Carnival Cruise Line took the wraps off Starfish Lagoon, the family-friendly portal that will be a cornerstone of its new private destination, Celebration Key, now under development in the Bahamas.
Situated on Grand Bahama, Celebration Key is slated to open in July 2025. Starfish Lagoon is designed as a magnet for families, with activities and destinations for all age groups. Two water slides, Flash Flamingo and Mach III Marlin, travel 350-plus feet in and around a 10-story Suncastle, offering thrills and adventure.
For young children, Starfish Lagoon will offer the Guppy Grotto, a water play area modeled on a coral reef, with a wading pool, a dump bucket, and places for parents to sit and watch their children play.
Celebration Key Guppy Grotto splash pad
Along with the lagoon, which will be one of the largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean, guests can enjoy a beach area where kayak and paddle board rentals will be offered, plus lounge chairs and umbrellas.
Families and groups can rent AquaBanas, which are floating cabanas with shaded areas, seating for eight, and a table to hold drinks. A dozen cabanas will be available, all situated around a bar. Beachside cabanas can be rented at Starfish Lagoon, too.
For those seeking exercise, a full Sports Court will invite guests to play volleyball, basketball, and pickleball, while the Game Pavilion will feature table games such as ping pong and corn hole. A variety of dining venues will be offered at Starfish Lagoon as well.
Celebration Key Game Pavilion
“At Carnival, we carry more children than any other cruise line, so we’ve designed Starfish Lagoon specifically for family fun,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
“Toddlers, teens and adults alike will find their own piece of paradise whether it be racing down one of the waterslides, playing a round of pickleball or relaxing on our floating AquaBanas,” added Duffy.
Starfish Lagoon is one of five portals planned for Celebration Key, which will be used solely by Carnival Corporation brands. While Carnival Cruise Line’s ships will be most prevalent at the port, other brands likely to eventually call there include Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and Cunard, among others.
Celebration Key Starfish Lagoon
Carnival Cruise Line most recently revealed details about Celebration Key’s Lokono Cove, an exclusive retail portal where guests can shop at a variety of stores and kiosks featuring everything from souvenirs to fine jewelry, all inspired by Bahamian heritage and creativity.
Calypso Lagoon is the destination’s Adult-Friendly Portal, which will feature another freshwater lagoon, a swim-up bar, and entertainment by a DJ. Cabana offerings include beach cabanas, floating cabanas, and villas with private waterslides. The area will provide a restaurant serving Bahamian cuisine.
A luxury area, the Private Club Portal, will have another adults-only sanctuary with an infinity pool and more dining options. More details on the private club are expected soon.
Celebration Key Beach
Hundreds of Itineraries To Feature Celebration Key
Carnival Cruise Line has already announced hundreds of itineraries that will include calls at Celebration Key, and these sailings are open for booking. In all, a dozen ships operating from eight ports will call at the new development in 2025 and 2026. Voyages range from 3 to 14 nights, depending on the ship and departure date.
Sample sailings that will feature the new private destination include Carnival Celebration, which will visit Celebration Key on 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings from PortMiami beginning July 20, 2025.
Mardi Gras, operating from Port Canaveral, will call at the port starting with cruises departing on July 19, 2025, on 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises.
From Galveston, Carnival Dream will call at Celebration Key on her 8-night Eastern Caribbean sailings starting on July 26, 2025, while guests sailing from New Orleans can visit the new port on Carnival Liberty‘s 7- and 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruises.
Following recent concerns about smoking areas onboard, Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald has addressed how the muster drill and smoking areas are related. This included urging guests to complete their e-muster immediately upon boarding so there are no delays for the ship’s safety drill and subsequent departure.
Some frequent cruisers have expressed the preference for Carnival Cruise Line to return to the classic muster drill. This would involve all guests gathering at their muster stations at once while crew members demonstrate safety procedures, including how to wear a life jacket.
At the cruise restart following the global pandemic, the cruise line introduced the e-muster. This simplified drill has guests reporting to their muster stations individually, and safety videos are available to convey essential information. This has been received well by guests and allows embarkation day to proceed much more smoothly.
Image Courtesy: Carnival Cruise Line
Because some muster stations are located inside ships’ casinos, however, smoking is no longer permitted in those areas while they are being used for the muster drill. This means that guests who smoke cannot do so in the casino until after all muster drills are completed.
“The casinos are used on most ships as a Muster Station and that is one of the reasons why on embarkation day that smoking is not allowed there,”Heald confirmed.
Heald also noted that guests are only permitted to smoke in casinos if they are actively playing.
“Once the ship sails and the roulette tables start rouletting, the blackjack tables start blackjacking, the slot machines start slotting and the crap tables start… Ummm… Opening then if you are playing you may smoke,”he said.
To facilitate casinos opening as soon as possible, Heald encourages guests to complete their e-muster as soon as they board their ship on embarkation day. Carnival Cruise Line helps ensure this by only permitting passengers to purchase two drinks on their onboard accounts unless they have already completed their muster drill.
