Celestyal Cruises is looking to cash in on the post-pandemic boom in cruise bookings with the acquisition of Holland America Line’s former cruise ship Ryndam.
Celestyal Cruises targets post-pandemic growth with acquisition of former Ryndam
How Africa is looking to invest in boosting cruise tourism after the pandemic
With Africa having borne the brunt of the economic crisis that came with the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns put in place to protect public health, many up-and-coming cruise destinations on the […]
Norwegian Jade finally commences first cruise season out of Cape Town
Norwegian Cruise Line has finally entered the South African cruise market after two failed attempts due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and its Omicron variant in 2021.
Record 35 cruise ships scrapped since COVID-19 pandemic began
The toll that COVID-19 has taken on the global cruise industry is apparent in the record number of cruise ships that have been sold for scrap in the last three years, with […]
MSC Bellissima nears end of first ever Middle East summer cruise season
MSC Bellissima will soon wrap up her summer Middle East cruise season out of Dubai, becoming the first cruise ship ever to homeport in the Arabian Gulf into the summer.
Dubai goes all out to attract cruise lines back to Arabian Gulf after pandemic
Dubai went all-out at this year’s Seatrade Cruise Global to encourage cruise lines to return to the Arabian Gulf following the COVID-19 pandemic, with 15 co-exhibitors and stakeholders participating alongside the Department […]
Qatar cruise tourism almost fully recovered ahead of FIFA World Cup
Qatar’s cruise tourism sector is almost fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, with cruise ship calls for the 2022/23 season having bounced back thanks to the FIFA World Cup.
Costa Atlantica and Mediterranea leave Dubai after two-year COVID lay-up
Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranea, which spent almost the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic in warm lay-up in Dubai, have left the region and returned to Europe.
Turkish cruise company plans to launch Umrah pilgrimage itineraries
The Turkish cruise company Ay Cruise is planning to launch new cruise itineraries from Istanbul in Turkey to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, so that passengers can undertake the Umrah pilgrimage by ship.
UAE reports strongest tourism recovery as 2021/22 cruise season wraps
On Saturday, AIDAbella departed Dubai for Palma De Mallorca, marking the departure of the last seasonal homeporting cruise ship in the Arabian Gulf and the close of the 2021/22 cruise season.
Qatar reports strong cruise tourism rebound after pandemic
Qatar has reported a strong rebound in cruise tourism following the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, with passenger numbers and cruise calls almost back to normal.
Major cruise lines begin to drop mask requirements on US cruises
All three of the world’s largest cruise companies, Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, have dropped their mask requirements on cruises departing from US ports after March 1st.
Has cruising turned corner on COVID?
With Cunard Line reporting its strongest bookings in more than a decade, and Royal Caribbean reporting low COVID infections numbers at sea and imminent profitability, the future looks increasingly bright for the […]
MSC Cruises to bring two cruise ships to South Africa again for 2022/23 season
MSC Cruises South Africa is returning to form for the 2022/23 cruise season, with plans to homeport two cruise ships in the country for the first time since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
AIDAsol to cruise from Cape Town in 2022, AIDAmira to be sold
After a failed South African cruise season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, AIDAmira is being sold, while AIDAsol is being transferred to the AIDA Selection program, with a Cape Town cruise on […]
Virgin Voyages to refurbish staterooms aboard Scarlet and Valiant Lady
Virgin Voyages is upgrading the cabins aboard two of its cruise ships, Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady, despite the fact that only one of the ships has ever carried passengers.
Cordelia Cruises on track to resume cruise itineraries from India in January
The Indian cruise line Cordelia Cruises has confirmed that it is on track to resume cruise itineraries out of Mumbai on January 29th this year aboard its cruise ship Empress.
Costa and AIDA Cruises cancel Dubai itineraries until February
Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises have cancelled the next two cruises aboard their Dubai-based ships Costa Firenze and AIDAbella.
Norwegian Cruise Line cancels more cruises, warns guests of unpredictability
Norwegian Cruise Line has cancelled cruises aboard a further five cruise ships, adding to the cancellation of itineraries for eight ships announced earlier this month.
MSC Orchestra returns to service in South Africa after COVID outbreak
MSC Orchestra has resumed her South African cruise season out of Durban, after pausing operations for a month following a COVID-19 outbreak in December.