The Big Cruise Podcast

Ep49 – Bumper Cruise News & Maritime History

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In episode 49, Chris and Baz answer a listener question about nautical terms and have a bumper cruise news segment.  

 

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Gangway at Fremantle Ports - Credit: Fremantle Ports

MARITIME HISTORY:

  • Listener Question from Liam. Chris last week you mentioned the term “bridge” and how it came about. What are the references for some other common nautical names/terms, eg port, starboard, gangway, POSH etc. Any quirky ones you may know?

 CRUISE NEWS

  • MSC announces UK resumption.
    • MSC Cruises has announced that it will offer a series of mini and week-long cruises around the UK for British holidaymakers only that will include protected shore excursions for 7-night sailings.
    • All voyages will welcome British families and guests of all ages – including those who are waiting for their vaccinations against COVID-19 as well as those who have received the vaccine.
    • All departures, starting from 20 May, will be from the new cruise terminal in Southampton and the line will add other embarkation ports in the UK, with details to be announced soon.
    • All guests will receive an antigen test prior to embarkation, while non-vaccinated guests will also be required to show proof of negative test done within 72 hours prior to embarkation. Other pre-boarding and on-board measures will also apply to both guests and crew, in line with MSC Cruises’ health and safety protocol.
  • Princess Cruises Reveals Details of All Inclusive UK ‘Summer Seacations' on MedallionClass® Ships
    • Regal Princess will offer 14 UK voyages running from July 31 through to September 23, 2021. Sky Princess will offer eight UK cruises, running from August 30 through to September 28, 2021.  On sale from 24 Mar 21.
    • Regal Princess and Sky Princess will offer scenic cruises and voyages with stops in UK ports-of-call including Liverpool, Belfast and Greenock, with itineraries ranging from three to seven nights.
    • Guests on Regal Princess and Sky Princess will be able to enjoy ‘Truly Touchless' experiences and personalised services through the cruise line's MedallionClass Experience that supports new health protocols.
    • The cruise line's award-winning OceanMedallionTM wearable device replaces the traditional cruise card and pairs with embedded IoT (“Internet of things”) -driven innovative technology to significantly expand touch-free options and personalisation on board Princess MedallionClass ships including:
      • touchless embarkation and disembarkation
      • keyless stateroom entry
      • completely contactless commerce
      • simplified safety training
      • on-demand food, beverages and retail items delivered anywhere on board
      • guest service requests via mobile device chat
      • location-based gaming and wagering
      • entertainment content via smart devices
      • Physical Distancing – With MedallionClass guests can get a real-time view of attendance in lounges, theaters and other areas, and bookmark activities of interest, noting attendance limits.
  • European restart for Celebrity, RCI
    • Royal Caribbean Group overnight announced new cruises in the Europe, where it will homeport Celebrity Cruises’ brand new Celebrity Apex out of Athens and Royal Caribbean International’s (RCI) Jewel of the Seas in Limassol, marking the European restart for the two cruise lines.
    • The series of week-long voyages, starting from 19 Jun, will cruise to  Mykonos, Rhodes and Santorini in the Greek Islands as well as Limassol, Haifa and Jerusalem.
  • P&O UK debut
    • P&O Cruises UK has announced that Arvia will homeport out of Barbados and Antigua in the Caribbean when she makes her debut in Dec 2022, offering a maiden season of fly/cruise voyages.
  • Star Cruises first cruise line to resume sailing in Malaysia
    • Genting Cruise Lines and Penang Port is pleased to announce its plans to restart cruises in Penang with Star Cruises, offering Langkawi itineraries beginning May 13, 2021 at the start of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri Holidays on Star Cruises’ 40,053 tonnage Star Pisces cruise ship, which can accommodate up to 1,600 passengers.
    • The proposed Langkawi cruises will comprise of 2-Night “Langkawi Escape” and a series of 1-night “Straits of Malacca” Cruises. Star Pisces will become the first ship to resume sailings in Malaysia and one of the few in the world, contributing to the growth of tourism in Penang and Pulau Langkawi
  • Azamara names 4th ship.
    • Azamara, the upmarket, boutique cruise line dedicated to Destination Immersion® experiences today announced the name and vessel handover of its new ship, Azamara Onward. The vessel handover, which took place on March 15, 2021, coincides with Azamara's transition into an independent brand and cruise company.
