News

Royal Caribbean has added a brand new cruise port to several itineraries for ships in the Caribbean.

The port in question is Cabo Rojo in the Dominican Republic, which has only been open to cruise passengers since January 2024.

The port is in Pedernales on the southwestern coast of the island, close to the Jaragua National Park, which is home to the largest protected area of marine habitats in all of the Caribbean.

At the moment, the port has been added to several sailings on Adventure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas, with the potential that it may also be introduced to other ships soon.

The port visit is typically replacing sea days rather than other ports, although it is sometimes having a minor impact on the amount of time spent in other ports of call, as the ship needs to leave earlier to make it to Cabo Rojo in time.

While this is the first time Royal Caribbean is including the itinerary in sailings, it isn’t the first cruise line to visit – that was Norwegian Cruise Line.

Other cruises to Cabo Rojo are also now planned for Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises, and Azamara Cruises.

Cabo Rojo offers a number of experiences for guests to enjoy, including excellent beaches for sunbathing, excursions for snorkelling, hiking opportunities and more. It’s not as developed as many other ports, so there are lots of natural options to enjoy.

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Disney Cruise Line has several ships currently under construction, and the cruise line has now revealed some exciting details of Disney Destiny, which is due to join the fleet in 2025.

The ship’s inaugural sailing has been revealed for 20th November 2025, which will be a four-night cruise sailing from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.

The cruise will include stops at both of Disney’s private island destinations, Castaway Cay, and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.

The other ports being visited on the first cruise will be Nassau in the Bahamas, and Cozumel in Mexico.

Following this inaugural sailing, the ship will then offer a series of 4- and 5-night cruises from Port Everglades to the Bahamas and Western Caribbean.

All cruises will include a call to at least one of the two private island destinations, with some itineraries sailing to both.

Bookings for the inaugural season will open on 6th September 2024 for any members of the cruise line’s Castaway Club loyalty programme. They will then open to the general public on 12th September 2024.

The cruise line also revealed more details of the Cask and Cannon pub onboard, which will be themed around Pirates of the Caribbean.

Guests will be able to enjoy an extensive range of rums (including some rare options), meaning you’ll never have to ask “Why has the rum gone?” like Captain Jack did.

There’ll also be a range of custom-brewed beers served direct from the barrel, and themed treats such as drinks served from treasure chests.

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The Norwegian government has announced new regulations that will force cruise ships to run on net-zero emissions in order to visit the country.

The country plans on introducing the laws by 2026 for smaller vessels under 10,000 gross tons, which will include many ferries and tourist ships that visit the area.

But it will extend the rules so that, by 2032, large cruise ships must also be compliant.

In order to be compliant, ships will need to implement several technologies, including using alternative fuels such as bio-gas, and making sure they can connect to shore power to prevent emissions while docked.

The goal is to preserve the spectacular fjords and create sustainable tourism. The zero-emission requirement will drive technology development, reduce emissions, and ensure the World Heritage fjords remain attractive tourist destinations.

Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, Norway’s climate and environment minister

Norway has several fjords that are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which the country is obviously keen to protect.

To support the move, the government is helping to fund new shore power facilities in Flam, one of the more popular ports for ships in the region to dock.

Crucially, the Norwegian government recognises that this is a major undertaking, hence the longer-term planning and the emphasis on a gradual roll-out of regulations and technology. It understands that cruise lines can’t make instant changes, and that much of the tech needed is still being developed.

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Four passengers have been arrested at the end of their MSC cruise, accused of a major credit card fraud scheme.

Michael F. Emmanuel, Tyrisha Delgado (both from Boston), Devin Jones, and Quentin Marcellus Tuck (both from Beaumont, Texas) were all arrested when disembarking MSC Magnifica in Miami.

They were accused of trying to make large cash withdrawals at the onboard casino using fraudulent credit cards.

The onboard security team on the ship detected suspicious activity from the passengers, and alerted US Customs and Border Protection, who then ran a deeper investigation into the transactions.

This revealed that the three credit cards registered by the guests for the cruise were all flagged for being fraudulent. Later searches of the guests’ belongings, after their arrest, revealed evidence of an organised fraud scheme.

The four were arrested with a $2,500 bond. They have all pleaded not guilty and requested a trial by jury.

Cruise fraud cases such as this are not unheard of. In November 2023 four guests onboard Carnival Celebration were arrested for using stolen credit card information.

