Month: July 2020

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Travel + Leisure Readers Name Seabourn “#1 Midsize-Ship Ocean Cruise Line” In Annual World’s Best Awards

Travel + Leisure Readers Name Seabourn “#1 Midsize-Ship Ocean Cruise Line” In Annual World’s Best Awards

Seabourn, the ultra-luxury cruise line, has been voted #1 Midsize-Ship Ocean Cruise Line” for 2020 by the readers of Travel + Leisure in the magazine’s annual World’s Best Awards.

“We constantly strive to provide the best travel experience to exceed our guests’ expectations, and we thank the readers of Travel + Leisure for their confidence in what we do,” said Josh Leibowitz, president of Seabourn. “This distinction speaks volumes about our team, both on board and shoreside, and their dedication and commitment to always deliver the personalized and intuitive service that has always made Seabourn the best over the years.”

Leibowitz added that receiving Travel + Leisure’s “#1 Midsize-Ship Ocean Cruise Line” World’s Best Award is a testament to Seabourn’s carefully crafted itineraries, immersive experiences, and exceptional service that continue to attract discerning travelers year after year, all on midsize ships with limited capacity of 458 to 600 people per ship.

Seabourn represents the pinnacle of ultra-luxury travel with intimate ships offering key elements that set the line apart: spacious, thoughtfully appointed suites that are all oceanfront; superb dining in a choice of venues; complimentary premium spirits and fine wines available on board at all times; award-winning service and a relaxed, sociable atmosphere that makes guests feel at home. The ships travel the globe to many of the world’s most desirable destinations including marquee cities, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and lesser-known ports and hideaways. The line is also the official cruise partner of UNESCO World Heritage.

Guests of Seabourn experience extraordinary offerings and programs, including partnerships with leading entertainers, dining, personal health and wellbeing, and engaging speakers. 

Such programs include ‘An Evening with Tim Rice’, the new evening entertainment experience created exclusively for the line in association with Belinda King Creative Productions; ‘Seabourn Conversations’ with special guest speaker including knowledgeable historians, naturalists, marine biologists, destination experts and more; Spa and Wellness with Dr. Andrew Weil, offering guests a holistic spa and wellness experience that integrates physical, social, environmental and spiritual well-being; and The Grill by Thomas Keller, reminiscent of the classic American restaurant from the 50’s and 60’s. Exclusive to Seabourn, The Grill is a unique culinary concept for Chef Keller, focusing on updated versions of iconic dishes. Guests will be treated to table-side preparations of Caesar salad and ice cream sundaes, as well as a range of other favorites like premium steaks, whole roasted chicken, and Lobster Thermidor, presented à la carte.

Source: www.seabourn.com

United Airlines Resuming Service Between San Francisco and Shanghai

United Airlines Resuming Service Between San Francisco and Shanghai

United Airlines announced today it will resume service to China with twice-weekly flights between San Francisco and Shanghai's Pudong International Airport via Seoul's Incheon International Airport beginning July 8, 2020. United will operate service with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from San Francisco to Shanghai on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Customers traveling from Shanghai will return to San Francisco on Thursdays and Sundays.

"United's service to mainland China has been a point of pride for our employees and customers for more than 30 years," said Patrick Quayle, United's vice president of International Network and Alliances. "Resuming service to Shanghai from the United States is a significant step in rebuilding our international network."

Flight

Depart

Day

Time

Arrive

Time

UA 857

San Francisco

Weds., Sat.

11:00 a.m.

Shanghai

5:45 p.m.+1 day

UA 858

Shanghai

Thurs., Sun.

9:40 p.m.

San Francisco

8:55 p.m.

Prior to suspending service to Shanghai in February due to COVID-19, United was the largest U.S. carrier serving China and operated five daily flights between Shanghai and its hubs in San FranciscoLos AngelesChicago and New York/Newark and has served Shanghai for more than 30 years. In July, across the Pacific, United will also reinstate service between Chicago and Tokyo with the addition of new service to Tokyo's Haneda Airport. Additionally, United will resume service to Seoul; restart service to Hong Kong and will fly to Singapore via a stop at Hong Kong.

