Illness can be a fact of life for some cruise travelers, from simple seasickness to overindulgence to contracting a cold or other communicable disease.
While most outbreaks are small enough that they aren’t very noticeable, when greater numbers of passengers and crew members report symptoms, it becomes classified as an official outbreak.
The ship’s current sailing is a 30-day roundtrip US and Canada sailing that departed from Southampton on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. Various ports the ship has already visited include St. Johns, Boston, and New York, with destinations like Halifax and Sydney yet to come.
A total of 87 passengers have thus far reported symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, along with 11 crew members. In total, this amounts to 98 of the 2,758 people onboard the ship – 1,959 guests and 799 crew members.
While this is just 3.5% of everyone onboard, cruise ships are required to report outbreaks that surpass 3% of the passengers or crew. It is important to note, however, that the number of cases reported is a total, and not everyone reporting symptoms may be sick simultaneously.
On longer sailings such as this month-long cruise, outbreaks are more easy to recognize because some passengers may be sick just a day or two after embarkation.
Others may not exhibit symptoms until 10 days later, but still on the same voyage. This requires reporting, even though on a shorter cruise those cases would not be immediately connected.
P&O Cruises confirmed the outbreak with a statement noting the symptoms and the precautions taken onboard.
“Upon embarkation all guests were provided with an advisory notice with precautionary health measures for on board and on shore, as is standard procedure across our fleet,”the spokesperson from P&O Cruises said.“Following reports of guests with gastrointestinal symptoms, P&O Cruises swiftly implemented approved, proven and enhanced sanitisation protocols to uphold the wellbeing of everyone onboard.”
Typical protocols often include more frequent cleaning of high-traffic, public areas and surfaces, reminders for guests to practice frequent and thorough handwashing, and onboard announcements to ensure everyone is aware of the need for precautions.
The CDC does list the causative agent for the outbreak to be norovirus, a highly contagious cause of gastroenteritis that leads to stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, muscle aches, and possibly a low-grade fever. Symptoms typically begin 12-48 hours after exposure to the virus and resolve within 48-72 hours for most individuals.
Previous Cruise Ship Outbreaks
This is the seventh reported cruise ship illness outbreak attributed to norovirus in 2024, with previous outbreaks noted on Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Summit, Princess Cruises’ Sapphire Princess, Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas, Holland America Line’s Koningsdam, Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria, and Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Constellation.
Two other illness outbreaks have also been noted this year. In early April, an e. coli outbreak was reported aboard Silversea Cruises’ Silver Nova, while in May, Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas reported an illness outbreak of an unknown origin.
Photo Credit: bear_productions / Shutterstock
In 2023, a total of 13 norovirus outbreaks aboard cruise ships were reported to the CDC, including a previous outbreak aboard Arcadia during a lengthy sailing from January 3 through April 14. At that time, a total of 108 guests and crew members reported symptoms.
This followed a late 2022 outbreak also aboard Arcadia with 94 reported cases. It is not unusual for more severe outbreaks to last through successive cruises, though cruise lines do take every possible precaution to limit any spread.
The 84,342-gross-ton Arcadia, part of the Carnival cruise family, can welcome 1,952 travelers at double occupancy, or up to 2,388 guests when fully booked with all berths filled. The ship currently homeports from Southampton, offering Mediterranean, Spain, Canary Island, and northern Europe itineraries, among others.
Another cruise line is enhancing its solar eclipse lineup as Princess Cruises announces a second ship will seek the darkness of 2026’s solar eclipse.
The 175,500-gross-ton Sun Princess will have a chance to experience the rare sight from the waters off southern Spain on its eclipse voyage in August 2026.
Departing from Barcelona, Spain, on August 8, 2026, the newest ship in the fleet’s original route has been altered to give up to 3,660 passengers a chance to witness the 2 hours and 18 seconds of daytime darkness expected on August 12.
In addition to watching the eclipse from the top decks, guests will be provided with Princess safety glasses and they can take part in various activities, including astronomy-themed lectures, stargazing, and solar system trivia.
“Sun Princess truly lives up to its name, offering an out-of-this-world experience with a front-row seat for a total eclipse of the sun,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises.
The new solar eclipse cruise on Sun Princess offers options ranging from 7 to 21 days, with departures also available from Rome, Italy, and Athens, Greece.
The shorter version from Barcelona will include stops in Gibraltar; Cartagena, Spain, and Florence/Pisa, Italy, before concluding in Rome.
The new itinerary provides a second eclipse-viewing option aboard Princess Cruises, which will also feature Sky Princess in the Mediterranean for the event. Its 14-night voyage from Southampton, England, departing on August 8, 2026, is also available for up to 3,660 passengers.
