It’s that time of year again to be the first to know about news from the world of cruises. Cruise Hive has all the coverage on Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and the Port of Galveston, Texas in this week’s update.
Cruise news updates
Check out Cruise Hive’s weekly cruise news updates. Find all the coverage you won’t want to miss, from Celebrity Cruises’ ship helping rescue 200 migrants to Port of Galveston’s celebrations. 1 Millionth Cruise Passenger, Carnival Cruise Line Fixes Major Booking Confusion, Carnival Cruise Line Cancels 2 Flights Due to Dry Dock Schedule, Carnival Cruise Line Names New Destination Bahamas, and Norway Jun Cruise Line ships have resumed calls to Maui.
Beyond celebrity Helped rescue 200 migrants
When the Italian coast guard called for assistance in the Ionian Sea, a nearby Celebrity Cruises ship answered the call and helped rescue more than 200 migrants stranded on a fishing boat.
Excel class Beyond celebrity The ship was sailing between Greece and Sicily when the call for help was received. The ship was only 11 miles from the rescue scene. He quickly changed course and joined the Coast Guard operation..
In fact, it was the wind that the Coast Guard needed help with, prompting officials to install 21 decks. Beyond celebrity They acted as windbreaks while the migrants, who did not have life jackets, were taken to a Coast Guard boat.
The request was made just after 9 a.m. local time on August 30, and the ship arrived at the scene about 20 minutes later. Within two hours, all migrants were safely boarded on government ships. Beyond celebrity She continued her itinerary.
Under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, the captain of a ship at sea must act at full speed to rescue those in distress if a signal is received from any source. However, only as long as the captain is able to act without endangering the ship or its crew.
141,420 gross tons Beyond celebrityis an Excel class ship that debuted in 2021 and currently operates a series of cruises to Croatia, Montenegro, Turkey, Italy and Greece, with Rome (Civitavecchia) as its home port.
Port of Galveston welcomes 1 millionth cruise arrival
Texas Port of Galveston marks milestone We welcomed our 1 millionth cruise passenger on August 28, 2023. In 2022, the port recorded its one millionth passenger in mid-December, fairly late in the year, demonstrating the facility’s rapid growth and popularity as a homeport.
A family of five from Michigan broke the one million mark when they arrived in port to board a Carnival Cruise Line cruise ship. carnival breeze 5-night Western Caribbean cruise to Costa Rica and Cozumel, Mexico.
Currently the fourth largest port in the United States based on cruise arrivals, Galveston is home to 5,500 guests. The charm of the seaa Royal Caribbean ship that will soon welcome Carnival Cruise Line’s new 6,630 guests. carnival jubileewhen the new construction enters service in late December.
The port is expanding its cruise terminal. carnival jubileeand last year opened a new cruise terminal for Royal Caribbean ships.
The port is conveniently located to several metropolitan areas and is a major drive-to port in the Southwest. More than 30 million people live within a 300-mile radius of Galveston, including cities such as San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Texas, and New Orleans.
A Michigan family was treated to gifts and cake before setting off on a beach vacation.
Carnival Cruise Line has a drink plan
A technology issue with Carnival Cruise Line’s reservation process inadvertently reduced the cost of the cruise line’s Cheers! Last week he booked a two-day beverage package, and many cruisers immediately booked deals for future cruises. However, cruise lines are not honoring these deals and are actually refunding the money.
This glitch caused the total cost of the beverage package to be calculated as a single day’s charge, but Carnival Cruise Line’s rules require packages to be booked for the number of days on the cruise.
Package rates are currently $59.95 per day when purchased before the cruise and $64.95 per day when purchased onboard a Carnival ship.of Due to a calculation error, the package only reflected the price for one daythis is a savings of up to 86% on a weeklong cruise.
Disappointed cruisers may be assuaged by a small compensation payment from the cruise line. If you rebook the beverage package, the cruise line will give you a 10% discount on the total cost.
The cruise line also informed guests that any other amenities booked at the same time as the defective beverage package, such as shore excursions or signature dining plans, would need to be rebooked as the defect fix invalidated the entire deal. .
Two cruises canceled due to dry dock plans
Carnival Cruise Line has canceled two 2025 cruises with 2,124 passengers. carnival miracle Due to dry dock schedule. Cruisers booked on April 6 and April 15 sailings departing from Galveston, Texas, were notified of the change and told that automatic refunds would be processed after September 11, 2023.
For customers who have re-booked by phone, Cruise fares are protected on comparable sailings Similar staterooms are also available, and guests receive an onboard credit of $50 per person, up to $100 per cabin.
The affected cruises are approximately 20 months away, giving guests plenty of time to book alternative cruises, but Carnival Cruise Line will only offer onboard credits to those who rebook by September 11. ing.
Cruise lines have not explained why drydocks are scheduled, but they typically address standard updates and maintenance of technical and engineering systems, staterooms and public areas.
carnival miracle The ship was last dry docked at the end of 2022, the hull was cleaned and repainted, and other maintenance work was completed. The ship operates four- to six-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Los Angeles.
Carnival names new private destination
The name of Carnival Cruise Line’s new private destination on Grand Bahama Island has been officially announced – Celebration Cay. Already under construction, The destination is scheduled to open in July 2025.
Celebration Cay takes center stage in Bahamian culture, offering beaches, locally owned retail stores, dining venues, art exhibits, and more.
Construction on Celebration Key, located on the south side of Grand Bahama Island, began with a groundbreaking ceremony in May 2022. The $200 million project is approximately 20 miles from Carnival’s cruise dock in Freeport.
The development includes the construction of a large pier capable of berthing two Excel-class ships at the same time. mardi gras and the next ship in the line, carnival jubileeis scheduled to debut in December 2023, and you can visit the destination on the same day.
The itinerary, including Celebration Key, will be announced later this month. Approximately 10 Carnival Cruise Line ships are expected to provide destinations for guests departing from a variety of homeports, including Miami, Port Canaveral, New York and other East Coast ports.
pride of america Resume call to Maui
Norwegian Cruise Line’s pride of americais the only ship that operates interisland cruises year-round. Resuming port calls to Maui on September 3, 2023The first since wildfires devastated the island nearly a month ago.
The 2,186-passenger ship has suspended its call at Kahului, Maui, shortly after a tragic fire on the island’s west side destroyed the seaside town of Lahaina, killed dozens and destroyed 2,000 acres. Was.
Kahului, regular port of call pride of americais located 40 kilometers from the fire site and suffered no damage, but cruise line officials canceled port calls to avoid straining the island’s local resources.
The cruise line’s decision to return to Maui was made in collaboration with the Hawaii Tourism Authority and Governor Josh Green.
Cruises affected by the suspension included sailings on Aug. 12, 19 and 26, all with round-trip departures from Honolulu. Instead of calling Kahului, pride of america Instead, they visited Hilo, Hawaii, where they spent an extra night, and also made a stop at Nawiliwili, Kauai. The ship also added a scenic cruise along Kauai’s Nepali coast.
More cruise headlines
These are just some of this week’s big headlines. Cruise Hive has more news to know, including the following actions Carnival Cruise Line is taking: reduce disposable glass On board, marked cruise port in Scotland Opening of new cruise terminalP&O Cruises is disembarking some passengers. Ship collision in EuropePort of Montreal celebrates solid cruise arrivaland a new luxury ship Exploration I make a girlfriend First call-up for SouthamptonEngland.