Cruise Lines

Passengers aboard P&O Cruises’ Iona are experienced a delayed departure from Southampton as the ship stayed docked to avoid hazardous weather caused by Storm Darragh.

Originally scheduled to set sail on Saturday, 7th December 2024, the ship was only able to begin its cruise in the early hours of Monday 9th December, once the weather had sufficiently calmed down.

The 184,089-gross-ton Iona, one of the largest cruise ships ever built for the UK market, was forced to take this precaution to ensure passenger and crew safety amid strong winds in the English Channel.

Wind speeds reached up to 35 knots (40 mph) along the ship’s planned route, making navigation unsafe.

The delay to the cruise did mean that the ship wasn’t able to make her scheduled visit to Hamburg on 9th December.

Other stops, including Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, and Le Havre (Paris), may also be affected, although it’s anticipated that those ports shouldn’t be impacted now that the ship has set sail.

Interestingly, when the ship did eventually depart she actually headed in the wrong direction, sailing west.

This was because she had two days to reach Rotterdam, and so avoided clogging the shipping lanes by sailing out of the way before turning around and continuing as planned.

Despite the delay, guests on board Iona are still enjoying their cruise experience. P&O has reassured passengers that onboard entertainment, activities, and dining are operating as planned, creating a festive atmosphere despite the ship’s extended stay in Southampton.

The ship’s facilities, including dining venues, theatres, pools, and lounges, remained open, giving guests the chance to enjoy the full cruise experience even while docked.

Safety remains the top priority for P&O Cruises and all cruise lines when navigating winter weather.

Cruise ships regularly adjust itineraries, cancel port calls, or delay departures to avoid dangerous conditions. While Iona is fully operational, weather conditions made the journey to the English Channel too risky to proceed for the first two days

With a capacity for 5,206 guests and around 1,700 crew members, Iona is well-equipped to ensure passenger comfort even during unexpected delays.

Iona is scheduled to return to Southampton on 14th December 2024, and P&O Cruises has stated that there are no expected changes to this return date. The next sailing, a 14-night Christmas cruise to the Canary Islands, is also expected to depart as planned.

Iona is not the only ship impacted by winter storms. Saga Cruises’ Spirit of Adventure also took shelter in Southampton on Friday, 6th December, after departing from Portsmouth earlier that day.

The ship was initially set to begin a 30-night Caribbean holiday cruise but had to adjust its plans to avoid dangerous weather.

Additionally, Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambition was affected by foul weather from Storm Bert just days ago. The ship remained docked at the Port of Tilbury for the entirety of a planned 3-day cruise due to poor sea conditions.

Winter storms like Darragh are becoming more frequent as the Atlantic hurricane season wraps up. Experienced cruise travellers understand the importance of weather flexibility, knowing that cruise itineraries are subject to change when bad weather arises.

Related posts

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.

Read more about me

Just a day after cruise guests discovered the price hike for its Cheers! beverage package, Carnival Cruise Line has quietly raised the prices for all three of its WiFi plans:…

Marella Cruises has completed a significant refurbishment of Marella Discovery 2, enhancing 40% of its cabins and introducing an innovative entertainment option, the life-sized interactive Play Wall. These updates aim…

Effective in 2025, cruise passengers visiting Greece’s iconic destinations, including Santorini and Mykonos, will face a new arrival tax aimed at addressing climate change and over-tourism. Approved by the Greek…

Carnival Cruise Line has increased the price of its popular Cheers! Beverage Program, removing the discounted rate previously offered for longer sailings. Now, all passengers will pay the same higher…

Marella Cruises has completed a significant refurbishment of Marella Discovery 2, enhancing 40% of its cabins and introducing an innovative entertainment option, the life-sized interactive Play Wall.

These updates aim to elevate the onboard experience for guests as the ship continues its Canary Islands winter itineraries.

Of the ship’s 918 staterooms, 370 have been revitalised with fresh artwork, wall coverings, upgraded furniture, and new carpeting.

All bathrooms in these cabins have been completely renovated, offering a modern and comfortable experience. The upgrades span all categories, from balcony cabins to family and royal suites, ensuring a wide range of passengers enjoy the improvements.

In addition to cabin renovations, some lobby areas have been updated to create a more welcoming and polished ambiance. Chris Hackney, managing director of Marella Cruises, expressed his excitement about the changes.

“We’ve invested in making large-scale improvements, revitalising the lobbies and cabins as well as adding exciting new entertainment features like the dynamic immersive Play Wall. We’re proud of the results and can’t wait to welcome passengers onboard to see their reactions.”

The Play Wall, developed in collaboration with French game creator Neo Experiences, offers guests of all ages 28 interactive games.

