After an extraordinary 50-year career with Royal Caribbean, Captain Johnny Faevelen has announced his retirement, marking the end of an era for one of the company’s most beloved leaders.
The Norwegian captain shared his resignation in an emotional Facebook post on 13th January 2025, explaining his decision to focus on his family.
“It is with mixed feelings I have handed in my resignation,
“I will be a 100-percent husband for my lovely wife, Sissel. I will be a 100-percent father for our two fantastic children, Erelend and Eirin. And I will be a 100-percent grandfather for my 4.5 grandchildren,”
Captain Faevelen (referencing his family including a fifth grandchild due this year)
The 51-year veteran joined Royal Caribbean’s Song of Norway in 1975 as a seaman at the age of 20.
By 1994, he had earned his captain’s hat aboard Nordic Prince.
Over the years, Faevelen has commanded some of the line’s most iconic ships, including Mariner of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, and Harmony of the Seas.
Most recently, he has served as Master of Symphony of the Seas since 2024.
Messages of congratulations and admiration have poured in from crew members and former passengers.
Captain Rumen Yovchev of Radiance of the Seas wrote, “Captain Johnny, for me it was an honour to be your OF1, OFCS, OFC, and SCPT. Wouldn’t be in the position I am right now without your coaching, mentorship, role model, and friendship.”
Captain Johnny’s final sailing will be a 7-night roundtrip Eastern Caribbean cruise from Miami, with visits to the US Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, and Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay.
His last day on board Symphony of the Seas will be 26th January 2025.
Faevelen is also known for his active social media presence, where he has nearly 150,000 TikTok followers.
A photo he shared of his last moments at the helm, set to Rod Stewart’s “Sailing,” featured the poignant lyrics, “I am sailing, home again, ’cross the sea.”
Spending 50 years with a single cruise line is a rare and remarkable achievement, demonstrating unwavering loyalty, exceptional leadership, and a passion for the sea.
Faevelen’s dedication to Royal Caribbean has left an indelible mark on both his colleagues and passengers, making his career a shining example of commitment and excellence in the cruising world.
Congratulations on your retirement, captain!
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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Carnival Cruise Line calls their ships the Funships because they are jammed packed with entertainment and parties.
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Here is the special events and deck parties that currently take place on each Carnival cruise ship. If you have an upcoming cruise on Carnival, this will let you know which deck parties you can expect to take place on your voyage.
The cruise ships are listed in aphetically order and this list is current as of January 14, 2025.
Carnival Breeze: 80’s Rock N Glow 70’s & Motown and Tailgate Deck Party (5-Day Only).
Carnival Celebration: 80’s Rock N Glow, 70’s & Motown, White Party and Evolution.
Carnival Conquest: 80’s Rock N Glow and 70’s & Motown.
Carnival Dream: 80’s Rock N Glow, Mega Deck Party, Silent Party and Farewell.
Carnival Elation: 80’s Rock N Glow, Silent Party, 70’s & Motown and Farewell.
Carnival Firenze: 80’s Rock N Glow, Silent Party, 70’s & Motown, White Party (white party is Festa White Night Party), also DFH After Party.
Carnival Freedom: 80’s Rock N Glow, Silent Party, 70’s & Motown, Farewell and Decades.
Carnival Glory: 80’s Rock N Glow, 70’s & Motown and Farewell.
Carnival Horizon: 80’s Rock N Glow, Mega Deck Party(only on 8 days), Silent Party, 70’s & Motown, and White Party.
Carnival Jubilee: 80’s Rock N Glow, White Party, DFH After Party and Lonestar Tailgate.
Carnival Legend: 80’s Rock N Glow, Mega Deck Party, Silent Party and DFH After Party (when offered).
Mardi Gras: 80’s Rock N Glow, Silent Party and White Party.
Carnival Liberty: 80’s Rock N Glow, Mega Deck Party, 70’s & Motown, White Party, Country Music Trivia Party and Farewell.
Carnival Luminosa: 80’s Rock N Glow, Silent Party, Island Night, Superhero and ABBA.
Carnival Magic: 80’s Rock N Glow, Mega Deck Party, Silent Party(White Night), 70’s & Motown, Farewell
Carnival Miracle: 80’s Rock N Glow, Mega Deck Party, Silent Party(White Night), 70’s & Motown and Country Music Trivia Party.
Carnival Paradise: 80’s Rock N Glow, Silent Party, 70’s & Motown and Farewell.
Carnival Panorama: 80’s Rock N Glow, Mega Deck Party, Silent Party, 70’s & Motown and White Party.
Carnival Pride: 80’s Rock N Glow, Mega Deck Party, Silent Party and 70’s & Motown.
Carnival Radiance: 80’s Rock N Glow, Mega Deck Party(6+ days only), 70’s & Motown, White Party and Farewell (on Journeys).
Carnival Spirit: 80’s Rock N Glow, Silent Party, White Party and Country Music Trivia Party.
Carnival Splendor: 80’s Rock N Glow, Mega Deck Party/Island Party, Silent Party, Backyard Bash, 90’s Farewell Party, ABBA and Superhero.
Carnival Sunrise: 80’s Rock N Glow, Silent Party, 70’s & Motown and 90’s Party.
Carnival Sunshine: 80’s Rock N Glow, Silent Party, 90’s Party, Superhero, Backyard Bash and Tropical Nights.
Carnival Valor: 80’s Rock N Glow and 70’s & Motown.
Carnival Venezia: 80’s Rock N Glow, Mega Deck Party(Journeys Only), Silent Party, 70’s & Motown and Festa Italiana.
Carnival Vista: 80’s Rock N Glow, Mega Deck Party, Silent Party, White Party, and 80’s Theme Night.
Virgin Voyages has launched its 2026 Annual Pass, offering unparalleled access to the cruise line’s fleet and an exclusive one-week stay on Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson’s private retreat in the British Virgin Islands.
The announcement comes shortly after the debut of the 2025 Annual Pass, with the 2026 package unveiled early to give travellers additional time to plan their voyages.
You’d have to assume that the cruise line saw some success with the 2025 Annual Pass to be releasing the 2026 one already, whether that’s a lot of purchases or just good PR.
Priced at $199,000, the 2026 Annual Pass provides year-round access to any Virgin Voyages ship, including the upcoming Brilliant Lady, which will sail from Seattle to Alaska starting in May 2026.
