Grand Explorer Blog: 2021

Cruise News

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Mystery Cruise

Uniworld First Ever Mystery Cruise!

12 June 2022 (10 Days)

Join us for a 10-day river cruising experience like no other: Uniworld's very first Mystery Cruise! This is your chance to go on a truly once-in-a-lifetime vacation that will leave you amazed at every turn, and our chance to pull out all the stops on one of our most incredible journeys yet. The catch? Every detail of it will be a surprise, so you’ll just have to trust us to do what we do best.

If you know Uniworld, you know we have a knack for meticulously curating everything from the grandest affairs down to our signature Tiny Noticeable Touches®. So, while you might be heading into your cruise not knowing what to expect, you can expect a masterpiece.

WHERE

That’s for us to know and you to find out.

Just know that you will need your passport to get there. And when you do, we’ll immerse you in every destination with new-to-Uniworld experiences. Each shore excursion will be a one-time-only exclusive for our Mystery Cruise guests. You won’t find these experiences anywhere else—even on other Uniworld cruises.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

In a word? Everything.

We’re providing the usual wealth of all-inclusive, luxury amenities offered on every Uniworld river cruise. For the price of your trip, you’ll enjoy unique excursions, gourmet food and beverages, onboard entertainment, all transportation plus airfare, the excitement of being among the first to embark on these new voyages and the suspense of never knowing what’s coming next.

PRICE

From $6999 All Inclusive

SPECIAL GUEST

Ellen Bettridge - Uniworld CEO

WHAT TO BRING

Your sense of adventure and willingness to have a great time.

Of course, you’ll need to know more than that when it’s time to pack. But don’t worry, we’ll be sending you a detailed packing list before you go.

Call us today! 800-903-5750

Florida Governor Sues Government to allow ships to sail from Florida again!

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state is filing a lawsuit against the federal government and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to allow cruise ships to resume sailing immediately, after they were shut down for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

DeSantis announced the legal action during a news conference Thursday at PortMiami.

"The CDC has locked down this industry for over a year, this is not reasonable, this is not rational," DeSantis said. "We don't believe the federal government has the right to mothball a major industry for over a year based on very little evidence and very little data."

The governor, who signed an executive order forbidding Covid vaccine passports, said the cruise industry won’t get an exception. He’s adamant that public entities, along with the private sector, not require people show proof that they have been vaccinated.

Even if cruise lines wanted to move forward with a vaccine passport, DeSantis said he would oppose it.

DeSantis and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said the cruise industry shutdown was harming tens of thousands of Floridians in the state who depend on it for their livelihood.

Florida is the nation's cruise capital with three of the world's busiest ports: Miami, Port Canaveral near Kennedy Space Center, and Port Everglades near Fort Lauderdale. Millions typically cruise from Florida each year and the industry generates billions for the state's economy.

The CDC shut down the cruise industry a year ago when several coronavirus outbreaks were tied to ships worldwide.

On Friday, the CDC updated its guidance to say that fully vaccinated people can travel within the U.S. without getting tested for the coronavirus or going into quarantine afterward. It also issued more technical details around its conditional plan to allow cruise ships in U.S. ports, but it did not say when cruise lines could resume sailing.

DeSantis has maintained the ban disproportionally impacts Florida and has said that cruising has resumed in much of the world, forcing Americans to fly to other ports in the nearby Bahamas. Industry leaders say there have been no new outbreaks tied to their ships.

“People are going to cruise one way or another. The question is are we going to do it out of Florida, which is the number one place to do it in the world, or are they going to be doing it out of the Bahamas or other locations?” DeSantis said.

New 46 Night River Cruise!

AmaWaterways has announced the river cruise industry's longest itinerary—a new, 46-night "Seven River Journey Through Europe" on four ships, departing June 1, 2023.

Curated by Rudi Schreiner, president and co-founder, AmaWaterways, this new, grand experience will take 144 guests through 14 European countries. Guests will receive a choice of more than 130 complimentary excursions plus new tours and exclusive experiences.

This new concept is akin to the lengthy, all-encompassing itineraries that ocean lines operate as grand voyages or World Cruises; those have proven extremely popular in late 2020 and early 2021 with many of those selling out immediately.

Reservations will open to the general public on March 15. "Seven River Journey through Europe" fares will start at $25,999 per person, based on double occupancy Category E accommodations. Port charges are additional. Fares will include transfers between ships; complimentary laundry and portage service; all gratuities onboard and for shore excursions; and a dedicated cruise manager.

Four Different Vessels

Guests booking this itinerary will sail on four different AmaWaterways' river vessels during the five-week journey.

Here's the line-up of voyages in this 46-night adventure:

June 1 - 8, 2023: AmaLyra will sail roundtrip from Paris, France on the Seine River

June 8 - 13: AmaKristina will sail from Lyon to Tarascon, France on the Saône and Rhône Rivers

June 13 - July 4: AmaPrima will sail the Rhine, Moselle and Main Rivers from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, the Netherlands to Vilshofen, Germany

July 4 - 17: AmaVerde will sail the Danube River from Vilshofen, Germany to Giurgiu, Romania.

Guests will have the opportunity to visit 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites and enjoy local epicurean experiences. Highlights will include sailing through romantic Paris, visiting Normandy's D-Day landing beaches, enjoying an exclusive visit to Germany's Lahneck Castle and visiting off-the-beaten-path sites in Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, among other countries.