After a second drink purchase, a guest’s account will be locked until their drill completion is confirmed. This applies even if travelers have pre-paid for a drink package.
To complete the muster drill, guests only need to visit their assigned muster station – printed on their boarding pass as well as their Sail and Sign card – for a brief safety discussion and demonstration of the life jacket. The entire process takes less than five minutes at the muster station, where multiple crew members are available to answer questions and check off guests’ participation.
“Nothing is more important than your safety. If you ever have any concerns, worries or questions please speak to a crew member while you are on the ship and they will address your concerns immediately,”Heald said.
Where You Can Never Smoke Onboard
While Carnival Cruise Line does provide designated smoking areas onboard all its ships, it must be noted that guests are never permitted to smoke in their staterooms or on balconies. The penalties for doing so can be severe, including fines, debarkation, and a ban from Carnival Cruise Line, depending on the severity of the offense.
Photo Credit: Filistra / Shutterstock
“If you get caught, and we do catch many of the few who do break this law, there will be an instant $500 fine,”Heald confirmed.“If after that your smoking continues then we may disembark you and not allow you to sail again.”
Smoking is not permitted on ship balconies because of the risk of fire. Even a small amount of hot ash or a single cigarette butt could blow back onto the ship and potentially cause a fire, an extremely hazardous and potentially life-threatening situation on a cruise ship.
If Carnival cruise travelers note someone smoking on a balcony, they are urged to call 7777 or 8000 from any ship phone to report the incident. While no one likes to be a tattle-tale, this is a safety issue.
Furthermore, I know from personal experience that anyone reporting smoking on a balcony will be kept confidential while security deals with the situation, having had to make those calls myself. Many travelers dislike the smell of cigarette smoke, and someone smoking on their balcony may mean that guests in multiple nearby staterooms may be unable to enjoy their own balconies.
Every Carnival cruise ship has outdoor smoking areas in different locations to give smokers a safe place for their habit, but following the rules is always critical for the safety of everyone onboard, smokers and non-smokers alike.
As many couples do, Tiffany and Jamie Banks had been counting down the days to their family’s Eastern Caribbean cruise onboard Carnival Celebration, which they booked over a year ago.
The 6-night sailing, which embarked from Miami, Florida, without the Banks family on May 12, 2024, called on Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; Puerto Plata/Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; and Nassau, Bahamas; before disembarking in Miami on May 18.
In the time leading up to the cruise, Tiffany, who goes by @thathippiedoc on TikTok, shared her excitement about her upcoming stay in the exclusive Excel Presidential Suite – the biggest and most luxurious cabin onboard the Excellence-class ship.
However, only one day before the couple was due to head to the port, Tiffany received a concerning email from Carnival informing her that two of her excursions had been cancelled. She quickly followed up with a phone call, during which she learned her booking had been cancelled.
The disappointed passenger documented her experience in a now viral TikTok, which has garnered more than 159,000 views on TikTok since it was posted on May 12, 2024.
“Yesterday morning I got an email from Carnival saying two of our excursions have been cancelled,”Tiffany began her video. “So at 9 o’clock I called and they said your excursions were cancelled because your cabin was cancelled. Full blown panic.”
The shocked influencer spent approximately 2.5 hours on the phone with representatives from the cruise line, trying to understand what had happened to her booking and what her options were.
Since the one and only presidential suite had already been booked by another passenger of the busy sailing by the time Tiffany called (Carnival Celebration can accommodate up to 6,500 passengers), the representative was only able to offer the Banks family two interior cabins as a last-ditch effort to get them onboard.
“We talked for almost, or over, two and half hours, and the only solution they were willing to offer was two interior rooms – I just can’t even fathom how they think that’s right – for a Presidential Excel Suite which we have nearly $15,000 tied up in,”Tiffany said.
As the excel presidential suite cost approximately $12,000 (USD) and the family had already spent around $3,000 more in costs for extras, excursions, and airfare, Tiffany did not find this solution to be satisfactory.
How Could A Confirmed Cruise Booking Be Cancelled Without The Family’s Consent?
A cruise line randomly cancelling a passenger’s sailing would be an extremely rare occurrence. While there are rare instances where a sailing is overbooked or a cruise has to be cancelled for potential safety issues or because of urgent repairs, what Tiffany describes on TikTok is virtually unheard of.
During the hours the TikToker spent on the phone with Carnival, she worked to get to the bottom of her vacation’s cancellation. Originally, the cruise line thought a glitch may have occurred, but in reality, Tiffany was a victim of identity theft.
Tiffany Banks Carnival Cruise Suite Cancellation
“The original person that I talked to said that the system cancelled it, and then the second person was a manager or lead… said that the online system had been logged into and it had been cancelled,”she said.
Unfortunately, it seems that someone was able to log into Tiffany’s booking and cancel her reservation – but they only received access to her booking because she posted her booking ID and her cabin number on social media for all her followers to see.