However, the cruise line has recognised that the annual pass could offer better value, and so has announced that the 2026 version will include a range of further exclusive benefits.
These include:
A week-long stay on Necker Island: Includes business-class flights, ferry transfers, and access to the 74-acre private paradise.
Daily Moët champagne delivery on demand.
A $10,000 shopping credit for onboard High Street shops on the ships.
Birthday upgrades to RockStar Quarters suites.
Four privately hosted Shore Things annually.
Up to 10 cabana reservations per year at the Beach Club in Bimini.
Personalized RockStar robes and Virgin Voyages’ signature Yellow Leaf Hammock.
The pass is valid for one year starting January 1, February 1, March 1, or April 1, 2026, depending on the chosen start date. Bookings must be finalised by March 31, 2026.
An industry first with buzz-worthy appeal
Virgin Voyages’ Nicole Huang, Senior Vice President of Sailor Experiences, explained the motivation behind the early release.
“After Richard Branson went on Good Morning America to talk about our Annual Pass, there was so much excitement and buzz. It’s truly an industry first, and there were long queues to learn more. Our voyage planners shared feedback of Sailors inquiring about 2026 now, so we thought ‘why wait?’ and added a few elements to make the package a little suite-r.”
And to help encourage sales of the annual pass, the cruise line has announced that any travel agents who facilitate a booking of an annual pass will be given a flat $10,000 commission.
Passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis although, realistically, I’m not sure if they will sell out.
With its combination of luxury cruising and access to Necker Island, the 2026 Annual Pass sets a new standard for all-inclusive travel experiences. That’s true.
But it definitely seems like more of a PR move. Still, if you have a spare $199,000 sitting in your bank account, plus extra for your flights to and from cruise ports, then why not give it a go?
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The British cruise line P&O Cruises has seven ships. These range from relatively small, adult-only cruise ships to family-friendly mega-ships with space for over 6,000 guests and 1,800 crew members.
When you book a cruise, it’s important that you choose a ship that’s right for you. Of course, you’ll want to consider the destinations that your cruise is going to, but choosing a great ship is also very important.
In this guide, I’ll give you info on each of the P&O Cruises ships, so that you can learn the differences between them and make your decisions with wisdom.
Here is the P&O Cruises ships list:
Arvia
Iona
Britannia
Azura
Ventura
Arcadia
Aurora
P&O Cruises ships ranked by size
The following table lists P&O Cruises’ ships from largest to smallest:
Ship
Gross Tonnage
Decks
Length (Metres)
Guests (Double Occupancy)
Guests (Full Capacity)
Crew
Arvia
184,700
20
344
5,206
6,264
1,800
Iona
184,089
20
344
5,206
6,264
1,800
Britannia
143,730
18
330
3,647
4,406
1,350
Ventura
116,017
19
291
3,078
3,727
1,205
Azura
115,055
19
290
3,100
3,737
1,250
Arcadia
84,342
11
290
2,094
2,458
866
Aurora
76,152
13
270
1,874
2,258
860
Size
The best way to compare the size of the P&O fleet is to refer to the Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT). This is a measure of the internal volume of the ship, expressed in ‘register tons’, each of which is equal to 100 cubic feet (2.83m3).
Decks
Also of interest when considering the size of P&O Cruises’ ships is the number of decks. Not all decks are accessible to guests. You’ll usually board a ship on deck 4 or 5 and everything below that is only accessible to crew members. The lower decks have the ship’s engines, kitchens, laundry rooms and crew cabins.
Decks usually have letters or names as well as numbers, as you can see from this illustration of the decks on Britannia.
Capacity
When quoting the passenger capacity of a cruise ship, P&O Cruises uses a number that’s based on two guests in each cabin and one guest in every single cabin.
However, in reality, there could be more than that, as some cabins also have upper beds and sofa beds that can be used.
In the school holidays particularly, you may find that the number of guests on the ship is closer to the maximum capacity as most of the extra beds will be used by children.
Crew
The smaller P&O cruise ships tend to have a higher crew to guest ratio. On Aurora, there will usually be one crew member for every 2.2 guests, so you can expect a high level of service. On the largest ships, a ratio of one crew member for every 3 guests is closer to the norm.
Which means that the biggest P&O ship is…
The biggest ship in the P&O Cruises fleet is Arvia. This ship is slightly larger than sister-ship Iona, with a gross tonnage of 184,700, compared to 184,089 for Iona. Each of these two ships can accommodate up to 6,264 guests and 1,800 crew members.
Arvia
And the smallest ship…
The smallest ship in the P&O Cruises fleet is Aurora with a gross tonnage of 76,152. This ship has 13 decks and is 270 metres long. She can accommodate 1,874 guests at double occupancy along with 860 crew members.
Aurora
P&O Cruises ships ranked by age
The following table lists P&O Cruise’s ships from newest to oldest:
Ship
Year Built
Refurbished
Arvia
2022
Iona
2021
Britannia
2015
2024
Azura
2010
2021
Ventura
2008
2018
Arcadia
2002
2024
Aurora
2000
2019
The oldest P&O Cruises ships are over twenty years old. That may seem old, but well-maintained cruise ships often last for around 30 years. And P&O Cruises ships have certainly been well looked after.
Each ship undergoes a major dry-dock refurbishment at least every five years. With refreshed decor, carpets and linens whenever needed, even the oldest ships in the P&O Cruises fleet offer luxurious surroundings in which you can relax.
Aurora’s refurbishment in April 2025 will make her the most recently refurbished ship.
The biggest ship is also the newest!
P&O Cruises’ newest ship is Arvia. A sister-ship to Iona, Arvia made her maiden voyage in December 2022. After a couple of cruises from the UK, she spent her debut season in the Caribbean before returning to the UK for the summer.
P&O Cruises oldest ship is Aurora. This small, adult-only cruise ship entered service in April 2000 and was Christened by Princess Anne in Southampton. The ship’s maiden voyage was halted after just 16 hours when a major technical fault meant that the ship must return to port immediately for repairs.
P&O Cruises adults-only ships
Two of P&O Cruises’ ships – Arcadia and Aurora – are exclusively for adults. These ships only accept guests who are aged 18 and over. They’re popular with retired couples and those who prefer to cruise child-free.
The adult-only ships, Arcadia and Aurora, are the smallest and oldest ships in the P&O Cruises fleet. Both ships offer a variety of cruises from mini-breaks departing from Southampton to exotic voyages and world cruises.
