Diplomacy

Royal Caribbean Group has teamed up with Hard Rock International, Seminole Gaming to provide reciprocal perks at Hard Rock locations and Royal Caribbean/Celebrity cruise ships.

This new partnership offers rewards and savings through Royal Caribbean’s Club Royale, Celebrity Cruises’ Blue Chip Club, and Unity by Hard Rock.

Cruisers who are members of the casino programs on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruise ships will receive special perks when visiting a Hard Rock location. This includes discounts and perks at participating Hard Rock locations.

Premium tier members are eligible for annual complimentary stays at select Hard Rock hotels.

Unity Hard Rock loyalty members can receive discounts on cruises on both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises. Top tier members will also receive a free annual cruise on select ships and itineraries.

Jeff Hook, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Seminole Hard Rock Support Services, gave the following statement:

“Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming are thrilled to help our valued guests and team members bring their love of entertainment, traveling, dining and gaming to the high seas through this incredible ‘no limits’ partnership with our South Florida neighbors at Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises.”

“Whether extending their cruise vacation at one of our port-adjacent properties, visiting one of the participating Hard Rock Hotel and Cafe locations worldwide or enjoying the cruise lines’ ships sailing around the world, travelers will have new ways to enjoy the best of what Hard Rock, Seminole Casinos and Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have to offer.”

The starting date for this new partnership is being finalized. Unity by Hard Rock members, Royal Caribbean Club Royal members, and Celebrity Cruises Blue Chip members will receive an email in the upcoming weeks with more details.

The benefits will be available worldwide, and not just in the U.S.

Jesse Hopfinger, Senior Vice President, Onboard Revenue, Royal Caribbean International, said the following about this new partnership:

“Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming are the perfect partners for Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises. This partnership expands the ways our guests can enjoy their vacations and experience entertainment, dining and gaming from ship to shore.”

“We are also excited to welcome Hard Rock fans to make memories with us on amazing vacations that serve up everything they could want and more while visiting beautiful destinations around the world, including our award-winning private island – Perfect Day at CocoCay – in The Bahamas.”

10 cruise lines announced news this week that included newly christened ships, construction milestones, and new VIP areas on select vessels.

Here is a rundown of cruise news for the week ending April 27, 2024. Cruise lines are listed alphabetically. 

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival christened the newest cruise ship to enter their fleet, Carnival Firenze. The ship moved over from sister cruise line Costa Cruises and is now sailing cruises to the Mexican Riviera from Long Beach, California.

Carnival Paradise rescued 28 people who were adrift at sea while the ship was sailing from Tampa to Roatan, Honduras.

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity cruise ships began to visit CocoCay this week.  Celebrity Reflection and Celebrity Beyond both visited the private island while on cruises to the Caribbean from Port Everglades.  CocoCay is Royal Caribbean’s (sister cruise line to Celebrity) private island in The Bahamas.

Celebrity’s newest ship, Celebrity Ascent, arrived in Europe for the first time and will spend the summer reason cruising in the Mediterranean. 

Celestyal Cruises

Celestyal Cruises has partnered with National Geographic for special excursions in Greece and Croatia.

Holland America Line

Holland America Line is adding Dutch Day to all cruises.  This day will have unique Dutch food in the main dining room and buffet and will also be the day where the cruise line’s Orange Party is held. You can read more about this day here.

MSC Cruises

MSC Group announced that they are building a hospital ship for Mercy Ships International that will provide free surgeries to thousands of people in Africa.

Norwegian Cruise Line

NCL launched their 2024 cruises to Europe and they will offer more than 100 itineraries from 13 homeports this season. This includes Norwegian’s first ever summer season of sailings between New York and Iceland.

Norwegian’s next new ship, Norwegian Aqua, was floated out at the shipyard and the vessel now moves to the final stage of construction. This is the cruise line’s first Prima Plus class ship.

Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises announced new Mediterranean cruises for 2025 that will range from nine to 56 days long. The sailings will visit some of the most popular ports in Europe as well as some lesser known ports.

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises christened their newest and largest ship this week, Sun Princess. Award-winning actress Hannah Waddingham gave the traditional blessing for the new ship with magician Michael Carbonaro serving as the master of ceremonies.

The cruise line also announced a new ‘ship within a ship’ concept that will launch on their Sphere class ships.

