The German port of Hamburg will again welcome cruise ships this summer as the German city is opening to tourism.
TUI Cruises announced it will sail from Hamburg on June 11 with the Mein Schiff 6, offering short cruises with no port calls.
To start, the German brand will offer three- and four-day scenic cruises and hopes to rotate in ports at a later date. Bookings are now open on the TUI website.
Carnival Corporation brand AIDA Cruises also confirmed that it will base a ship in Hamburg starting in July with more details to follow soon.
Marella Cruises has revealed details of its brand new itineraries sailing UK shores in summer 2021.
According to a press release, the Marella Explorer will set sail from Southampton on UK itineraries from June 25, 2021, sailing to new ports of call including, Belfast, Dublin and Liverpool.
The Marella Explorer 2, the cruise line’s adult-only ship, will also offer UK sailings from Newcastle from July 10, 2021, with even more UK ports of call.
“After pausing our operations for more than a year, we are delighted to announce our UK summer program and welcome our wonderful customers back onboard our ships. The safety and well-being of both our crew and passengers remain our priority which is why we have vaccination and testing protocols for all sailings from UK ports this summer,” said the Managing Director of Cruise TUI UK & I, Chris Hackney.
“Domestic sailings are a great step for the cruise industry and has given us the opportunity to take our customers to new destinations full of culture and history whilst still being close to home. We’re looking forward to this new adventure on the British seas and are dedicated to making sure our customers have the most memorable and exciting cruise with us,” he added.
The Marella Explorer will sail seven new UK itineraries during the summer 2021 season, “perfect for those looking to explore via sea the history and culture of some amazing British cities and towns,” the cruise line said. All itineraries will have recommended excursions from our onboard destination services team to offer guests options to make the most of their time ashore.
According to Marella, Sail the South Coast itinerary is a “great taster and for those new to cruising with a three-night itinerary from Southampton, visiting Dover for Canterbury Cathedral and Portland for the beautiful Abbotsbury Swannery & Gardens.”
“Cruisers looking for a longer break can experience the new Sail the Irish Sea. Departing in August from Southampton, it will visit popular cities including Liverpool, Dublin and Cobh in the Republic of Ireland,” the cruise line wrote.
Marella is also offering a number of Scottish itineraries, including ‘British Sights and Seas’ which will visit five Scottish hotspots. The history-rich itinerary has a day at sea before exploring Invergordon, the old historic town of Kirkwall and the rich culture of Leith and a visit to Edinburgh Castle before heading to Newcastle and then back down to Southampton.
A Taste of the West Coast will also see Marella Explorer sail to Greenock, the capital of Northern Ireland – Belfast and Holyhead before finishing the itinerary in Portland.
Anyone aged 18 years and older will be required to have had both COVID-19 jabs at least seven days before travelling. All under 18 year-olds, excluding infants under the age of two who will not be able to sail as they are exempt from testing, will be asked to have a lateral flow test.
All itineraries, except for those with Newcastle as an embarkation point, go on sale on April 16, Marella said. Newcastle sailings are expected to go on sale by the end of April.
UK sailings are available only for UK residents with a permanent UK address and a valid passport.
Royal Caribbean Group has scheduled a business update call for investors, as well as report 2020 fourth quarter and 2020 full-year earnings, on Monday, Feb. 22.
It’s a key call for the investment community, with the company approaching the one-year mark without ships in service from U.S. ports, and only a small percentage of its fleet operating, with the Quantum of the Seas sailing from Singapore while TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises have seen smaller restarts.
Company executives are expected to provide a 15 to 25-minute presentation and then will open it up to question from financial analysts.
CDC: Will company executives provide an update regarding ongoing discussions with the CDC and its Conditional Sailing Order. Since being issued in late October there have been no further public updates nor promised technical regulations.
Biden Administration: After the industry had high-profile meetings with Vice President Mike Pence in 2020, as well as a teleconference in October, what has been the relationship with the new U.S. administration so far with President Joe Biden in office?
Azamara: Company executives will need to comment on the sale of Azamara to a private equity company. Will other sales of ships or brands follow?
Alaska: How will the Canada cruise ship ban impact the Alaska season and is the idea of a waiver to operate without calling on a foreign port realistic?
Occupancy: When the ships do restart, what occupancy will they sail at, and what occupancy do they need to sail at to generate positive earnings?
Deployment: Could 2021 and possibly 2022 lead to a seismic shift in deployment as cruise lines stay even closer to home and embrace short cruises?
Cash Burn: Royal Caribbean Group opted not to provide an exact cash burn figure in its last earnings release, but offered a range that averaged out to $270 million a month. Investors will be looking for an update.
Startup Costs: Among Wall Streets, key concerns will be the startup costs per vessel as well as the timeline to get a vessel ready to cruise with guests.
Lay Up: Will the company elaborate on further cold lay-up scenarios for the vessels that may return to service last?
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