P&O Lifts Pre-Cruise Testing Requirements For 5 Iona Sailings
P&O Cruises has lifted the pre-cruise testing requirements for a short time on its newest ship Iona. The Carnival Corporation brand has only lifted the requirement for five roundtrip cruises out of Southampton, effectively running a trial to see how the sailings go without testing in place.
The voyages in question embark between June 25 and July 23, and they all have the same itinerary to various ports in Norway. Testing has only been lifted for vaccinated guests, which includes all passengers 12 and older. Unvaccinated kids will still need to submit a negative test result to sail.
In related news, earlier this month Viking lifted pre-cruise and onboard testing for all of its ships except two that are based in the U.S.
Antique Rolls Royce Finds New Home on Carnival Celebration
The antique car that could be found outside the Rolls Royce Café on Carnival Ecstasy will soon have a new home.
During a turnaround day in Mobile, Alabama last week, Carnival removed the 1934 Rolls Royce Saloon from the vessel.
It’s now being shipped to the Meyer Turku shipyard to be installed on Carnival’s upcoming ship, Carnival Celebration. It will be near The Gateway — a travel-themed zone on deck 6.
Carnival Ecstasy is set to leave the fleet this October, and Carnival Celebration is scheduled to debut this November.
STORY: Popular Carnival Ecstasy Antique Finds New Home on Carnival Celebration
Ritz-Carlton’s Inaugural Cruise Has Been Delayed Again
The debut of Ritz-Carlton’s first yacht, Evrima, has been delayed for the seventh time.
The line has been once again forced to push back the inaugural cruise, this time because of what it says is a “prolonged metalworkers strike in the Cantabria region of Spain.”
The protests have impacted the ship’s finishing process at the shipyard, so the inaugural sailing has been moved from August 6 to August 31.
Neither the cruise line nor the shipyard is involved in the strike, but violent protestors repeatedly gather at the shipyard’s gates, making it difficult for workers to access the facilities.
The new inaugural cruise is still scheduled to sail from Piraeus, Greece.
STORY: Ritz-Carlton Inaugural Cruise Delayed For a Seventh Time
