Getting Ready for The Orchestra

MSC announced another winner of a free Caribbean cruise in their ongoing promotion to draw attention to MSC Orchestra's upcoming arrival in the US.

The 92,400-ton MSC Orchestra is the largest MSC has ever had in the Caribbean, and it will arrive at Ft. Lauderdale on January 2, for a winter season of 7-night Caribbean sailings.

The latest winner is Christina Joly of Lynnfield, MA. MSC is continuing to give away free cruises and other MSC logo merchandise to visitors to their special website promoting MSC Orchestra's arrival in the US. You can enter simply by visiting www.theorchestraiscomingtotown.com

Drug Seized on Returning P&O Ship

UK customs officers seized more than 65 pounds of cocaine when P&O's Arcadia docked at Southampton on Sunday. They arrested seven people involved; all were passengers aboard the ship, which was returning from a 23-night Caribbean cruise, and all listed addresses in the UK. Officials estimate the drugs were valued at almost $2.1 million.

Hurricane Omar Updates

Updated October 18 - 9am EDT

Hurricane Omar has moved out to sea and is no longer a threat to cruise ships.

The following itinerary changes were received from cruise lines (listed alphabetically by ship name):

Carnival Glory - departed Port Canaveral Saturday (October 11) - Grand Turk (on Thursday, October 16 - 8am-5pm) is being substituted for the St. Maarten call (on Wednesday) which was canceled. The new itinerary calls at Nassau (Sunday, October 12), St. Thomas (Tuesday, October 14) and Grand Turk (Thursday, October 16).

Carnival Triumph - departed Miami on Sunday (October 12). The itinerary has changed from an eastern Caribbean itinerary to a western Caribbean itinerary. The new itinerary calls at Half Moon Cay (Monday, October 13), Ocho Rios (Wednesday, October 15 - 7:30am-3:30pm), Grand Cayman (Thursday, October 16 - 7:30am-3:30pm) and Cozumel (Friday, October 17 - 10am-6pm).

Crown Princess - departed Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday (October 12). Ports have been rearranged and substituted to remain out of the storm's way. The eastern Caribbean itinerary originally called for ship to go to St. Maarten on Wednesday, St. Thomas on Thursday, and Grand Turk on Friday. It will now call at Grand Turk on Wednesday (October 15 - 7am-1pm), Ocho Rios on Thursday (October 16 - 9am-5pm) and Grand Cayman on Friday (October 17 - 7am-6pm).

Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas - departed Port Canaveral on Sunday (October 12). The eastern Caribbean itinerary has been changed to a western Caribbean program. The calls at St. Thomas and St. Maarten have been canceled. Instead the ship will remain at sea on Wednesday (October 15) and visit Grand Cayman on Thursday (October 16) and Cozumel on Friday (October 17).

For other weather-related information please see the cruise weather page on our main website at www.cruisenewsdaily.com

Tropical Depression 16

It doesn't even have a name, but Carnival Legend moved out of its way.

Tropical Depression 16 was moving through the Bay of Honduras yesterday and moved on shore today and dissipated so that it no longer even has tropical depression status.

Carnival Legend (which departed Tampa last Sunday, October 12) was to have sailed from its call at Cozumel on Wednesday evening to Thursday's scheduled call at Belize. Since it would have had to move close to the storm, the Belize call was canceled, and Carnival Legend remained in Cozumel overnight and will leave there at 4pm on Thursday headed to its scheduled call at Roatan on Friday.

The ship will then be back on schedule and will return to Tampa as scheduled on Sunday (October 19).

RCCL Personnel Change

Effective immediately Ian Bailey has assumed the position of VP of Investor Relations for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Bailey joined the company in 2000 and has been the VP of Corporate and Capital Planning for the past year and a half.

He replaces Greg Johnson, who previously served as AVP, Investor Relations and has assumed a new role within the company’s Corporate and Strategic Planning department.