As Carnival only requires a guest’s last name and booking ID to link a cruise reservation to a new online account, it would have been simple for someone with malicious intent to cancel the TikToker’s cruise – which in this case, the unidentified person did 48 hours before the sailing.
In a subsequent video that Tiffany posted on May 14, 2024, the TikToker expressed her frustration with the cruise line for not providing acceptable compensation.
At the end of the 3-minute long video, which has been viewed 136.5K times, the influencer included clips of her phone conversation with Carnival.
Well they still aren’t willing to make this right .. they apologized and then spit in my face with another bogus offer.. i want an apology from them trying to make it look like i was lying or hiding something or even worse – that there were security issues.. i will keep yall posted I promise .. #cruisetokc#carnivalcelebration#truth @carnival you owe me a public apology, and my money !
“This was not a security breach on Carnival’s part. We strongly believe that you were sadly a victim of a form of identity theft. The booking was added to a profile that was created on our website the same day that the booking number was posted on Facebook,” the customer service representative says on the recording.
Unfortunately for Tiffany, posting her private booking details set her up to become a victim of identity theft, which is her own fault.
One TikToker, named Jenn (@cruisinwithjenn) went so far as to post a video on May 15compiling all the places where Tiffany shared her cruise booking details publicly.
“Alright yall, if you post your booking number publicly. PUBLICLY. Any one can take this information and your last name and put it into ‘manage my booking’ on Carnival and access your cruise,”Jenn wrote in the caption.
“Does it make it right, that someone potentially took this info and used it to do hurtful things- no. But why would you post such private info like this publicly…this is negligence on the guest,” continued Jenn.
Depending on the post, social media users are divided between siding with Tiffany or blaming her for the situation.
Cruise Line And TikToker Still At Odds
As Carnival Cruise Line is likely not responsible for Tiffany’s cancelled cruise, the company technically isn’t obligated to compensate her in any way. Company policy explains that it is the passenger’s responsibility to protect their booking information.
“You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and account, and are fully responsible for all activities that occur under your password or account. It is also your sole obligation to immediately notify Carnival of any unauthorized use of your account or any other breach of security,” reads Carnival’s cruise contract.
Photo Courtesy: Carnival Cruise Line
Even so, Carnival has tried to make things right – first by offering the Banks family an alternative to still join their intended cruise – and according to Tiffany’s video on May 14, the cruise line had offered her a $10,000 future onboard cruise credit in exchange for posting “a positive resolution on social media.”
Tiffany deemed that resolution as unacceptable, claiming that a policy should have been in place to prevent someone from stealing her reservation – even though she publicly posted it on social media – and that if Carnival had acted faster, she may have been able to recover her original booking.
The second issue is that Tiffany feels that John Heald, Carnival’s brand ambassador, has disparaged her on social media.
“I am seeing more and more comments or screenshots from people who have sent stuff that John the ambassador for Carnival is stating and each one just makes it look like he’s implying different things. One of them, you know, he’s implying that I’m just lying,”Tiffany said in another TikTok.
As part of her compensation, Tiffany now wants an apology from the cruise line for trying to make it look like she was “lying or hiding something or even worse.”
But according to Heald, Tiffany had never reached out to him – and there are numerous comments from Heald responding to curious social media users where he states as much and chooses to keep the situation private.
John Heald
“I can honestly tell you without fear or trepidation of anybody saying otherwise that she has not posted on my page. All she has to do is like my page and then anybody can post anything during the time the page is open…So there is nothing further that I will be saying on this until such time as either the lady herself writes to me or I am asked to by my colleagues in Miami,”Heald responded to a Facebook user.
“We always take great care of our guests and there is always another side to everything. If the guest would like to communicate with me directly, I will be here standing by to help,”wrote Heald.
As of Tiffany’s most recent TikTok post on the matter, which was two days ago on May 18, the matter has still not been resolved.
Gather all your favorite people. It’s time for a group cruise!
Group cruises are popular for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, bridal showers, a destination wedding, retirement celebrations and similar special events to mark important milestones. They’re also often used for corporate events and business incentives. Sometimes, they’re used for religious retreats, class reunions or friend reunions.
The options are vast, and, in short, if you’re traveling with more than just a few other people, a group cruise delivers the range of facilities, group space and onboard amenities you need, to keep everyone happy. Here’s what you need to know.
A group cruise is a cruise that’s purchased and then experienced as a group — it’s that simple.
While, yes, if you and a few other people wanted to all go on vacation together, you could just book the same cruise, separately, and then join up once you’re all aboard, booking a group cruise, in particular, comes with benefits.
But what makes a group cruise an “official” group cruise? Booking it as one with the cruise line directly, through the line’s group specialists.
Photo Credit: Ruth Peterkin / Shutterstock
Do note that cruise lines will have minimum booking requirements that you’ll have to meet in order for your trip to qualify as a group cruise. For example, if you want to book a group cruise with Carnival, you’ll need to book a minimum of eight staterooms, with at least 16 guests. If you want to book a group cruise with Princess Cruises, you’ll need to book a minimum of five staterooms.
