Tag Archives: health and safety protocols

Norwegian Cruise Line to Require Masks Aboard

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Norwegian Cruise Line is making operational changes to upcoming sailings, and will require guests to be worn in indoor areas, according to a letter sent to booked guests.

“In advance of our upcoming cruises. we want to ensure you are aware of our latest health and safety protocols and requirements,” the company said. “Among the latest developments, we are asking guests to wear masks onboard while indoors. except when actively eating or drinking or when in their stateroom: wear masks outdoors when social distancing is not possible; adhere to local regulations when visiting ports of call.”

Norwegian requires all guests are required to be fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to departure and they must show proof of vaccination at the terminal in order to board the vessel.

The company is testing all guests prior to sailing and recommends guests self-test at home prior to departure.

The new rules include upcoming sailings including the December 18, 2021 cruise aboard the Norwegian Escape from Port Canaveral and the Norwegian Joy from Miami. Also affected is the December 19, 2021 cruise onboard the Norwegian Breakaway from New Orleans, and the December 19, 2021 departure aboard the Norwegian Gem from New York.

MSC holds out hope for UK passengers as the second ship sets sail

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A second MSC Cruises ship has resumed service after Covid forced a pause in operations for much of the year.
MSC Magnifica follows MSC Grandiosa, which is on its ninth voyage, as the second ship to implement MSC Cruises’ comprehensive health and safety protocols.
MSC Magnifica departed Genoa on a 10-night Mediterranean cruise with calls at the ports of Livorno for visits to Florence and Pisa, Messina in Sicily, Piraeus for Athens, Katakolon for Olympia, Valletta in Malta, and Civitavecchia for Rome, before returning to Genoa. 
MSC Cruises UK managing director Antonio Paradiso said that the line was ready to welcome back British passengers when government guidance is relaxed.
He said: “MSC Cruises are ready to welcome British and Irish residents when the FCDO guidance changes.
“We are working closely with Clia and the relevant authorities to enable British and Irish guests to be welcome back on board our ships when the time is right.”

Carnival: Optimistic For Restart in the U.S. By Year’s End

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Carnival Breeze

“At this time, we have every reason to be optimistic we will be sailing in the U.S. before year’s end,” said Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation, on today’s third-quarter earnings call.

The company’s Costa Cruises brand has already returned to service with two ships in the Mediterranean, soon to be joined by a third ship, the Costa Smeralda, according to Donald. They are sailing weeklong cruises from different Italian homeports. The sister brand, AIDA, is set to launch service later this month, also in the Mediterranean, with German passengers.

Donald explained that the ships are sailing with lower occupancy levels enabling the cruise lines to test and assess their health and safety protocols.

With national brands, Donald said Carnival is ideally positioned for a phased-in return to service, as each brand can be restarted independently, and in most cases with ready access to drive-to markets.

Also, with a small percentage of the fleet entering service, for now, he said, there will be less reliance on new-to-cruise, compared to all previous growth cycles that required the brands to tap more new passengers.

In addition, as Carnival is disposing of some 18 older ships and right-sizing its shoreside organization, Donald said a leaner and more efficient company would emerge.

“All initiatives going forward will be focused on maximizing cash generation and creating shareholder value. The delivery schedules of new ships have been stretched out and there is only one new ship on order for 2024 and one for 2025. This will further reduce our capital expenditures and allow us to repay debt,” he added.

Added David Bernstein, CFO and chief accounting officer: “We are focused on assets that are cash generative, so we can pay down debt, rebuild our balance sheet and get back to investment-grade rating.

“We are working through a number of different financial scenarios, but there is a lot of uncertainty involved so it is difficult to give (financial) guidance. (However), we expect over time to build occupancy up to generate positive cash flow and reduce the cash burn. The start-up occupancy level is less than 50 per cent. Over time, once we know we have things right, we will increase occupancy, while keeping social distancing in mind as well.”

Bernstein noted that the break-even point ranges from 30 to 50 per cent occupancy for different ships.