Updates on the Royal Caribbean Cruiseship Anthem of the Seas, which is currently undergoing dry dock in Galveston.
The “cruise ship in the news recently” is a cruise ship that was involved in an accident. The accident resulted in one person dying and many people being injured.
Here’s your cruise news round-up, with all of the week’s breaking headlines from all of the major cruise companies. There’s a lot of fresh ship news, including the announcement of Carnival’s next ship’s name!
The most recent cruise news
Can you believe it’s already been another week of nonstop cruise news? Except for Australia, where we’ve received an update on further cancellations, the cruise industry has been making ahead in restarting cruise operations.
There’s also news about Royal Caribbean’s first LNG ship, Carnival’s Mardi Gras having a very busy inaugural voyage, Carnival Radiance completing its transformation and returning to the United States, NCL resuming service from Los Angeles, and the CDC Conditional Sailing Order that everyone is talking about.
Inaugural Sailing for Mardi Gras
Let’s start with the ship that’s been the busiest this week, the Mardi Gras, which was ultimately named on board at Port Canaveral on October 23 during a ceremony. Miss Universe Dominican Republic Kimberly Jimenez, the ship’s Godmother, was in attendance for the ceremony, which took place on board in the main theater.
Shaquille O’Neal, Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, Carnival Corporation President Arnold Donald, and Chairman Micky Arison were also in attendance. Mike Pack, the Mardi Gras cruise director, and John Heald, the cruise line’s brand ambassador, hosted the event.
Carnival Cruise Line provided this image.
Following the naming event, Shaquille O’Neal’s new Big Chicken restaurant, the first in the fleet, had a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The ship subsequently set out on a seven-day Eastern Caribbean trip, where the party went on.
When the Mardi Gras arrived in San Juan on October 26, the ship was greeted by the reigning and incoming Miss Universe, Puerto Rico. The Godmother of Mardi Gras, Kimberly Jimenez, paid a visit to her homeland on October 27. A fundraiser was organized on the last sea day, raising a record amount for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Carnival Cruise Line provided this image.
The Bahamas Prime Minister was greeted on board on the penultimate day of the trip, when Mardi Gras landed in Nassau, and the cruise company also revealed that the registration of the Carnival Legend and Pride had been moved to the Bahamas.
Mardi Gras is currently traveling year-round from Port Canaveral, Florida on seven-day eastern and western Caribbean itineraries.
Australia’s Cruise Cancellations
P&O Australia offered an update on the circumstances regarding the resumption of cruise operations on October 26. Positive signals on the country coping with COVID, such as improved vaccination numbers and the potential of travel returning shortly, gave some optimism for the Carnival-owned cruise line.
Kevin Hellon / Shutterstock.com / Kevin Hellon / Shutterstock.com / Kevin Hellon / Shutterstock.
However, there is no clear timeline for when the government will allow the cruise sector to resume operations, which would result in further suspensions. It does imply that P&O cruise ships will be put on hold in Australia for another month, until February 14, 2022. Additional cruise cancellations will begin on January 15, 2022, the existing suspension’s expiry date.
Princess Cruises has recently announced that all of its cruises in Australian waters would be canceled until Spring 2022. The cancellations effect four journeys aboard Coral Princess from January to April, with departures on January 27, February 7 and 21, and March 7.
Princess Cruises, as well as other cruise companies such as Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Cunard, and P&O Cruises, have all temporarily canceled their trips to Australia. Right now, no one knows how long this scenario will last.
Construction Update on the Icon of the Seas
The first LNG-powered Royal Caribbean cruise ship is on its way, and building on Icon of the Seas began in June 2021. Although there is still a long way to go before the ship’s completion in 2023, the cruise line has provided an update from the shipyard for now.
The cruise company produced a new film displaying the first LNG tank installation at the Neptune Werft yard in Rostock, Germany, in honor of the ship becoming the first in the fleet to be fueled by LNG. The first LNG tank is 90 feet long and 26 feet tall and weighs 307 tons.
Royal Caribbean is to thank for this.
The tank was lowered into one of the portions of what will eventually become one of several blocks that will make up the cruise liner. The portion will ultimately reach Papenburg, where it will meet up with Icon of the Seas.
The ship will be 200,000 gross tons when finished, making it one of the world’s biggest cruise ships, albeit not as enormous as the Oasis-class boats. LNG will become an important feature of the ship since it will cut fuel consumption and pollution, as well as provide a link to shore power at the port.
