Windstar Caribbean Cruises & Other Small-Ship News
By Anne Kalosh
Cruises are gradually starting but travel conditions remain fluid, with a high level of uncertainty. So while small-ship fans are eager to get back on the water, flexibility will be needed in the coming days, weeks and even months.
At the same time, with more people getting vaccinated for COVID-19, borders are opening and on-board restrictions are not as onerous as once expected.
It’s a mixed picture, with some setbacks and some advances but, all in all, things are looking up.
Best-Laid Plans
Talk about the need for flexibility.
Windstar Cruises’ Star Breeze was set for an island-hopping June 19-26 Caribbean sailing from St. Maarten, carrying passengers for the first time since the ship was cut in half, lengthened, re-engined and updated. These Windstar Caribbean cruises were greatly anticipated.
The newly “stretched” and updated Star Breeze has much more outdoor space. * Photo: Windstar Cruises
Windstar mandates COVID-19 vaccination for passengers, and crew are planned to be fully inoculated, too. However, “despite our best efforts, we will only have access to vaccines for our Star Breeze crew the following week which may impact our ability to enter certain ports,” a spokeswoman told QuirkyCruise.
This is because some places are only open to vaccinated visitors.
The scheduled Windstar Caribbean cruise destinations were Anguilla, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Tortola, Norman Island and St. Barthélemy.
Despite Windstar’s best efforts, the line wasn’t able to get all crew vaccinated prior to the first Star Breeze sailing. * Photo: Windstar Cruises
A Free Cruise
“We are optimistic that some ports will open up to us by the time we all arrive in St. Maarten on June 19,” spokeswoman Sarah Scoltock continued. But, because of the uncertainty, Windstar is giving everyone a free cruise and, she said, most travelers are going ahead.
“This inaugural cruise will be very similar to having your own private yacht where the captain will take us to the best available place for that day,” Scoltock said.
“So far our guests are sticking with us and looking forward to the bragging rights of being amongst the first to experience the brand-new Star Plus Class all-suite Star Breeze and be welcomed by our dedicated crew.”
Travelers who cancel will have the option of a full refund or may shift to another Star Breeze sailing of the same itinerary with $250 in cash to offset costs such as airline and hotel change fees.
The intimate Spanish tapas restaurant Cuadro 44 by Chef Anthony Sasso is a feature of the updated Star Breeze. * Photo: Windstar Cruises
Ch-ch-ch-changes
In the case of new brand Atlas Ocean Voyages, geopolitical issues sparked changes.
The company has just revised summer 2021 inaugural itineraries for its first expedition ship, World Navigator, that bypass Israel and the Black Sea.
Instead, the 200-passenger vessel will sail to the Greek Isles and Egypt.
World Navigator’s inaugural summer 2021 season will now consist of Greek Isles and Egypt cruises. * Photo: Atlas Ocean Voyages
The maiden cruise had been planned for July 17 from Valletta, Malta, to Piraeus (Athens). Instead, World Navigator will embark Aug. 4 from Piraeus and operate alternating cruises from there and Alexandria, Egypt.
The five new itineraries range from seven to 12 nights. There will be access to UNESCO World Heritage Sites at nearly all of the 14 ports and multiple overnights in either Alexandria (for Cairo) or Mykonos, Greece.
On the maiden voyage, travelers will be hosted at a celebration dinner and party at Giza overlooking the pyramids, which will be illuminated into the evening for World Navigator.
Egypt will feature in World Navigator’s new inaugural season itineraries. A special event at the pyramids of Giza is planned on the Aug. 4 maiden cruise. * Photo: Atlas Ocean Voyages
Israel Unrest
The itinerary changes spring from the unrest in Israel. “While we would have liked to carry out our original Holy Land itineraries this summer, the region’s geopolitics do not make it prudent,” Atlas President Alberto Aliberti said.
Included Excursion at Each Port
Travelers get an included shore excursion at each port. Examples are Ano Mera, perhaps the most traditional of Mykonos’ villages; Akrotiri, ranked among the world’s top 10 archaeological sites; and Alexandria’s National Museum and iconic library.
Extra-charge premium escorted overland tours that include all the major sites of Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor and Athens are available, too.
American Empress Resumes Pacific Northwest Service
Good news from American Queen Steamboat Co. — Its cruises on the Columbia and Snake rivers resumed June 14 aboard American Empress, ending a 20-month hiatus for the paddle-wheeler.
Pacific Northwest sailings on American Empress carry 100 percent COVID-19-vaccinated passengers and crew.
The vessel is certified for 215 passengers but AQSC is initially limiting the count to 166. The season is nearly sold out.