Dining on P&O ships
Most P&O Cruises ships have a choice of three dining options:
Club Dining 1st Sitting – Eat at 6.30pm at the same table every night
Club Dining 2nd Sitting – Eat at 8.30pm at the same table every night
Freedom Dining – Arrive any time between 6pm and 9.30pm
Iona and Arvia only offer Freedom Dining, whereas the other ships have a choice of Club Dining or Freedom Dining.
You can request either the first sitting, second sitting or Freedom Dining when you book your cruise. As P&O Cruises offers different fare types, the preferences of people who book Select Fare will be given priority over other fare types like Saver and Early Saver.
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You can change your dining preference up to five days before departure via the P&O Cruises’ Cruise Personaliser online. Regardless of when you make the request, you won’t be notified of which dining time you’ve been allocated until you’re on board.
If you prefer to sit at the same table with the same waiters every night, then that could be a reason to choose one of the other ships, not Iona.
It’s not yet known whether the new ship Arvia will offer Club Dining with set times, but it is likely that the ship will only offer Freedom Dining, as sister-ship Iona does.
Accommodation types
There are some differences in the accommodation types that are available on each P&O Cruises ship:
Inside Cabins – Each P&O Cruises ship has inside cabins. Some also have the option of a larger inside cabin
Sea View Cabins – Britannia is unique in that she doesn’t have any outside cabins with windows, whereas all of the other ships in the P&O Cruises fleet do
Balcony Cabins – Balcony cabin types include standard, smaller and deluxe
Mini-Suites –Mini Suites are available only on Arvia, Iona, Arcadia and Aurora. Arvia and Iona also offer conservatory mini suites.
Suites – Suites are available on each of P&O Cruises’ ships. Arvia and Iona also feature family sea view suites with no balcony.
Single Cabins – For solo travellers, single cabins take the form of inside or balcony rooms on most ships, although Aurora, Ventura and Azura also offers single sea view cabins.
A suite on Iona
Choosing the best cabin (and avoiding the worst!)
Once you have selected the best P&O cruise ship for your holiday, the next step will be to choose your cabin.
I have created some really thorough guides to help you to do that:
Drinks packages
Every P&O Cruises ship offers a drink package as well as the option to pay for your drinks individually by adding them to your onboard account. To decide whether the drink package is worth it for your cruise, be sure to check out my P&O Cruises drink package guide.
Alternatively, you can use my P&O Cruises Drink Package Calculator to get a quick and easy answer…
A little more info on each P&O ship
Arvia
Designed for the warm weather of the Caribbean, P&O Cruises’ Arvia features a host of family-friendly activities such as an outdoor water play zone, a high ropes course and a tropical island-themed mini-golf course. The ship’s main pool has a retractable roof that transforms into a SkyDome at night.
Iona
P&O Cruises’ eagerly-awaited ship Iona finally made her debut in 2021. The first LNG-powered cruise ship for the brand, this mega-ship features a SkyDome with aerial shows, an infinity pool and a four-screen cinema.
Britannia
For a long time, Britannia was the flagship of the P&O Cruises fleet. With stylish modern decor, this ship has lots to offer with over 20 bars and restaurants, five swimming pools and world-class entertainment throughout the day and evening.
Azura
Azura is a social cruise ship with lots for everyone to enjoy together. There’s an open-air cinema, a spa with shaded cabanas and lots of entertainment for the whole family.
Ventura
Offering affordable cruises for families and couples, Ventura is a great choice for winter cruises. This ship has six swimming pools including one with a retractable roof, one for adults and two for kids. Ventura is almost identical to Azura.
Arcadia
P&O Cruises’ Arcadia is a medium-sized cruise ship and one of the two adults-only ships in the fleet. This classic cruise ship has glass-fronted lifts with ocean views, 3,000 pieces of art and a boutique cinema.
Aurora
Aurora is P&O Cruises’ oldest and smallest ship. This adults-only ship has a pool with a retractable roof, panoramic views from The Crow’s Nest bar and a beautiful atrium featuring a 35-foot sculpture.
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Final thoughts
P&O Cruises has a ship for everyone. So whether you want the kids to be entertained all day long with high ropes courses and crazy golf or prefer to relax in an elegant adult-only atmosphere, you can have just that.
It’s worth checking out reviews to see which is the best P&O cruise ship for you. Interestingly, I’ve noticed a lot of customers in reviews describe them as P and O ships – I wonder if it’s just because they don’t like the & symbol?
Regardless, whichever ship you choose, be sure to know what’s included in a P&O Cruise to make sure that there are no unexpected surprises!
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Carnival Dream and Carnival Breeze are two popular Dream-class ships that offer a wide variety of fun for those onboard.
If you’re struggling to choose between the two, read on to get an in-depth comparison of the ships and help you decide which is the best one for your cruise.
It’s Carnival Dream vs Breeze – which is number one?
Ship details
Both Carnival Dream and Carnival Breeze are in Carnival’s Dream Class. This makes them sister ships, meaning that they’re almost identical, but there are still some key differences between them.
Being sister ships, both Carnival Dream and Breeze have space for a similar number of guests and crew and are the same size in terms of length and gross tonnage.
Carnival Dream launched the class as the flagship in 2008. Carnival Breeze is a newer ship, following in 2012. Both ships have been refurbished several times since then, the Breeze most recently in 2022 and the Dream in 2021 when she received the new blue hull design.
One of the biggest differences when looking at Carnival Breeze vs Dream is in the itineraries.
And yet, both ships sail out of the Texas port of Galveston on a selection of Caribbean and Mexico itineraries.
Carnival Breeze sails on a range of 3 to 7-night durations only to the Caribbean and Mexico, visiting ports including Cozumel, Costa Maya and Yucatan.
Carnival Dream offers lengthier sailings of between 6 and 9 nights, as well as 10-nights or longer.
These typically visit ports across the Caribbean and Panama Canal including Belize, Mahogany Bay, Cozumel, Nassau, Aruba and Freeport. The Dream also visits Carnival’s own island, Half Moon Cay, on select Eastern Caribbean itineraries and will be sailing to Celebration Key, the newer resort, in 2025.
Carnival Dream is set for another refurbishment in 2026 which will see her renovated in Europe. This also means there’s a chance for guests to enjoy a transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Galveston in March 2026.
Half Moon Cay
Which is best?
