Cruise News

Table Of Content

• Indulge Food Hall is a Hit on Norwegian Viva
• Carnival Cruise Line News: Actor Jonathan Bennett Chosen as Godfather to Carnival Firenze
• MENU: Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse on Carnival’s Mardi Gras
• Norwegian Gem to Sail From Jacksonville
• Search Halted for Crew Member Who Jumped from Cruise Ship
• Whittier Cruise Port: Terminal, Directions and Info

Affected departures include Celestyal's "Three Continents" voyages sailing aboard Celestyal Journey on October 21, 28; November 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2023. Royal Caribbean has canceled the entire Middle East season aboard its Rhapsody of the Seas, which is now being used for humanitarian aid in the region since it was previously operating sailings out of Haifa. The ship is scheduled to homeport in Port Canaveral, New York and Miami during its inaugural season. One of Norwegian Aqua's culinary highlights will be Sukhothai, Norwegian Cruise Line's first-ever Thai restaurant. Set to be located on the ship's 17th deck, the new venue will feature staple dishes from the Southeast Asian country, such as Thai Cashew Chicken, Salt and Pepper Prawns and Thai Grilled Steak Salad. London-based SMC Design firm takes credit for the restaurant's decor, which is set to include a blend of traditional and contemporary Thai design elements, including bamboo and rice paper pendant lights, a geometric patterned floor and colorful furniture.

Indulge Food Hall is a Hit on Norwegian Viva

Ongoing unrest in the Middle East has led to a series of changes and cancellations to cruise line itineraries, with more lines opting to re-route their Red Sea itineraries, including World Cruises, away from the conflict. Ship christenings or naming ceremonies are a maritime tradition thought to bring luck to those onboard. While godmothers are the tradition, NCL broke the mold in 2015 when it named megastar Pitbull the godfather of Norwegian Escape. Since then, several men -- and even families -- have done the cruise-ship naming duties. The announcement comes after the JaxPort board of directors approved a four year agreement with the cruise line.

Carnival Cruise Line News: Actor Jonathan Bennett Chosen as Godfather to Carnival Firenze

“The safety of passengers and crew is the number one priority and as there was no viable alternative itinerary, the Company has regrettably had to cancel the voyages. Cunard Line informed guests it will re-route its World Cruise aboard Queen Mary 2, changing a full month of the planned voyage itinerary in order to bypass the Red Sea and Suez Canal in favor of transiting around the horn of Africa. The ship was originally scheduled to sail from Dubai to Athens on March 13, but will now circumnavigate Africa. British line Marella Cruises is the latest in a string of cruise lines to adjust itineraries amid the ongoing Red Sea conflict and crisis in the Middle East.

MENU: Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse on Carnival’s Mardi Gras

A look inside Norwegian Cruise Line's exclusive ship within a ship - Stuff

A look inside Norwegian Cruise Line's exclusive ship within a ship.

Posted: Sun, 21 Apr 2024 02:12:37 GMT [source]

Princess Cruises reported today that it has agreed with Italy’s Fincantieri to delay by two months the scheduled 2... “We were due to visit Israel, Egypt and Jordan next April but spoke to TA this afternoon about canceling." Viking notes its river cruise departures along the Nile in Egypt are still proceeding as planned, with the cancellation of select overland extensions to Jerusalem. Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam, meanwhile, had already docked in Israel and had sent passengers on tour when the conflict broke out. MSC says the changes were made due to the ongoing situation in Israel and uncertainty with countries in the surrounding area, as countries impose entry restrictions and governments issue travel warnings and advisories to various parts of the region.

Technical Issue Onboard Norwegian’s Pride of America Leads to Itinerary Change - Cruise Industry News

Technical Issue Onboard Norwegian’s Pride of America Leads to Itinerary Change.

Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 10:51:00 GMT [source]

Additionally, guests who have already traveled to Europe for the maiden voyage will receive reimbursement of their roundtrip airfare plus money toward hotels, meals, and other costs incurred while making travel plans to return home. Weigand currently works as cruise director on Carnival Freedom, and was to remain there until mid-June 2024, however, with her promotion, Todd Evans will serve as cruise director starting on March 30, as Weigand begins her new duties. In this week’s cruise news update, we’ve got coverage from Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line. In a nod to the Italian city that inspired its name, Carnival Firenze's atrium is modeled after Piazza del Duomo, Florence's famous public square.

