Sailing During the Pandemic

What's it going to be like to cruise during/after the COVID-19 pandemic? That a question on the minds of most cruisers. The first major ship back in operation, MSC Grandiosa, has been sailing in the Mediterranean for over a month now and is about to complete its fifth cruise. 

Currently, passengers are limited to Europeans, but you can get an idea of what the experience is like from the new video below that MSC has produced showing their health and safety protocols both before boarding and during the cruise itself.

The complete story appeared in the September 18 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

 

Spirit of Adventure Completes Ems Passage

The 58,200-ton Spirit of Adventure that Meyer Werft built for Saga Cruises left the yard last Sunday (August 30) for sea trails, and successfully completed its transit down the shallow Ems River to Eemshaven to prepare for sea trials in the North Sea. 

Meyer Werft did not publicize the operation to limit crowds and thus limit chances of COVID-19 transmission. 

The yard did produce a video that gives us a quick look at the 24-hour transit. 

Fincantieri Floats MSC Seashore

Shipbuilders are back at work, and today Fincantieri floated MSC Seashore for the first time at their Monfalcone yard. It is an evolution of her sisters, MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview, which comes in 52 feet longer at 1,112 feet, making it the longest in the MSC fleet and the largest ship ever built in Italy. 

The complete story appeared in the August 20 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Photos courtesy of Fincantieri. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Testing the Tracks

The BOLT rollercoaster which will soon be installed above the top deck of Carnival's new Mardi Gras, is in the final testing at the Mauer Rides factory in Munich. 

Laying Tracks in Finland

The first 800 feet of track were laid for the BOLT roller coaster aboard Carnival's Mardi Gras. The first roller coaster at sea will take riders around the upper deck of the new ship being completed in Finland at Meyer-Turku.

Photos courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.