It’s time to overview the massive cruise information developments of the previous week with Cruise Hive’s complete protection. This week’s recap contains tales about Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Juneau, Alaska.
Cruise Information Replace
On this week’s thrilling replace, Cruise Hive pulls again the curtain on the highest headlines of the week, with tales about Utopia of the Seas gearing up for her maiden voyage; a brand new Disney ship being constructed for the Japan market; an effort advancing in Juneau that may forestall Saturday port calls; Royal Caribbean cancelling a go to to Jeju Island in March 2025; a brand new set of land excursions only for MSC Yacht Membership company; and a 5-year reunion between a server and a visitor on a Disney Cruise Line ship.
Utopia of the Seas Arrives at Florida Homeport
The brand new-build Utopia of the Seas, the sixth and closing ship in Royal Caribbean’s widespread Oasis class, arrived at Port Canaveral, Florida, on July 11, 2024, following her supply from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France in mid-June.
The 5,600-guest ship can be primarily based on the Central Florida port and sail getaway cruises of three and 4 days with calls at Nassau, Bahamas, and at Excellent Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s 125-acre personal island within the Bahamas’ Berry Islands.
Utopia of the Seas’ inaugural cruise departs on July 19, 2024, following two preview cruises for journey companions, media, and others. A 3-night christening extravaganza can be held throughout the July 19 itinerary, each onboard the ship and at CocoCay, with famous person Meghan Trainor serving as godmother and performing on the gala occasion.
The 18-deck ship, the world’s second-largest behind Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, options 40 eating and lounge venues, and several other journey and thrill rides, such because the Final Abyss dry slide, the FlowRider surf simulator, and a “Excellent Storm” water park.
The cruise line’s different Oasis-class ships are Oasis of the Seas — the primary within the class that debuted in 2010, Attract of the Seas, Concord of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, and Marvel of the Seas.
The category was an industry-pioneering idea that launched distinct shipboard “neighborhoods,” every with a distinct theme. The idea has since been adopted by different cruise strains.
New Disney Ship to Be Constructed For Japan Market
Disney will quickly broaden its presence within the Japanese market with the launch of a Disney Want-class ship that can be homeported to Tokyo. The enduring American model introduced an enlargement of its longtime partnership with Tokyo-based Oriental Land Firm (OLC), which can function the brand new ship.
OLC already runs Tokyo Disneyland, the primary Disney park to open out of the country; Tokyo DisneySea, an ocean-themed park; and Tokyo Disney Resort, a lodge, eating, and leisure complicated.
Each OLC and Disney made the announcement in regards to the new ship, which can debut in 2029 with conventional Disney facilities plus new modifications geared to the Japan market. Like different Want-class ships, the brand new construct could have the capability for 4,000 company in 1,250 staterooms.
The category additionally launched the favored AquaMouse water coaster, Frozen and Marvel-themed eating places, and a Star Wars Hyperspace Lounge, amongst different venues.
The brand new ship can be constructed by Germany’s Meyer Werft shipyard, the place two Disney Cruise Line ships are at the moment below development — Disney Treasure, slated to debut in late 2024, and Disney Future, anticipated to enter service in 2025.
OLC stated that it plans to create a “world-class cruise enterprise” in Japan.
‘Ship-Free Saturday’ Bid Advances in Juneau
Efforts by a citizen group in Juneau, Alaska, to ban giant cruise ships from docking on the widespread port on Saturdays and on July 4 of every yr took an enormous step ahead on July 1, 2024, after it collected the signatures required to put the difficulty on town’s October poll.
The Juneau municipal clerk licensed the required 2,359 signatures wanted to advance the petition and confirmed she would ahead the certification to the native governing physique, the Metropolis and Borough of Juneau Meeting.
The meeting has till August 15, 2024 to behave on the doc. If it takes no motion, the measure will seem on the native poll in October. Nevertheless, the meeting additionally might reject the proposal, identified domestically because the Ship-Free Saturday Initiative Petition.
Such a rejection would possible imply the citizen group must resort to authorized motion. The trouble is led by residents who imagine that will increase in cruise ship calls negatively influence the native way of life and the area’s pure assets. In 2023, cruise arrivals reached 1.6 million, representing a 23% hike over the earlier yr.