This voyage will visit ports in France, Spain, and Portugal, including Cherbourg, France; Bilbao, Spain; and Lisbon, Portugal.
The new additions add to Princess Cruises’ original eclipse voyages in 2024, which sold out on Discovery Princess and Emerald Princess for the phenomenon that occurred across parts of Mexico, the U.S., and Canada on April 8, 2024.
Cruise Lines Chart New Routes for Solar Eclipses
The popularity of solar eclipse viewing was illustrated during the 2024 eclipse, causing major cruise lines to ensure 2026 routes put passengers in the zone of totality.
In 2026, the first time Europe will see a solar eclipse since 2019, Iceland, Greenland, the Balearic Sea and southern Spain, and parts of the North Atlantic Ocean will be in the path of totality.
Princess Cruises Solar Eclipse (Photo Courtesy: Princess Cruises)
Among the offerings available to guests are itineraries by Princess Cruises’ sister cruise lines operated by Carnival Corporation. Carnival Cruise Line, for example, will offer its first-ever solar eclipse cruise aboard Carnival Legend.
The 11-night journey departing from Dover, England, on August 9, 2026, will include stops in France, Spain, and Portugal, positioning the ship at sea on August 12 for the viewing.
Holland America is providing several eclipse-viewing sailings, including a 13-night Mediterranean Solar Eclipse itinerary aboard the ms Oosterdam, which departs from Lisbon on August 9, 2026, and offers and eclipse viewing from Alicante to Barcelona.
Longer options include a 28-night “Scandinavian Solar Eclipse” journey from Dover and a 35-night “Voyage of the Vikings” from Boston. Both are offering overnight stays in key ports and onboard eclipse programming.
P&O Cruises is also offering two eclipse sailings, with Ventura embarking on a 14-night Spain and Portugal voyage on August 7 and the adults-only Arcadia sailing on a 16-night itinerary from Southampton to Iceland on August 4.
Cunard is also offering eclipse voyages, including a 14-night westbound transatlantic crossing aboard Queen Mary 2 that departs from Southampton on August 4 and positions guests in Reykjavik for the eclipse. The cruise line’s Queen Anne and Queen Victoria ships will also host eclipse cruises.
Finally, Seabourn is offering two luxury eclipse sailings, including a 13-night West Ireland Gems itinerary departing from Dover on August 8 and a 9-night Spanish Gems voyage from Barcelona on August 6. Both sailings will feature onboard astronomy programming.
While the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season has technically passed, a new storm system is developing in the western Caribbean that has the potential to impact a number of cruises in the coming days.
Rather than wait until the last minute for potential changes, MSC Cruises has already adapted the current sailing for MSC Seascape to ensure the best possible cruise experience. Most of the ports have been changed to keep the ship well out of the potential storm’s area of influence.
“We regret to inform you that we must revise our itinerary due to the overnight development of a tropical depression in the Western Caribbean Sea, which has a high probability for gradual development during the next several days,”the letter delivered to guests’ staterooms explained.
“For safety reasons, due to the adverse weather conditions that are forecasted in the ports of call of our original itinerary … we have changed the itinerary.”
MSC Seascape departed Miami, Florida on Saturday, September 21, 2024 for her 7-night Caribbean and Bahamas sailing. The ship was to have visited Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, as well as Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas.
Ocean Cay is the only port of call to remain the same on the revised itinerary, and the ship will still be there for her last stop of the sailing on Friday, September 27.
Now, MSC Seascape will be in Grand Turk from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, September 23 (the day originally planned for Jamaica), then in Puerto Plata from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 24 (which was to have been the day in Grand Cayman).
Wednesday, the ship was supposed to visit Cozumel, but that day, it will now be a day at sea. On Thursday, September 26, MSC Seascape will dock in Nassau from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. On the original itinerary, that day was to have been at sea.
Guests were informed of these changes on the first full day of the sailing, a day at sea. While some travelers will understandably be upset that all but one of the original ports of call are now cancelled, safety is always the first consideration.
“We have had to implement this itinerary change due to reasons that are beyond our control and to ensure your comfort, safety, and wellbeing, which is our number one priority,”the letter concluded.
All pre-booked excursions arranged through MSC Cruises will be automatically refunded to travelers’ onboard accounts, and new tours through the ship’s Shore Excursions desk on Deck 6 in the ship’s Atrium.
Tropical Depression Update
The tropical depression, which was upgraded to Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 on Monday morning, has been developing between Belize and Jamaica for several days. Maximum sustained winds are now recorded at 30 miles per hour, just 9 miles per hour beneath the threshold for an official tropical storm.