    • Azamara Onward will join the brand's existing fleet: Azamara Pursuit®, Azamara Journey®, and Azamara Quest®. The newly purchased vessel, currently docked in Civitavecchia, will receive an extensive renovation to reflect the Azamara brand. Azamara Onward is scheduled to sail for its inaugural season around Europe in 2022.
  • Luxury cruise travel is back! 
    • Recording its biggest single day of bookings in company history, Crystal reports an extraordinary response in the first 24 hours of reservations opening for its new Luxury Bahamas Escapes aboard Crystal Serenity debuting July 3rd. Nearly 4,000 enthusiastic travelers reserved staterooms or suites on at least one of the seven-night voyages that cruise from Nassau or Bimini roundtrip booking more than 25 percent of the 16 voyages combined availability. Almost 200 guests reserved back-to-back voyages with some planning to spend 42 days on board the company’s flagship. The luxury line realized a 2,024 percent increase in online bookings and received reservations from the biggest number of distinct travel agencies in Crystal’s 30-year history.
  • 2021 New RCI cruises from Bermuda
    • New 7-night Cruises Feature Perfect Day at CocoCay and an Overnight in Bermuda
    • Cruisers looking to soak up the sun and walk the pink sand beaches of Bermuda and the white sandy beaches of The Bahamas this summer need look no further than Vision of the Seas. Beginning June and through August, Royal Caribbean International will bring more adventure to the tropics with a series of new 7-night cruises from first-time homeport Bermuda. In store for guests who sail on Vision is an overnight to explore Bermuda’s culture, history and cuisine as well as a full day at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s top-rated private island destination in The Bahamas. 
    • The new 2021 (Northern) summer itineraries from Bermuda will open for bookings on Monday, March 29 and depart as soon as June 26. Sailing with vaccinated crew, the cruises – at this time – will be available to adult guests who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and those under the age of 18 with negative test results. This current health and safety measure, like others, may evolve as they are evaluated on an ongoing basis.
  • Star Clippers Returns to Costa Rica
    • Star Clipper, will be uncovering numerable eco-treasures during our 2022/2023 season in a destination that tops many a travellers' list, Costa Rica! Or as we say in-house, Co-STAR Rica!
    • Star Clipper will begin her season 19 November 2022, embarking on a 14 night sailing from Barbados to Panama, including a full transit of the Panama Canal, after which, may we tempt you to continue up the Pacific coast for another 7-nights to Costa Rica.
    • Costa Rica covers just 0.03% of the earth's surface, however, incredibly it contains almost 6% of the world's biodiversity! Just over a quarter of Costa Rica is dedicated to conservation, where you'll discover over 500,000 species across a wide range of differing habitats and eco-systems and several World Heritage Sites. From the canopy of the cloud forests and impressive volcanoes, to the beaches and tropical waters all teaming with life, you'll also connect with the warm and friendly people of Costa Rica.
  • Hurtigruten reveals flagship expedition cruise for 2023
    • Hurtigruten, the world leader in exploration travel, revealed a new flagship sailing for the 2023 season. Onboard the MS Roald Amundsen.
    • The Northwest Passage – In the Wake of the Great Explorers is a 26-day itinerary taking expedition fans from the Gold Rush town Nome in Alaska through the Bering Strait, Chukchi Sea, Beaufort Sea, and the Amundsen Gulf before arriving at Halifax. Departing Vancouver 18 Aug 2023.
    • Hosting around 500 guests, MS Roald Amundsen is a state-of-the-art battery hybrid-powered expedition cruise ship – the first vessel of its kind in the world. Specifically designed for expedition cruising, MS Roald Amundsen features a revolutionary battery hybrid propulsion system, together with other green technology to reduce fuel consumption and cut CO2 emissions by 20%.
  • Costa resumes cruising in May 2021.
    • In line with the new plan, Costa Smeralda's departure in Italy is planned for May 1st, with an unchanged itinerary, sailing guests to beautiful Italian locations, with 3- and 4-day mini-cruises or alternatively a 7-day cruise, calling at Savona, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Naples, Messina and Cagliari.
    • From June 12, Costa Smeralda will return to sailing one-week cruises in the western Mediterranean, with visits to Italy (Savona, Civitavecchia and Palermo), France (Marseille) and Spain (Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca).
    • The departure date of Costa Luminosa, the second Costa ship scheduled to resume service, is postponed to May 16 from Trieste, and the following day from Bari, confirming its program of one-week cruises in Greece and Croatia, in accordance with recent roadmap for the resumption of international tourism in Greece.

