Flying around Costa Smeralda

The 185,000-ton Costa Smeralda glided into Savona, Italy on Friday directly from Meyer Turku, ready for her first cruise on Saturday. It probably still has that new ship smell.

Carnival P_N_R_M_ Is Named (Do you need to buy a vowel?)

Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White has officially named Carnival Panorama at Long Beach yesterday in a ceremony befitting her letter-turning day job.

The complete story appeared in the December 11 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Princess Reached for the Sky on Saturday

Sky Princess was officially named in Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday in a ceremony whose theme was “Reach for the Sky” and honored the women of NASA.

The ship was named by her godmothers, astronaut Captain Kay Hire and NASA engineer Poppy Northcutt.

The complete story appeared in the December 9 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Being Very Forward

Seabourn has revealed an interesting design feature of their new expedition ship, Seabourn Venture. The ship will have a new lounge in the bow that will bring passengers close to the water in an ideal place for spotting marine life.

It will also have some unique technology that will give passengers a different perspective on the ship's voyage and its navigation.

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

Rendering courtesy of Seabourn Cruises. All rights reerved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Smooth Sailing for Scarlet Lady

Virgin Voyages' first ship, Scarlet Lady, has successfully completed two rounds of sea trials, and the interior finishing process is now proceeding.

Virgin founder Richard Branson went aboard the ship to look around in Marseille. You can go with him in the video below

Details appeared in the December 5 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Yet Another MSC Ship Reaches a Construction Milestone

Over the weekend, Chantiers floated out MSC Virtuosa at their Saint Nazaire yard. It marks the line's third major shipbuilding milestone within a month.

MSC Virtuosa is the second Meraviglia-Plus ship. (The just-christened MSC Grandiosa was the first.) It is scheduled for delivery in October 2020.

The complete story appeared in the December 2 issue of Cruise News Daily.

Photos courtesy of Chantiers de l'Atlantique. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

A Middle-of-the-Night Medevac

The US Coast Guard once again demonstrated this morning, that the people aboard a cruise ship don't need to have any connection to the US for the US Coast Guard to step in and help them. As we pointed out a couple weeks ago, you usually think of the US Coast Guard being called on by US-based ships and flying in to help an American who boarded in an American port, but the Coast Guard routinely rescues people aboard ships just passing by US coastlines.

Late last night (Monday at 10:45pm), Coast Guard watchstanders received a call from Marella Explorer 2, which most of us will remember as the former 71,500-ton Celebrity Century, asking for assistance medevacing a 29-year-old Filipino crew member who had suffered a heart attack. Marella is the British-based line which used to be Thomson and is now owned by German travel conglomerate TUI.

What makes the operation even more impressive is that the crew had to fly to the ship 50 miles off the coast of St. Coix from their base in Puerto Rico on the moonless night using night-vision goggles with the only light in the area coming from the ship itself. The video below was shot with the same technology. 

Details appeared in the November 26 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

The Original Is Back!

After a two-month dry dock, the newly “amplified” Oasis of the Sea returned to service over the weekend from Miami with a bunch of new and updated features, bringing the ship up to and beyond Royal Caribbean's newest ships.

The complete story appeared in the November 25 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Ryndam Won't Be “Nieuw”

Another dam ship is on the way. Fincantieri laid the keel for Ryndam at their Marghera yard today and announced they will reuse the name “Ryndam” for it, the previous ship by that name having left the fleet in 2015. This ship will be the third in the Pinnacle-class series and a sister to Koningsdam and to Nieuw Statendam which was delivered last year. Ryndam is scheduled to be delivered in May 2021.

The first block that was lowered into the dry dock at the ceremony today will be a 500-ton part of the ship's midsection that measured 14 meters long by 35 meters wide. There will be a total of 85 blocks that make up the ship.

The complete story appeared in the November 21 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Photo courtesy of Fincantieri. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

The Restaurant Where Your Food Can Look Back at You

When choosing the dining experiences for Mardi Gras which will debut next summer, Carnival wanted something new and different for their customers that would be as sophisticated as their steakhouses, and that's when they settled on a seafood restaurant.

Since Carnival is all about fun, who better to create the restaurant, they reasoned, than master chef Rudi Sodamin whose most recent cookbook (the latest of a dozen) is “Food Faces,” which is about making your food into edible “portraits” (faces)?

Details appeared in the November 21 issue of Cruise News Daily.

NCL Adds Silver Cove to GSC

Norwegian Cruise Line was the first to have a private island (Great Stirrup Cay). Then they were one of the first to embrace the ship-within-a-ship concept. Now they seem to be taking that concept one step further by having a private-island-within-a-private-island.

The line, this week, unveiled their new Silver Cove resort area of Great Stirrup Cay. In addition to an exclusive 1,500-foot beach, its main feature is 38 beachfront villas in addition to a Mandera spa, a new Moet Bar and the Silver Cove Restaurant and Bar.

The video below takes a look at the entire upgraded Great Stirrup Cay.

Mardi Gras Will Be a Real Roller Coaster Ride

Carnival revealed more details today about Bolt, the first roller coaster at sea. It will debut aboard Mardi Gras next August. Carnival made the reveal, appropriately enough, at annual International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Conference in Orlando, because with the addition of Bolt to rest of their outdoor recreation attractions, cruise ships have become something of seagoing amusement parks.

Details appeared in the November 19 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Carnival Has Been Cooking up a Surprise Feature

Carnival Panorama was delivered last week and is now crossing the Atlantic on its month-long positioning journey to Long Beach, and word comes that Carnival has been keeping one of the ship's new features a secret.

Carnival Kitchen, a complete kitchen and dining facility, will offer Carnival Panorama's passengers more than 15 onboard cooking classes.

The complete article appeared in the November 14 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Where's Oasis?

In case you've missed Oasis of the Seas, it's been hiding out in a dry dock in (Cadiz) Spain for almost two months getting updated - or “amplified” as Royal Caribbean calls it by some 2,700 contractors who have been working hard aboard the ship. The work is touching almost every space on the ship over its 63 days out of service, and the “amplification” will make the 10year-old ship seem new again.

