Tag Archives: UK

Britain Predicts a Record 2023 Cruise Season

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According to numbers released by Cruise Britain, the cruise industry’s post-Covid transition year was a success with predictions for a projected record season in 2023, according to a press release.

“2022 was the first full year of cruise activity since the pandemic and really built upon the unprecedented success of the 2021 domestic season. What we are seeing now are the rewards for an industry that has consistently worked together to recover, regenerate and develop”, said Ian McQuade, chair of Cruise Britain. “Whilst Round Britain and Ireland cruise popularity continues to grow, we have now seen the successful return of itineraries where British port calls are part of a multi-country story of discovery.”

The previous record season for the UK was 2019 while in 2022, the UK welcomed a total of 2,176 cruise calls, which is a drop of 22 per cent compared to that record year. UK orts welcomed nearly 1.4 million guests, which is around 80 per cent of the 2019 numbers. In addition, visitors in 2022 brought around £100m to Britain’s coastal economies. 

“Looking ahead to this year, we see a very robust projected growth of 8 per cent in terms of port calls across the UK. Some regions such as the South West, North West and Scotland are reporting likely figures in excess of this national growth rate,” added McQuade. 

“This is a fantastic projection and the strength of the immediate growth trend is a testament to the increasing popularity of Britain as a cruise destination. We really can offer a port for every cruise ship currently sailing – from expedition ships to boutique and mid-range vessels up to the largest afloat.”

In the previous year, the UK welcomed 52 different cruise lines with ships visiting diverse ports including Belfast and Bristol, Portland and Portsmouth, Douglas (Isle of Man) and Dover, among others.

“The UK offers an incredibly diverse cruise holiday experience for guests and this is one of the most powerful reasons for the growth projections that we are seeing. Cruise Britain and all its members continue to work with cruise lines, industry partners and stakeholders, and government to support the development of cruise as a resilient and profitable sector of the travel industry,” concluded McQuade.

NCL REINTRODUCES COVID-19 TESTS FOR GUESTS EMBARKING IN CHINA

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Norwegian Star arriving in Liverpool photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Norwegian Cruise Line has reintroduced Covid-19 testing for all guests who have visited mainland China 10 days before embarkation as cases in the country continue to rise.

The move comes as a result of growing concerns regarding the virus in China, as well as recently implemented travel restrictions by countries including the UK and the US.

Between 5-31 January, guests who have visited mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau within 10 days prior to embarkation will be required to submit proof of a negative medically supervised PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to the beginning of travel to the port.

This also applies to guests transiting through an airport in one of the countries within 10 days prior to embarkation.


Additionally, guests will be required to take a medically supervised PCR test at the port within eight hours of embarkation and will be required to test onboard the ship every 48 hours until 10 days have passed from their last time in China, Hong Kong, or Macau.


Passengers must also be fully vaccinated and boosted with a World Health Organization-approved vaccine prior to embarkation.

It comes after the EU recommended all passengers travelling from China to the EU should be required to provide evidence of a recent negative test for Covid-19.

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson this week said the restrictions being imposed on travellers from China “lacked scientific basis”, adding the Chinese government would now consider reciprocal countermeasures.

Celebrity Apex to home port in Southampton in the 2024 season

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Celebrity Cruises’ second Edge-class ship, Celebrity Apex, will homeport in Southampton for its entire 2024 season.

Apex – which will be the first Edge-class ship to sail out of Southampton – will replace Celebrity Silhouette and offer four- to-13-night sailings from May through November 2024.

Itineraries include a 12-night Norwegian Fjords and Arctic Circle cruise, as well as sailings to Ibiza and the Mediterranean.

Following feedback from its travel partners, the line has announced its UK deployment two weeks in advance of the launch date for the first time, to allow agents to pre-register interest from guests.

To support the trade in selling the vessel, the line will host 600 agents onboard Apex in 2023, across a range of ship visits and seminars.

Agents will also have access to a suite of training and marketing tools via Celebrity Central, including webinars; digital “Be the first to book” banners; fact sheets; talking points; itinerary flyers; and print adverts.

New training modules featuring Apex will also be available on Celebrity Passport. Agents selling Apex can also earn up to £20 per booking on all 2024 bookings via Celebrity Rewards.

From 1 November to 5 December 2022, agents can earn up to £50 Celebrity Rewards points per booking on all 2023 sailings, across all stateroom categories.

Lisa Lutoff Perlo, president and chief executive of Celebrity Cruises, said: “Having one of our award-winning Edge Series ships sailing from Southampton will offer an experience like no other from the UK.

“Celebrity Cruises continues to redefine cruising, taking our guests to the world’s best places on the world’s best places.”

The line’s vice president and managing director EMEA, Jo Rzymowska, said the UK “has always been integral to the success” of the company, and homeporting Apex from Southampton “underlines our commitment to this market”.

“There is a huge appetite from UK guests who share our curiosity for people, places and cultures, and our passion for opening up the world through a love of travel.

“We invest a lot in the training of our travel partners because what’s really important to us, is that they can talk about what makes Celebrity different and what makes us unique, therefore they’re not just selling a big white ship. And that is really important.

“I’m looking forward to welcoming even more of our guests onboard Celebrity Apex when she raises the bar for cruising from Southampton in 2024.”