Welcome to Cruise Hive’s weekly replace of stories developments throughout the cruise trade. On this week’s version, we’ve got protection from Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and MSC Cruises.
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Oasis-Class Ship Says ‘So Lengthy San Juan’
For the fourth time in latest weeks, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class Symphony of the Seas has needed to disappoint visitors with the information {that a} deliberate port name to San Juan, Puerto Rico, is cancelled.
Only one pier on the port, Pier 3, can accommodate the mega-sized Oasis-class ships, and attributable to unspecified harm, the pier is out of service till repairs are full.
Symphony of the Seas had most not too long ago revised her Caribbean itinerary on the December 22, 2024 vacation cruise to keep away from San Juan. Now, the December 29, 2024 itinerary is altered as properly. The ship relies at PortMiami and was attributable to function a 7-night Jap Caribbean voyage, the place visitors will ring within the New Yr on the favored ship.
The cancellation of the decision to San Juan additionally has impacted the ship’s go to to St. Maarten. That port name has been nixed. The revised itinerary now options calls to Good Day at CocoCay; Falmouth, Jamaica; Labadee, Haiti; and Nassau, Bahamas.
Visitors booked on the ship’s January 12, 2025 crusing even have reported that San Juan has been pulled from that itinerary. The character of the Pier 3 harm is unknown, and no timeline for getting it again into service has been introduced.
AARP Cuts Reward Card Low cost for Carnival Cruise Line
AARP, the advocacy group for seniors over age 50, has once more lowered the profit that members obtain after they purchase Carnival Cruise Line reward playing cards on the AARP web site.
It’s the second time in a month that the low cost was diminished. In November 2024, the group minimize the discounted charge from 10% to eight%, which means, for instance, {that a} $100 reward card prices $92 somewhat than the earlier $90.
The newest minimize this week reduces the profit additional, to five% as a substitute of 8%. Underneath this alteration, members pays $95 for the $100 reward card, a financial savings of simply $5. AARP additionally had earlier lowered the restrict of reward card purchases, from 25 per thirty days to simply 5 per thirty days.
Reward playing cards will be utilized to cruise fares, onboard facilities and companies, and different experiences. AARP continues to supply Royal Caribbean and Celeb Cruises reward playing cards on the 10% discounted charge.
AARP members took to social media to complain in regards to the reductions, and a few questioned why the modifications apply solely to Carnival Cruise Line. Ambassador John Heald posted on his widespread Fb web page that the choice to cut back the profit got here from AARP and never the cruise line.
St. Thomas Elevating Port, Dockage Charges in 2025
Port and docking charges are going up for cruisers who go to St. Thomas in 2025. The brand new charges had been the subject of a public listening to held by the Virgin Islands Port Authority and are supposed to assist finance infrastructure initiatives that cruise traces had requested.
Underneath the permitted charges that take impact on April 1, 2025, port dues will rise by $3, from $6.84 per visitor to $9.84 per visitor. These funds will go towards the Charlotte Amalie Harbor Dredging Challenge, which was requested by Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line. The USVI authorities will contribute $17 million towards the undertaking.
Docking charges are going as much as two places and shall be paid by visitors whose ships berth on the West Indian Firm Dock in Havensight and the Austin “Babe” Monsanto Marine Terminal in Crown Bay. The payment hikes take impact on January 1, 2025 and April 1, 2025, respectively.
The charges are rising by 44 cents per particular person, from $7.80 per cruise passenger to $8.24 per passenger. The tariff additionally applies to ships calling at St. John, though no cruise ship really docks on the island; they anchor offshore and tender visitors to the island.
Visitor Dies Following Try and Bounce Overboard
A tragic story unfolded aboard Princess Cruises’ Sky Princess on December 21, 2024, when a feminine visitor died whereas making an attempt to leap overboard on the ultimate day of a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise.
The 48-year-old American lady apparently jumped from an higher deck and hit an obstruction. Medical help was instantly despatched to Deck 7, starboard facet, however the visitor succumbed to her accidents.
The ship’s captain introduced the tragedy and Princess Cruises issued an announcement clarifying what occurred. Emergency medical care was supplied, however regardless of their finest efforts, the medical staff couldn’t revive the visitor, whose title was not launched.