The complete story appeared in the November 12 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Celebrity Xpedition Grounded

Local media in Ecuador reported that the 2,300-ton Celebrity Xpedition ran aground on a sandbar in the Galapagos Tuesday afternoon about 5:40pm. While there doesn't appear to be damage to the ship, passengers had to be removed from the ship to refloat it.

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

Costa Firenze Floated Out

Fincantieri floated out the 135,500-ton Costa Firenze at their Marghera yard today. The ship is the sister to Costa Venezia which was built at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard and entered service last March.

Look quickly, because Costa Firenze, like her sister, is designated to operate in the Chinese market for the foreseeable future.

Details appeared in the November 6 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Photos courtesy of Costa Crociere. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.  

Planting the Norwegian Flag in Alaska

Princess and Holland America have both been closely identified with Alaska - and have become leaders in the market - because of their highly visible infrastructure investments there - ground tour operations, hotels and rail operations. Now Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which helped the market explode when the Norwegian Cruise Line brand pioneered the Seattle homeport with more easily accessible cruises (from the US) - is stepping up its infrastructure investments in the 49th state.

The difference is that NCLH's investments are less visible and giving it an advantage over its competitors in booking their ships into the ports.

The complete story appeared in the November 5 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Amazing View

For many years, helicopters have given us amazing aerial views. They are expensive, so despite the spectacular visuals, their use is limited. Now we have drones which are relatively inexpensive to own and virtually free to operate. They can also go where helicopters can't.

As evidence, take a look at the amazing drone video Royal Caribbean has released of Oasis of the Seas in dry dock in Cadiz. The b-roll was shot mainly to show the extensive renovation work being conducted on the ship's top deck, but it also shows some outstanding views of the ship itself and some interesting detail of the dry dock.

This story appeared in the November 5 edition of Cruise News Daily.

NCL Details Norwegian Sun Upgrade

Norwegian Cruise Line today detailed plans for a $100 million refurbishment of Norwegian Sun, the most extensive in the line's history. The bow-to-stern renovation will extend to all dining venues, staterooms, and public areas, adding many new features.

The work will take place during a 40-day dry dock in Marseille beginning January 2, 2020.

The complete story appeared in the October 28 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Other Things You'll Want to Know - October 28, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• An additional delay for Costa Smeralda's delivery, pushing the inaugural cruise back to December 21.
• Carnival Sunrise arrived at Ft Lauderdale ready to homeport there for its winter season
• Negligent homicide charges were filed against the grandfather of an 18-month-old girl who fell through an open window to her death on Freedom of the Seas when it was in San Juan in July.
• The Coast Guard ended their search Saturday evening for a 26-year-old man who went overboard from Carnival Dream last Thursday evening.  

Details appeared October 28 issue of Cruise News Daily.

What People Are Saying

Yesterday we showed you the maiden arrival of Ruby Princess in Sydney today (which was yesterday in the US). Today we want you to hear what people are saying about it. But these aren't just any people. The sound bites on the b-roll are from Princess' SVP of Asia and the Pacific, Chef Curtis Stone (who has a restaurant on the ship), the NSW Minister of Tourism, and Ruby Princess' Captain. We put this video up because these people all actually had something interesting to say, as opposed to just something about it going to be a wonderful cruise season.

Ruby Princess will be homeported at Sydney until May 8.

A (Ruby) Red-Letter Day

It must be summer Down Under. There's a steady stream of cruise ships arriving in Australia for the peak (austral) summer cruise season.

This morning (actually early tomorrow morning Sydney time) Ruby Princess arrived in Sydney for its maiden arrival there.

Details appeared in the October 22 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Gone to Pieces

Windstar's Star Breeze is currently at Fincantieri's Palermo yard and ready to be reassembled. Upon its arrival at the yard, the ship was cut in two, and in the milestone reached today, the pieces were pulled apart, and the prefabricated new center section was inserted between them.

Over the next four months, the three pieces will be reattached, but making this operation more challenging for Fincantieri than a “normal” lengthening, is that the ship is also being re-engined with a more powerful and environmentally-friendly engine.

The complete story appeared in the October 17 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Photos are courtesy of Fincantieri. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Fincantieri Cuts Steel for 2022 Cunard Liner

Fincantieri cut the first steel today for Cunard's next ship, which will be the line's second-largest ever, but as with many things Cunard, it wasn't typical.

The event took place at Fincantieri's Castellammare di Stabia Shipyard near Naples. The twist in this ceremony is that the very first piece of steel cut today won't actually be used in the construction of the ship, but it will be in the ship. It will be fashioned into a sculpture by acclaimed sculptor Sam Shendi.

The complete story appeared in the October 11 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Wonder of the Seas Begins to Take Shape

As Chantiers de l'Atlantique laid the keel for Royal Caribbean's fifth Oasis-class ship in Saint-Nazaire (France) today, halfway around the world, Royal Caribbean was announcing details about the ship and its deployment at a trade conference in China.

The ship will be named Wonder of the Seas, and when it enters service in 2021, it will be dedicated, at least initially, to the Chinese-sourced market and homeported at Shanghai.

The complete story appeared in the October 10 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Photos courtesy of Chantiers de 'l'Atlantique. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

Medevac from Carnival Valor

The US Coast Guard came to the rescue again early Tuesday morning when they hoisted a 23-year-old man and the ship's doctor off the deck of Carnival Valor in the early morning hours (5:45am) when the ship was about 65 nautical miles off the coast of Venice, Louisiana.

The Coast Guard got the call from the ship at 1:14am saying the man had fallen aboard the ship and had what the Coast Guard said were “multiple significant injuries.” The Coast Guard dispatched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and crew from their station in New Orleans.

The Wonder of MSC

Just when your attention was on what storms are sneaking up on us next in the Caribbean, MSC Meraviglia (whose name means “wonder”) sailed into New York today, becoming the largest ship ever to call there.

The two-year-old ship is 171,598 gross tons carrying 4,488 passengers in double occupancy.

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

What to Get the Visitors Bureau that Has Everything

Princess Cruises has presented the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau with a specially-crafted totem pole to celebrate the line's 50th anniversary of sailing to Alaska.

