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Tag: cruise ship

  • Video: Luxurious Interior of Elmina’s massive SH Vega cruise ship

    Video: Luxurious Interior of Elmina’s massive SH Vega cruise ship

    Just a week ago, Ghana’s Elmina Fishing Harbour, valued at €84 million, welcomed its inaugural cruise ship, the ‘SH Vega.’

    As reported by the Ghana News Agency, the ship, with a capacity of 280 passengers, carried 115 revelers, comprising 106 passengers and nine crew members.

    The vessel anchored in Elmina waters, approximately 8.8 cables away from the port’s primary breakwater.

    After deploying its zodiac (inflatable boats), all 115 passengers and crew disembarked onto the shores of the historic town to explore its scenic landscape.

    Passengers aboard the cruise hailed from various countries, including Australia, Austria, China, France, Germany, Greece, Russia, and Nigeria.

    Previously, the vessel had visited ports in Angola, Benin, Congo, Gabon, Togo, and São Tomé.

    Tourists embarked on visits to Elmina Castle and its township, the Batik-making center at Global Mamas in Elmina, Kakum National Park, and Cape Castle.

    They also participated in traditional drumming and dance lessons, indulging in Ghanaian and continental delicacies amid splendid performances.

    Curious about the luxury ship’s interior?

    Lee Whittington of the Cruise Line offers a comprehensive ship tour, showcasing public areas like Basecamp, the Expedition Lab, the Swan Restaurant, and the Club Lounge.

    According to information on the Swan Hellenic website, the SH Vega was named in honor of the first ship to traverse the Arctic Northeast Passage. Designed for expeditions to remote polar regions, the SH Vega promises stylish and comfortable journeys.

    Constructed at Finland’s renowned Helsinki Shipyard, the vessel is tailored for exceptional cruising experiences.

    Featuring inviting spaces for relaxation, unobstructed views, and top-notch restaurants, staterooms, and amenities, the SH Vega ensures unparalleled sailing pleasure.

    With the SH Vega’s inaugural visit, the Elmina Fishing Harbour, originally established by the government to support local fishermen, now serves a dual role as both a fishing port and a cruise destination.

    Mr. Peter Amos-Bediako, the Port Director, commended the government for the facility’s construction during a brief ceremony.

    The arrival of the SH Vega at the Elmina Fishing Harbour opens up vast opportunities for promoting both local and international tourism.

    “It’s a momentous day for Ghana’s tourism and maritime sectors,” remarked Mr. Amos-Bediako, expressing gratitude to various institutions for their contributions to the successful journey.

    Mr. Solomon Appiah, Municipal Chief Executive for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem, expressed optimism about the positive impact of this historic achievement on the local economy of Elmina and its surroundings.

  • Cruise ship banned from docking due to concerns over cholera outbreak within

    Cruise ship banned from docking due to concerns over cholera outbreak within

    The cruise ship en route to Mauritius cannot make a stop due to concerns about potential cholera cases among passengers.

    More than 3,000 people are stuck on a ship near East Africa. They are waiting for test results. If the results are negative, they can leave. If the results are positive, they have to stay in quarantine for more days.

    Esther Verdaas, a tourist from the Netherlands, said that we cannot get off the ship until February 27th.

    ‘But that might take more time. ‘ Someone on the boat might have cholera. If tests confirm this, they may have to stay another ten days.

    She said to BN DeStem that she and her family were on a trip to celebrate a sixtieth birthday, but it has become a very bad experience and they feel like they are just drifting on the sea with no direction.

    One British tourist got stuck in a bad situation on land. He was supposed to get on the ship this weekend, but had to cancel his trip. Now he might have to spend a lot of money to fly back to the UK.

    The 59-year-old man said his partner is too afraid to go on the ship because they are worried it might be contaminated.

    The captain said over the loudspeaker that there was an outbreak of cholera in South Africa and Zimbabwe. He also said that someone on the boat might have the stomach illness. Verdaas said this.

    They were told to be cleaner and more careful about germs. She also noticed that they were cleaning more, including spraying and vacuuming everywhere.

    Officials in Mauritius said they made the decision to prevent any problems with people’s health.

    We have taken samples from the people on the boat to test them, and we should know the results tomorrow.

    The boat was supposed to end its journey in Port Louis, Mauritius and pick up new people. It had 2,184 passengers and 1,026 crew members on it.

    It got to Mauritius one day before it was supposed to because it missed its stop at Reunion Island. But it’s not allowed to go into the port.

