That is the Dominican Port Authority’s (APORDOM) adopted model as it celebrates the Dominican Republic’s new “tourist port,” Cabo Rojo on the island’s remote southern coast.
The port is set to welcome its final cruise ships of the year in 2024, with a total of five ship calls for its inaugural year.
Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas will arrive on October 16, 2024, and Holland America’s MS Eurodam, calling on November 20, 2024, are helping put the new destination on the map for cruise passengers.
Located in Pedernales, Cabo Rojo began receiving cruise ships to the port in early 2024, beginning with Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2,394-passenger Norwegian Pearl in January and Holland America’s 2,106-passenger Nieuw Amsterdam in April.
The arrival of Adventure of the Seas and MS Eurodam will bring up to 3,114 and 2,250 more passengers to Cabo Rojo, respectively. Adventure of the Seas is scheduled to return before the year ends on December 11.
The five cruise calls in 2024 mark a successful start for the new destination, although the port is still under development. As the port continues to be built into a new destination, the port authority steadily sees an increase in calls.
Carnival Corporation, which owns Carnival Cruise Line, Holland American Line, Costa Cruises, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, P&O Cruises, AIDA Cruises, and Cunard Line, plans to bring 13 cruises to the port between 2025 and March 2026.
The cruise operator is testing out the new port, according to Sharon Mei, manager at nearby private destination Amber Cove.
“They send one. If they do well, they will increase (cruises) according to the corresponding facilities,” he said.“The issue of water, transport, tourist guides… that organization is very delicate.”
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and Royal Caribbean also plan to increase calls to Cabo Rojo. NCL will bring more guests aboard Norwegian Jewel beginning January 7, 2025, while Royal Caribbean will return in May 2025 with Adventure of the Seas.
A Developing Cruise Destination With Big Ambition
Cabo Rojo is being developed at the tune of $126 million. In January 2024, it completed a 656-foot dock and a mooring that can accommodate multiple ships and began welcoming cruise passengers to the area with a beach and local shopping.
However, early reviews from passengers on Cruise Hive boards indicated the port was not yet ready. Said one guest,“Give it a year. While everyone is trying REALLY hard to make our call a successful visit, it’s clear the port just isn’t ready yet.”
Cabo Rojo Cruise Port
“The best way to think of Cabo Rojo is to compare it to a new version of Amber Cove,” the guest continued.
Amber Cove in Puerto Plata, owned by Carnival Corporation, offers a preview of what Cabo Rojo might achieve. That port, more than 160 miles from Cabo Rojo, saw 80,184 passengers and 23,801 crew members pass through between January and August 2024, reflecting a 13 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
More than half of these visitors were Americans and popular excursions included visits to the 27 waterfalls of Damajagua, Playa Dorada, and city tours of the historic center.
“We serve an American passenger with a different standard of services,” said Mei. “They are cruise passengers who like to go out: almost more than 50 percent go on excursions, and 8 percent take taxis.”
Cabo Rojo’s long-term plan to become a tourism hub includes constructing nine resort properties, a water park, and an international airport.
The Holland America Line ship Zuiderdam was home for seven nights during fall foliage season. My mid-September 2024 cruise, called Canada & New England Discovery, sailed a few weeks too early to see bright autumn colors along the shoreline, but the coastal scenery was still great, with lighthouses and pretty forested landscapes.
Our cruise began in Quebec City with an overnight in that historic port on Day One of the voyage, giving the ship’s 1,900 passengers plenty of time to explore the destination on the Saint Lawrence River.
Port calls were made to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Sydney and Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Portland, Maine, before the cruise ended in Boston. Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia are rural, and Portland is a small city.
Travelers seeking exciting, cosmopolitan port calls on their cruise itinerary should look elsewhere, but for those seeking peaceful villages and scenic vistas, these fit the bill.
Read on for the 8 best things about this vacation at sea.
Thermal Suite Day Pass a Soothing Respite
A giant polar bear statue brings whimsy to the midships pool (Photo Credit: Donna Tunney)
The Greenhouse Spa & Salon aboard Zuiderdam offers dozens of treatments and services to guests, everything from manicures and facials to hot stone massage and acupuncture. I didn’t try any of those, but I did buy the Thermal Suite Day Pass for three consecutive days.
Each day pass cost $49 and it was money well spent if you like to unwind in steam, sauna, and a mineral water hydro-pool. The facilities were never crowded, were pristinely clean, and extremely relaxing.
Robes, towels, and lockers are provided, and the day pass allows access until the spa closes for the night. You can enter and exit the spa facilities as many times as you wish throughout each day. For $150, I enjoyed three days of spa access. That’s the same rate I would’ve paid for a 50-minute Coconut Poultice Massage, plus 18% tip.
The ship’s two pools were a lot of fun, too, especially the midship pool, with its retractable roof and a huge polar bear statue at one end. It’s a stone’s throw from the spa, which allows guests to move between its cool water and the spa’s warm hydro-pool, for an invigorating hot-and-cold double dip.
Tip for future cruisers: Look out for a sale on embarkation day that reduces the spa day pass cost if purchased as a bundle for the whole week.