Details appeared in the October 3 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Masters of the Sea

Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

Seabourn Square Design Revealed for Seabourn Venture

Even though Seabourn is still almost two years away (June 2021) from their first expedition ship, Seabourn Venture, they have begun to release some of the design details.

Since it was first introduced on the other five Seabourn ships, Seabourn Square has been a popular gathering place for Seabourn passengers. That feature will be an integral part of Seabourn Venture and its sister, although designer Adam Tihany will give it a new twist for the smaller ships.

The complete story appeared in the October 3 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Renderings courtesy of Seabourn Cruises. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

Norwegian Encore Down the River

Norwegian Encore has arrived at Eemshaven at the completion of its river conveyance from Meyer Werft in Papenburg. The ship is now ready for its sea trials in the North Sea.

The complete story appeared in the October 1 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Keel Laid for MSC Seashore

Fincantieri laid the keel today for MSC Seashore at their Monfalcone yard (near Trieste). Although they still put the coins under the keel in today's ceremony, this was a bit different because the cruise line actually released a lot of news at the event.

The complete story appeared in the September 19 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

The first block of MSC Seashore is lowered into place in the dry dock at Fincantieri's Monfalcone yard. 

Two gold coins were placed below the keel before it was laid. 

Photos courtesy of Fincantieri. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Finally Perfect

Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas is 28 years old, and she finally did something she's never done before. Majesty of the Seas attained a perfect score on its surprise public health inspection by the CDC. It usually scores in the mid-to-upper 90's, but never has it reached 100 before the inspectors came aboard on September 9.

Details appeared in the September 19 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

The Best Laid Plans

Meyer Turku has some bad news today for Costa. They need to push the delivery of Costa Smeralda back a month from next month to November. Of course, that means reworking of all of Costa's inaugural plans.

The complete story appeared in the September 16 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

A Majestic Arrival

Majestic Princess arrived in Sydney Tuesday morning (Australian time) just before dawn to kick off the 2019-2020 summer cruise season.

Majestic Princess, Princess Cruises' newest ship (until next month), has spent the northern summer months in China and Asia and is returning to Australia for their summer season for the second time.

Details appeared in the September 16 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Finally!

Royal Caribbean announced today they will seasonally homeport Odyssey of the Seas at Ft Lauderdale beginning in November 2020. It will be the first Quantum Ultra-class ship sailing in North America. (The only other one, Spectrum of the Seas, is based in China.)

The complete story appeared in the September 13 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

They Will Have No Stripes but They Will Have Red Sneakers

Virgin Voyages is out to change as much as they can about cruises to appeal to non-cruisers. Since they call their passengers “sailors,” they wouldn’t want their crew members to look like sailors or even just crew members, so stuffy old uniforms that other cruise lines give their shipboard employees just wouldn’t do.

Instead Virgin has hired maverick British fashion designer Gareth Pugh to design their uniforms. There will be no epaulets or stripes. Instead, look for touches such as custom red unisex sneakers by PLAE.

The complete story appeared in the September 13 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Photos courtesy of Virgin Voyages. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

Trial Run

Princess Cruises reports that their next ship, Sky Princess, completed sea trials at the end of last month in the Adriatic.

The complete story appeared in the September 10 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Photo courtesy of Fincantieri. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Floating in Italy

Last week saw an important moment in the life of a ship. Fincantieri floated Silversea's Silver Moon for the first time at their Ancona yard.

Silver Moon is the second in the three-ship series the luxury line will have constructed by Fincantieri. Silver Moon will be delivered next summer. The first in the series, Silver Muse, was delivered in 2017.

The complete story appeared in the September 9 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Photo courtesy of Fincantieri. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

Word on the Caribbean Street

If you are sailing from Florida on one of the Carnival brands, it seems you'll probably have a new port to visit in the not-too-distant future. Caribbean media is reporting that Carnival Corp is on the verge of announcing a new cruise port on Grand Bahama Island.

Carnival has confirmed to CND that the project is moving forward, but they aren't ready to talk about details at this point.

The complete story appeared in the August 23 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

How It Works - Medallion Net

Princess has been excited about rolling out Medallion Class to their passengers. It works on Medallion Net, a superior upgrade to regular wi-fi and internet connections that have been available on cruise ships. It's such a better system, Princess has been making Medallion Net available as quickly as they can across the fleet, even ahead of offering Medallion Class on each ship.

We've explained how it works, but Princess has just released a new video that makes the explanation clearer with the use of graphics.

You can watch the video below.

This story appeared in the August 23 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Sprucing up the Kiwis' Home

Princess Cruises' Australian branch launched a new program to support local community interest in the destinations they visit and give passengers an opportunity to connect with them.

The first beneficiaries of the new “Princess Local Partnerships” will be New Zealand's Kiwis (the birds, not the fruit) around the Bay of Islands.

The complete story appeared in the August 22 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Norwegian Encore Makes Its Debut at Meyer Werft

Norwegian Encore made its debut at the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg Saturday when it was floated out of their giant covered building dock.

   A float out at a shipyard is always a big event, but it's a bit more dramatic at Meyer Werft. At other yards it's a big deal because it's the first time the ship has ever touched water. Then a day later or so, the ship is actually floated (and towed) out. It's been built in full view of everyone. The big deal in the float out is basically symbolic.

   At Meyer, the ship and/or pieces of it have been floating for some time because of the way vessels and pieces of them have to be moved around in covered building dock. It's been somewhat visible in photos and on the webcam, but because of the close quarters, it's impossible to really see the whole ship. Where the drama comes in at the float out, it's usually the first time the public has seen the entire ship, and it's usually dramatic.

   In the case of Norwegian Encore, it's colorful. This time the line has gone with a bright geometric pattern for the hull art rather than the whimsical sea creatures in blues and greens of late. There are photos below.

The complete story appeared in the August 19 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Photos courtesy of Meyer Werft. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

Meyer Begins Production of AIDAnova 2

Meyer Werft cut the first steel today at their Papenburg yard for the second ship in AIDA's Nova-class

The ship will be a sister to AIDAnova which will be powered by clean-burning Liquified Natural Gas.

