Celebrity Cruises Returns to Galapagos

Celebrity Cruises Announced 

Galapagos Deployment Schedule

In a special trade webinar yesterday, Celebrity Cruises updated travel advisors on their upcoming announcement regarding their return to service in the Galapagos.   If you have been following my blog, you know that Galapagos is our all-time favorite cruise destination.  It is a Land Beyond Xpectations.

Deployment Update:

While working with health and government authorities towards this shared goal, we are evaluating all current itineraries. The determination has been made that we can safely sail in the Galapagos this summer beginning on the below dates with 7-night itineraries. 

• July 4, 2021 – Celebrity Flora® 
• July 24, 2021 – Celebrity Xpedition® 
• September 18 – Celebrity Xploration®

As a result of this deployment change, Celebrity Cruises is suspending all Galapagos sailings scheduled to depart before the above noted return-to-service dates.

In addition, they are announcing the following Offers for future sailings:

As Celebrity Cruises returns to service in the Galapagos, they will be limiting capacity to about 50% just like they are in other destinations.  In the case of Celebrity Flora that means you'll have an even more intimate cruise vacation as there are only 100 people at full capacity, however, the crew will be at full capacity providing you with an incredible experience you'll never forget.   

What's more, you can forget about your masks when exploring the various islands, as the inhabitants (iguanas, blue footed boobies, and giant tortoises) won't mind.  You'll be able to still get up close and personal to them - they won't care about social distancing either.

Now is the time to explore this amazing destination.   We still remember our experience there as if it were yesterday and we've not had any vacation like that before or after it.   Call me today to start planning your return to cruising.

Explore Galapagos in Luxury

Check out our Galapagos Diary

Celebrity Xpeditions Galapagos

10-Night Cruise Tour

August 29, 2008

Land Beyond Xpectations

Stay Updated on Recent 

Cruise Industry 

& Other Travel News

Click Image for Related Posts

Connect With Us On

       

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

MSC Summer Cruises Announced

 Sail the Mediterranean This Summer

Cruise lines continue to announce itineraries originating from non-U.S. homeports as CDC continues to impose different rules on the cruise industry.  The latest announcement will have half of their fleet sailing over the next three months and has already been safely sailing since August.

MSC Cruises today announced new and updated itineraries in the Mediterranean and across Europe for this coming summer, offering guests plenty of options for the upcoming holiday season. The ships offering these now fully confirmed itineraries will operate under the same industry-leading health and safety protocol that has been safely protecting over 60,000 MSC Cruises guests sailing on the line’s ships in the Mediterranean since August 2020.

Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said, 

“Today we have clarity on which European destinations and ports will initially be open this summer and we have fully reflected this into a first set of new and updated itineraries for the upcoming season so that guests can book their holidays with us with confidence. The entire MSC Cruises team and I look forward to welcoming both returning and new guests on board one of our ships that will be at sea this summer and to provide them with a memorable, relaxing and, above all, safe holiday.

 “Plus, I am confident that in the coming weeks we will be able to further enrich some of these itineraries as well as add more ships with new ones, as more ports and tourist destinations, in particular in Spain and France, become available to receive ships and visitors.”

Three ships in the West Mediterranean, calling Italy and Malta

• MSC Grandiosa. The 4,842-passenger ship will extend its current seven-night sailings out of Genoa, Italy, that feature calls at Civitavecchia (the port for Rome), Naples and Palermo, Italy, as well as Valletta, Malta. The Spanish ports of Valencia and Barcelona eventually will be added to the ship’s itinerary as soon as these destinations confirm their availability. 
• MSC Seaside. The 4,132-passenger ship will sail out of Genoa starting May 1 with calls at Siracusa, Taranto and Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) in Italy; Valetta, Malta. The ship’s itinerary will then be enriched with calls to the French port of Marseille as soon as its availability is confirmed. MSC Cruises will introduce a special private beach experience in Taranto, exclusively for the ship’ guests.
• MSC Seashore. The 4,132-passenger vessel will sail out of Genoa starting on Aug. 1 on a seven-night itinerary featuring calls at Naples and Messina, Italy, Valletta; Barcelona; and Marseille.