Paddle-wheeler American Empress traverses Oregon’s The Dalles. * Photo: American Queen Steamboat Co.
“Very Normal Look And Feel On Board”
Under the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for fully vaccinated travelers on vessels with at least 95 percent vaccinated passengers/crew, masks and social distancing are not required.
That means “Other than the reduced capacity, it will be a very normal look and feel on board,” according to AQSC President Shawn Bierdz. “There are some privileges with being vaccinated.”
Travelers have to mask up when going on motor coaches for excursions, and need to follow each destination and venue’s rules.
Plenty of open space on American Empress, here transiting the Columbia River Gorge. * Photo: American Queen Steamboat Co.
AQSC COVID-free For Three Months
AQSC’s fleet-wide vaccination mandate kicks in July 1.
Meanwhile, since March 15, the company has sailed 25 cruises in the U.S. heartland on American Duchess and the new American Countess with no COVID-19 cases.
Bierdz said one person found positive in the pre-embarkation PCR testing was denied boarding.
It is hoped that AQSC’s grande dame, American Queen, will be able to begin sailing in August.
Long-Awaited National Geographic Endurance Inaugural
At last, the inaugural voyage of Lindblad Expeditions’ National Geographic Endurance is set for July 21.
The vessel will sail round-trip from Reykjavik, Iceland, on a 19-day adventure.
National Geographic Endurance will explore Iceland’s fjords and waterfalls before skirting the ice off Greenland’s east coast, an Arctic “savannah” for polar bears, walruses and whales. If Greenland’s border opens to visitors, the ship will make landings.
Fares start at $22,190 per person, double occupancy.
The inaugural sailing of National Geographic Endurance is now set for July 21. * Photo: Ulstein Group
The 126-passenger National Geographic Endurance was delivered from Norway’s Ulstein Verft in March last year, just as the pandemic was shutting down global travel, and hasn’t carried passengers yet.
A cozy corner on the new National Geographic Endurance. * Photo: Lindblad Expeditions
It is Lindblad’s first purpose-built polar ship with a high Polar Class 5 rating, allowing for year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice.
Following its inaugural voyage, National Geographic Endurance will embark on two 13-day Iceland/Greenland voyages departing Aug. 7 and Aug. 18. The ship will explore Iceland’s fjords before following the edge of Greenland’s seasonal sea ice in search of wildlife, with a flexible agenda.
National Geographic Endurance will skirt the ice off Greenland’s east coast. * Photo: Ralph Lee Hopkins for Lindblad Expeditions
Fares start at $13,350, double occupancy.
Travelers on both itineraries will have the opportunity to hike to the erupting Fagradalsfjall Volcano in the region of Geldingadalur. Offered as an optional and free excursion, the approximately three-hour trek will culminate with a stunning view of the erupting volcano.
Lindblad recently unveiled six-day and 11-day Iceland cruises on the 148-passenger National Geographic Explorer, starting July 7.
American Cruise Lines Keeps Growing
There’s no better sign of confidence in cruising’s future than new build contracts.
American Cruise Lines just ordered two more modern-style riverboats in 2022 from Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Maryland.
They will be the fifth and sixth in the line’s modern riverboat series that debuted in 2018.
The to-be-named vessels will follow the 2021 introductions of American Jazz and American Melody on the Mississippi River.
RELATED: John Roberts Samples the New American Countess on the Mississippi.
Fleet Doubled Since 2017
American has more than doubled in size since 2017. Including the two new builds, the fleet will number 15: five small coastal ships, four classic paddle-wheelers and six modern riverboats.
There are plans to build more coastal ships, too.
“While the pace of our new builds is increasing, we are committed to maintaining the small capacity of our ships, which continue to accommodate just 100 to 190 passengers,” said Charles B. Robertson, president and CEO of American. “This distinction across our fleet truly enables us to deliver the personalized and sophisticated experience our guests have come to expect.”
American’s fifth and sixth modern riverboats will be sisters of the 175-passenger American Melody, set to begin plying the Mississippi in August.
New Design/Architectural Features
American Melody sports the line’s new interior design concept created by Studio DADO, a Miami-based firm with credits in the oceangoing luxury cruise sector.
American Melody and the 2022 builds will also highlight new architectural elements, including a Skywalk walking track cantilevered above the fourth deck, and an elliptical cutout above the outdoor café and lounge named Ellipse Café.
American Melody and the pair of 2022 builds feature a Skywalk and an elliptical cutout over the Ellipse Cafe. * Rendering: American Cruise Lines
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HEIDI SARNA
