Norovirus on Oasis of the Seas Brings It Home a Day Early

We haven't been reporting cases of norovirus lately because cruise lines have been able to deal with it so effectively that it seldom reaches the threshold any longer that the CDC classifies as an “outbreak” (3%). In all of 2018, there were only 11 “outbreaks” that they tracked, according to the CDC website, and it's highly unusual these days for a cruise line to ever miss a port or need to return early because of it.

We now have the first outbreak of 2019 necessary report to the CDC, and it has caused the ship to be barred from landing passengers in one port, and caused the cruise line to return the ship early for extra sanitation.

The ship is Oasis of the Seas, and the latest figures reported on the CDC website this afternoon are 385 passengers out of 6,285 (6.12%), and 17 crew members out of 2,169 (0.78%). Some media reports put the total this afternoon at 475.

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

Other Things You'll Want to Know - January 11, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• MSC finalizing plans at PortMiami
• Sniffing out drugs can be dangerous on the annual Holy Ship! charters

Details appeared in the January 11 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Waiting on Venice

Venice may be less of a familiar port on European cruises in the near future.

The first of the month, as part of their 2019 budget, the city of Venice enacted a 10-euro daily “entrance tax” for tourists, simply for entering the popular city crowded with tourists.

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

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

CND subscribers also read about:

• Berkshire Hathaway entering the cruise insurance market
• Seattle adding more shore power
• Sail O-Way on HAL

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

Cunard Beefed Up The Verandah

Cunard's elegant alternative dining restaurant, The Verandah, on all three of Cunard's Queens, has undergone a bit of a transformation on all three ships. It is now the Steakhouse at The Verandah with a new steakhouse-style menu.

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

Photo courtesy of Cunard Line. All rights reserved. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - January 9, 2018

CND subscribers also read about:

• Knowing who the King of Rock and Roll is in Australia without even mentioning his name

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

NCLH Orders Two Ships for Oceania

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings ordered two of a new generation of ships they have named Allura-class, for their Oceania brand today from Fincantieri.

The ships are scheduled for delivery in 2022 and 2025. They are similar in size to the line's newest ships, Riviera and Marina, which were also delivered by Fincantieri from their Sestri Ponente yard in 2012 and 2011.

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

Other Things You'll Want to Know - January 8, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• The unique way MSC has given us at home to follow the progress of their first world cruise
• Another crew member arrested for allegedly smuggling drugs

Details appeared in the January 8 issue of Cruise News Daily.

MSC Grandiosa Floats Out

Chantiers de l'Atlantique floated out MSC Grandiosa today at their Saint-Nazaire yard.

MSC Grandiosa will be the third ship of the Meraviglia design and the first of the Meraviglia-plus class. (If you are marking your score cards, the first two Meraviglia-class were MSC Meraviglia and MSC Bellissima.)

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

Other Things You'll Want to Know - January 7, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• Carnival delaying the implementation of their new room service charges
• New more luxurious brand of caviar for Seabourn passengers
• Adam Goldstein appointed CLIA Global Chairman

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