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  • Introducing the New Beatles-Themed World Cruise from Fred. Olsen

    Introducing the New Beatles-Themed World Cruise from Fred. Olsen

    Fred. Olsen is prepping a new and very unique world cruise. It’s a themed cruise based entirely around the music of the Beatles! Set to sail in 2024, this itinerary is a must for anyone who loves music and traveling the world. And in case you were curious, yes, there will be an actual yellow submarine that you can hop aboard. This is the real deal!

    While this is a world cruise in the sense that it lasts for months and traverses multiple continents, the destinations aren’t the ones that you may be used to. Rather than choosing their ports based on nearby UNESCO sites or popular tourist areas, this cruise instead aims to follow the same path forged by the Beatles on their legendary 1964 world tour. That means that it’s a round trip from Liverpool with stops throughout Europe, Asia, Oceania, and North America.

    The theme of the cruise makes sense considering Fred. Olsen’s long standing reputation as one of the U.K.’s premier cruise lines. The company also noted that the sailing is a “celebration of Fred. Olsen’s long-standing links to Liverpool.” Peter Deer, the managing director for the company, added, “The Beatles are one of the many icons that have helped to put Liverpool on the map as a city of culture, and this cruise is the perfect way for us to celebrate our long-standing relationship and our sailings from the city.”

    Beatles fans will be able to enjoy the traditional cruise experience in addition to curated experiences based on the Beatles’ discography and iconography. The Cavern Club will be a dedicated area to listen and dance to songs by the famous quartet, and Cruise Industry News reports that there will be “a special “hill” out on deck – built from Norwegian wood – where guests can sit and enjoy the views and sunsets.”

    The most exciting addition of all, though, is the Fred. Olsen submarine which will be on the ship. It will allow guests to glimpse the Australian Great Barrier Reef up close. Dubbed the SS Penny Lane, it will be painted yellow just for this itinerary.

    In total, the Magical Music of the Beatles cruise is planned for 118 nights. It will be on the Fred. Olsen Borealis, a ship that entered into service for the cruise line in 2020. It departs on May 30th, 2024.

    That’s not the only Fred. Olsen news. According to the cruise line, they will be releasing their schedule for the 2023/2024 season at the end of April. Keep your eyes peeled for that!

  • Cruise Lines Seeing Massive Demand as Travel Restrictions Loosen

    Cruise Lines Seeing Massive Demand as Travel Restrictions Loosen

    Travel restrictions are loosening throughout the world right now in light of vaccine distribution, and cruise demand seems to be getting higher than it has ever been during the pandemic. Demand never quite reached the lows that many in the industry feared, but it still definitely decreased over the past year. Many cruise lines are now reporting significantly increased levels of booking, and that bodes quite well for the future!

    P&O is overwhelmed

    Being overwhelmed is generally not a good thing when it comes to business. But P&O was definitely happy when they reported on March 22nd that they were seeing an “overwhelming” number of bookings for their UK summer cruises. It was only recently announced that cruising would be returning to the UK in May, and P&O is capitalizing on that. Their cruises along the English coast went on sale on the morning of the 22nd, and the demand was immediately apparent. The President of the company said, “We always hoped that these domestic cruises would be popular, given the uncertainty around holidays abroad, but we have never before seen such significant and immediate demand and it certainly shows the effects of lockdown and everyone’s need for a holiday.”

    The summer season in the UK will be busy

    It’s not just P&O that is facing an unusually high level of demand. Ports around the UK are reporting that they are being inundated with calls from various cruise lines looking for places to stop their ships. The head of Cruise Liverpool said, “The phone is red-hot. We’ve had a huge number of inquiries. At the moment, we’ve got 120 ships scheduled to call this summer.” That’s a lot of ships! From this, it’s pretty clear that the UK summer cruise season is going to be incredibly busy. It seems that the demand for cruises never truly went away during quarantine; it only increased!

    Silversea’s world cruise is fully booked

    In case you needed more evidence that people are excited to cruise again now that vaccines have the potential to return a sense of normalcy to the world: Silversea’s world cruise in 2023 is already completely booked. The tickets were only available for a single day before all the spots on the vessel sold out. If you missed out on your chance to snag a ticket, hop onto Silversea’s waitlist as soon as possible. The company is already reporting that the demand for the waitlist is quite high!

    The past year has certainly been a whirlwind for the industry, so it’s reassuring to see how many people are still ready to cruise. Let’s hope that the industry makes a strong and safe return to form!

  • English Cruises Returning on May 17th

    English Cruises Returning on May 17th

    It looks like cruises are going to be returning to England sooner than we thought! Right now is arguably the most exciting time in the cruise world since the beginning of the pandemic. While we have seen flickers of hope throughout, our optimism has been mostly stifled by continuous cancellations and delays. The recent distribution of vaccines throughout the world has bolstered the confidence of many nations throughout the world, however, and a return to cruising seems imminent. The news from England is definitely a step in the right direction!

    English cruises in 2021

    Cruises were expected to return to England in 2021, but no one was sure when this would happen. The government had been relatively silent on the issue up until now. An announcement from Robert Courts, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Aviation and Maritime, changed everything. According to him, cruises will be allowed in England starting May 17th, 2021. This was made public news on March 8th, and some cruise lines are already prepping changes to their plans for the year in light of this.

    Are cruises throughout Europe coming as well?

