Bernadette Chua 
Greek cruise line Celestyal Cruises will provide complimentary travel insurance for all new individual bookings made from now through to November 30 for March to June 2021 sailings. The new policy, which is provided by Allianz Global Assistance includes coverage for medical/hospitalisation expenses including those associated with COVID-19. Transportation costs to the nearest hospital as … Read more
By Bernadette Chua and Brittany Lazarus Consumer watchdog the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission is investigating travel providers over claims some are misleading consumers on cancellation fees. In a statement to Cruise Passenger, the ACCC said it was probing “whether some travel providers are misleading consumers about the amount of cancellation fees they are entitled to … Read more
Passengers and crew members sailing on ships that accommodate more than 250 people will have to undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing. The Cruise Lines International Association and its member brands announced the plan this week as part of a multi-layer approach, which they hope will help the American Centers for Disease and Prevention Control, make the … Read more
The Royal Caribbean group today announced that it would be cancelling Celebrity Cruises’ Australian and Asian 2020/21 wave season program. Additionally, Azamara, the small ship line will also extend is suspension period throughout Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South Africa until next year. Royal Caribbean will extend its suspension of sailings to include those … Read more
Cruise Passenger readers are ready to sail in 2021 – but they will travel differently and they have high expectations of what they want from cruise lines. Our readership of over 400,000 Australian and New Zealand passengers – the biggest independent group in the region – have provided strong indicators of what they will be … Read more
The White House has tried to block a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Order which was set to extend a ‘no sail’ order on the cruise industry until February, 2021, according to reports from America. According to the New York Times, the move was seen as potentially embarrassing to the campaign of President … Read more
Princess Cruises took delivery of their newest ship, the Enchanted Princess during a ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy. Originally scheduled to launch in June, but due to COVID, all new ship launches were delayed. But, it was a momentous occasion for Princess as this was the fifth Royal class ship to join the … Read more
Thirteen Ruby Princess cruise passengers unknowingly spread COVID-19 on a five-hour flight to Perth to at least eight others after NSW Health allowed the ship to disembark in Sydney. The new findings will be published by a group of Western Australia researchers in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal next month. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, … Read more
Say goodbye to the Pacific Dawn, one of Australia’s longest serving homeported ships. Today, P&O Cruises announced that Australia’s first superliner will be leaving the fleet a few months earlier than expected. She was due to leave the fleet in February 2021. The Pacific Dawn started voyages Down Under on 9 November 2007 and has … Read more