The storm is expected to continue strengthening and is likely to become a tropical storm by Tuesday morning, and a hurricane by Wednesday morning as it passes the Yucatan Peninsula.
The projected track has the storm heading first northwest and then north, gradually turning slightly northeast as it moves into the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine
The storm – which will likely become Hurricane Helene – may be as strong as a Category 3 hurricane when it makes landfall later this week, probably on Thursday, September 26.
While there is great uncertainty in storm predictions several days away, various models are agreeing more and more that landfall is likely to be made somewhere in the Florida panhandle.
In the meantime, other Western Caribbean cruises are likely to be impacted over the next few days, and the homeport of Mobile, Alabama, may also be affected depending on the storm’s exact track and size as it makes landfall.
Travelers booked on any Western Caribbean sailing this week should stay in close contact with their cruise line for potential itinerary changes, delays, and other updates.
Cruise guests regularly book tours to enjoy a safe, enriching experience while in a port of call. It can be incredibly scary, then, when a tour goes wrong with an accident, as happened earlier this month for guests while they were exploring Skagway, Alaska.
On Friday, September 6, 2024, a tour bus carrying 24 passengers overturned after the driver suffered a medical emergency. The accident happened in a remote area of the South Klondike Highway, approximately 35 miles outside of Skagway, near the Yukon Suspension Bridge, where there is no cell phone coverage and radio communications are limited.
The bus was a tour from a cruise ship and therefore may have been carrying passengers from several lines, as is common for port of call tours. It is unclear whether the tour was arranged through an individual cruise line or independently organized.
The Skagway Fire Department received the emergency call at approximately 3:00 p.m. and responded immediately. Due to the remote location, however, two additional buses nearby were able to respond first, providing aid and communications relays to emergency personnel. Passengers on the bus with medical training also began triage to assist those injured in the accident.
“Skagway Fire would like to thank the two Holland America Princess motor coaches for being the true first responders to this accident and acting without hesitation,”read a statement from the Office of the Fire Chief Emily Rauscher.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also responded to the incident, providing additional support as needed.
A total of 12 passengers were injured. Depending on the severity of their injuries, they were transported either to Skagway or Whitehorse General Hospital for further treatment. A helicopter was on site, but was not needed to airlift any passengers or the driver.
The highway remained closed for approximately three hours, causing the annual Klondike Road Relay to be delayed and several legs of the race cancelled.
While some injured guests did remain hospitalized for several days for observation, no fatalities or severe injuries were reported. The driver is also reported as recovering well.
The exact ship the cruise passengers were from has not been identified, nor have the identities of the injured parties been released in order to preserve their privacy.
Photo Credit: Georgy Sukhanov / Shutterstock
Skagway is one of the more popular destinations for Alaska cruises and is visited by a number of cruise lines. On September 6, four vessels were in port: Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jewel, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Spirit, Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess, and Viking Cruises’ Viking Ocean.
Are Tours Safe?
While cruise tours are generally safe and an excellent way to more deeply delve into the culture, history, and uniqueness of each port of call, accidents can always happen.
This might be due to a medical emergency as happened in this instance, or due to a mechanical failure such as a tire blowout or other situation like a car crash or severe weather.
Booking tours through one’s cruise line ensures that if an accident occurs, the cruise ship will be notified of the incident and will make every effort to assist guests in returning to the vessel so they don’t miss their ship.
While independent tours will try to be in contact with the cruise line as well, they may not be as successful and cruise lines are under no obligation to wait for a delayed tour to return.
Thinking of taking a trip with Celebrity Cruises in the near future? Yes, Celebrity Cruises isn’t really known for having some of the biggest cruise ships in the world among its fleet.
However, the newer Celebrity ships can certainly hold their own, and even some of the cruise line’s older ships still offer a lot to love. And we even have a list of all the ships by age too!
Here’s what you need to know about all 17 vessels in the Celebrity fleet, including size, passenger capacity and special features.
Set to launch in November 2025, as the fifth in the Edge class. As many of Celebrity Cruises’s ships have increased in size over the years, with each new ship, Celebrity Xcel is likewise bigger and better than the last ship to join the fleet, Celebrity Ascent. The vessel brings a new evolution to the class.
Celebrity Cruises promises that the ship will offer an enhanced The Retreat, a new restaurant by renowned Chef Daniel Boulud, an expanded Rooftop Garden and Resort Deck, a redesigned Grand Plaza, and more!
