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In this week’s BIG CRUISE UPDATE, I discuss the 4 biggest things that happened in cruise news, events and announcements that you really need to know about. There is a lot going on in cruising, although cruising is still mostly suspended. We have seen cruise updates for the USA, UK, Europe, Caribbean, protocols and ship disposals and scrapping announced. The 4 cruise updates you need to know about are discussed, so you stay informed about the most important cruise updates and what they mean for you.
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0:00
I'm Gary Bembridge this is another of my
0:01
tips for travelers cruising updates
0:03
there is an enormous wave a torrent of
0:06
developments and activities that are
0:08
happening and things are really
0:09
accelerating in the world of cruising so
0:11
I want to talk about four really
0:13
significant groups of developments and
0:15
news that have happened over the last
0:16
week when it comes to cruising first of
0:20
all we're seeing an acceleration in the
0:22
rate that cruising is resuming however
0:25
this really depends on where you're
0:27
based in the world the news coming out
0:28
of the United States is less promising
0:30
by the time you watch this you're likely
0:32
to see the CDC extending their no sale
0:36
order which is due to expire on the 24th
0:38
of July the key issue is how long that
0:40
is going to be extended for most of the
0:42
reports at the moment of suggesting that
0:44
could be as far as November or even
0:46
beyond for two reasons one of which the
0:48
growing rate of infections that we're
0:51
seeing reported across the United States
0:53
so until that comes down they're
0:55
unlikely to make an indication of a move
0:57
to resumption of cruising exactly of
0:59
course you have the elections coming up
1:00
in November so from a political
1:01
perspective the feeling is there is a
1:03
lot of pressure to basically keep
1:05
cruising if you excuse the pun at bay so
1:08
in the u.s. not good news however we're
1:11
seeing around the world cruising slowly
1:13
resuming and accelerating resuming as
1:16
infection rates fall for example we've
1:19
seen in Norway we've had cruising for
1:21
some time with Hurtigruten and C dream
1:23
that is now opening to travelers not
1:26
just from Norway and Denmark but for
1:28
travelers across the EU with exception
1:30
of Sweden Germany he started to sell
1:33
with big ships again for German Austrian
1:37
and Swiss residents initially only we
1:40
seen carnival's ieader sailing we're
1:42
seeing Royal Caribbean groups mind shift
1:45
and Hapag Lloyd
1:46
selling these are ships that normally
1:48
hold between 2,000 and 4,000 passengers
1:50
in France ponit are now selling for
1:52
French citizens around a series of
1:55
French ports Iceland has opened to to
1:58
expedition cruising leasing to Cruise
2:00
Lines who tag written and also pronounce
2:03
heading up there to start sailing
2:05
we also ceiling as far Bartok expedition
2:07
cruises going and importantly in the UK
2:09
who to griten have announced some round
2:11
UK cruises and
2:13
very significantly the Foreign and
2:15
Commonwealth Office updated their
2:17
cruisin advice to talk about ocean
2:20
cruising Oh knees have river cruising UK
2:22
residents canal go river cruising in
2:24
Europe which is open and also they very
2:27
importantly in their update to talk
2:29
about international ocean cruising
2:31
strongly suggesting that those round the
2:34
UK cruises alike to start as I mentioned
2:36
Hurtigruten
2:36
have already announced them and there's
2:38
lots of expectation that over the coming
2:39
weeks we will see more and more uk-based
2:41
Cruise Lines offering round UK for UK
2:44
residents so definitely what we're
2:46
seeing is regional cruising starting up
2:48
for regional passengers only initially
2:51
according to one country destinations
2:53
that's very important what we're seeing
2:55
with all of these cruises they are only
2:56
travelling to one country they're not
2:58
moving internationally across borders of
3:02
course as these cruises open up that of
3:03
course again excludes us residents which
3:05
are not allowed to fly into the EU or
3:08
the UK without going through a period of
3:11
quarantine the second really important
3:15
piece of news is kind of a link to that
3:16
which is around cruising doesn't look
3:18
like it's starting with international
3:20
travel anytime soon I'm moving between
3:22
countries it's sticking within one key
3:24
country and we're seeing lots of
3:26
restrictions still building when it
3:29
comes to ports so we've seen for example
3:31
Bar Harbor in Canada having a vote
3:33
around small cruising which could have
3:35
started up and they have excluded cruise
3:37
ships for the whole year Key West is
3:40
also voting whether the large cruise
3:42
ships are gonna be allowed to come into
3:44
Key West and they're doing a vote on
3:45
that in November when the elections are
3:48
happening in the US in November of
3:49
course we've already seen Australia
3:50
excluding cruise ships through third
3:52
quarter Canada excluding cruise ships
3:54
but what we're absolutely seeing is the
3:57
movement of cruise ships between
3:58
countries is really still being locked
4:01
down this is again not great news for us
4:04
residents because the Caribbean is not
4:06
opening up to travelers in a
4:09
particularly good way and when they're
4:10
opening up they're requiring in many
4:12
cases covert 19 tests have regarded
4:14
Bahamas said Martin's solution all big
4:16
cruise ports even if you're coming in as
4:18
a land-based traveler you have to have a
4:19
covered 19 test certificate so we still
4:22
seen lots of barriers to cruise ships
4:24
opening building as
4:26
ports open up again certainly
4:28
international cruising does not seem to
4:30
be on the cards and that's one of the
4:32
big things I've taken from all the news
4:33
over the last week and so in over the
4:35
last two weeks is local cruising with
4:38
local passengers or one country focus
4:40
