Carnival Cruise Line has taken the top honors in the 2023 Cruise Hive Awards as the Best Booking Experience, edging out Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and other major cruise lines for the ease of booking and making it simple for guests to plan their next cruise vacation.
Carnival Cruise Line Wins Best Booking Experience
Carnival Cruise Line, the world’s most popular cruise line, has won the 2023 Cruise Hive Award for Best Booking Experience, bringing in 31.03% of the total vote with nine cruise lines competing for the honor.
This means that the majority of guests who have booked cruises – whether or not they have set sail yet – have chosen Carnival Cruise Line above all others as an easier, more complete, and more satisfying experience when making plans for an oceangoing getaway, whether it is for a quick weekend jaunt or a once-in-a-lifetime specialty sailing.
Best Booking Experience
Despite some hiccups Carnival Cruise Line had after upgrading its booking systems in September, it is clear that travelers appreciate the ease of making their reservations on Carnival’s website, which also has options for adding onboard packages, booking shore excursions, and making other pre-cruise purchases right from the comfort of one’s computer, tablet, or phone.
This reader-driven award speaks well for Carnival Cruise Line’s ease of booking, making it a simple process for millions of cruise guests each year to smoothly book a cruise vacation.
Carnival Cruise Line Ship (Photo Credit: Ihor Koptilin)
The annual Cruise Hive Awards opened on October 1 and closed on Friday, December 22, with all valid votes tabulated to select the winners in each of eight award categories. The awards have been an annual feature since 2014, and offer real, cruise fan insights into different cruise lines and experiences so everyone can plan their best cruise vacation.
How Other Cruise Lines Compare
Nine other cruise lines were up for the honor of Best Booking Experience, and Royal Caribbean International came in at a relatively close second place with 22.84% of the votes. Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line were relatively close together as third and fourth place, with 10.34% and 9.99% of the votes, respectively.
Best Cruise Line Booking Experience
The category was rounded out with Holland America Line (5.60%), MSC Cruises (4.74%), Disney Cruise Line (4.67%), and Virgin Voyages (3.74%).
Some cruise lines, while they may have exemplary booking systems, may have scored fewer votes because they simply aren’t as large or as popular as Carnival Cruise Line, which now features 26 ships in its fleet with the addition of Carnival Jubilee, now sailing her inaugural cruise from Galveston, Texas.
A New Award Category
Cruise Hive has offered reader-driven awards since 2014, with changes and adaptations along the way to take notice of the best aspects of cruising that travelers enjoy the most.
The first year for this new award category, Best Booking Experience includes all aspects of making cruise vacation reservations, including how easy a cruise line’s website is to navigate and find ships, itineraries, and sailing dates. How clear promotions and prices are, add-on options, and cruise line communication about the booking could all be considered for this award.
A second new category has also debuted for the 2023 awards – Best Cruise Line for Service and Crew. Results in all eight categories will be revealed in the coming days as a way to celebrate all the great fun and memorable sailings of 2023 – stay tuned for more winner announcements, including Best Cruise Ship Feature, Best Cruise Line Private Island/Destination, Best US Cruise Homeport, and more.
Carnival Cruise Line’s BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster has once again been voted Best Cruise Ship Feature in the annual Cruise Hive Awards.
The motorcycle-style thrill ride garnered more than double the percentage of votes that adventure rides on competitors Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line received.
Thrill Ride Wins Top Spot For Third Year
For the third consecutive year, Carnival Cruise Line’s BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster has scored highest as Best Cruise Ship Feature in Cruise Hive Awards 2023, coming out way ahead of Royal Caribbean’s The Ultimate Abyss, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Speedway Go-Kart.
BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster received 34.56% of votes, Royal Caribbean’s The Ultimate Abyss came in second place, with 16.65% of votes, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Speedway Go-Kart received 15.39%. Ultimate Abyss and Speedway also took second and third place in the 2022 Cruise Hive competition.
Best Cruise Ship Feature
Voting in the 2023 Cruise Hive Awards opened in October, with readers being able to cast a single vote in each of eight categories. With thousands of votes being registered, it’s been the most popular award to date.
Carnival Cruise Line’s BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster made its debut aboard Mardi Gras when the ship launched in July 2021. The thrill ride was included in the line’s most recent new-builds, Carnival Celebration, which was introduced in November 2022, and Carnival Jubilee, which sailed her inaugural cruise on December 23, 2023.
