Koningsdam to Have the Blues

When Holland America’s Koningsdam enters service, it seems like it might be fitting to update the expression to say, “The sun never sets on the Memphis empire.” Koningsdam will be the eighth ship in the Holland America fleet to have a B.B. King's Blues Club aboard.

As widely scattered as Holland America ships are around the world, and as many have branches of the iconic Memphis club - that statement about the sun never setting is quite possibly true.

The complete story appeared in the March 20 edition of Cruise News Daily.

MSC and Costa Cancel Tunis Calls after 17 Passengers Die in Terrorist Attack

The two cruise lines with passengers in the middle of yesterday’s terrorist attack at the Bardo Museum in Tunis were today finishing accounting for their passengers, helping those needing it, and considering where to go from here.

In the end, 17 passengers died in the attack, and 21 passengers were injured. Both lines - MSC and Costa - have canceled the rest of the year’s calls at Tunis, and other lines have begun to follow suit.

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

Carnival Aid Reaching Vanuatu

The crew of Carnival Legend delivering supplies

As we reported earlier, four Carnival Australia ships will be delivering relief supplies to the Vanuatu islands which were hard hit by Cyclone Pam a week ago. More supplies will likely follow on later ships.

Carnival Legend arrived at Santo on Thursday with bottled water, a generator and other needed supplies.

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

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

Two Ships in Port When Terrorists Strike Tunis

Some of the cruise industry’s worst fears about terrorism came true today in Tunis. Terrorists opened fire on innocent people in front of the Bardo Museum choosing their targets, according to media reports, because they were tourists, and they were identified as such by the fact that they were getting off tour buses from cruise ships.

Some who were escaping the chaotic scene in front of the museum by running into it were taken hostage there. Both attackers and police were killed as police brought order and freed the hostages, but some of the gunmen are believed to have escaped. Information coming out of Tunis is still changing constantly but the death toll among tourists now is reported to be 20, including Italian, Polish, German and Spanish citizens. Five police officers and two gunmen are also reported dead. At least 20 other tourists are believed to have been wounded during the attack.

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

Overboard from Carnival Triumph

Tuesday evening, a 54-year-old man was reported to Carnival to be missing aboard Carnival Triumph. The ship had left Cozumel earlier in the afternoon.

A review of video recordings confirmed the man had gone overboard north of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Details appear in the March 18 edition of Cruise News Daily.