It’s a model new 12 months with model new cruise information tales. Cruise Hive has all of them lined, with information this week from Nassau Cruise Port, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line.
Cruise Information Replace
It’s simple to maintain updated on all the main developments in cruising at Cruise Hive, the place you’ll discover all the cruise information it’s good to learn about.
On this week’s information roundup, we’ve tales concerning the port of Nassau breaking its single-day cruise arrivals file, a cruise security TikTok video going viral, Icon of the Seas finishing her transatlantic crossing, Norwegian Cruise Line making a eating venue complimentary, Royal Caribbean’s Final World Cruise dealing with flooding issues, and Carnival Cruise Line revealing the brand new slate of deck events throughout the fleet.
Nassau Breaks Single-Day Cruise Arrivals Report
Six ships from 4 totally different cruise manufacturers have been berthed on the Bahamas’ Nassau Cruise Port on December 27, 2023, all carrying a complete of 29,316 cruise visitors — a brand new, single-day arrivals file for the port.
The attention-popping quantity exceeded the port’s earlier file of 28,554 cruise visitors on February 27, 2023. The brand new passenger file included visitors from Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Dream and Carnival Liberty; Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas; Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Want; and MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia.
The vacation season is prime time for record-breaking cruise arrivals, for the reason that Christmas and New 12 months’s weeks are sought-after occasions for family-and-friends voyages. Many ships sail at full capability throughout these weeks, with all berths occupied as mother and father and youngsters, or teams of associates share cabins, as an illustration.
Nassau is the busiest cruise port within the Caribbean, with an annual passenger file set in 2019, when 3,859,183 cruise arrivals have been counted. The port had already damaged that file in November 2023, with 3,869,003 cruise guests arriving. The ultimate quantity for 2023 will likely be considerably increased, when December 2023 arrivals are added in.
Actually, Nassau Cruise Port expects to interrupt the 4.2 million cruise arrival mark in 2023.
Cruise Cabin Security Video Goes Viral
A TikToker who hosts a journey security suggestions channel hit the motherlode with a video geared to cruise ship security for girls cruising alone. A December video by Victoria, from @victorias.means, particulars her ways for securing her cruise ship stateroom and has gone viral with practically 19 million views and near 18,000 feedback.
Victoria’s video was filmed onboard an MSC Cruises’ ship, though she doesn’t determine which one. She reveals viewers how she secures her cabin, and a few of her strategies are surprisingly excessive.
For instance, she places a doorstop alarm on the base of the within of her cabin door, then makes use of a garments hanger to attach the cabin door deadbolt to the door deal with of the toilet. After that, she rolls a towel and locations it within the door deal with for much more safety.
However that’s not all. She additionally strikes a chunk of furnishings and locations it towards the cabin door and positions a wi-fi safety digital camera within the cabin. A few of her viewers’ feedback questioned the necessity for such drastic measures.
Victoria’s TikTok movies tackle different cruising challenges as nicely, akin to movement illness. And she or he doesn’t restrict her recommendation to cruise cabins, as she additionally posts movies about how solo feminine vacationers can decrease their threat of safety issues at accommodations.
Icon of the Seas within the Caribbean After Transatlantic Crusing
The extremely anticipated new ship Icon of the Seas, from Royal Caribbean, arrived at her first Caribbean port, Ponce, Puerto Rico, on January 2, 2024 following a transatlantic crossing from Spain.
The 250,800 gross ton ship — the biggest ever constructed, is just not but carrying visitors, solely crew and shipyard employees, who joined the crossing to place ending touches on the vessel. They’re anticipated to debark the ship and head for dwelling from Puerto Rico.
Icon of the Seas is because of arrive at her homeport of Miami on January 9, 2024, be christened there on January 23, 2024, and depart on her maiden voyage on January 27, 2024. Her godfather will likely be soccer legend Lionel Messi, and there have been some hints that he is likely to be becoming a member of the ship even earlier than she arrives at PortMiami.
Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley hinted, because the ship was docked in Ponce, that “a really particular crew member” can be arriving, however declined to determine her or him. That led some cruise watchers to recommend that Bayley was referring to Messi.
After her naming ceremony, Icon of the Seas will function a number of preview cruises for media and commerce companions. Her first crusing with visitors will likely be a 7-night cruise calling at St. Kitts, St. Thomas, and Excellent Day at CocoCay. The ship accommodates 5,610 visitors in double occupancy, and seven,600 with all berths occupied.