Photo Credit: Melissa Mayntz
BOLT is the cruise industry’s first roller coaster at sea, enabling thrill-seeking guests to soar 187 feet above the sea and reach speeds of 40 MPH on two-person, motorcycle-style open cars. They are all-electric vehicles, with the front driver controlling the vehicle’s speed.
Guests pay $15 per person to experience two laps around the 800-foot track, which is located on the ships’ open deck at the Ultimate Playground zone.
Ultimate Abyss Again Wins Second Place
The second-place winner in the best feature category, Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate Abyss, is a thrilling 10-story slide that begins on Deck 16 aft, near the FlowRider, and continues down to the Boardwalk neighborhood on five ships.
At 150 feet above sea level, Ultimate Abyss is the tallest slide at sea. Guests enter a glass platform at the top of the slide and then descend 10 stories, twisting and turning before finally reaching the Boardwalk.
The ride, which is free to guests, debuted on Harmony of the Seas in 2016 and is now offered on three more ships, including Oasis of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, and Wonder of the Seas. Ultimate Abyss will also be featured onboard Utopia of the Seas when she enters service in July 2024.
Best Cruise Ship Feature Results
Third-place winner, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Speedway Go-Kart, is offered on Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Viva, and Norwegian Bliss.
The ride consists of electric-powered, single-occupant race cars that can reach speeds of 30 MPH, plus a turbo-boost that allows even more speed. A single run costs $9.95, with higher-priced days and weekly passes available.
Runners-up in the Best Cruise Feature category included Celebrity Cruises’ Magic Carpet, which received 11.25% of votes; MSC Cruises’ LED Ceiling, 9.09%; Princess Cruises’ The SeaWalk, 7.47%; and Disney Cruise Line’s AquaDuck, 5.58%.
Any suspicious or repeated votes were not included in the final result. The awards have been running since 2014 and, each year, are open for Cruise Hive readers.
What ought to have been a festive Christmas cruise has turned into tragedy for guests aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Vision of the Seas, as a man went overboard the ship on Saturday, December 23. Despite extensive efforts, the search was called off on Sunday, December 24.
Man Overboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship
A 41-year-old male passenger was reported overboard from Vision of the Seas at approximately 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, December 23, 2023. Guests onboard the ship heard the “Oscar! Oscar! Oscar!” emergency call which indicates an overboard situation.
The ship’s crew immediately initiated emergency procedures, including scanning the water for signs of the man. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) received the alert at 7:17 p.m., when the ship was positioned approximately 127 miles (205 kilometers) east of Charleston, South Carolina.
#Breaking@USCG aircrews are searching for a 41-year-old man who went overboard from the Vision of the Seas cruise ship 127 miles east of #Charleston, Sunday.
Vision of the Seas has departed Baltimore, Maryland on Friday, December 22 for an 8-night holiday sailing to the Bahamas, with port visits to Port Canaveral, Bimini, Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Freeport planned on the itinerary. The overboard incident happened before any port visit.
The circumstances of the incident, including further details of the guest’s identity and his traveling party, have not been revealed in order to safeguard the privacy of everyone impacted.
“The ship and crew immediately reported the incident to local authorities and launched a search and rescue mission,”a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean International said.“Out of privacy for the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”
Two USCG C-130 Hercules planes and their rescue crews were part of the search efforts, which lasted more than eight hours and covered more than 1,625 square miles (2,615 square kilometers).
While details of the overboard are not known at this time, the holiday season is a challenging time for many individuals who may be suffering from depression or other difficulties. In 2022, a female guest went overboard from MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia in mid-December and was sadly found deceased.
Cruise Hive’s thoughts are with the man’s family members, friends, and traveling party, as well as with the crew members impacted by this difficult situation.
Search Ended
Ultimately, the search was suspended without success. Exactly how long search efforts last depends on many factors, including weather conditions, water temperature, the location of the search, and the individual circumstances of each incident.
While Vision of the Seas was involved in the search efforts for approximately six hours, the ship was released to move along on her itinerary.
Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas (Photo Credit: StudioPortoSabbia / Shutterstock)
It is not unusual for cruise ships to be released from search operations after rescue boats arrive, as USCG and other support craft are better equipped to thoroughly search a region and administer immediate assistance if an overboard individual is located. This also helps the cruise ships continue with minimal disruption for the thousands of other passengers aboard.
The 78,717-gross-ton Vision of the Seas is one of the older ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, having first set sail in 1998. The ship is well-equipped with appropriate safety gear, however, and all crew members are expertly trained in emergency operations.