The ship will be able to run off three different types of fuel, including methanol, a first for Celebrity Cruises. The ship is being built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique. The keel-laying ceremony took place at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France in June 2024.
Launched in November 2023, Celebrity Ascent took Celebrity Cruises and the Edge class to new heights — literally. The vessel feature 17 decks, nearly 200 more staterooms and suites than past Edge-class ships, and larger special spaces like The Retreat.
The ships’ Edge Staterooms with Infinite Verandas are 23% larger than Solstice-class veranda staterooms, and the ship’s Iconic suites are the largest suites in the entire fleet. Celebrity Ascent offers more than 30 food and beverage experiences, too.
Celebrity Ascent was built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Gross Tonnage: 141,420 GT
Length: 1,073 ft.
Passenger Capacity: 3,260
Crew Capacity: 1,400-plus
Celebrity Beyond
Celebrity Beyond Docked in St. Kitts (Photo Credit: SKNIS)
Launched in April 2022, Celebrity Beyond shares many of its features with newer ship Celebrity Ascent, and the two likewise share both a builder (Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France) and the same size.
This Edge-class ship introduced the cruise line’s AquaSky suites and features more than 30 food and beverage options. Celebrity Byond is also well known for having one of the most famous cruise ship captains on social media, Captain Kate McCue!
Launched in April 2020 and built by STX France, Celebrity Apex is an Edge-class ship, but it’s slightly smaller than the two newest Edge-class ships, by about 10,000 GT. That said, it still offers big differences in size when comparing the ship to the previous Solstice class of ships. For example, the Edge Staterooms with Infinite Verandas offer bathrooms that are 10% larger than what you’ll find on Solstice-class ships.
In total, the ship offers just over 1,400 staterooms and suites. It also boasts 17 dining venues, and a tech-heavy theater that introduced all-new production shows and programming exclusive to Celebrity Apex. The ship also introduced the Craft Social pub to the cruise line, as well as a reimagined Eden space.
Gross Tonnage: 130,818 GT
Length: 1,004 ft.
Passenger Capacity: 2,910
Crew Capacity: 1,320
Celebrity Edge
Celebrity Edge Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Peter Titmuss / Shutterstock)
When Celebrity Edge entered service in December 2018 as the very first Edge-class ship, it came with some pretty cool features. It introduced The Retreat, aka Celebrity Cruises’ VIP area, for suite guests only.
In cabin categories, it debuted the Edge Stateroom with Infinite Veranda, an option that creates indoor-outdoor living spaces made possible by state-of-the-art technology, as well as the Iconic Suite and Edge Villas. Other new features included the Rooftop Garden. The ship was built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
Celebrity Reflection, when it debuted in October 2012, was the last ship in the Solstice class. It has recently been renovated, in October 2022. The ship is the largest of the Solstice class, and was built by Meyer Werft. Over 14 decks, the ship offers just over 1,500 staterooms.
While this ship was considered fairly contemporary when it originally launched, with the industry’s growing number of spectacular mega ships from various cruise lines, Celebrity Reflection is now relatively ho-hum.
Gross Tonnage: 125,366 GT
Length: 1,041 ft.
Passenger Capacity: 3,480
Crew Capacity: 1,293
Celebrity Silhouette
Celebrity Cruises Silhouette Ship (Photo Credit: Peter Titmuss)
Built by Meyer Werft and debuted in July 2011, Celebrity Silhouette is slightly smaller than Celebrity Reflection, but right on par with Solstice-class sister ships Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Equinox and the class’s lead ship Celebrity Solstice. The ship received renovations in 2020, as part of the Celebrity Revolution modernization initiative. It’s scheduled for more renovations in November 2024.
The ship offers 1,451 staterooms, 14 dining venues and features that were originally introduced on Edge-class ships, but then were later added to older ships, such as The Retreat and Craft Social.
The middle Solstice-class ship, Celebrity Eclipse debuted in April 2010 and, like Celebrity Silhouette, was also refurbished in 2020. Before that, the ship, which was built by Meyer Werft, received another refurbishment in 2015.
Despite being the same size as Celebrity Silhouette by gross tonnage, the ship can hold fewer overall guests (at double occupancy) and has one less deck, for a total of 13. It has fewer staterooms, too, for a total of 1,426.
Built by Meyer Werft and introduced in August 2009, Celebrity Equinox has been updated with renovations and dry docks occurring in 2014, 2019 and 2024. As such, if you’re looking to sail on a Celebrity Solstice class ship soon, opt for either Celebrity Equinox or Celebrity Silhouette, both of which are the most recently updated.
Gross Tonnage: 121,878 GT
Length: 1,041 ft.