And on another cruise earlier in 2023, a woman was arrested after a cruise on Oasis of the Seas where she used eight stolen cards to spend over $22,000 onboard.

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Disney Cruise Line has made the proactive decision to skip Amsterdam on an upcoming cruise itinerary, due to the ongoing protests in the city.

Disney Dream has a 7-night sailing departing 1st September 2024 that would’ve included a call at the capital of the Netherlands, but now instead she will have an extended overnight stay at Zeebrugge in Belgium.

The cause is the protests by Extinction Rebellion that have impacted several cruise ships in recent weeks, causing long delays for passengers.

“Due to issues outside of our control at the port in Amsterdam, there is a significant possibility that the ship will not be able to dock, resulting in a missed port day.

“Because of this, we have made the decision to modify your sailing and spend the additional day in Zeebrugge.”

Disney Cruise Line letter to guests

Royal Caribbean and Ambassador Cruise Line have recently tried to avoid issues with the protestors by cancelling other ports or cutting short cruises to return to Amsterdam early, but both still suffered delays.

The protests are being led by Extinction Rebellion, who claim that cruise ships are damaging the port city and the wider world.

Disney Cruise Line has probably acted wisely in avoiding the port altogether, and it remains to be seen whether other visits to the Dutch capital from other cruise lines will also be cancelled in the short term.

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Cruise lines have confirmed they currently have no plans to remove the port of Ketchikan from cruise itineraries, despite the tragic landslide at the port which killed a local resident….

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Cruise lines have confirmed they currently have no plans to remove the port of Ketchikan from cruise itineraries, despite the tragic landslide at the port which killed a local resident.

The landslide occurred on 25th August 2024 and damaged several homes in the community as well as taking the life of one resident, and injuring three others.

The town is a popular cruise port for guests on Alaskan cruises, and social media saw several debates around whether cruise ships should continue to visit as the community mourned and struggled with the damage of the landslide.

Several argued that ships should skip the port, and allow the residents time to recover. Others argued that the town relies on tourism and that several local business owners would be hit hard if ships didn’t visit the port.

So far, Norwegian Cruise Line and the Carnival Group (Carnival, Holland America and Princess for Alaska cruises) have confirmed that, following discussions with the local authorities in Ketchikan, the ships will continue to sail to the port.

“Our thoughts are with the people of Ketchikan impacted by the tragic landslide. Ketchikan is a valued partner for our Alaska vacations, and our cruise lines are working directly with the borough government on how we can best help as well as any changes we should make in our planned visits.

“Based on that consultation, there is no change in our scheduled calls. However, it is likely that some planned shore excursions will change or be cancelled, and we are communicating directly with our guests on any changes. All decisions will prioritize the safety of our guests and team members as well assuring we are not impeding any ongoing recovery or repair efforts in Ketchikan.“

Carnival Group statement

It’s not clear what caused the latest landslide and the Ketchikan mayor has confirmed they’re working with specialists to identify the causes of increased landslides in recent times.

In November 2023, a landslide in nearby Wrangell tragically took four lives. Landslides in Alaska that result in loss of life or injury are extremely rare, but they often cause problems for businesses and can block major roads too.

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Royal Caribbean has confirmed that it has ordered a fourth of its record-breaking Icon-class ships, with potential for a fifth and sixth.

The fourth Icon-class ship is due for delivery sometime in 2027, and will follow Star of the Seas in 2025 and a third, as-yet-unnamed ship in 2026.

The cruise line also confirmed that it has booked options for a fifth and sixth Icon-class ship – meaning the space is booked into the shipyard in advance, should the cruise line decide to go ahead.

Just as with the previous Icon-class ships, the fourth will be built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

“Building on the incredible momentum and market response to the launch of Icon of the Seas and the excitement for its sister ship, Star of the Seas, coming in 2025, we’re thrilled to join with Meyer Turku once again to expand our roster of Icon Class ships and continue our future growth plans.

“Since its debut, Icon has changed the game in vacation experiences and exceeded our expectations in both guest satisfaction and financial performance.”

Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty

Any new cruise ship will generate a buzz but the fact that Royal Caribbean is expanding the fleet with more ships that are the biggest in the world – just as it did with the prior Oasis-class – will excite loyal fans even more.

And of course, the fact that bigger ships continue to be built demonstrates the growing demand for cruises, with more capacity needed to keep up.

There are also rumours that Royal Caribbean may soon announce new smaller ships – currently with the rumoured name of the Discovery Class – to also cater for those who aren’t a fan of the giant super-ships such as Icon of the Seas and her sisters.

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Carnival Vista continues to suffer delays due to ongoing engine problems, with a third itinerary within a month now impacted.

The ship has been undergoing repairs for several weeks now but is still cruising at the same time. At the peak of the issues earlier in August, this resulted in an entire itinerary being changed.

The problems have still not been rectified ahead of the latest 8-night cruise to the Caribbean, although the impact on guests is less severe.

The ship will, for now, continue to call at the planned ports including San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands.

However, the arrival times and length of time in each port will be impacted.

“We have been working hard to address an issue that was impacting the ship’s cruising speed. We were hopeful that the issue was resolved but we’re not quite there…

“We are working on a new plan to make some additional repairs. We will be able to keep the remaining ports of call on our itinerary but will make some modest adjustments to our time in port to allow us to return to Port Canaveral in good time.”

Carnival Vista captain Francesco Florentino, in a letter to guests

The ship was originally due to visit San Juan from 10.30 am until 6.30 pm. That will now be reduced with a new arrival time of 1.30 pm, although the departure has been pushed back by one hour to 7.30 pm.

The visit to St. Maarten has been shortened by an hour, with a delayed arrival time of 10 am, and no announced change to the departure time.

And while the ship is scheduled to arrive in St. Thomas on time, she will depart an hour early, to make sure she’s able to reach the homeport at Port Canaveral on time.

The cruise line is awarding guests a $50 onboard credit per stateroom as an apology, and is automatically adjusting any shore excursions booked through the cruise line.

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Princess Cruises has adjusted the prices of daily gratuities onboard cruises, raising all prices by $1.

As is common with small gratuity price increases, the cruise line has not made any official announcement about the change.

The change impacts all cruises from now, but will not apply to any guests that are already sailing.

And while it hasn’t been confirmed by the cruise line, it’s unlikely to impact guests who’ve already prepaid their gratuities for an upcoming cruise – usually, these are classed as “paid” and the difference is not added to guests’ accounts.

The new prices will see guests in staterooms (balcony, ocean view, and interior) paying $17 per person, per day.

Guests in Mini-Suites, Reserve Collection, Club Class or Cabana Staterooms will pay $18 per person, per day.

And guests in suites will pay $19 per person, per day.

This means that a family of four staying in an inside stateroom for a 7-night cruise will now pay $476 in total for gratuities – an increase of $28.

This only applies to guests who’ve booked a standard fare. Any guests who book a Princess Plus or Princess Premier fare will have their daily gratuities covered.

The price of Princess Premier recently increased by $10/£10 per person, per day, meaning the gratuity increase accounts for 10% of that price increase.

The price of Princess Plus hasn’t changed, making it even better now that the gratuities have increased in price.

While the daily gratuities will be added to all guests’ accounts, they aren’t mandatory, and guests are able to adjust or remove them if they wish.

It’s not recommended, as there are many crew members behind the scenes who rely on the gratuities, but passengers can speak to guest services onboard if they wish – but only prior to paying. Gratuities can’t be refunded.

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The Royal Caribbean Group has announced a change to the rules surrounding free cruises granted to casino players, with a deposit now required for all bookings for guests who’ve previously no-showed.

Guests on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises sailings are often invited to enjoy free cruises, if they spend enough money in the casino onboard during past cruises.

It makes sense for the cruise line, because they will often make more money from those guests when they return and play more in the casinos.

However, there have been some issues with guests no-showing their cruise, meaning that there are empty beds on the cruise ships that could otherwise have been filled.

As a result, those guests have been contacted and told that, in future, they must pay a $200 deposit to secure their free cruises.

It only applies to guests who’ve no-showed or who have cancelled within two days of a sailing date, but it will apply to all future bookings from 5th September 2024 onwards for those guests.

If the guests do board the ship, the $200 deposit will be converted into onboard credit for them to enjoy. If they cancel with at least seven days’ notice, it’ll be refunded. But, if the guests cancel at short notice or no-show the cruise, the deposit is forfeited.

While it may be controversial for those impacted guests, on the outside the move makes sense, as it’s not fair on the cruise lines to award free places to guests who then no-show a room that could otherwise have been sold.

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