Diplomacy

So far in 2024, six new ocean cruise ships have made their debut. They have ranged from Royal Caribbean’s 231,000 gross ton Utopia of the Seas to Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s 37,000 gross ton Ilma.

There are three more new cruise ships set to debut before the end of 2024. Here is a look at these three new ships and when they will debut.

Explora II

First up is Explora Journeys’ second cruise ship, Explora II. The ship will sail its maiden cruise next week on September 16.  This seven night cruise from Civitavecchia will visit Sorrento, Lipari, Trapani, Siracusa, and Malta before ending in Spain.

The ship is 64,000 gross tons in size and offers a luxury, all-inclusive experience.

The following is included in all cruise fares:

• Unlimited fine beverages
• All gratuities
• High-speed WiFi
• 9 culinary experiences
• Thermal spa access
• Bottle of champagne
• And more

Explora II will sail a series of cruises in the Mediterranean before heading to Miami for cruises to the Caribbean.

Viking Vela

Viking Vela will be the 11th ocean cruise ship in Viking’s fleet. The ship will slightly differ from the previous 10 ships while at the same time, being nearly identical.

It will be the largest in their fleet at 54,300 gross tons in size and carry 998 passengers. Up until now, Viking’s ocean ships carried 930 passengers in 465 cabins.

The following is included in all cruise fares on Viking Vela:

• One shore excursion in every port
• WiFi
• All dining including alternative dining restaurants
• Beer, wine and soft drinks during lunch and dinner
• Specialty coffees
• Thermal suite access
• 24-hour room service
• Self-service laundry

Viking Vela will debut on December 12, 2024 sailing the cruise line’s Iconic Western Mediterranean cruise.  The cruise will start in Civitavecchia and end in Barcelona after sailing for seven days in the Mediterranean.

Disney Treasure

Disney Treasure will be Disney Cruise Line’s second Wish class ship and a sister ship to Disney Wish. The ship will be 144,000 gross tons in size and carry 4,000 passengers.

The ship will feature unique spaces from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Zootopia, Mulan, Aladdin, and more.

“Disney The Tale of Moana” will debut exclusively in the Walt Disney Theatre on Disney Treasure.

Sharon Siskie, senior vice president and general manager at Disney Cruise Line, gave the following statement about this new ship:

“The Disney Treasure will bring brand-new stories to life, blending one-of-a-kind experiences with the extraordinary entertainment, world-class dining and unparalleled hospitality that make every sailing so memorable.

“As we chart a course for adventure, we’re so excited for families to discover the excitement and exploration that awaits onboard the sixth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet.”

Disney Treasure will debut on December 21, 2024. This seven-night cruise to the Caribbean from Port Canaveral will visit Tortola, St. Thomas, and the cruise line’s private island in The Bahamas, Castaway Cay.

The cruise ship is scheduled to sail from Port Canaveral through at least May 2026.

While these three cruise ships conclude the new vessels for 2024, 2025 will see even more new ships debut.

In 2025, there are 16 new ocean cruise ships scheduled to enter service with another 15 in 2026.

Right now, cruise lines have a total of 58 new ocean cruise ships either under construction or on order through 2036.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises, one of the world’s most luxurious cruise lines, is making their cruises even more luxurious with free first class airfare on select cruises through 2025.

This offer makes the cruise line’s The Most Inclusive Luxury Experience even better. It will run through October 31, 2024 for new bookings with Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Regent already had one of the most all-inclusive cruise fares available and now they have made it even better.

This free roundtrip first class airfare is good on select cruises booked to Alaska, the Caribbean, Canada and New England that sail through 2025.

In addition to the free first class airfare, guests will also receive up to $500 credit per suite ($250 per guest) for a private executive chauffeur service through Blacklane as part of Regent’s Ultimate All-inclusive Fare.

If a guest chooses to make their own travel arrangements, Regent will give them up to a 20% savings on a cruise-only fare. This will especially help those who live near the embarkation port who wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the free airfare option.

This offer is good on the following four cruise ships:

• Seven Seas Explorer
• Seven Seas Mariner
• Seven Seas Navigator
• Seven Seas Splendor

Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ all-inclusive cruise fares include the following:

• All specialty restaurants
• Unlimited shore excursions
• Fine wines and spirits
• Unlimited internet
• Valet laundry
• Pre-paid gratuities
• Transfers
• Pre-cruise hotel packages for guests staying in Concierge-level suites
• View Prices on Regent’s Cruises

Also, Regent is offering a special sweepstakes for travel advisors. They can win a trip to an Aston Martin Aramco VIP race experience in Las Vegas, Nevada, between November 21-23, 2024.

For a chance to win this once-in-a-lifetime experience Travel Advisors simply need to make a newly deposited booking between September 3 to 30, 2024, on any 2025 cruise.

Shawn Tubman, Senior Vice President Sales and Trade Marketing for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, gave the following statement:

“As part of our promise under Regent Elevate, we’re committed to providing our valued Travel Partners with the tools they need to succeed, and so I’m delighted we’re launching this incredible First Class in Every Way offer.”

Tubman added that the sweepstakes for travel advisors is a way for the cruise line to give back as a token of their appreciation.

Carnival Cruise Line has finally added a multi-device WiFi plan that allows a guests to have multiple devices connected to a ship’s WiFi at the same time.