Passenger Capacity: 2,852
Crew Capacity: 1,290
Celebrity Solstice
Photo Credit: Ian Dewar Photography / Shutterstock
The lead Solstice-class ship, Celebrity Solstice debuted in November 2008 after delivery from Meyer Werft. The ship introduced quite a few features to the Celebrity Cruises cruise line, including the line’s first Lawn Club and hot glass show.
Other ship highlights included the Celebrity iLounge, with an Apple retail area, and the Cellar Masters wine bar. Refurbishments took place in 2016 and 2021.
Gross Tonnage: 121,878 GT
Length: 1,041 ft.
Passenger Capacity: 2,852
Crew Capacity: 1,250
Celebrity Millennium
Photo Courtesy: Celebrity Cruises
When Celebrity Cruises ordered both Celebrity Millennium and Celebrity Infinity from builder Chantiers de l’Atlantique, the ships were intended to be smaller than they actually ended up being.
When the aptly named Celebrity Millennium debuted in July 2000, it was the very first Celebrity Cruises ship following Celebrity Cruises’ merger with Royal Caribbean Group.
Celebrity Millennium distinctively featured a special electric COGES power plant (the first cruise ship in the world to do so). It also debuted with a unique restaurant that featured elements taken from the RMS Olympic, the Titanic’s sister ship. Today, Celebrity Millennium is the oldest ship in the Celebrity Cruises fleet.
Celebrity Constellation is the newest ship in Celebrity Cruises’ oldest class, the Millennium class. Launched in May 2002, the ship was renovated most recently in April 2024, but also received refurbishments in 2020 and 2017.
Built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, some of the ship’s newly added features include the Rooftop Terrace, Qsine restaurant and a newly revamped shopping area. The 2017 renovations also updated staterooms with automatic door locks and new bathrooms.
Gross Tonnage: 90,940 GT
Length: 965 ft.
Passenger Capacity: 2,559
Crew Capacity: 999
Celebrity Infinity
Photo Credit: RoxTravels / Shutterstock
Celebrity Cruises introduced two ships to the cruising industry in 2001. Before the Celebrity Summit, there was also Celebrity Infinity.
Built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, the ship is the same size and capacity as sister ship Celebrity Summit. Like this sister ship, it also received renovations that brought it up to Solstice-class standards, with renovations taking place in 2011, 2015, 2018 and, most recently, January 2024.
Gross Tonnage: 90,940 GT
Length: 965 ft.
Passenger Capacity: 2,170
Crew Capacity: 999
Celebrity Summit
Photo Credit: Carlos Yudica / Shutterstock.com
Launched in October 2001, Celebrity Summit was the third of the Millennium class ships.
Originally built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire and refurbished in 2012, 2016 and 2019, the ship’s staterooms and public venues were upgraded to match those of the newer Solstice class, as closely as possible.
During the 2012 renovations, the ship’s overall gross tonnage and occupancy were increased to what you see today. Occupancy was also increased during the 2019 renovations, with new cabins added.
The ship made a distinction as one of the first cruise ships to be powered by environmentally friendly gas turbines.
Celebrity Flora is not your average cruise ship. Instead, this small expedition ship, debuted in June 2019, is one-of-a-kind.
Celebrity Cruises claims that Celebrity Flora was the first ship of its kind built specifically for a certain destination: the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador. The ship, built by De Hoop Shipyard in the Netherlands, offers six passenger decks and a capacity for 100 guests over 50 suites.
At the time of debut, the ship offered the largest suites sailing to the Galapagos, the first glamping experiences in the Galapagos, and the first yacht tenders in the Galapagos. The ship also featured Celebrity Cruises’ very first marina, a public sea-level space, as well as Celebrity Cruises’ very first stargazing platform.
Gross Tonnage: 5,739 GT
Length: 333 ft.
Passenger Capacity: 100
Crew Capacity: 80
Celebrity Xpedition
Celebrity Xpedition (Photo Credit: Diego Delso)
The first of Celebrity Cruises’ expedition ships, Celebrity Xpedition entered service in June 2004 (though the small ship has since been updated, in September 2018), kicking off the Xpedition class.
The ship offers 24 staterooms, two restaurants and more inclusions than what you might get on a standard cruise (think alcoholic beverages and daily shore excursions). Overall, the Xpedition class offers a more intimate sailing experience, with a greater level of care and crew attention, during all itineraries.
The smallest Celebrity Cruises ship of them all, Celebrity Xploration is likewise an expedition ship, this time only holding a mere 16 people and a crew of 12. There are three guest decks, and only eight staterooms, half with verandas and half without.