The road supplied grief help companies to visitors and crew members who had been affected.
The three,660-guest Sky Princess relies in Fort Lauderdale and was crusing an at-sea day as she returned to her homeport. The ship had referred to as at Princess Cays, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.
The ship returned on schedule to Port Everglades, was circled, and departed on her subsequent cruise.
Visitor Complains About Being ‘Guilted’ Into Tipping
To tip or to not tip. That was the query Carnival Cruise Line model ambassador John Heald addressed after a visitor complained about being “guilted” into giving crew members a gratuity.
Like most different cruise traces, Carnival Cruise Line has recommended tip quantities — $16 per particular person, per day, or $18 for suite visitors. Every visitor can determine for themselves whether or not and the way a lot to tip.
Sometimes, visitors can pre-pay gratuities, and supply further tricks to crew members who go above and past the decision of service.
The visitor who reached out to Heald questioned why the cruise line doesn’t pay its employees extra pretty and keep away from the necessity for visitors to pay ideas.
Heald defined that tipping was a private selection and wished her properly, though he clearly was irritated on the prospect of a visitor offering no tricks to crew. In the meantime, he posted his due to the cruise line’s 26,000 crew members fleetwide, for making the vacation season a contented one for visitors.
Crew members working for the Large three traces, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line, earn salaries based mostly on their place and expertise. Pay usually ranges from $16,000 to $20,000, whereas these in administration and management jobs can earn as much as $100,000 or extra.
Refit Work to Proceed on Transatlantic Cruise
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss is headed into dry dock from January 17 to February 2, 2025, and when she returns to service the ship will function a 13-night transatlantic voyage from Southampton to Miami.
Sounds good, besides that when the ship departs on that cruise on February 2, 2025, not the entire renovations shall be full, and employees shall be onboard the transatlantic journey to complete the job.
The primary renovations to the ship embody the set up of Horizon Park, a leisure space, and the expansions of two eating places, Cagney’s Steakhouse and Teppanyaki. Consequently, visitors will see a number of modifications.
Coco’s Chocolatier will now not function, the Laser Tag exercise is being eliminated, and the Bliss Speedway shall be closed whereas repairs to the favored racetrack proceed. Nevertheless, there’ll proceed to be loads of actions visitors can take pleasure in in the course of the transatlantic cruise, which options a number of consecutive at-sea days.
Different modifications embody the transformation of the Commentary Lounge into 24 balcony cabins, and the growth of the Premiere Proprietor’s Suites in The Haven. The suites may have three bedrooms, 3.5 loos, and a eating room.
MSC Musica to Sail World Cruise in 2027
MSC Cruises revealed the itinerary that the two,550-guest MSC Musica will sail in the course of the line’s MSC World Cruise 2027.
Departing from Rome on January 5, Genoa on January 6, or Marseille on January 7, 2027, the ship will sail a 121-night itinerary and go to 45 locations in 25 nations. Three segments are provided, from 34 to 51 nights.
The ship will in a single day at seven ports — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, Argentina; Valparaiso, Chile; Sydney, Australia; Hobart, Tasmania; and Papeete, Tahiti.
The ship will name at ports within the Western Mediterranean earlier than crossing the Atlantic and crusing round South America, heading to the South Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand. MSC Musica will then sail to Hawaii and Los Angeles earlier than transiting the Panama Canal.
She’s going to make a second transatlantic crossing, calling on the Canary Islands earlier than returning to the Mediterranean and ending in Genoa.
Bookings are open, and cruise fares embody a number of shore excursions, a drink package deal, laundry service reductions and different advantages.
Extra Cruise Headlines
These had been the tales behind the large headlines of the week, however Cruise Hive has much more protection of cruise information you gained’t wish to miss.
Learn our studies on the return to service of a Fred. Olsen Cruise Strains’ ship after a dry dock improve; the Port of Dubai breaking cruise arrival data; a journey advisory impacting a Honduras cruise vacation spot; a P&O Cruises’ ship serving to a stranded fishing boat within the Caribbean; and Resorts World Cruises shopping for a 3rd ship.
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