Royal Caribbean International will not require guests to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 on certain sailings from next month.
From 5 September, passengers sailing on all European cruises and select US ports – Los Angeles, Galveston, New Orleans – will only be asked to disclose their vaccination status during check-in. Still, it will not be mandatory in order to board.
The line’s pre-cruise testing protocols will remain the same.
Royal said it recommends all eligible guests are fully vaccinated and advised passengers to bring proof of vaccination with them should local authorities or businesses in specific destinations ask to see it.
In some destinations, guests will be required to prove their vaccination status in order to go ashore. In contrast, unvaccinated passengers and those not up to date with their vaccinations may need to undergo additional testing at their own expense to go ashore and disembark at the end of their cruise.
GoodFuels partnered with Carnival Corporation’s AIDA Cruises and completed the first bio-bunkering on AIDAprima, according to a press release.
The AIDAprima was refuelled with GoodFuels’ sustainable biofuels during a port visit to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands as part of a seven-day cruise, visiting Hamburg, Southampton, Le Havre, and Zeebrugge, according to the company. Without requiring any engine or tank modifications, AIDAprima was bunkered with biofuel and continued its itineraries.
“With the successful start of biofuel usage, we have proven that gradual decarbonization is possible even on ships already in service. An important prerequisite for us as a cruise line to be able to use it is that it becomes widely available on an industrial scale and at marketable prices,” commented Felix Eichhorn, president, of AIDA Cruises.
The recent bio-bunkering appears to be just the beginning, as AIDA expects additional deliveries and a possible expansion to other Carnival Corporation brands.
“This first bio-bunkering with AIDA Cruises marks an exciting step forward on the cruise industry’s decarbonisation pathway, demonstrating that our sustainable biofuels are a safe, technically viable and convenient option to drastically cut down emissions from passenger’s vessels. As the effects of climate change are felt acutely in several parts of the world, the time for action is now, and biofuels are one of the few options that can already make a difference today. We are delighted to have worked alongside the trail-blazers at AIDA Cruises in the past few months to make this milestone a reality, and we look forward to collaborating again in the future,” said Dirk Kronemeijer, chief executive officer, GoodFuels.
For the first time since 2019, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines will resume sailings from Scotland this year aboard Balmoral, according to a press release.
The Balmoral, which welcomed her first guests back on board in May 2022, will set sail from Rosyth in Edinburgh, Scotland on July 8 for an eight-night “Hidden Gems of the Norwegian Fjords” cruise, taking travellers to Nordfjord, Sognefjord, Fjaerlandsfjord, Eresfjord, Molde, Skjolden, and Olden, according to the company.
The Balmoral, named after Queen Elizabeth II’s Scottish estate, joined the company’s new ships, Bolette and Borealis, both of which resumed cruising in 2021.
The Borealis became the first UK cruise ship to sail internationally in the post-pandemic era and the Balmoral’s first cruise was the “Canary Islands with the Funchal Flower Parade. ”Since then, she has sailed from Newcastle to Norway, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and Latvia.
The Balmoral will depart from Rosyth for the rest of summer 2022, before sailing on a series of cruises from Southampton, Dover, and Portsmouth in September.
“This first departure from Rosyth will be extra special as Scotland is Balmoral’s spiritual home, and we always receive a warm welcome when sailing from there. There is a long and proud history at Fred. Olsen of naming ships after Scottish icons, which reflects the connections between the Olsen family and Scotland. It is wonderful to have three ships sailing again, which allows us to offer departures from more regional ports around the UK,” said Peter Deer, managing director, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.
Sample Cruises:
Cities & Islands of Sweden, Estonia & Latvia, Departing from Rosyth Date: July 16, 2022 Duration: 13 nights Itinerary: Edinburgh (Rosyth), Scotland – Liepaja, Latvia – Saaremaa, Estonia – Tallinn, Estonia – Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden – Stockholm, Sweden – Visby, Sweden – Riga, Latvia – Klaipeda, Lithuania – Edinburgh (Rosyth), Scotland Price: From £999 per person
Discovering Castles, Palaces, and Cultural Landmarks of Northern Europe, Departing from Rosyth Date: August 19, 2022 Duration: 10 nights Itinerary: Edinburgh (Rosyth), Scotland – Fredericia, Denmark – Klaipeda, Lithuania – Gdansk, Poland – Sassnitz, Germany – Szczecin, Poland – Kiel Canal Transit, Germany – Edinburgh (Rosyth), Scotland Price: From £1199 per person
French Rivers With Bordeaux, Departing from Rosyth Date: August 29, 2022 Duration: 11 nights Itinerary: Edinburgh (Rosyth), Scotland – Lorient, France – Bordeaux, France – River Seine, Rouen, France – Honfleur, France – Edinburgh (Rosyth), Scotland Price: From £1199 per person
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