Category Archives: Onboard Features

small ships

Are Small Ships the Future of Cruising?

Posted: August 28, 2022

Onboard Features, Press Release

Size does matter when it comes to cruising. And as COVID-19 has (temporarily) swept away our dreams of sailing the world on big and extravagant cruise vessels, people are now looking to small ships to fulfil their wanderlust needs. As the majority of larger ships lay docked in ports worldwide, smaller ships are proving safer options being pandemic-proof, eco-friendly and limiting the risk of a virus break out.

It’s no secret that the cruise industry has been shaken to its core by the impact of COVID-19, and with large cruise ships lying remote in harbours around the world — most ships won’t set sail till 2021. With an 85 per cent drop in revenue in the cruise industry, big cruise ship companies like Carnival and Cunard have delayed their restart once again, with the hope to set sail in October, as well as the delayed launch of the largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas.

With new health and safety regulations, larger cruise ships are finding it harder to make the appropriate changes to dining facilities (seating, spacing), air ventilation and re-working boarding procedures for passengers and crew at various ports. Not to mention implementing mandatory face masks for all guests and staff, social distancing on board and self-service-buffets more than likely become a thing of the past. There’s also high risk if the Coronavirus breaks out onboard that all passengers would be forced into quarantine. 

All these factors combined contribute to the need for travellers to consider safer (and smaller) travel options for cruising amidst a global pandemic.

Smaller Cruise Ships

The solution to the revival of the cruise industry may be found in smaller cruise ships. 

Smaller ships are not only more convenient in getting to different places, they’re also a safer option for passengers during the pandemic. Not to mention, they’re also environmentally friendly compared to larger cruise ships. 

Managing director of Mundy Cruising, Edwina Lonsdale, said that 90% of cruise-bookings in the last have been for ships with less than 1000 passengers, and for river cruises, people prefer boats carrying less than 150 people. Swiss cruise liner Viking Cruises is busy building a ship for 80 people, Swan Hellenic will begin cruising a ship for just 150 passengers, having stopped in 2017, and UK travel company Emerald Waterways is commencing building a boat with just 50 cabins.

Chief marketing officer for Windstar Cruises Betsy O’Rourke, believes that people are making the transition from other ‘big ship’ brands to smaller boats. Known for visiting smaller ports and hidden harbours around the world, Windstar Cruises is a small fleet of six luxury yachts that carry 150 to 340 guests. Meeting the health and safety regulations, Windstar plans to set sail in October with 50% capacity, al-fresco dining and BBQ’s on deck. 

Crystal Clean+

Crystal Cruises Health and Safety Protocol - Crystal Clean+

Posted: August 27, 2022

Health & Safety, Onboard Features, Press Release,

In light of the impact COVID-19 has had on the travel industry, cruise companies alike are doing their bit to introduce safer vessels to make (healthier) travelling accessible during a global pandemic. Crystal Cruises  has followed suit, announcing last week the expansion of it’s Crystal Clean+ safety and health protocols to the sister ships of Crystal River Cruises.

Built upon previous health and safety standards put in place, the Crystal Clean+ 2.0 Protocols have been implemented “using the latest data from health experts to meet the unique challenges posed by COVID-19” the announcement said. Complying with all local regulations set by European cities and states the vessels visit, the expanded protocols include enhancing cleaning procedures, social distancing, health monitoring for passengers and crew, facial covering requirements, and more.

“We are looking forward with great anticipation to welcoming our guests back aboard and are working to ensure their wellness and peace of mind when that day comes,” said Walter Littlejohn, senior vice president, and managing director of Crystal River Cruises.

“Crystal Clean+ is an extension of the exceptional standards to which Crystal has always adhered, augmented with the best scientific data and expert guidance currently available.”

The protocols affect each aspect of the cruising process. Guests will now check-in online and complete a health questionnaire. Before boarding temperature checks will be undertaken for all passengers and crew, and each location of the vessel will be monitored for social distancing. Cleaning procedures of rooms and facilities will be rigorous and frequent.