Icon of the Seas will be the first ship in her class to launch in the autumn of 2023. A second Icon-class will be launched in 2025, followed by a third in 2026. Wonder of the Seas, another Royal Caribbean ship, is nearing completion in France and will be the world’s biggest cruise ship in 2022. In 2024, another Oasis-class ship will be launched.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has extended the conditional sailing order.
Many people were wondering whether the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will extend the Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) through November 1, 2021. The CDC has now agreed to prolong the order until January 15, 2022, after which a voluntary program will be implemented in collaboration with the cruise sector.
There are various possibilities for the injunction to expire before January 15, 2022. The CDC Director may revoke the order, although this is very improbable. The order might also be terminated sooner if the Secretary of Health and Human Services declares the public health emergency to be over.
Katherine Welles of Shutterstock.com contributed to this image.
The extended order includes certain revisions, but the bulk of the provisions will stay the same until the middle of January, when cruise companies will be able to keep passengers and crew members safe without the Conditional Sailing Order. The persistent spread of the Delta strain, according to the CDC, was one of the key reasons for prolonging the order.
So, what will happen starting January 15? Will cruise companies make adjustments to their own procedures, and will sailing get easier? We should have more information shortly.
The National Children’s League (NCL) is resuming operations in Los Angeles.
The Norwegian Bliss took sail from Los Angeles on Sunday, October 24, becoming the eighth ship in the company’s fleet to resume service in the “Great Cruise Comeback,” as the cruise line refers to it.
Norwegian Cruise Line is well on its way to resuming operations, with seven ships already in service. More ships are expected to be operating by the end of the year, according to the cruise company. If all goes according to plan, Norwegian Cruise Line will be sailing with 11 ships by the end of December.
Bliss in Norway (Photo Courtesy: NCL)
The cruise ship departs from the World Cruise Center in Los Angeles on week-long cruises to the Mexican Riviera. As a result, the inaugural voyage began with two days at sea. With a stop in Puerto Vallarta and a stop in Mazatlan before arriving at Cabo San Lucas, guests got the best of the Mexican Riviera.
The ship will stay on the same route until mid-January, when she will go on a 5-day Riviera trip before embarking on two longer voyages.
The Norwegian Bliss will embark on a 14-day trip to Miami, Florida, on January 21. The ship will make multiple stops along the Mexican Pacific coast, as well as several less-traveled ports in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Cartagena, Colombia. The ship will return to Los Angeles from Miami on a trip that will visit many of the same ports of call, however it will be a 16-day journey.
The transformation of Carnival Radiance is complete.
The freshly refurbished Carnival cruise ship Carnival Radiance landed on the morning of October 28 in the cruise capital of the world, PortMiami, after a lengthy wait. The ship had recently returned from a transatlantic journey and spent some time off the shore of Freeport, Bahamas, transferring crews between Carnival ships.
While moored in Miami, the ship will receive supplies and maybe further crew member transfers. The Carnival Radiance won’t be there for long, as the seven-week tour, which began on October 18 in Cadiz, Spain, will continue.
The Carnival Radiance will shortly pass through the Panama Canal and dock at the Long Beach Cruise Terminal in California. On December 13, 2021, the ship will begin offering year-round three- and four-day Mexican Riviera trips.
The three-day plan includes a stop at Ensenada, Mexico, while the four-day itinerary includes both Ensenada and Catalina Island. The ship joins the Carnival Panorama and Carnival Miracle, which have recently resumed service from the port.
The ship’s name was changed from Carnival Victory to Carnival Radiance after a significant $200 million renovation at the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain.
The Carnival Radiance is the second ship in the line to have the Big Chicken eating venue, which was conceived by Carnival’s Chief Fun Officer Shaquille O’Neal. The new Cucina del Capitano, the multi-purpose Liquid Lounge, and one of the most luxurious Cloud 9 Spas at sea are also available.
Additional Cruise News
So far this week, we’ve covered a number of cruise stories, including another Carnival ship getting a new livery, a business update from Royal Caribbean Group, Caribbean cruises for MSC Seaview beginning in December 2021, significant construction milestones for two Carnival-owned LNG ships, and Royal Caribbean extending three programs to keep cruising flexible.
The “cruises cancelled until september” is a problem that has been present for a while. Cruise lines have been forced to cancel cruises until September due to lack of available ships and crew members.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are cruises coming back in 2021?
Is it safe to book a cruise for October 2021?
A: There is no guarantee that the cruise will still be available in October 2021. Cruise prices fluctuate on a daily basis and often times there are blackout periods where certain cruises go for cheaper or less expensive, so you should check with your travel agent to see if its worth waiting until then.
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- norwegian cruise line news
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