During the summer of 2010, Princess Cruises will again offer Caribbean cruises from both New York and Ft. Lauderdale.
Caribbean Princess will operate 9-day round trips from New York to Bermuda and the Caribbean. There will be ten sailings running from May 2 to July 29, 2010.
Emerald Princess will operate 7-day round trips on a pattern of alternating pattern of eastern and western cruises from Ft. Lauderdale, running from May 9 to September 12, 2010.
Both new programs will open for bookings beginning May 14, 2009.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Swine Flu - Itinerary Changes for Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean has issued the following statement canceling their calls in Mexico and detailing the alternate itineraries:
Royal Caribbean International - Swine Flu Statement
April 28, 2009 - 9:00 p.m.
Today, we announced we are temporarily suspending our port calls in Mexico. The decision was made in an abundance of caution, and allows additional time to better understand the full impact of the Swine Flu.
The temporary suspension involves four of our ships currently making regularly scheduled port call in Mexico - Enchantment of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas. It also involves two additional ships scheduled to make upcoming Mexico port calls as they reposition - Serenade of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas. The revised sailings for each ship will be as follows:
Enchantment of the Seas
* Its five-night sailings that depart Port Everglades on Mondays will replace their Cozumel port calls with additional time in Key West and an additional day at sea.
* Its four-night sailings that depart Port Everglades on Thursdays will replace their Cozumel port calls with additional time in Key West and port calls in Nassau, Bahamas.
* Its five-night sailings that depart Port Everglades on Saturdays will replace their Cozumel port calls with port calls in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
Freedom of the Seas
* Its seven-night sailings that depart Port Canaveral on Sundays will replace their Cozumel port calls with additional time in George Town, Cayman Islands, and an additional day at sea.
Liberty of the Seas
* Its seven-night sailings that depart Miami on Saturdays will replace their Cozumel port calls with port calls in Coco Cay, Bahamas.
Mariner of the Seas
* Its seven-night sailings that depart Los Angeles on Sundays will sail a fully revised itinerary, visiting Canada and the U.S. West Coast. It will now visit San Francisco, California, Mondays from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Victoria, British Columbia, Wednesdays from noon to 10 p.m.; and Seattle, Washington, Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* The ship's May 10 sailing will feature a port call in Astoria, Oregon, rather than San Francisco.
* At the current time, our revised itineraries for Mariner of the Seas are scheduled to take place up to and including the ship's June 14 sailing.
* Mariner of the Seas guests booked on a revised sailing are encouraged to contact their travel agent or Royal Caribbean International for compensation and rebooking options.
* We have established a special help desk to assist these guests. The toll-free is: 1-800-327-6700.
Serenade of the Seas
* On its current sailing, it will replace its port call in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with a port call in San Diego, California.
Radiance of the Seas
* On its current sailing, it will replace its port calls in Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with an extended, overnight port call in San Diego, California, and additional time at sea.
Like our guests, we take all health matters seriously. Although authorities have not raised specific concerns regarding the ports we visit in Mexico, we want to err on the side of caution. We’re taking proactive steps onboard our ships to help ensure the health and well-being of our guests and crew members, and this is just one more step in that process. We apologize for the disruption these changes will cause our guests, and we appreciate their understanding.
We continue to closely monitor Swine Flu developments and utilize our Influenza Prevention and Response Plans. That plan was developed by our office of Medical and Public Health in coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health experts. The plan is based on three pillars: Preparedness and Communication; Surveillance and Detection; and Response and Containment.
Our Swine Flu activities include:
* Providing guests with Swine Flu information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
* Screening embarking guests and crew members regarding recent visits to, or travel through Mexico, contact with people ill with the Swine Flu, and for recent flu-like symptoms
* Conducting enhanced sanitizing of all high-touch areas onboard
* Providing hand sanitizers throughout all ships
* Asking guests to follow the advice of medical experts regarding the best ways to help prevent the spread of flu and other illnesses - via proper and frequent hand washing, and covering the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
* And, if necessary, onboard medical staff can isolate and treat guests or crew members who display flu-like symptoms, using the supply of anti-viral medications kept onboard all ships.
We'll continue to closely follow developments regarding the Swine Flu.
Note: This affects all sailings with sailing dates through June 14, 2009.
Royal Caribbean International - Swine Flu Statement
April 28, 2009 - 9:00 p.m.
Today, we announced we are temporarily suspending our port calls in Mexico. The decision was made in an abundance of caution, and allows additional time to better understand the full impact of the Swine Flu.