Masks will also be provided to all guests and crew and will comply with all destination health authorities, which may require wearing masks. As for dining experiences, self-service (buffets) will be eliminated, and guest’s seating will ensure the spacing and social distancing. As for air ventilation, Crystal River ships will now feature HEPA filters, which remove 99.95% of airborne pathogens, and thorough filter checks will help maintain the highest standard of air quality.

Crystal Clean+ will be put into effect on all of Crystal’s river fleet along the Danube, Rhine, Main, and Moselle rivers in 2021. Crystal has paused operations through the end of 2020.

Recently named World’s Best River Cruise Line by the readers of Travel + Leisure, Crystal River cruises are some of the most spacious river ships made. The fleet is the industry’s first and only all-balcony, all-suite, butler-serviced ships in Europe.

Muster 2.0 Header

Royal Caribbean Debut New Safety Drill Invention

Posted: August 3, 2022

Health & Safety, Onboard Features, Press Release, , , ,

This is not a drill! Well, this is actually a new drill. The first major change to come about as a result of the global crisis was announced on July 24, when the Royal Caribbean Group debuted the Muster 2.0: a new electronic muster drill, delivering safety information to guests with an entirely new approach.

Unlike tradition muster drills Muster 2.0 will help promote social distancing onboard

The Muster 2.0 will replace the conventional safety drill — which involved a lot of people gathering in generally close quarters at the beginning of the cruise — with a new interactive eMuster, helping promote social distancing onboard. This invention marks the first major change to safety drills in over a decade.

The Muster 2.0

First tested on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas in January 2020, guests who took part in the trial process showed positive feedback to the new approach using Muster 2.0 with improved organisation and a better understanding of safety information.

More than a year in the making, Muster 2.0 is also an initiative that will be part of the comprehensive set of protocols and procedures Royal Caribbean Group is developing along with the Healthy Sail Panel that was recently assembled in collaboration with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

This new process represents the kind of innovation that the Healthy Sail Panel is focusing on as part of its mission to enhance the health and safety of cruising,” said former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, co-chair of the Healthy Sail Panel. “It shows that we can accomplish a lot if we try to think outside the box on safety.”

With the Muster 2.0, not only will guests be provided with all the necessary information, but the tech app is available for guests on their mobile devices and interactive stateroom TVs

To comply with international maritime law, passengers of a vessel must be well informed with what to do in case of an emergency.

To comply with international maritime law, passengers of a vessel must be well informed with what to do in case of an emergency.  With the Muster 2.0, not only will guests be provided with all the necessary information, but the tech app is available for guests on their mobile devices and interactive stateroom TVs. And bonus? Guests can review the information at their leisure during the first day prior to setting sail, which eliminates the need for large group gatherings, maintaining proper social distancing.

“Muster 2.0 represents a natural extension of our mission to improve our guests’ vacation experiences by removing points of friction,” said Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean Group’s senior vice president of digital. “In this instance, what’s most convenient for our guests is also the safest option in light of needing to reimagine social spaces in the wake of COVID-19.”

How Does it Work?

After guests have reviewed the safety information in their own time prior to setting sail and/or on their first day, individually, guests will then complete the drill by visiting their assigned assembly station. Guests have a set time (indicated by a timer in the app) during which the muster drill must be completed by all the passengers.

When guests have reached their assigned station, a crew member will verify that all steps have been completed and answer necessary questions. Each of the steps need to be completed prior to the ship/s departure, as required by international maritime law.

After guests have reviewed the safety information in their own time prior to setting sail and/or on their first day, individually, guests will then complete the drill by visiting their assigned assembly station

“The health and safety of our guests and crew are our number one priority, and the development of this new muster process is an elegant solution to an outdated, unpopular process,” said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. “The fact that this will also save guests time and allow the ship to operate without pause means that we can increase health, safety and guest satisfaction simultaneously.”

Sharing Innovation

In such difficult times, extending a hand of innovation can only be a positive move forward for the cruise industry. Even though Muster 2.0 is the invention of Royal Caribbean, the company is offering the technology to fellow cruise operators (and even waving the patent license fees during the global pandemic). Other companies that have jumped on the Muster 2.0 bandwagon include the company’s joint venture, TUI Cruises GmbH, as well as Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., the parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Global Dream

This Is No Dream – Record-Breaking Roller Coaster at Sea

Posted: May 20, 2022

Countries, New Cruise Ship, Onboard Features, Press Release

Despite the cruise industry being hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, Dream Cruises is moving forward testing what will become the world’s longest roller coaster at sea.