Princess also announced the opening of a new specialty restaurant and updates on cruises to Alaska in 2026. You can read all about the new announcements here.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean Group has partnered with Hard Rock to offer reciprocal perks between members of the casino programs. The perks include free cruises and free hotels stays. You can read more about this new partnership here.

Royal Caribbean started construction on their first Royal Beach Club. The beach club will be located on Paradise Island in Nassau. It is expected to open in 2025.

The world’s largest cruise line has also cancelled all stops to one of their private destinations in the Caribbean. All stops to Labadee, Haiti through May have been cancelled with some cancellations going out to September.

Seabourn

Seabourn, an ultra luxury cruise line from Carnival Corporation, will offer a special 22 day cruise on September 2, 2024 for the final voyage on Seabourn Odyssey. The ship has been in service with the cruise line for the past 15 years.

Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald recently shared a touching message on his Facebook page that highlights the power of connection found on board a cruise ship.

Heald, who spends a significant amount of time on Carnival cruise ships to connect with other passengers, shared a message from a guest named Sam.

Sam, a recently widowed educator who had lost his wife Hazel in January 2024, found himself facing not only grief but also isolation.

“In January 2024 I lost Hazel, my lovely wife and soul mate,” Sam wrote. “I have no friends or family. No one to talk to. I find the unremitting silence every day unbearable torture.“

Seeking solace and a return to happy memories, Sam decided to embark on a solo cruise, a decision he described as “brave.” Having previously cruised with his wife on Carnival Valor in 2018, he chose Carnival Breeze for this journey.

Before his trip, Sam reached out to John Heald, explaining his situation.  Heald, known for his commitment to guest experience, “promised to help [Sam] not have to eat dinner on his own.”

But Heald’s promise turned into something much more for Sam.

“You not only kept that promise to me,” Sam continued, “but gave me something that I have not experienced since Hazel passed on. That something John Heald and Carnival is friendship.“

After being on board the ship, Sam found himself welcomed by fellow cruisers who “took me in. We ate dinner together and we spent time around the piano with Anthony.“

The camaraderie rekindled a sense of connection Sam thought he might have lost forever.

The newfound friendships were so impactful that Sam, along with his newfound cruise companions, have already started planning their next voyage together.

“This time on the Carnival Breeze,” Heald posted, “Sam found more than just a vacation. He found a new support system, a reminder that human connection can blossom even in the most unexpected places.“

This message highlights the importance of human connection, especially following a period of isolation like everyone went through the years following 2020.

“We work from home,” John wrote. “We have food delivered to our doors and communicate electronically.” He shared his belief that cruises offer a unique opportunity to break out of social isolation, “For many, sadly, this is perhaps the only time this happens in their lives.“

Sam’s story is a heartwarming testament to the power of human connection and the unexpected friendships that can be found at sea.

Sure, at Cruise Fever we rave about cruises being the most incredible vacations.

We love highlighting the value you get, the exciting adventures waiting aboard, and of course, the delicious food. But there’s another aspect that deserves equal praise: the amazing connections you make with fellow travelers.

Whether it’s the solo traveler still grieving over a lost spouse, or the first-time cruiser booking connecting cabins for the entire family, the connections we find at sea are some of the most refreshing and rewarding.

I don’t know about you, but this story really made me want to book another cruise.

For the second time this month, another American tourist has been arrested when ammunition was found in his belongings after traveling to the Caribbean island of Grand Turk.

According to news reports, 31-year-old Tyler Scott Wenrich was charged with possession of ammunition, a charge that could lead to a 12-year prison sentence. 

In the United States, if ammunition is found by TSA in someone’s baggage it usually results in a fine, but Turks and Caicos has more severe punishment for such an infraction.

The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force posted the story on their Facebook page with the ammunition charges and details.

Wenrich was on a cruise, visiting Grand Turk when he went through a security check point and the ammo was found.

It has not been disclosed how much ammunition or what kind of ammo was found in his possession at the time.

It also isn’t clear which cruise ship Wenrich sailed on when the incident took place, although the arrest took place on the day that Carnival Sunrise was in port at Grand Turk, according to Cruisemapper.

The court date is currently set for June 7. 

This arrest follows another recent incident where a man was arrested in Turks and Caicos after security found hunting ammunition in his backpack.

In this occasion the ammo was found at the local airport on the Caribbean island.

Oklahoma resident, Ryan Watson, had reportedly forgotten about the ammunition in his bag, and it was not caught by airport security in the U.S. upon flying out of the country.

Watson is being held in Turks and Caicos and also has a June 7 court date.