The complete story appeared in the August 15 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Photo courtesy of Meyer Werft. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

All That Jazz

Sky Princess will be delivered in October, just three months away, and Princess is still revealing major new features. Today the line said Sky Princess (and next summer, Enchanted Princess) will have a jazz theater, the only ones at sea, called Take 5.

The complete story appeared in the July 30 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Rendering of Take 5 aboard Island Princess

Renderings courtesy of Princess Cruises. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Meyer Turku Cuts Steel for Costa Toscana

The first steel was cut today at Meyer Turku for Costa's second LNG-powered ship, Costa Toscana. The 180,000-ton ship will be a sister to Costa Smeralda which will have entered service this fall.

Details appeared in the July 30 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Cunard & Julien's Team Up for Baseball Exhibition

Sports fans crossing the pond this September can have a once-in-a-lifetime treat courtesy of Cunard and Julien's Auctions.

The famous auction house will give passengers aboard Queen Mary 2 an opportunity to view sports memorabilia like you've never seen before. The rare items will be displayed in a daily rotating exhibition on the September 15 voyage from New York to Southampton.

The complete story appeared in the July 25 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - July 25, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• Episode 11 of Crystal's Culinary Journey with Chef Jon Ashton (below)
• Both ships scheduled to make calls in San Juan today visited without incident following the resignation of the island's governor.

Details appeared in the July 25 issue of Cruise News Daily.

Seabourn Reveals Dining Options on Expedition Ships

Seabourn's passengers are used to having the best. When the luxury line's new small expedition ships debut in June 2021 and May 2022, they will each only have 132 suites, but they are going to have many dining choices for the passengers.

There will be an amazing eight dining “experiences” (as Seabourn calls them) to tempt the passengers whether they are in the mode for a full meal, just some pastry or even some fresh sushi.

The complete story appeared in the July 24 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - July 24, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• Windstar's new video and 14 new itineraries in the South Pacific
• Today's update on conditions in San Juan

Details appeared in the July 24 issue of Cruise News Daily.

Exploring Ocean Cay

Anticipation is building for the opening of Ocean Cay, MSC's private island in the Bahamas, in November. The transformation from an industrial sand extraction site to lush marine reserve is nearing completion. The island will be completed with dining and bar facilities to make for a fun day in the sun (and sea) for MSC's passengers.

In the past, we've shown you how the island is being developed, but now MSC has released a video rendering of just what it will all look like as you explore the island.

The complete story appeared in the July 19 issue of Cruise News Daily.

Crew Gratitude

Former Carnival president Bob Dickinson resisted the introduction of restaurant-style seating in the line's dining rooms because he felt the relationship that develops between passengers and their waiter as well as other crew members, such as the stateroom steward whom you interact with regularly, is very important to customer satisfaction.

Today, Bob is in retirement and restaurant-style seating in the dining room has to co-exist with flexible seating, but passengers still develop relationships with the crew members, and Carnival has different type of gratuity system than it used to be where you put cash in an envelope and hand it to your waiter, but something hasn't changed. Crew members still value their customers and appreciate the gratuities.

The complete story appeared in the July 18 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - July 18, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• Carnival Panorama completing sea trials
• Despite ongoing political unrest in San Juan, Royal Caribbean returned to San Juan today for the first time in three day with the scheduled call of Allure of the Seas
• Seabourn announced a new champagne partner

Details appeared in the July 18 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Carnival Panorama on sea trials this week

Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permisssion. 

Boka Vanguard Lifts Carnival Vista

On Saturday (July 13), outside of Freeport, Boka Vanguard lifted Carnival Vista out of the water and transported it to Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport. It will hold it out of the water, acting as a floating dry dock, for servicing of the Azipod propulsion system.



Video courtesy of Bosjakus..All rights reserved.

Alley-OOOOOP!

When Carnival Vista finishes its current cruise, its off to dry dock for repair of its two Azipods, one of which has been keeping the ship from attaining normal cruising speed and has necessitated modifying the itineraries. It will be out of service for a couple of weeks causing the cancellation of three scheduled sailings.

There are few dry docks in the region that can handle a ship the size of Carnival Vista, and fewer that have the expertise to do this kind of work. Normally, the most logical place to have the work done would be Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, but as you may remember, its large dry dock was damaged in an accident when a crane collapsed on Oasis of the Seas several weeks ago.

At the time Carnival announced Carnival Vista's repairs, Carnival said they were working on a repair solution with ABB (the manufacturer of the podded propulsion system). Carnival detailed that solution today and explained how the repair would be accomplished.

The complete story appeared in the July 2 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Claustrophobics Need Not Consider This Excursion

In the race to have the coolest luxury amenities, Seabourn is definitely pulling ahead on their expedition ships. Today they provided details of the seven-person submarines that will be carried aboard each of the two ships.

The complete story appeared in the July 1 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Rendering courtesy of Seabourn Cruises. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permissin.

Voyager Is Next

Royal Caribbean announced plans to “Amplify” Voyager of the Seas similar to what they have done with other Voyager-class ships, adding new and updated features while at the same time doing a general refreshment of the ship. What's significant about the $97 million project in this case is that upon completion in November, the ship will be going to the Australian market, a market into which a lot of companies are pouring resources.

The complete story appeared in the June 27 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Welcome Back, Jack

Very few lines can celebrate their one hundredth anniversary of anything, but Cunard already has a whole list of centennials. An upcoming one in November is the 100th anniversary for operating their signature route from Southampton to New York, which they will mark with a special transatlantic crossing of Queen Mary 2.

Equally impressive is that Cunard has former employees who started with the company as little more than children and now at 100 years old can come back and visit today's ships.

Details appeared in the June 27 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

99-year old former Cunard bellboy John ‘Jack’ Jenkins during his visit to Queen Mary 2 in Southampton.  John joined the Cunard Steamship Company in 1933 & his first job was as a bellboy and lift operator. One of his main jobs was to open the doors for the first class passengers in the dinning saloon working on the famous Cunard liner RMS. Mauretania,

Photos couresty of Cunard Line. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

Longer Means New Layout

MSC opened the next Seaside-class ship for reservations today, but since it's the first of the next generation of the class, the line also released some new details of the class.