Entertainment and the Big ‘Orange Party’
The dance floor in the Rolling Stone Lounge is packed during the big Orange Party (Photo Credit: Donna Tunney)
Holland America Line is a Dutch company, founded in 1873 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Since orange is the national color of Netherlands — it’s a nod to the Dutch Royal Family, the House of Orange-Nassau — an Orange Party is held aboard every voyage operated by the cruise line.
On my Zuiderdam sailing, the big celebration was held in the ship’s Rolling Stone Lounge midway through the cruise and was a rip-roaring good time. The house band rocked and rolled, the dance floor was packed, and most guests were dressed in something orange.
New to Zuiderdam in the 2024 season, a Canadian band called Breton Thunder performed twice in the ship’s World Stage theater. The five-person group played mostly traditional Celtic songs that inspired the audience to clap and foot-stomp along with the tunes. Both shows were standing-room-only.
Other entertainment included Third Avenue West, an excellent trio (piano, bass, and guitar) that played in the Ocean Bar before and after dinner, and a piano player who performed in the Billboard Onboard lounge most nights.
Daily activities were geared to the older demographic this ship attracts. The bingo games, trivia contests, and art lessons were well attended but I would have liked a few more interesting choices, like talks about the culture or history of Eastern Canada by local experts.
Spying Pilot Boats at Sunrise
Early risers can watch the arrival of harbor pilot boats (Photo Credit: Donna Tunney)
Speaking of food, dining on multi-course meals is par for the course on cruise ships and I happily indulged. It was one reason I rose just before dawn most days and headed to the Promenade Deck, where three times around totals a mile-long walk. Several times around and, well, you can just about work off that key lime pie.
Dawn is a great time to be on the outside Promenade deck. It’s cool, quiet, the air is fresh and salty, and a brilliant sunrise is the main attraction.
On the days when my ship approached her next port during those early hours, I was able to watch the local harbor pilot being escorted to Zuiderdam, so that he could navigate the ship through the complicated currents of coastal estuaries and safely into port.
Typically it’s a small motor boat captained by the local harbormaster that chugs alongside the cruise ship so that the pilot can move from one vessel to the other. The harbor boat veers off after delivering the pilot, via an entry door to the cruise ship just above the water line, and heads back to shore.
It’s a simple exercise that happens all the time on cruise ships, but it was a highlight for me because it brings the local destination to life as a real place with real people. It also offers an insider’s peek into how cruise ships operate.
Good Times in the Game Room
Zuiderdam is an older ship. It entered service in 2001 and has none of the bells and whistles of ships owned by cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line — no water thrill rides, surf simulators, go-karts, or roller rinks, for example.
Geared to an older demographic, it does have lots of places to relax, like bars, lounges, indoor and outdoor sitting areas, and a large observation area on the top deck.
There also is a Game Room, situated alongside the observation lounge on Deck 10, and this was where many guests, mostly Boomers and older folks, who made up the majority of guests, congregated before and after dinner.
It was a quiet, friendly place where guests met to play board games, cards, backgammon, and other activities. The nearby Crow’s Nest bar was handy for getting drinks, and its waitstaff circulated through the Game Room on a regular basis.
Of all the public spaces onboard Zuiderdam, it was the Game Room that I liked best, thanks to its laid-back atmosphere, the faces of contented cruisers enjoying games like Scrabble, Chinese Checkers, or Clue, and happy people — including me — simply enjoying human interactions instead of being preoccupied with their phones, devices, and laptops.
One drawback to this space was the presence of the ship’s Excursion Desk. It had very limited hours, and when open it drew a lot of guests trying to book last-minute tours. This meant long lines and since it shared space with the Game Room it brought noise and confusion to the area.
Dining Al Fresco on the Balcony
While Zuiderdam has great dining venues and cuisine choices, all of which I enjoyed, there’s nothing quite like having a meal served in your stateroom.
In-suite dining, particularly in good weather, when guests can use the table and chairs on their balcony, is a real treat. It’s the truest form of oceanfront dining and the view can’t be beat. Meals ordered for my stateroom arrived cooked as requested, on time, and were enjoyed on the veranda.
I’ll give room service on this ship a giant thumbs-up, not only for the quality of the service but for that grand feeling of royal treatment that came with it.
Unlike some competitors, Holland America does not charge a fee for room service delivery. The room service breakfast menu is a form guests fill out and hang on the outside of their cabin door by 2 a.m. for delivery the next morning. The full room service menu is available on the stateroom television, and orders are placed via the cabin phone.
Shout Out to an Outstanding Crew
A barista at the Crow’s Nest coffee and cocktail bar (Photo Credit: Donna Tunney)
Fancy dinners, dance parties, casino games, and the bubbling waters of a hot tub are routine happenings on cruise ships, and they were on this one, too, but it’s the people around you who make the real difference, and the crew of Zuiderdam did just that.
As someone who has sailed on a few dozen cruises during the last three decades, I can say that the Zuiderdam crew is top notch. They’re helpful and kind, and always have a smile for guests.
A media group tour below decks took me to areas unseen by other passengers, and was an educational highlight of the week. We walked through an enormous laundry department and the kitchen galleys, among other areas, while a senior officer explained the various processes that keep the ship operating.
