It’s been one other busy week for cruise information, and Cruise Hive has all of it lined. In our recap this week, we’ve tales from Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Cruise Information Replace
Let’s delve into the massive cruise business headlines of the previous week, together with tales a couple of social media publish that reveals off a drinks hack; Utopia of the Seas altering a Bahamas itinerary; a brand new stateroom nightlight in Carnival Cruise Line ships that’s inflicting issues for some; a gala christening occasion for Utopia of the Seas; Norwegian Jewel crusing seasonal cruises from Philadelphia; and Carnival Cruise Line altering its free drink perk.
Cruise Hack Fails
Revealing a secret on TikTok, or any social media platform, may not be the most effective thought, it seems. That was the case for one cruiser who posted a video displaying easy methods to smuggle alcohol onto a cruise ship.
The visitor confirmed how he changed the contents of soda cans with alcohol, then resealed the multipack with glue to make it seem untouched. However cruise safety staffers are looking out for social media hacks, and found this one.
Cruise safety groups have altered inspections to incorporate tips like this one, and at one terminal, they did uncover the soda can hoodwink. In one other maneuver posted by the identical trickster, his video reveals easy methods to open a wine bottle, change its contents with liquor, then put again the cork and seal it up pretty much as good as new — or virtually pretty much as good as new.
Some viewers on TikTok criticized the motion, suggesting that cruise traces may reply by not permitting any wine to be introduced on board. At the moment, most cruise traces do enable friends to deliver restricted quantities of wine onboard at first of a cruise.
Different viewers recommended that the soda can and wine bottle trickster buy a beverage package deal relatively than danger being caught by safety workers. Nearly each cruise line provides a package deal. Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Bundle prices between $63 and $89 per particular person per day, as an illustration, whereas Norwegian Cruise Line’s Premium Beverage Bundle prices $99 per particular person per day.
New Ship to Name Twice at Good Day at CocoCay
Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas has simply entered service following a gala christening occasion on July 15, 2024, and already the cruise line is advising about an itinerary change.
The ship sails 3- and 4-night Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral, with two port calls — one at Nassau, Bahamas, and one at Good Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s personal island. Nevertheless, on the February 3, 2025 departure of a 4-night crusing, the ship will go to Good Day twice.
Initially, the crusing was to name first at Nassau, adopted by a day at sea earlier than arriving at Good Day. However the cruise line moved the Nassau port name to Day 3 of the crusing, and added a second name on the personal island.
Utopia of the Seas’ new itinerary visits Good Day on February 4 and 6. On each days, the ship shall be docked on the personal island from 7 a.m. to five p.m. The go to to Nassau is now scheduled for February 5, from 8 a.m. to five p.m.
No motive was given for the change. Itinerary information reveals that Royal Caribbean’s 3,800-guest Journey of the Seas additionally will name at Good Day on February 6, and the road’s 3,600-guest Liberty of the Seas will name on February 4, that means that on each of Utopia of the Seas’ visits to the personal island, a second ship shall be there as nicely.
Maybe the road added the second go to in order that friends would make sure you have sufficient time to expertise all that the personal island has to supply since they are going to be sharing the vacation spot with 1000’s of different cruisers.
Nightlight Too Brilliant For Some Carnival Cruise Line Company
It’s exhausting to please the entire individuals the entire time, Carnival Cruise Line is discovering out, now that its new, motion-sensor toilet nightlight has prompted complaints from some friends.
The stateroom enhancement, which had usually been requested by friends, apparently is simply too vivid for some. The nightlight that has been added to some ships, together with Carnival Legend, was featured in a video on Model Ambassador John Heald’s Fb web page after a visitor complained about its degree of brightness.
“It was like a jail searchlight. My husband tried stuffing towels alongside the crack so if one in every of us wanted to make use of the toilet, it could not disturb the opposite,” the visitor wrote.
Heald famous that the cruise line shall be including the nightlight to extra ships and that it’s meant to be a security measure, to forestall friends tripping or falling at midnight on the way in which to the toilet. Nevertheless, regardless that the sunshine shuts off robotically after 30 seconds, its brightness causes a short lived glare within the stateroom, friends mentioned.
Some commenters recommended that the nightlights be adjustable, with a dimmer functionality every visitor can management, or that altering the colour of the glow to blue would lead to a much less harsh glare. Heald didn’t point out whether or not the road will take into account both of these options.