Both of these men could be facing a 12-year prison sentence.

The U.S. State Department just posted on X on Wednesday to remind travelers of this very issue.

“Declaring a weapon in your luggage with an airline carrier does not grant permission to bring the weapon into the Turks and Caicos Islands and will result in your arrest,” the post read.

With some massive cruise ships holding over 7,000 passengers at any given time, there are bound to be a few who don’t want to follow the rules.

When something crazy happens on a cruise ship, it usually gets a lot more attention from news outlets than land-based activities. Something about the intrigue of the sea, I suppose.

Well, we gathered up 6 of the most interesting cruise stories of passengers getting banned for life.

Read more: 10 things that will get you banned from a cruise ship

1. Cruise Ship Jumper Ends Up in Hot Water

In a daring, and not-so-bright, move, a 27-year-old man from Vancouver achieved brief internet fame, when he jumped off a cruise ship while it was docked in the Bahamas.

He posted a video of himself taking a the leap from the 11th deck of Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise ship at the time, the Symphony of the Seas.

The video showed Nick Naydev standing on the railing while his friends laughed in the background, even while Naydev plummeted into the ocean below.

Unfortunately for him, this feat came with a lifetime ban from the cruise line, and the potential for legal consequences.

In the comments of the video which was posted on Instagram, Naydev said he was still drunk from the night before, and when he woke up he just decided to jump.

While he said the jump made him feel very much alive it was not without its own consequences.

“I could barely walk for 3 days lol”, he commented.  And neither could he walk onto a Royal Caribbean cruise ship ever again.

Read more: Cabin rules: 10 things you should never do in your cruise cabin

2. Couple Banned for Fishing from Balcony

Forget the all-you-can-eat shrimp and endless seafood buffets – one daring (or perhaps foolish) passenger on a Carnival cruise in the Bahamas decided to test their luck with a different kind of catch.

A man opted to dangle a line off his balcony, hoping to snag a fresh fish and check off a bucket list item.

He did in fact end up catching a fish.   And being so high off the water it took a little time to reel it in.

The whole ordeal became a short-lived TikTok sensation before being deleted.   A fellow passenger filmed the incident and urged the man to avoid swinging the fish into balconies below as he tried to haul in his catch.

Unfortunately for the “reel” culprit, the internet never forgets. Copies of the video circulated online, catching the attention of Carnival.

In a swift response, Carnival confirmed that fishing from their ships is a big no-no.

They identified the passengers and promptly issued a lifetime ban from the cruise line.

A Carnival representative shared a statement after the event that stated, “Fishing from our ships is prohibited. We have identified the guests, and they will not be cruising on Carnival again.”

3. Woman Banned for CBD Gummies in Luggage

Last summer a Texas woman was banned for life from Carnival Cruise Line after trying to board Carnival Horizon in PortMiami. 

Before even getting on the ship, Melinda Van Veldhuizen was pulled from her priority boarding line when security found CBD gummies in her backpack. 

She said she bought them legally online and that the sleep aid gummies were to help her sleep when traveling.

During an interview with news outlets, the woman said she was asked several questions by the staff.

“The captain asked me several times if I had a marijuana card or if I had a diagnosis, if I needed it,” Van-Veldhuizen said. “I said, ‘It’s CBD; that doesn’t exist. It’s just not a thing.’”

All major cruise lines have a ban on CBD and state that they follow federal law on the topic of controlled substances.  The woman’s gummies in this case had less than .1% THC.                                                                                       

Veldhuizen eventually received a letter from the company stating she would,

“… not be permitted to sail onboard any Carnival Cruise Line vessel in the future.  This decision was based on your actions on the current cruise, which were a violation of the ship rules.”    The letter went on to say, “Your attempt to book a future cruise will result in a cancellation and a possible loss of deposit monies.”

The story highlights the importance of knowing what cruise lines prohibit on their ships even if it’s something that is allowed elsewhere.

Check out our article on banned items you should leave at home.

4. On Board Altercation Leads to Termination

Fighting on a cruise ship often leads to a fine, but it can also lead to a lifetime ban, even if you are not the one who started the incident.

Back in September of last year a video went viral on TikTok as a woman explained what happened to her mother on a Carnival cruise ship.

In the video the woman says that there were two intoxicated passengers.  One of them shoved her mother and assaulted her, leading to an altercation.  Security guards ended up intervening to break up the fight. 

The next day the ship’s staff confirmed that the mother was not at fault, but then they dropped the bombshell. 