There are two dining areas, a sun deck and a lounge bar, and, as is the case with Celebrity Cruises’ other expedition experiences, you’ll enjoy more fare inclusions and a more intimate atmosphere on this small ship.
The small vessel is being sold to National Geographic along with Celebrity Xpedition and will leave the fleet in 2025.
Gross Tonnage: 319.5 GT
Length: 98 ft.
Passenger Capacity: 16
Crew Capacity: 12
What’s the Largest Celebrity Cruises Ship?
When just looking at Celebrity Cruises’ current sailing ships, the cruise line’s two most recent ships, Celebrity Beyond and Celebrity Ascent, are its largest. Celebrity Beyond and Celebrity Ascent, the most recent members of the Edge class, are both 140,600 GT and both hold 3,849 passengers.
When comparing Celebrity Ascent and Celebrity Beyond to past Celebrity Cruises cruise ships, the ships are longer and sleeker, with one additional deck, and nearly 200 more suites and staterooms. The ships’ Retreat areas are also 40% larger and the Sunset Bar is 180% larger, and there are overall more restaurants, bars and lounges to enjoy.
What’s the Smallest Celebrity Cruises Ship?
The smallest Celebrity Cruises ship is Celebrity Xploration. However, this smallest ship in the Celebrity Cruises fleet isn’t really a cruise ship in the traditional sense.
Instead, it’s a member of the cruise line’s expedition class. The small ship only carries 16 guests at a time, with a gross tonnage of 320 and a length of under 100 feet!
Are Any Larger Celebrity Cruise Ships Coming in the Future?
Yes, Celebrity expects to welcome Celebrity Xcel in 2025. While not much has been revealed regarding this future ship’s size, it’s safe to assume that it will be at least as large as sister Edge-class ships Celebrity Beyond and Celebrity Ascent, or very likely larger.
As such, that would mean that Celebrity Xcel will weigh in at greater than 140,600 GT and likely be capable of holding more than 3,849 passengers.
When brand ambassador John Heald responded to a complaint about the lack of tablecloths in the main dining rooms on Carnival ships, he had no idea the debate that he would start.
“Not having tablecloths is an example of a cruise line with no class. Having a “brand ambassador “ making lurid statements shows that he is the perfect match. Both have zero class,”reads the initial complaint, which Heald shared on his Facebook page.
But not only did this start an internet war in the comments of the post – to which more than 1,000 people have responded to in less than 12 hours – but it caught the attention of Professor Melissa, a university professor who has gained a following sharing cruise tips on social media.
“So, in case you hadn’t noticed, Carnival this year has stopped using real tablecloths, and some cruisers are up in arms about it. Carnival ambassador John Heald posted about it today and I find this topic so interesting…that I plan to make a video about it,”Melissa shared on Facebook.
“Specifically it’s going to be about the “cheapening” of the cruise experience, and how small luxuries have been taken away slowly but steadily,” continued the travel influencer.
Before Melissa could return with a video, Heald defended Carnival’s decision to do away with the tablecloths – which the 27-ship cruise line opted for in order to be more environmentally friendly.
“Professor Melissa – respectfully I hope you will also mention the main reason that we do not have them. And that is washing approximately 3,000 tablecloths every day on every ship and the incredibly negative impact it has on the environment,” Heald clapped back in the comments of Melissa’s post.
On average, a standard washing machine uses around 20 gallons of water per load, which becomes quite substantial when thousands of tablecloths need to be cleaned daily – not just in terms of the environmental impact, but also with the manpower it takes to do that much laundry.
Do Tablecloths Really Matter?
According to a subsequent poll posted by Heald, the majority of cruisers don’t care one way or the other about tablecloths in the dining room.
14,244 voted for “tablecloths really make little or no difference to my dining pleasure and the fun,” while only 2,095 chose “tablecloths make every difference to the experience I have in the dining room.”
While clearly some do care about tablecloths – as votes reaching into the 2,000s isn’t unsubstantial – the majority didn’t mind going without them.
“I always found white table cloths to be a waste of resources, water, energy, labor. They stain easily and require a lot of bleaching and washing. It gives the crew a small break and less to worry about,”wrote one commenter.
“I don’t mind tables without a cloth, more than 1/2 the time people are shifting them and they end up more on one side than the other, kids spill and drip and wipe their hands on them,” added another.
While some may see the omission of tablecloths as a downgrade, rest assured that Carnival has been working to improve the onboard experience in other ways.
Perhaps most notable, the cruise line rolled out high-speed Starlink internet service fleet wide earlier in 2024 and introduced a new premium WI-FI planthat can be used on multiple devices earlier in September.
