Cruise News Refresh
Prepare to delve into Cruise Hive’s summary of the major voyage news advancements of the week.
Our reporting entails fresh insights into Carnival Cruise Line’s Celebration Key, the tale of a seafarer who forfeited her pricey booking after sharing her reservation specifics on social media, Carnival affirming its comeback to the Port of Baltimore, a traveler suing Ketchikan for injuries sustained on a city bus, Norwegian Cruise Line broadening its Asia-Pacific deployments, and Icon of the Seas encountering an electricity disruption.
Voyage Line Unveils Family Hub at Celebration Key
Carnival Cruise Line disclosed the particulars about Starfish Lagoon, the family-friendly sector of Celebration Key, the secluded spot in the Bahamas planning to unveil in July 2025.
The hub, one of five specific zones in the recent expansion, will showcase exhilarating rides like the 350-feet-long water slides Flash Flamingo and Mach III Marlin, along with pools and aqua activities for young ones in the Guppy Grotto, which will feature a shallow pool and tipping bucket.
The lagoon itself will stand as one of the largest freshwater reservoirs in the Caribbean, with a vast seaside area offering kayak and paddleboard rentals for saltwater enthusiasts.
Facilities for adults and groups encompass AquaBanas — floating cabanas accommodating eight individuals and providing shaded spaces. Traditional shoreline cabanas will also be available for rent. The Starfish Lagoon Sports Court will house volleyball, basketball, and pickleball courts, along with an array of board games.
Starfish Lagoon will incorporate various dining choices. An exclusive adults-only retreat is also in the works for Celebration Key, although neither its designation nor its features and services have been disclosed yet.
Carnival Cruise Line has recently put up a myriad of routes for sale, including stops at the new destination. Seafarers keen on visiting Celebration Key can select from a dozen vessels departing from eight US harbors in 2025 and 2026. Depending on the chosen ship, the itineraries range from brief 3-night escapades to extended 14-night cruises.
Identity Swindle Deprives Guest of $12K Caribbean Voyage
An unlucky sequence of events led to a major letdown for a pair who booked a Carnival Cruise Line journey aboard Carnival Celebration only to discover — a day prior to boarding — that their booking had been nullified.
Tiffany and Jamie Banks were primed for a lavish sea getaway in the vessel’s Excel Presidential Suite, commanding a voyage cost of $12,000. Furthermore, they had shelled out an extra $3,000 for various amenities and flight tickets.
Tiffany Banks shared details on TikTok about the 6-night Caribbean journey, commencing from Miami on May 18, 2024, as boarding day drew near, but committed a major oversight: She disclosed her booking ID and cabin number on the social media platform.
An unidentified and deceitful individual exploited that information to penetrate her booking on the voyage line website and revoke the reservation two days before departure. Tiffany, known as @thathippiedoc on TikTok, sensed something amiss when she received an email fromCarnival Cruise Line informed her that two tours had been canceled.
Upon contacting the company, the cruiser discovered the unfortunate reality that her entire reservation had been voided. As a victim of identity theft, Tiffany seeks reparation from the cruise line, which has currently provided a $10,000 credit for a future cruise.
Carnival Cruise Line Resumes Sailings From Baltimore
It’s official: Carnival Cruise Line is once again conducting operations from the Port of Baltimore, with effect from the departure of Carnival Pride on May 26, 2024. All services from the port were temporarily halted following a collision between a cargo vessel and the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the port entrance on March 26, 2024.
Carnival Pride manages Eastern Caribbean and Bahamas cruises from Baltimore, having relocated its homeport to Norfolk, Virginia, while efforts were made to reopen the shipping channels leading to the Baltimore port.
Carnival Legend was also impacted by the incident as it had left Baltimore the day before the collision. Consequently, guests had to disembark in Norfolk upon the completion of the cruise on March 31, 2024. Given that Norfolk is approximately a 4-hour drive from Baltimore, the port switch presented logistical obstacles for the cruise line and its passengers.
The first voyage of Carnival Pride from Baltimore will be a 14-day excursion to Greenland & Canada, setting sail on May 26, 2024, and including stops at Nanortalik and Qaqortoq in Greenland; St. Anthony and Corner Brook in Newfoundland; and Sydney in Nova Scotia.