Carnival Dream offers more choice in terms of destination and duration of your itinerary, although both ships reside in the same region of the world. If you’re seeking a shorter trip, however, Carnival Breeze has a range of mini cruises which are reasonably priced.
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Dining options
Both the ships have a great variety of dining options and venues onboard.
For Carnival Breeze, you can find a few places to visit including Pizza Pirate and The Captain’s Pasta Bar. These are both included in your fare. For an extra charge, there’s also the Cucina del Capitano which is an Italian restaurant also available on-board.
Cucina del Capitano
Carnival Dream also has the Pizzeria del Capitano which is an included venue offering 24-hour pizza.
Dining
Carnival Dream
Carnival Breeze
24-Hour Room Service
Free until 10 pm
Free until 10 pm
BlueIguana Cantina
Included
Included
Bonsai Sushi
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Coffee Bar
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Cucina del Capitano
–
Extra Charge
Dining Room
Included
Included
Dining Room Breakfast
Included
Included
Guy’s Burger Joint
Included
Included
Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que
Included
Included
Lido Marketplace
Included
Included
Mongolian Wok
Included
Included
Pizza Delivery
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Pizza Pirate
–
Included
Pizzeria del Capitano
Included
–
Seaday Brunch
Included
Included
Seafood Shack
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Steakhouse
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Steakhouse Selections
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Swirls
Included
Included
The Captain’s Pasta Bar
–
Included
The Carnival Deli
Included
Included
The Chef’s Table
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Which is best?
While there are plenty of options across both ships to choose from, Carnival Breeze has more on-board when it comes to dining, whether they are included or require an extra charge.
If you’d like to sample some of the speciality restaurants, this is a great way to spend any onboard credit you may have. Check out my guide, 12 Ways to Use Your Carnival Onboard Credit Like a Pro, for more tips and ideas.
Bars
Both ships feature the popular BlueIguana Tequila Bar and RedFrog Rum Bar, signature Carnival bars.
Red Frog Pub on Carnival Breeze
The only venue which is only onboard Carnival Breeze is the RedFrog Pub which is a lively Key West-inspired pub where you can enjoy Caribbean food, live music and enjoy Carnival’s private-label brew, ThirstyFrog® Red
Bars
Carnival Dream
Carnival Breeze
Alchemy Bar
YES
YES
BlueIguana Tequila Bar
YES
YES
Casino Bar
YES
YES
Cheers!
YES
YES
Cruise the Vineyards
YES
YES
Exclusive Carnival Brews
YES
YES
RedFrog Pub
–
YES
RedFrog Rum Bar
YES
YES
Which is best?
Each ship has a similar selection of places to drink and relax, with the exception of the RedFrog Rum Bar which only Carnival Breeze has. If this is a key place you would love to visit, then Carnival Breeze is definitely for you. Otherwise, you have the same choice on each ship.
Whichever ship you choose, make sure you check out my guide to Carnival drink packages to work out whether you should buy the package in advance or not.
Activities
Carnival Cruise Line offers a hub of activities throughout the day on-board all of its ships. When directly comparing between Carnival Breeze and Carnival Dream, the Breeze has a couple more featured including the unique SkyCourse and SportSquare, both of which are ideal if you have children or love a challenge.
SkyCourse on Carnival Breeze
Both ships do feature the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat, so no matter which you choose, there will be a place to relax and unwind that is only open to those aged 21 and over.
Activities
Carnival Dream
Carnival Breeze
Alchemy Martini Tasting
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Art Auctions
Included
Included
Art Exhibitions
Included
Included
Art Games
Included
Included
Art Seminars
Included
Included
Atrium
Included
Included
Basketball
Included
Included
Bingo
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Cooking Demonstration
Included
Included
Games
Included
Included
Library
Included
Included
Make It With Michaels
Included
Included
Master the Martini
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Military Appreciation
Included
Included
Mini Golf
Included
Included
Mixologist Competitions
Included
Included
Ocean Plaza
Included
Included
Pools
Included
Included
Serenity Adult Only Retreat
Included
Included
SkyCourse
–
Included
SportSquare
–
Included
Twister Waterslide
Included
Included
Volleyball
Included
Included
WaterWorks
Included
Included
Which is best?
Carnival Breeze offers more options for activities, two of which are popular features onboard Carnival ships – SkyCourse and SportSquare.
However, if you’re travelling without children or people who will unlikely be interested in these activities, both ships offer the same selection.
Entertainment & events
Both ships offer plenty of entertainment and events to enjoy while you sail, including the Piano Bar where singing along is encouraged and the Punchliner Comedy Club for a little laughter.
Carnival Breeze is the only ship of the two to feature the on-stage adaptation of Paramount Network’s, Lip Sync Battle. If you’re a fan of the show and have this on your list of must-visits, it will surely tip the scale for you to choose Carnival Breeze.
However, it’s important to note that specific entertainment/events can vary by itinerary and by Cruise Director. Certain cruise directors might not run certain events. So this section is a guide, but things may be different when you’re onboard.
Thrill Theater on Carnival Breeze
The Breeze also features the Thrill Theater where you can enjoy 3D movies with moving seats and special effects.
Entertainment Venues
Carnival Dream
Carnival Breeze
Dive-In Movies
Included
Included
Karaoke
Included
Included
Lip Sync Battle: Carnival
–
Included
Live Music
Included
Included
Nightclub
Included
Included
Piano Bar
Included
Included
Playlist Productions
Included
Included
The Punchliner Comedy Club
Included
Included
Thrill Theater
–
Extra Charge
As for events, there are many planned throughout your Carnival cruise. Dress up in costume for the White Hot Night onboard Carnival Breeze or for the 80s night for Carnival Freedom. Celebrate the start of your holiday with a sail away party or, for a small donation to charity, enjoy a Groove for St. Jude which supports St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.
Events
Carnival Dream
Carnival Breeze
80s Night
Included
–
Groove for St. Jude
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Holidays Aboard
Included
Included
Mega Deck Party
Included
Included
Sail away Party
Included
Included
White Hot Night Party
–
Included
Which is best?
Entertainment all depends on how you like to spend your time during your cruise. If you’re a keen singer or love being on stage, the Lip Sync Battle onboard Carnival Breeze is perfect.
The choice of events is slightly different between the ships, but you’ll be able to dress up in white clothes or in 80s fashions, depending on which you choose.