Gala Christening Occasion Held For Utopia of the Seas
Famous person singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor declared it was a “dream come true” to carry out onboard Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas after serving as godmother to the brand new ship — the world’s second-largest behind the road’s Icon of the Seas.
A 3-day gala celebration was held, together with the naming ceremony on July 15, 2024 and nonstop events onboard the 236,680-gross-ton ship in addition to at Good Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s personal island within the Bahamas.
The star-studded occasion additionally featured the performers Reverend Run from Run DMC and DJ Ruckus. Trainor’s efficiency on the ship was held within the out of doors AquaTheater.
The 5,668-passenger Utopia of the Seas, homeporting at Port Canaveral, was constructed on the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France and was delivered to Royal Caribbean forward of schedule, on June 13, 2024.
Following her transatlantic journey from France that started on June 23, the ship arrived at her Florida port on July 11, 2024. Utopia of the Seas operates 3- and 4-night getaway cruises to the Bahamas, with all itineraries calling at Good Day at CocoCay and Nassau, Bahamas.
Company have many leisure selections onboard the ship, which options stay music venues, stage reveals, a number of swimming pools, and a water park with thrill rides reminiscent of the dual FlowRider surf simulators and the Final Abyss, the tallest dry slide at sea spanning a number of decks.
Norwegian Jewel to Deploy to Philadelphia in 2026
Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2,376-guest Norwegian Jewel will sail Bermuda and Canada/New England cruises from Philadelphia in 2026, including one other mega-ship to the busy and populous mid-Atlantic area. No cruise ship at the moment homeports or calls at Philadelphia, a metropolis residence to some 1.6 million individuals.
The ship will sail 7- to 9-night Bermuda cruises beginning on April 16, 2026, with overnights on the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda, and a port name to historic Charleston, South Carolina.
Norwegian Jewel may even function two fall foliage Canada and New England sailings from Philadelphia to Quebec Metropolis, departing on September 5 and 26, 2026. The 11-night cruises will name at Boston; Bar Harbor, Essential; Saint John, New Brunswick; Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia; and different ports.
The Port of Philadelphia is delighted with the event, since cruisers will doubtless spend time sightseeing within the Metropolis of Brotherly Love earlier than or after their trip at sea, bringing added income to the town and the area.
The 93,502-gross-ton Norwegian Jewel is at the moment providing Alaska itineraries from Vancouver, Seward, and Seattle. The ship will transition to Tampa to spend the winter of 2024-2025 within the Caribbean.
The summer season of 2025 will see her homeported at Boston. The ship will return to Tampa for winter and spring 2025 earlier than her arrival in Philadelphia.
Cruise Line Makes ‘Free Drink’ Perk Extra Versatile
Following suggestions from friends, Carnival Cruise Line lifted a lot of the restrictions it had historically positioned on its free drink perk given to loyalty membership members.
For years, a free drink has been a bonus provided to Gold, Platinum, and Diamond members of the cruise line’s Very Vital Enjoyable Individual (VIFP) loyalty program. However there have been circumstances.
Gold passengers may order the free drink solely on sailings of 5 nights or longer, and the perk may solely loved after 5 p.m. on the final evening of the cruise.
For Platinum and Diamond friends, the itinerary size didn’t matter, however the drink may solely be redeemed in the course of the Sea Day Brunch within the Essential Eating Room, or at breakfast or lunch if no brunch occasion was scheduled.
Carnival Cruise Line Model Ambassador John Heald introduced large adjustments to these restrictions, saying the brand new insurance policies, efficient on July 20, 2024, are way more versatile.
“Gold members will have the ability to redeem their appreciation drink on 5+ day cruises at any of the bars, at any time. Platinum and Diamond members can even order their complimentary cocktail at any time at any bar,” Heald posted on his Fb web page.
The model ambassador additionally revealed that main updates to the road’s loyalty program are within the works and are anticipated to be introduced within the coming months.
Extra Cruise Headlines
Cruise Hive, your go-to supply for cruise information, has many extra articles you gained’t need to miss. Try our articles about Superstar Cruises setting the date for its 2025 President’s Cruise; Virgin Voyages rolling out a promotion providing free cruises; Crystal Cruises including two wellness sailings; a UK cruise port celebrating a giant enhance in cruise arrivals; and Superstar Cruises adjusting its on line casino loyalty program.
