Princess Triple Header in Monfalcone

Fincantieri and Princess Cruises celebrated important construction milestones yesterday for three ships at the builder's Monfalcone (Italy) yard.

The complete story appeared in the February 15 issue of Cruise News Daily.

The first block of the keel of Enchanted Princess was laid

2nd Officer Kerry Ann Wright, the madrina, with Jan Swartz

Sky Princess at Float Out

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

Norwegian Epic Troubles Grow

After experiencing propulsion problems in the early part of this cruise on Monday and having to divert to San Juan, things seem to be getting worse on the way back.

After canceling their first to calls (Tortola and St. Thomas) and diverting to San Juan and crashing into the pier and damaging it, passengers were told yesterday they were skipping their one port left from the original itinerary (Great Stirrup Cay) and heading directly back to Port Canaveral.

Today they were given the news they were going to be twelve hours late arriving at Port Canaveral. 

Details can be found in the February 15 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Virgin's “Private Island”

Holland America has Half Moon Cay. Princess has Princess Cays. And Virgin Voyages will have the Beach Club at Bimini. But unlike other lines, ALL of Virgin's passengers will visit the Beach Club at Bimini.

The new line revealed today each of their cruises will include a call at their private resort on the Bahamian island of Bimini. The line says the Beach Club will rival the best beach clubs in Ibiza and Saint-Tropez.

The complete story appeared in the February 14 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Renderings courtesy of Virgin Voyages. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used with express permission. 

“I Do, I Do” a Thousand Times

Tonight (Valentine's Day) is a special night aboard Carnival Cruise Line ships, especially if you're married.

The line will be hosting its first fleetwide Vow Renewal Ceremony. Upwards of a thousand couples are expected to participate.

Details appeared in the February 14 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Moving Along

There's good news and bad news about Norwegian Epic. The good news is that after a more than 24-hour call in San Juan while some engine repairs were made, the ship was able to leave San Juan this evening.

The bad news is the passengers are spending a week aboard the ship and got to call at one port during that time, they are going right back to Port Canaveral without going to any of the ports that were on the original itinerary.

The complete story appeared in the February 13 issue of Cruise News Daily.

Other Things You'll Want to Know - February 13, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• Royal Caribbean canceling the February 24  sailing of Navigator of the Seas due to a delay at the shipyard. 
• Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd has declared a quarterly dividend. 

Details appeared in the February 13 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Epic Troubles

Norwegian Epic experienced a power loss Monday as it was sailing from Port Canaveral to Tortola. The ship reportedly had an engine failure which resulted in it having to sail at a reduced speed.

But that wasn't the end of the troubles for Norwegian Epic. It crashed into the pier when it arrived at San Juan. 

Details appeared in the February 12 edition of Cruise News Daily.

 

Into the New Millennium

Can anybody remember the turn of the millennium when we were all worried about Y2K? And then to mark the new millennium, Celebrity Cruises named their brand-new ship (and the first of the revolutionary new class) Celebrity Millennium. Can you believe that was 19 years ago?

At the end of last week Celebrity Millennium left the Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore and reentered service after a month-long transformation that updated the ship and made it into the stunner it was when was delivered at the turn of the millennium. It was the first of the class to undergo the Celebrity Revolution, a half-billion-dollar program to modernize the line's ships and give them the types of features found on the line's newest ship, Celebrity Edge.

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

At the Top of the Sky

When the new Sky Princess leaves the yard in October, she will debut with some 140 years of experience with Princess among the top officers which the line named yesterday. Many will be familiar faces among customers who enjoy sailing on the newest ships because they have taken several other ships out of the yard.

Leading the team will be the master, Captain Heikki Laakkonen.

Details appeared in the February 12 issue of Cruise News Daily.

“Sliding” into Sydney

When Carnival Splendor arrives in her new home port of Sydney in December, she will have a somewhat different profile than when she wraps up her Mexican Riviera cruises in October and sets sail from Long Beach for Singapore.

It has become almost a Carnival Australia trademark that whenever a ship moves to Australia, they add the biggest, baddest waterslide they can, and they have plans to do the same for Carnival Splendor.

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

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

Seven Seas Splendor Launched

Fincantieri launched Regent Seven Seas' Seven Seas Splendor at their Ancona yard on Saturday (February 9).

Details appeared in the February 11 issue of Cruise News Daily.

Properly Attired for Australia

When you say “Cunard bell boy,” an almost iconic image comes to mind. If not, think of the classic uniformed hotel bell boy from old movies. There, you have it.

To launch their two-month-long Australian season aboard Queen Elizabeth (a record), Cunard decided to bring their bell boys into the 21st Century - at least for the time they are in Australia - by dressing them in uniforms designed by the classic Australian brand R.M. Williams

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

The Classic Cunard Bell Boy 

Today's Cunard Bell Boy - at least in Australia

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