A Tip for Room Service

Get ready. It appears that if you want the privilege of dining in your robe or underwear on some mass market lines, you may have to start digging down in your pocket. (Note to self: shop for underwear with pocket.) Several lines have started charging for room service, in one way or another.

They all have justification for it, and much of it seems reasonable.

In this CND article we look at what the cruise lines are doing and the different sides of the issue.

Borrowing from a Sister

Costa Cruises is just as confident of their product as sister line Carnival is. Costa has launched a money back guarantee, a first in the Italian market, modeled after Carnival’s Vacation Guarantee.

The new guarantee is the centerpiece of Costa’s new marketing program in Italy targeting potential customers who have never cruised.

The complete story appeared in the April 7 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Norwegian Cancels Sailing

Last week you read about Norwegian Star returning from dry dock with lots of new features. We also mentioned that among the work done below decks was a new hydrodynamic upgrade installed on the Azipod propulsion system. It mustn’t be working as well as planned. Norwegian said today they are canceling the ship’s April 12 sailing so it can go into dry dock in the Bahamas for repair.

The problem is not affecting the ship’s current Mexican Riviera sailing.

Details appeared in the April 7 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Open for Business

This morning, Pacific Dawn became the first cruise ship to bring passengers to Port Vila since Cyclone Pam devastated Vanuatu on March 13.

The 1800 passengers were greeted by something of a carnival atmosphere with a band on the dock, turning the arrival into a celebration.

The complete story appeared in the April 7 edition of Cruise News Daily.

It’s Tax Time Again

A few years ago, the State of Alaska began imposing a relatively large tax on cruise passengers with the idea that local communities would get a portion of it. At the time, the attitude of most Alaskans at the community level was that they held all the cards and if people wanted to come to Alaska, they (and the cruise lines) would just have to pay it.

It didn't work out so well because the cruise lines reduced capacity, and it really began to pinch the state's capacity before the state made up with the cruise lines and the capacity was restored.

Now the state legislature is considering setting up another confrontation, indirectly. The difference is that this time, if the ships leave, they probably won't be back. 

The complete story appeared in the April 6 edition of Cruise News Daily.