Highlights include Totem Craft, a family-friendly challenge to build the tallest totem, and Rival Goals, a game designed with adults in mind. This free activity is a dynamic addition to the ship’s entertainment offerings.

The Play Wall joins a roster of engaging entertainment onboard Marella Discovery 2.

The ship recently debuted Jumbo and The Wonder Circus, a life-size puppet show featuring a 7-foot African elephant.

Musical productions such as Hollywoodland, showcasing movie hits from La La Land and Singin’ in the Rain, Yellow Submarine with Beatles classics, and 7 Sins of Rock, celebrating rock icons like Aerosmith and Pink, continue to delight guests.

The 1,832-guest Marella Discovery 2, originally launched as Legend of the Seas for Royal Caribbean in 1995, is spending winter 2024-25 sailing 7-night Canary Islands cruises.

Ports of call include Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Puerto del Rosario, Arrecife, Funchal, and La Gomera.

In summer 2025, the 69,130-gross-ton vessel will reposition to Limassol, Cyprus, offering 7-night Greece and Turkey itineraries, including stops in Kusadasi, Athens, Mykonos, Rhodes, and Crete.

By November 2025, the ship will move to Bridgetown, Barbados, for winter Caribbean cruises, such as the 7-night Cocktails and Coconuts voyage, with stops in Antigua, St. Maarten, Tortola, St. Kitts, and Guadeloupe.

Marella Cruises will also be represented in the Caribbean during winter 2024-25 by Marella Explorer 2.

Sailing from La Romana, Dominican Republic, the ship will visit destinations such as Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Barbados, St. Lucia, and more, depending on the departure date and itinerary length.

With refreshed accommodations, innovative entertainment, and diverse itineraries, Marella Discovery 2 is set to impress guests seeking unique cruise experiences across the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean.

Related posts

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.

Read more about me

Effective in 2025, cruise passengers visiting Greece’s iconic destinations, including Santorini and Mykonos, will face a new arrival tax aimed at addressing climate change and over-tourism. Approved by the Greek…

Carnival Cruise Line has increased the price of its popular Cheers! Beverage Program, removing the discounted rate previously offered for longer sailings. Now, all passengers will pay the same higher…

A recent survey commissioned by Royal Caribbean reveals that young holidaymakers aged 6-11 are eager to make their holidays multi-generational, with nearly half saying they enjoy trips even more when…

Virgin Voyages has launched an exciting new opportunity for anyone with a significant chunk of change in the bank and a dream to cruise at a whim – an Annual…

Effective in 2025, cruise passengers visiting Greece’s iconic destinations, including Santorini and Mykonos, will face a new arrival tax aimed at addressing climate change and over-tourism.

Approved by the Greek Parliament, the tax will charge 20 euros (£16.50, $21 USD) per person for visits to Santorini and Mykonos and 5 euros (£4.14, $5.27 USD) for other destinations, such as Rhodes, Corfu, and Crete.

Santorini and Mykonos have seen record numbers of cruise visitors in recent years. Santorini hosted 1.3 million cruise passengers in 2023, with some days bringing up to 17,000 guests to the island, which has just 15,500 residents.

Similarly, Mykonos, with a population of 12,000, saw up to 20,000 cruise passengers disembark in a single day in August 2024.

The influx of visitors has put a significant strain on local infrastructure, leading to traffic congestion, overcrowded pedestrian areas, and limited resources for residents and other tourists.

The funds raised from the tax will support improvements in infrastructure and sustainability efforts.

Combined with new taxes on short-term rentals and hotels, Greece aims to raise approximately 400 million euros to address these issues.

The short-term rental tax during the high season will increase to 8 euros per day, while the hotel tax will rise to 15 euros daily, depending on the property, which could impact guests who book a cruise & stay getaway.

In addition to the taxes, Greek officials have proposed implementing a digital berth allocation system to regulate cruise ship arrivals.

This system would consider ship size, length of stay, and other factors to manage daily visitor numbers more effectively, though the proposal has yet to be approved.

Greece’s new cruise taxes are part of a broader trend among tourist destinations grappling with over-tourism.

• Mexico has proposed a $42 per person immigration fee starting in 2025, prompting pushback from major cruise lines. Cozumel alone welcomed over 3 million cruise visitors in 2023, and the fee could impact cruise fares significantly.
• Haines, Alaska, has introduced a $9 cruise tax, effective for the 2025 summer season. The fee will rise incrementally, reaching $13 by 2029, with funds directed toward mitigating cruise-related impacts on local infrastructure.

These new taxes highlight a growing shift as destinations work to balance tourism growth with sustainability and local well-being.

For travellers, these fees represent an additional cost that will be factored into future cruise budgets.

Related posts

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.

