Cruise lines re-start, gear up for road to recovery

UK-based, Norwegian-owned Fred Olsen also resumed operations this week with the line’s newly acquired and renamed Borealis completing its maiden voyage from Liverpool, sailing through the northern British Isles on a three-day itinerary.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Vista is set to sail on Saturday, 10 July from Galveston, Texas, marking the line’s first US cruise since the pandemic halted its operations. It will be followed by Carnival Horizon departing from Miami.

Holland America Line will resume operations from California’s Port of San Diego beginning with a season of cruises to Mexico, Hawaii and along the California coast aboard Koningsdam and Zuiderdam.

The cruise line has expanded the season with the addition of six new cruise departures for Zuiderdam and two new cruises on Koningsdam, scheduling a total of 40 cruises from San Diego between September 2021 and April 2022.

Holland America Line also is looking to restart cruising in the Caribbean with four ships all sailing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The season is set to begin on 23 October, 2021, with Nieuw Amsterdam to be joined by the line’s newest flagship vessel Rotterdam in November.

Holland America‘s president Gus Antorcha said “We’ve also been anticipating announcing our plans for the Caribbean and we’re thrilled to have four ships in the region, including our new Rotterdam. Cruising is back and having vaccinated ships for these cruises in 2021 ensures that we can deliver the experience just how our guests remember and expect. We’re ready to cruise!”

The market’s luxury sector marked its return in mid-June when Silversea Cruises’ flagship Silver Moon, departed from Pireaus, Greece. Competitor Seabourn Cruise Line followed, when Seabourn Ovation resumed its seven-day cruises visiting the Greek Isles and Cyprus from July through October.

However, cruising is not yet in the clear. Carnival Group subsidiary Princess Cruises will return to Alaska with the Majestic Princess set to arrive in late July, but the line cancelled all cruises in and out of Australia through December 19, 2021 blaming “continued uncertainty regarding the timing for the resumption of cruise holidays in the region”.

Voyages aboard its Cunard brand were also temporarily suspended after crew members aboard the Queen Elizabeth tested positive for Covid-19, according to Cunard. Queen Elizabeth is currently moored off the coast of Dorset in the UK and was set to resume operations on 19 July. That date has now been pushed to 13 August.
But Carnival, the world’s largest cruise operator, foresees better times ahead. CEO Arnold Donald said bookings were among the highest in the company’s history and estimates the full fleet of 91 ships will be in operation by spring 2022.

At the company’s Q2 earnings call on 24 June, Mr Donald said “we are well-positioned to capitalise on pent-up demand and to emerge a leaner, more-efficient company.”