Three ships in the East Mediterranean, calling Italy, Greece, Croatia and Montenegro 

• MSC Orchestra will now depart on 5 June offering guests embarkation in the Italian ports of Venice on Saturdays, Bari on Sundays and then call at the Greek Islands of Corfu, Mykonos as well as Dubrovnik in Croatia. 
• MSC Splendida will commence sailing from 12 June with embarkation in Trieste, Italy on Saturdays and in Bari on Tuesdays, calling at Dubrovnik in Croatia, Corfu in Greece and Kotor in Montenegro. 
• MSC Magnifica  will sail from 20 June with embarkation in the Italian ports of Venice on Sundays, Bari on Mondays and Piraeus for Athens on Wednesdays, then calling at the Greek Island of Mykonos and Split, Croatia.

UK Domestic Cruises (British Residents Only) 

• MSC Virtuosa will perform her inaugural season in the UK and offer mini cruises from Southampton calling at Portland in Dorset on the Jurassic coast. From 12 June she will operate 7-night cruises from Southampton with embarkation in Liverpool, Greenock for Glasgow and also calling at Portland and Belfast in Northern Ireland.

Germany, Northern Europe 

• MSC Seaview will homeport in Kiel, Germany starting on 19 June replacing MSC Virtuosa 
• MSC Preziosa is planned to depart on 21 June from Hamburg, Germany 
• MSC Musica will depart on 20 June from Warnemunde, Germany, if the German ports are open

Mr Onorato added, 

“We are extremely proud to be in a position to offer our guests and travel agent partners for the coming summer a growing choice of cruise holidays to a range of different destinations across the Mediterranean and Europe. We will be featuring some of our most innovative and more modern vessels in our fleet. And to make it even easier and safer for our guests to reach our ships from closer to their homes, all our itineraries will feature additional ports of embarkation. In the Mediterranean alone, MSC Cruises will offer its guests up to 15 ports of embarkation."

 “Albeit these ships represent only an initial portion of our fleet, they include our two latest jewels, MSC Virtuosa and MSC Seashore, both of which will have come into service for the first time in 2021. Their presence in this next phase of the return at sea of our fleet in the coming weeks represent our belief in the continued attractiveness for consumer of cruises as a holiday option. This is why we have confirmed our plans of new builds for the coming years and are looking forward to a gradual return at se of our full fleet in the coming months into the winter season."

MSC Cruises also confirmed the cancellation of its Caribbean sailings from ports in the USA up to and including 30 June, like many other cruise lines.

Stay Updated on Recent 

Cruise Industry 

& Other Travel News

Click Image for Related Posts

Connect With Us On

       

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Royal Caribbean COVID-19 Impact

Royal Caribbean Group reported financial results on Monday for the fiscal year of 2020 and commented on the business considering the global COVID-19 pandemic.

 "The COVID-19 pandemic is having a painful and profound impact on our world and our business; unquestionably, this crisis is the most difficult in the Company's history. But we have been impressed and grateful for the resourcefulness and agility of our team in responding to these unprecedented challenges. More importantly, we remain confident about the ability of our Company to recover and return to the positive trajectory we were on previously," said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO. "We are encouraged to see the sharp decline in cases and the growing availability of vaccines. We can't wait to get back to the business of showing people the world and making great memories." 

Full Year 2020 results: 

As part of the global containment effort resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company implemented a voluntary suspension of its cruise operations beginning March 13, 2020, which has been extended for most ships through at least April 30, 2021. 

For the full year, the Company reported US GAAP Net Loss of $(5.8) billion or $(27.05) per share compared to US GAAP Net Income of $1.9 billion or $8.95 per share in the prior year. The Company also reported Adjusted Net Loss of $(3.9) billion or $(18.31) per share for full year 2020 compared to Adjusted Net Income of $2.0 billion or $9.54 per share in the prior year.