The complete story appeared in the June 26 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Star-Class Ships to Have Anthony Sasso Restaurant

Windstar Cruises has partnered with noted Michelin-starred chef Anthony Sasso to open three restaurants aboard their renovated Star-class ships. “Cuadro 44 by Anthony Sasso” will open first aboard Star Breeze in February 2020, followed by Star Legend and Star Pride later in the year.

Details appeared in the June 26 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Royal Caribbean Expands on Land

Royal Caribbean seems to be on their way to providing an answer to customers who think there's nowhere different to go. They are going to create their own destinations.

The complete story appeared in the June 25 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Enchanted Crew

Princess has chosen their leadership team for Enchanted Princess which will enter service at Civitavecchia on June 19, 2020. Together they have more than 160 years experience serving aboard Princess ships.

They will be led by Captain Nick Nash (who will bring the ship out) and Captain Gennaro Arma.

Details appeared in the June 25 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Celebrity Flora Will Leave Just a Tiny Footprint in the Galapagos

Celebrity's megayacht, custom designed for service in the Galapagos Islands, Celebrity Flora, finally arrived in Ecuador after a month-long transit from the shipyard in the Netherlands and was officially named today. The event revolved around the ship's eco-friendliness, and to highlight that, the ship's godmother was environmental advocate and former World Wildlife Fund International president Yolanda Kakabadse.

The complete story appeared in the June 24 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Below is some b-roll video which will give you a look around the ship, inside and out. 

The Salmon Are Running on Holland America

Last week the first catch of Copper River king salmon from Alaska arrived in Seattle and Holland America took delivery of it to supply the Pinnacle Grills on Eurodam, Oosterdam and Amsterdam, their three ships sailing to Alaska.

The complete story appeared in the June 21 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Spice-y Video

Former Spice Girl Geri Horner has made a video with Richard Branson to promote Virgin Voyages' Rock Star Suites.

In the video, Horner is giving the Mega Rock Star Suite the mega rock star test.

Details appeared in the June 21 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

MSC's Ocean Cay Moving toward November Opening

It's just four months until MSC ships in the Caribbean will be making regular stops at Ocean Cay, the line's new private island in the Bahamas. When I say “new” I really mean “new.” The lush tropical resort has been created from literally nothing. The island was a barren industrial site. Today, that transformation is nearing completion.

A big part of the work is restoring the island's and its surrounding water's ecosystem. Just like the island's resort beach facilities, restaurants, spa and cruise pier which are springing up, the wildlife is already returning to the island and the surrounding waters.

The complete story appeared in the June 20 issue of Cruise News Daily.

Azipod Trouble to Take Carnival Vista Out of Service

Carnival Vista is sailing a bit slower due to trouble with one of the pods of the ABB Azipod propulsion system. The line is adjusting the next two sailings to accommodate the slower attainable speeds, and then will take the ship out of service for 17 days while the three-year-old ship goes to dry dock for repairs.

Details appeared in the June 20 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Eat, Drink and Be Casual aboard Mardi Gras

If sandwiches and snacks are your thing, it sounds like Mardi Gras is your ship. Carnival today revealed more of the food and beverage outlets aboard their upcoming vessel, and it seems most are focused on a delicious take-away type of dining rather than alternative sit-down restaurants.

The complete story appeared in the June 19 issue of Cruise News Daily.

Meyer Starts Mardi Gras Assembly

Carnival Cruise Line's Mardi Gras has begun to move from concept to reality today with the keel laying at Meyer Turku in Finland. The event put the first 750-ton block of the ship, numbered block 3C, into place in the dry dock. In maritime tradition, with it were good-luck coins.

The complete story appeared in the June 18 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Other Things You'll Want to Know - June 18, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• A passenger drowning aboard Caribbean Princess
• Crystal naming a captain for Crystal Endeavor 

Details appeared in the June 18 issue of Cruise News Daily

Not Your Grandfather's Igloo

Holland America Line officially opened the new 99-room wing of their McKinley Chalet Resort hotel on Friday in Alaska.

Fifty-four of the rooms in the new Ridge View building are junior suites, the first at the hotel.

The complete story appeared in the June 17 issue of Cruise News Daily.

Other Things You'll Want to Know - June 17, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• A rate increase is proposed for cruise ships transiting the Panama Canal.
• Carnival has new fun for people in Atlanta. 

Details appear in the June 17 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Carnival has new fun for Atlanta Braves fans

Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Lucky Bowl-ing

This new Carnival option has nothing to do with strikes and spares - but it is all about noodles and rice.

Carnival Sunshine is the first ship in the Carnival fleet to offer the new “Lucky Bowl” dining option in the Lido Marketplace, replacing the Mongolian Wok station.

The complete story appeared in the June 14 issue of Cruise News Daily 

(More) New Orleans Comes to Disney Wonder

Disney is going to expand upon the New Orleans theme aboard Disney Wonder which they started a couple of years ago with the Tiana's Place restaurant conversion. That restaurant has a French Quarter and jazz theme based on “The Princess and the Frog” story.

This fall, Disney will debut the French Quarter Lounge aboard Disney Wonder, and Disney says it will be a natural complement to dinner at Tiana's Place or the perfect destination for drinks and entertainment.

The complete story appeared in the June 13 edition of Cruise News Daily.

The Top of Mardi Gras

Carnival's new Mardi Gras is a year away from entering service, but today Carnival released their selections for the ship's senior officers. They should prove familiar faces to loyal Carnival passengers.

Details appeared in the June 13 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Original Artwork

We have a winner! Well, actually two winners. Or more precisely, a thousand winners. More than 13,000 people submitted photos to Princess Cruises' “Sea to Sky Princess” contest with Princess promising to more or less permanently display the best 1,000 aboard their new Sky Princess which will debut in October.

Princess asked their fans to submit photos from Princess destinations that embodied discovery and inspire exploration. The top 1,000 which they chose would become artwork displayed in the corridors and staterooms of Sky Princess.

