But while the newest ship in Carnival’s fleet was still docked, a small boat accidentally collided with the side of it – scratching the 182,800-gross ton vessel near her bow.
It’s unclear why the small boat hit the ship, but witnesses said that it seemed like the smaller vessel seemed to sail directly into the side of the largest Carnival Cruise ship.
“Honestly though, how do you hit that?” an onlooker asked in a video showing the aftermath of the collision.
“I don’t know. He went, like, straight into it…I think he went, like, curved, and went, like, straight into it,” someone else replied.
As local reports showed the forecast in Galveston to be sunny with low winds – and even the video showed sunshine with only small waves on the water’s surface– this likely wasn’t a situation where the conditions caused the sailors to lose control.
It’s more likely that something would have gone wrong onboard the smaller craft that led to the collision – such as a piece of equipment malfunctioning – but the reason is currently unknown.
After the crash, the smaller boat’s mast seemed to get temporarily stuck under Carnival Jubilee’s bow.
But with the help of experts onboard a pilot boat, the smaller vessel was able to maneuver away from the cruise ship. Thankfully, early reports indicate that no one was injured in the incident.
It’s unclear what damage the privately owned boat may have sustained – but it was still upright in the witness recorded videos and the collision seemed to occur at low speeds.
Cruise Hive reached out to Carnival Cruise Line for comment, and will update this article when we receive their statement.
Is the Itinerary Impacted?
Aside from a scratch – which appears to just be cosmetic – Carnival Jubilee seems to have made it back to sea mostly unscathed.
According to cruise tracking data, the 2023-launched ship departed the Galveston Cruise Port on time on March 1 – setting sail at approximately 4 p.m. CST.
At the time of this writing, she is sailing at standard speeds – of around 16 knots (or 18 miles per hour) – as she heads toward her first port of call.
Local Pilot Helping Small Boat (Photo Credit: Garrin M Stapleton )
For context, her average speed is 17 knots, but she can sail at speeds of up to 23 knots per hour. The sailing will first visit Roatan, Honduras, before calling on Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.
Per posts from Cruise Director Kyndall “Fire” Magyar, who is onboard for her final sailing before going on break from March 8 – May 17, 2025, it’s business as usual for the up to 5,374 guests.
On the same day as the collision, she shared footage of her final sailaway party (for now) – which appeared just as lively and entertaining as ever.
While it may be a coincidence, the caption of the video might be a nod to the events of the day.
“It’s almost Vacation Time! One last cruise and we are gonna go out with a BANG!,” she wrote with the clip.
At the end of the day, it’s good news that no people were injured and the damage is minimal – allowing the fun to continue onboard the Fun Ship without interruption. But while collisions like this are rare, they do happen from time to time.
According to guests who were onboard the 6,780-guest ship at the time, the unidentified yacht lost power and drifted into the ship’s stern – thankfully at a low speed.
While the mega-ship left the incident unharmed, the yacht couldn’t say the same – with the crash resulting in a broken mast.
The land Down Under just got its first visit from new royalty — Cunard Line’s Queen Anne.
This is Cunard Line’s first new ship in 14 years — and on February 28, 2025, it made its grand debut in Australia.
Currently, Queen Anne is on its inaugural world cruise with a comprehensive 111-night itinerary. This voyage includes stops at 47 ports in 20 different countries — spanning across the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania.
To celebrate its arrival in Sydney, Australia, a British Garden Party was held onboard — with stunning backdrops including Sydney’s Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
The party also celebrated three special guests, all named Anne, who are exceptional everyday women each nominated by Australians for their dedication to serving others.
Additionally, there was a tug boat water salute — a ceremonial custom to welcome large vessels entering or exiting ports, which is not uncommon to commemorate inaugural voyages for new ships.
Cunard Line has been sailing to Australia for a century, so it was important that the country be included in the vessel’s maiden voyage.
“The maiden arrival of our magnificent new ship Queen Anne to Sydney Harbour builds on our rich Australian legacy and marks another historic moment for Cunard – one that started with our first World Voyage that included Australia in 1925,”boasted Cunard President Katie McAlister.