TRIFECTA OF NEWS FROM P&O AUSTRALIA

  • Get onboard P&O Cruises inaugural ‘Pride Cruise'
    • P&O Cruises Australia has announced it will be flying the rainbow flag next year, with the launch of its first ‘Pride Cruise’ – a celebratory weekend at sea created especially for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, their friends, family and supporters
    • Setting sail in November 2022, the cruise will give Australians the chance to join P&O in proudly recognising individuality, diversity and inclusion in Australian society. P&O’s Pacific Adventure will depart Sydney on the inaugural Pride Cruise on the afternoon of Friday November 4, 2022 and will return on the morning of Monday November 7, 2022. Tickets on sale from 9am on April 7, 2021.
  • New – Ningaloo Solar Eclipse Cruise.
    • The King of Eclipses –  Departing Fremantle 17 APRIL 2023. This once-in-a-lifetime 5-night cruise is an opportunity to view a Hybrid Solar Eclipse that will track over the North West Cape of Western Australia at Exmouth.
    • Pacific Explorer will be in a prime position to catch a glimpse of the rare eclipse, the first of its kind to be visible from Australia in 1000 years. Also known as the King of Eclipse’s, our unique vantage point will put us in place to observe the sun, moon and Earth’s discs aligning for a significant, one-minute, 16-second event.
  • P&O Australia announces 2022/23 Deployment (June 2022 – April 2023)
    • This program offers 176 departures from six homeports in Australia and Auckland in New Zealand.
    • Aussies and Kiwis will love the convenience of cruising from close to home and this new program offers convenient round trip itineraries from Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle and Auckland.
    • NEW! Australia Day Cruise departures in 2023 from Brisbane and Melbourne.
    • NEW! Tribute to the King cruises departing from Brisbane and Melbourne
    • Summary
      • SYDNEY – 59 cruises roundtrip from Sydney on Pacific Adventure. Guests can choose from an exciting range of 16 South Pacific 8 to 12-night itineraries.
      • BRISBANE – 60 roundtrip cruises from Brisbane on Pacific Encounter. Guests can choose from a diverse range of itineraries, including the ever-popular 7-night  Islands cruise or Barrier Reef Discovery cruises which depart on a Saturday.
      • CAIRNS – offers three exciting new roundtrip departures on Pacific Explorer:
      • ADEALIDE – Pacific Explorer’s second Adelaide season features eight roundtrip cruises between February and March 2022.
      • FREMANTLE – Pacific Explorer will return to Fremantle with six exciting NEW departures:
      • AUCKLAND – Pacific Explorer truly has something for everyone. Kiwis will love the waterslide and waterpark, celebrity chef dining at Luke’s and 400 Gradi, new bars including Adventure Hotel and Bonded Store. This program offers 20 roundtrip cruises.

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