The grand prize winner was Carol Lahnum from Juneau, Alaska, who submitted a photo of Brown's Cave at Mendenhall Glacier (shown below at left). Princess employees also submitted photos in their own contest, and the grand prize winner of that competition was Mark Harris, who is based in Seattle. He submitted a photo of a hidden cafe in Mykonos, Greece (below, right).

The complete story appeared in the June 12 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Photos courtesy of Princess Cruises. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - June 12, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• A coming restaurant aboard Norwegian Encore
• A different type of medevac from Island Princess
• All about how Princess' new Medallion Net works

Looking for Somebody New (and Funny)

Keep your eye on social media for Carnival's latest fun. The line has partnered with Thrillist to create a new “mobile-first” video series called “Island Hoppers.”

The complete story appeared in the June 10 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - June 10, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• A passenger going overboard from Norwegian Epic
• A protest that delayed Zuiderdam
• A behind-the-scenes-look at Royal Caribbean's new helium balloon ride.

Details appeared in the June 10 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Norwegian Getaway Completes Refurbishment

Norwegian Getaway has just returned to service after its extensive “Norwegian Edge” refurbishment, and European passengers are the first to experience it on the Scandinavia, Russia and Baltic itineraries.

The complete story appeared in the June 7 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

More Than They've Been Letting on

Another party was heard from today when NCLH revealed exactly how much not being able to go to Cuba is going to cost their brands. Again, as they've been asked in the past, they've downplayed how the importance of the market to them, saying how little of their capacity was involved in the market.

But when they published the numbers, it turns out Cuba was worth even more to Norwegian than it was to Royal.

Details appeared June 7 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Seabourn Venture Construction Begins

T. Mariotti cut the first steel today for Seabourn's first luxury expedition ship, Seabourn Venture, which will enter service in June 2021. The event took place in San Giorgo di Nogare, Italy, with Seabourn President Richard Meadows and T. Mariotti Managing Director Marco Ghiglione looking on.

The complete story appeared in the June 6 issue of Cruise News Daily.

Photo courtesy of Seabourn Cruises. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

The Cost of Canceling Cuba

In the runup to this week's cancellation of calls to Cuba, it seems that whenever cruise operators would be asked about Cuba, they would downplay the importance of Cuban cruises saying in the whole scheme of things, they have so much capacity to so many places, the capacity they have sailing to Cuba isn't very significant.

It may just be a blip on the radar, but Royal Caribbean said today it's a bit more of a significant blip than they have been letting on.

Details appeared in the June 6 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

More Time to Investigate

Apparently it takes longer to investigate an accident in Italy than anyone thought.

MSC had previously canceled this week's sailing of MSC Opera after last week's accident in Venice. While repairs were going to be completed earlier this week, MSC canceled the rest of the cruise so the Italian authorities would have plenty of time to complete their investigation.

MSC said today that the investigation still is not complete, so the line will cancel this weekend's sailings also.

Details appeared in the June 6 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Lines End US-Cuba Cruises

The US cruise industry halted their Cuban operations today after having the door was shut yesterday by the Trump administration, and they are doing it in a rather chaotic way.

They seem to only now be putting together actual alternative itineraries and programs.

Frankly, we've seen the industry respond much more efficiently and elegantly to the uncertainty of an impending hurricane than to this government order for which they were given a seven-week warning. They just didn't know the exact effective date.

The complete story appeared in the June 5 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

US Shuts Door on Cruises to Cuba

If you have been thinking about cruising to Cuba, but haven't done it by now, you probably won't be able to do it for the foreseeable future. Back in April, the Treasury Department began to close the door when they announced the new policy, but the cruise industry continued to operate until they were given more specifics about the restrictions and when they would take effect.

In an announcement today, the rules remained ambiguous, but it was clear, the end was coming as the press release specifically singled out cruise travel (among other types of non-family-visiting travel) was no longer allowed, nor was “group people-to-people travel” under which most cruise passengers qualified for their visas.

The press release said the new rules become effective tomorrow (June 5). And this afternoon Royal Caribbean became the first to begin canceling calls in Cuba.

The complete story appeared in the June 4 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Looking around Spectrum of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International's Spectrum of the Seas is the first of the new Quntum Ultra Class. Since it's dedicated to the Chinese market and based in Shanghai, most Westerners won't have an opportunity to see it. Take this opportunity to take a quick look around Spectrum and see her unique features as well as some of her familiar ones.

Trouble in the Canal

It was a quiet Sunday morning in Venice along the Guiadecca Canal. Passengers on the second day of their cruise from Verona were having breakfast in the outdoor restaurant atop Uniworld's River Countess which docked at the San Basilio dock along the canal. About 8:30am (local time) MSC Opera rounded the bend and the River Countess passengers had a nice view of the large (65,591 gross tons) MSC heading up the canal to the Venice Cruise terminal.

That was until something went wrong aboard MSC Opera and it went out of control directly toward the smaller river boat. MSC says the captain applied all the established required procedures (including the long warning blast of the ship's whistle), but the cruise ship grazed the San Basilio dock and collided with River Countess.

The complete story appeared in the June 3 issue of Cruise News Daily.

And Another Ship You Won't Be Sailing

Knowing that none of our subscribers are in China, it's a safe bet you won't be sailing aboard Royal Caribbean's Spectrum of the Seas as it is dedicated to the local market in China.

It has arrived at Shanghai, and was named today in a “grand naming ceremony.” Chinese celebrities, Xiaoming Huang and Angelababy, who also happen to be Royal Caribbean brand ambassadors, also became godparents of Spectrum of the Seas. At the ceremony today, they named the ship and bestowed a blessing of safekeeping over all those who sail on Spectrum.

Details appeared in the June 3 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

There's Been Something Missing When You Get Your Pizza

Of course you want something to drink with your pizza and Carnival now delivers it. When Carnival Cruise Line rolled out their Pizza Anywhere feature on their HUB app a few months ago, they promised you would soon be able to order a beverage with pizza delivery anywhere on the ship, and they have now “delivered” on that promise.

The complete story appeared in the May 30 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

What's Wrong with South Dakotans?

It's less than a year until Virgin Voyages sails their first cruise, and they've been taking reservations for several months. But they noticed something odd. They have reservations from across the USA - from every state in the union. It seems everyone is just waiting for the day Scarlet Lady will set sail - except people from South Dakota. They have no reservations from anyone in South Dakota. No one.

