Welcome back! Today I have new updates on cruises, airlines and river cruises, as well as Cabo.
I've decided to split up the blog posts today into three small reports.
Let's get to the latest.
RCCL (Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines), in order to secure a 3.3 billion bond yesterday, has put up 28 of their ships as collateral to guarantee Morgan Stanley 2.4 billion loan agreement. RCCL's fleet is reported to by valued at 23 billion. Which includes Celebrity, Azamara, and Silversea, though RCCL only owns a 67% stake in Silversea.
Similar report yesterday came from NCL this month when they put up 2 ships as collateral + 2 of their Caribbean private islands to secure financing for 2.2 billion in debt offering. NCL has stated it can operate for 18 months without any active sailings.
Carnival Cruise Lines, which owns/operates Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Seabourn, Cunard & Costa have report late 2020, and 2021 cruise reservations up significantly after announcing intent to start sailings on August 1st throughout it's lines.
In river cruise news, Avalon & Uniworld publicized the health, safety and social distancing measures that will be in place upon both lines restarting world wide river cruising this summer.
Avalon Waterways:
New embarkation protocols will include mandatory health screenings such as temperature checks, as well as the disinfection of luggage.
Once onboard, Panorama Suites — which account for 80% of accommodations already — feature Open-Air balconies for fresh ventilation. What’s more, air is not recirculated between cabins but mixed with outside oxygen.
Furthermore, staterooms and their soft goods will be deep cleaned and disinfected at each turnover; dining areas will be wiped clean between meals; public areas will be disinfected on an hourly basis; and shared items, such as bikes and umbrellas, will be sanitized after each use.
Additional sanitation will be applied via electrostatic cleaning and UV disinfecting, and extra hand sanitizer stations will be installed throughout. Buffet and self-serve stations will also be replaced with crew service. Social distancing will be made possible with reduced ship capacities and alternative dining venues, and passengers and crew will be provided masks as needed.
Crew will also be required to undergo medical screenings and provide certificates of health, uphold social distancing in staff areas and receive training on wearing personal protective equipment, and overall hygiene. Avalon is also evaluating excursion standards and partner protocols.
Uniworld:
Will require guests to be health screened prior to embarkation, and self-serve items will be shelved, so to speak, including the removal of communal coffee table books in favor of its complimentary PressReader app. Fruits, cookies, chips, nuts, candies and other goodies will only be served by the crew, and shared restaurant items such as bread and butter will also be fully served.
Dining will follow reserved seating with the same guests at the same table daily. Regarding social distancing, bus capacities will be reduced during excursions, and gloves, face masks and hand sanitizer bottles will be available to guests.
Sanitation will extend to available disinfectant wipes throughout including coffee stations and public restrooms, and onboard payments will be processed in a contactless fashion while credit card machines will be sanitized after each transaction.
Uniworld’s crew will also be regularly health screened and uphold social distancing standards. Crew will receive their meals and have their private and public accommodations frequently cleaned.
I look forward to seeing how other river cruise lines policies with be compared to these in coming weeks.
by
Derek Schemonitz
Avenue Two Travel
Luxury Travel Advisor
412-345-7569
derek.schemonitz@avenuetwotravel.com