Godparents Chosen for Seabourn’s Newest Cruise Ship

Cruise directors are crucial to the operation of every cruise, and at Carnival Cruise Line they are tasked with making sure guests enjoy the line’s Fun Ship vibe. Carnival Firenze is set to undergo a 2-month refurbishment project to bring it up to speed with the cruise line’s style, ahead of its inaugural sailing on April 25. Carnival Jubilee's naming ceremony is scheduled to take place on Feb. 24 in Galveston, the ship's homeport. The Vista-class flagship has emerged from drydock with new venues, including Heroes Tribute Bar & Lounge, a space that honors military veterans and active-duty service members. Carnival Vista also boasts a new O2 Club for teens as well as a new Effy Jewelry store and a new Cherry on Top shop. Carnival Cruise Line announced today that the 4,000-passenger ship is returning to its homeport of Port Canaveral to resume its Caribbean itineraries.

Queen Mary 2 will maintain its existing itinerary until after its call in Colombo, Sri Lanka. At that point, the ship's itinerary will sail south along the east coast of Africa before rounding the horn and coming up the western coast of the continent. The cruise line also shared that it is currently reassessing other geographically similar repositioning voyages and will provide an update in the coming weeks on further changes. Originally scheduled to traverse the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, the ship will now sail around the coast of Africa on its way to the Mediterranean. We laughed hard -- real tears came out -- at some of the raunchy, fourth-wall breaking humor and fully appreciated the jokes about cruise drinks packages and guests in NCL's The Haven suite complex. (December 5, 2023) -- While Norwegian Viva has been sailing since August, the ship wasn't christened right out of the dock.

Carnival Cruise Line to Build Fourth Excel-Class Ship

Cruise Radio prioritizes well-balanced cruise news coverage and accurate reporting, paired with ship reviews and tips. In an industry with ever-evolving safety standards, as well new and refurbished ships, and cruise news from around the world that could affect your next sailing, Cruise Critic has the best and most accurate cruise line information, often before it breaks. Carnival Corporation announced on January 30, 2024 that it would re-route 12 individual cruise ships across its family of brands in order to avoid the Red Sea and conflict in the Middle East. While there are subtle changes between the two ships, the most obvious difference is Indulge Food Hall, an included restaurant that brings the popular land-based food hall concept to the seas. Excel-class enthusiasts will be watching to see what unique features the new-build will offer. The newest in the class, Carnival Jubilee, introduced new “zones,” including Currents and The Shores, inspired by ocean and beach, and a Grand Central atrium, among others.

Whittier Cruise Port: Terminal, Directions and Info

All passengers booked on the three repositioning cruises have been, or are in the process of being, contacted directly or through their travel agent and can transfer their booking to a future Grand Voyage of a similar duration for free. Alternatively, affected passengers can rebook to any other cruise in the company’s global network, with either a partial refund or additional payment for the difference in price of the original booking or receive a full refund with no cancellation fee. Some brands, like Princess, are re-routing ships away from the conflict areas and opting to travel around the horn of Africa. Others, like Costa, have elected to sail ships empty through the Suez Canal en-route to their spring European cruise seasons.

Upon returning to Port Canaveral, Carnival Vista will embark on round-trip, six- to eight-night itineraries, visiting destinations like Halfmoon Cay, Grand Turk, Aruba, San Juan, St. Maarten and St. Thomas. The ship's most noticeable update is its new livery, which now features Carnival's signature red, white and blue colors on the hull. Prior to the refurbishment, Carnival Vista had an all-white hull with blue and red accents. Held in the Jubilee Theater, spanning decks 6 & 7, guests were treated to a festive rope trick and whip cracker show performed by world champion (and YouTuber) Will Fitzpatrick.

Norwegian Cruise Line will join Carnival as the second mainstream cruise line to sail out of Jacksonville, as Carnival Elation homeports year-round from JaxPort. In the beverage department, Norwegian Aqua will see the debut of Swirl Wine Bar, a contemporary wine bar that will be located on Deck 6 between Whiskey Bar and the hibachi-style restaurant Hasuki. Swirl Wine Bar will offer a wine-by-the-glass menu as well as an extensive list of rare and premium vintages. Miami-based Studio DADO firm designed the venue, which draws inspiration from Arizona's Antelope Canyon. In partnership with the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, each brand will design their new ship class and focus on creating the largest, most efficient, and innovative vessels of their respective fleet. Carnival Cruise Line confirmed it will expand its Excel-class offerings with the order of a fourth vessel, to be constructed at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.

Originally built for Nicko Cruises and the German market, the purpose-built expedition vessel is now serving the English-speaking public with a series of expeditions in Antarctica and South America.

When asked if NCL might roll out Indulge to existing ships, Herrera rule it out completely but said the space requirement the restaurant needs would make it difficult to retrofit. Cruise line President David Herrera said the venue is a fan favorite and cruisers can expect the space to show up on the rest of the Prima Class, including Norwegian Aqua, which debuts in 2025. “Expanding our popular cruise program provides passengers throughout the Southeast U.S. and beyond with even more reasons to choose Jacksonville for their next vacation,” said JaxPort CEO Eric Green. The new ship orders across all three brands are scheduled for delivery over a ten-year period, between 2026 and 2036.