Kids’ facilities
No matter which ships you choose from the Carnival fleet, kids and families alike will love the non-stop fun and activities available throughout the day and night.
Camp Ocean on Carnival Dream
Both Carnival Breeze and Carnival Dream offer the same options of kids’ facilities with highlights including the Build-A-Bear Workshop, kids’ clubs and the Dr Seuss® events and activities such as character parades, interactive storytime and a character breakfast featuring their favourite Dr Seuss friends.
Activities
Carnival Dream
Carnival Breeze
Arts and Crafts
Included
Included
Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Camp Ocean
Included
Included
Circle “C”
Included
Included
Club O2
Included
Included
Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Night Owls
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Seuss at Sea
Included
Included
Seuss-A-Palooza Parade
Included
Included
Seuss-a-palooza Story Time
Included
Included
Towel Animal Theater
Included
Included
Video Arcade
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Zumbini
Included
Included
Which is best?
Both ships offer the same choice of kids’ facilities and activities, so they are both great options for children.
Spa & fitness
For those seeking a chance to work out, keep fit or enjoy a glass or two, Carnival has a range of facilities great for keeping up your routine or just trying something new.
Both Carnival Breeze and Dream feature the upgraded Cloud9 spa, which is an updated version of the typical spa you would find on older ships. The spa offers a range of treatments perfect for unwinding and relaxing while onboard.
There’s also the ZSpa which is a space within the spa dedicated to those aged 13 to 17 years. Alongside the spa, both ships feature a fitness centre and classes, at an additional charge, and a jogging track.
Cloud 9 Spa
Carnival Breeze also has the SkyFitness which is a gym situated at the top of the ship, out in the open. Complete with punch bags, exercise bikes and machines it’s a great place to sweat it out while enjoying ocean views.
Spa & Fitness
Carnival Dream
Carnival Breeze
Acupuncture
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Cloud 9 Spa
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Cloud 9 Spa: Hydrotherapy Pool
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Cloud 9 Spa: Thermal Suite
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Facial Treatments
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Fitness Center
Included
Included
Fitness Classes
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Hair & Beauty Salon
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Jogging Track
Included
Included
Massage
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Medi-Spa
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
Men’s Spa Services
Extra Charge
Extra Charge
SkyFitness
–
Included
ZSpa
Included
Included
Which is best?
There isn’t much difference between the two ships when it comes to wellness. The only difference is that Carnival Breeze offers the outdoor SkyFitness classes, so if this is something key for you then Breeze is the better ship!
Overall verdict & summary
After reviewing the details of Carnival Dream Vs Carnival Breeze closely, I would say that Carnival Breeze is the better ship of the two. It is not only newer but also offers extra features for entertainment, fitness, dining and onboard activities.
Carnival Breeze
However, the differences between the two ships are quite small with much of the same offerings for kids, as well as being from the same class of ship so their size and guest capacity are the same, or very similar.
The main difference is the itineraries that the ships offer. Ensure you take a close look at these when it comes to choosing, as Breeze only offers short duration sailings while Dream is more long duration with a wider variety of ports and destinations.
Or you could always compare the Carnival Breeze reviews against the Carnival Dream reviews from past guests, to see if those help you make your decision too. Either way, you’ll have a fantastic cruise.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Virgin Voyages will once again offer a Season Pass for 2026. However, the adults only cruise line is adding new perks that include a week long stay at Richard Branson’s Necker Island.
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Virgin is announcing their 2026 Season Pass earlier than last year due to popular demand. Although the price is $79,000 higher than in 2025, it will include new perks that make it even better.
Virgin’s Season Pass allows cruisers to hop from ship to ship, anytime, from anywhere in a calendar year. They can take as many cruises as they like on Virgin cruise ships.
Virgin’s 2026 Season Pass includes the following amenities:
One week stay on Necker Island, Richard Branson’s island in the British Virgin Islands
Roundtrip, business class flights and ferry transfers from anywhere in the continental U.S. to Necker Island
Birthday upgrade to a Rockstar Suite
$10,000 shopping spree in the High Street Shops
One curated, private shore excursion every three months
10 cabana rentals at the Beach Club in Bimini
Personalized RockStar robes
A signature red hammock to take home
These amenities are in addition to what was included in the 2025 Season Pass. This includes free premium WiFi, a balcony cabin, laundry service, bar tab credit on every sailing, and priority boarding. The cruise line’s Deep Blue Extras are included in the pass.
The price for Virgin’s 2026 Season Pass is $199,000 (Bitcoin is accepted as a payment option). It allows you to sail on all of Virgin’s ships, including their newest Brilliant Lady.
The Bimini Beach Club
The 2026 Season Pass is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Cruisers can choose to start from the following four dates and the pass will be valid from one year from the desired date.
January 1, 2026
February 1, 2026
March 1, 2026
April 1, 2026
The Season Pass must be booked by March 31, 2026. Travel agents will receive $10,000 in commission for each pass they well.
Nicole Huang, Virgin Voyages’ Senior Vice President of Sailor Experiences gave the following statement:
“After Richard Branson went on Good Morning America to talk about our Annual Pass, there was so much excitement and buzz. It’s truly an industry first and there were long queues to learn more.
“Our voyage planners shared feedback of Sailors inquiring about 2026 now, so we thought “why wait?” and added a few elements to make the package a little suite-r.”
Before you go away on a Carnival cruise there are so many things that you need to prepare in advance. One of the most important could be how much cash to take with you.
Carnival cruises are not all-inclusive, so you’ll need to budget for any extras you’ll want to enjoy during the trip.
These days, cash is not as essential as it was a few years ago, so you may be wondering whether you even need to take any money away with you at all.
To help you figure out how much cash you need to take on your Carnival cruise I’ve put together this handy guide.
Here’s what most people bring
On a Carnival cruise, you should bring around $100 cash per person for each day in port and nothing for the sea days. Obviously, people’s spending habits vary a lot but this is a good guide for first-time cruisers and should mean that you have around the right amount of cash with you.
It’s wise to carry some small bills and coins, as much of the cash you’ll need will be for things like tips, vending machines and public toilets on land.
On cruise ships, you can’t pay for things with cash. But, you will need to take some cash with you to pay for taxis, tip porters at the cruise terminal and to pay for things like meals and souvenirs when you’re exploring ashore.