    Ms Verdaas said that the people on the plane were feeling anxious and unsure about when they could go home and if they would lose money on hotels they had already paid for but couldn’t stay in anymore.

    She said the amount of food at meals got smaller in case the ship couldn’t get more food for a while.
    The cruise company answered.

    A person who speaks for Norwegian Cruise Line said: “On February 13, 2024, during the South Africa trip of the Norwegian Dawn ship, a few guests felt a little sick with stomach problems. ”

    When the ship came back to Port Louis, Mauritius, the people in charge of the ship met with the local government to make sure everyone on board was safe and to discuss what steps were being taken to keep everyone healthy.

    The Mauritius government has delayed when the current cruise ship can let people off and when the next cruise can start because the local authorities need more testing before they can allow people to come into the country. The new date for both the current and next cruise is February 27th.

    “Plus, we’ve added more team members to help the guests getting on the Norwegian Dawn ship in February. ” On February 25, 2024, they will take a trip from Port Louis, Mauritius. They will also get a free place to stay in a hotel until they can get on the boat. Also, we are helping guests who are currently on the ship with their changed travel plans.

    ‘We care about the safety and well-being of our guests, crew, and the places we go to the most. ‘ We make sure to keep things clean and healthy, and we ask our guests to do the same. If you feel sick, tell the medical team right away.

    Furthermore, we have improved our cleaning procedures on the ship to make sure everyone stays safe. We will keep doing whatever is needed to protect our guests, crew, and the places we go to.

    The ship stopped in South Africa before, and some passengers got a little sick in their stomach, the company Norwegian Cruise Line said.

    The Mauritius Ports Authority said in a statement that they decided not to let the cruise ship come to the dock because they want to keep everyone healthy and safe.

    The authorities care a lot about keeping passengers and the whole country safe and healthy.

    It didn’t tell us what kind of risk to our health there is.

  • Sydney: Cruise ship carrying 800 Covid cases lands

    A holiday cruise ship carrying approximately 800 people with Covid-19 stopped in Sydney, Australia.

    After sailing from New Zealand, the Majestic Princess cruise liner arrived at Circular Quay.

    When the ship docked, there were approximately 4,600 passengers and crew on board, which meant that approximately one in every five had Covid.

    The outbreak is similar to the early 2020 Ruby Princess cruise liner Covid incident, in which at least 900 individuals tested positive and 28 perished.

    Marguerite Fitzgerald, the president of the cruise operator Carnival Australia, said a large number of cases started to be detected about halfway through the 12-day voyage.

    All cases were either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, she said.

    Staff would be assisting all guests who have tested positive “with accessing private transport and accommodation to complete their isolation period”, she said. The ship will soon depart for Melbourne.

    Asked about comparisons between the Majestic Princess and the Ruby Princess – which also belongs to the same operator – Ms Fitzgerald said: “Since then, we as a community have learnt a lot, a lot more about Covid.”

    The outbreak comes as Covid cases rise across Australia.

    In New South Wales, 19,800 new cases were detected in the seven days to Friday.

  • Tom Cruise and Nasa join forces to shoot movie in space

    Tom Cruise is hoping to blast into the Hollywood record books by shooting the first action movie in space.

    Nasa is working with Cruise to film aboard the International Space Station.

    There are no details of the film, but Deadline – which first reported the story – said it would not be a new instalment of Mission: Impossible.

    The report also said Cruise, 57, is also working with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which will transport two US astronauts to the ISS for Nasa later this month.

    Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote on Twitter: “Nasa is excited to work with Tom Cruise on a film aboard the Space Station!”

    Musk replied to say the project “should be a lot of fun!”

    Cruise played an astronaut in 2013 film Oblivion, when he safeguarded Earth’s natural resources from alien invaders.

    He also narrated the 2002 Imax documentary Space Station 3D. It’s not known when the star will blast off to the ISS for real.

    Despite the pandemic, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is due to take Nasa astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the ISS on 27 May. The spacecraft can accommodate seven people.

    Risky business: 4 daredevil stunts from Cruise’s career/b>

    As well as being one of Hollywood’s most popular action heroes, Cruise is known as a daredevil who does many of his own stunts.

    In an interview about his new Top Gun sequel, co-star Miles Teller says: “I think when Tom hears that something’s impossible or can’t be done, that’s when he gets to work.”

    That sounds not unlike his Mission: Impossible character Ethan Hunt, who has been seen in many of the most daring scenes.

    1. Leaping off a roof (and breaking an ankle)

    In 2017, he broke his ankle while jumping from one rooftop to another (attached to a cable) for Mission: Impossible – Fallout.