At the end of 2023, the family-friendly brand also announced a revamped chef’s table experience for this year and debuted a new master cooking class inspired by chef Emeril Lagasse on Carnival Jubilee.
Carnival also added the ability to book the beloved “Behind The Fun” ship tours in advance of setting sail, and made disembarkation easier with new features on the HUB App that allow guests to plan their departure through the app.
A looming strike in an ongoing labor dispute with the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and various employers from Maine to Texas could have dire impacts on cruise travel.
While a new Master Contract Agreement is being negotiated, sticking points with wages as compared to profits from the companies that employ union members may lead to the strike at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
With high inflation making every employee’s wages seem less profitable than in years past, and many cruise lines and other companies now having recovered from pandemic losses, it seems a good time for such a wage increase negotiation.
“Inflation has completely eaten into any raises and wages. Everything is more expensive, even compared to six-years ago,”said the ILA.“Our members are struggling to pay their mortgages and rent, car payments, groceries, utility bills, taxes, and in some cases, their children’s education.”
Unfortunately, the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) – representing the employers of the union members – is being accused of propaganda to discredit longshoremen and their demands. Leaked details of confidential talks over the past two years, as well as ill preparation for negotiations, make USMX seem less than willing to agree to wage increases.
“A sleeping giant is ready to roar on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, if a new Master Contract Agreement is not in place,”said ILA President Harold J. Daggett.“My members have been preparing for over a year for that possibility of a strike.”
If that strike moves forward, top US cruise ship homeports could be heavily impacted, including Boston, New York, Baltimore, Miami, Tampa, Mobile, and New Orleans.
At cruise ports, longshoremen are responsible for moving supplies on and off ships, as well as checking supply manifests to ensure vessels have the materials they need. This must be done within just a few hours as cruise ships are docked and passengers disembark from one sailing and embark for another.
If longshoremen do strike, ships may be unable to properly resupply and port and docking schedules could be dramatically impacted. This could lead to departure delays with itinerary changes as a knock-on effect, or even cancelled sailings if a strike were to become extended.
It is possible that even if a full new contract is not agreed upon by the end of September, a more limited agreement may be reached to keep workers servicing cruise ships while cargo vessels are unattended. This could still create delays for cruise ships, but may not be as noticeable.
It should be noted that longshoremen are not porters who handle guests’ individual bags at the cruise terminal, but they may be part of the workforce that loads stacked pallets of luggage onto cruise ships.
What Are the Union Demands?
Small annual wage increases, lack of salary work contracts, and loss of other income streams when compared to record profits have led to the call for higher wages.
In addition to higher wages, the ILA is seeking additional protections against automation that could dissolve union members’ jobs and put hundreds of longshoremen out of work in the long term.
Longshoremen at Miami Port (Photo Credit: Drew Rawcliffe)
“The companies that employ ILA pay their executives billion-dollar bonus while our longshore workers work all year, around the clock, in brutal conditions of freezing cold and scorching heat. Why shouldn’t we ask for a $10 an hour increase?”Daggett said.“The ILA longshore worker deserves it, and the companies have the money to pay it.”
It should be noted that typical raises for longshoremen over the years have often been $1 per hour or less, and in some years, no raises at all.
Individual ports are preparing for the potential work stoppage in different ways, including extending their operational hours for cargo to be collected while work continues.
At this time, there are no confirmed impacts to any cruise ship schedules, but such impacts may yet be forthcoming depending on whether or not a strike moves forward and if any limited agreement is reached beforehand.
It’s been an extra chaotic Friday afternoon at the busiest cruise port in the world.
At approximately 5:45 p.m. local time on the evening of September 20, 2024, a container within the Port of Miami burst into flames for unknown reasons. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Cellphone videos of the blaze, many of which were captured by guests onboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas as the Oasis-class ship embarked from the port, show black smoke and the container fully engulfed in flames.
Thankfully, first responders arrived on the scene quickly and were able to put the fire out quickly. Cruise operations were not impacted – including for MSC Magnifica and Carnival Conquest, which were also in the port – and no one was hurt.
The busy port, which is located on Dodge Island in Biscayne Bay, will likely still have some damage to address. However, it appears the docks and cruise terminals were not touched by the flames – even if things did get a bit close for comfort.
As of the time of publication, PortMiami has not released any official statement about the incident or the potential damage.
In the videos taken by onlookers, the fire seemed to be particularly close to MSC Cruises’ new terminal – which isthe tenth for the busy port.
MSC Group has already invested around $350 million in the creation of what will be the largest cruise terminal in North America once completed.