She would still be banned for life because of the cruise line’s policy on fighting.  In addition, she was fined $500. 

Read more: 10 cruise buffet rules every passenger should follow

5. Climb Over the Rail, End Up as Epic Fail

This happens way more often than it should.  We regularly find videos of cruise passengers either sitting on the balcony railing or even climbing over it.

Note:  This is NEVER a good idea.  Don’t even think about it or get close to trying it. 

In one instance, a woman was on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas when she climbed over her balcony railing.   Her reason?  To snap an amazing selfie in her blue bathing suit.

Another passenger saw what happened and alerted the crew.  By the way, there are cameras all along the side of the ship so there’s plenty of video of evidence when people decide to hop over the railing. 

When Allure of the Seas docked in Jamaica the woman was removed from the ship and was banned from ever walking onto a Royal Caribbean ship ever again. 

The cruise line’s policy states,

“Sitting, standing, laying or climbing on, over or across any exterior or interior railings or other protective barriers, or tampering with ship’s equipment, facilities or systems designed for guest safety is not permitted.”

Read more: 7 things to do in your cabin before you leave for the day

6. From Trapped to Banned: An Elevator Story

This story has a strange twist.  Five years ago, six cruise passengers on Carnival Inspiration were trapped in an elevator.    

When they were eventually able to get out, they all found out they were banned by the cruise line for damage that had apparently occurred inside the elevator.

One of the passengers inside the elevator posted a video of the incident and claimed that the elevator line had snapped.

The group can be heard talking with the crew as they attempted to open the door.  At one point one of the crew could be heard saying the group would not die if they had to be in there a little bit longer.

It took 45 minutes to get them out, during which time it was reported that one of the passengers fainted. 

A letter from Carnival to the members of the group read,

“This letter will confirm your discussion with Carnival Cruise Line (‘Carnival Inspiration’) personnel where you were informed that you will be disembarked from the vessel and not permitted to sail on board any Carnival Cruise Line vessel in the future.

This decision was based on your actions on the current cruise, which were a violation of the ship rules.  Interfered with the safety and/or enjoyment of other guests on the ship of caused harm to Carnival.

Your attempt to book a future cruise will result in cancellation and a possible loss of deposit monies.”

While you might be thinking this was an unfair judgement, it’s important to know there are two sides to the story.  The cruise line told Sun Online Travel that the work to free the passengers was made worse by the damage to the doors and cabling caused by the group.

Read more: Cruise elevator guide: 16 rules for surviving the madness

Final Thoughts

Cruise ships offer incredible vacations at excellent value.  Don’t get banned.  It’s just not worth missing out on what could be the best getaway of your life. 

Of course, we’re a little biased.  We started Cruise Fever because we had — well, “Cruise Fever”.   

Use this list of real stories as inspiration to follow the rules and use some common sense.  It’s not a how-to-guide on getting kicked off a ship.

Related more on cruising: 10 things cruisers most often ask from their cabin stewards

After 116 days into 2024, Royal Caribbean Group’s CEO just announced, “We only have about 12% of load factor left for the year.”

During the Q1 conference call, CEO Jason Liberty touted an “exceptional” year already saying,

“We’re getting close to the point where we’ll soon be taking more bookings for ’25 than we are for 2024.”

Understanding “Load Factor” and Capacity on Cruise Ships

It’s important to note, however, that the “load factor” of a ship can and usually does go beyond 100%. 

100% capacity means that each cabin has at least two passengers.

But since many cabins (especially on a family-focused cruise line) will have three and four passengers, it’s typical for a cruise ship to sail at 105% or 108% capacity during peak season.  

With over 98,000 beds across 27 cruise ships in the fleet, Royal Caribbean has the largest number of berths in the business.

The word “berth” gets thrown around a lot in the cruise industry, but in this context, it simply means the number of lower beds in each cabin.

Read more: Which cruise lines have the most capacity across the fleet (total berths)

Financial Performance and Fleet Expansion

Q1 revenue for the cruise company was up 29% year-over-year, reaching $3.73 billion in the first few months.

Bookings in 2024 are outpacing last year even with less inventory currently available. 

Strong demand in the cruise industry hasn’t exactly taken Royal Caribbean by surprise, though. 

The company currently has two more Icon-class and two Oasis-class ships on order or being built, with the 5,668-passenger Utopia of the Seas debuting in July of this year.