The temporary suspension involves four of our ships currently making regularly scheduled port call in Mexico - Enchantment of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas. It also involves two additional ships scheduled to make upcoming Mexico port calls as they reposition - Serenade of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas. The revised sailings for each ship will be as follows:
Enchantment of the Seas
* Its five-night sailings that depart Port Everglades on Mondays will replace their Cozumel port calls with additional time in Key West and an additional day at sea.
* Its four-night sailings that depart Port Everglades on Thursdays will replace their Cozumel port calls with additional time in Key West and port calls in Nassau, Bahamas.
* Its five-night sailings that depart Port Everglades on Saturdays will replace their Cozumel port calls with port calls in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
Freedom of the Seas
* Its seven-night sailings that depart Port Canaveral on Sundays will replace their Cozumel port calls with additional time in George Town, Cayman Islands, and an additional day at sea.
Liberty of the Seas
* Its seven-night sailings that depart Miami on Saturdays will replace their Cozumel port calls with port calls in Coco Cay, Bahamas.
Mariner of the Seas
* Its seven-night sailings that depart Los Angeles on Sundays will sail a fully revised itinerary, visiting Canada and the U.S. West Coast. It will now visit San Francisco, California, Mondays from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Victoria, British Columbia, Wednesdays from noon to 10 p.m.; and Seattle, Washington, Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* The ship's May 10 sailing will feature a port call in Astoria, Oregon, rather than San Francisco.
* At the current time, our revised itineraries for Mariner of the Seas are scheduled to take place up to and including the ship's June 14 sailing.
* Mariner of the Seas guests booked on a revised sailing are encouraged to contact their travel agent or Royal Caribbean International for compensation and rebooking options.
* We have established a special help desk to assist these guests. The toll-free is: 1-800-327-6700.
Serenade of the Seas
* On its current sailing, it will replace its port call in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with a port call in San Diego, California.
Radiance of the Seas
* On its current sailing, it will replace its port calls in Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with an extended, overnight port call in San Diego, California, and additional time at sea.
Like our guests, we take all health matters seriously. Although authorities have not raised specific concerns regarding the ports we visit in Mexico, we want to err on the side of caution. We’re taking proactive steps onboard our ships to help ensure the health and well-being of our guests and crew members, and this is just one more step in that process. We apologize for the disruption these changes will cause our guests, and we appreciate their understanding.
We continue to closely monitor Swine Flu developments and utilize our Influenza Prevention and Response Plans. That plan was developed by our office of Medical and Public Health in coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health experts. The plan is based on three pillars: Preparedness and Communication; Surveillance and Detection; and Response and Containment.
Our Swine Flu activities include:
* Providing guests with Swine Flu information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
* Screening embarking guests and crew members regarding recent visits to, or travel through Mexico, contact with people ill with the Swine Flu, and for recent flu-like symptoms
* Conducting enhanced sanitizing of all high-touch areas onboard
* Providing hand sanitizers throughout all ships
* Asking guests to follow the advice of medical experts regarding the best ways to help prevent the spread of flu and other illnesses - via proper and frequent hand washing, and covering the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
* And, if necessary, onboard medical staff can isolate and treat guests or crew members who display flu-like symptoms, using the supply of anti-viral medications kept onboard all ships.
We'll continue to closely follow developments regarding the Swine Flu.
Note: This affects all sailings with sailing dates through June 14, 2009.
Swine Flu - Itinerary Changes for Norwegian Cruise Line
NCL has issued the following statement canceling their calls in Mexico and detailing the alternate itinerary:
Travel Advisory: Updated 7pm 04/28/09
Miami - Apr 28, 2009 ---
The health and well-being of our guests and crew is of the utmost importance to Norwegian Cruise Line. Accordingly, the company is closely monitoring the health advisories regarding the current Swine Influenza (Swine Flu) situation.
As a precautionary measure due to the recent travel advisory relating to Mexico, the company is canceling Norwegian Pearl's final two calls in Mexico on its current repositioning cruise. The stops were scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, April 29 and Friday, May 1, 2009. Instead, the ship will call on San Diego, Calif., on Saturday, May 2. Apart from this sailing, Norwegian Cruise Line's scheduled deployment does not include any other ports of call in Mexico until the end of September 2009.
Norwegian Cruise Line has stringent protocols for cleaning and sanitation on all of its vessels to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. In addition, the company is taking proactive precautionary measures to protect its valued guests, including, but not limited to, fleet-wide guest screening via a health questionnaire prior to embarkation and on-board education regarding Swine Flu symptoms and preventative actions. As a result, the company does not anticipate that its guests' cruise experience will be impacted.
