In a major step for the restart of U.S. cruising, a big ship sailed from Florida on Saturday with paying guests onboard. Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge sailed from Port Everglades with great fanfare.
Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group, was among those aboard. "We are elated to once again welcome guests onboard, sailing from south Florida, our home," he said. "Today is a day that brings momentum to our industry and to countless individuals and port communities around the world that are part of our travel and hospitality network."
Celebrity was also the first major cruise line to sail from a North American port about two weeks ago as Celebrity Millennium began cruising from St. Maarten. Travel Agent was aboard that cruise and here are our parting thoughts about the ship.
This past week, Travel Agent also was aboard Windstar Cruises' revitalized, “stretched” Star Breeze, as it sailed from St. Maarten. This 312-passenger Star-Plus-class ship looked sparkling and new. Star Breeze's crew are receiving vaccines this week in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Cruises with revenue guests will resume on July 10. We also shared a robust slideshow to detail the ship's new look.
MSC Cruises became the first line to restart cruises from Barcelona, Spain, while eight Carnival Corporation brands have resumed or will resume cruising in Europe, the Caribbean and the U.S. in 2021.
Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas sailed on a cruise from the Bahamas last week. While two unvaccinated children under 16 tested positive for COVID-19 during routine antigen testing near the cruise's conclusion, no other guests did; 92 percent of all guests and all crew were vaccinated, with the remainder of guests not vaccinated being children.
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On the new ship front, Crystal Endeavor was christened in Germany, while Swan Hellenic also floated out its first oceangoing ship. On the river cruise front, Uniworld Boutique Cruises christened its newly renovated La Venezia in Venice.
In other news, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings set forth long-term plans for reaching carbon neutrality. Atlas Ocean Voyages announced it would debut the oceangoing industry’s first "dedicated" solo suites.
Adding a new twist to the themed cruise portfolio, river line AmaWaterways announced a new partnership with Ancestry.
And on the executive leadership front, Barbara Muckermann was named chief commercial officer of Silversea Cruises, a Royal Caribbean Group brand.
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