Many travelers enjoy bringing a small gift to give their stateroom attendants or other crew members, such as favorite bartenders, youth counselors, or cruise directors in thanks for their dedicated and often personalized service. Carnival Cruise Line is now adapting new guidelines that might mean some gifts are unacceptable. What can grateful cruisers to do to offer thanks without violating the … [Read more...]

The second cruise ship under construction for Explora Journeys, the luxury travel brand of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, reached a milestone when the vessel’s Coin Ceremony was held on February 8 at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, Italy. Explora II is due to be delivered to the line in 2024, following the debut in May 2023 of the line’s first ship, Explora I. The rapid … [Read more...]

Adora Cruises, the first cruise brand focussed on the Chinese and Asian market, unveiled a new partnership with China’s leading comedy production company, Mahua FunAge. This innovative partnership is set to bring China’s first-ever live comedy theater to the seas. Adora Cruises, which operates under CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping Limited, wants to deliver a brand-new cruise entertainment … [Read more...]

For the first time, Carnival Cruise Line is opening up bookings on a 31-day voyage that will take passengers across three continents, starting in Australia and ending on the US west coast. This will be one of the most unique journeys offered by the Miami-based cruise line, and will set sail in spring 2024. Carnival Luminosa to Sail 31-Day Cruise The recently refurbished Carnival Luminosa … [Read more...]

In one year, the newest addition to the Princess Cruises fleet, Sun Princess, will make her debut in the Mediterranean. The next-generation LNG-powered cruise ship will offer a host of new and exciting experiences for guests to enjoy.  To ensure the smooth sailing of this beautiful vessel, Princess Cruises has handpicked a team of seasoned mariners to guide Sun Princess through its final … [Read more...]

The popularity of Holland America Line’s Culinary Cruise program has prompted the line to extend the special-events sailings into 2023. The line announced on February 7 that five celebrity chefs will each sail aboard one of the cruise line’s 11 ships on itineraries around the globe. The foodie-focused voyages will enable cruise guests to interact with the chefs, learn their cooking secrets, … [Read more...]

Holland America Line has reached out to guests booked aboard one of this spring’s 14-night Alaskan itineraries aboard Nieuw Amsterdam to notify them of an itinerary change. One port of call is being swapped for another and three other port visits are changing days, but the cruise line is adjusting shore excursions as necessary to accommodate the changes. 14-Night Alaskan Itinerary … [Read more...]

In July 2020, Royal Caribbean Group acquired 100% of Silversea Cruises. Its acquisition was a process that began in July of 2018, at which point RCG took a 67% share of Silversea Cruises. That entry point was RCG’s springboard into the luxury cruise line market via Silversea’s preexisting fleet and successful enterprise. The newly injected economic vitality was welcome, given the cruise industry … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas will not be sailing any of the anticipated itinerary for its February 7, 2023 departure. A strong tropical low is currently churning through the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia, just where Quantum of the Seas was scheduled to sail. Instead, the ship will be following an alternative itinerary with different ports of call, well out of the storm’s … [Read more...]

Margaritaville at Sea, a cruise line that brings the tropical and laid-back vibe of Jimmy Buffet’s music to life, has teamed up with Uplift, a leading Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) solution, to offer its guests the ability to pay for their bookings in installments. The cruise line will provide interest-free payments via Uplift for a limited time.  This new payment option will allow guests to … [Read more...]

Princess Cruises has announced it will deploy seven ships, nearly half of its fleet, to Alaska in summer 2024, when it will mark its 55th year sailing the Last Frontier state. Bookings for cruises and cruisetours have opened, with 14 unique itineraries visiting 17 Alaskan destinations. Four Embarkations Ports Princess Cruises will offer 158 departures during its just-revealed 2024 summer … [Read more...]

Guests looking forward to a weekend getaway on Carnival Radiance later this year have just been informed that their cruise has been cancelled due to a full ship charter. While this will be a disappointment to booked guests, the cancelled voyage is not until December, giving travelers plenty of time to make alternative plans and take advantage of the compensation Carnival Cruise Line is … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean Group, the second-biggest cruise company in the world, released its earnings for the year 2022 and has provided forward guidance for 2023. The company reported a much lower-than-expected fourth-quarter 2022 Loss per Share of $(1.96) and an Adjusted Loss per Share of $(1.12).  These numbers exceed the company’s previous guidance. It shows the Royal Caribbean Group’s … [Read more...]

While docked in Brazil, MSC Cruises’ ship MSC Musica broke free of its moorings and began to drift briefly due to high winds during a sudden squall. No damage or injuries were reported during the incident, but this does demonstrate why cruise ships will often skip ports of call when winds are high and could cause dangerous conditions. MSC Musica Breaks Loose During High Winds On Friday, … [Read more...]

In the first few weeks of the Antarctic cruise season, the US Coast Guard received reports of several tragic incidents that have taken place onboard expedition cruise ships operating in Antarctica. The agency announced it has begun investigating the accidents. Three expeditions cruise ships have seen tragic incidents happen in a two-week period between November 15 and December 1, causing four … [Read more...]

Modern cruise ships are massive entertainment and leisure vessels that are places of great fun, enjoyment, and joie de vivre. They provide outlets for cruise ship passengers to enjoy various activities, from dining to drinking to music, kids’ activities, and more. There are different sections of modern cruise ships that go from the bottom deck up to the top, sometimes 20 stories above the … [Read more...]

P&O Cruises has exciting news for its loyal customers, with several changes to its onboard offerings to enhance the guest experience. The British cruise line outlined the changes in a letter sent to guests who are members of the Ligurian Tier loyalty program and are booked on one of the ships. The changes include a return of several loyalty club perks such as cocktail parties, World Cruise … [Read more...]

Carnival Cruise Line is well known for treating loyal guests, what it calls “Very Important Fun Person” or “VIFP” guests, to fun gifts, and a trio of new gifts is coming soon, along with more flexibility in how guests receive the gifts. The news is exciting to many returning guests, who have already collected many of the cruise line’s most recent gift item. New Loyalty Gifts Coming Soon In a … [Read more...]

Losing weight, getting in shape, and exercising more top many people’s lists of New Year’s Resolutions, and Princess Cruises is introducing an expanded variety of onboard fitness classes to help guests do just that, even when on vacation. The new classes include global fitness brands and offer something for everyone, with new options available now and more coming before the summer season … [Read more...]

In a letter sent to guests, Royal Caribbean informed them that their cruise onboard Liberty of the Seas has been cancelled due to routine maintenance that requires the ship to be docked.  This 3-day Bahamas cruise was set to depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with stops in Nassau and CocoCay, before returning to Fort Lauderdale. Three-Day Liberty of the Seas Sailing is … [Read more...]