Cruise Line Makes a Eating Venue Complimentary
American Diner, a specialty restaurant aboard a number of Norwegian Cruise Line ships, is now not charging visitors for lunch and dinner. The transition to a no-fee eatery started on January 2, 2024 and can proceed via mid-February on six ships.
The American Diner was supplied solely on Breakaway and Breakaway-Plus class cruise ships. Norwegian Getaway was the primary ship to nix the fees, on January 2, 2024. Norwegian Escape will take away the associated fee beginning together with her January 6, 2024 cruise whereas Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Breakaway, and Norwegian Bliss all will transition on January 7, 2024. Lastly, Norwegian Pleasure will cease charging on February 13, 2024.
Visitors will see {that a} new menu removes some objects, akin to Lobster Sliders (previously costing $12 per order), whereas new choices are added. These embrace cheese nachos, fish sandwich, pulled pork sliders, hen pot-pie casserole, and meatloaf.
A number of the new menu objects are borrowed from different onboard eateries, akin to fettuccine carbonara and the Wrangler Burger, each from O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill.
American Diner, embellished with checkered flooring and a traditional automobile motif, is anticipated to draw many extra visitors as a complimentary eating choice. It was not often known as one of many extra widespread specialty eating places.
Tough Trip Onboard ‘Final World Cruise’
It has not been clean crusing to this point for Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas, which is working a 274-night Final World Cruise. The ship left Miami on December 10, 2023 and commenced to come across dangerous climate between port calls to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 31, 2023 and Montevideo, Uruguay, on January 4, 2024.
Wind gusts drove rain and sea spray into Deck 12, inflicting severe flooding inside and on exterior areas, and in visitor cabin balconies. Stormy climate introduced sustained wind speeds as much as 30 miles per hour and gusts as much as 35 mph.
Crew members labored to ease the scenario, and among the ship’s elevators have been quickly closed. It appeared that solely Deck 12 was affected on the 90,090-gross-ton, Radiance-class ship, and there have been no stories of any structural issues brought on by the flooding.
Serenade of the Seas will name at 150-plus ports in 65 nations on seven continents throughout her world cruise, which concludes in Miami on September 10, 2024. Visitors could have alternatives to see bucket listing locations and landmarks, such because the Nice Wall of China, Machu Picchu, the Nice Pyramid of Giza, and the Taj Mahal, amongst many others.
Carnival Cruise Line Reveals Deck Social gathering Line-Ups
It’s get together time onboard your favourite Carnival Cruise Line ship. The road’s model ambassador, John Heald, has introduced an up to date schedule of themed deck events on ships throughout the fleet for 2024.
For many cruisers, these events are the highlights of their trip at sea, and many visitors pack particular outfits to put on throughout these celebratory nights.
Events are sometimes held on every ship’s Lido Deck, however could also be modified as a result of climate circumstances. Some are indoor occasions, held within the ships’ atriums, nightclubs or different venues.
Carnival Cruise Line’s latest ship, Carnival Jubilee, which started crusing from her homeport in Galveston, Texas, in late December 2023, will provide three themed events —Lone Star Tailgate, 80s Social gathering, and Motown Social gathering.
Different pattern get together schedules embrace:
Carnival Celebration will host the 80s Rock and Glow, White Scorching Social gathering, Motown Social gathering, and Evolution Social gathering, whereas Carnival Magic will provide Rock the Promenade, Motown Social gathering, Farewell Music Social gathering, 80s Rock and Glow, Mega Deck Social gathering, and Serenity Nights.
Mardi Gras will characteristic the 90s Social gathering, White Scorching Social gathering, Tiki Social gathering, and 80s Rock and Glow, and Carnival Venezia will characteristic the Motown Social gathering, 80s Rock and Glow, 90s Social gathering, White Scorching Social gathering, Silent Social gathering, and Festa Italiana.
Extra Cruise Headlines
These have been simply among the cruise information developments we lined at Cruise Hive this week. Try much more tales, akin to Princess Cruises gearing up for a record-breaking season in Alaska, a UK port anticipating to break cruise arrival data in 2024, tough seas prompting a luxurious ship to overlook a Caribbean port name, Royal Caribbean upgrading its climate forecasting program, and a Disney Cruise Line ship rescuing refugees off Cuba on New 12 months’s Eve.