If you can meet these minimum booking requirements, you’ll reap the wealth of benefits that make booking a group cruise an attractive option for any group of people who want to travel together.
Why You Should Consider Booking a Group Cruise
The perks of booking a group cruise are myriad, but, first and foremost, there are the group discounts and extra perks.
Booking a group cruise through the cruise line’s dedicated group bookings department will often (but not always) result in lower cruise fares for everyone traveling. Depending on the size of your group, you might also be able to book special private shore excursions, as is the case with Carnival.
Groups are often given extra free amenities, too, such as onboard credits, free fine dining or welcome drinks. Sometimes, children in the group may be allowed to sail for free.
Other than the cost savings, when you book with a cruise line’s group department, they’ll be able to further help you plan out group activities, every step of the way.
For example, if you’re traveling for a corporate retreat, they’ll be able to help you reserve meeting space and private dining spaces for team activities.
Carnival Cruise Line Passengers (Photo Credit: GagliardiPhotography)
Or, if you’re traveling as part of a high school reunion, they’ll be able to hook you up with a private party space, for a group celebration, or organize group activities, like cocktail hours or fun scavenger hunts. All in all, it makes planning a group trip itinerary that much easier.
Beyond all this, of course, there’s the simple fact that the cruise experience is so versatile, it’s a good option for groups with lots of opinionated people who might not be able to agree on a trip otherwise.
At family reunions, the parents with young kids can hang out at the waterpark or take advantage of kids programs, while the child-free couples head to the spa, and the grandparents go to the casino. Then, everyone can meet back up for group meals and nightlife.
What Can You Do During a Group Cruise?
You don’t have to spend every single moment together on a group cruise (you don’t even have to dine together!) and, as mentioned, that’s one of the benefits. Everyone can go their separate ways as they like.
However, when it is time to come together, you can enjoy spaces set aside for your group’s size, so there’s no wishful hoping that your party of 16, for example, can all find seating together at the theater or in the main dining room.
Theater on the Celebrity Millennium Cruise Ship (Photo Credit:
Essentially, you can do whatever it is you’d normally like to do on the cruise, together, as a group, but then you can also plan special, just-for-the-group activities as well.
Think shore excursions, private parties and similar experiences, and then more structured private events, such as meetings (if you’re on a business trip) or special ceremonies, as might be the case for a vow renewal or cruise ship wedding.
Average Group Cruise Rates
Group cruises often require a deposit, and then you can pay for the group cruise over an extended amount of time, via a payment plan. Some cruise lines will ask you to pay all together, as one, but others allow each party to pay on their own.
Photo: Shutterstock
So how much can you expect to pay?
Unfortunately, cruise lines don’t advertise their group cruise deals online or anywhere else. You’ll have to contact the individual cruise line for those rates. However, it’s safe to assume — especially if you book early enough — that these exclusive rates will be in line with the base fares that the cruise line might charge for that particular cruise. Expect the lowest available fare.
How to Book a Group Cruise
As alluded above, booking an official group cruise requires more than just telling all your fellow travelers to book a certain cruise for certain dates. You’ll need to go through the cruise line’s dedicated group bookings department. This will ensure you get that discounted group rate, as well as help planning all of your group activities.
Getting the process started may differ slightly according to cruise line. You might need to call a group bookings line, like Carnival requests, or you might need to fill out a group travel request form, as is the case with Royal Caribbean. There are also sites like Royal Caribbean Incentives, which is a dedicated booking site for groups and events.
Sometimes, you can bypass the group bookings department, if you’re working through a travel agent.
Docked Royal Caribbean Ships (Photo Credit: fitzcrittle)
Whichever cruise line you go with, before you reach out to the group booking department to begin booking your group cruise, ensure you have some basic information handy.
Know exactly what cruise you want to sail on, or at least have an idea of where you’d like to sail from and during what timeframe, and be sure of how many staterooms you’ll need. If you already know everyone who will be cruising, have each person’s first name and last name at the ready.
There should also be a designated point person to work with the cruise line, who can keep all of the details straight and organized. This person may be known by a specific title, depending on the cruise line, such as group leader or tour conductor, and they can get extra perks as well, for their work organizing the cruise.
Often, if enough cabins are booked, the cruise organizer will get their cabin for free, or they’ll get a cabin category upgrade.
Tips for Planning Group Cruises
Convinced that a group cruise is right for your crew? Here are a few things to keep in mind, as you go about the process.
Pick the Right Group Leader
Your group leader — or the individual in the group who’s in charge of organizing the cruise and acting as the go-between between the cruise line and the passengers — needs to be someone who is not only organized, but also someone who can make tough decisions and who won’t be a push-over.
Photo Credit: ackats / Shutterstock.com
They need to manage the cruise line and get the best deal possible, and as many perks as possible, but they also need to be able to manage the passengers, and make the travel decisions that are best for everyone, not just one or two people.
