CRUISES - TRAVEL NEWS

In a stunning move, a Miami court has issued an arrest warrant for the Crystal Symphony cruise ship as an attempt to reclaim assets for unpaid fuel bills. The cruise ship has now been diverted from its current itinerary and it is unclear how or if the ship may be confiscated. Arrest Warrant Issued for Crystal Symphony Federal U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles granted the arrest order for the … [Read more...]

The Crystal Cruises saga may just be starting as a Miami court has issued a warrant for the arrest of the Crystal Symphony.  Peninsula Petroleum Far East Pte. Ltd. filed a lawsuit in Miami earlier this week against the Crystal Symphony, Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises for what it says are unpaid fuel bills.  Parent company to Crystal Cruises, Genting Hong Kong, warned earlier this week … [Read more...]

The Crystal Symphony’s current cruise will now end in Bimini as opposed to Miami with a letter to guests aboard citing operational issues. Guests will disembark on Sunday, January 23, and then take the Balaeria Ferry back to Ft. Lauderdale.  Crystal said it would provide complimentary ground transportation to Miami and Ft. Lauderdale airports, as well as the Port of Miami. Following cashflow … [Read more...]

Experience the fun of going to Alaska with the Carnival Cruise Line. Carnival cruises are designed to offer family-friendly, low-cost adventures. Cruises always provide the best in entertainment, fascinating shore excursions, and culinary delights. There is never a dull moment on a cruise ship! Carnival Freedom, Carnival Legend, and Carnival Miracle sail to Alaska over the summer months when there … [Read more...]

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE ADDING MORE EMBARKATION ENHANCEMENTS AS IT COMMITS TO CURRENT PROTOCOLS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE MIAMI, Jan. 21, 2022 – Carnival Cruise Line said today that it will be the largest cruise line to use the VeriFLY solution for its operations from U.S. homeports, with a pilot program that will start this Saturday for guests boarding Mardi Gras at Port Canaveral, in … [Read more...]

Here at RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com, we love to cruise, just like you. We book as many sailings as our work and spouses will tolerate, and are always on the hunt for the next tip that makes our sailing easier.Getting back on a ship this past year has come with its own challenges, but thanks to a lot of trial and error, we find something that just works.I asked our writers and moderators for which … [Read more...]

Credit: Atlas Ocean Voyages/Seabourn/Viking/Heritage Expeditions New expedition cruise ships are arriving on the cruising scene this year, with some very hotly anticipated indeed. This is the full list of maiden expeditions cruises for 2022. Expedition cruises have gained oodles of popularity over recent years and with everyone trapped at home over the last two years enthusiasm to hit … [Read more...]

Scenic Group USA has announced the addition of cruise and hospitality veteran, Robert Castro, as the new Senior Director of Marketing. “As the growth of the Scenic Group USA market accelerates, so does the growth of our talented marketing team,” said Maggie Carbonell, vice president for marketing at Scenic Group USA. “Robert’s wealth of marketing experience and his can-do positivity makes him a … [Read more...]

Discover Iconic Wild Alaska | Lindblad Expeditions After bringing more than 3,000 guests to Alaska in 2021, Lindblad Expeditions is heading towards another successful and spirited season in 2022. Bookings have exceeded expectations, and with the 62-guest National Geographic Sea Bird almost sold-out, they have added her sister ship, National Geographic Sea Lion—and a slate of additional … [Read more...]

(Updated 1:05 p.m. EST) -- Several cruise lines have updated their vaccine policies to require passengers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and protected with booster shots as the omicron variant continues to spread throughout the globe.In a letter to booked passengers posted to Cruise Critic's message boards, Cunard states that all passengers intending to embark on Queen Mary 2's January … [Read more...]

As expected, Carnival Cruise Line made an announcement regarding its protocols on Friday afternoon, and the big change is that nothing is changed! The current protocols are to remain in place for the foreseeable future. The Miami-based cruise line also detailed new enhancements for embarkations. Carnival Cruise Line Protocols With the CDC’s Conditional Sailing order now at an end and the agency … [Read more...]

Carnival-owned AIDA Cruises decides to focus on just two vessels in the Caribbean, resulting in the cancellation of one other ship in the region. Cruises from AIDAluna have been canceled for the remaining winter season in the Caribbean. AIDAluna Caribbean Cruises Canceled The cruise line has decided to focus on just two ships in the Caribbean for the remainder of the Winter 2021-22 season. As a … [Read more...]

Windstar Cruises has announced the full lineup of James Beard Foundation-affiliated guest chefs for its series of three themed culinary cruises in 2022. The all-female trio includes Atlanta’s Chef Jennifer Hill Booker, San Francisco’s Chef Tanya Holland, and Boston’s Chef Irene Li. Windstar is the Official Cruise Line of the James Beard Foundation. The nonprofit organization’s mission is to … [Read more...]

Carnival Cruise Line said today that it will be the largest cruise line to use the VeriFLY solution for its operations from U.S. homeports. A pilot program will start this Saturday for guests boarding Mardi Gras at Port Canaveral, in addition to finalizing plans to expand in-terminal testing capabilities for vaccinated guests prior to embarkation, specifically for short itineraries of 3- and 4-day … [Read more...]

Carnival Cruise Line is adding a new embarkation day pilot program as they become the world’s largest cruise line to use VeriFLY solution for cruises from the U.S.  The cruise line is also working on expanding in-terminal testing for passengers prior to boarding their cruise ships. Carnival Cruise Line will begin to use VeriFLY for cruises on their newest and largest cruise ship, Mardi Gras, … [Read more...]

Credit: Shutterstock/Holland America Line Seabourn and Holland America Line have both announced they are extending their Book With Confidence policies today to help passengers with their holiday plans. Seabourn and Holland America Line are among a variety of cruise lines extending their Book With Confidence policies at this time, with Princess Cruises also making the same announcement … [Read more...]

The five cruise ships homeporting in Dubai for the winter cruise season in the Arabian Gulf are in for a rough weekend with swells exceeding 11 feet offshore due to a strong sandstorm. While MSC Virtuosa and Mein Schiff 6 will spend Friday night alongside at the Dubai Cruise Terminal, AIDAbella is cruising at sea and Costa Firenze is due to depart the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal on Saturday, … [Read more...]

With the growing number of Omicron cases throughout the world, so too have cases increased on cruise ships across the industry.  In an effort to improve the care of those crew members completing quarantine, Royal Caribbean has designated the Serenade of the Seas as a hospital ship for those who have tested positive for covid-19.What's it like onboard? News stories have sensationalized the … [Read more...]

With cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continuing to sweep through different communities and ports of call, Royal Caribbean International has decided to extend its tightened face mask policy at least through February 14, 2022. This is the second time the policy has been extended since it was first tightened in December. Mask Policy Extended In an email sent to booked guests and travel … [Read more...]

If you spent the week shoveling snow and waiting patiently while your car windshield defrosts, nothing will cheer you up quite like booking your next cruise vacation. This Spring, Alaska first full cruise season since 2019 is going to be full steam ahead and the deals right now are unbelievable. We’ve been talking about Port of Seattle’s preparations for cruising’s comeback and those sailing from … [Read more...]