Taking in the volume of tasks crew members must accomplish every day was a real eye-opener. Others I spoke to also were impressed by the attentive and courteous service provided by Zuiderdam’s excellent crew.
Exploring Old Town Quebec City
Old Town Quebec City, home to the famous Chateau Frontenac hotel, is a highlight of the Eastern Canada itinerary (Photo Credit: Donna Tunney)
Travelers to Quebec City, especially its Old Town, experience an Old World atmosphere, with cobblestone streets, narrow, winding alleys with outdoor cafes, centuries-old churches, and one of the most famous hotels in the world, the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac.
I boarded Zuiderdam at the French Canada port and the ship overnighted there before setting off on her itinerary the next day. The overnight enabled guests to experience Old Town in the evening, when pedestrian-only zones are roped off so that restaurants can put tables onto the streets.
Musicians perform on street corners, creating a festive, European ambience at this embarkation port, which was a major highlight of the voyage for every guest I chatted with.
The Chateau Frontenac, the landmark hotel of Old Town, was built in 1893 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and looks like a giant French chateau sitting on a hill overlooking the Saint Lawrence River.
Lots of cruisers from Zuiderdam and from other ships docked on the day we visited ducked inside for a quick peek around and saw how the wealthy vacationed during the Gilded Age, and still do today.
Looking for Ghosts in Nova Scotia
Sydney, a port call on my Zuiderdam cruise, is a small, walkable destination founded in 1785 and home to some 30,000 people. It’s a quiet town on quaint Cape Breton Island and has a historic district that features homes and buildings dating back to its settlement.
The cruise line and local vendors offer “Haunted Sydney” tours, which focus on places like the Cossit House, now a museum with costumed guides but said to be a building where ghostly voices from the past are often heard.
The Black Brook Cemetery is said to be haunted by a witch buried nearby, and other locations have spooky reputations, too. The historic district had a distinctly eerie feel to it, I must admit, as I wandered around the neighborhood.
The district has one great thing going for it — views of the port and its pretty waterfront park, where a bagpiper performed throughout the day as cruisers explored the town.
Final Thoughts and Impressions
Overall, I liked Zuiderdam and its Canada/New England itinerary, and would recommend both to friends of a certain, older age. Younger folks, and certainly families with children, I believe, would experience a fair amount of boredom on this ship and in the port calls, with the exception of Quebec City.
But for Boomers and older folks seeking a traditional cruise experience, Zuiderdam, and Holland America Line on the whole, are a good bet.
I would make one suggestion: Nix the self-serve utensils in the Lido buffet and switch to a policy where all food items are served by gloved crew members from behind the food stations.
It might require more staff, but it reduces the chances of illness spreading through the ship. In my opinion, cruise ships no longer should have any self-serve food stations.
For many cruisers, kicking back with a cocktail (or two or three!) is a quintessential part of the cruising experience. Whatever your drink of choice, a drink package makes it more affordable.
If you’re traveling with Carnival Cruise Line in the near future, here’s everything you need to know about the cruise line’s popular CHEERS! drink package, how to take advantage of it and the benefits you can expect.
Carnival’s CHEERS! drink package allows you to pay a flat daily rate for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. You must be 21 years of age or older to purchase the CHEERS! package and each adult in a stateroom must purchase the package individually. You can’t share with your family members.
You can buy the CHEERS! package before you board the ship, or you can pay for it after you’re on-board the ship. While the package does charge a “per day” fee, don’t think that that means you can buy a CHEERS! pass for just one or two days out of your cruise. If you want to buy the package, you have to buy it for your entire cruise.
How Much is Carnival’s Drink Package?
Enjoying a Drink During a Carnival Cruise (Photo Credit: Mulevich)
How much you’ll pay for Carnival’s drink package will depend on when you buy it, as well as how long your cruise is.
If you purchase the package ahead of your cruise, you’ll pay $70.74 USD per person, per day for cruises of six days or more. For cruises of five days or less, you’ll pay $82.54 per person, per day. The purchase always comes with an 18% service charge.
If you wait and purchase the package after your cruise has departed, you’ll pay $76.64 per person, per day for cruises of six days or more. For cruises of five days or less, you’ll pay $88.44 per person, per day. Again, there’s also an 18% service charge.
Keep in mind that, while the cost difference between a pre- and post-embarkation purchase doesn’t seem that steep, only about $6, it can add up. If you’re on a seven-day cruise, that’s $42 extra per person.
If you want to purchase the drink package using a Carnival gift card, ahead of your cruise, you can only do so online, not by calling.
How Much Will I Spend Without the CHEERS! Package?
Drinks on a Cruise (Photo Credit: Allie_Vog)
Don’t think you could ever drink enough liquids, alcoholic or otherwise, during a cruise to warrant a $70 per day, per person fee? Well, think again. Let’s consider what might be an average day on a cruise ship.
Keep in mind that Carnival’s beers start at $6.50, wine starts at $9.50, mixed drinks start at $7.50, cocktails start at $10.50. Soda is $2.75, coffee is $2.50 and up, energy drinks are $4.95 and bottled waters start at $1.50.
