It’s time to recap the large cruise information headlines of the week with one other must-read version of Cruise Hive’s Cruise Information Replace. This week we’ve protection from Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Celeb Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Margaritaville at Sea.
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Will Carnival Ditch Mini-Golf? Undoubtedly Not
A suggestion by a visitor that Carnival Cruise Line take away its mini-golf programs in favor of a lounge house for cruisers ages 55 and up has fallen on deaf ears. So don’t fear — you’ll nonetheless be capable of putt round and hope for that gap in a single.
The controversy began on a latest cruise when a mini-golf participant was hit by a golf ball. It was a baby who had hit the ball, and the sufferer requested crew members to take away the kid and his mother and father from the world.
Crew members refused to take action. After the cruise, the visitor put the query to cruise line model ambassador John Heald, asking that the road ditch the mini-golf programs — calling them a waste of house — and as an alternative dedicate the world as a venue for older visitors to loosen up.
Responding on his fashionable Fb web page, Heald replied that mini-golf programs are wildly fashionable with visitors of all ages, and there aren’t any plans to change the house in any method.
For the file, Carnival Cruise Line ships have already got a devoted house for older visitors; the Serenity space requires all visitors to be 21 or older.
Business Bids a Fond Farewell to Music of America
Music of America, one of many first ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, is being scrapped on the Alang Shipbreaking Yard in India. The ship started crusing in 1982 and was operated by Royal Caribbean for about 17 years.
On her last journey, the ship left Port Ras Al Khaimah within the U.A.E. on January 22, 2025, arriving on the shipbreaking yard, positioned on the Gulf of Khambhat, on February 1, 2025.
It took appreciable ability to seashore the vessel. Excessive tide that day, at 35.43 ft, helped the pilot transfer the ship as far onto land as doable, after which anchors and chains had been used to maintain the ship upright because the tide pulled out.
Throughout the dismantling, her metal and different steel components, wiring, and electronics are prone to be recycled, gasoline and different liquids shall be drained, and unsafe supplies like asbestos shall be fastidiously eliminated. Furnishings shall be eliminated and prepped for resale.
At present named Bella Fortuna (aka Fortu), longtime trade watchers will recall that for the final decade the 1,400-guest ship sailed as Celestyal Olympia, for Celestyal Cruises, and plied the waters of the Greek islands.
Departure Occasions Moved Ahead on Two Carnival Ships
Company booked on upcoming cruises aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Legend and Carnival Venezia ought to take note of notices from the road about any departure time adjustments, for the reason that cruise line has made a number of alterations for each vessels.
The adjustments contain earlier departures than initially scheduled, which impacts visitor embarkation occasions. For instance, Carnival Legend, at the moment crusing from Tampa, Florida, has moved up her departure time to three:30 p.m. as an alternative of 4 p.m. beginning on March 2, 2025.
When the ship repositions to Galveston within the fall of 2025, a number of departures may even be moved ahead to three:30 p.m. versus the initially scheduled 4 p.m. A few of the ship’s 2026 and 2027 cruises shall be affected by adjustments in departure occasions, too.
Carnival Venezia, in the meantime, alternates between New York and Port Canaveral, based mostly on season. New York cruises should not impacted by any departure time adjustments, however on the Florida port, most sailings will go away at 3:30 p.m. as an alternative of 4 p.m. This contains some voyages in 2025, 2026, and 2027.
Cruise traces usually notify booked visitors about any adjustments in departure and arrival occasions, so in case you are amongst these fortunate vacationers, heed the discover and get to the port on time.
Celeb Cruises Unveils Themed Area Aboard Latest Ship
Celeb Cruises took the wraps off an thrilling new leisure and eating house that may debut onboard its latest Edge-class ship, Celeb Xcel.
The brand new-build, slated to launch in November 2025, will characteristic The Bazaar, a multi-functional space that shall be themed to reflect the locations the place the ship is crusing.
On Caribbean cruises, for instance, the venue will spotlight the area’s tradition and delicacies by bringing native artwork distributors onboard and providing Caribbean dishes at a brand new restaurant referred to as Mosaic.