Juneau’s cruise arrivals are already restricted to 16,000 passengers per day and 12,000 on Saturdays per a current settlement between town and the Cruise Traces Worldwide Affiliation.
Cruise Line Nixes Name at Common Jeju Island
Citing operational challenges on the South Korean port of Jeju Island, Royal Caribbean has cancelled a deliberate go to by Spectrum of the Seas, which was set to name on the vacation spot throughout a March 2025 crusing.
Jeju Island, often called the “Hawaii of Korea,” was to be a port name because the 4,900-guest ship sailed to Nagasaki, Japan, on a 4-night cruise departing from Shanghai, China, on March 5, 2025.
With out detailing what the operational challenges are, Royal Caribbean advised company the ship will as a substitute spend a day at sea fairly than name at Jeju’s Seogwipo Gangjeong Cruise Port, which may accommodate two 220,000-gross-ton cruise ships concurrently.
The cruise line invited company to benefit from the ship’s many onboard actions, equivalent to its twin FlowRiders, or skydiving classes at RipCord by iFLY.
Royal Caribbean will routinely refund any excursions booked by means of the road, and company who’ve booked unbiased land excursions ought to take steps to cancel them.
Jeju Island is residence to Mount Hallasan, a dormant volcano that could be a UNESCO World Pure Heritage Web site.
MSC Cruises Provides Upscale Excursions For Yacht Membership Visitors
In a pioneering transfer for the {industry}, MSC Cruises has created dozens of luxurious shore excursions particularly for company who ebook staterooms or suites in MSC Yacht Membership, the high-end ship-within-a-ship space.
Almost 100 land excursions have been rolled out within the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and in Northern Europe, with excursions in different locations to be added sooner or later. The small-group excursions spotlight native tradition, delicacies, and landmarks, and have personal transportation.
The price of the specifically curated excursions usually are not included in cruise fares. Visitors reserving MSC Yacht Membership lodging obtain many free facilities and companies, equivalent to 24/7 butler and concierge companies, personal eating and pool areas, beverage and WiFi packages, and precedence boarding and disembarking.
Pattern excursions embody a perfume-making workshop in France, visits to geothermal baths in Akureyri, Iceland, and a luxurious catamaran sail and snorkel journey in Cozumel, Mexico, as an example.
MSC Yacht Membership company can ebook the unique excursions upfront, both on-line or by way of the road’s contact heart, in addition to onboard their ship, both by means of the MSC For Me app, the MSC Yacht Membership concierge service, or on the Shore Excursions desk.
Visitor, Crew Member Reunite After 5 Years
A heartwarming story unfolded in a TikTok video posted by a journey planner who just lately took a enterprise journey aboard Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Magic. The video reveals the visitor, Nikki Kennedy, celebrating a reunion with a crew member she met whereas crusing on the identical ship in 2019.
The crew member, Aaron, was a server onboard the 2019 voyage within the Mediterranean that Kennedy and her husband, Tanner, sailed on with their toddler daughter, Blair. The household turned very keen on Aaron, who had supplied service above and past their expectations. The truth is, Aaron posed for a photograph with child Blair earlier than the household debarked the ship.
When the journey planner boarded the ship once more, someday round mid-June 2024, she instantly acknowledged Aaron within the eating room and launched herself. Aaron acknowledged her, as effectively, and a cheerful reunion adopted.
The video was posted on June 20, 2024, and has garnered some 200,000 views to this point. It was unclear which cruise the journey planner was on in June, however it seems to have operated early that month. Disney Magic is predicated in Fort Lauderdale and sails 4- and 5-night Bahamas cruises.
Extra Cruise Headlines
Cruise Hive has many extra cruise information articles from the previous week that you just received’t wish to miss. Try our protection on Holland America Line’s new leisure for Grand Voyages company; Princess Cruises including a pizza-making champion to its movie star partnerships; Nassau Cruise Port’s plan to construct an enormous water park; Uber providing new transport choices for cruisers visiting sure ports; and Seabourn including land excursions on its 2024 Grand Africa Voyage.