So let’s say you wake up and go to breakfast. You have a bottle of water because you’re dehydrated from the night’s fun before and you need a coffee to wake up. That’s $4. However, the mimosas look pretty good, too, so you have two: that’s $21.
Then, you head to the pool. Around lunch, you’re parched and thinking a beer might be nice, so you grab one to quench your thirst for $6.50. Then two more, because you’re on a cruise, so why not? Lunch beers end up being $19.50.
You drink another few bottles of water after you’ve been in the sun awhile ($4.50), and your energy’s lagging by late afternoon, so you grab an energy drink ($4.95).
Then, you decide to grab a few drinks before dinner ($21), you have two glasses of wine at dinner ($19) and one night cap afterward ($7.50). That’s assuming you don’t hit the nightclub and really have a great time.
What was your total cost for the day? $101.45. Do the same thing over a seven-day cruise and you just spent $710.15 on beverages, when you could’ve spent $495.18 with the CHEERS! package. That’s a big difference!
Despite all this, maybe you still say you really don’t think you’ll get your money’s worth out of the CHEERS! package. If that’s the case, we encourage you to keep reading, but also, consider how little you get without the CHEERS! package.
If you don’t have a beverage package, the only drinks you can have are non-bottled water, lemonade, unsweetened iced tea, hot chocolate and non-specialty coffee and tea.
That’s right! You won’t even be able to order soda without paying each time! Though, if you do want to order soda with a drink package, but you’re not interested in alcohol, there’s an unlimited soda program option for that as well, discussed below.
What is Included in the CHEERS! Drink Package?
Carnival Sensation Atrium Bar (Photo Credit: Rob Bixby)
So what all will you get if you spring for the CHEERS! drink package? You’ll be able to enjoy:
All spirits, including cocktails, cognacs, whiskies and other spirits, as well as beer (including at self-serve beer stations) and wine and champagne by the glass, with a $20 or lower menu price per serving
Specialty coffees and hot tea served in the main dining rooms, specialty restaurants and coffee bars
Milkshakes
Energy drinks
500-ml bottled water and other non-alcoholic bottled beverages served in bars and lounges
Packaged water in the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants
In addition, if you purchase a package, you’ll also get a 25% discount off the menu prices for any spirit, cocktail or wine that costs $20 or more per serving (so basically any drink that costs too much to be included in your drink package), as well as 25% off bottles of wine and champagne, and 25% off beverage seminars and classes.
What is Not Included in the CHEERS! Drink Package?
Photo Courtesy: Carnival Cruise Line
Of course, the CHEERS! drink package is not a free-for-all. You won’t be able to just order anything and everything, all the time. Here’s what’s not included in the CHEERS! package, and what you’ll pay extra for.
Spirits, cocktails and wines that cost $20 or more per serving
Beverages promoted and sold in souvenir glasses
Bottles of liquor, wine and champagne
Beverages offered at the gangway
Beverages offered through room service, mini bars and/or other in-stateroom beverage programs
Beverages purchased off the ship at any port of call, including Celebration Key, Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays
Sharing cocktails, floaters, pitchers, tubes and buckets
Beverages offered through enomatic wine machines
Freshly squeezed orange juice served in the Havana Bar
Main Dining Room fresh squeezed juice
You also can’t buy drink-adjacent merchandise like cigars or cigarettes.
Are There Any Other Restrictions to the CHEERS! Program?
Drinks at Bar on Carnival Cruise Line Ship (Photo Credit: gary yim)
Yes, there are some other restrictions that come with the CHEERS! package, beyond just particular drink orders that aren’t included in your package.
The biggest one to know is that the package still isn’t technically all-inclusive. It’s not a buffet. You can’t drink as much as you want. Package holders are limited to a maximum of 15 alcoholic drinks per 24-hour period.
After that, you’re completely cut off. Even if you want to pay the normal cost for a 16th alcoholic beverage, you’re not allowed. (However, you can order unlimited non-alcoholic drinks.)
Other restrictions include, but not are limited to:
You can only order one drink at a time and you must wait five minutes between drink orders.
Sharing is not permitted
You cannot order double shots
If you purchase a round of drinks for yourself and friends, you only get one drink out of that round as part of your CHEERS! package. The rest of the drinks must be paid for individually.
You can only purchase opened bottles and cans (so you can’t purchase multiple unopened bottles and cans and horde them up).
The package is only refundable up until 10 p.m. ET the evening before cruise departure.
Other restrictions apply, and you may need to pay local taxes in accordance with state laws. Make sure to read all the fine details before purchasing the CHEERS! package.
Are There Drink Packages That Don’t Include Alcoholic Beverages?
Soda on the Cruise (Photo Credit: Nikita Burdenkov)
As we mentioned above, without any drink package whatsoever, you won’t be able to enjoy a range of drinks without paying for each individual drink order. It’s not just alcoholic beverages that you’ll pay extra for. Sodas and similar are also an extra fee.
The good news is, though, the CHEERS! package isn’t the only drink package that Carnival offers. If you want a drink package that gives you access to a wide range of drinks that aren’t alcoholic, you can purchase the Bottomless Bubbles package, which gives you as much fountain soda as you want, throughout your cruise. This includes Pepsi products and juices like tomato juice, cranberry juice and pineapple juice.
