Cruise & Ferry Itinerary Planning 2020

2 8 Marella Cruises has planned a range of different itineraries for the 2021 and 2022 seasons to provide 24/7 support to guests, both onboard the ships and onshore.” Creating compelling itineraries will also play a pivotal role in encouraging travellers to consider cruising again. For Mystic Cruises, this means collaborating closely with its charter partners to ensure they can all provide the types of itineraries that will be relevant to their guests. “In the short term, all our charter partners have asked us to redeploy our vessels so they’re operating closer to home for their main source markets,” says Cabello. “Of course, I’m always looking for new and unique destinations, especially smaller ports and marinas that are only accessible to small cruise ships like ours. However, some of these destinations are not the typical marquee ports that everyone wants to visit, such as Santorini or Monte Carlo. Hence, our clients may ask us to revise our suggested deployments and incorporate well-known places to encourage guests to book, particularly in the wake of the pandemic.” Bookings are increasing for cruises further afield in 2021 and 2022, suggesting that the road less travelled may be more popular in future. “Baltic itineraries seem to be most popular with guests of our Germany-based operator Nicko Cruises because they can easily drive to the German cities of Kiel and Hamburg for embarkation,” explains Cabello. “Meanwhile, Atlas Ocean Voyages’ most sought-after 2021-2022 itineraries seem to be the Black Sea circumnavigations, which include unique overland adventures to Moscow, Russia and Chernobyl, Ukraine; voyages with multiple stops in Egypt and Israel; and the ‘Total Eclipse’ cruise from Ushuaia, Argentina including a call in Antarctica.” Marella Cruises is experiencing similar demand for cruises to both familiar and lesser-known destinations in 2021 and beyond. “We must cater to all our guests, so it’s imperative that we continue to offer the high-performing traditional routes they love, but it’s equally important that we plan fresh itineraries as they also enjoy exploring new places,” says Duncan. “Our summer 2021 Adriatic cruises from Corfu are performing very well because they include well-known destinations like Venice, Dubrovnik and Athens – all famous spots that aren’t too far from home for our European guests. However, our 2022 Asia itineraries to Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam, and our Caribbean programme to Cuba, are generating a lot of interest, which highlights that customers’ demand to travel to exotic and exciting destinations will continue in the long term.” CFIP FEATURE At the Port of Oslo, our priority is to protect the health and safety of cruise visitors, crew members and our local community, so we’re closely monitoring the Covid-19 situation as it evolves. We consider different measures and regulations in close cooperation with cruise lines and agents, and we follow all advice and regulations from national and local authorities. For example, we use resources from the Norwegian Government, Norwegian Directorate of Health Norwegian Institute of Public Health to familiarise ourselves with the laws, facts and latest advice regarding the virus. Meanwhile, we seek information about the local situation from the Municipality of Oslo, and use resources from the Norwegian Costal Administration and Norwegian Maritime Authority to ensure we’re up to date with everything regarding seagoing traffic, crew changes and certification. Port director and CEO of Port of Oslo Ingvar M. Mathisen Photo: VisitOSLO/Didrick Stenersen