cruising is seems to be the way forward
4:42
certainly for much of 2020 the third is
4:46
a round consolidation contraction of the
4:48
cruise industry we seen for example
4:50
cruise lines in reducing their capacity
4:53
so Carnival has been the most aggressive
4:54
so far getting rid of 13 ships
4:57
they've saw one of the UK piano ships
4:59
most recently Sony that happened within
5:01
24 hours before I recorded this his hond
5:04
America have got rid of 30% 4 of 14 of
5:08
their ships within their fleet so they
5:11
have sold off four of their ships which
5:13
are the mast arm lavinda on the
5:15
Rotterdam and the Amsterdam two of those
5:17
ships have been bought by Fred Olson in
5:19
the UK and they're going to take two of
5:20
their ships out of service and replace
5:22
them with those two ships so we
5:24
definitely seen consolidation will also
5:26
sing Royal Caribbean have bought out the
5:28
part of silver sea they didn't earn so
5:30
that's now Hurley percent operating
5:32
cruise line within their portfolio
5:35
they've also led Pullman to go which was
5:37
their joint venture that they had in
5:39
Spain and those ships that were in their
5:41
fleets are basically being scrapped
5:42
we're also seeing with new ships those
5:45
are being delayed partly because of the
5:46
restrictions with the shipbuilding yards
5:50
not being able to build in as fast
5:51
because of the disruption because of
5:52
covered 19 but sony trying to bring on
5:54
new capacity in a much slower fashion so
5:57
we are seeing a contraction in size of
5:59
the cruise industry and number of ships
6:02
and they've already indicated that when
6:03
ships to start selling again it's going
6:05
to be a slow way as they start to
6:07
release capacity to try and match
6:09
tomorrow of course trying I guess keep
6:10
Affairs a little bit more inflated if
6:12
they possibly can the next very
6:14
significant piece of news is protocols
6:16
for starting cruising in these regions
6:18
which have lower infection rates are
6:20
looking pretty consistent as we move
6:23
ahead now
6:23
Royal Caribbean group Norwegian Cruise
6:26
Line group they have formed a healthy
6:29
sailing panel which is working on
6:30
recommendations which will be ready at
6:32
the end of August to start the
6:33
discussion with the CDC on how they can
6:36
start sailing particular of US ports but
6:38
we think real consistent
6:39
see as ordered from Cruise Lines
6:41
announced the protocols and start
6:43
selling so we've seen for example over
6:45
65s after being suggested they seek
6:48
medical advice before traveling there's
6:50
no need for certificates we're seeing
6:51
reduced capacity so fewer passengers on
6:54
board round about 60 to 70 percent of
6:57
passengers on board cruise ships
6:59
we're seeing a stronger pre-screening so
7:02
you pre book invocation stronger
7:04
pre-screening with questionnaires which
7:06
have to be filled out online before hand
7:08
temperature checks and also the ability
7:09
to have co19 tests for passengers that
7:12
are felt to be at risk in some ways I'm
7:15
always seeing structures which enables
7:18
social or physical distancing sure we
7:19
want to call it also we're seeing out of
7:21
controls on the amount of people allowed
7:23
any venues around in swimming pools
7:25
around the theaters we're seeing amount
7:28
of people who can go into things like
7:29
kids clubs various events all being
7:31
controlled very you know reduced numbers
7:34
in those venues even though there's a
7:36
few passengers are on board lots of
7:38
changes to dining where we're seeing you
7:39
have to pre booked diming in advance and
7:42
you can only sit with members of your
7:44
same household or traveling party again
7:46
distance one and a half meters apart
7:49
with tables no self service venues are
7:52
operating we're also seeing when it
7:54
comes to excursions a lot of the cruises
7:56
that started up have no port O'Call saw
7:59
them our cruises to nowhere or those
8:01
that do have some ports are tending to
8:03
call at very small ports and again with
8:06
very controlled excursions which are
8:08
linked to and signed off and following
8:11
the same protocols as the cruise line
8:13
has onboard so for example fewer
8:15
passengers on boards at the bus the use
8:17
of masks in some cases when it comes to
8:20
mass on board what we're seeing the
8:21
cruise lines are adopting whatever is
8:23
the norm in that country so because a
8:25
lot of these cruises are cruising within
8:27
one country with its Germany and France
8:28
whatever they're following both on board
8:30
and we had in Port whatever the mask
8:32
rules are so we are seeing in some
8:34
regions the use of masks being part of
8:37
the experience tend to be mostly where
8:39
there are crowds coming together lots of
8:41
additional cleaning and the introduction
8:43
of things like HEPA filters through the
8:45
air conditioning system significant
8:47
ramping up of the medical facilities on
8:49
board the ability to do more quarantine
8:51
on board and also very importantly which
8:53
maybe also made easier because they are
8:55
cruising only in one country is a plan
8:58
if there is an outbreak in terms of how
9:00
people have dealt on board how they've
9:01
gone to the health system and
9:02
repatriation home again because these
9:04
ships are not moving across
9:06
international waters I guess it becomes
9:08
much easier to develop those plans and
9:09
that could be another factor really
9:11
strongly influencing why cruises as they
9:13
start up are sticking within one country
9:15
and staying within one healthcare and
9:17
government system huge amounts of things
9:19
happening in the cruise industry
9:21
constant flood and new information and
9:24
changes coming so every week I'll try
9:25
and update you with one of these videos
9:27
updating you on what the latest news is
9:30
and what it could mean for you as a
9:31
cruiser so why don't you watch another
9:33
video that I have within this cruising
9:34
series or just general video about
9:37
cruising right now
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