Norwegian Sky News

Above, the Norwegian Sky docked in Nassau, Bahamas last summer. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There is more news on Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sky, the ship Mitch Geriminsky and I cruised to the Bahamas last summer.

The ship is in Europe and will remain with Norwegian's fleet until next year.

According to Cruise Industry News:

The Norwegian Sky returned to Europe earlier this month to kick off its first summer deployment in the region.

After offering itineraries in Asia and the Indian Ocean during the 2024-25 winter, the Norwegian Cruise Line ship recently completed a repositioning voyage in Barcelona, Spain.

The 21-day cruise sailed from Cape Town, South Africa, in mid-May and included visits to a wide range of destinations in Africa and the Atlantic.

Before arriving in Europe, the 1999-built ship sailed to ports in Namibia, Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe Ivory Coast, and Senegal.

According to the article, the future for the ship is as follows:

After being acquired by Cordelia Cruises earlier this year, the Sky will leave Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet in September 2026.

Following a refurbishment in the Middle East, the ship is set to join the former Empress of the Seas for a series of cruises from India.

Renamed Cordelia Sky, the 2,000-guest vessel offers two- to five-night cruises from Mumbai, Goa and Chennai during its maiden season.

In 2027, the ship’s schedule also includes longer cruises to Southeast Asia that sail to and from Singapore.

To read the full article, go here. 

Superman Cruise Ship

A friend on a European vacation was recently in Rome and spotted this interesting cruise ship.

He didn't say who owns the ship, but it features a familiar comic book character.

Above, Superman cruise ship docked in Rome. Photo by Glenn Thornhill.

UPDATE:

I did some checking and found this information on the ship:

MS Athara ferry is a Ro-Ro passenger vessel owned and operated by the Italian company TIRRENIA Navigazione. The ship has a max capacity of 2700 passengers and 820 cars (or 69 trucks). The vessel was launched in 2003 and currently operates on the Italy-Sardinia ferry route Genoa-Olbia-Arbatax (crossing time 10 hours). On rotation schedule, the boat also serves the routes Civitavecchia--Cagliari and Civitavecchia-Olbia-Arbatax, with crossing times 5,5 hours (day crossings) and 7 hours (night crossings).

Other ships by Tirrenia feature DC Comics super-heroes such as Batman and Wonder Woman.

Caribbean Cruises Rise As European Cruises Out Of Favor

Above, a cruise ship docked at Freeport, Bahamas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Europe isn't much in favor these days for cruise line travelers. This is resulting in priorities by the cruise lines to shift their bookings and schedules to the Caribbean.

I can easily see why the Caribbean is a popular area to cruise at. The weather is better and the people seem nicer.

A couple of friends are currently on a 15-day cruise that will take them to the Panama Canal.

The topic of Europe cruises being out of favor is in an article in Forbes.

They begin it with:

European cruises are now out of favor, a relief for many locals who have been grappling with the issues of overcrowding and protests across Croatia, Italy, and Greece. As Bloomberg reports, cruise operators are shifting to the Caribbean, with port calls now evenly distributed between Europe and the Caribbean, a stark contrast to the situation three years ago when there were 7,000 more dockings in a European port than in a Caribbean one.

To read more, go here.

Why Silver Coins Will Always Be A Favorite

The turmoil in the banking industry continues.

The collapse of Credit Suisse in Europe has burned quite a number of people.

According to CNBC:

“The $17 billion wipeout of Credit Suisse bondholders has not gone down well in Europe.”

One section of Credit Suisse’s bondholders is set to be wiped out following the struggling bank’s takeover by UBS, causing them to see investments worth 16 billion Swiss francs ($17 billion) become worthless. The Swiss regulator FINMA announced Sunday that the so-called additional tier-one bonds, which are widely regarded as relatively risky investments, will be written to zero as part of the deal.

For the rest of us, protecting our wealth is becoming more urgent and there is one way of doing so.