Committed to Ensuring a Safe Journey

United is committed to putting health and safety at the forefront of every customer's journey, with the goal of delivering an industry-leading standard of cleanliness through its United CleanPlus program. United has teamed up with Clorox and Cleveland Clinic to redefine cleaning and health and safety procedures from check-in to landing and has implemented more than a dozen new policies, protocols and innovations designed with the safety of customers and employees in mind, including:

  • Requiring all travelers – including crew members – to wear face coverings and temporarily revoking travel privileges for customers who do not follow these requirements.
  • Using state-of-the-art high-efficiency (HEPA) filters on all United mainline aircraft to circulate air and remove up to 99.97% of airborne particles
  • Using electrostatic spraying on all aircraft before departure for enhanced cabin sanitization
  • Adding a step to the check-in process, based on a recommendation from the Cleveland Clinic, requiring customers to acknowledge they do not have symptoms of COVID-19 and agree to follow our policies including wearing a mask on board
  • Offering customers a touchless baggage check-in experience at more than 200 airports across the United States; United is the first and only U.S. airline to make this technology available

For more details on all the ways United is helping keep customers safe during their journey, please visit united.com/cleanplus.

Source: hub.united.com

Simon Palethorpe, Cunard President, wishes Cunard a happy 180th birthday.

Simon Palethorpe, Cunard President, wishes Cunard a happy 180th birthday.

Hello, I’m Simon Palethorpe, President of Cunard.

On Saturday, July 4th, 180 years ago, the British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company’s first ship, Britannia, left Liverpool, bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia and then on to Boston, Massachusetts.

That maiden voyage established a regular link between the old world and new world that was to transform trade and link societies.  And the company, that of course became Cunard, would go on to play a vital role in wars, as well as pioneering many maritime basics that we take for granted now, such as the first wireless transmission across the Atlantic, the first liners to be built with electric light and the first ship to have an email address.  And of course, Cunard’s ships established the benchmark of luxury and style, being known as ‘the only way to cross’ and living its mantra of ‘getting there is half the fun!’. 

But I wonder what the company’s founder, Sir Samuel Cunard, would make of events this Saturday, July 4th?

Well, as an entrepreneur he was an optimist, but above all he prized safety.  So, I think he’d be sat here today holding his values more closely than ever.

Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic has temporarily paused the entire cruise industry.  And for now, our focus remains firmly on making sure that we get our crew, that remain on board, home safely to their families.  On this, I’m pleased to say, we’re almost there, having just a few crew waiting on flights over the coming days and weeks.  I continue to be in awe of our crews’ resilience and patience in what are incredibly unsettling times. 

And with optimism, we’re very much planning for our future.  We are working very closely with government and industry bodies and other experts to establish the very best enhanced health and safety protocols for when our ships return to service.

And we are looking forward to the arrival of the fourth ship of the fleet. The 249th in Cunard’s history.  Given the impact of the current situation, we’re reviewing exactly when this will be, but I can promise you we can’t wait to start revealing some of its designs.  Though I do say so with a touch of bias, they are truly stunning and our team of world-class designers have done an outstanding job!

But today, I say a very Happy 180th Birthday to this remarkable company.  We may not be able to celebrate how we’d planned or hoped, but we will be back to celebrate many other milestones. 

To Cunard and another 180 years!

Source: www.cunard.com

MGTO: Guangdong-HK-Macao entry curbs can only be lifted after COVID-19 vaccine or medicine

MGTO: Guangdong-HK-Macao entry curbs can only be lifted after COVID-19 vaccine or medicine

Addressing Wednesday’s press conference about Macao’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, Alvis Lo Iek Long, a clinical director of the public Conde S. Januário Hospital Centre, admitted that border entry curbs among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao can only be completely lifted after a COVID-19 vaccine or specific medicine to treat the disease has been successfully developed.

Lo pointed out that the development of the COVID-19 pandemic is “full of uncertainties”, and many new cases are constantly confirmed in many countries every day. Lo said that based on the current situation, the COVID-19 pandemic can only be brought under control after a COVID-19 vaccine or medicine has been successfully developed.

Lo pointed out that after a vaccine has been developed, it would have to undergo animal testing, after which it would have to go through clinical trials on humans in three phases. Lo said that Zhong Nanshan, the nation’s renowned respiratory disease expert, told Macao health officials during his working visit to the city earlier this week that five COVID-19 vaccines that are under development in the mainland are currently undergoing the second phase of clinical trials.

Lo pointed out that Macao has not confirmed any new local COVID-19 cases for over 90 days, which is “a very long time”, showing that the local government’s fight against COVID-19 has been successful. Lo said that therefore the Macao government has been constantly discussing with its Guangdong, Zhuhai and Hong Kong counterparts the possible “conditional” relaxation of the current restrictions on cross-border movement of people between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in a “limited” way.