The Bottomless Bubbles package costs $11.21 per person per day for adults and $8.20 per person per day for children, including an 18% service charge.
How Can You Purchase the CHEERS! Package?
As mentioned, you can purchase the CHEERS! package either before or after your embarkation day. You can do so online or via phone, before the cruise. After the cruise departs, you can make this purchase by simply walking into any bar on your ship.
If you want to purchase the package ahead of time, which is highly recommended, it’s one less thing you have to do once you’re on the ship, and because it’ll save you money.
Do note that there is a cut-off for when you can purchase the package ahead of the cruise. You must do so by 11:59 p.m. ET, the evening before your cruise departs.
When Can I Start Using My CHEERS! Package?
Carnival’s Alchemy Bar (Photo Credit: Ritu Manoj Jethani)
Ready to hit the high seas and enjoy all the benefits of your Carnival Cruise Line CHEERS! package? There’s one last important thing to know.
Depending on your departure port, you may not be able to use your CHEERS! package during the first day of your cruise. This is the case if you’re departing from Texas, New York or Virginia.
If your cruise departs from Texas, New York or Virginia, your package will be usable starting at 6 a.m. on the second day of the cruise. Before that time, you’ll have to pay for your beverages like normal, at the a la carte fee.
Otherwise, if your cruise departs from any other state, your package will be usable as soon as you board the ship, so long as you pre-purchased the package. If you did not pre-purchase the package, it will become active as soon as you buy it from a bar on the ship.
Should You Buy Carnival’s Drink Package?
Yes, while it’s an extra cost and there are stipulations and limitations, don’t automatically turn up your nose at the thought of paying for a Carnival CHEERS! drink package. You could find you sorely miss out if you pass up on this purchase.
After all, when you’re sailing through the Bahamas with the sea breeze in your hair and the sun on your face, it just feels natural to sip on a pina colada or a margarita. Or, if you’re sailing through the fjords of Europe or along the Alaskan coast, you might want a warming hot toddy or a spiked hot chocolate.
The CHEERS! drink package makes it possible for guests to have (most of) the drinks they want, (usually) when they want, without worrying about running up huge bills.
Guests onboard Carnival Vista are getting a slightly longer cruise than anticipated but not in a good way.
Once again, the ship has developed a propulsion issue and is unable to sail at top speed, which will delay her return to Port Canaveral for debarkation and cause further delays for guests embarking for her next sailing.
Letters were delivered to guests’ staterooms onboard the 133,500-gross-ton ship on Saturday, October 12, 2024 with the news of the difficulties and what to expect upon arriving back to Florida.
“The ship has developed an issue that is limiting its speed. Our engineers are now working hard to address the issue, however, our return to Port Canaveral will be later than scheduled,”the letter explained.“We are now expecting to dock around 10:00 AM, Sunday, October 13, 2024.”
Just before 10 a.m., satellite tracking data showed Carnival Vista approaching the mouth of the inlet that leads to Port Canaveral. This puts the ship on time for that delayed arrival.
The ship is finishing an 8-night Southern Caribbean itinerary that departed Florida on Saturday, October 5 to visit Aruba, Bonaire, and Amber Cove.
Carnival Cruise Line is providing a reimbursement of up to $200 (USD) per person currently onboard the ship to cover any change fees or other expenses related to adjusting independent travel plans after debarkation.
If guests booked airfare through the cruise line’s FLY2FUN program, further details and adjustments were to be communicated individually.
Of course, this delayed return to Port Canaveral will also impact Carnival Vista‘s embarkation for her next cruise, a 6-night Eastern Caribbean voyage with plans to call on Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, and Amber Cove.
Guests setting sail on October 13 have been apprised of their delayed embarkation and asked to delay their cruise terminal arrival appointments by two hours.
This means that travelers who selected 11-11:30 a.m. as their arrival appointment when they checked in for their cruise should now plan to arrive from 1-1:30 p.m. instead.
“Please adhere to this new plan, since we must allow debarking guest to leave before we can accommodate your arrival,”the text notification read.
All passengers on the ship’s next cruise should be onboard Carnival Vista no later than 5 p.m. for a slightly delayed departure, but at this time, that sailing is expected to move ahead as planned. No itinerary changes or other delays have been announced.
A History of the Same Problem
This is not the first time Carnival Vista has developed propulsion issues, and in fact, is not the first time the ship has had this same difficulty this year.
While just one cruise was cancelled while the ship underwent those repairs, travelers were assured the repairs were successful as the ship departed on her next voyage on September 15.
Carnival Cruise Line’s Vista Class Propulsion Issues (Photo Credit: SeregaSibTravel)
Now, less than one month later, the same or similar difficulties have occurred yet again. This will understandably be frustrating to guests, as it may mean not only delayed embarkation, but could also lead to missed ports of call or shortened port visits.
To be clear, at this time, all the ship’s systems – other than propulsion – remain fully operational and there is no impact on safety, navigation, hotel, restaurant, or entertainment operations onboard.
Carnival Vista has a long history of similar propulsion problems, having developed these difficulties in November 2016 just months after her inaugural voyage and followed by additional problems in June 2019, May 2022, and now in August/September 2024 and October 2024.