Queen Anne will be making additional stops in Australia including Brisbane, Airlie Beach, Yorkeys Knob, and Darwin before heading to the Philippines.
This all-new vessel exudes luxury cruising — featuring 13 spacious decks and 15 dining venues with dishes curated by 2-time Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux.
This 113,000 gross ton vessel is now the second largest in the Cunard Line fleet — with space for 2,996 guests and 1,225 crew.
The active fleet is made up of just four ships — Queen Anne, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2, and Queen Victoria.
From Laconia to Queen Anne
Cunard Line started doing world cruises on Laconia in 1922. While the company was not the first to offer world cruises, they were the first to complete one on a single vessel.
The 130-day voyage on Laconia stopped at only 22 ports and had 450 passengers for the entire world cruise.
In comparison, the Queen Anne, which entered service in May, 2024 — is stopping at more than 2-times as many ports and can accommodate 500% more guests on their world trip.
This inaugural world cruise on Queen Anne departed from Hamburg, Germany on January 7, 2025 — though passengers also boarded at the first stop in Southampton, England on January 9.
Prior to the ship heading to Australia for the first time, it made just a few stops — only 14! Following an 8-day transatlantic journey, the ship arrived in New York City on January 17.
Next, it visited Miami, Florida, and Cartagena, Colombia, before heading through the Panama Canal at the end of January. This leg concluded with stops in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Queen Anne Ship (Photo Credit: Martin Augustus)
In February, the first port of call was San Francisco, California. From there, the ship ventured into more tropical waters, stopping in Honolulu, Hawaii, before setting off on a long stretch of sea days.
After another 8 days of being on the ocean, stops were made in Apia, Western Samoa, and Nukualofa, Tonga. Both countries are located in Oceania, which is a small island nation off the coast of Australia.
Finally, before heading to Sydney, the ship visited several ports in New Zealand, including Auckland, Tauranga, and Bay of Islands.
As mentioned above, after departing Australia on March 11, the ship will head to Asia, visiting the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Finally, it will visit three ports in Africabefore returning to Europe, where it will visit three additional countries before disembarking in Germany on April 29.
Who wouldn’t want to live like royalty? Well, if you’re lucky enough to experience an epic world cruise like this one, what better way to live like a king—or in this case, a queen?
Nothing can make a cruise traveler more anxious on debarkation morning than road closures and traffic snarls on the way when leaving the port, especially if travelers must reach airports or train stations for onward travel.
Virgin Voyages has reached out to guests aboard Scarlet Lady to let them know about such potential delays that may impact their departure on Sunday, March 2.
March 2 is the date of the Life Time 305 Half Marathon and 5K, an energetic race that is sold out and anticipating more than 4,000 participants. The coastal course is a favorite for runners, but also can have a strong impact on morning cruise traffic with various road closures.
“The primary disruption will be on Highway 395, which will be fully closed from 5:00 AM to 10:00 AM, with only one eastbound lane open between 6:45 AM and 8:45 AM,”the notification letter delivered to sailors’ staterooms explained.
Highway 395 is the MacArthur Causeway that crosses over Jungle Island and connects to the Port Miami Tunnel. The race’s course starts and ends at Lummus Park in the historic South Beach Art Deco District, and also includes portions of Ocean Drive, Dade Boulevard, the Julia Tuttle Causeway, Bayshore Drive, and other major streets.
“Traffic delays are expected, especially for those using ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. We recommend planning your journey in advance to ensure a smooth departure,”the notification letter urged.
Such planning will be essential for travelers who may have earlier train or flight departures. If guests are driving home after their cruise, however, a more leisurely departure from the ship might be best, which would give more time for the road closures to end and traffic to clear.
Scarlet Lady is currently sailing an 8-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary that has visited the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and Bimini. The cruise departed on Saturday, February 22.
The first of Virgin Voyages’ “ladyships” Scarlet Lady can welcome 2,700 guests for each cruise. She is currently homeported from Miami through early May, when she will move to Europe for the summer before returning to Miami at the end of October.
