It’s time to double-check on all the most important cruise information from the previous week that Cruise Hive has reported on, together with protection on Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises.
Cruise Cruise Update
Here we go together with one other cruise information replace throughout the most important cruise strains, simply in case you haven’t had an opportunity to catch up. In this week’s round-up, Celebrity Cruises is making historical past by having brother as co-captains of its upcoming new ship, Norwegian decides to return to the previous muster drill process, Carnival warns passengers of delays resulting from a serious occasion, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship affected by engines points and extra Royal Caribbean information with a warning to friends concerning a ban in Mexico.
Brothers Will Co-Captain Celebrity Ascent
Celebrity Cruises is making cruise business historical past with the appointment of two brothers as co-captains of Celebrity Ascent, the road’s latest Edge Series-class ship that may debut in late 2023. The Greek brothers are veteran Celebrity officers with greater than 50 years of service to the cruise line between them.
Like ships that cross within the evening, co-captains Dimitrios Kafetzis and Tasos Kafetzis will serve three-month rotating assignments on Celebrity Ascent.
Their appointments mark the second time Celebrity Cruises has charted new territory on the bridge: The line in 2015 selected Kate McCue as captain of Celebrity Edge, making her the business’s first feminine cruise ship captain.
Captain Dimitrios has been with Celebrity Cruises since 1990, his brother since 1998. The two will share the helm of the three,260-guest ship, which is underneath building on the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Celebrity Ascent, the fourth within the line’s Edge Series, reached a serious building milestone on January 21 when it was floated out of the shipyard. Work on the 140,600 gross ton vessel continues at her mooring location, previous to sea trials later this yr.
Traditional Muster Drill Returns to NCL
In a communication despatched to journey companions, Norwegian Cruise Line has introduced that the simplified e-muster drill, which has permitted friends to finish a lot of their security briefing on-line after which test in to their muster station at their leisure on embarkation day, will probably be ending, efficient instantly.
“The safety of our guests and crew members is our number one priority. We continuously evaluate our procedures for providing detailed instructions on safety and security measures to our guests, and as such, have made the decision to reinstate synchronized muster drills on embarkation day across all vessels in the fleet,” the e-mail learn.
“This policy will go into effect immediately up each vessel’s next embarkation day.” Norwegian Cruise Line at present operates 18 vessels, together with the new Norwegian Prima, and each ship will probably be returning to the standard drill.
Guests aboard totally different Norwegian Cruise Line ships have reported “traditional” security briefings in current weeks, however this new communication confirms that no ships will proceed with the digital or e-muster course of.
The up to date e-muster, additionally referred to as digital mustering or the web security drill, was adopted by most cruise strains as journey cautiously resumed after the pandemic lockdown and cruising step by step restarted.
This helped reduce crowds and promoted social distancing. Now that different onboard well being protocols have ended, nevertheless, the logic behind a digital security drill not applies.
At instances, all cruise strains have skilled difficulties with the e-muster, comparable to friends failing to report back to their muster stations upon embarkation or an lack of ability to verify that friends have, actually, reviewed security info previous to setting sail.
Carnival Cruise Line PortMiami Delays
Carnival Cruise Line despatched out a letter on January 27, 2023, advising friends booked onboard Carnival Celebration and Carnival Horizon of quite a few avenue closures and heavier-than-normal site visitors in and across the metropolis of Miami on January 29. This is because of the Miami Marathon going down on the identical day.
Guests are suggested to schedule their journey plans in comparable to method that they arrive on the port at their scheduled embarkation time.
The Miami Marathon is an annual occasion in Miami, Florida, and is understood for attracting 1000’s of contributors and spectators. According to the official web site, the marathon will begin and end at Bayfront Park, situated close to the Port of Miami, the place the Carnival Celebration and Carnival Horizon are set to sail.