Do Consider Using a Travel Agent
While you can book your group cruise directly with the cruise line and the group leader will enjoy special perks for doing so, consider the benefits of using a travel agent.
Travel agents can often score deals and perks that are completely off-limits to normal travelers, and they can then pass those savings and extra amenities on to you. Plus, they can make this process even more convenient and easy.
Book as Early as Possible
Just as is the case any time you’re doing anything with a group — planning a party, making a restaurant reservation, etc. — the earlier you can book, the more likely your group will be accommodated.
So, book your cruise as early as possible, to ensure that you get the cabins you need and want, as well as the itinerary and price you want.
Approach the Experience with Flexibility
If you end up as the group leader, be sure to approach the group cruise experience with flexibility and an easy-going attitude. When coordinating large groups of people, especially when traveling, things are bound to not go to plan — and that’s okay. So long as someone’s not left at port, just about anything is surmountable.
The best you can do is communicate, communicate, communicate and ensure that everything is as organized as possible — and then kick back and have a great time.
German-based cruise line TUI Cruises, which operates in a joint venture with Royal Caribbean Cruises, has announced its newest ship, Mein Schiff 7, will set sail on a test voyage from June 16 through June 21, 2024, to give guests a preview of what the new ship has to offer.
The “anticipation” voyage will take passengers from its home base in Kiel, Germany, to Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark, and Oslo, Norway, before returning to Kiel Bay for an official christening ceremony on June 22.
“Guests of the anticipation voyage have the great privilege of being among the first to travel on Mein Schiff 7,” said a spokesperson from TUI Cruises. “The crew will use this journey as a practice run before the christening and will do everything possible to provide guests with an unforgettable Mein Schiff feel-good experience.”
Mien Schiff 7 indoor pool rendering (Photo Credit: TUI Cruises)
This test voyage also serves as a valuable opportunity for the crew to organize and fine-tune their departments, though there is a risk that passengers might not experience the full range of services and amenities as expected.
Mein Schiff 7, still under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Turku, Finland, is being finalized with the last touches before its debut. It is the first ship for TUI Cruises since 2019’s debut of Mein Schiff 2.
Constructed structurally like its sister ships, Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2, Mein Schiff 7 will stretch 316 meters in length. Weighing 115,000 gross tons, the ship will be able to accommodate 2,896 passengers and 1,000 crew members across 16 decks.
At the core of Mein Schiff 7’s design is its use of low-emission marine diesel with a sulfur content of just 0.1%. The ship features catalytic converters, reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by approximately 75%, and is equipped with shore power connectivity to minimize port emissions.
Captain Omar Caruana has been with the ship for its major milestones ahead of the test cruise, including its float out on December 1, 2023, and its lucky coins ceremony on April 30, 2024.
Mein Schiff 7 Features
Following its christening, the ship will begin a series of summer sailings in the Baltic, calling on various Scandinavian ports. Its inaugural June 23 journey will spend 14 days in Norway, calling on Stavanger, Nordfjordeid, Molde, Honningsvag, Longyearbyen, Trondheim, and Alesund.
Onboard, guests enjoy My Ship’s premium inclusive services and indulge in 12 restaurants and bistros, from its Day & Night Bistro, which offers breakfast and all-day and late-night dining, to spaces featuring seafood and Mediterranean-inspired fare, and a new Asian restaurant. Ten different bars and lounges will be available, many of which will feature sea views and open-air venues, with drinks included in the fare.
Mien Schiff 7 Asian Restaurant (Photo Credit: TUI Cruises)
Guests will also have an array of wellness offerings, including a full-service spa, a jogging course, health and relaxation courses, and an expansive fitness area.
For children, Mein Schiff 7 will offer supervised programs for different age groups, including the Island of Pirates kids’ club, a teens’ lounge for kids 12 and older, and space for parents for children under 3 to enjoy together.
Entertainment includes the Mein Schiff fleet’s largest theater, the Schaubühne, featuring performances and live concerts. The Mein Schiff fleet also features “Infotainment” programming with lectures, studios, and courses for passengers to learn and explore at sea.
Mein Schiff 7’s cruises through September will continue to travel to additional Norwegian ports, as well as Sweden’s Visby and Stockholm, Finland’s Helsinki, and Denmark’s Copenhagen.
Adventures will also stretch to Reykjavik and Akureyri, Iceland; Tallinn, Estonia; Riga, Latvia; and Gdynia, Poland.
TUI Cruises is also expanding its Mein Schiff fleet with the addition of the 160,000-gross-ton Mein Schiff Relax and Mein Schiff 9, currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy. They are expected to debut in 2025 and 2026, respectively.
A collision between a river cruise boat and a smaller motorboat on the River Danube in Hungary over the weekend has caused two deaths and five other people are missing. The search for the missing individuals is ongoing and involves multiple assets, while the cruise ship is continuing on its journey.