It should be noted that Sunday, March 2 will already be a busy day at PortMiami with eight cruise ships in port, all of which may be impacted by the morning road closures.
In addition to Scarlet Lady, Symphony of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Oceania Vista, Norwegian Encore, MSC Seaside, Carnival Magic, and Carnival Celebration will all be in port.
Marathon Miami Route
Will the Next Cruise Be Delayed?
Scarlet Lady‘s next sailing is a 6-night Western Caribbean itinerary that is planned to visit Costa Maya, Roatan, and Bimini.
At this time, there is no impact expected to the ship’s departure, though incoming travelers may experience some residual traffic flow slowdowns.
Because the race is expected to conclude well before 11 a.m., guests arriving at the cruise port will not experience the same road closures as guests leaving the port after their cruises end on Sunday morning.
It can still take some time, however, for the race course to be fully cleared and vendors, volunteers, media, and participants to leave the area.
Arriving travelers will want to ensure they have plenty of time to reach the cruise port for their selected arrival times. This will ensure a smooth, efficient embarkation without delays and frustration.
This is not the first time a race event has impacted cruise travelers in Miami. Just one month ago – February 2, 2025 – the Miami Marathon created similar road closures and traffic concerns for cruisers.
Antigua’s cruise tourism is poised for transformation following the groundbreaking of its brand-new cruise terminal.
The new build promises to elevate travel to the island nation by offering a more welcoming entry to the Lesser Antilles hotspot in the Caribbean.
The sophisticated new hub, a collaboration between Antigua Cruise Port and Global Ports Holding (GPH), the titan behind the world’s largest cruise port operations, kicked off with a ceremonial sod-turning ceremony, held on February 10, 2025.
In a who’s who of dignitaries, including Antigua’s Governor Sir Rodney Williams, Prime Minister Hon. Gaston Browne, and Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transportation & Investment, Hon. Charles Fernandez, the event felt like a red-carpet event, amping up the excitement for the new space.
During the ceremony, Fernandez praised the joint venture, saying,“This magnificent expansion project will put Antigua and Barbuda at the top of the list, in my opinion, for best cruise port in the region.”
Also on hand at the event were GPH Chairman and CEO Mehmet Kutman and Gasper George, general manager at Antigua Cruise Port, who said the terminal, part of the “Upland Development Project,” has been five years in the making.
The new St. John’s terminal, located at the port’s fifth berth, will sit on four acres in the capital city and span 1.6-million square feet. Construction is expected to continue through June 2026, with reports the new facility will cost $40 million to complete.
“This undertaking represents a massive economic boost for our community with a substantial multi-million-dollar investment being undertake by GPH,”said George.“We remain committed to ‘unlocking quay opportunities’ for the people of Antigua and Barbuda.
Antigua Port groundbreaking (Photo Credit: Global Ports Holding)
Day Club and Local Bazaar to Entice Nearly 1 Million Guests
Antigua plans to open its stylish new terminal in the summer of 2026, promising a state-of-the-art facility that will cater to passengers with a variety of retail shops.
A highlight will be a new Bazaar, providing a local marketplace experience with crafts, arts, and goods that reflect the culture of the island nation.
Another key feature of the terminal will be the exciting new Antigua Day Club, which will provide passengers a place to chill within steps of cruise ships without having to leave the terminal.
The club will provide cruise passengers with a relaxing island oasis complete with a swimming pool, restaurant, and bar.
Additionally, passengers will find several food and beverage outlets, including an ice cream parlor that will be located within a green space they can enjoy when disembarking from their voyages.
The new terminal in St. Johns is part of GBH’s plans to entice more cruise line homeportings after the fifth berth became home to its largest vessel to call Antigua home, P&O Cruises’ 5,200-passenger Arvia, in January 2023.
The ship remains a staple on the port’s cruise schedule and is joined by calls from other major cruise lines such as Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Silversea, MSC Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line, not to mention sister P&O Cruises vessels.