Details appeared in the May 30 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Ritz Orders Second Vessel

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has ordered a second ship from Vigo's (Spain) Hijos De J. Barreras Shipyard, the same yard where their first is under construction.

Details appeared in the May 30 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

A New Fun Partnership

Carnival Cruise Line has announced a new partnership with the Harlem Globetrotters, the world-famous basketball team, with Carnival becoming their official sponsors worldwide.

Known for their athleticism, theatrical stunts and comedic acts, the Globetrotters are a good fit with Carnival's brand of fun.

The complete story appeared in the May 29 issue of Cruice News Daily.

Wining in New Zealand

Crystal Cruises' “Culinary Journeys” video series takes a different turn in the seventh, and latest, episode. In this one Chef Jon Ashton explores New Zealand's signature wines.

Details appear in the May 29 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

One Million Australians Can't be Wrong

Carnival Cruise Line began their outpost operation in Australia just six years ago with one ship dedicated to the Australian market bringing Carnival's brand of fun Down Under. Now they have two based in Sydney with one being upsized in December, and they have reached an important milestone.

The line has just celebrated their one-millionth passenger.

The complete story appeared in the May 28 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Go to Court. Go Directly to Court. Do Not Pass Go.

Last month we told you that federal prosecutors were accusing Carnival Corp of violating their probation in a 2017 case in which Carnival pleaded guilty to violating environmental laws and discharging oily waste into the sea. Carnival paid a record $40 million fine in that case and was put on probation for five years. Last month, prosecutors charged that Carnival had been violating the terms of that probation essentially from the first day.

Judge Patricia Seitz made it clear she was unhappy with the situation and made it clear that she was disposed to punishing Carnival Corp severely at next month's hearing. One of the things she proposed is prohibiting Carnival brands from using US ports for a period of time.

Since then, Carnival Corp has retained new Miami-based attorney, David Markus, and last week prosecutors announced they had reached an agreement with Carnival and it will be presented for Judge Seitz' approval at a June 3 hearing.

Details appeared in the May 28 edition of Cruise News Daily.

MSC Matches Your Level

Loyalty programs are designed to keep you loyal to that cruise line by offering you benefits that you won't get if you sail on another cruise line because you haven't been sailing them to accrue their benefits. If you want to try a different cruise line, you have to be willing to take a step down. Until now.

If you are a member of another cruise line's loyalty program, with status on that line, you no longer have to step down to sail with MSC (and hopefully keep sailing with them). MSC is willing to match your status on “Brand X” with similar status (or higher) in their Voyager Club so you can see what MSC is all about and still have special perks.

The complete story appeared in the May 24 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Carnival Sunrise Named in NYC

Carnival made it official in New York today. Carnival Triumph has officially become Carnival Sunrise. Godmother Kelly Arison named the ship at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.

The complete story appeared in the May 23 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

Overboard from Carnival Fascination

Carnival reports that a passenger jumped overboard from Deck 10 of Carnival Fascination about 8am last Saturday (May 18) as the ship sailed from Barbados to San Juan.

Details appeared in the May 23 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Port Canaveral Inks New Deal with Disney

Disney has three new ships (Triton-class) being delivered beginning in 2021 (through 2023), and a new long-term contract with Port Canaveral will have at least two of them homeported at the Central Florida port for their first five years in service.

The new contract will give Disney the exclusive use of their new upgraded terminal and the possible use of a second terminal. In return, the line is guaranteeing more passengers and paying increased fees.

The complete story appeared in the May 22 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Look! Up in the Sky!

It's been seen above the South and on the West Coast, and even Arizona and Las Vegas. Now it's coming to New York City, New Jersey and Philadelphia. (Ben Franklin would be shocked.) Yes, the Carnival Airship is making its Big Apple debut.

The visit is to promote the New York debut of the transformed Carnival Sunrise, which will be officially named at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal on Thursday.

Details appeared in the May 22 edition of Cruise News Daily.

A New Oasis for 2019

It's hard to believe, but Oasis of the Seas is ten years old. That means it's time to update the ship with not only Royal Caribbean's newest features already installed on other ship but also with features which will debut on Oasis.

Royal Caribbean announced today Oasis will be “amplified” in a 63-day period beginning in September. The $165 million project will be completed when the ship returns to service on November 24, 2019.

The complete story appeared in the May 21 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Another Fatal Crash for Taquan

Taquan Air, one of the two airlines that carried Royal Princess passengers in the fatal floatplane crash in Alaska last week had another fatal crash near Ketchikan on Monday.

This one, however, had nothing to do with cruise lines, nor carried any cruise passengers. There were only two people aboard the plane this week, the pilot and one passenger.

Details appeared in the May 21 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Did Someone Say That Was Vegan?

Your meal may literally still be growing until just before Regent Seven Seas introduces a new range of menu items on October 1. On that day, the luxury line will be introducing a list of 200 new plant-based items across all its menus.

The plant-based items are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

The complete story appeared in the May 20 issue of Cruise News Daily.

Paradise to the Rescue

On its way back home to Tampa this weekend, Carnival Paradise received notification of a small boat sinking 13 miles off the coast of Cozumel. In the tradition of the sea of assisting other mariners in distress, the ship turned back to the small boat's location north of Cozumel.

Once there, it spotted the boat and put a rescue boat in the water. It picked up the single man aboard the boat and brought him back to Carnival Paradise.

Details appeared in the May 20 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Montreal Continues to Grow

The Port of Montreal's strategy to expand as a turnaround port is apparently paying off with the port expecting 76 calls this year from 24 ships of 17 different cruise lines.

The complete story appeared in the May 17 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

An E-Z-er Way to Pay for Your Cruise

For most people, the most painful part of their cruise is making the final payment. Holland America has a new program to take some of the pain out of it.

Their new EZpay program allows passengers to make interest-free payments so that they're paid up when final payment date comes.

