Cruise Wrap: Viking to cruise the Mississippi, Aqua Expeditions’ virtual cooking classes, lines extend operations pause + MORE!
Has working from home not been as cruisey as you’d like? Sail into this fresh batch of news from the waterborne sector.
Viking announces Mississippi River Cruises
Viking will further expand its destination-focused travel experiences with the launch of new Mississippi River cruises.
The company’s first custom vessel, Viking Mississippi, will debut in August 2022 and will sail voyages on the Lower and Upper Mississippi, between New Orleans and St. Paul.
Currently scheduled ports of call on Viking’s new Mississippi River Cruises will include seven U.S. states: Louisiana (Baton Rouge, Darrow, New Orleans and St. Francisville); Mississippi (Natchez and Vicksburg); Tennessee (Memphis); Missouri (Hannibal, St. Louis); Iowa (Burlington, Dubuque and Davenport); Wisconsin (La Crosse); and Minnesota (Red Wing, St. Paul).
Starting today, inaugural sailings of Viking Mississippi’s 2022-2023 season are now available to Viking past guests only. Bookings will open to the general public on 16 April 2020.
Aqua Expeditions launches online chef masterclass series
Aqua Expeditions will launch its first online culinary masterclass from across Aqua’s destinations, on Wednesday 1 April.
Aqua Expeditions is inviting viewers to join its award-winning consulting chef for Aria Amazon and Aqua Nera, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, as he will share a signature Peruvian Ceviche and Pisco Sour recipe. Chef Pedro runs two of Lima’s most cutting-edge restaurants, Malabar and ámaZ.
His masterclass will show across Aqua Expeditions’ Facebook and Instagram, using Amazonian ingredients in Chef Pedro’s take on modern Peruvian cuisine. Onboard Aqua Expeditions’ vessels, Pedro sources 70 per cent of all fresh ingredients from the Peruvian Amazon, pairing his food with fine South American wines.
Aqua Expeditions will release dates of further masterclasses shortly when Chef Benjamin Cross (Aqua Blu) and David Thomson (Aqua Mekong) will take their turn in hosting a travel inspired masterclass inspired by Aqua Expeditions itineraries.
You can watch on Wednesday 1 April at 1pm ET via Facebook and Instagram – the content can be watched anytime after this live stream.
Royal Caribbean Group extends Cruise with Confidence policy through 1 September
Royal Caribbean Group is extending its Cruise with Confidence cancellation policy through 1 September, 2020. The updated policy enhances planning flexibility by allowing cancellations up to 48 hours prior to sailing for any reason.
Guests will receive a full credit for their fare, usable on any future sailing of choice in 2020 or 2021.
The policy applies to all cruises with sailing dates on or before 1 September, 2020, and applies to the company’s global brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Azamara.
For individual brand policy details and for information on the Silversea policy, please visit the respective brand websites:
Azamara HERE
Celebrity HERE
Royal Caribbean International HERE
Silversea HERE
Cunard announces pause to voyages until 15 May 2020
As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, Cunard has made the decision to take the preventative measure of extending the suspension of all voyages an extra month from April 11 up to and including May 15, 2020.
Cunard will continue to monitor government guidelines and travel restrictions in ports of call around the world, and this may mean there are further changes to the timing of when each of the ships returns to service.
Cunard guests who were due to sail between April 11 and May 15 will automatically receive a 125 per cent Future Cruise Credit. This can be redeemed against any new booking, on any voyage sailing before the end of March 2022, providing the booking is made by the end of December 2021.
MSC extends fleet-wide halting of operations through to 29 May
MSC Cruises has extended the halting of all its new cruise departures fleet-wide through to 29 May, in light of the continued extraordinary circumstances the world is facing in connection with the Covid-19 virus global health emergency.
The company previously announced the temporary halting of all its ships globally through to 30 April.
MSC Cruises is working tirelessly with all guests and their travel agents to address the impact of this necessary decision to their bookings on our ships up to 29 May and it is genuinely sorry for the inconvenience that this will cause them. By announcing this now, the Company intends to provide travel agents and guests who are booked on affected sailings with as much time as possible to move their booking to a future cruise.
MSC Cruises is offering guests affected by this extraordinary measure the opportunity to transfer the full amount paid for their cancelled cruise plus an additional onboard credit benefit to a future cruise of their choice at any point through the end of 2021.
Seabourn to pause global operations for an additional 30 days
Seabourn will extend the voluntarily pause of global operations for its five cruise ships for an additional 30 days. The 30-day extension includes sailings scheduled to depart through May 14, 2020.
The brand had announced an initial 30-day pause in global operations, which took effect on March 14, 2020. The decision is a proactive response to the unpredictable circumstances evolving from the global spread of COVID-19.
Seabourn will be communicating changes to voyages scheduled to depart in the extension window with all booked guests and their travel advisors.
Seabourn guests on impacted voyages will receive a 125 per cent refund of the fare paid in the form of a future cruise credit, which can be applied toward any future cruise through December 31, 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.
Guests and their travel advisors will be sent communications on how to manage cancellations and desired compensation online.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
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