Tag Archives: Western Mediterranean

Queen Elizabeth to Sail to Canaries, Western Mediterranean and Canada in 2022

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Cunard has announced that a series of new itineraries sailing on the 2,092-passenger Queen Elizabeth between February and May 2022 will go on sale in November.

According to a press release, all sailings will depart from Southampton and will include a voyage in search of the Northern Lights, journeys to the Canary Islands and the Western Mediterranean as well as a grand voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, through the Panama Canal and on to Vancouver, Canada.

“We hope our guests will be inspired to find a little adventure with these new itineraries. In a single short program, they offer a fantastic variety from the opportunity to experience the wondrous Northern Lights, to sun-kissed Mediterranean shores, to a transit of the Panama Canal,” Cunard President Simon Palethorpe said.

The new itineraries will replace the existing published schedule, meaning that all previously announced departures between Feb. 20 and May 17, 2022, inclusive are now cancelled. The cruise line said that based on the most recent advice for cruise guests, and given the complexities of many of the international destinations involved, it will not be able to maintain those sailings. Cunard said that it continues to work very closely with authorities in all the destinations visited to ensure compliance with local health and entry requirements.

“To all guests affected by the cancelled voyages we are sorry for the disappointment this will cause and we hope to welcome many back on board when we return to Japan in 2023,” said Palethorpe.

Guests booked on the affected cancelled voyages will be offered a full refund or future cruise credit worth 125 per cent of the standard deposit terms, and 100 per cent of any additional monies paid, Cunard said.

AIDA Denies Plans to Use AIDAbella as Quarantine Ship for Crew

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AIDA Cruises has denied that it had plans to use its 2,030-passenger ship AIDAbella as a ”quarantine ship” for crew members.

“No, this is not true,” AIDA’s press department told Cruise Industry News. “There are no concrete plans for the AIDAbella now.”

An article by the German website moin.de stated that the AIDAbella was being transformed into a quarantine ship for 1,500 crew members. The quarantine was supposed to take place in Kiel, Germany. According to moin.de, those onboard would be crew members for the AIDAcosma which is set to debut later this year.

“The latest ship in the AIDA fleet (the AIDAcosma) is to be put into operation in Bremerhaven in December. However, before the crew can start their work on the cruise ship, they have to go into isolation because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. And that’s what AIDAbella is intended for,” the website wrote.

The AIDAcosma, AIDA Cruises’ latest ship, was floated out at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany in July. Initially scheduled for a spring 2021 debut, the AIDAcosma’s debut is now set for later this year. With the change, the vessel’s inaugural season in Europe was entirely cancelled and the first voyage was rescheduled to Dec. 22, 2021.

AIDA Cruises’ nearest deployment plans include AIDAdiva’s launching of the 2021 season on Oct. 16, becoming the eighth AIDA ship to restart commercial cruises.

On March 20, 2021, the AIDAperla became the first AIDA ship to restart cruise operations after the pandemic – initially around the Canary Islands and, since July 10, from Palma de Mallorca with seven-day cruises in the western Mediterranean. On May 21, the AIDAsol followed from Kiel, becoming the first ship to resume cruise operations from a German port. On May 22, the AIDAblu began cruises to Greek destinations from/to Corfu.

The AIDAprima resumed cruises from/to Kiel – and visiting Stockholm, Gothenburg and Visby – on July 10. In the course of this, AIDAsol moved to Rostock/Warnemünde, where Baltic Sea voyages have been on the program since July 1.

On July 29, the AIDAstella, the fifth ship of AIDA Cruises, set sail again. Two days later, on July 31, the first seven-day voyage with the AIDAmar departed from Hamburg, Germany. From Aug. 28, the AIDAmar sailed to Norway for the first time after the pandemic with fully-vaccinated cruises (or for those who can prove that they have recovered from the coronavirus).

On Sept. 5, 2021, the AIDAluna became the seventh ship in the AIDA fleet to start its season – the latest AIDA ship to resume operations.

P&O Announces 2021 Deployment and Plans for Future

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P&O Cruises has announced its expected deployment and phased re-start plan for the remainder of 2021 and into early 2022.

According to a press release, the Britannia will begin the planned western Mediterranean itineraries on Sept. 25 and the Iona will start her Atlantic coast holidays from the same date. These cruises will follow the series of UK coastal cruises beginning in June.

Ventura’s first cruises will be the planned programme of Atlantic islands holidays from Oct. 3.

Following the Mediterranean season, running until October, the Britannia will reposition to the Caribbean for her winter season as scheduled, followed by the Azura which will begin Caribbean fly/cruises slightly later than published from Dec. 10, 2021.

“We are very much looking forward to getting Britannia and Iona back to sea for the series of UK coastal cruises – staycations at their best – which are certainly proving very popular and then beginning our international re-start as we phase in each of the other ships,” said P&O Cruises President Paul Ludlow.

“As we know the UK Government has developed a traffic light system for holidays abroad this summer. The current situation means that whilst unfortunately there will be a number of cancellations of itineraries on some ships, we are looking ahead and planning for the future with vigour,” he added.

Ludlow said that P&O is confident that “destinations will soon open up their borders both for UK travellers and also for cruise ships.”

“Spain and its islands and the Caribbean are both looking very positive and we are seeing, one by one, countries publicly looking forward to welcoming us back,” he noted.

The length and complexity of the Arcadia and Aurora’s planned long-haul cruises from January next year has forced their cancellation and these two ships will not begin sailing until next year. However, a replacement itinerary for the Aurora, with winter sun appeal, will be announced shortly.

In addition, following ongoing guest feedback P&O Cruises has reviewed its vaccination policy. For all cruises departing from Sept. 25 to Dec. 31, 2021, all guests 18 years old and over will be required to have completed their vaccination course a minimum of 14 days prior to sailing.

All guests 17 years old and below will need to have completed their vaccination course a minimum of 14 days prior to sailing or will require a negative PCR test within 72 hours prior to travel. All guests will also require a negative COVID-19 test at the terminal. The PCR and COVID-19 test at the terminal will be provided on a complimentary basis. This vaccination and testing policy will be reviewed on a regular basis as the global situation continues to evolve.

The vaccination policy for the UK coastal cruises until Sept. 24 2021, remains that all guests travelling, of all ages, must have completed their vaccination course a minimum of seven days prior to sailing (or 14 days prior to sailing if an approved single-dose vaccine).

All guests who have had their cruise cancelled will automatically receive a Future Cruise Credit worth 125 per cent of the standard deposit terms, and 100 per cent of any additional monies paid.

This Future Cruise Credit can be redeemed against any new booking made by the end of Dec. 2021, on any cruise on sale at the time of booking. Cruises currently on sale run through to Apr. 2023.