According to the letter despatched by Carnival Cruise Line: “PortMiami officials have informed us that the city will be hosting the Miami Marathon on the day of your embarkation. As a result, there will be numerous street closures and heavier than normal traffic in and around the city.”
The letter continues, “Since this could impact your commute to the port, we encourage you plan ample travel time to ensure prompt arrival within your pre-selected arrival appointment. If you purchased Carnival’s transfer services, please note that our transfer times may also be impacted. We are working closely with our transportation provider to offset any potential delays.”
According to Carnival Cruise Line, all friends should be on board their respective ships no later than 3:00 PM, or they won’t be permitted to sail.
Royal Caribbean Warns Guest on Ban in Mexico
Royal Caribbean is informing all friends crusing on relevant cruises of the lately enacted smoking ban in all public areas in Mexico, and the way it can influence vacationers.
All types of public smoking and consumption of nicotine merchandise, together with e-cigarettes and tobacco, have been banned in all public areas in Mexico. This consists of on seashores, in parks, city squares, pier areas, resorts, and different public areas, together with areas widespread with cruise vacationers.
It needs to be famous that non-public seashores, comparable to these related to independently-run resorts, can nonetheless allow smoking on the seashore or inside their very own areas, however particular person insurance policies might fluctuate. Designated smoking areas may additionally be accessible, relying on the vacation spot and native ordinances.
Royal Caribbean International is making certain that every one friends on their vessels are conscious of the ban and its doable penalties, by offering letters onboard previous to reaching ports of name in Mexico.
“As you go ashore in Mexico, please keep this in mind, as failure to comply may result in steep fines and/or being detained up to 36 hours,” a replica of the letter from Adventure of the Seas reads.
Penalties for violating the general public smoking ban could be fines as much as $550 (USD), whereas an older regulation, enacted in 2008, might entail jail time of as much as 36 hours. Exactly how strictly the ban will probably be enforced is but to be decided, because it simply went into impact on Sunday, January 15, 2023.
In truth, with greater than 3.6 million passengers visiting every year, Cozumel is the preferred port of name on the earth.
The smoking ban, nevertheless, is not going to diminish the recognition of visits to Mexico, and 1000’s of cruise ship calls will go to the nation in 2023 alone.
Royal Caribbean Ship Suffers Engines Issues
Engine issues onboard the Grandeur of the Seas have compelled Royal Caribbean to make a number of adjustments to the February 10, 2023 cruise crusing from PortMiami in Florida.
The modified itinerary for the February 10 crusing consists of an earlier departure from Miami, with the ship now departing at 3:30 PM as an alternative of 5:00 PM. Additionally, the deliberate cease in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has been canceled, and the keep in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, will probably be shorter.
In the letter, the cruise line acknowledged: “Due to speed limitations caused by a technical issue with one of the ship’s engines, we’ve had to modify our itinerary. We’ll now depart from Miami, Florida, at 3:30 PM, instead of 5:00 PM. Additionally, we’ll now have a Sea Day instead of visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico. While we will lose a little time in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, we’ve added extra time to explore Labadee, Haiti.”
The Grandeur of the Seas will now sail from PortMiami on February 10. The first port of name is Peurto Plata within the Dominican Republic, adopted by a shortened name to St Croix on February 13. The name to St. Kitts will proceed as deliberate on February 14, as will the decision to St Maarten the following day.
On February 16, the vessel will stay at sea as an alternative of visiting Puerto Rico. Finally, the vessel can have a barely prolonged keep in Labadee, Haiti, and return to Miami on February 19.
More Cruise Headlines
It was a busy week throughout the cruise business and Cruise Hive has all the time acquired you coated, we’ve acquired much more protection, together with a Carnival Splendor itinerary change for upkeep, Norwegian Cruise Line plans one other season in South Africa, an itinerary change for Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line to sail to Iceland and Greenland in 2024, a busy Wave season for Cunard Line, Royal Caribbean anticipating site visitors delays in Miami and hundreds extra.