NEWS
Royal Caribbean and NCL to resume Alaska cruises MIAMI — Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) are the latest cruise lines to announce their return to Alaska this summer following the signing of the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act by U.S. President Biden on May 24. The new legislation allows U.S. cruise ships to temporarily sail to Alaska without having to stop in Canada, a longstanding requirement set out by the U.S. Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA). The Senate unanimously passed the bill earlier this month and was approved by the House of Representatives last week. With President Biden’s signature, the bill is now made official, giving U.S. cruise lines the chance to salvage a portion of the all-important Alaska season. “Today, I signed the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act into law,” tweeted President Biden. “Tourism is vital to the state of Alaska and this law will help revitalize the industry and support Alaskans by allowing large cruise ships to return to the state this summer.” Royal Caribbean’s and NCL’s announcements came on the heels of last week’s news that both Princess Cruises and Holland America Line will be resuming Alaska cruises from Seattle on July 25 and July 24, respectively. ROYAL CARIBBEAN LINE Now given the green light to sail, Royal Caribbean has announced the launch of its Alaska season with seven-night cruises sailing roundtrip from Seattle on the Serenade and Ovation of the Seas starting July 19 and Aug. 13, respectively. Bookings are now open. Serenade’s week-long itinerary features calls at Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Icy Strait Point, as well as Endicott Arm fjord and Dawes Glacier. Ovation will follow suit in August with stops in Glacier National Park, the Inside Passage, Juneau and Skagway. Onboard, guests can enjoy magnificent views from the North Star glass observation capsule and include heart-pumping activities like skydiving in the RipCord by iFly simulator. All crew members and passengers 16 years old and older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to sail. As of Aug. 1, the vaccination requirement goes down to everyone 12
years old and older. Passengers underMar age will receive a test prior toBaha sailing. NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE NCL expects to resume cruise operations from the U.S. beginning Aug. 7, 2021 with week-long voyages from Seattle to Alaska aboard Norwegian Bliss. The ship will sail revised itineraries from Aug. 7 through Oct. 16, 2021, offering 7-13 hours of port time in Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and Icy Strait Point. On select sailings, guests will also have the chance to take in the views of Glacier Bay National Park or the Holkham Bay Glacier Fjord. Guests will also benefit from the opening of the second cruise pier in Icy Strait Point, which NCL’s parent company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., developed in partnership with Alaska Native-owned Huna Totem Corporation. Initially scheduled to open during the 2020 summer cruise season, the recently expanded Wilderness Landing on Icy Strait Point features upgraded retail and restaurants and the most accessible coastal brown bear viewing platforms in Southeast Alaska, as well as shore excursion offerings including the world’s largest ZipRider zip line, whale watching and fishing adventures. In 2022, the Mountain Top gondola will provide vehicle-free access through the treetops.
Carnival reflags new ship Mardi Gras to Bahamian registry MIAMI — Carnival Cruise Line says its new ship Mardi Gras will have Bahamas registry, not Panama as originally planned. Mardi Gras is scheduled to enter service on June 4, 2021, sailing from Port Canaveral. The ship will be flying the Ba-
hamian flag to designate the new ship registry for the first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) ship to operate in North America. Mardi Gras' first originally scheduled sailings, along with sailings for other Carnival ships and for cruise line operations around the world, have been upended over the past 14 months due to COVID-19. Originally Mardi Gras was scheduled to launch in 2020, but delays at the shipyard and then the pandemic changed those plans.
“We are pleased to bring this new level of environmental sustainability to the many ports that the ship and our guests will be visiting.” But in recent weeks, with indications from the CDC that operations from U.S. ports could begin by mid-July, Carnival is moving Mardi Gras to Port Canaveral in preparation for the potential restart. Mardi Gras will sail from Barcelona on May 21 to start its transatlantic voyage and eventual arrival in Florida. Carnival President Christine Duffy thanked the Panama Maritime Authority for their support during the ship’s construction and registration process but said that the move to the Bahamas Maritime Authority made more business sense, for a number of reasons. Says Duffy: “The Bahamas will be a frequent destination for Mardi Gras, and we are pleased to bring this new level of environmental sustainability to the many ports in the Bahamas and the Caribbean that the ship and our guests and crew will be visiting.”
Carnival’s Mardi Gras
May 27, 2021 | TRAVELWEEK | 35
