Bookmarks (9) clear filters

On 1 March, photographer Jon Tonks left New Zealand on a Pacific cruise. Twenty eight days later, the boat docked in San Diego, amid a pandemic. What happened in between?The cruise ship MS Maasdam left New Zealand on the evening of 1 March, steaming out of Auckland’s Waitemata harbour into the Hauraki Gulf, where it headed north. The route was to San Diego via...

World’s largest cruise company declines to give details for extent of redundanciesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageCruise ship company Carnival has announced a wide-ranging programme of job losses and pay cuts as it desperately seeks to cut costs in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.The world’s largest cruise company said it would save “hundreds of millions of dollars” over the course of...

Death toll of crew stranded by coronavirus continues to rise as industry blames ‘impractical’ safety requirements for blocking disembarkationCoronavirus - latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSome cruise companies have refused to agree to rules that would allow tens of thousands of stranded crew back to land, citing concerns about cost and potential legal consequences, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

From the Galapagos to Dubai crew have been left marooned amid squabbles over who is responsible for their welfareRevealed: 100,000 crew never made it off cruise ships amid coronavirus crisisThe Apex was nearly finished. A brand new cruise ship for the Celebrity Cruises line, it was a towering, 117,000-ton vessel with luxuries like a “resort deck” featuring martini-glass-shaped jacuzzis and a movable platform cantilevered...

Accidents, pollution, exploitation… cruise firms were in murky waters even before Covid-19“We’ve been asked – and we’ve asked ourselves – why Covid-19 seems to be impacting Princess so heavily.” Thus spoke Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises, in a video posted on social media in mid-March. She looks sad-eyed and baffled into the camera: “We don’t really know.” Perhaps, she muses, the problem is...

With dozens of fatalities linked to ‘floating Petri dishes’, shares have collapsed – but all may not be lostCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageLike many thousands of nurses, Julie Timson has spent the past few weeks suited up in an armour of personal protective equipment fighting the coronavirus and trying to save lives.In the moments when it’s too overwhelming on the ward,...

A slow boat across the Atlantic plus a scenic train home to Vancouver add up to a hugely enjoyable three-week trip‘Are you a crew member?” the security guard asked, fixing me with a stare in the van’s rear-view mirror. “Passenger,” I replied. The guard gave me a quizzical look then muttered something to himself in German, shaking his head. It was 7am and the...

Canada-based One Ocean Expeditions cancelled recent trip to Antarctica after it was unable to purchase sufficient fuelAn adventure travel company that charges upwards of US$20,000 for a single trip to polar regions has failed to pay many of its contractors in nearly a year, leaving some unable to cover living expenses, according to current and former crew. Related: Polar cruise boom harming the Arctic,...

Italian minister proposes plan for diverting a third of big ships to other ports by next yearItaly’s transport minister has proposed a plan for diverting massive cruise ships from Venice’s historic centre, with a view to rerouting a third of the vessels by next year.Danilo Toninelli told a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday that the ships could gradually be shifted away from the Marittima terminal...