Approximately 95 personnel, including 25 vessels, two rescue divers, and multiple drones, are involved in the search for as many as five people believed missing. Search efforts are covering the stretch of the river downstream from the accident site to the Hungarian border, as there is no telling how far debris or individuals may have traveled with the river’s current. Three men and two women remain missing.
At this time, however, the ship’s captain has been detained as the incident is being investigated. It is suspected that his reaction to the collision may not have followed proper safety response protocols, which could have led to the loss of life.
MS Heidelberg Cruise Ship
The river cruise boat is Heidelberg, operating for Nicko Cruises in their river division. The 358-foot-long ship sails along the Danube and Rhine Rivers, with a capacity for up to 100 guests.
According to local news reports, the accident was first noted when a 35-year-old man with a head wound was found by police roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Budapest, Hungary on Saturday, May 18, near the town of Veroce.
An immediate search found the bodies of a man and woman nearby, and evidence of a possible boat collision on the Danube. The wreckage of the small motorboat was found Sunday morning.
That particular area of the Danube is popular for water recreation, particularly on weekends.
At the time, no river cruise boat was noted in the immediate vicinity. Authorities did find Heidelberg docked at Komaron, however, with damage to the hull, including extensive scratches. Heidelberg was located 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the suspected area of the accident, indicating the vessel failed to stop after the collision – if indeed it was involved in the accident.
No passengers on Heidelberg were injured in the incident, and in fact, many travelers appeared unaware of any collision at all.
Local authorities have initiated criminal proceedings for the incident, including charges of endangering water transportation and causing several deaths. Heidelberg‘s captain, a Czech national, has been detained, following interviews with the ship’s crew as well as tourists onboard.
As the search is currently ongoing, final charges have not yet been determined. The investigation is sure to include examination of Heidelberg, determination of exactly where the collision occurred, and review of any possible video footage that may have shown circumstances leading to the accident.
It will also need to be determined if the motorboat had proper safety equipment, and whether or not alcohol or reckless behavior may have been a factor in the incident.
River Cruising with Nicko Cruises
Nicko Cruises operates a fleet of river ships sailing in along various poplar and scenic waterways, including not only the Danube but also the Rhine, Seine, Elbe, Oder, Mekong, and Nile rivers, among others.
River cruise ships are significantly different than ocean vessels, with shallower drafts and narrower construction to safely navigate sometimes confined waterways. These ships are much smaller than traditional cruise ships, but often still feature amenities such as balconies, fitness centers, observation areas, and sun decks.
On a river cruise, local scenery and culture is the highlight of the voyage, with ships stopping at both larger cities as well as small, quaint communities along the watercourse. Because rivers can be heavily trafficked by fishing boats, pleasure craft, and local ferries, navigation and safety can be quite a challenge.
Lerwick Harbour in Shetland, Scotland, welcomed the largest cruise ship in its history on May 20, 2024, as the Maltese-flagged MSC Virtuosa by MSC Cruises made its maiden visit, breaking a nearly six-year record.
The 332-meter-long vessel, built in France in 2020, boasts 18 decks and can accommodate up to 6,334 passengers and 1,704 crew members.
MSC Virtuosa, weighing 181,541 gross tons, arrived from Southampton, U.K., on a 7-day Norwegian Fjords voyage. Anchored in the deep-water harbor, passengers were transferred by tender to Victoria Pier in the town center.
MSC Virtuosa at Lerwick Port (Photo Credit: Dave Donaldson, Shetland Flyer Aerial Media)
Said Melanie Henderson, Lerwick Port Authority cruise and marketing manager,“The majority of cruise ships visiting Lerwick are small- to medium-sized vessels. Virtuosa’s maiden call is another example of Shetland’s popularity as a tourist destination, and the port’s capacity to welcome the larger vessels is also operating.”
The previous record for the largest cruise ship to visit Lerwick was held by MSC Virtuosa’s sister ship, MSC Meraviglia, which weighs 171,598 gross tons and visited in July 2018.
The current visit is part of a record-setting year for the port in terms of tonnage and the number of vessels and passengers. English cruise line Noble Caledonia’s 120-passenger Hebridean Sky also arrived with MSC Virtuosa, berthed at Victoria Pier East.
Lerwick Port Braces for Record Cruise Traffic in 2024
Lerwick Port’s 2024 is anticipated to be the busiest yet, with 148 vessels and approximately 130,000 passengers expected by mid-November. In 2023, the port saw an increase in cruise traffic by 37%.
However, this year’s 11 maiden calls do not match last year’s record-breaking 19 maiden calls that included ships from Explora Journeys and Swan Hellenic.
A gateway for more than 100 cruise ships each season, Shetland is ideally positioned between Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, the Scottish mainland, and Europe. The port can accommodate ships up to 230 meters in length at Mair’s Pier on Holmsgarth 5, while larger vessels transport passengers by tender.