Royal Caribbean also felt the impact of the port’s closure and recently declared that Vision of the Seas, which is based in Baltimore, would recommence operations there on May 25, 2024.
Cruise Guest Sues Alaskan Town After Scooter Injury
A 91-year-old cruise guest has initiated legal proceedings against the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, holding the Alaskan town responsible for an incident that occurred on September 9, 2023, while onboard a public bus operated by the borough.
Donald Gillingham and his wife, Patricia, disembarked from their cruise ship in Ketchikan, a popular stop in Southeast Alaska, and rented an electric scooter for Donald, who faced mobility challenges.
The incident occurred on a public bus when the unsecured scooter tipped over during a turn. Initially, the man’s injuries were not evident, but upon returning to their cruise ship—unnamed in the lawsuit—he was examined by medical personnel.
In the subsequent port of call, Juneau, the guest was hospitalized at Bartlett Regional Hospital, where it was determined he had sustained broken ribs and a punctured lung.
The couple, residents of Montana, is suing Ketchikan for damages, alleging that the bus driver failed to secure the scooter or provide instructions regarding its safety. The lawsuit claims damages exceeding $100,000.
Filed in federal court on May 8, 2024, the lawsuit does not place blame on a cruise line for the incident. Typically, post-disembarkation from a cruise ship, guests are responsible for their safety.
Cruise Line Expands Asia-Pacific Voyage Roster
Norwegian Cruise Line is heavily investing in the cruise markets of the Asia-Pacific and Australia/New Zealand regions, declaring the deployment of a record three vessels for approximately 90 journeys between September 2024 and March 2026.
The 1,944-guest Norwegian Sky, the 1,976-guest Norwegian Sun, and the 2,032-guest Norwegian Spirit will navigate a series of itineraries, featuring over 30 overnight stays in ports, including inaugural overnight halts in Bali and Lembar (Lombok), Indonesia.
Cruisers have a choice of 15 departure locations, including Bangkok, Thailand; Manila, Philippines; Papeete, French Polynesia; Seoul, South Korea; Singapore; and Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan, along with the new additions of Cairns, Australia, and Lautoka, Fiji.
From December 2025 to March 2026, Norwegian Spirit will be sailing voyages lasting between 11 to 14 days from Australia to New Zealand, while Norwegian Sun will be inaugurated in Australia in December 2024 with journeys ranging from 12 to 15 days between Australia and New Zealand, as well as across French Polynesia.
Starting in January 2025, Norwegian Sky will be introduced to the Asian market, embarking on a series of cruises in Japan and Southeast Asia until March 2025. In total, the ships’ itineraries, spanning from 9 to 19 days, will cover over 60 destinations.
Icon of the Seas Encounters Brief Power Outage
A momentary power failure struck Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas on May 19, 2024, while on a 7-night Eastern Caribbean trip departing from Miami. While temporary power interruptions on cruise vessels are rare, they are especially unexpected on newly commissioned ships like Icon of the Seas, which commenced service just four months prior.
Weighing in at 248,663 gross tons, Icon of the Seas is currently the largest cruise ship in operation, accommodating up to 7,600 passengers. Constructed at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, this mega-vessel was launched in late January 2024.
The power disruption, lasting between 10 minutes to an hour per reports, impacted the ship’s propulsion system, elevators, water slides’ pumps, and lighting in cabins and other areas.
The reasons behind brief outages can vary, including power surges, generator or engine maintenance, or electrical complications. The occurrence, said to have taken place in the early afternoon, was mentioned on social media but has yet to be officially confirmed by Royal Caribbean.
The incident took place during a sea day and did not affect the ship’s scheduled stops at St. Kitts, St. Thomas, and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Additional Cruise News
Those were just a few of the major cruise-related stories from the previous week. For more updates from Cruise Hive, explore the latest unveiling of more details about the anticipated inauguration ceremony for Queen Anne by Cunard; MSC Cruises’ decision to deploy nine vessels to the Mediterranean this summer; TUI Cruises’ arrangements for a sneak peek voyage of its newly constructed Mein Schiff 7; Oceania Cruises’ early launch of a new ship; and NOAA’s forecast for an active hurricane season in 2024.