    Cruising returning to England is certainly an exciting thing, but many people are now asking whether or not this means that the rest of Europe will follow suit. As of now, there are no indications that this will influence the decisions of any other European countries. However, Courts said that the English government is “working with the home nations to get UK-wide domestic cruising up and running.” Sailing between English ports will start right away on May 17th, but a trip between England and other UK countries might not be too far away. Additionally, the Independent wrote that “the domestic move would help the cruise industry restore confidence and demonstrate the robustness of their protocols for passengers and crew.”

    Which cruise lines are involved?

    This is another detail that is currently unknown. Cruise lines will undoubtedly jump at the chance, though. P&O Cruises was one cruise line that was planning on sailing around the United Kingdom in 2021, and they are quite happy with the news. According to Paul Ludlow, P&O’s president, they are “delighted that the government has acknowledged that UK domestic cruise holidays can begin from May 17.” From this, we can expect P&O to be one of the cruise lines to focus on the English market beginning in May.

    A safe and smooth return to sailing in the United Kingdom could definitely prove to the world that cruises are a good idea in a post-vaccine world. Let’s hope that it goes well!

  • Great News for MSC: Possible Japan Start, New Deal with Southampton

    Great News for MSC: Possible Japan Start, New Deal with Southampton

    The end of November brought some great news for MSC Cruises (MSC stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company). While plenty of other cruise lines are cancelling itineraries and looking towards a later 2021 start, MSC has been working out deals with both Japan and Southampton, England. Fans of the cruise line should be happy to hear that the future looks bright for MSC!

    MSC receives a certificate of compliance from Japan

    It’s definitely an understatement to say that the future of U.S. cruising is uncertain right now. It’s entirely possible that a vaccine in early 2021 could allow the industry to flourish again. It’s also possible that the situation will remain complicated throughout next year. But as America searches for innovative solutions to allow cruising to happen safely, Asia has been going through a slow restart. Knowing this, MSC has been working with ClassNK, a Japanese maritime classification society, in order to receive permission to sail in Japan. On November 24th, the cruise line announced that they had received a certificate of compliance.

    Japanese itineraries for MSC

    With the certificate given to MSC, they are now allowed to gear up to sail in Japan in the coming season. Their itineraries will begin in April 2021, with ticket sales beginning in December 2020. The MSC Bellissima, a newer ship in the MSC fleet with a capacity of 4500 passengers, will be the first to return to Japan. It will be stationed in Yokohama and run a series of itineraries that last between six and nine nights. It will sail in the area from April to June 2021, and then again from October to November 2021.

    An agreement with Southampton

    In addition to working with Japan on 2021 sailings, MSC has also been discussing an agreement with the port of Southampton. They reached an agreement on November 24th. MSC will now be using Southampton as the homeport for at least one of their ships each year starting in 2021. This will kick off in the summer of 2021, when the MSC Magnifica will sail from Southampton in a series of 21 itineraries. In 2021, Magnifica will use the newest terminal at Southampton which features solar panels. This marks a rather aggressive move into the European market, one which MSC has been looking to grow into for a while now.

    Now may not be a time when many cruise lines are growing and expanding their horizons, so it’s great to see that MSC is still looking into the future with hope. We’re looking forward to seeing their sailings from Japan and Southampton doing very well in 2021!

  • Three Amazing European Cruise Trip Itineraries in 2021

    Three Amazing European Cruise Trip Itineraries in 2021

    Everybody has a preference in where they choose to cruise to. While half of the experience is undeniably the travel and being on the ship itself, you need to be headed towards somewhere you’re excited to explore. Some people want to relax on tropical beaches, while others want to check out some local history. There’s nothing wrong with either! But for those that want to experience some historic culture and see ancient sights, European cruises are pretty much perfect. Here are three European itineraries in 2021 that suit the cultural explorer in all of us.

    Amsterdam to Basel with Crystal Cruises

    Crystal Cruises is one of the most popular cruise lines in the luxury market, and for good reason. Their itineraries are carefully crafted to give you the full experience of the areas they take you to. This itinerary is no exception. It’s seven nights long, and you’ll dive into authentic Amsterdam culture, see the jaw-dropping Cologne Cathedral in Germany, and take in outstanding architecture in Basel, France. The whole point of this voyage is to connect art, architecture and history, and its locations are picked out perfectly to do just that. It departs on March 26, 2021. You can check the details https://www.crystalcruises.com/voyage/amsterdam-to-basel-rba210326-07.

    Italy, Turkey and Greek Islands with Celebrity Cruises

    Lasting 11 nights and departing from Rome on nine different dates throughout the summer of 2021 (you’ve got options on this one!) is the Italy, Turkey, and Greek Islands cruise with Celebrity. You can take a journey through the Colosseum, check out St. Peter’s Basilica or go rafting through Rome. You’ll visit Sicily, Santorini, Istanbul, and Naples before ending up back in Rome. This one is really all about history, and it offers plenty of different ways to explore at your own pace. It’s not too expensive either. You can figure out the different price points and possible departure dates over here.

    British Isles: England, Ireland and Scotland

    Here’s one for people interested in seeing what northern Europe has to offer. This affordable itinerary departs from London on May 14th and spends a few days taking you to Scotland. There, you can view ancient cathedrals and castles (what European vacation is complete without that?), eat at authentic pubs and restaurants, and listen to bagpipers perform. Scotland doesn’t get as much attention from international travelers as some other European locations, which is a shame, as its absolutely stunning. Check this itinerary out over here.

    If you’ve never been on a European cruise before, 2021 could be the perfect time. These three itineraries offer completely different experiences, but any of them would be an excellent choice for a cruise next year!

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