Port of Lerwick, Shetland (Photo Credit: Lerwick Port Authority)
“The port significantly contributes to the local economy,”said Henderson,“providing employment, keeping the attractions and venues busy, and providing important footfall for local businesses.”
The Scottish port welcomed its first cruise ship of the 2024 season with a March 30 call by British cruise operator Ambassador Cruise’s Ambition, arriving during an Easter British Isles Discovery cruise from London Tilbury.
The port will also welcome journeys from international cruise lines Viking Cruises’ Viking Neptune and Viking Saturn, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Silhouette, AIDA Cruises’ AIDAsol, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Star, Silverseas’ Silver Endeavour, Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam, and Seabourn Cruises’ Venture in May.
Port of Lerwick, Shetland (Photo Courtesy: Lerwick Port Authority)
Lerwick will also see ships from smaller cruise lines this month, including Germany’s Phoenix Reisen’s Amadea and Deutschland-World Odyssey, Portugal’s Atlas Ocean Voyages’ World Navigator, British-owned Fred Olsen Cruises’ Balmoral, and Norway’s Huritgruten’s ms Spitsbergen.
Although MSC Virtuosa will not call again during the 2024 season, many cruise lines have ships returning throughout the spring through fall tourism period, including AIDAsol, which concludes the season on October 1.
Lerwick Port offers a walkable town center lined with shops and attractions like the Shetland Museum and Archives. As part of its welcome to cruise ships, the port authority provides a meet-and-greet service that includes shuttles to and from the town center and special welcomes for maiden calls.
The newest ship in Margaritaville at Sea‘s fleet is on her way to Florida to begin the cruise line’s first-ever sailings from Tampa, Florida. The ship has finished an extensive renovation and rebranding and is just about ready to welcome her first guests with a new tropical vibe and longer itineraries.
The ship’s updating was done at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where she has been undergoing massive upgrades and retheming that began on January 10, 2024. Several projects were completed while the ship was in wet dock, and the official dry dock refit began on March 12, 2024.
After more than two months, the ship is now on the move and sailing for her new homeport in the Sunshine State.
Margaritaville at Sea Islander Departs for Florida
“The Margaritaville at Sea Islander is on her way to Florida!”the cruise line announced on Sunday, May 19.“Today, Islander left the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland after an extensive reimagining and has begun her three-week journey across the Atlantic to Port Tampa Bay, finishing the final flourishes along the way.”
Updates while the ship was in dry dock included redesigning and rebranding the ship’s public areas to match the Margaritaville theme with bold tropical colors and signature venues.
Guests will be able to enjoy The 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool, the Port of Indecision Buffet, the Fins Up Fitness Center, the Hot Hot Hot Nightclub, and much more. And don’t forget a selfie at the Flip Flop Atrium!
The ship’s hull has also been repainted for the new look with tropical colors, palm trees, and parrots, and a variety of behind-the-scenes technical updates were completed to ensure the ship is operating at peak efficiency.
Margaritaville at Sea Islander Departs for Florida (Photo Credit: Margaritaville at Sea)
Final interior design work is being finished while the ship sails without guests on her way to Tampa. This is commonly done when ships leave refit operations ahead of their sailing debut dates.
The 85,619-gross-ton, Spirit-class Margaritaville at Sea Islander is the former Costa Atlantica, originally built for Costa Cruises in 2000. The ship has been refit several times, and was sold to Margaritaville at Sea in late 2023.
As the ship is now ready to join her new cruise line, there will undoubtedly be a christening ceremony to bring her into service in style. While details of such an event have not yet been released, the cruise line has announced that Savannah Buffett will be the godmother for Margaritaville at Sea Islander.
Sailing Margaritaville-Style
Margaritaville at Sea Islander will now homeport year-round from Port Tampa Bay, a new embarkation point for Margaritaville at Sea. The cruise line has previously only offered departures from West Palm Beach, with short sailings to the Bahamas.
The new ship, however, is expanding the cruise line’s offerings not only from a new homeport, but also with longer itineraries. Margaritaville at Sea Islander will offer primarily 4- and 5-night cruises to Cozumel, Key West, and Progreso, depending on the departure date and cruise length. Her inaugural sailing will depart on Friday, June 14, 2024.
Margaritaville at Sea Islander on the way to Florida (Photo Credit: Margaritaville at Sea)
In 2025, the ship will also begin offering select 6-night sailings to all three ports of call, as well as 7-night cruises that include extra visits to hotspots such as Belize, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica.
Margaritaville at Sea Islander can welcome 2,114 guests at double occupancy or up to 2,680 travelers when fully booked. Onboard are nearly 900 international crew members to ensure everyone has a fantastic, fun cruise on every sailing.
The cruise line’s first and smaller vessel, the 52,926-gross-ton Margaritaville at Sea Paradise – which recently failed a CDC health inspection – is continuing to offer 2-night Bahamas sailings from West Palm Beach.