Whereas the ship sails in Europe, the theme will shift to showcase Mediterranean artwork and tradition. Music performances and destination-focused cooking lessons at a brand new venue referred to as Chef’s Studio additionally shall be featured.
Different new components would be the introduction of Spice, an off-the-cuff eating venue, and Chef’s Desk, a multi-course menu paired with wine.
The three,260-guest Celeb Xcel, beneath building on the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France, would be the line’s fifth Edge-class ship.
Deal Finalized for Norwegian Cruise Line’s 4 New Ships
Contracts have been signed between Norwegian Cruise Line’s mum or dad firm and Fincantieri for the development of 4 mega-ships for the favored model.
Father or mother agency Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) had issued a letter of intent in April 2024 to construct the vessels, and whereas the deal is topic to financing, the order is taken into account finalized.
The 4 226,000-gross ton ships shall be constructed at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, and can enter service in 2030, 2032, 2034, and 2036. The brand new ships would be the largest ever constructed for Norwegian Cruise Line, in a position to accommodate 5,000-plus visitors.
The finalization of the settlement is simply a part of a broader pact with Fincantieri for added new-builds. Together with the fleet growth of Norwegian Cruise Line, NCLH has letters of intent pending for its two different manufacturers, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Oceania is on monitor to get two new ships, scheduled for supply in 2027 and 2029, and Regent is because of obtain two new-builds, additionally with supply in 2027 and 2029.
Planning to Stowaway on a Cruise Ship? Suppose Once more
Again in 2023, a cat was discovered on Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas, and an owl was discovered on the road’s Symphony of the Seas. Each had been unintentional stowaways and had been fastidiously eliminated when found, however what about individuals who stowaway?
Are you able to stowaway on a cruise ship and, if that’s the case, how would one go about it? The reply is that this can be very tough to stowaway on a cruise ship due to the know-how the ships use to maintain monitor of the place their visitors are.
It’s all within the identification card that ships distribute to visitors, the one you have to embark and debark the ship. However a query posted on Reddit lately requested whether or not anybody had efficiently stowed away.
There was one reply by a visitor who, admittedly, had an excessive amount of to drink on the ultimate evening of his crusing and one way or the other bought himself locked right into a storage closet. He was ultimately found and left the ship.
In one other case shared on the social media website, a visitor — once more with the assistance of an excessive amount of alcohol, tried to cover beneath his mattress with a view to stay on a ship. That didn’t work both.
Actual stowaways would possible remorse their try to remain onboard a ship or slip unnoticed onto a ship, since there are penalties for those who get caught. Stowaways may very well be banned from ever crusing with the cruise line, and beneath federal regulation within the US, stowaways may be jailed for 5 years if caught.
Margaritaville at Sea Plans New Venues, Bahamas Port Name
Margaritaville at Sea, the cruise line impressed by Jimmy Buffett’s carefree tropical way of life, will quickly add new venues and refresh others onboard Paradise, the oldest of the road’s two ships.
The 1,680-guest Paradise, which started crusing as Costa Cruises’ Costa Classica in 1991, sails from the Port of Palm Seaside, Florida. Company crusing on the ship in late March 2025 will discover a new specialty eating venue, Far Aspect Sushi, and a refreshed Port of Indecision Buffet that may characteristic Frank and Lola’s pizza.
Venues set to be up to date embody two poolside bars, License to Chill and 12 Volt Bar, and new menu gadgets and wines will debut within the ship’s JWB Prime Steakhouse.
Visitor staterooms shall be up to date as effectively, and new leisure shall be revealed quickly. On the vacation spot facet, the road’s different ship, Margaritaville at Sea Islander, will add a brand new port name — Nassau, Bahamas.
Company reserving the two,100-guest Islander’s Bahamas sailings will be capable of go to the present Margaritaville Seaside Resort, and luxuriate in precedence entry to its facilities, such because the Fins Up Water Park.
Extra Cruise Headlines
Now that you simply’re updated on the week’s main developments, try loads of different attention-grabbing tales from Cruise Hive, together with Holland America Line partnering with a main TV model; P&O Cruises celebrating record-breaking gross sales; MSC Cruises including extra perks for suite visitors; Norwegian Cruise Line unveiling two music charters; and Disney Cruise Line asserting its summer season 2026 deployments.
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