From Insider Paper:

Silver coins have been around for centuries and have become the favorite of many avid collectors. Silver coins are a great way to start a collection and can be found in various shapes, sizes, and designs. Here are some reasons why silver coins are so popular among avid collectors.  

Investing in silver is one of the safest ways to protect wealth as its value tends to remain stable even during economic downturns or market volatility. By investing in silver coins, you can diversify your portfolio and offer better risk management capabilities than investing solely in stocks or bonds.

To read more, go here. 

American Tourists Continue To Be Banned From Japan

Above, Tokyo's Shibuya Crossing during normal times. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan appears to be the lone holdout among developed nations in banning foreign tourists. Frustration over this is mounting.

According to Travel Off Path:

Even though the continent of Asia has been finally lifting its overly restrictive travel rules, which kept most foreigners locked out for the best part of two years, Japan is one of a few with ‘no immediate plans’ to reopen for tourism.

In other words, American tourists are still banned from visiting Japan for non-essential reasons.

The Travel Off Path article discusses Japan's stance and here are the most important points:

While other nations like Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand have started lifting curbs, welcoming vaccinated Americans under less bureaucratic border regimes, Japan has yet to lift what many deem dated travel bans.

In doing so, the Southeastern Asian hub goes directly against the official World Health Organization’s recommendation.

Not even Europe, where movement was once seriously restricted, went as far as Japan has.

Earlier this week, Japan officially removed travel bans for certain categories of travelers, from 106 countries, which do not include tourists. This means that, while vacationers are still not allowed to visit, travelers from the U.S. with evidence their visit to Japan is necessary in order to conduct business, can again cross the border.

The decision will surely boost Japan’s slow economic recovery, especially after the country saw 40,000 companies go bankrupt due to harsh border measures. On top of that, the country will also begin allowing more international students to enter, signaling the end to an era of blanket travel bans on all foreigners.

Sadly, American tourists continue to be left out, as do Canadians, Brits, and other foreigners hoping to visit for tourism purposes.

Having enacted similar border measures, Australia and New Zealand have recently reopened for tourism, further isolating Japan as one of the last countries in the world to ban tourists.

Japan’s visa waiver program, which up until 2020 allowed Americans to visit without applying for a visa, has also been suspended. Now, U.S. citizens hoping to travel to Japan for reasons other than tourism must submit an official application at a Japanese Consulate abroad.

In my view, the longer Japan bans foreign tourists, they run the risk having frustrated potential tourists giving up and say, "screw you", even after Japan reopens. "You don't want my spending dollars? Then to hell with you! I'll go elsewhere where my dollars and I are welcome."

To read the full article, go here.

As The World Is Seeing Putin (Self-Explanatory)

 

No need to add anything to this.

CDC Issues New Travel Warning: Italy and Other Countries At Level 4

If one is planning to travel to Italy and other European nations, they'd best read the latest from the CDC. They have been added into a new travel warning due to the coronavirus.

From TravelPulse:

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added several popular tourism destinations to the highest level of its travel advisory list.

According to Reuters.com, the CDC added Italy, Greenland and Mauritius to its “Level 4: Very High” list, warning American citizens to avoid travel to the nations due to ongoing concerns about coronavirus outbreaks.

The CDC now lists 84 destinations on its Level 4 travel advisory, including most of Europe.

To read more, go here. 

Royal Caribbean Hopes For Full-Fleet Return This Year

Above, dinnertime before the pandemic aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

A sure sign that cruise line companies are starting to feel more confident that we've rounded the corner of the pandemic is that Royal Caribbean is hoping to return its fleet to full service this year.

Well, I guess hoping is the operable word. 

According to Breaking Travel News:

Royal Caribbean International has announced that six of its ships will begin sailing from major United States cruise ports in Florida and Texas in July and August.

The comeback will kick off on July 2nd in Miami, with Freedom of the Seas embarking on a special Fourth of July weekend sailing to Perfect Day at CocoCay.