Vision of the Seas can welcome 2,050 guests at double occupancy, or as many as 2,514 passengers when fully booked with all berths filled. During the holiday season, cruise ships are more often sailing closer to their full capacity.
The ship is currently homeported from Baltimore, Maryland, offering a variety of Southern Caribbean, Southeast Coast, Bahamas, and Bermuda itineraries, depending on departure date and cruise length. Vision of the Seas is scheduled to remain homeported from Baltimore at least through April 2025.
The furry stowaway discovered onboard Royal Caribbean International’s Ovation of the Seas in late October has a new family and a new home for the holidays.
After some protracted work with animal import authorities, the oceangoing cat, now named Ovie, has been adopted by a Royal Caribbean guest service team member in Florida.
Unexpected Cat on Ovation of the Seas Gets New Home
In October, as Ovation of the Seas was finishing a one-way, 19-night cruise from Honolulu, Hawaii to Sydney, Australia, a cat was discovered onboard, with no proper biosecurity clearance for the international sailing.
The animal caused quite a sensation for both the New Zealand authorities who discovered him as well as crew members who hadn’t known about the cat’s presence onboard.
Now, however, Ovie has a new home – halfway around the world from where he was discovered. Royal Caribbean International President and CEO recently gave an update on Ovie via social media, confirming the cat’s return to the US and his newly adopted status.
“Meet Ovie! The cat smuggled onboard Ovation of the Seas by a guest,”Bayley said, sharing a photo of the traveling feline.
“When discovered the cat was not allowed off the ship in Australia or New Zealand by authorities and was supposed to be euthanized, our guest service team stepped up to the plate and after several weeks and much back and forth safely brought Ovie halfway around the world to be adopted by one of the guest service team members in Miami. Ovie is now happily living in Miami.”
Ovation of the Seas Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Galactic Droids / Shutterstock)
It is believed the cat originated from Arizona, though the cruise line has not commented on this. From Arizona first to Honolulu to board Ovation of the Seas, then to New Zealand, and then to Miami, this well-traveled feline has more than 16,000 miles (25,800 kilometers) under his paws.
How Ovie Came to Set Sail
When New Zealand authorities inspected Ovation of the Seas prior to her arrival – a standard practice – the cat was discovered in a guest’s cabin. While the guest has not been identified and no charges are known to have been pressed against the passenger for violating live animal import regulation, the cat was quarantined by authorities in Lyttelton, New Zealand, on November 18.
At that time, Royal Caribbean International assumed responsibility for the animal’s expenses and its eventual return to the US, once the quarantine period ended and the cat was able to be safely transported. Quarantines are commonplace for any live animals crossing international borders to ensure no infectious diseases or unwanted pests are transported along with the animal.
To legally import a cat to New Zealand – where Ovation of the Seas visited prior to finishing her cruise in Australia – travelers must apply for permission to import the animal and meet strict requirements, including having an approved microchip implanted, meet minimum age requirements, have specific veterinary clearances, and follow other travel guidelines.
Ovie
Ovie had none of this, as the animal was smuggled aboard the cruise ship without proper permission.
“We believe that it was in the guest’s sweatshirt and we assume he must have been sedated or something and he wouldn’t beep, since Ovie isn’t metal,”explained Bayley.
It is unlikely that Ovie was smuggled aboard the ship in any luggage, since both carry-on bags as well as luggage turned over to porters is screened before being permitted on the ship, and the cat’s skeletal structure would have stood out in security imaging.
If the animal was hidden in a bulky sweatshirt, however, the guest wearing that sweatshirt could have walked through the metal detector without difficulty if the cat was not wearing a metal collar or identification tags that would have set off the alarm.
As most cats don’t necessarily tolerate such confinement for long, the idea that Ovie may have been sedated is a good assumption, but has not been confirmed. While Royal Caribbean does welcome appropriately documented service animals onboard, pets are not permitted to set sail.
As the cat has returned to the US and taken up residence in the Sunshine State, he would be in good health and ready to celebrate the holidays as an honorary Royal Caribbean International crew member.
Carnival Cruise Line has once again increased the price of one of its more popular beverages – bottled water. In less than two years, the price of a 12-pack of bottled water has increased by a whopping 141% with two separate price increases. The larger 1.5-liter bottles have also increased in price, as have the 8-packs of the larger bottles.
