Rumors sometimes get embellished.
There's a posting on a bulletin board which quotes a second-hand source about an accident this week aboard Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas. According to the posting, which was posted by someone who had heard from someone aboard Freedom, who was not involved in the accident, a child received a head injury while riding the FlowRider surfing simulator. The posting went on to say that the ship returned to Montego Bay so the child could be receive treatment in a shoreside medical facility.
CND is still unable to confirm the details of the injury, except where the incident did not happen. RCCL spokesperson Cynthia Martinez tells CND that the child was injured in the H2O Zone (the family waterpark area), and not on the FlowRider.
We will update this item when more details are confirmed.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Carnival Adds Balconies, Suites
Carnival Cruise Lines announced plans today to add a total of 48 private balconies existing staterooms aboard Carnival Destiny, Carnival Triumph and Carnival Liberty.
Additionally, two new suites will be added to Carnival Liberty. This will be a new suite type for Carnival that is almost double the size of any of Carnival's existing suites. The new "deluxe penthouse suites" will be 750 square feet.
The work will be performed as the ships cycle through their regular drydocks over the next few months.
Details appeared in the October 3, 2008, edition of Cruise News Daily.
Additionally, two new suites will be added to Carnival Liberty. This will be a new suite type for Carnival that is almost double the size of any of Carnival's existing suites. The new "deluxe penthouse suites" will be 750 square feet.
The work will be performed as the ships cycle through their regular drydocks over the next few months.
Details appeared in the October 3, 2008, edition of Cruise News Daily.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Hurricane Kyle Updates
Updated Sept 29 - 3:30pm EDT
Hurricane Kyle is now over land and has dissipated.
Here are the itinerary changes announced (listed in alphabetical order by ship):
Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas - which departed New York on September 25. The call at Charlottetown on Sunday was canceled. Instead the ship will proceed to Quebec and have a two-day call there. The new itinerary calls at Sydney NS (Saturday, September 27), Saguenay River cruising (Sunday, September 28), Quebec (Monday & Tuesday September 29 & 30) and Halifax (Thursday, October 2). Explorer will return to New York as scheduled on Saturday (October 4).
Holland America's Maasdam - departed Boston on September 27. The call at Bar Harbor on Sunday (September 28) was canceled and the ship went directly to Halifax, arriving there early for an extended call.
Cunard's Queen Mary 2 - which departed New York on September 27. If QM2 had departed as scheduled, Cunard said it would have had to sail right in the storm, so departure from New York was delayed until 5pm on Sunday (September 28), allowing it to sail behind the storm and keep all the other ports in a revised order, except Portland Maine, which will be canceled. The rearranged itinerary is delaying the call at Saint John by a day (until Wednesday October 1) which was to have been a record-breaking day at the port with four ships in at once.
Royal Princess - departed New York on September 26: The ship overnighted at Boston on Sunday (September 27) and departed at 8am on Monday (September 28) for Saint John where she will arrive on scheduled on Tuesday (September 30) at 7am. The Bar Harbor call on Tuesday (September 28) was canceled.
Sea Princess - departed Quebec on September 23: The ship called on Halifax on Saturday (September 27) as planned but departed four hours early. The ship then headed out to sea on an easterly track to keep clear from the worst of the storm. The call to Saint John was cancelled on Monday (September 29), and the ship will return to her scheduled itinerary on Tuesday (September 30) in Bar Harbor.
For links to other related weather information, please see the cruise weather page on our main site at www.cruisenewsdaily.com.
Hurricane Kyle is now over land and has dissipated.
Here are the itinerary changes announced (listed in alphabetical order by ship):
Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas - which departed New York on September 25. The call at Charlottetown on Sunday was canceled. Instead the ship will proceed to Quebec and have a two-day call there. The new itinerary calls at Sydney NS (Saturday, September 27), Saguenay River cruising (Sunday, September 28), Quebec (Monday & Tuesday September 29 & 30) and Halifax (Thursday, October 2). Explorer will return to New York as scheduled on Saturday (October 4).
Holland America's Maasdam - departed Boston on September 27. The call at Bar Harbor on Sunday (September 28) was canceled and the ship went directly to Halifax, arriving there early for an extended call.
Cunard's Queen Mary 2 - which departed New York on September 27. If QM2 had departed as scheduled, Cunard said it would have had to sail right in the storm, so departure from New York was delayed until 5pm on Sunday (September 28), allowing it to sail behind the storm and keep all the other ports in a revised order, except Portland Maine, which will be canceled. The rearranged itinerary is delaying the call at Saint John by a day (until Wednesday October 1) which was to have been a record-breaking day at the port with four ships in at once.
Royal Princess - departed New York on September 26: The ship overnighted at Boston on Sunday (September 27) and departed at 8am on Monday (September 28) for Saint John where she will arrive on scheduled on Tuesday (September 30) at 7am. The Bar Harbor call on Tuesday (September 28) was canceled.
Sea Princess - departed Quebec on September 23: The ship called on Halifax on Saturday (September 27) as planned but departed four hours early. The ship then headed out to sea on an easterly track to keep clear from the worst of the storm. The call to Saint John was cancelled on Monday (September 29), and the ship will return to her scheduled itinerary on Tuesday (September 30) in Bar Harbor.
For links to other related weather information, please see the cruise weather page on our main site at www.cruisenewsdaily.com.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Alternate itineraries for Grand Turk-bound ships
Updated September 22
As previously reported, due to the damage sustained during Hurricane Ike, the Grand Turk Cruise Center will not be operational until October 8. The initial plan was to alter schedules on a week-by-week basis, but Carnival has settled on an ongoing schedule.