Healthy Return to Sailing

Royal Caribbean continues to collaborate with the Healthy Sail Panel, epidemiologists, health authorities and various governments around the globe to ensure a healthy and safe return to cruising for guests, crew and the communities visited. The Company also continues to prepare and develop its plan to meet the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for US sailings. Meanwhile most sailings remain suspended.

In December, Quantum of the Seas started operating out of Singapore.  The CDC has requested Royal Caribbean provide information about two of their COVID-19 safety technologies being used on Quantum.  We wrote about the first one, Muster 2.0 in a previous post.  With that technology, passengers no longer gather in large groups to complete the mandatory safety drill before sailing.

The second technology, the Tracelet™ is a patented technology which allows for contact tracing.

 

What is a Tracelet™? 

Tracelet™         Courtesy Royal Caribbean Singapore

Who needs to wear it? 

What if I cannot wear it on my wrist? 

According to Royal Caribbean's Singapore website, the Tracelet™ is a comfortable, water-resistant, hypoallergenic wearable worn by all guests and crew during the cruise. The Tracelet™ helps us with contact tracing in the unlikely event of an onboard health concern. Therefore, everyone onboard regardless of age, needs to wear it. 

Should you be unable to wear it on your wrist, we will find another way for you to wear it. Any guest who chooses not to wear the Tracelet™ will be unable to sail.

The press release also details financial steps taken by the company and details the impact on past and future bookings.  Read entire Press Release here.

Looking to 2022

Royal Caribbean has released its Short Caribbean sailings for Summer 2022 - Winter 2023, which are now available for booking.  Three Freedom class ships, Freedom of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, and Liberty of the Seas will operate from Florida and sail 3-4 night cruises to the Bahamas including a stop at their private island sensation Perfect Day at Coco Cay.

Mariner of the Seas will sail 4-5 night cruises to the Western Caribbean and Perfect Day at Coco Cay from Port Canaveral.  Adventure of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas will offer short cruises from Galveston.  Brilliance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas will sail 4-5 night cruises to Western Caribbean from Tampa.

Connect With Us On

       

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

2021 Royal Caribbean Deployments

As Royal Caribbean® continues to prepare for their return to service, they’ve listened to their guests and valued travel partners and are ready to share the Summer 2021 Deployment updates. You’ll find for many itineraries, they’ve swapped the hardware for an upgraded ship or ship class. They’ve modified their schedule to add entirely new itineraries to the lineup. Plus, you will now have more options to choose from in Europe, including a first for the brand with a full season of shorter 4 and 5 Night sailings from Barcelona. Or, if you are not looking to fly, they've added more drive-market ports — adventure is closer than you think!

Deployment Changes

As Royal Caribbean® continues to prepare for their return to service, they’ve listened to their guests and valued travel partners and are ready to share some Winter 2021 – 2022 deployment updates. They’ve modified Their schedule to make room for some incredible new itineraries. You can now enjoy short Caribbean escapes onboard Freedom of the Seas® from Miami. Or delve down under on extended Australia adventures onboard Quantum® or Serenade of the Seas®

Deployment Changes

RADIANCE OF THE SEAS • OVATION OF THE SEAS • SERENADE OF THE SEAS • QUANTUM OF THE SEAS

Get ready to earn your wilderness badges, because Royal Caribbean® has never done Alaska like this. The adventure begins Summer 2021 with four unforgettable ships, including the two biggest in the region — Quantum of the Seas®, heading to Seattle for the first time ever, and Ovation of the Seas®. Fan-favorites Serenade® and Radiance of the Seas® also return to the Last Frontier, bringing you  closer to Alaska’s rugged beauty with unrivaled views and stops at off-the-beaten-path destinations.

Follow Us On

       

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat