News

Meghan Trainor, award-winning singer and songwriter, has been announced as the godmother for Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Utopia of the Seas.

Trainor will help to christen the ship in a spectacular 3-day ceremony that will be held onboard the ship and on the cruise line’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

It will include a performance by Trainor on the island, and her full headliner show held on the ship in the outdoor AquaTheater.

The cruise line is offering the chance for 52 cruise fans to attend the full 3-day ceremony in a competition – but you don’t have long to enter as the contest closes on 7th July 2024.

“It’s an incredible honor to join the Royal Caribbean family as godmother of Utopia of the Seas and set the tone for the parties to come. The best part is that we get to bring that weekend energy to the stage with my family and fans.”

Meghan Trainor

The choice of a full 3-night party for a christening ceremony, and the fact that 52 guests are being chosen to join the cruise, is a nod to the way Utopia of the Seas is being branded as the ultimate weekend experience.

So the ceremony will reflect the typical 3-night cruise itineraries being offered for guests who want to join a weekend cruise (4-night weekday cruises will also be available) and there’ll be one cruise guest for every weekend of the year attending the ceremony.

Utopia of the Seas’ inaugural sailing will take place on 19th July 2024, with the 3-day naming ceremony being held from 16th July.

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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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A 14-year-old boy has gone missing from a cruise ship in Germany after being permitted to disembark the ship alone.

Aydin Brown, from the US, left the Caribbean Princess alone when it was docked in Warnemunde, the port nearest Berlin, on 4th July.

He should not have been permitted to disembark alone, as he is a child, but it’s unclear how this mistake happened.

It’s reported that he had an argument with his grandmother on the ship before deciding to leave, though it’s unclear whether this is true.

He failed to return to the ship before it had to leave port, with CCTV footage appearing to show him at the train station, accompanied by a stranger.

Family members are posting updates on social media, concerned that he may have been lured away from the ship and potentially even abducted.

Brown’s mother has flown to Germany to assist police and to hopefully be reunited with her son – reports are that Princess Cruises has arranged the flight for her.

Brown is approximately 5’8″ tall. He has brown hair and eyes, and was last seen wearing a grey zip-up sweatshirt and dark trousers. He was carrying a black backpack with AMAZON written on it.

Police in Rostock are appealing for more witnesses as they continue their search.

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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.

Read more about me

A brawl between passengers on Carnival Paradise has been captured in a shocking video posted to social media.

It’s not clear from the video what caused the brawl – the person who filmed it was not involved. But it involved a group of people throwing punches and throwing chairs at each other.

Because of the nature of the fight, the video is age-restricted, so I can’t embed it – but you can view it here.

It took place in the Lido buffet, and it was a couple of minutes before the security team could reach the fight and separate the fighting passengers.

It happened on the last night of the cruise according to the passenger filming it, who had stopped by to get some pizza.

While the person filming it seemed quite enthusiastic about the fight in their narration, they did at least offer to help the crew with cleaning up the aftermath, which included overturned chairs and smashed plates.

Passenger fights aren’t too common on cruises but they can happen. Usually, guests involved in a big brawl will be kicked off the cruise but as this happened on the last day, they may have just been disembarked the following day.

However, they may have got themselves a ban from ever cruising with Carnival again.

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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.

Read more about me

Hurricane Beryl, the first official hurricane of the 2024 season, has already started to impact several cruise itineraries in the Caribbean.

The storm reached Category 4 status on Sunday, the only hurricane to ever do so in June. Typically the first hurricane in a season appears in early August.

She’s now considered life-threatening and is heading into the heart of the Caribbean, with the expectation that she will continue to power through the region throughout the first half of this week.

Already some cruise lines have communicated with guests to let them know of changes to their itinerary, including Celebrity Cruises and NCL, writing to guests to inform them of port changes.

For now no cruise lines have cancelled sailings – typically during hurricane season most ships will aim to sail, even if they completely change their planned itinerary to avoid the ports in the path of the storm.

Guests will be able to claim refunds for any excursions they’ve booked for cancelled ports, but typically they won’t be due any other compensation. This is a risk that guests take when booking cruises during hurricane season.

Of course, any guests who’ve booked travel insurance with optional missed port cover can claim on their policy, even if the ports are replaced with alternatives.

Any guests with cruises in the Caribbean during hurricane season are advised to follow social media accounts for their cruise line, and keep an eye out for emails, to stay on top of any updates to their 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.

Read more about me

Sun Princess has only been sailing for a couple of months but she’s debuted a brand-new restaurant – Love by Britto.

This latest speciality restaurant aboard Sun Princess offers a unique dining experience combining art and cuisine. It’s a collaboration between artist Romero Britto and chef Rudi Sodamin, featuring a seven-course menu that is both visually stunning and delicious.

Located on Deck 17, Love by Britto provides an immersive experience with vivid colours, bold patterns, and ocean views.

Romero Britto, known for his vibrant and colourful works, has helped to create a dining space that uplifts the spirit. His artwork adorns the walls, dinnerware, and napkins, creating a cohesive and immersive experience.

And chef Rudi Sodamin, head of culinary arts for Princess Cruises, has crafted a menu that complements Britto’s artistic vision. Each dish is a masterpiece in flavour and presentation.

The seven-course dining experience begins with elegant starters like Oysters with Lemongrass Kafir, Mirin, and Gold Flakes, offering a delicate balance of flavours and luxury.

Main courses are stunning in every way, and presented in heart shapes. Standout dishes include Tuna and Avocado with Pomegranate and Togarashi, Cappuccino of Wild Mushroom Soup, and Tail of Lobster Thermidor.

The meal concludes with heart-shaped desserts like Chocolate Lava Cake with Fresh Berries and Raspberry Cream, offering a perfect balance of sweetness and richness.

Reservations for the new restaurant can be made through the Princess app, with a cover charge of $79 per person.

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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.

Read more about me