    Despite instantly knowing he was injured, he carried on by hauling himself onto the roof and running off.

    “I knew it was broken,” he later told The Graham Norton Show. “I just said, ‘Ugh,’ and I ran past the camera. We got the shot, it’s in the movie.”

    His co-star Simon Pegg joked: “Everyone said, when you got up and ran out of shot, ‘Oh, that’s so him. To complete the shot with your foot hanging off – that’s so him.’”

    2. Climbing a skyscraper

     

    In 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Hunt is seen scaling the Burj Khalifa in Dubai – the world’s tallest building – from the outside.

    Although Cruise trained for four months and was wearing a harness – which was edited out – he said he struggled with crosswinds as he tried to swing in through a window.

    “It took a while to work out how not to come slamming into the building head first,” he said.

    3. Hanging off a plane during take-off

    In Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Cruise hangs from the side of a plane by his fingertips as it takes off. It was really him, and it was a real plane.

    He performed the stunt four times over two days, again wearing a harness, but the crew had to scour the runway for the tiniest items that could have been thrown up and hit him.

    “While we are going down the runway, we’re worried about bird strikes, any kind of particle that the propellers could pick up, any kind of stone,” Cruise told USA Today.

    “I remember I got hit by a stone that was so tiny, you cannot believe. I thought it broke my rib. Lucky it went to my vest and not my hands or my face, it would have penetrated and gone right through.”

    4. Falling off a cliff

    One of his other famous stunts appears in the opening scene of Mission: Impossible 2, where Hunt climbs – and then almost falls off – a vertigo-inducing cliff, apparently with no ropes.

    Cucumber-cool Cruise was actually attached to a thin safety wire, which was later erased – but that did little to calm director John Woo’s nerves.

    “I was really mad that he wanted to do it, but I tried to stop him and I couldn’t,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “I was so scared I was sweating. I couldn’t even watch the monitor when we shot it.”

    Source: bbc.com

  • Ten passengers on cruise ship test positive for virus

    At least 10 people on board a cruise ship docked in the Japanese port of Yokohama have tested positive for coronavirus, health authorities said.

    Almost 300 of the 3,700 people on the Diamond Princess have been tested so far. The number of infected could rise as testing continues.

    The checks began after an 80-year-old Hong Kong man who had been on the ship last month fell ill with the virus.

    All 10 cases are in those over the age of 50, Japanese broadcaster NHK said.

    Four are in their 50s, four are in their 60s, one is in their 70s, and another one is in their 80s. Two of them are said to be Japanese, and none are in “serious condition”, NHK said.

    Japanese Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said the confirmed cases were among 31 results from 273 people tested so far.

    “We had them [the ones who tested positive] get off the vessel and… we are sending them to medical organisations,” he said at a news conference on Wednesday.

    How did the virus get on board? In China alone, there are now more than 24,300 cases of the virus, with the death toll at 490.

    There is a much smaller number of cases in other countries around the globe two people outside of mainland China have died of the disease.

    The Hong Kong man believed to be the source boarded the cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan, on 20 January, and disembarked in Hong Kong on 25 January. He was only later found to have tested positive for the virus.

    Officials on the cruise ship began screening guests on Monday evening, and the vessel was placed under quarantine on Tuesday.

    What happens to the passengers now? Passengers and crew on the ship will now be under quarantine for 14 days. The incubation period of the virus is believed to be around two weeks.

    “We are now officially in quarantine. We are to remain on board the ship and we are confined to our cabins,” a British passenger identified as Mr Abel told the Press Association news agency.

    Another passenger said her mother, who is in her 80s, was running out of medicine.

    “We are in trouble because [her] medicine is running out. Many of the passengers are old and some are as troubled as we are,” she told NHK.

    The Diamond Princess cruise ship is part of the Princess Cruises line, owned by British-American cruise operator Carnival Corporation.

    There are now 20 confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan, excluding the cruise ship infections.

    Separately on Wednesday, 1,800 passengers onboard a cruise ship docked in Hong Kong are also being tested for the virus.

    Local media reports say that three Chinese passengers who had spent time on the ship tested positive for the virus after disembarking.

    The infected passengers were on the ship between 19 to 24 January. Hong Kong health officials say none of those on board had contact with the three passengers.

    Some 30 crew members of the cruise liner say they are suffering symptoms of the virus and are also being tested.

    Last week, more than 6,000 people onboard a cruise ship in an Italian port were put on lockdown over fears that a Chinese passenger could be carrying the virus.

    The passenger later tested negative for coronavirus.

    Source: bbc.com