Private Islands Aren't Just for Caribbean Cruises Anymore

Private islands and self-contain resorts have become a staple of the American cruise industry. Genting Cruise Lines announced today they will develop a private island in Asia (their home base) for their brands in Myanmar. The Lonely Planet travel guide selected Myanmar (the former Burma) as one of the top ten countries to visit in 2017.

Plans call for the development of a facility on MacLeod Island for the use of passengers of Genting's three brands: Crystal Cruises, Dream Cruises and Star Cruises. The Genting operation will be a self-contained resort (rather than a truly private island) much as is Royal Caribbean's Labadee or Carnival's Grand Turk Cruise Center.

MacLeod Island is located in the Myeik Archipelago in southern Myanmar, and features untouched tropical forests, unspoiled white sandy beaches and crystal blue waters.

The complete story appeared in the November 3 edition of Cruise News Daily.

The unspoiled beaches and forests that will be part of the Genting facility on MacLeod Island

Photos courtesy of Genting Cruise Lines. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Other Things You'll Want to Know - November 4, 2017

CND subscribers also read about:

• Carnival brands have all scheduled returns to Caribbean ports damaged by the September storms.   
• Carnival Corp reports employing almost all Bahamian workers at their private islands in the Bahamas

Details appeared in the November 3 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

T Minus 50 and Counting

Only 50 days left! No, not shopping days until Christmas. Fifty days until Miami enters the Seaside Era. And that means lots of excitement for Miami and the American market.

That's when the 154,000-ton MSC Seaside will have arrived, fresh from the yard, and will commence year round seven-night Caribbean cruises from Miami.

The complete story appeared in the November 2 edition of Cruise News Daily.



Video courtesy of MSC Cruises. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without permission.

Other Things You'll Want to Know - November 2, 2017

CND subscribers also read about:

• The reopening of Carnival's Grand Turk Cruise Center
• A medevac from Caribbean Princess

Details appeared in the November 2 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Carnival Ecstasy was the first ship to return to Grand Turk

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

Building for China

The Costa brand may have been the first western cruise line to enter the Chinese market back in 2006, but they're playing catch up in building ships specifically for that market as a handful of brands has already beaten them to it and have ships operating there with features custom-designed for Chinese passengers.

But Costa is ready to catch up and surpass as Fincantieri laid the keel today for the first of two Costa designed for China.

Costa held a coin ceremony today in which a commemorative coin was welded to the keel for good luck before Fincantieri laid the keel at their Monfalcone yard near Trieste.

The complete story appeared in the November 1 edition of Cruise News Daily.



Video courtesy of Costa Crociere.