Page 18 - June Hernando 2020 Senior Voice

18 • JUNE 2020 - Senior Voice of Hernando County
THE JOYS OF CRUISING
Cruise Lines Surviving Under Shutdown
By Margaret Hammond
There is not much JOY to
tell about when it comes to
cruising just now. The latest
information from the U.S.
Center for Disease Control
has extended the cruise line
shut down “until at least 24
July or until the pandemic
is declared over.” Refunds
to customers with cancelled
voyages are slow to process
due to the huge number of
people concerned. It appears
about half of these have
requested a full refund to
their credit cards, while the
optimists (like me) agree to
take a 125% Future Cruise
Credit. This credit will be
good until December 2021.
Things have to get better cruises to use and offered the billion. There are many
sooner or later! open seating style of dining ships in each of the lines,
Norwegian Cruise Line for those preferring it. with Norwegian owning
had been quite open about Norwegian’s latest venture 28 vessels under the brand
the possibility of the line was to originate The Haven names of Norwegian, Regent
failing due to the loss of – a suites-only concept for Seven Seas, and Oceania.
revenue, but a new infusion the highest priced cabins. Royal Caribbean has 61
of credit has put them back The “suites only” class offers ships sailing independently
on an even keel at this much larger cabins and as Royal Caribbean,
writing. Looking back at separate dining areas – all at Celebrity and Azamara.
the records, Norwegian was a considerably higher price. Carnival leads the group
the first cruise line based in Looking over the latest with 104 ships sailing
the Miami area dedicated to cruise information, it seems as nine separate brands
the middle-class passenger they all did quite well in including Carnival, Holland
when they were started 2019. The records show America, Princess, Cunard,
in 1966 by two forward- profits for Norwegian Cruise Costa and Seabourn, plus
looking men. One of the Line as $930 million, for P&O United Kingdom, P&O
men went out on his own in Carnival as $3 billion, and Australia, and AIDA. The
1972 to originate Carnival Royal Caribbean as $1.9 Continued on page 23
Cruise Line. Norwegian
continued to be a forerunner
in ovations to cruising when,
in 1977, they purchased a
private Caribbean island for
use by only their ships. This
was followed in 2000 with
the new concept of “any
time dining” rather than
the formal first and second
seating at dinner. The other
two major lines followed
suit and purchased private
islands for their Caribbean