Antigua has witnessed tremendous cruise growth since recovering from the devastating impacts of 2017’s Category 5 Hurricane and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2024, its cruise port welcomed a record-breaking 580 cruise ship calls that brought 825,526 passengers to its shores – reflecting a 27 percent growth in ship visits and 23 percent growth in guests over the previous year, respectively.
Antigua and Barbuda are expected to receive 900,000 cruise passengers in 2025.
Guy’s Burger Joint is a must-visit eatery for many Carnival cruisers. Now, guests have one more reason to head up for a freshly grilled smash burger, as Carnival Cruise Line and Guy Fieri have introduced a special “featured burger” in celebration of none other than Celebration Key.
The new BBQ Rum Runner burger has been added to the menu of every Guy’s Burger Joint in the fleet, bringing a new tropical twist for guests to enjoy.
“Here is that brilliant new burger from the Burger King himself, Guy Fieri,”John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, announced.
The burger starts with the classic beef patty topped with the signature “S.M.C.” – super melty cheese. The layers of the new burger are tangy jalapeno-pineapple salsa, sweetly savory rum barbecue pulled pork, a cooling blast of coleslaw, a crunch of shaved onion, a juicy layer of pickle, and the flavorful finish of “Donkey sauce.”
Donkey sauce, by the way, is a smooth blend of mayonnaise, roasted garlic, yellow mustard, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. A smear of this brings extra seasoning and distinction to every Guy’s Burger – though you can certainly order your burgers without the sauce, if preferred. (I’m a Plain Jane girl myself.)
The new BBQ Rum Runner burger has all the tropical flair of the Caribbean and is the perfect bite to fuel up before hitting Celebration Key, which is how the new menu item is being featured. The introduction sign of the new burger also highlights Celebration Key’s colorful logo – another hint of tropical flair.
The burger has already been unveiled onboard various ships, including Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Magic, and Carnival Venezia. It is getting rave reviews from guests who note that not only is it tasty and unique, but also quite filling and a great new addition to the menu.
The BBQ Rum Runner will be available onboard all Carnival ships that have a Guy’s Burger Joint restaurant. At the moment, this includes all vessels except for Carnival Luminosa.
While the two former P&O Cruises Australia ships, Adventure and Encounter, are being renovated as Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter, it is not yet confirmed whether or not they will have Guy’s Burger Joint added to their eatery lineups.
Can You Get the New Burger at Celebration Key?
Ironically, even though the burger has been announced as the “Featured Burger” of Celebration Key, it is unlikely that the tasty tidbit (okay, more than a tidbit) will be found ashore at the new destination on Grand Bahama island.
Four full-service restaurants, nine food trucks, five “snack shacks” for quick bites, and two counter-service food kiosks are all part of the lineup.
New Celebration Key Burger
“Great food and beverage options are essential to the Carnival experience,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival Cruise Line President. “We’ve designed Celebration Key with an array of dining opportunities, whether our guests want a casual snack, a quick meal, or a full dining experience.”
Bahamian classics like fried fish and conch fritters will be available at Mingo’s Tropical Bar & Kitchen, while Surf ‘N Sauce BBQ & Brews will feature slow-cooked meats and local craft beers.
For guests craving a burger, several venues will offer the grab-and-go beach fare, including Mingo’s Express food truck and the Captain’s Galley Food Hall.
Of course, Guy’s Burger Joint onboard each Carnival ship visiting Celebration Key will still likely be open for lunch hours even while the ship is in port. Guests can still grab a BBQ Rum Rummer before heading out to explore the destination or after getting back from an early visit to the beach.
Celebration Key will welcome its first ship, Carnival Vista, on the ship’s July 12, 2025 departure, an 8-night Southern Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral. The ship will arrive at Celebration Key on Saturday, July 19.
Bookings to Celebration Key are now open from multiple US homeports with more than a dozen ships planning to pay visits to the new, fun-themed private destination.
When you go on vacation, the last thing you likely want to be doing is chores you would normally be doing at home – such as laundry.
However, sometimes a trip to the laundry room is inevitable – especially for longer itineraries and families sailing with young kids.