Read more about me

Carnival Cruise Line has increased the price of its popular Cheers! Beverage Program, removing the discounted rate previously offered for longer sailings. Now, all passengers will pay the same higher…

A recent survey commissioned by Royal Caribbean reveals that young holidaymakers aged 6-11 are eager to make their holidays multi-generational, with nearly half saying they enjoy trips even more when…

Virgin Voyages has launched an exciting new opportunity for anyone with a significant chunk of change in the bank and a dream to cruise at a whim – an Annual…

Fincantieri has officially delivered the Viking Vela, a 499-suite vessel, during a ceremony in Ancona, Italy, on Tuesday. The newest addition to Viking’s fleet is a testament to the growing…

Carnival Cruise Line has increased the price of its popular Cheers! Beverage Program, removing the discounted rate previously offered for longer sailings.

Now, all passengers will pay the same higher per-day price, regardless of their cruise length.

Previously, guests on sailings of six nights or longer could prepay $70.74 per night, compared to $82.54 per night for shorter sailings.

If purchased onboard, the rates were $76.64 and $88.45 per night, respectively. These prices included an 18% service charge.

Now, only the higher per-day prices are listed on Carnival’s website, effectively raising the cost of the Cheers! package for guests on longer cruises by approximately 16%.

For example, on a typical 7-night cruise, passengers will now pay $82.60 more per person for the package.

Since Carnival requires all adults in a stateroom to purchase the drink package if one person does, the increase can be even more significant for families or groups.

No changes have been made to the package’s offerings, which include drinks priced at $20 or lower with a daily limit of 15 alcoholic beverages per guest.

The sudden price hike has caused frustration among cruisers, not necessarily due to the cost itself but because no warning was given.

In previous price increases, Carnival informed guests ahead of time, allowing them to lock in the lower rates before the change.

Many travellers express disappointment that this latest increase was implemented without notice, leaving them unable to take advantage of the lower rates for upcoming cruises.

Unsurprisingly, the cruise line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, has taken a bit of a battering on his Facebook page, but he continues to respond to guests as cheerily as possible.

This approach mirrors recent quiet price hikes by Carnival for specialty dining and other onboard services, which were also introduced without prior announcements.

Frequent cruisers recommend booking drink packages, WiFi, and pre-paid gratuities as soon as prices are acceptable rather than waiting for potential sales or promotions.

By locking in these costs early, travellers can avoid last-minute increases that may strain their budgets.

Despite the increase, Carnival’s Cheers! package remains a staple for passengers who enjoy the convenience of unlimited beverages.

The package includes alcoholic drinks, sodas, specialty coffees, and non-alcoholic cocktails, offering a flexible option for cruisers who like to indulge.

The Bottomless Bubbles soda package and bottled water pricing remain unchanged, though these options never included discounts for longer sailings.

While guests may begrudge the timing of this price hike, the Cheers! package continues to appeal to those who value its all-inclusive nature and onboard flexibility.

Related posts

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.

Read more about me

A recent survey commissioned by Royal Caribbean reveals that young holidaymakers aged 6-11 are eager to make their holidays multi-generational, with nearly half saying they enjoy trips even more when…

Virgin Voyages has launched an exciting new opportunity for anyone with a significant chunk of change in the bank and a dream to cruise at a whim – an Annual…

Fincantieri has officially delivered the Viking Vela, a 499-suite vessel, during a ceremony in Ancona, Italy, on Tuesday. The newest addition to Viking’s fleet is a testament to the growing…

Carnival’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, has posted a notice on his popular Facebook page to inform guests that the crew will not be able to get involved in ‘Elf on…

Virgin Voyages has launched an exciting new opportunity for anyone with a significant chunk of change in the bank and a dream to cruise at a whim – an Annual Pass.

The pass allows guests to enjoy 12 months of cruises as frequently as they wish, and can be started in either January, February, March or April 2025.

The cost for the pass is, understandably, not insignificant – $120,000, but that covers two people. Solo guests are welcome to buy the pass but there’s no discount.

Also you’ll still need to pay taxes and fees for every cruise, so it’s not quite as good as it sounds – expect to pay a couple of hundred dollars per cruise.

Once you’ve bought the pass, you can then just call Virgin Voyages to book yourself onto any cruise that has availability within that year – with no limits on how frequently you travel. Of course, it’s cruise-only, so you’ll need to fund your own flights.

Annual Pass holders do get to enjoy Deep Blue Extra perks on every cruise though, which includes:

• Sea Terrace cabins
• Premium WiFi
• Wash & fold laundry service
• Priority boarding
• A $100 bar tab for every cruise
• Two speciality coffees per cabin, per day
• A VIP cocktail party
• Dedicated customer service support

The Virgin Voyages Annual Pass is also the first cruise product to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment – so if you’re lucky enough to be sat on a huge sum of Bitcoin, you can treat yourself to a year of cruises.

