Big ship cruising is back in Alaska, as Royal Caribbean International’s Serenade of the Seas became the cruise industry’s first big ship to return to the "Great Land" since the pandemic began.
Sarah Leonard, president and CEO, Alaska Travel Industry Association, called the ship’s return “a happy day for Alaska’s tourism industry and communities that rely on tourism in Alaska.” In 2019, more than 52,000 Alaskans (one in 10 jobs) depended on tourism for income.
This summer, nine ships are returning to Alaska, including Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Silversea Cruises.
Also on a positive note, cruise ships can begin returning to Costa Rica starting September 1, 2021, the government announced. That will reactivate cruise tourism for the 2021-22 season and stimulate the tourism industry and employment in coastal areas.
As a requirement, vessels calling at Costa Rican ports must guarantee that all crew are vaccinated. The line must also guarantee vaccination of 95 percent of passengers who are of the age eligible for vaccination.
Crystal Endeavor, the ultra-luxury line's first expedition vessel, sails from a German shipyard to begin cruises in Iceland. // Photo by Crystal
New tonnage continues to arrive, as this past week Crystal Endeavor, the first “made-in-Germany" Polar Class 6 (PC6) luxury expedition yacht for Crystal, cruised out of the MV Werften shipyard in Stralsund, Germany, where she was designed and built.
The ship's sail-away was accompanied by the sound of Crystal’s signature sail-away song played on all its vessels—“What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. The yacht is now headed for Iceland to begin operating scheduled voyages.
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River cruising continues to spread across the globe, including within South America. As reported by out sister publication, Luxury Travel Advisor, AmaWaterways announced that it had signed a partnership deal with Metropolitan Touring for new river cruises in 2023 on Colombia's Magdalena River.
Last week, the cruise division of MSC Group signed a contract with Fincantieri Infrastructure Florida for the construction of a new $450 million “mega cruise terminal” at PortMiami, the cruise industry’s hub for voyages within North America and the Caribbean. Set for completion in December 2023, the new terminal will simultaneously serve up to three of MSC Cruises' latest generation ships. So, up to 36,000 travelers will be able to transit to/from the terminal daily.
On the personnel front, one unexpected development was the announcement that, effective July 31, Randall Soy, executive vice president of sales and marketing, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, will step down from that role, as reported by Luxury Travel Advisor. Sean Tubman will be promoted to senior vice president of sales for the ultra-luxury line.
A rendering of Tauck's new ms Andorinha.
Two top Tauck executives—Jennifer Tombaugh, president, and Sharyn Cannon, chief culture officer—were named as co-godmothers for Tauck’s new Andorinha riverboat, which will be christened next month in the small Portuguese village of Barca de Alva.
The new vessel will join Tauck's fleet during the first week of August. It's designed to sail along Portugal’s Douro River.
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