Should Carnival Cruise Line retire the Vista class line of ships, or do you think these problems can eventually be corrected? Share your thoughts on the Cruise Hive boards!
Have you ever wondered how the euphoria of holding a world record ever feels like?
Well, that chance is now, as onboard entertainment on MSC Cruise ships is going to the next level thanks to the expansion of its popular GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS program across the entire fleet.
What began rather ambitiously on just two ships in 2023, has grown at an incredible rate in the past 12 months to the enormity of 12 ships, with even more guests set to enjoy it in the coming year ahead.
Young and old, as well as families, and those looking for their adrenaline rush will find MSC Cruises making it easier than ever to take a shot at breaking an official Guinness World Record while at sea.
Originally launched on the Seaside-class MSC Seascape and the even larger World-class MSC World Europa, the program quickly gained popularity, encouraging passengers to participate in all kinds of wild, record-breaking challenges.
Activities are not only for serious competitors; people of any age and ability can take part in the competitions. Be it pulling a rope over a distance of 100 meters or donning the most socks on one foot in under 30 seconds, the hilariously fun challenges on display, the Guinness World Records program offers something for everyone.
Steve Leatham, MSC Cruises’ Vice President of Entertainment, has expressed his excitement over the program’s continued success over the years.
“The Guinness World Records program has been a hit among our guests—both adults and children. So far, we’ve seen 30 records broken by our passengers,” Leatham shared.
Even more importantly, setting the program apart is the ability to appeal to such a broad range of people onboard. The families, couples, and even solo travelers all find themselves completely immersed in the whole fun, despite participating in or simply watching the challenges unfold.
According to Leatham, it is less about winning than it is about having a great time trying, and that is what has made it so popular across the board.
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS’ success onboard is also attributed to the way it brings all families together, creating memorable moments at sea. Matteo Mancini, MSC Cruises’ Senior Manager of Family Entertainment, emphasized the importance of this fun-filled program.
He noted that on MSC Cruises ships, it’s not just about watching a Guinness World Records show on TV or reading about it in a book— the passengers get to live the experience first-hand in a live, interactive environment.
Already fully running on 12 of its ships around the world, this program is available on MSC World Europa, MSC Euribia, MSC Meraviglia, and MSC Seascape, to name a few, while MSC World America will join this list of ships offering this unique entertainment when she starts her maiden sailings from Miami in April 2025.
Guests Can Break Records
This move to expand the Guinness World Records program is just part of a bigger move by MSC Cruises to enhance its onboard entertainment.
From MSC’s perspective, the aim is to provide immersive experiences that appeal to many guests so that everybody finds something to their liking.
For families seeking a shared experience to the solo set determined to break world records, MSC Cruises are creating an environment for everyone to have fun and possibly make history.
MSC Passengers Breaking Records
As the day progresses, guests of all ages can attempt to set a number of exciting, vying for record-breaking challenges, and the reward would be seeing the best of the best have a chance to audition for the evening’s spectacular finale.
These finalists will then perform in front of a live audience for the chance to become the next record-holder.
Guests who break a record will not only earn them official recognition from a Guinness World Records judge, and claim an official certificate, but also those who do succeed get to bask in the glory of their achievement.
So, if you’re ready to take on a record-breaking adventure and create unforgettable memories, MSC Cruises has you covered.
A passenger aboard MSC Cruises’ 181,541-gross-ton MSC Virtuosa tragically lost her life after falling overboard near the Channel Islands in the English Channel early Saturday morning, October 12, 2024.
The woman, reported to be in her 20s, fell into the sea after midnight as the cruise ship was sailing between the Channel Islands and Southampton, England. According to rescue officials, the cruise ship sent a distress call at 2 a.m.
The incident, closest to mainland France’s Normandy region, prompted an immediate and extensive rescue operation involving both sea and air units from the French navy helicopter Rescue Beligou Yankee and a French rescue vessel from Jobourg Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC).
A plane from the Channel Islands Air Search in Guernsey, England, located off the coast of Normandy, was also deployed.
Said Channel Islands Air Search on its Facebook page, “[We] were called out early this morning and requested to assist Joburg MRCC in the search for a person overboard from the MSC Virtuosa cruise ship, north of Les Casquets.”
The volunteer search organization said it arrived on the scene at 2:21 a.m. local time, where a search using infrared cameras began. By 2:33 a.m., Jobourg MRCC reported that the woman had been located and pulled from the water by the French navy.
Rescue Beligou Yankee flew the passenger to a hospital in Tourlaville, Normandy, where she was pronounced dead.
A spokesperson from MSC Cruises confirmed the incident: “A guest on board MSC Virtuosa went overboard on 12 October, while the ship was sailing to Southampton.”
“The body was later recovered with the involvement of the authorities. We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time,” the statement continued.
“Out of respect for their privacy, we will not be providing further details,” it concluded.
The exact circumstances leading up to the fall remain under investigation. Officials are reviewing surveillance footage from the ship and speaking with potential witnesses.
Reports in the Daily Record indicate passengers aboard MSC Virtuosa were informed of the situation through a “man overboard” alert at 2 a.m., and witnesses reported spotlights being used to search the waters. The cruise line has assured all necessary steps are being taken to support the deceased’s family.