A few more things to note:

• Third and fourth guests can be added to bookings and will be charged at standard rates
• Certain cruises such as marketing events or private charters are, of course, not available
• Payment must be made by wire transfer in full – you can’t spread the cost of the annual pass and it’s not refundable
• Annual Pass numbers are limited

Cost-wise, the Annual Pass works out at $60,000 per person, per year, or $5,000 per person, per month.

It doesn’t necessarily represent a massive saving. A typical 7-night cruise in a Sea Terrace cabin costs around $1,250 to $1,500 per person, so you would likely save a little if you cruised constantly throughout the year.

But if you only cruised for an average of every other week, you’d likely be spending more with the Annual Pass – so it’s more of a marketing gimmick.

Would you be happy committing to Virgin Voyages exclusively for a year?

Related posts

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.

Read more about me

A recent survey commissioned by Royal Caribbean reveals that young holidaymakers aged 6-11 are eager to make their holidays multi-generational, with nearly half saying they enjoy trips even more when…

Fincantieri has officially delivered the Viking Vela, a 499-suite vessel, during a ceremony in Ancona, Italy, on Tuesday. The newest addition to Viking’s fleet is a testament to the growing…

Carnival’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, has posted a notice on his popular Facebook page to inform guests that the crew will not be able to get involved in ‘Elf on…

Australian disability advocate and influencer Shane Hryhorec, known as @wheelaroundtheworld, encountered accessibility challenges aboard MSC Grandiosa during his first-ever cruise. Hryhorec, who boarded the 6,334-guest ship in Marseille for an…

A recent survey commissioned by Royal Caribbean reveals that young holidaymakers aged 6-11 are eager to make their holidays multi-generational, with nearly half saying they enjoy trips even more when grandparents join in.

The survey of 1,000 UK children highlights how family holidays are about more than just parents and kids – grandparents bring extra fun, special memories, and plenty of spoiling.

According to the survey, 44% of children want to travel with their grandmothers, while 42% wish their grandfathers would come along.

Fun and laughter top the list of reasons why kids want their grandparents on holiday (65%), followed by creating unique memories (49%) and enjoying cool activities together (40%).

Many kids also admit to loving the perks of holidaying with grandparents, including being spoiled with gifts (38%) and getting extra playtime and attention (37%).

Children’s ideal holiday would last 11 days and include up to four exciting activities daily, from swimming (67%) and visiting water parks (59%) to exploring new places (45%) and trying new foods (42%).

Gerard Nolan, vice president of Royal Caribbean International, emphasised the cruise line’s commitment to family-friendly holidays.

“At Royal Caribbean, we’re proud to offer the ultimate multi-generational experience with something for everyone and without compromise,

“From racing waterslides and ziplines to relaxing moments, incredible entertainment, and dining options to suit every palate, every member of the family can enjoy their perfect holiday.”

Gerard Nolan

Royal Caribbean ships are packed with activities that align with kids’ top preferences, including thrilling waterslides, rock climbing walls, and zip lines.

Families can explore destinations together while enjoying onboard experiences like the tallest dry slide at sea, The Ultimate Abyss, or indulging in diverse dining options from Italian favourites to American classics.

The survey also revealed that 45% of kids prioritise spending quality time with their family, including over four hours a day with grandparents.

Holidays provide the perfect opportunity for a digital detox, with 43% of children saying they use phones and tablets less because they’re busy enjoying real-world activities.

Making new friends is another highlight for 79% of kids, creating opportunities for in-person connections. With Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean youth programme and an array of family-friendly activities, kids can enjoy screen-free fun throughout their holiday.

Royal Caribbean’s ships are designed to cater to all ages, offering adventures like skydiving simulators, family-friendly pools, and unlimited ice cream at Sprinkles.

For families looking to create unforgettable memories together, these cruises provide a perfect balance of fun, exploration, and relaxation for all generations.

Related posts

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.

Read more about me

Virgin Voyages has launched an exciting new opportunity for anyone with a significant chunk of change in the bank and a dream to cruise at a whim – an Annual…

Fincantieri has officially delivered the Viking Vela, a 499-suite vessel, during a ceremony in Ancona, Italy, on Tuesday. The newest addition to Viking’s fleet is a testament to the growing…

Carnival’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, has posted a notice on his popular Facebook page to inform guests that the crew will not be able to get involved in ‘Elf on…

Australian disability advocate and influencer Shane Hryhorec, known as @wheelaroundtheworld, encountered accessibility challenges aboard MSC Grandiosa during his first-ever cruise. Hryhorec, who boarded the 6,334-guest ship in Marseille for an…