of the opening scenes of the new film, according to a press release as Streep’s character is sailing aboard the Cunard ship as a special guest of the voyage’s enrichment program, Cunard Insights.

The three-time Academy Award winner Streep is joined by fellow acting royalty, two-time Academy Award winner Dianne Wiest, and five-time Emmy Award®winner Candice Bergen. Supported by Academy Award nominee Lucas Hedges and actress Gemma Chan, the film is set aboard the storied Transatlantic Crossing, amidst the backdrop of the ship.

In fact, the majority of the film was shot on board in some of the vessel’s spaces: the Art Deco Commodore Club, the Queens Grill suites and dining room, the Royal Court Theatre, and the 9,000 volume library, among others.

As the film was captured aboard a live voyage, many onboard guests had a chance to grab their moment in the spotlight when they were cast as extras in the film.

“We were absolutely delighted when Steven Soderbergh approached us to film his next feature onboard Queen Mary 2,” said Simon Palethorpe, President, Cunard. “While Cunard and our flagship are accustomed to hosting luminaries from all over the globe, it was quite something to welcome Steven, Meryl, Dianne, Candice, Lucas, and Gemma for this very special and unique opportunity. We are very excited about the film, its witty and engaging story, and how lovingly Steven captured the essence of our flagship and the Transatlantic Crossing experience.”

Commenting on his experience aboard Queen Mary 2, Soderbergh said: “Color me well impressed. I have never seen an enterprise on this scale of complexity run so beautifully. Every Cunard staff member we interacted with was committed to providing the best possible experience for their guests, which in this case included our cast and crew. And I can confirm without question that as stunning as Queen Mary 2 looks on camera, she’s even more stunning to the naked eye.”

Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean brands extend US cruise suspensions

Posted on 3 November, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

The two largest US cruise combines will not sail again until the new year at the earliest.
The North American brands of Carnival Corporation and those of rival Royal Caribbean Group confirmed an extension of sailings until December 31 – joining Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which confirmed an extension of its suspension of cruises across its three brands until the end of 2020.
The latest pause affects Carnival Cruise Line, Cunard North America, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn together with RCG lines Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea.
Global ocean cruising has already been shut down since March due to the Covid-19 pandemic with many lines already cancelling cruises well into 2021.
The US last week cleared the way for the cruise ship to resume sailing in American waters from November 1, but have yet to confirm when paying passengers will be allowed on board.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s ‘Framework for Conditional Sailing Order’ will see cruise lines operate itineraries with no passengers on board to demonstrate the effectiveness of Covid-19 prevention measures and compliance with CDC measures.
Carnival Corporation chief executive Arnold Donald, confirming the extension of the pause in operations of its North American brands from December 1 until December 31, said: “Our highest responsibility and top priorities are always compliance, protecting the environment, and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the people in communities we touch, our crew and shoreside employees.
“We continue to work with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and global government and public health authorities, as well as top medical and scientific experts around the globe, on a comprehensive plan for the eventual restart of cruising in North America.
“With their collective guidance, we have developed and continue to update our enhanced health and safety protocols that are in the best interest of our guests, crew and overall public health.
“Whenever we restart our cruise operations in the US, we certainly look forward to welcoming our guests onboard.”
The date for restarting cruise operations will be communicated by each respective brand and available on their websites, Carnival Corporation said.
“The company and its brands are also notifying crew members, travel professionals and other stakeholders,” the group added.
RCG said: “Our primary goal continues to be a healthy return to service for our guests, crew and the communities we visit.
“As we work with the CDC and others toward this shared goal, Royal Caribbean Group will be extending the suspension of sailings to include those departing on or before December 31, 2020, excluding sailings from Singapore.
“Celebrity Cruises has already suspended their full 2020-21 winter programme in Australia and Asia.
“Additionally, Azamara has suspended their 2020-21 winter sailings throughout Australia and New Zealand, South Africa and South America.
“We will be reaching out to our guests and travel partners to share further details and address any questions or concerns they may have.”
Welcoming the CDC’s pathway for return to service announced on Friday, RCG said: “While we are eager to welcome our guests back on board, we have a lot to do between now and then, and we’re committed to taking the time to do things right.
“This includes training our crew in new health and safety protocols and conducting a number of trial sailings to stress-test those protocols in real-world conditions.”