Details appeared in the May 16 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Interesting New Hire at MSC

There's a new man with a familiar name at the top of MSC's F&B department. Jacques Van Staden has joined MSC's global team as Vice President, Food & Beverage and will be based at the company's global headquarters in Geneva leading all Food & Beverage activities for MSC Cruises worldwide

The complete story appeared in the May 16 edition of Cruise News Daily.
.

Carnival Completing Three Large Ship Repositionings

Carnival Cruise Line has repositioned three large ships into new markets with new year round home ports. Carnival Dream is now in Galveston. Carnival Valor, in New Orleans, and Carnival Sunshine is now at Charleston.

Of course the reason behind the moves is to give passengers fresh, new experiences on new ships and also to increase capacity where it's needed.

The complete story appeared in the May 15 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - May 15, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• Norwegian Joy setting a record
• A passenger being medevaced from Carnival Dream when it was 66 miles off the Galveston coast Monday night. (Video below)

Details appeared in the May 15 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Norwegian Joy Reenters Service in Alaska

Norwegian Joy was originally built specifically for the Chinese market. When Norwegian Cruise Line decided to shrink their presence in China and move Norwegian Joy to the North American market, they invested $50 million in “Americanizing” it. The ship went to Singapore for three weeks and then crossed the Pacific for its first season in Alaska.

Norwegian Joy just completed its first seven-night cruise in Alaska to rave reviews, and it's now on its second.

Part of the reason for those rave reviews is that the ship's makeover was more than just changing the signage and menus from Chinese to English. Norwegian made major changes. For example, many Chinese passengers go on a cruise because they want to shop for foreign goods (especially luxury goods), but Americans, on the other hand, go on cruises for different dining experiences and to socialize, so space devoted to luxury shopping was converted to restaurants and bars. Likewise, you can say good-bye to the bumper cars because that space is now a teen club.

The complete story appeared in the May 14 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Update from Alaska

Yesterday as events of the tragic mid-air collision of two float planes carrying Royal Princess passengers became known, there were constantly-changing reports. What at first appeared in reports to be two planes which were found intact with their passengers later was revealed to be wreckage scattered over George Inlet and the shoreline with some of the passengers actually missing.

Details appeared in the May 14 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Royal Princess Passengers Involved in Midair Collision of Sightseeing Planes

Two float planes collided in midair at 1:08pm (local time, 5:08pm Eastern Time) about eight nautical miles from Ketchikan that afternoon. Both planes were carrying passengers from Royal Princess.

The complete story appeared in the May 13 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

The Cruise Souvenir You'll Always Have

If you bring home a coffee mug you could break it or lose it. If you bring home a t-shirt it will wear out. Come home from AIDAnova and you could come home with an original Nori Storm tattoo - and that won't come off, even if you wash it.

Details appeared in the May 13 issue of Cruise News Daily.

Changes Made to Azamara Quest

Azamara Quest has returned to service after refurbishment in Singapore beginning in March. During the time in Singapore, some significant changes were made to the ship along with the normal refurbishment and freshening.

The complete story appeared in the May 10 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - May 10, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• Signs Cuba may be more lucrative for cruise lines than they have been letting on
• Royal Caribbean declares quarterly dividend

Details appeared in the May 10 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Coco Cay's Gain Is Southampton's Loss

British trade media is reporting that Royal Caribbean has confirmed they are canceling Independence of the Seas' summer 2020 program from Southampton and will be keeping the ship in Ft. Lauderdale.

Anthem of the Seas will continue to sail as scheduled for its summer 2020 season from Southampton.

The complete story appeared in the May 9 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Overboard from Amsterdam

A 69-year-old woman went overboard from Holland America's Amsterdam early Wednesday morning as the ship was sailing from Glengarriff, Ireland (on Ireland's west coast), to Ft. Lauderdale, the last leg of its 113-day world cruise.

Details appeared in the May 9 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Princess Expands West Coast Programs

Princess Cruises is going to continue their dominance of the West Coast markets during the winter of 2020-21 by adding a ship, Ruby Princess, which will be homeported primarily at San Francisco to expand cruises from there. Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver will also see more cruises sailing from there during the season.

The complete story appeared in the May 8 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - May 9, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• MSC bringing a new tapas restaurant to North America
• Eight out of ten parents say they feel guilty taking a vacation without their kids. But when their kids were surveyed, it turns out the kids don't mind at all. In fact, they kind of look forward to a little time away from Mom, as can be seen in the video below from Virgin Voyages which will be launching in 2020.

Details appeared in the May 8 edition of Cruise News Daily

Royal Caribbean Opens Perfect Day at Coco Cay

Royal Caribbean officially opened the upgrade to Coco Cay, called Perfect Day, over the weekend, but it was a bit anticlimactic because many of the attractions had been opened softly as they were completed over the past few weeks.

The upgraded facility is the first of what Royal Caribbean says will be the first of the Perfect Day Island Collection of next-level private destinations around the world, enabling the line to bring the private island concept to cruisers in other parts of the world, including Europe, Australia and Asia.

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

More Medallions

Princess Cruises has decided they will add six additional ships to Medallion Class next year, in 2020, in addition to the five they will have on the program by the end of this year.

That will bring the service to passengers sailing in the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Mexico, California Coast and on the World Cruise.

Details appeared in the May 7 issue of Cruise News Daily.

Like a Trip to Florence

Costa Cruises said today their second new ship dedicated to the Chinese market will be named Costa Firenze. The 135,500-ton vessel will be a sister to Costa Venezia, which entered service on March 1.

Costa Firenze is currently under construction at Fincantieri's Marghera yard for delivery in October 2020.

The complete story appeared in the May 6 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - May 6, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• A fender bender in Vancouver that damaged Oosterdam and Nieuw Amsterdam
• Norwegian Cruise Line choosing 30 teacher-winners in their Teacher Appreciate contest
• A bookkeeper allegedly embezzles from Silversea

Details appeared in the May 6 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Meyer Lays Keel for Odyssey of the Seas - Differently

Meyer Werft laid the first block of Odyssey of the Seas today at their Rostock/Warnemunde yard, Neptun Werft. That marks the beginning of the actual construction phase of the ship which is scheduled for delivery in the fall of 2020.

The complete story appeared in the May 3 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Photo courtesy of Meyer Werft. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.