2025 Bookings on the Rise Despite Dwindling 2024 Inventory

Even with a dwindling supply of cabins in 2024, bookings are not slowing down.    April bookings have been rolling in at double the rate of the first quarter.

Cruise Fever ran a recent poll in which we asked our readers, “How far in advance do you book your cruises?”  48% said they book 6-12 months out, with 30% saying 1-2 years out.

So, it makes sense that more bookings will start coming in for 2025 than 2024, especially with slim pickings still available in cabin categories.

Of course, there is still that 16% that said they book their cruises less then 6 months in advance that will fill up 2024 rather quickly.

But with 2024 filling up fast, more cruise travelers are booking further in advance, adding to bookings in 2025 and 2026.

“And so when we look into the booking behavior, one, the booking window continues to extend. So guests are making their decisions much further out,” Liberty said on the earnings call.

Royal Caribbean Group owns three cruise lines: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises.

Princess Cruises celebrated the christening of their newest ship this week, Sun Princess. Before the ceremony, Princess held a briefing for members of the media and they gave several new updates and features that are coming to their ships.

These updates include:

• A new VIP, ‘ship within a ship’, area on their newest ship
• Star Princess will sail to Alaska in 2026
• New Specialty Restaurant Opening
• Park19 Update
• Pitbull, Jason Aldean, Britto Partnerships

Here is a look at these five new updates coming to Princess Cruises.

Princess’ First Ship Within A Ship Concept

For the first time ever, Princess Cruises will offer a ‘ship within a ship’ concept on their newest class of ships that is called the Sanctuary Collection.

The Sanctuary on Sun Princess will no longer be available to book by everyone once the cruise line rolls out this new concept. It will become a private VIP area just for guests who book a Sanctuary Collection cabin.

The Sanctuary Collection will be offered on Sun Princess and Star Princess. It will debut on Sun Princess starting on October 14, 2024 and on Star Princess when the ship debuts in 2025.

Guests who book a Sanctuary Collection cabin will receive the following perks:

• Private access to the Sanctuary Club
• Premier Beverage Package
• Unlimited WiFi for four devices
• Daily gratuities
• Private restaurant just for Sanctuary Collection cabins
• Two nights of specialty dining
• Unlimited prix fixe meals at any casual dining location
• Free OceanNow delivery service
• Complimentary room service
• Reserved seating in the theater
• Unlimited digital photos
• And more

The Sanctuary Collection on Sun Princess includes 80 Signature Collection suites, 123 Mini Suites, and 12 Premium Deluxe Balcony cabins.

For guests who already booked one of these cabins that sail on or after October 14, 2024, they will receive the extra perks for free.

The Sanctuary Collection will only be available on Sun Princess and Star Princess. On every other Princess ship, the Sanctuary will be available to book by all guests.

Star Princess Headed to Alaska

Princess Cruises has announced that Star Princess will sail to Alaska during the 2026 season. These cruises will open for bookings on July 18, 2024.

Star Princess will be the second Sphere class ship from Princess and while the class is the largest in the cruise line’s fleet, they are able to sail through the Panama Canal.

Love By Britto Opening

Love by Britto is Princess Cruises’ newest specialty restaurant. It is unlike anything offered on land or at sea. It also offers the most incredible view on the ship overlooking the ship’s wake from Deck 17.

Artist Romero Britto is known for his colorful, bold style. This seven course dinner is created by Princess Cruises’ Head of Culinary Arts Rudi Sodamin and includes everything from lobster to caviar and truffles.

Love by Britto’s prix fixe menu will cost $149 per person and opens starting with the April 27, 2024 sailing on Sun Princess.

Love by Britto is currently only available on Sun Princess.

Park19 Opening Update

Park19 is located on Decks 19, 20, and 21 on Sun Princess that has everything from a ropes course to the Rollglider.

Sea Breeze is the first Rollglider on a cruise ship that offers panoramic views over the ship. This electric ride has speeds up to 11 mph that is also ADA accessible.

Princess Cruises confirmed to Cruise Fever that Park19 will open in the next few weeks.

Pitbull, Jason Alden, and Britto Partnership

Princess Cruises’ new “Love Line Premium Liquors” collection is a collaboration with Pitbull, Jason Aldean and Romero Britto.

They include Voli Vodka by Pitbull, Love Prosecco by Britto, and Melorosa Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon from Jason Aldean.

These premium spirits are currently available on Sun Princess but will roll out to all Princess cruise ships by the end of the summer.