The massive facilities have been under construction since 2022 and are nearly complete, with the terminal expected to open before the end of 2024. Fire damage this close to completion would have been devastating, and fortunately, didn’t occur.
It Could Have Been Worse
Thankfully, the fire was put out nearly as quickly as it began – with minimal damage reported to the surrounding areas within the cruise port. But as the busiest cruise port in the world, the consequences of the situation could have been dire.
More than 22 cruise lines currently call on PortMiami with 55 ships – including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Holland America Line, and Princess Cruises, among others.
Interestingly, this also wasn’t the first incident this year to threaten the Florida-based port’s operations. On February 23, 2024, a seaplane actually crashed in PortMiami.
PortMiami in Florida
A single-engine Cessna 208 seaplane overturned while attempting to land at the Miami Seaplane Base on Watson Island at the west end of the cruise port’s main channel – with the partially submerged plane coming to a halt near the cruise ship terminals at around 1:40 p.m.
Thankfully, first responders from the Miami-Dade Police Harbor Patrol were able to intervene quickly and successfully evacuated all seven passengers aboard. Miraculously, no injuries were reported.
This was another close call where no cruise ships were impacted, aside from dealing with a bit more port traffic surrounding the crash site.
All five ships in the port that day, which included Freedom of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Norwegian Pearl, MSC Magnifica, and Carnival Conquest, were able to embark on their scheduled sailings without delay.
Just when a passenger may have found a way to navigate the seven seas without utilizing cruise line WiFi packages during a Carnival Cruise Line voyage, the cruise line swooped in and confiscated his portable satellite dish, he said.
YouTuber Richard Shillington, creator of the “No Pants Profits” channel, is currently sailing a 15-night roundtrip voyage aboard the 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle from San Francisco to Hawaii, with nine sea days.
Wanting to film for his channel and worried about connectivity while deep in the Pacific, he brought a Starlink Mini to provide Internet at sea, which he says cost $599 to purchase and $250 a month to use over the ocean.
Showing the ship’s position midway between San Francisco and Hawaii, Shillington created an episode for his channel about traveling with his portable satellite dish.
Filming initially from the pool deck, he tested the ship’s WiFi speed through the ship’s Premium Wi-Fi package and found download rates of less than 4 Mbps.
Shillington then showed users how to work the portable satellite dish, retesting his download speed from the same location at 123 Mbps, drastically outperforming Carnival’s for-purchase package.
But his triumph was short-lived. After posting a video to his YouTube channel, he was called to the hotel director’s office, where his satellite dish was confiscated due to a violation of Carnival’s policy.
Shillington shared in his follow-up post that Carnival’s “prohibited” list was vague as it specifically said no “satellite discs.” However, Carnival Cruise Line has corrected its typo, which now correctly states that “satellite dishes” are not allowed onboard.
Wi-Fi Pricing and Connectivity Challenges
Shillington isn’t wrong to complain that WiFi onboard cruise ships can be pricey and unreliable.
Carnival Cruise Line’s Premium WiFi Plan starts at $21.25 per person per day, which equates to $318.75 aboard Shillington’s cruise. Although, if pre-purchased, he would have saved 15 percent (about $48).
The cruise line’s cheapest WiFi package, the Social Plan, starts at $15.30 per person daily. This package allows users to access social websites like Instagram and Facebook but excludes streaming services like Netflix and music streaming accessible in the Premium option.
The Value Plan, at $19.55 per person per day, provides faster service for social media use, while the new Multi-Device Premium WiFi Plan can connect up to four devices for $75 per day.
Although Shillington found the service lacking during an at-sea day, Carnival Cruise Line and all its sister brand ships under the Carnival Corporation umbrella, including Holland America and Princess Cruises, were upgraded with Starlink Wi-Fi access as of May 2024.
Carnival Passengers Using Starlink
Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation, said of the fleetwide rollout to more than 90 ships, “Starlink has been a game-changer for the onboard connectivity experience our cruise lines deliver to their guests, and we’ve already seen a surge in guest satisfaction and positive feedback from the super-fast and reliable Wi-Fi service we provide onboard.”
The satellite service developed by SpaceX uses more than 6,000 low-Earth orbit satellites to provide faster download speeds and lower latency than traditional satellite services.
It is touted as having download speeds of over 100 Mbps, although Shillington’s test video, which also showed the ship’s TVs in its sports bar not connected to the Internet, showed that it is still not 100 percent reliable.
Shillington willingly gave up his satellite and still loves Carnival Cruise Line. He is slated to take two more cruises on Carnival this year.