Furthermore, Norwegian Cruise Line's on-board medical centers are stocking an appropriate amount of the anti-viral medication used to treat the illness, in the unlikely event the need for its use becomes necessary.
Travel Advisory: Updated 7pm 04/28/09
Miami - Apr 28, 2009 ---
The health and well-being of our guests and crew is of the utmost importance to Norwegian Cruise Line. Accordingly, the company is closely monitoring the health advisories regarding the current Swine Influenza (Swine Flu) situation.
As a precautionary measure due to the recent travel advisory relating to Mexico, the company is canceling Norwegian Pearl's final two calls in Mexico on its current repositioning cruise. The stops were scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, April 29 and Friday, May 1, 2009. Instead, the ship will call on San Diego, Calif., on Saturday, May 2. Apart from this sailing, Norwegian Cruise Line's scheduled deployment does not include any other ports of call in Mexico until the end of September 2009.
Norwegian Cruise Line has stringent protocols for cleaning and sanitation on all of its vessels to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. In addition, the company is taking proactive precautionary measures to protect its valued guests, including, but not limited to, fleet-wide guest screening via a health questionnaire prior to embarkation and on-board education regarding Swine Flu symptoms and preventative actions. As a result, the company does not anticipate that its guests' cruise experience will be impacted.
Furthermore, Norwegian Cruise Line's on-board medical centers are stocking an appropriate amount of the anti-viral medication used to treat the illness, in the unlikely event the need for its use becomes necessary.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
San Diego Gains Calls
The Port of San Diego reports that they are gaining ten calls from cruise ships as a result of cruise lines suspending calls at Mexican ports and substituting calls at San Diego.
More will likely come as cruise lines set their revised schedules farther into the future.
More will likely come as cruise lines set their revised schedules farther into the future.
What are cruise lines doing about swine flu?
Updated April 28, 8:30pm
Late yesterday, the CDC "recommended" people avoid "nonessential" travel to Mexico. It appears that the cruise lines hadn't been anticipating that action coming so soon, and are still dealing with the issue.
The bottom line is that all of the major cruise lines have said they are temporarily suspending calls at all Mexican port for the immediate future.
Each of the lines said they will have specifics of the itinerary changes sometime during the day on Wednesday. Today, most all ships substituted a sea day, but the lines have promised most in the future will substitute another port where possible.
The biggest (literally) question is what Carnival and Royal Caribbean will do with the post-Panamax ships they each just positioned in Southern California for year round 7-day Mexican Riviera cruises, since their itineraries are all Mexico. Royal Caribbean answered the question in general terms today by saying theirs would sail an all-new US West Coast program with a call in Canada. Carnival would not be specific about Carnival Splendor.
Carnival has stated that if there is any passenger who does not want to sail the revised itinerary, they will be allowed to reschedule their travel plans without penalty. The other lines are still formulating their plans and will have them available on Wednesday.
All of the lines confirm they have had no cases of suspected swine flu on their ships. Most have, however, elevated their sanitation protocols to be similar to the ones they use when there is a norovirus outbreak. If a case of swine flu should be brought aboard. this would retard its spread as much as possible.
Late yesterday, the CDC "recommended" people avoid "nonessential" travel to Mexico. It appears that the cruise lines hadn't been anticipating that action coming so soon, and are still dealing with the issue.
The bottom line is that all of the major cruise lines have said they are temporarily suspending calls at all Mexican port for the immediate future.
Each of the lines said they will have specifics of the itinerary changes sometime during the day on Wednesday. Today, most all ships substituted a sea day, but the lines have promised most in the future will substitute another port where possible.
The biggest (literally) question is what Carnival and Royal Caribbean will do with the post-Panamax ships they each just positioned in Southern California for year round 7-day Mexican Riviera cruises, since their itineraries are all Mexico. Royal Caribbean answered the question in general terms today by saying theirs would sail an all-new US West Coast program with a call in Canada. Carnival would not be specific about Carnival Splendor.
Carnival has stated that if there is any passenger who does not want to sail the revised itinerary, they will be allowed to reschedule their travel plans without penalty. The other lines are still formulating their plans and will have them available on Wednesday.
All of the lines confirm they have had no cases of suspected swine flu on their ships. Most have, however, elevated their sanitation protocols to be similar to the ones they use when there is a norovirus outbreak. If a case of swine flu should be brought aboard. this would retard its spread as much as possible.
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