But when you make that dreaded trip to the laundromat at sea, what is the proper protocol to be respectful of your fellow passengers? That is something one cruiser took to Reddit to find out.
The unidentified cruise guest specifically wanted to know if she was in the wrong for removing another passenger’s clothes from the washer after their load had finished.
“AITAH for removing someone’s stuff from a completed washer cycle after waiting at least 10 minutes for them to remove their own stuff? (Placed it into a basket.),” she began.
“Or are they the AH for not setting a timer on their phone to remind them when their wash cycle is ending?,”her inquiry continued.
Considering that vacation time is limited, and therefore valuable, it feels acceptable that the cruiser removed the clean clothes so she could use the machine herself after a brief wait.
On most ships, 10 minutes is more than enough time to make it to your destination, especially for someone who knew when theirlaundry would be ready for the next cycle.
“I say that 10 min is an eternity when you need to start a load and can’t. If people leave the area, they should have the courtesy to come back to check repeatedly. It’s not rocket science,”another Redditor replied.
The original poster was also commended because she was respectful and placed the clean clothing in a basket. She likely would have been met with a different response if she left them on the dirty floor.
“It’s a ship, not a private residence, and laundry is a shared resource. As long as you didn’t chuck it on the floor there’s no reason why you shouldn’t remove it after a few minutes,”someone else concurred.
Laundry machines are not only a shared resource, but they are also limited. There are likely thousands of passengers onboard who may need to share a handful of machines, so proper etiquette is to practice mindfulness when it’s your turn.
Pivoting Away From Self Service Laundry
Brands like Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, and Oceania Cruises still allow guests to do their own laundry, but many cruise lines have pivoted to only offering laundry packages.
This means guests send their laundry to be handled by crew members for a fee – usually by means of putting their clothes in dedicated bags that are collected by cabin stewards.
The package they select will determine how their clothes are cleaned (i.e. a normal wash and dry or dry cleaning) and how quickly their items will be returned.
“I remember when I was a kid this was a popular thing, but it seems to be less common now. All of the recent ships I have cruised on don’t have self-service laundry machines anymore. I enjoyed having this option, particularly for extremely soiled clothing,”one cruise fan observed on the Cruise Hive Discussion Boards.
Carnival Cruise Line Laundry Room (Photo Copyright: Cruise Hive)
MSC Cruises, for example, does not currently offer self service laundry – and the packages can come at a premium.
One YouTuber, who was recently onboard MSC Grandiosa, was surprised to find that the cost to wash a single T-shirt started at $6 – which can certainly add up if you have a lot to wash.
Of course, this is only one example – as the exact packages and pricing varies across the cruise lines.
In addition to the price, the inability to complete and supervise their own laundry also makes some guests nervous because they have to give up control of some of their more intimate possessions.
But while it’s true that laundry does get completed in bigger batches – or else it would be impossible for the crew members to finish – each guest’s order (so to speak) is protected and secured in its own mesh bag.
If your cruise ship doesn’t offer a self service option, and you can’t get behind letting the crew members handle the laundry for you,there is also another option: hand washing.
Simply pack a small amount of soap or detergent (and maybe a small clothesline), wash your clothes in your stateroom’s sink, and hang them up to dry.
Indeed, these skilled first responders sprung into action to rescue an ailing 72-year-old man onboard Holland America Line’s Koningsdam– which is in the middle of a 35-day sailing to destinations throughout Hawaii and French Polynesia.
The Coast Guard received word on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 26, 2025, that the guest had experienced multiple stroke episodes while the 2,650-guest ship was sailing 300 miles off the coast of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
By the next morning, first responders had met the ship and were ready to render aid – which was now 57 miles south of Honolulu.
“At 9 a.m. Thursday, an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point rendezvoused with the Koningsdam about 57 miles south of Honolulu,”the US Coast Guard said in a press release.
Thanks to the teamwork and quick action of the first responders, the man was successfully transferred to the Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, where he is receiving treatment and his condition is listed as stable.
According to current passengers who have allegedly interacted with the man’s wife, he is expected to make a full recovery.