Multi-device WiFi plans are something that most cruise lines offer, including Carnival’s sister cruise lines Princess Cruises and Holland America Line.

Now, Carnival has added this plan and now has a total of four different WiFi options to choose from.  The cruise line tested this multi-device plan on a few cruise ships and it is now available across their fleet.

The cost is $75.00 per day and is good for up to four devices. It includes Carnival’s Premium WiFi plan for the fastest speeds on the ship. It is three times faster than the Value Plan.

It supports video and music streaming, Skype, and Zoom and Teams video calling.

This package must be purchased before midnight the day before embarkation. It is not available to be purchased on the ship like most of the cruise line’s WiFi plans.

The other three packages that Carnival Cruise Line offers for WiFi are as follows. All three can be purchased prior to the cruise or once on the ship. A discount is given if a guests purchases it prior to their cruise.

Carnival’s Social Plan costs $18.00 per day and gives access to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, X, Reddit, LinkedIn, and major airline sites.  A pre-cruise discount drops the price to $15.30 per day if purchased prior to the cruise.

Carnival’s Value Plan costs $23.00 per day and includes access to all websites except for sites blocked under the Carnival Fair Use Policy (adult content, violent content, etc.).  A pre-cruise discount drops the price to $19.55 per day.

Carnival’s Premium Plan costs $25.00 per day and offers the fastest experience possible. It allows guests to stream movies, video chat, monitor your home and browse the web seamlessly. This includes apps like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, FaceTime, Zoom, and Ring where coverage allow. A pre-cruise discount drops the price to $21.25 per day.

These three plans only allow for one device at a time to be connected.

FaceTime is only available with the Value and Premium Plans.

While cruise lines have adapted their dress code policies over the last couple decades, there are still a few basic rules that get overlooked on every cruise.

Whether it’s flip-flops in the main dining room or bathrobes at the buffet, it’s not uncommon to spot a cruiser in vacation mode, flouting the rules.

But there are some dress code rules that are based on the ports of call a cruise ship is visiting.

And there’s one major mistake American cruise passengers often make when visiting the Bahamas and Caribbean.

Camouflage clothing is not permitted in many of these areas.  This rule applies when passengers are off the ship, so it has nothing to do with the cruise line.

John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador, recently reminded his social media followers of this in a Facebook post.

“Having just replied to a gentleman his ‘anger’ about being told to return to the Ship in Nassau, Bahamas I felt it best to remind everybody that there are some places that absolutely do not allow camouflage clothing, military style camouflage clothing, to be worn there.  These are the Island’s rules and we have absolutely no control over them,” Heald wrote.

Read more: 10 things you’re not supposed to wear on a cruise

The reason for the rule is that these areas of the world don’t want a civilian to be confused as military.  Someone wearing camo pants or even a camo bag can be thought of as impersonating military personnel. 

There are almost 20 countries in the world that have a ban on civilians wearing camouflage clothing.

What’s the penalty if you wear camo anyway?

I wouldn’t recommend this, but if you are spotted you will face either a fine, imprisonment, or both.  There have been reports of a $500 fine in some cases.

Heald concluded his post on the issue with this anecdote:

“I remember once when I was on a ship, I saw a chap wearing a camouflage and shorts so I bumped into him just so it made him feel like it worked.  He didn’t laugh.”

One of the comments on the post gave a helpful reminder that the camo ban is not just reserved for clothing.

“I remember this from my first cruise, which was like 2003, I believe Barbados and many other islands banned all forms of camo, including that camo hat, the grunt style shirts, anything realtree, even came shorts, and shoes are banned. Keep in mind camo isn’t just wearing military camo, but any kind of camo,” the comment said.

A cruise line has issued a policy update for guests who require a powered mobility device that went into effect over the past week. This applies to electric wheelchairs, mobility scooters and power add-ons.

Cunard Line, one of nine cruise lines from Carnival Corporation, changed their Powered Mobility Device Policy on September 3, 2024.

From now on, if a guests requires a powered mobility device, they will only be allowed to book a cabin that is a fully accessible stateroom or one of the selected Grill Suites.

Cabins on Cunard’s deck plans that can accommodate a powered mobility device will have a triangle symbol on them.

Why did the cruise line make this change? They said it was to further ensure the safety of guests and crew.

Cunard said that when it comes to mobility devices, they regularly review their policies relating to storage and charging instructions, failure responses, and fire safety procedures.

If a guest did not book an accessible cabin and they need an electric mobility device, they will be denied boarding at their own expense.

Guests will also need to notify the cruise line with any mobility requirements via the “On board needs questionnaire” that is available on MyCunard.

In the cruise line’s FAQ, the following is listed:

“As a reminder, any guest who uses a wheelchair or powered mobility device, whether full or part-time, must be allocated an evacuation chair at the time of booking. If a guest’s circumstances change and an evacuation chair is required after the time of booking, please know that this is subject to availability.

If there is no evacuation chair available, the guest will not be able to sail on that voyage and will need to refer to their travel insurance.”

Manual wheelchairs will continue to be allowed in all cabins on Cunard cruise ships as long as they comply with the cruise line’s policies.

A PDF with FAQs about this change from Cunard can be read on the cruise line’s website here.