Naming a Ship - Chinese Style

Technically, Ovation of the Seas just sailed around the world without a name. It arrived at Tianjin this morning at the end of its 54-day positioning cruise from Southampton, and this afternoon it was officially named at the Chinese port by its godmother, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing.



Left: Godmother Fan Bingbing and Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley


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

Other Things You'll Want to Know - June 24, 2016

CND subscribers also read about:

• Crystal Serenity passing US Coast Guard compliance tests it will need for its historic Northwest Passage voyage from Seward to New York in August. 
• Staffers at Carnival's UK headquarters in Southampton are worried their jobs will be affected with a shift of some of them to Germany in September. 
• We also have a step-by-step guide to how Koningsdam was built. 

Coast Guard inspectors observe crew members aboard Crystal Serenity as they test the capabilities of a crane and the hydrostatic release life raft in Juneau on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of US Coast Guard. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without permission.

There Is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch - or a Free Cruise

Last month four women went on a cruise that was paid for by some man none of them really knew - a friend of one of the women's sister. When they returned, they were all arrested for carrying packages of cocaine in their underwear. The incident is now coming to light because it's finally coming into the court system.

Beyond just the curiosity factor of this case, it does bring up a frightening point about the cruise ship and even our Customs and Boarder Protection, however.

The complete story appeared in the June 23 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Crystal Mozart Godmother Announced

Crystal River Cruises' first river ship, Crystal Mozart, will be named in Vienna on July 11. Ms. Elisabeth Gurtler has consented to be the ship's godmother.

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

Port Everglades Pilots Two Electronic Customs Programs

Passengers returning to Ft. Lauderdale's Port Everglades on Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International this summer may or may not speed through US Immigration and Customs, depending on how well a couple of new electronic programs work.

Port Everglades is the first US port to have the new programs, although versions are being tested in several airports.

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