The “Spike®-Coaster” type roller coaster - called Space Cruiser by Dream Cruises - will be the main feature of the “Dream Park at the Pier”, the very first theme park at sea. No more do you need to dream of being on a gigantic roller coaster with virtual reality technology, your dream will now becoming reality as one of the most thrilling cruise ship attractions thus far is now being erected on land ahead for testing purposes.

With the intention of keeping the assemblage and contracting time for the 2500-cabin cruise ship as short as possible, the roller coaster is at present being constructed for testing in the direct locality of the MV Werften shipyards in Germany.

Aerial view of the construction of Space Cruiser

Marco Hartwig, Project Manager Maurer Rides explains why the construction on land is so important: “Among other things, the test setup will be used to test the installation methodology especially designed for ship assembly. Furthermore, the conductor rail and gear rack along the roller coaster track, which is necessary for the generation and transmission in the electric motor, can be installed on land in advance. This saves valuable time during the ship assembly. The aim is also to collect all the 93 support base points coordinates after the roller coaster has been completed and then forward them to the shipyard for preparation and positioning for the deck foundations. With the help of this elaborate procedure, we can ensure that the support base points on the deck of the ship are in the correct positions later.”

After the fitting, three Spike® vehicles will be put into operation piece by piece and the structure will be methodically tested. Before the roller coaster leaves the test site in Güstrow, Germany, the structure will be pulled to pieces and moved to the shipyard for ultimate assemblage.

“Dream Cruises is extremely excited to be working with Maurer Rides to create this spectacular new attraction at sea on board Global Dream. We are thrilled with the progress of the construction of the roller coaster and are excited to unveil this ride to our guests when our ship launches,” said Mr. Michael Goh, President of Dream Cruises.

The ride starts with an acceleration sector subsequently two closely spaced inclined 90-degree curves. The succeeding two “camelbacks” provide a mighty and spectacular launch above the railing and the heads of the passengers, with a jaw dropping speed of up to 60km/h (37 mph.) A 360-degree descending, and ascendant spiral form the end of the 303m (994 foot) long track before the vehicles reach the end point.

 

Viking.TV

Take A Break from Lockdown with A Virtual Cruise

Posted: May 7, 2022

Countries, Onboard Features

Dependent on our personal situation, confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic can affect our physical and mental health, and this affect us in many ways.

To add to the stress, people who have been waiting for several months to take a break on a cruise have been dealt with a bitter pill to swallow and have been advise there cruise has been cancelled.

What can cruisers do to fill this cruise void?

The good news is Viking Cruises have introduced a new virtual travel platform to support their customers escape lockdown and take a break from coronavirus travel restrictions, not physically but virtually.

The new digital travel platform, called Viking.TV, highlights cultural content and livestreaming video encounters from all over the globe.

Views can take a canal tour through St Petersburg, museum livestream sessions with Oslo’s Munch Museum, a glimpse at life in Highclere Castle (the location of Downton Abbey) and yoga livestreams as part of their wellness weekends hosted by Viking’s LivNordic Spa experts.

Viking.TV also incorporates recipes inspired by Viking cruise destinations, along with reading lists, watchlists and playlists which are ideal for those eager to review for a post-pandemic voyage.

“Right now, we are all staying at home instead of travelling together, but that does not have to mean that the only thing we can do is watch the news,” said Executive Vice President Karine Hagen. “My father, Torstein Hagen, and I felt that if we cannot for the time being bring our guests to the world, let’s bring the world to our guests. And as soon as actual travel is less complicated again, we are ready to welcome you onboard.”

On 12 March 2020, Viking became the first cruise line to declare a suspension in operations due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Their new virtual travel platform inspires holidaymakers and those effected by the global pandemic to delve into the Viking cruise experience in the comfort of their homes.