Asia’s largest ship Spectrum of the Seas on the way to Singapore

Asia's largest ship Spectrum of the Seas on the way to Singapore

 Royal Caribbean has announced that Spectrum of the Seas, the first Quantum-Ultra ship, will be homeporting in Singapore from October 2022 to April 2023. The cruise line will also require all guests 12 and older to be fully vaccinated for all new bookings made from October 1, 2021 onwards. Spectrum first entered service in 2019, … Read more

Carnival cancels – but Royal Caribbean “hopeful” of cruising at Christmas

Cruise Passenger

The world’s two biggest cruise lines appear at odds over whether or not there will be December sailings in Australia, with Carnival cancelling itineraries for P&O, Princess and Carnival Cruise Line. Royal Caribbean, which has Ovation of the Seas scheduled to sail out of Sydney 0n December 13, said in a statement to Cruise Passenger … Read more

Mia wants to cruise! The heart wrenching dilemma facing families who want to cruise with kids

Mia wants to cruise! The heart wrenching dilemma facing families who want to cruise with kids

P&O recently made an announcement that vaccinations will be a requirement for their Australian cruises – with even kids over 12, who are now eligible for vaccines in Australia, requiring a double jab to get on board. With policies around the world suggesting that most cruise lines will be employing similar rules of mandatory vaccinations … Read more

Ignored and disrespected – why the cruise industry is angry as wave season hopes are all but dashed

Health officials open talks with cruise operators as hopes rise for a return to sailing

Health Minister Greg Hunt has extended the ban on overseas travel and foreign flagged cruise ships for a further three months, all but dashing hopes of a wave season this year. The announcement came as a bitter blow to Australia’s home-grown cruise industry, once the envy of the world with the largest number of passengers … Read more

“One of the safest places on the planet”: Royal Caribbean CEO gives a COVID safety update

One of the safest places on the planet”: Royal Caribbean CEO gives a COVID safety update

As the cruise industry has resumed, there have been a number of sailings which have had COVID cases onboard. But Michael Bayley, the CEO of Royal Caribbean has addressed passengers carrying the virus onboard Royal Caribbean ships, in a bid to put aside worries and speculation. Mr Bayley wrote a Facebook post, stating that while … Read more

Frustrated cruise ship owners make new bid to win over government with four-phase restart plan

Norwegian Spirit

Ship owners lobby group Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has outlined a four-phase pathway to resume cruising in Australia, designed to align with government plans to revive tourism and reopen borders. The cruise pathway has been developed in response to the four-phase National Plan agreed by Australian governments, which sets out key stages of reopening … Read more

VIDEO: The world’s biggest ship is taking to the seas: here’s what we know

Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas

Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas has left its nest at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Naizaire to begin its first test sailings.  Wonder of the Seas is set to become the largest cruise ship in the world, accommodating 6800 passengers and 2400 crew. She’s an astonishing 362 metres in length, 66 metres wide … Read more

P&O announces mandatory vaccinations for local sailings – but many lines continue to dither

First look inside the new Pacific Encounter

P&O Cruises Australia has revealed  that it will require all passengers to be vaccinated before cruising with the line. President of P&O Cruises Sture Myrmell, addressing a Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) forum today  said: “We want to make cruising as safe as it can be. And there is a clear community sentiment that vaccinations … Read more

Cruise bookings are back – three important things you need to know right now

Cruise bookings are back - three important things you need to know right now

Cruise is on its way back. Sailings are picking up around the world and Royal Caribbean has confidently scheduled December sailings out of Sydney. The Australian government has finally set vaccine threshold goals for international travel to resume. So things are definitely looking up. Can we expect cruising to be the same experience we all … Read more