On a Carnival cruise, all of your onboard expenses will need to be paid for using your cruise card, which is known as a Sail & Sign card. I’ll explain more about how that works later in this guide.
Sail & Sign Card
Things like drinks at the bar, off-ship excursions and souvenirs from the onboard gift shop will all be paid for with your cruise card.
This is actually a super convenient way of paying which means all of your expenses are tied to your account and your room number. You don’t need to worry about carrying cash with you, having enough of it, or worrying about losing it.
Gratuities are also paid with your onboard account, so you don’t need to worry about having cash to tip waiters or room stewards as tips are automatically added to your bill each day.
Some people prefer to give tips in cash a the end of the cruise so that they can be sure that it gets to the right person and so that they can easily alter the amount given based upon the quality of service.
While this is fine to do, you should make sure that any cash tips are given on top of automatic gratuities. You don’t want to remove automatic gratuities and tip in cash as this takes money away from staff who work hard behind the scenes.
Aside from handing out tips, the only other place you can use cash on a cruise ship is in the casino. You can buy chips with cash and if you win, you’ll be paid out in cash, even if you use your cruise card to play.
You can insert your cruise card into the casino machines
So, does this mean that you don’t need to take any cash with you? Well, you might be able to get away with it if you don’t plan to leave the ship. But, almost all cruises include some days ashore.
Taking cash for port visits
When you head to shore, you should take some cash with you. Sure, you might get away with just using your credit or debit card, depending on where you are, but it is much easier to have a bit of cash on you.
Here are some of the things you might need cash for:
Taxis, buses and trains
Entrance to attractions
Souvenirs
Food and drink
Tips
Public toilets
Street entertainers
Your biggest expenses will be for taxis, meals and entrance fees to attractions when you’re on land. I have taken the cost of these to be $20, $30 and $50 to give the $100 dollar budget, but of course, this can vary widely depending on where you are and what you’re doing on your days ashore.
If you like to plan ahead you should be able to get a clearer idea of costs by looking at your destinations and preferred activities. If you plan to book lots of cruise line excursions, you’ll need less cash with you since your transport, entrance fees etc will be covered.
Conversely, if you like to arrange things yourself once onshore then you might want to budget a bit more cash per port.
When you’re on land you may be paying for taxis to get you from the port to the city centre or to see the sights. This is definitely a time when having cash can make things run smoother, particularly if you’re in a place where Ubers aren’t so common.
How much you need will obviously depend upon the distance covered, but you are probably looking at about $20 at most ports.
You may well need to use the toilet whilst you explore the sights. In most countries, this will involve a small charge which will always need to be paid in cash.
You may also want to buy some souvenirs to remind you of where you have been. There will probably be shops where you can pay for things by card, but if you like to pick up little trinkets from market stalls then it is likely that the vendor will only accept cash.
Other things that you may want to pay for whilst on an excursion include meals, attractions and tipping, so I definitely recommend that you take some cash with you for times when you are off the ship.
The Carnival Sail & Sign Card explained
Carnival’s Sail & Sign card is the cashless way to pay for everything whilst you are on your cruise. It’s also the key card to open the door to your room and your ID when you get on and off the ship.
On your first Carnival cruise, your Sail & Sign card will be blue, on your second cruise it will be red and then as you take more cruises and earn more VIFP Club points, the cards will be coloured gold, grey (platinum) and silver (diamond) to show loyalty status.
As cash is not accepted on board the Carnival cruise ships, all purchases and services onboard are paid for with the Sail & Sign Card, from drinks to souvenirs to excursions.
You set up your Sail & Sign card by linking it to a credit or debit card and then all purchases will be charged to your onboard account. A hold will be put on your bank account during the cruise and the final balance will be requested from your bank at the end of your trip.
Carnival Cruise Cash
Carnival Cruise Cash is the cash credit to your Sail & Sign account. You can add this credit to your onboard account up to two days before your cruise. This can then be used against any charge made on your account, including taxes and gratuities.
To buy Cruise Cash you can visit The Fun Shops website, once you have a cruise booked.
It is worth noting that when you add money to your Cruise Cash credit it is non-refundable and is only valid for a single voyage.
Honestly, there’s no need for you to add Carnival Cruise Cash to your account. It’s better to just rack up a bill and settle it at the end.
The main use of Carnival Cruise Cash is for people who want to give a gift to someone who’s going on a cruise. For example, if you’re going on a Carnival cruise for your honeymoon, then friends could add Cruise Cash to your onboard account as a wedding gift.
The Cruise Cash on the Carnival website is available with different vouchers for the bar, photos, entertainment etc. But you can spend it however you please once you’re onboard.
Don’t panic if you forget to pack cash!
Carnival ships do have ATMs onboard so there is no need to panic if you find that you haven’t brought enough cash with you. It is worth noting that there is a $6.50 charge to use the machine. This is per transaction so it is worth getting out larger amounts at one time.
The most that you can withdraw in one transaction is $500. Sometimes Carnival ATMs may run out of cash during the cruise, but there are a couple of other ways to get cash while at sea…
You can get a cash advance at the Casino Cashier’s Window using a credit or debit card. Or you can cash a cheque at the same location. For both of these options, there is a 5.5% charge on this (with a minimum of $5.50 on advances under $100).
On Carnival cruises from Australia, it’s also possible to cash US Dollar Traveller’s cheques, and there is no fee for this.
Currency may vary but USD is a safe bet
What currency to take on a cruise largely depends upon where you are going since most of the cash you spend will be off the ship.
In many countries that you visit in the Caribbean or South America, the local vendors are likely to accept US dollars in addition to their local currency so it would be worth having some dollars with you.
Cruise ship staff are also always likely to be happy with dollars if you plan to tip in cash. If you are cruising around Europe, it is probably better to take Euros as these are accepted in most countries (not Norway or the UK though).
Adding cash to your Sail and Sign card
You can add cash to your Carnival Sail and Sign card on a cruise once you are onboard. Just visit the Guest Services desk on the first day of your cruise to add the cash that you want to spend on the ship.
A lot of people prefer to do it this way as it helps to control their spending – instead of linking a credit card, they only have the cash on the card to spend. Of course, if you then run out, you’ll need to link a credit card in order to keep spending.
I hope that this guide has helped you to decide how much cash to take on your Carnival cruise. When you are actually on the ship you won’t need any cash but, in most cases, you will need some when you are in port.