From gourmet dining rooms to exotic specialty restaurants to every sort of snack imaginable – pizza, tacos, sushi, ice cream, cookies, burgers, gelato, and more – food is everywhere on a cruise ship. Not to mention room service, movie popcorn, sweet shops, elite dining experiences, cupcake decorating classes, and other culinary adventures.
With eating such a big part of cruising, how can you avoid packing on the pounds at sea, and why does it even matter if you might eat a bit too much?
The abundance of food onboard today’s cruise ships is one key factor in why it is so easy to go overboard with a taste of this, a bite of that, an extra helping, even an extra meal.
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas for example, boasts a whopping 27 different dining venues, plus room service. Even eating at a different spot for every single meal on a 7-night cruise, you’d have to eat four meals a day just to sample every venue.
This doesn’t even count different dishes, like the daily specialty pizzas at Sorrento’s (don’t miss the barbecue chicken pizza, it’s a favorite!) or changes in the dining room menus each night.
Royal Caribbean’s Sorrento’s Pizza Venue
Because so many dining options are included in the cruise fare – 13 of Icon’s venues – it’s even easier to try to up the value of a cruise fare with some extra indulgences. Yes, I have gotten an extra slice at Sorrento’s “just because” it happened to be open with a short line while I was strolling down the Royal Promenade.
After all, overeating is often a part of vacation, whether it’s a huge sundae at a theme park, a loaded dog at a baseball game, or tapas before a Broadway show.
Why You Don’t Want to Overeat on Board
Despite its popularity, the consequences of overeating are no one’s favorite cruise activity. If you overeat, you’re more likely to feel bloated and lethargic, without the energy to join in the different games, contests, tours, and other activities on each day’s itinerary.
Excessive eating can also lead to sickness. If you have special dietary needs – such as requiring a low-sugar, low-salt, or gluten-free diet – overeating can unbalance your body chemistry with severe effects.
Buffet Line on Cruise Ship
Similarly, if you have food allergies (seafood allergies run in our family), the more you eat, the more likely you may be to accidentally try something your body won’t appreciate.
Overeating will also make you more likely to gain weight. Even a couple of pounds can make a difference in how comfortable your clothes may be at the end of the cruise compared to how they felt when you set sail.
And who wants to get home and go straight on a diet to lose those extra pounds, when it’s better to avoid overeating and never gain them in the first place?
Avoiding Overeating Without Missing Out
You don’t have to go hungry on a cruise to avoid overeating. Simply be sensible – if a dish doesn’t sound appetizing or look appealing, don’t bother ordering it or taking any from the buffet.
While dining room menus offer several courses, there is no requirement that you indulge in every course for every meal. Similarly, try not to fill up on familiar foods, especially if you’re eager to try things you’ve never eaten before or want to indulge in different tastes.
It’s easier than many cruise passengers realize to downsize meal portions, which can be a fantastic step to keep from overeating. Many pasta dishes, for example, are available in both appetizer and entrée sizes, and you can request the appetizer size for your entrée without difficulty.
Carnival Chocolate Melting Cake (Photo Credit: Eric Glenn)
If that is not an option for the food you want to try, consider splitting any of the courses with someone else – you both get to try the food, but without too much to eat. My husband and I often do this with desserts, such as Carnival Cruise Line’s warm chocolate melting cake (my all time favorite cruise dessert!).
Leaving a few bites uneaten from every course is another way to keep from overeating – just 2-3 leftover bites of the appetizer, entrée, and dessert from every meal will really help you cut down (yeah, I’m not leaving any bites of melting cake behind…).
It can be harder to avoid overeating at the buffet, especially with so many delicious options at your fingertips. To keep from eating too much, start with something fresh – a salad or piece of fruit is not only healthier, but the fiber of fresh fruits and vegetables will fill you up faster, so you aren’t as tempted to overeat.
Cruise Ship Buffet (Photo Credit: Yuliya Yesina)
Deliberately dish up less of each food you want to try. If you really like it, you can always go back for seconds – but you’ll be surprised at how satisfied you can be with a smaller portion, with plenty of room left to try something else without feeling stuffed.
It is also important to be mindful of mealtimes and the signals your body sends you about how much you’re eating. If your dining time is just an hour away, for example, you probably don’t really need to make a quick trip for ice cream first. Pay attention to how full you feel, and stop eating when you’re no longer hungry so you don’t start to feel sick.
When Overeating Happens
A little overindulgence is inevitable on a cruise, and if you do overeat, you can take steps to feel better quickly. A quick nap or a casual stroll around the deck can help your body digest food more smoothly.
Eating Burger on Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Joni Hanebutt)
You can also plan for overeating by working off calories ahead of time with a trip to the ship’s gym, choosing an active shore tour, or taking the stairs more often (bonus tip – this will help avoid frustration over crowded elevators!).
While you will still want to avoid eating too much, staying active can help your body process food and keep the pounds from adding up on every day of your vacation.
Of course, be sure you pack appropriate medication for indigestion or other food-related discomfort so you can feel better as quickly as possible and don’t miss any more of your cruise and its delicious treats.