MSC Overboards
MSC Virtuosa was returning from a 14-night roundtrip Northern Europe voyage. It last visited Lisbon, Portugal, on October 9, after calling across seven ports in Spain. After the woman’s body was retrieved, the ship continued to Southampton, where it concluded its voyage on October 12, 2024.
Over the past year, MSC Cruises has experienced several incidents involving passengers and crew members going overboard. In June 2024, a crew member tragically went overboard from the MSC Musica while the ship was sailing in the Mediterranean.
MSC Virtuosa arrives in Port of Lerwick, Shetland (Photo Credit: Dave Donaldson, Shetland Flyer Aerial Media)
Just before that incident, a passenger in Norway went overboard from MSC Euribia. The passenger was rescued by a helicopter and brought to a hospital.
That was the second overboard occurrence for the 6,300-passenger ship in 3 months, with a 23-year-old Scottish passenger falling overboard in March 2024. The guest went missing while sailing to Hamburg, Germany.
And in February 2024, an American passenger went overboard from MSC World Europa while the ship was docked in Malta for a call.
Cruise Hive’s thoughts are with everyone affected by the horrific incident aboard MSC Virtuosa during this difficult time.
Carnival Paradise is finally heading home days after her current sailing was to have ended, now that Port Tampa Bay is beginning to reopen.
Now that the cruise ship is cleared to return to the terminal, Carnival Cruise Line executives are confident the vessel will be able to dock soon and embark on her next sailing as planned from her designated homeport.
The news follows several days of rearranging, shifting, and adjustments in the wake of Hurricane Milton. While the Fantasy class vessel was able to depart on her October 6, 2024 sailing without difficulty, the fast development and strengthening of the storm kept her at sea much longer than anticipated.
Now, however, Carnival Paradise is able to head home to Tampa and it is anticipated that her upcoming October 14, 2024 sailing will be able to embark as scheduled from Tampa on Monday.
“We remain in close contact with officials in Tampa, and we are very optimistic that the port will reopen sometime this weekend,”the text alert from Carnival read.“This would allow us to operate your cruise from Tampa, as scheduled.”
The alert does note that further details will be forthcoming before the planned Monday embarkation.
“Carnival Paradise is on her way home to Tampa and we hope to have good some news about the port re-opening later today,”Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, confirmed.
As of Saturday morning, October 12, Port Tampa Bay had partially reopened and is prioritizing which vessels are able to return as operations resume. Fuel-carrying vessels are the first priority, as the port supplies more than 43% of the fuel to the Sunshine State.
The Much-Much-Longer-Than-Expected Carnival Paradise Cruise
The ship’s current sailing was to have been just a 4-night, Western Caribbean itinerary with a visit to Cozumel, Mexico that departed on Sunday, October 6. Because the storm was already developing at that time, the ship instead visited Costa Maya.
The following cruise, an identical 4-night itinerary to Cozumel, was scheduled to depart on October 10, but was ultimately cancelled as Port Tampa Bay closed for the very dangerous hurricane.
Instead, Carnival Paradise remained at sea, safely away from the storm’s influence, but without a confirmed time when she would be able to return to her homeport on the west coast of Florida.
Carnival Paradise Cruise Ship
To get onboard passengers on their way, the ship sailed to PortMiami for debarkation, giving travelers the option to debark with complimentary shuttles returning to Tampa or to stay onboard until the ship returns back to Tampa (or Port Canaveral as a possible alternative).
According to Heald, 1,785 guests opted to debark Carnival Paradise while in Miami. The remaining 579 passengers have stayed onboard and will instead debark when the ship reaches her homeport again.
“Thank you to everyone who sailed on for those extra days and I know the crew will have done everything they could to serve and entertain you,”Heald commented.
Carnival Paradise can welcome 2,124 travelers at double occupancy, or up to 2,697 guests when fully booked with all berths filled. Also onboard are more than 900 international crew members to help make every voyage memorable – and this latest one is sure to be even more memorable than most.
Satellite tracking data now shows Carnival Paradise en route to Port Tampa Bay, currently sailing southwest of Key West and enjoying a day at sea.
At this time, the ship’s October 14 departure – a 5-night Western Caribbean itinerary to Grand Cayman and Cozumel – is planned to move forward without disruption, but booked guests should remain in contact with Carnival Cruise Line for updates as necessary.
Following months of protracted legal arguments, the fate of the SS United States has now been set and the ship will formally be handed over to Okaloosa County, Florida on Saturday, October 12.
This follows court-ordered mediation between the SS United States Conservancy and Penn Warehousing, which owns and operates the pier the vessel has called home since 1996.
Through the mediation, the final agreement has been reached with compromises on both sides. While the SS United States Conservancy is not liable for the dramatically increased rental fees imposed by Penn Warehousing, the ship must still vacate the pier as ordered.
The full details of the confidential settlement have not yet been confirmed by the court, though this formality is assuredly coming and the ship will begin her move in the days to come.
The goal of the SS United States Conservancy has been to preserve the ship’s incredible legacy as “America’s Flagship” and ensure she is able to delight and educate visitors for generations to come. Unfortunately, this will not happen as the Conservancy had hoped.