Don’t worry too much about taking the exact right amount though, if you don’t have enough there are ATMs on board the ship and around most cruise terminals.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
If you’re travelling alone, a cruise can be one of the best ways to do it. But, there are some things that you’ll need to know to make sure that you pick a cruise that matches what you’re hoping for.
In this guide, I’ll show you the various options that are available to people looking to take a singles cruise. So, whether you’re looking for love or just want to make new friends, you can avoid any pitfalls and have a fantastic time at sea.
Singles cruises explained
Singles cruises are organised events onboard cruise ships that are hosted by travel agencies. Singles cruises very rarely charter a whole ship, instead, they will share the ship with regular guests who aren’t booked on to the singles cruise.
So, if you’re looking for completely singles-only cruises, I’m sorry to say that you’ll be unlikely to find those. Cruise ships generally accommodate between 1,000 and 6,000 guests, so there’s just not enough demand to fill a whole ship with just solo travellers.
That said, some singles cruises do have up to 500 people in the group, so singles can make up a good chunk of the guests on board.
Here’s how they work…
When you book a singles cruise, you’ll often be able to meet other solo travellers before you step aboard the ship. You’ll be invited to a private Facebook group where you can say hello to the others and there’s usually a pre-cruise mixer with everyone is staying in the same hotel on the night before the cruise.
Most singles cruises have an optional roommate matching program. You can save money by choosing to share a room with someone else (usually someone of the same sex). Or, you can pay a little more and enjoy the privacy of a room to yourself.
Once you board, you’ll have a program of events to follow, so it’ll always be easy to meet up with the rest of the group. These events might include meals together, cocktail parties, exercise classes, dance classes, games tournaments or even water slide races.
You don’t have to follow the schedule of course, but it helps to know that you can head to the ice cream parlour at 4 pm, for example, and other singles will be there.
Each activity will be led by a dedicated cruise director who will create a fun environment and make sure that everyone is happy.
In each port of call, you’ll be able to attend organised shore excursions with the group. These cost extra, so you can always do your own thing and explore independently if you wish.
Differences between singles cruises and ‘regular’ cruises
The main difference between a singles cruise and a normal cruise is the organised meetings and activities. While almost all cruises will have some solo travellers on board, on a singles cruise there will be more of them, and you will have more opportunities to get to know each other.
Of course, single travellers can, and do, also take normal cruises. You can take pretty much any cruise you want and book a room for one person, whether that be a single cabin or a double room for single occupancy.
Most cruise ships will sit single travellers together on a large table in the main dining room, so you’ll never have to eat alone, unless you want to of course.
There are lots of myths around the ages of single cruisers…
Singles cruises are popular with people of all ages and tend to attract an equal number of men and women. While most people who take singles cruises tend to be between 35 and 55 years old, there are some single cruises that are only for people in their 20s and 30s and some that are only for people over 40 and seniors.
Some people who take singles cruises are looking to make a romantic connection and prefer to meet people in person rather than the awkwardness of online dating. But many are just looking to make friends – they don’t like travelling alone and prefer to be part of a large group.
If you like the sound of organised fun and spending most of your cruise in the company of others, then a singles cruise could be for you. But a word of warning… not all singles cruises are the same.
Be careful what you book…
So far in this guide, we’ve looked at organised singles cruises. These are probably the best cruises for singles – in most cases. If this is what you want, then be sure to check that the cruise you’re considering will have a host on board and that there will be plenty of other singles and events to attend.
Unfortunately, some cruises that are marketed as singles cruises are just regular cruises. The guests are left to their own devices and could end up spending much of their time alone.
However, if you don’t mind the lack of organised activities or the fact that there may be only a few other single travellers on board with you, then you could book a regular cruise with a cruise line that’s popular with solo travellers. I’ll let you know which are the best ship to choose a little further along in this guide.
Use a reputable company!
The biggest company offering singles cruises is SinglesCruise.com. On their website, you’ll find over 25 cruises to choose from, with destinations including the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mediterranean, Hawaii, Alaska, Scandinavia, the British Isles, Mexico, South America, Antarctica and South Africa.
There are special cruises for Halloween, Christmas and New Year too. So, whether you want just a short 3-night cruise to the Bahamas to test the water or want to jump right in to a 14-night transatlantic adventure, they have something for everyone.
The cruise lines to choose from
Organised singles cruises are typically available with the following cruise lines:
Carnival
Celebrity Cruises
Norwegian Cruise Line
Royal Caribbean
You’ll need to book these with a travel agent such as SinglesCruise.com to make sure that you get the singles package. If you book independently, you won’t be able to join in any of the group activities.
Other cruise lines, particularly those aimed at the UK market like Fred. Olsen or Ambassador Cruise Line, may not take part in organised singles cruises but will host regular events on each cruise for solo travellers looking to make new friends.
The best cruise lines for singles
For some, the idea of an organised singles cruise seems a bit too much. Maybe you just want to cruise solo while having the opportunity to enjoy dinner or drinks with other solo travellers should you feel like it?
In that case, you should book a regular cruise with a cruise line that’s known for being accommodating to single travellers.
1. Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line has been awarded the ‘Best Cruise Line for Solo Travellers’ by Porthole Magazine for the last eight years in a row and has also won awards from the likes of Cruise Critic.
On the newest NCL ships, you’ll find cosy studio cabins for one as well as the Studio Lounge which is only accessible to single travellers. All this is located on a single corridor, which makes it easy to meet up with your new friends.
However, you should be aware that these trendy studio cabins can be pricey. In some cases, it’s actually cheaper to book a much larger double stateroom for single occupancy and to pay the supplement!
Plus, in my experience, while the Studio Lounge sounds cool and has free coffee, pastries, and a wine vending machine, it’s actually quite a small, windowless room, so you’re unlikely to spend much time here.
Studio Lounge on Norwegian Encore
2. P&O Cruises
All P&O Cruises ships have single cabins, with a choice of inside, outside and balcony rooms. If you’d rather avoid other people’s children, then choose Arcadia or Aurora as these are adult-only ships.
If you’re British and like to cruise on a ship that’s made up almost entirely of other British people, then P&O Cruises is a good choice. You’ll find lots of cruises departing from Southampton, as well as some more exotic options. There are organised coffee mornings for solo travellers and everyone is pretty friendly, on the whole.