Lo said that travel within Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao could only completely return to normal – before the COVID-19 epidemic emerged early this year – after a COVID-19 vaccine or medicine has been developed. “The restoration of completely free movement of people [around the three regions], like before, will only depend on whether a scientific breakthrough, namely a [COVID-19] vaccine or medicine, is achieved, in which case all travellers can cross the borders [among the three regions] without the need to present a nucleic acid test [NAT] certificate,” Lo said, admitting that it would still take “a period of time” before this situation could be realised.

Since 25 March, all those – both Hong Kong and non-Hong Kong residents – arriving in Hong Kong from Macao or Taiwan must go into 14-day mandatory quarantine. The Hong Kong government had already imposed the same quarantine measure for those arriving from the mainland on 8 February.

Also since 25 March, Macao residents as well as the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan residents who have been to Hong Kong or Taiwan within the 14 days prior to their entry into Macao must undergo 14 days of quarantine and medical observation at one of the government’s “quarantine hotels” upon their arrival here.

All travellers arriving in Guangdong from overseas as well as Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan have had to undergo 14 days of “concentrated” quarantine there since 27 March.

Lo pointed out that border entry curbs between Macao and Zhuhai have been gradually relaxed since the implementation of the Guangdong government’s quarantine measure, such as quarantine waivers granted by the Zhuhai government to certain groups of Macao-Zhuhai cross-border commuters, and the special measure to allow Macao residents who need to cross the Macao-Zhuhai border for official purposes, business activities or other special reasons to apply for exemption from the 14-day quarantine requirement.

Source: macaunews.mo

Scenic Group’s MKM Yachts Officially Welcomed as Luxury Shipbuilder at Croatian Shipyard

Scenic Group’s MKM Yachts Officially Welcomed as Luxury Shipbuilder at Croatian Shipyard

Godmother Dame Helen Miren christens the Scenic Eclipse along with Scenic Group Owners Glen and Karen Moroney

 Scenic Group’s MKM Yachts Officially Welcomed
as Luxury Shipbuilder at Croatian Shipyard

The Scenic Group’s newly formed shipbuilding company, MKM Yachts, was granted a sub concession at the Maj 3 Shipyard in Rijeka, Croatia, in an official signing ceremony attended by the Croatian Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Sea, Oleg Butkovic.

The recently formed business, MKM Yachts, wholly owned by the Scenic Group, will be the prime contractor for all of the group’s new-build ship projects in Croatia, with construction of Scenic Eclipse II already underway. Scenic Group also confirmed construction of four additional custom-built vessels over the next six years, all of which will continue the brand’s signature five-star ultra-luxury standard.

Glen Moroney, Chairman of the Scenic Group commented, “This is a very exciting development for the Scenic Group to build on the experiences gained with the construction of Scenic Eclipse I and utilizing the team we have built that delivered her in difficult circumstances. Plans are well advanced for future projects and we look forward to sharing these at the appropriate time.”

The ceremony marks a significant milestone for the Australian-founded business and demonstrates its confidence in the luxury yacht market. The business continues to secure its position as a major player in the global industry and experts in small-ship cruising.

Scenic Eclipse are 228-passenger ultra-luxury mega yachts designed especially for polar expedition cruising conditions. The first of these ships, Scenic Eclipse I, launched in August 2019 to great fanfare, with a christening held in New York City on September 10, 2019 with Dame Helen Mirren doing the honors as the ship’s Godmother. The Discovery Yacht has since been named “Best New Ship” by Cruise Critic and as one of the best in the world on Conde Nast Traveler’s 2020 Hot List for cruise ships.

Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours has grown over its 34-year history to include award-winning, all-inclusive river and ocean cruises and handcrafted land tours that take participants to many of the world’s most fascinating destinations. Since 2008, Scenic has offered river cruises in Europe, SE Asia, Russia and Egypt on its 15 Space-Ships. In 2019, Scenic introduced the world’s first luxury Discovery Yacht, the 228-guest Scenic Eclipse. Sister brand Emerald Waterways has eight (soon to be nine with the 2021 launch of Emerald Luna) Star-Ships offering sailings on European rivers and Southeast Asia’s Mekong River. In 2021, the Emerald Azzurra will be the first ship to launch under the new Emerald Yacht Cruises brand - a 100-guest super yacht that will ply the warm waters of the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Red seas.

Source: www.scenicusa.com