Welcome to Cruise Hive’s weekly replace of reports developments throughout the cruise trade. On this week’s version, we have now 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 company 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 on account of unspecified injury, the pier is out of service till repairs are full.
Symphony of the Seas had most just lately 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 on account of function a 7-night Jap Caribbean voyage, the place company 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.
Friends 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 injury is unknown, and no timeline for getting it again into service has been introduced.
AARP Cuts Present 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 decreased. In November 2024, the group lower the discounted fee from 10% to eight%, which means, for instance, {that a} $100 reward card prices $92 slightly than the earlier $90.
The newest lower this week reduces the profit additional, to five% as an alternative of 8%. Underneath this modification, 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 only 5 per thirty days.
Present playing cards might be utilized to cruise fares, onboard facilities and providers, and different experiences. AARP continues to supply Royal Caribbean and Movie star Cruises reward playing cards on the 10% discounted fee.
AARP members took to social media to complain in regards to the reductions, and a few questioned why the adjustments apply solely to Carnival Cruise Line. Ambassador John Heald posted on his in style Fb web page that the choice to scale 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 have been the subject of a public listening to held by the Virgin Islands Port Authority and are supposed to assist finance infrastructure tasks 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 Mission, 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 will probably be paid by company 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 individual, 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 company 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 attempting to leap overboard on the ultimate day of a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise.
The 48-year-old American girl apparently jumped from an higher deck and hit an obstruction. Medical help was instantly despatched to Deck 7, starboard aspect, however the visitor succumbed to her accidents.
The ship’s captain introduced the tragedy and Princess Cruises issued a press release clarifying what occurred. Emergency medical care was supplied, however regardless of their finest efforts, the medical workforce couldn’t revive the visitor, whose title was not launched.
The road supplied grief assist providers to company and crew members who have 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 urged tip quantities — $16 per individual, per day, or $18 for suite company. Every visitor can resolve for themselves whether or not and the way a lot to tip.
Sometimes, company 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 workers extra pretty and keep away from the necessity for company to pay suggestions.
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 because of the cruise line’s 26,000 crew members fleetwide, for making the vacation season a contented one for company.
Crew members working for the Large three traces, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line, earn salaries primarily based on their place and expertise. Pay sometimes 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 will probably be full, and employees will probably be onboard the transatlantic journey to complete the job.
The principle 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. Because of this, company will see a number of adjustments.
Coco’s Chocolatier will not function, the Laser Tag exercise is being eliminated, and the Bliss Speedway will probably be closed whereas repairs to the favored racetrack proceed. Nevertheless, there’ll proceed to be loads of actions company can take pleasure in in the course of the transatlantic cruise, which options a number of consecutive at-sea days.
Different adjustments 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 could have three bedrooms, 3.5 bogs, 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 supplied, 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 have 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 reviews on the return to service of a Fred. Olsen Cruise Strains’ ship after a dry dock improve; the Port of Dubai breaking cruise arrival information; 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.