Carnival cruise ships are known as ‘Fun Ships’, so if you like to party, then this could be a great choice for your cruise. There are ‘singles mixers’ on every sailing, making it easier to find out who else is travelling alone. Carnival tends to attract a younger crowd than some other cruise lines, although there can be a lot of children on board during the school breaks.
Carnival doesn’t offer any single staterooms for solo cruisers, so you’ll have to pay a supplement. There are soon cool options though, including Havana staterooms which have private access to the VIP Havana pool and bar area and Cloud 9 Spa staterooms which offer a pampering experience for one.
All Cunard ships have solo cabins and there are plenty of coffee mornings and daytime activities so that solo travellers can meet up with like-minded people. If you love to dance but don’t have a partner, every voyage has gentleman dance hosts so you don’t need to miss out on the joy of gliding across the dance floor.
Cunard cruises are most popular with those over 50, so if you’d rather spend your time in the company of other seniors and enjoy ballroom dancing, the theatre and relaxing with a good book in the library, then Cunard could be the best option for you.
Single room on Queen Elizabeth
5. Holland America Line
Holland America Line cruises offer a Single Partners Program with a fantastic program of activities including a Solo Travellers Party, and a selection of games and classes.
The newer Holland America Line ships all have single staterooms. However, there’s also the option of a room-sharing program that can help you to cruise for less. You can opt to share a stateroom with another non-smoking guest of the same sex and pay only the per-person double occupancy rate.
Single Stateroom on HAL’s Rotterdam
Cruising alone can be a lot of fun!
Most people who take cruises alone have a fantastic time and find cruising alone to be a lot of fun. In fact, SinglesCruise claims that 60% of their guests are repeat bookers.
You might think that you need to be an outgoing person to take a cruise alone, but that’s often not the case at all. Some single cruisers are introverts who like the peace and quiet of being alone and the freedom to set their own schedule, or have no schedule at all!
Many of the people who take singles cruises enjoy the company of others, but just don’t have anyone to travel with. They may be divorced, widowed or just find that all of their friends are already coupled up.
Then there are those people who are single and looking to meet people for casual encounters. If that’s you, be sure to check out my guide to The Best Cruises for Singles to Hook Up.
Whatever your situation, a singles cruise can be a lot of fun, as long as you pick the right one and know what to expect.
There’s even a dating app for cruisers!
If you’re taking a regular cruise, not a special singles cruise, but would like to find people to make a romantic connection with, then you should try the Cruise Ship Mingle app.
This dating app has been specially developed for cruisers so that you can message or chat with other single people before and during your cruise.
You can set it so that you can find people for fun, love or just casual hookups. Have fun!
Cruise ships with single cabins
There are single cabins on the following cruise ships:
Celebrity Cruises – Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Beyond
Costa Cruises – Most ships
Cunard – All ships
Fred. Olsen – All ships
Holland America Line – Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam
Norwegian Cruise Line – Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Epic and Pride of America
P&O Cruises – All ships
Royal Caribbean – Most ships
Saga – All ships
Virgin Voyages – All ships
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
The Costa Concordia is one of the most renowned cruise ships of the recent era, and not for a good reason.
Cruise ship sinkings are extremely rare these days, but the Costa Concordia proved that they can still happen – and that they can still have tragic consequences.
But since the ship sank in 2012, what’s happened to it? Is it still where it crashed, or has it been relocated?
Let’s take a look.
The ship is no more…
The Costa Concordia no longer exists – it has been dismantled for scrap. It lay off the coast of Giglio for over two years after the sinking, before it was recovered and towed to the port of Genoa where it was dismantled.
Photo: Rab Lawrence, (CC BY 2.0)
It’s estimated that the final cost for the salvage and scrapping of the ship was likely around $2 billion – around three times the cost of building the ship.
Scrapping the ship would only have recouped around $42 million in steel – a tiny amount compared to the huge sums spent in recovering the ship, and nowhere near even the costs of the scrapping process alone (estimated to be around $100 million).
Because the ship could not be repaired and restored to sailing condition, she was replaced in the Costa fleet by Costa Diadema, which was ordered in October 2012 and entered service for the cruise line two years later.
Costa Concordia Sinking & Salvage Timeline
13 January 2012 – Costa Concordia runs aground at around 9.45 pm and begins to take on water.
14 January 2012 – The last survivors escape the ship.
March 2012 – The fuel is removed from the ship by salvage company Smit International.
17 September 2013 – The ship is brought into a vertical position through a process of parbuckling.
14 July 2014 – The ship is slowly refloated in preparation for towing.
23 July 2014 – The ship begins its towing journey, travelling at just 2 knots (equivalent of 2 MPH).
27 July 2014 – The ship reaches Genoa port and dismantling begins.
11 May 2015 – After the initial dismantling is complete, the ship is towed to the Superbacino dock in Genoa where the upper decks will be removed.
August 2016 – The last of the sponsons are removed from the ship.
1 September 2016 – The ship is taken into drydock for the final stages of dismantling.
May 2018 – Remedial work was completed at the site of the initial salvage operation, to clean the ocean floor and remove the platform used in the parbuckling process.
To briefly explain the parbuckling process – firstly, the funnel is removed from the ship, and then a platform is built underneath the water to support the ship once it is righted.
The next step is to attach steel sponsons to the side of the ship above the water, and then partially fill these with water. The water acts as additional weight so that, with the use of cables, the ship can be pulled upright to sit on the support platform.
Once that’s done, sponsons are added to the previously submerged side of the ship to even it out, and are then emptied of water when the time comes to refloat the ship.
As for those onboard…
All of the people who died on the Costa Concordia were recovered, although it wasn’t a fast process – the last body was only recovered in November 2014, almost three years after the ship ran aground.
The last person to be found was Indian waiter Russel Rebello. He was discovered during the dismantling of the ship, after it had been transported to Genoa.
Prior to this, one Italian passenger had been missing until October 2013, when human remains were discovered. DNA testing showed that those remains belonged to Maria Grazia Trecarichi, and that Rebello was still unaccounted for.
With any cruise ship sinking incidents such as the Costa Concordia disaster, the priority is always the people onboard, and the loss of life is the real tragedy. But it is also sad to lose a ship, one that thousands of people helped to build and hundreds of crew called their home for months on end.
The scrapping of the Costa Concordia is not the headline – the 32 people who died are those who deserve our thoughts. However, the fact that such a major cruise ship ended up as scrap metal – worth less than a tenth of her cost to build – is a real shame too.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