Carnival Miracle - sailing from New York on September 22, September 30 and October 8. Carnival will replace Grand Turk with Tortola. Note: Even though Grand Turk will be open on October 8, Carnival chose to replace Grand Turk on the October 8 sailing, but says they do not expect to repeat the substitution on any subsequent sailings.
Carnival Liberty - sailing on September 20. Carnival could not find an available alternate for Grand Turk, so the port call in San Juan will be extended to 6pm and the following day (which was scheduled for Grand Turk) will be spent at sea.
Previous changes:
Carnival Miracle - sailing from New York on September 14 - Replacing Grand Turk with Tortola: The new itinerary calls at San Juan (Wednesday, September 17), St. Thomas (Thursday, September 18) and Tortola (Friday, September 19). Miracle will return to New York on September 22.
Carnival Triumph - sailing from Miami on September 14 - Replacing Grand Turk with Nassau: The new itinerary calls at Half Moon Cay (Monday, September 15), St. Thomas (Wednesday, September 17), San Juan (Thursday, September 18), Nassau (Saturday, September 20). Triumph will return to Miami on September 21.
Updates will be added to this item as they are received from Carnival.
As previously reported, due to the damage sustained during Hurricane Ike, the Grand Turk Cruise Center will not be operational until October 8. The initial plan was to alter schedules on a week-by-week basis, but Carnival has settled on an ongoing schedule.
Carnival Miracle - sailing from New York on September 22, September 30 and October 8. Carnival will replace Grand Turk with Tortola. Note: Even though Grand Turk will be open on October 8, Carnival chose to replace Grand Turk on the October 8 sailing, but says they do not expect to repeat the substitution on any subsequent sailings.
Carnival Liberty - sailing on September 20. Carnival could not find an available alternate for Grand Turk, so the port call in San Juan will be extended to 6pm and the following day (which was scheduled for Grand Turk) will be spent at sea.
Previous changes:
Carnival Miracle - sailing from New York on September 14 - Replacing Grand Turk with Tortola: The new itinerary calls at San Juan (Wednesday, September 17), St. Thomas (Thursday, September 18) and Tortola (Friday, September 19). Miracle will return to New York on September 22.
Carnival Triumph - sailing from Miami on September 14 - Replacing Grand Turk with Nassau: The new itinerary calls at Half Moon Cay (Monday, September 15), St. Thomas (Wednesday, September 17), San Juan (Thursday, September 18), Nassau (Saturday, September 20). Triumph will return to Miami on September 21.
Updates will be added to this item as they are received from Carnival.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
From the different perspectives department:
Last week, Carnival Ecstasy left Galveston as Hurricane Ike was headed toward the port. The storm caused both a change of itinerary, to stay away from it, and delayed the return, first while the storm passed and then because the port was closed due to damage. While Carnival worked to find an alternate port for the ship, it went to New Orleans and disembarked passengers who wanted to fly home, and others stayed aboard the ship and ended the odyssey yesterday when the ship arrived in Houston.
Aboard the cruise was a group of 30 from the Wichita Falls Board of Commerce and Industry. (The group does different outings and is called "Just for Fun.") With the hurricane coming only four decided to cancel.
The group has now all returned home, and Tuesday the local news media began carrying the first interviews. It's interesting how they have entirely divergent perspectives. Two articles interview different people from the group, but they have entirely different outlooks. The first was in the local newspaper, the Times Record News. The person interviewed for that one seems to have a very balanced view that understands the situation and is accepting it in a very matter-of-fact manner. The second story is from the Texomas website (an outlet from a combination of three Wichita Falls TV stations) and quotes a gentleman, part of the same group, who enjoyed the company, but isn't at all happy with the way things were handled by Carnival.
These demonstrate why you shouldn't just accept one posting on a bulletin board or one article you read as speaking for the group. (How often have you seen someone say, "Everyone was complaining about it.")
For the record, contrary to what the second article says, it is safer to take the ship out when a hurricane is approaching since it doesn't sail through the hurricane, but rather stays far away from the strongest winds. Carnival was offering full refunds to passengers who asked for them, on the day of sailing, once the storm's path toward Galveston became clear.
Aboard the cruise was a group of 30 from the Wichita Falls Board of Commerce and Industry. (The group does different outings and is called "Just for Fun.") With the hurricane coming only four decided to cancel.
The group has now all returned home, and Tuesday the local news media began carrying the first interviews. It's interesting how they have entirely divergent perspectives. Two articles interview different people from the group, but they have entirely different outlooks. The first was in the local newspaper, the Times Record News. The person interviewed for that one seems to have a very balanced view that understands the situation and is accepting it in a very matter-of-fact manner. The second story is from the Texomas website (an outlet from a combination of three Wichita Falls TV stations) and quotes a gentleman, part of the same group, who enjoyed the company, but isn't at all happy with the way things were handled by Carnival.
These demonstrate why you shouldn't just accept one posting on a bulletin board or one article you read as speaking for the group. (How often have you seen someone say, "Everyone was complaining about it.")
For the record, contrary to what the second article says, it is safer to take the ship out when a hurricane is approaching since it doesn't sail through the hurricane, but rather stays far away from the strongest winds. Carnival was offering full refunds to passengers who asked for them, on the day of sailing, once the storm's path toward Galveston became clear.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)