Santos - For the second time in weeks, Brazilian drug smugglers posing as cruise passengers were arrested while attempting to transport cocaine between Brazil and Europe. The latest group was intercepted boarding a cruise ship departing for a transatlantic cruise
Having made the pledge in 2021 to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, MSC Cruises is continuously exploring and investing in new technologies that are helping to decarbonize, some with very promising results
It's been the subject of quiet speculation among diplomats and executives for years, but now global casino bosses are setting their sights on a once improbable prize: gambling in the United Arab Emirates Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), one of the smaller and lesser-known of the seven emirates
“I think certainly this weekend will be extremely busy on our roads, potentially at our ports, particularly at Dover, where P&O disgracefully sacked all their staff,” Britain’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told BBC Radio.
Berlin - Billionaire Lim Kok Thay is among several investors interested in purchasing the "Global Dream" mega luxury liner that was under construction at Genting Hong Kong's now-insolvent shipbuilder, MV Werften in Germany. Several serious interested parties are in talks to buy the unfinished ship, said Mr Christoph Morgen, the German court-appointed provisional insolvency administrator for the shipbuilder
Royal Caribbean has taken delivery of the "Wonder of the Seas" from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France. At 236,857 gross registered tonnes (grt), the ship is biggest cruise ship ever built. It is the fifth installment in Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class
Hong Kong - After first filing for bankruptcy for its cruise shipyards in Germany - MV Werften and Lloyd Werft - Genting Hong Kong has also asked the Supreme Court of Bermuda to wind up the parent company and put it in the hands of liquidators. In a statement, the company says it will run out of cash by the end of January at the latest
Hong Kong - Troubled cruise operator Genting Hong Kong warned it may seek court assistance to safeguard its assets, after failing to secure funding to help it stay afloat following the insolvency of its German shipbuilding subsidiary, Bloomberg reports
Hong Kong - Macau's gaming regulator has ordered junket operators in the world's largest gambling hub to stop offering credit to customers, according to brokerage firm Bernstein. Macau's Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau (DICJ) has ordered the operators, who bring big-spending clients from mainland China to VIP rooms in Macau casinos, often with loans to gamble with, to stop offering credit
Cruise ships were an early source of outbreaks last year at the start of the coronavirus pandemic as some ships were rejected at ports and passengers were forced into quarantine.
Zagreb - Croatia's tourist facilities face a shortage of up to one-third of their workforce next year, head of the national association of biggest tourist firms Veljko Ostojic said on Friday. Croatia's tourist industry, largely focused on the summer months on the popular Adriatic coast, accounts to almost 20% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and many seasonal workers can earn more in other countries
The Yacht Club is a real ship within a ship. Concierge available 24 hours a day, private butler, possibility to have lunch and dinner by choosing the time, priority access to theater shows, but also restaurants, elevators and private bars, as well as swimming pools and Jacuzzis.
Istanbul - Thousands of Russian tourists began arriving in Turkey on Tuesday, boosting hopes for its tourism sector after a two-month suspension in flights imposed by Moscow due to concerns about a surge in COVID-19 cases in April
Brussels - European Union countries agreed on Friday to an easing of travel restrictions over summer that will allow fully vaccinated tourists to avoid tests or quarantines and broaden the list of EU regions from which it is safe to travel. Ambassadors from the 27 EU member states approved a modified European Commission proposal that people who have been fully vaccinated for 14 days should be able to travel freely from one EU country to another
"Shipping companies will have to comply with measures established by the health ministry... to guarantee total security, both for cruise passengers and for the cities where they land," the transport ministry tweeted on Saturday.
Rome - The Italian Lower House on Wednesday gave definitive approval to a decree banning cruise ships from mooring in Venice. The decree was passed by 370 votes to 16 with 29 abstentions. Cruise ships have been stopped from landing in the centre of Venice
London - Fresh outbreaks of COVID-19 and travel curbs are deterring tourists from flocking back to Thailand's beaches and Turkey's bazaars, stalling a recovery in tourism, a crucial source of foreign currency and a large employer for many emerging markets. Global tourism suffered its worst year ever in 2020
Taranto - Global Ports Holding, the largest independent terminal operator cruises globally, is now the new concessionaire for traffic support and support services port cruises of Taranto. The international holding will act through the subsidiaries Port Operation Holding and Global Ports Melita. Taranto Cruise Port will have in concession, for the next 20 years, a part of the maritime state-owned areas and assets located on the San Cataldo pier
"The chance to have a stable presence in this port has materialized and, as has already happened elsewhere, we are working with our competitors, who in this case I would define as "industry colleagues": the goal is to find together the best solution to transform Genoa in a large cruise hub"
Heavy ash fall had halted the evacuation efforts somewhat due to poor visibility, according to St. Vincent's National Emergency Management Organisation.
CDC said the next phase of the CDC's conditional sail order will include simulated voyages to will allow crew and port personnel to practice new COVID-19 operational procedures with volunteers before sailing with passengers.
Vaccination certificates may help re-launch Greek cruises. Pandemic keeps cruise liners idling in dock for past year
This was stated in a notice published by the Coast Guard of Genoa, the main Italian port.
Cagliari - Valeria Mangiarotti, lawyer, has recently been vice-president of MedCruise, the association that brings together the cruise ports of the Mediterranean, under the new mandate of Aris Batsoulis. Not entirely a new entry, that of Mangiarotti, who had already held this position in the past. COVID 19 and environment in her agenda
Trieste - Fincantieri, in close cooperation with the virology lab of the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, ICGEB, has developed an innovative next-generation air sanitation system called "Safe Air", which will further significantly improve the quality and cleanliness of the air on board cruise ships
London - The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have expressed their support for the safe resumption of cruise ship operations following the COVID-19 pandemic. In a joint statement, the organizations also encouraged their member states and relevant national and local authorities to designate all seafarers and marine personnel within their jurisdictions as key workers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday issued a framework for a phased resumption of cruise ship operations after a no-sail order issued in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic expires on Saturday
La Spezia - It took five hours yesterday to complete the first refueling of LNG in Italy on the quay, from ship to ship. La Spezia, the only national port to make the operation possible, will be replicated in three weeks. Always with "Costa Smeralda", the flagship of the Genoese company, which points its bow on the Gulf of Poets every Sunday until mid-November
Genova - Is Costa Cruises mounting a comeback in Asia? It would appear so, as multiple Taiwan-based travel agencies have listed departures aboard the "Costa Serena" out of Taiwanese homeports this coming December. Pulled from service in China in January, the Asia-based "Serena" has been sitting idle since
Papenburg - German shipbuilder Meyer Werft has handed over "Iona", a 180,000-ton LNG-powered cruise ship, to the British shipping company P&O Cruises. With the delivery, the new flagship of the cruise line will be integrated into the P&O Cruises fleet in order to be ready for service when the Biritsh cruise industry restarts