“We worked with a prominent New York developer for over five years on an exciting plan for the ship’s commercial activation. Late last year, we revealed details of this design and program that showed how America’s Flagship could have been transformed into a privately funded, world-class, mixed-use destination in New York,”the Conservancy explained.
While those plans were in place, a pier location and government support of the project was not to be found, and ultimately, the plan proved unfeasible. In the meantime, the ship continued to decay and pressure from Penn Warehousing mounted through repeated legal challenges.
“Faced with no options to save the SS United States in her current state and under a binding court order, we were left with the painful but unavoidable choice between scrapping America’s Flagship or converting her into an artificial reef in tandem with a land-based museum,”the Conservancy acknowledged.“We chose the latter as the most dignified path.”
Okaloosa County, Florida, approved a contingent contract of for the ship’s purchase and conversion to an artificial coral reef, which will be located off the Destin-Fort Worth Beach coast. More than $10 million will be necessary to move the vessel, prepare for its conversion, and ultimately sink the ship in the proper location.
What the Ship Will Now Provide
While the outcome of the negotiations may not be what the SS United States Conservancy had ultimately hoped for, the entire ship will not be lost.
Part of the deal with Okaloosa County is that a land-based museum will be part of the ship’s future experience, and key parts of the vessel will be preserved in that museum to showcase the vessel’s history.
“This unique experience will be enhanced by a state-of-the-art museum that will blend the latest technology with our expansive collections of original artifacts and artwork from the ship,”the Conservancy said.
SS United States Docked in Philadelphia (Photo Credit: Patty Ballay)
Among those artifacts for the future visitor center will be one of the ship’s statuesque funnels, her radar mast, and detailed recreations of key spaces that utilize original materials and artifacts salvaged from the vessel.
While this is not the best case scenario the Conservancy had hoped for, it does ensure the ship is preserved in some fashion, making her available for guests.
“Once deployed by Okaloosa County, more people will be able to visit and learn about the ship in the space of one year than have had that opportunity since she left seagoing service more than a half century ago,”the Conservancy said.“Together we will see the extraordinary story of America’s Flagship, and her inspiring spirit, continue to endure — above and below the waterline.”
This museum will preserve the ship’s legacy and introduce her to future generations, enlightening them to American ingenuity, engineering expertise, and oceangoing strength.
No timeline has yet been set for when the museum and reef may be open, but the Conservancy is sure to continue to be involved in ensuring the ship is properly honored and preserved as befits her amazing story.
As the 2024 Alaska season comes to an end, Norwegian Jewel is one of the final ships still sailing in the region. But even the Jewel-class ship will be redeployed to Tampa, Florida, to pivot to Caribbean cruises at the end of October.
Unfortunately, one of her final two cruises of the season isn’t quite going to plan. The 2,376-guest ship only embarked from Seattle, Washington, yesterday, on October 10, 2024, but she has already had a last-minute change to the itinerary.
The first port call of the 9-night sailing, which was supposed to be on Sitka, Alaska, on Saturday, October 12, will be skipped due to inclement weather.
“Due to expected adverse weather conditions, the Norwegian Jewel will be canceling its port call to Sitka this Saturday, October 12th. With this cancellation, there will be no ships porting this Saturday,” Sitka Tourism announced.
According to the local weather forecast, the city, which is situated in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean, will experience rain and high winds with gusts of up to 60 mph on Saturday.
A high wind advisory will be in effect from 1 a.m. to 10 a.m. that day – which conflicts with when the 93,502-gross ton vessel would have arrived in port at 11 a.m., likely creating unsafe docking conditions.
While cruise ships are built to safely navigate rough seas, docking is often a little harder in choppy waters because of shallow depths and close proximity to other ships.
But while adverse weather leading to early cancellations may worry current passengers, the weather appears to be limited to Sitka.
The rest of the itinerary – which includes calls on Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau, Icy Strait Point, and Ketchikan in Alaska, as well as Victoria, Canada – is expected to go ahead as planned.
The Final Cruise Call of the Season
Luckily, Norwegian Jewel will get one final chance to call on Sitka on October 21, 2024 – assuming the weather allows. This visit is particularly significant, as she will be the final cruise ship to visit the Alaskan port for this season.
“The Norwegian Jewel is still set at this time to arrive in Sitka on Monday, October 21st as the final cruise ship of the season. Updates regarding this port call will be provided if any changes occur,”said Sitka Tourism.
Sitka specifically was expecting a record number of cruise guests in 2024 – although the final numbers for this year have not yet been released.
In 2023, the port also broke a record with more than 550,000 guests visiting the island, which more than doubles the number of tourists in pre-pandemic years and surpasses the 2022 record of 383,000 cruise visitors.
In the height of Summer, there were days when the number of cruise visitors exceeded Sitka’s own population of around 8,300.
It’s actually become so crowded in the port during the peak season that local residents have been pushing for restrictions on the number of cruise passengers due to concerns about safety and quality of life.
Their initial initiative was denied in July of 2024, but locals – guided by Small Town SOUL, a nonprofit advocacy organization – plan to make a new request for a partial cruise ban in the near future.