By the end of August, 12 Royal Caribbean ships will be cruising once again across the Bahamas, Caribbean, Alaska and Europe.

We'll see how that all pans out.

To read more, go here. 

Walpurgisnacht 2021

Above, Witches’ Sabbath by Johannes Praetorius. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons. 

In some areas of Europe, Walpurgis Night 2021 will begin in the evening of Friday, April 30 and ends in the evening of Saturday, May 1.

According to traditions:

Walpurgis Night is a traditional spring festival on 30 April or 1 May in large parts of Central and Northern Europe. Its celebration is associated with dancing and with bonfires. The current festival is, in most countries that celebrate it, named after Saint Walpurga (ca. 710-777/9). As Walpurga was canonized on 1 May (ca. 870), she became associated with May Day, especially in the Finnish and Swedish calendars. The eve of May day, traditionally celebrated with dancing, came to be known as Walpurgisnacht ("Walpurga's night").

In Germany, Walpurgisnacht, the night from 30 April to 1 May, is the night when witches are reputed to hold a large celebration on the Blocksberg and await the arrival of spring. In some parts of northern coastal regions of Germany, the custom of lighting huge fires is still kept alive to celebrate the coming of May, while most parts of Germany have a derived Christianized custom around Easter called "Easter fires". 

The text "Walpurgis Night" has been taken from https://www.cute-calendar.com/event/walpurgis-night/38088.html.

V-E Day 75th Anniversary

Today's the 75th Anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe over Germany.

From Wikipedia:

Victory in Europe Day, generally known as VE Day or V-E Day, is a day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the end of World War II in Europe.

From Fox News:

Europe was marking the 75th anniversary of the surrender of Nazi Germany to Allied forces following six years of war in a low-key fashion Friday due to coronavirus lockdown restrictions across the continent. 

The big celebrations planned have been either cancelled or scaled back dramatically and people across Europe have been asked to mark the moment in private. 

There will be no mass gatherings, no hugging or kissing, but that day of liberation is being remembered from Belfast to Berlin. For the few surviving World War II veterans, many living in nursing homes under virus lockdowns, it's a particularly difficult time.

To read more, go here. 

Flying Without Laptops?

It's a good thing that I don't fly between the U.S. and the Middle East or Europe. Even if I did, I've 

rarely used my laptop computer while flying anywhere.

The proposed ban on large electronic devices is causing some concern for some.

According to Japan Today:

New York-International air travelers might soon rediscover magazines, paperbacks and playing cards. 

Airline passengers have become hooked on their laptops and tablets to get work done or just kill time during long flights. But U.S. aviation-security officials appear determined to ban large electronic devices in the cabin of flights from Europe. 

Business travelers are worried about lost productivity, laptops in checked baggage being stolen or damaged, or even leaving the machine home if their employer won't let them check it on a plane. Parents are pondering how to keep children occupied. 

On Wednesday, U.S. and European Union officials exchanged information about threats to aviation, believed to include bombs hidden in laptop computers. Airline and travel groups are concerned about the possibility that a ban on laptops and tablet computers that currently applies to mostly Middle Eastern flights will be expanded to include U.S.-bound flights from Europe. 

The officials agreed to meet again next week.

Some airlines, like United Airlines, still do give out free decks of playing cards. I keep my deck of United Airlines playing cards (pictured above) in my RV.

To read more, go here. 

Asahi To Brew "Super Dry" In Europe

Above, Asahi's giant neon sign in the Asakusa section of Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Here's some good news for European Japanese beer lovers!

Asahi will be brewing beer in Europe, starting in 2018.

According to NHK:

Asahi Group Holdings is set to become Japan's first beer maker to produce a flagship product in Europe. 

President Akiyoshi Koji has told reporters the company will start brewing its "Super Dry" beer at factories in Italy and the Netherlands in 2018.

To read more, go here.