"With the pent-up demand for travel we are seeing and the increase in requests for our longer cruises, we feel this is the perfect time to introduce our incredible, all-new Seven River Journey,” said Schreiner in a press statement. “The initial response has been remarkable since we first teased the news of this experience, and I am confident that we will exceed expectations when we set sail in June 2023."

Onboard, guests can expect fine dining and wines at every meal in multiple onboard venues. An onboard wellness host also will offer such classes as core strengthening, stretching and yoga.

For information on this voyage or any other you might be contemplating please contact me at francine@grandexplorer.com or 800-903-5750

Reminiscing of Lyon!

Since we have been cooped up for so long and can't travel I have been passing the time in drooling over my pictures and reminiscing about visiting my favorite cities. One of my top favorite European cities is Lyon, France. This was a fabulous surprise the first time I discovered it.

Lyon is the ancient capital of Gaul with a rich history of more than 2000 years. There still exists today evidence of its long past, in landmarks such as the Gallo-Roman Amphitheatre and its 15th century cathedral at Saint-Jean.

People lived on the banks of the Saone River for several centuries before the city was officially founded by the Romans in 43 BC. Lyon served as their capital and nearly became the capital of France!

I was not aware before I went there that Lyon is the number 1 gastronomic city in France! Who knew? I always thought it was Paris, but Paris is actually third after Lyon and Marseille. It only took me one meal in Lyon to see how it got that reputation!

Walking around the town you're stirred by the wonderful smells of this city. Baked goods shops are everywhere and as you pass them you get whiffs of fresh bread mixed with ginger and cinnamon as well as the aroma of crepes being made in a kiosk by the side of the street accompanied by the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee.

I stayed in the old-town at the gorgeous "Cours Des Loges" hotel which is a medieval treasure. The old-town is filled with tons of small restaurants, most with an open frontage exposing maybe only 8 tables. They have cute names and ornate decorations with incredible delicious food which I indulged in for three days.

Here are some photos of this wonderful French find:

They have a section of the city which has trompe-l'oeil murals such as these ones, they are all painted on flat walls but look so real!

Can't wait to be there again!

Update on Canadian Port Ban

U.S. Congressional Committee Asks Canada To Reconsider Cruise Ban

As each day passes, hope for salvaging part of the 2021 Alaska cruise season becomes more challenging—given the combination of current U.S. law and Canada's recent decision to ban all cruising from its waters through February 28, 2022.

The latest? The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee recently sent a letter about the negative impact of that ban to Canada’s ambassador to the United States. That bipartisan letter was signed by U.S. Congressional representatives Peter DeFazio, Bob Gibbs, Sam Graves, Salud Carbajal and Don Young.

Finding a Solution

Current U.S. law does not permit foreign-flagged ships (most of the global cruise fleet) to sail between U.S. ports without a foreign port call. So, port calls at such Canadian destinations as Victoria and Vancouver, B.C., are essential during the Alaska season.

It's also expected that the current Canadian cruise ship ban (if that continues) will adversely impact the fall New England/Canada season.

The committee's letter encouraged the Government of Canada to work together with U.S. officials and cruise and travel stakeholders to find “a mutually agreeable solution.” It suggested that Canada could permit ships to make a “technical stop” in Canada with those ships not letting any passengers go ashore.

"It is our hope that this solution would both address the important health concerns of Canadian authorities and allow cruises to resume with the approval of U.S. government authorities when it is deemed safe to do so," the letter stated.

In a statement, Zane Kerby, president and CEO of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), said: “Government action—here and abroad—has played a key role in the decimation of our industry, the most recent example being the Canadian government’s announcement that it is closing its ports to cruise ships through early 2022."

Given U.S. law, "Canada’s decision (unless soon reversed) imperils any chance to execute the 2021 Alaska and Canada/New England cruise seasons," Kerby added.

ASTA said it's seeking a solution to the impasse whether that be legislative, regulatory or diplomatic: "With the vaccination rollout underway and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention working with cruise lines to resume cruising from U.S. ports, there is promise for the summer and fall seasons. Government and industry must work together, find a solution and keep that promise.”

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the cruise industry’s trade association, thanked the House members for their leadership in facilitating dialogue with the Canadian government. In a statement, CLIA said that it "looks forward to working with the Canadian and U.S. authorities on a solution that addresses the public health needs of Americans and Canadians alike, while responsibly restarting a critical economic driver for the Pacific Northwest and Alaska."

Re-Posted from Travel Agent Central

Enchanted Princess

Princess has a beautiful new ship, Enchanted Princess, which offers a fabulous 22 day Mediterranean cruise this October.

It's part of the new Medallion Class category which offers many new features not seen on other cruise ships.

A Princess MedallionClass™ vacation offers the ultimate in effortless, personalized cruising. It begins with your OceanMedallion™, a quarter-sized, wearable device^ that enables everything from touch-free boarding to locating your loved ones anywhere on the ship, as well as enhanced service like having whatever you need, delivered.

You can be sun-bathing on the top deck and be able to order a drink from the Princess app on your phone and the bar can locate you from your Medaillion and bring you your refreshment without you ever moving from your chair....now that's service!