Tired of baking banana bread and cleaning out your wardrobe? Take a break from your self-isolation to-do list and have a peruse of the latest cruise updates.

Gold Coast Mayor reaffirms commitment to cruise ship terminal

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has said the city will be going ahead with its controversial cruise ship terminal plans, telling ABC News the project would be “akin to our city’s airport”.

Despite the cruise industry facing immense challenges due to COVID-19 restrictions, Tate believes the council should finish its assessments of the project to it is ready to go when the time is right.

The terminal, which would be built at The Split, has been shrouded in controversy and has faced much local opposition, with many concerned it would impact the area’s livability and open green spaces.

CDC announces extension of No Sail Order in the US

The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has extended the No Sail Order for all cruise ships.

CDC has advised the order will stay in place until the earliest of three situations. First, the expiration of the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ declaration that COVID-19 constitutes a public health emergency.  Second, the CDC Director rescinds or modifies the order based on specific public health or other considerations. Or third, 100 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.

Scenic Group suspends all land tours, river and ocean cruises up to 30 June 2020

The Scenic Group (including Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, Emerald Cruises and Evergreen Cruises & Tours) will suspend operations for land tours, river and ocean cruises up to 30 June 2020.

To support its guests and agent partners the line will be providing flexible Future Travel Credit vouchers of up to 110 per cent of the booking value. These vouchers are valid for travel through to 31 December 2022 and are fully transferable to another person, booking or other brands within the Scenic Group.

The line also said protecting travel agent commissions on bookings for suspended land tours, river and ocean cruises. We appreciate that the situation is constantly evolving and the Scenic Group team will continue to provide updates via our websites. Full details of our flexible travel policy are outlined HERE.

Oceania Cruises launches live webinar series 

Oceania Cruises is launching its most comprehensive live webinar series to date for travel partners in Australia and New Zealand. Starting in April, the ongoing fortnightly webinars will cover a diverse range of topics, including in-depth destination highlights, converting cancellations to Future Cruise Credits, how to take selling to the next level and become an Oceania Expert, realising the opportunity for Groups business, The Finest Cuisine at Sea and more.

The first webinar in the series will take place on Thursday 16 April, from 1:00pm to 1:30pm AEDT. Hosted by Martine Nunes, business development manager NSW at Oceania Cruises, this session will explore the recently introduced Travellers Assurance Program, including details about Oceania’s No-Penalty Cancellations, Future Cruise Credit (FCC) and Best Price Guarantee. Nunes will share tips and ideas for converting all cancellations into a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) and bookings, and highlight an array of inspiring 2021 and 2022 itineraries, designed to get clients dreaming of their next voyage.

To register for the first webinar, ‘Future Cruise Credits: Why They Are a ‘Win-Win’ for You & Your Clients’, which takes place on Thursday 16 April 2020 at 1:00pm AEDT, please click HERE.

Seabourn extends global pause

Seabourn will extend the voluntary pause of global operations for its five cruise ships to voyages scheduled to depart through 30 June 2020.

The brand previously announced a pause in its global ship operations from 14 March to 14 May 2020, effectively cancelling all voyages scheduled to operate during that timeframe. The decision is a proactive response to the unpredictable circumstances evolving from the global response to the COVID-19 situation.

Seabourn guests on impacted voyages will receive a 125 per cent refund on monies received in the form of a future cruise credit, which must be booked by 30 December 2020 but can be applied toward any future cruise through 31 December 2021. For guests who do not opt to choose the 125 per cent future cruise credit, a 100 per cent refund of the monies paid to Seabourn will be reimbursed to the original form of payment.

Seabourn asks guests and travel advisors to use the online resources available first rather than calling the Reservation Call Center for information about the cancellations due to the possibility of high call volumes and the potential of long on-hold wait times.

Featured image source: iStock.com/serts