Welcome to Cruise Hive’s weekly update of news developments across the cruise industry. In this week’s edition, we have coverage from Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and MSC Cruises.
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Oasis-Class Ship Says ‘So Long San Juan’
For the fourth time in recent weeks, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class Symphony of the Seas has had to disappoint guests with the news that a planned port call to San Juan, Puerto Rico, is cancelled.
Just one pier at the port, Pier 3, can accommodate the mega-sized Oasis-class ships, and due to unspecified damage, the pier is out of service until repairs are complete.
Symphony of the Seas had most recently revised her Caribbean itinerary on the December 22, 2024 holiday cruise to avoid San Juan. Now, the December 29, 2024 itinerary is altered as well. The ship is based at PortMiami and was due to operate a 7-night Eastern Caribbean voyage, where guests will ring in the New Year on the popular ship.
The cancellation of the call to San Juan also has impacted the ship’s visit to St. Maarten. That port call has been nixed. The revised itinerary now features calls to Perfect Day at CocoCay; Falmouth, Jamaica; Labadee, Haiti; and Nassau, Bahamas.
Guests booked on the ship’s January 12, 2025 sailing also have reported that San Juan has been pulled from that itinerary. The nature of the Pier 3 damage is unknown, and no timeline for getting it back into service has been announced.
AARP Cuts Gift Card Discount for Carnival Cruise Line
AARP, the advocacy organization for seniors over age 50, has again lowered the benefit that members receive when they buy Carnival Cruise Line gift cards on the AARP website.
It is the second time in a month that the discount was reduced. In November 2024, the group cut the discounted rate from 10% to 8%, meaning, for example, that a $100 gift card costs $92 rather than the previous $90.
The latest cut this week reduces the benefit further, to 5% instead of 8%. Under this change, members will pay $95 for the $100 gift card, a savings of just $5. AARP also had earlier lowered the limit of gift card purchases, from 25 per month to just 5 per month.
Gift cards can be applied to cruise fares, onboard amenities and services, and other experiences. AARP continues to offer Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises gift cards at the 10% discounted rate.
AARP members took to social media to complain about the reductions, and some wondered why the changes apply only to Carnival Cruise Line. Ambassador John Heald posted on his popular Facebook page that the decision to reduce the benefit came from AARP and not the cruise line.
St. Thomas Raising Port, Dockage Fees in 2025
Port and docking fees are going up for cruisers who visit St. Thomas in 2025. The new fees were the topic of a public hearing held by the Virgin Islands Port Authority and are meant to help finance infrastructure projects that cruise lines had requested.
Under the approved fees that take effect on April 1, 2025, port dues will rise by $3, from $6.84 per guest to $9.84 per guest. These funds will go toward the Charlotte Amalie Harbor Dredging Project, which was requested by Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line. The USVI government will contribute $17 million toward the project.
Docking fees are going up to two locations and will be paid by guests whose ships berth at the West Indian Company Dock in Havensight and the Austin “Babe” Monsanto Marine Terminal in Crown Bay. The fee hikes take effect on January 1, 2025 and April 1, 2025, respectively.
The fees are rising by 44 cents per person, from $7.80 per cruise passenger to $8.24 per passenger. The tariff also applies to ships calling at St. John, although no cruise ship actually docks at the island; they anchor offshore and tender guests to the island.
Guest Dies Following Attempt to Jump Overboard
A sad story unfolded aboard Princess Cruises’ Sky Princess on December 21, 2024, when a female guest died while trying to jump overboard on the final day of a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise.
The 48-year-old American woman apparently jumped from an upper deck and hit an obstruction. Medical assistance was immediately sent to Deck 7, starboard side, but the guest succumbed to her injuries.
The ship’s captain announced the tragedy and Princess Cruises issued a statement clarifying what happened. Emergency medical care was provided, but despite their best efforts, the medical team could not revive the guest, whose name was not released.
The line provided grief support services to guests and crew members who were affected.
The 3,660-guest Sky Princess is based in Fort Lauderdale and was sailing an at-sea day as she returned to her homeport. The ship had called at Princess Cays, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.
The ship returned on schedule to Port Everglades, was turned around, and departed on her next cruise.
Guest Complains About Being ‘Guilted’ Into Tipping
To tip or not to tip. That was the question Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald addressed after a guest complained about being “guilted” into giving crew members a gratuity.
Like most other cruise lines, Carnival Cruise Line has suggested tip amounts — $16 per person, per day, or $18 for suite guests. Each guest can decide for themselves whether and how much to tip.
Typically, guests can pre-pay gratuities, and offer extra tips to crew members who go above and beyond the call of service.
The guest who reached out to Heald wondered why the cruise line doesn’t pay its staff more fairly and avoid the need for guests to pay tips.
Heald explained that tipping was a personal choice and wished her well, although he clearly was annoyed at the prospect of a guest providing no tips to crew. Meanwhile, he posted his thanks to the cruise line’s 26,000 crew members fleetwide, for making the holiday season a happy one for guests.
Crew members working for the Big three lines, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line, earn salaries based on their position and experience. Pay typically ranges from $16,000 to $20,000, while those in management and leadership jobs can earn up to $100,000 or more.
Refit Work to Continue on Transatlantic Cruise
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss is headed into dry dock from January 17 to February 2, 2025, and when she returns to service the ship will operate a 13-night transatlantic voyage from Southampton to Miami.
Sounds good, except that when the ship departs on that cruise on February 2, 2025, not all of the renovations will be complete, and workers will be onboard the transatlantic journey to finish the job.
The main renovations to the ship include the installation of Horizon Park, a recreational area, and the expansions of two restaurants, Cagney’s Steakhouse and Teppanyaki. As a result, guests will see several changes.
Coco’s Chocolatier will no longer operate, the Laser Tag activity is being removed, and the Bliss Speedway will be closed while repairs to the popular racetrack continue. However, there will continue to be plenty of activities guests can enjoy during the transatlantic cruise, which features several consecutive at-sea days.
Other changes include the transformation of the Observation Lounge into 24 balcony cabins, and the expansion of the Premiere Owner’s Suites in The Haven. The suites will have three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and a dining room.
MSC Musica to Sail World Cruise in 2027
MSC Cruises revealed the itinerary that the 2,550-guest MSC Musica will sail during the line’s MSC World Cruise 2027.
Departing from Rome on January 5, Genoa on January 6, or Marseille on January 7, 2027, the ship will sail a 121-night itinerary and visit 45 destinations in 25 countries. Three segments are offered, from 34 to 51 nights.
The ship will overnight at seven ports — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, Argentina; Valparaiso, Chile; Sydney, Australia; Hobart, Tasmania; and Papeete, Tahiti.
The ship will call at ports in the Western Mediterranean before crossing the Atlantic and sailing around South America, heading to the South Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand. MSC Musica will then sail to Hawaii and Los Angeles before transiting the Panama Canal.
She will make a second transatlantic crossing, calling at the Canary Islands before returning to the Mediterranean and ending in Genoa.
Bookings are open, and cruise fares include multiple shore excursions, a drink package, laundry service discounts and other benefits.
More Cruise Headlines
Those were the stories behind the big headlines of the week, but Cruise Hive has even more coverage of cruise news you won’t want to miss.
Read our reports on the return to service of a Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ ship after a dry dock upgrade; the Port of Dubai breaking cruise arrival records; a travel advisory impacting a Honduras cruise destination; a P&O Cruises’ ship helping a stranded fishing boat in the Caribbean; and Resorts World Cruises buying a third ship.