“By combining the skills of our crews and the specialized capabilities of our aircraft, we are able to respond to emergencies across the vast Pacific region,”said Lt. Cmdr. John Stockton, HC-130 Hercules aircraft commander, Air Station Barbers Point.
“Teamwork is critically important for medevacs, which are among the most time-sensitive and high-stakes missions we take on,” Stockton continued.
This also isn’t the first time that US Coast Guard members have had the chance to put their skills to the test while assisting the 2014-launched vessel.
The successful rescue took place in December of 2024 on the final sea day of a Baja Peninsula cruise.
Impact on the Itinerary
The Holland America ship embarked from San Diegoon February 15, 2025 – and still has quite a lot of ground (or sea?) to cover before she returns to the California port on March 22, 2025.
The Hawaiian portion of the itinerary, which included calls on ports like Honolulu, Kailua-Kona, Kahului (Maui), and Kauai Island, was unaffected by the surprise evacuation.
In fact, the 99,863-gross ton ship would have just started sailing on to French Polynesia when the man began to deteriorate.
However, tracking data shows that the cruise ship doubled back to meet the US Coast Guard, which has led to the need to skip the next port of call on the itinerary – which was a visit to Fanning Island, Kiribati, on March 1, 2025.
Photo Credit: StudioPortoSabbia / Shutterstock
“We headed back to Hawaii yesterday for a medical emergency. We met a Coast Guard helicopter and they transferred the person to fly him back to Honolulu,”a current guest shared on February 27.
“We have now turned around and are headed to Tahiti but the Captain just announced we will be skipping Fanning Island. A safe flight and godspeed to the Coast Guard and the patient!,” she continued.
But while the other passengers could have been annoyed by the change in plans, the majority have been wishing the guest well and thinking of his spouse.
His wife remained onboard Koningsdam, likely due to the urgency of the situation and/or the capacity on the helicopter, and will have to fly back to Honolulu to be with her husband from one of the upcoming ports of call.
“I hope they recover. I feel bad for their spouse who is still on the ship and will have to disembark at the next port and fly to meet them,” the current passenger added, with others echoing her sentiment.
The remaining French Polynesian ports, including destinations like Raiatea; Papeete, Tahiti; Moorea; Fakarava; and Nuku Hiva, remain unaffected.
Stay on top of cruise industry news with Cruise Hive’s weekly recap. This week’s edition features coverage on Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Princess Cruises.
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Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald tackles all kinds of topics and controversies on his popular Facebook page, where one disgruntled guest recently questioned why the cruise line won’t allow passengers to bring their own coffeemaker onboard.
After their Mr. Coffee machine was confiscated as a banned item while boarding a recent Carnival Radiance cruise, the guests declared their cruise was ruined. The angry guests are Diamond-level loyalty club members and suggested that, as such, they ought to be allowed to bring a coffee pot onboard.
They also complained that room service coffee was disappointing. Heald confirmed that, yes, appliances with heating elements are banned from being brought onboard Carnival Cruise Line ships for safety reasons.
But he noted that the guests could have ordered a new room service coffee delivery, asking specifically for it to be stronger, warmer, or made however they prefer it. Or, they could have paid for specialty coffees from the ship’s Java Blue Cafe.
Captain Kate McCue to Depart Celebrity Cruises
Captain Kate McCue Says Farewell (Credit: Kate McCue)
Celebrity Cruises is losing one of its top celebrities. Captain Kate McCue, the first American woman at the helm of a major cruise ship, announced she will soon leave Celebrity Cruises.
McCue most recently served as captain of Celebrity Beyond, but began her career as captain aboard Celebrity Summit in 2015. She also captained two other of the line’s ships — Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Edge.
She confirmed her plan to depart Celebrity Cruises on Instagram, where she has some 1 million followers. Captain McCue did not reveal where she is headed next, but indicated that her sailing days are not over, saying she has too much salt in her veins to leave the sea behind.
Her Instagram announcement included a video showing some of her top career moments, such as christening ships and interacting with crew members. Celebrity Cruises added a comment to the post, offering her their best wishes.
Before Celebrity Cruises, McCue was a third mate on Disney Cruise Line and a second officer with Royal Caribbean.
Guests Allege Poor Treatment After Balcony Fire
Carnival Glory Cabin Fire (Photo Credit: Tatianna Chuitian)
A small fire erupted on the balcony of a cabin on Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Glory during a 3-night Bahamas cruise from Port Canaveral. While the fire damaged a chair on the veranda, it was quickly discovered and extinguished, and no one was injured.
However, the three young women who were staying in the stateroom have complained they were badly treated by ship’s crew after the emergency. The fire happened on February 22, 2025 following a port call at Nassau, Bahamas.
Guest Tatianna Chuitian and two unidentified friends say they were not held accountable for the fire but were taken to the ship’s medical center and were required to take pregnancy tests. The guests said they also had to provide written statements about the incident but were not allowed to photograph those statements.
Moreover, the guests said they were intimidated by crew members and pressured to sign waivers. In a statement, Carnival Cruise Line acknowledged that a minor fire broke out onboard the 2,980-guest ship, but offered no response to the guests’ allegations.
Icon of the Seas Nixes Calls to San Juan
Icon of the Seas in Florida (Photo Credit: Ceri Breeze)
When will it be business as usual at San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Pier 3? Cruise lines are beginning to wonder.
Ever since MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia accidentally damaged a mooring dolphin at Pier 3 in April 2024, the dock has been unable to accommodate ships. Pier 3 is the port’s only berth big enough to host Royal Caribbean’s largest ships.
The line’s Symphony of the Seas, an Oasis-class mega-ship, has been altering itineraries to avoid the port since November 2024, and now, the even bigger Icon of the Seas, an Icon-class ship, is skipping scheduled calls to the port as well.
Impacted cruises are the May 3, June 7, June 21, and July 19 sailings — all 7-night Eastern Caribbean voyages from Icon’s homeport of Miami.
While repairs are under way at the San Juan port, Icon of the Seas’ July 19 cruise will swap the port with a call at St. Maarten. Her other three affected cruises will still visit Puerto Rico but will call at Ponce rather than San Juan.
Symphony of the Seas’ itineraries have been adjusted, too, and guests have been notified.
Strong Winds Cause Ship to List off New Zealand
Minor Damage on Crown Princess After Tilting (Credit: Kerry Burchett)
Thirteen guests and three crew members sustained minor injuries aboard Princess Cruises’ Crown Princess when the ship listed about 14 degrees due to strong winds in Milford Sound, New Zealand on February 24, 2025.
The listing was enough to cause a pool to flood a dining area and to knock items off tables and shelves. There was no structural damage to the ship but the incident caused panic among some guests.
The cruise line later confirmed that Crown Princess encountered strong winds during a course change, and that crew members responded immediately, cleaning up any broken items and dealing with the pool overflow.
The 3,080-passenger Crown Princess is operating a 14-night sailing roundtrip from Sydney. The sailing concludes on March 8, 2025.
This was not the ship’s first experience with a significant tilt. Back in 2006, the ship’s automatic steering was mistakenly disengaged, causing a 24-degree list as Crown Princess sailed off Port Canaveral.
Cruiser Jumps Off Mexico Pier to Retrieve a Hat
Carnival Valor Passenger In Water (Cfedit: Laci Lugones)
A pair of honeymooners got more than they bargained for at the port of Progreso, Mexico, when the wind blew the wife’s hat into the harbor. Apparently the hat was a special one — a memento from their wedding, and husband Micah Lugones jumped into the water to retrieve it.
Lugones and his wife, Laci, were sailing on their first cruise, a 5-night Caribbean voyage aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Valor from New Orleans. The ship had departed the Big Easy on February 17, 2025 and called at Progreso on February 20, 2025.
Lugones, who was able to grab the hat and climb out of the water safely, was cheered by those who watched from the ship and the pier, but such action is not recommended.
It can be dangerous to be in the water in an active port like Progreso. Cruise and cargo ships, and other vessels, are coming and going, and wind and currents can make swimming difficult, even hazardous. In this case, all’s well that ended well.
Oasis-Class Ship Nearly Fails CDC Inspection
Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas in Miami (Photo Credit: Nicholas Lamontanaro)
Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, an Oasis-class ship carrying up to 5,500 guests in double occupancy, almost failed her most recent inspection by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Inspectors boarded the ship on February 9, 2025 and found 44 line-item violations, giving the ship a final score of 86, out of 100. A score of 85 or below means the ship failed its inspection.
The most serious violations were related to improper reporting of illnesses affecting several young guests sailing on the ship, and those guests not being isolated from others. Additional offenses involved plumbing leaks, improper food storage, broken hand washing stations, and lighting issues in some galleys.
The ship has a record of better CDC scores. In November 2023, the ship received a score of 97, and in October 2022, a perfect score of 100.
The 228,081-gross-ton ship is based at PortMiami and sails 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
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As the sailing date approaches, every cruise traveler knows that giddy countdown feeling and is happily planning for shore excursions, beach days, and onboard fun. But what happens when a highly anticipated port visit is swapped for another destination just a month before departure?
Guests aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas are dealing with just such a situation, as they’ve now been notified that their March 29, 2025 sailing will not be visiting St. Thomas as planned.
While the ship will still be enjoying an 8-night Eastern Caribbean voyage roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, that one key port of call has been changed.
“To provide you with the best experience during your journey, we’ve made some adjustments,”the notification read.“We’ll skip our visit to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, and we’ll sepnd a full day in St. Johns, Antigua, instead. ‘Knot’ to worry, while it’s not the original itinerary we planned, we’re excited to explore this new port with you!”
Freedom of the Seas will depart Port Everglades as planned on Saturday, March 29, and spend the first two full days of the cruise at sea. Tuesday, April 1 (no foolin’!) the ship will visit St. Maarten from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The visit to St. Thomas was to have been from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2. That day will now be spent at Antigua, for the same time frame. Charlotte Amalie and St. Johns are approximately 220 miles apart. Philipsburg, St. Maarten is almost exactly halfway between the two ports.
After Antigua, Freedom of the Seas will spend Thursday, April 3 in Basseterre, St. Kitts. Two more leisurely days at sea will follow as the ship heads back to Fort Lauderdale for debarkation on Sunday, April 6.
Any shore tours guests had already booked for the now cancelled visit to St. Thomas will be automatically refunded back to travelers’ original form of payment.
Additional excursion opportunities for Antigua are being made available for booking online. Guests will also be able to book tours for any of the ship’s port visits onboard by visiting the Shore Excursions desk on Deck 5, starboard side, near the Guest Services Desk.
Why the Port Change?
Royal Caribbean has not offered any details beyond “to provide you with the best experience” as explanation for the port change just a month before setting sail. Cruise itineraries are typically set two years or more in advance, and cruise lines do try to maintain those original itineraries whenever possible.
It is likely this port swap is part of a knock-on effect from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Because of continuing difficulties with pier construction and safety certifications that have kept larger Royal Caribbean ships from docking there for months, those larger ships – Symphony of the Seas and now Icon of the Seas – have been rerouted to other destinations.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship in the US Virgin Islands (Photo Credit: GagliardiPhotography / Shutterstock)
One of those destinations is St. Thomas, which can better handle the larger ships, depending on their overall itinerary. This does mean, however, that Freedom of the Seas has had to change her schedule as well.
Trying to balance which ships are visiting which ports on which days is a complex logistical operation. Not only does berth space need to be available to accommodate each vessel, but Royal Caribbean is undoubtedly working to ensure as little overcrowding as possible so everyone enjoys their time in port.
The availability of port workers and tour operators will also factor in to such decisions, as well as sailing speeds, time spent in port, and how an individual destination best works into the other parts of a ship’s planned itinerary.
While some guests will undoubtedly be disappointed to no longer be visiting St. Thomas, the opportunity to explore Antigua can be very exciting for travelers.
With stunning beaches, outstanding architecture, vibrant marketplaces, and more, the port will surely be a memorable one for everyone aboard Freedom of the Seas.