Water Prices on the Rise
Carnival Cruise Line guests will now need to pay even more if they wish to buy the cruise line’s bottled water to have delivered to their stateroom. The natural spring water is now listed for sale on Carnival’s website at $11.95 (USD) per 12-pack (each bottle is 16.9 fluid ounces), while the 1.5 liter (50.72 fluid ounces) bottle is now $4.50. The 8-pack of 1.5-liter bottles is now $24.95.
Just weeks ago, the 12-pack was $9.95, while the 1.5-liter bottle was $3.95 and the 8-pack of larger bottles was $20.00. This represents price increases of 20%, 14%, and 25% respectively.
Just over one year ago, however, the 12-pack of water was a mere $4.95 – making the latest increase a total of 141% in 13 months – nearly three times the original price. Carnival Cruise Line increased the 12-pack price to $9.95 in November 2022.
Carnival Cruise Line Water Prices
The 1.5-liter bottle has been at $3.95 since at least September 2020, making its price increase more understandable given the current economic climate and inflation price increases across all sorts of products on land and at sea. The 8-pack of 1.5-liter bottles has also remained at $20.00 for several years.
In April 2023, as more attention was drawn to the bottled water price increase, Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald made note of the change as related to inflation.
“Yes, prices did go up a bit recently with our bottled water because of inflation which I know many of you are facing on land as well,”he said.
Also, in spring 2023, Carnival Cruise Line increased prices on other pre-purchase food and beverage items, including cookies, celebration cakes, and party trays. This increase was also done with no warning to guests and was simply noticed as a quiet price hike.
Photo Credit: Steve Cukrov / Shutterstock
When a cruise line increases prices on pre-purchased items, booked guests are often notified in advance of the coming increase and given the opportunity to make their purchases at the lower rate up until a certain deadline, though this is a courtesy only and is not required. This option has not been offered to Carnival guests for any of the water price increases.
Bottled water prices are the same across the Carnival fleet, whether guests pre-purchase the water to have it waiting in their stateroom or if they order it onboard.
To ensure there are adequate supplies of bottled water onboard, however, guests are urged to pre-purchase the water, especially if it may be for a medical need.
Why Buy Bottled Water?
While the water onboard cruise ships is safe to drink – whether from the bathroom sink in one’s stateroom, dispensers at self-serve beverage stations, or served in restaurants – some guests with sensitive palates may prefer bottled water as a matter of taste.
In some cases, bottled water is a medical necessity, such as to run a CPAP machine without risk of mineral deposits or buildups that could damage the equipment.
Photo Copyright: Cruise Hive
If guests have brought powdered baby formula onboard for an infant cruiser, they may also wish to use bottled water rather than risk an upset tummy for their youngster.
Will the price of bottled water make-or-break a cruise vacationer’s budget? Most likely not. The dramatic nature of the increases, however, can be concerning to many travelers as a worrying trend, and emphasizes the need for a sharp lookout on invoices and overall pricing for cruisers to be sure they are getting the best value for their vacation dollars.
Carnival Jubilee has welcomed her very first guests onboard and set sail on her inaugural cruise from Galveston, Texas, bringing bigger-than-ever fun to the Lone Star State and growing Carnival Cruise Line to new heights.
Cruise line and port executives were on hand for the momentous occasion, made even more exciting by the fact that Carnival Jubilee‘s first sailing is a very special holiday cruise that will be filled with even more special times to make fabulous memories.
New Carnival Flagship Officially Sets Sail
At 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 23, 2023, Carnival Jubilee officially set sail on her maiden voyage with more than 6,000 guests aboard. The new ship, now Carnival Cruise Line’s flagship, had arrived in Galveston on Wednesday, December 20 to great fanfare and a Texas-sized welcome for the only cruise ship in the world to proudly display the Texas Lone Star on her bow.
On hand at Galveston Wharves’ Terminal 25 were cruise line and port executives to greet guests, with formal commemorative presentations and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, as well as a special welcome to the very first family to board the ship.
“This is the start of a new era for us here in Galveston,”said Christine Duffy, Carnival Cruise Line President.“This stunning ship not only brings together our best offerings, from thrilling entertainment like the BOLT roller coaster to delicious dining options like Emeril’s Bistro, it also expands our capacity – allowing us to deliver the quintessential Carnival fun to more people sailing from Texas.”
Carnival Jubilee‘s first sailing is a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary to Roatan, Honduras as well as Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico. This is the same itinerary that the new ship will be offering year-round, but two different types of extra-special apply to this specific sailing.
Carnival Jubilee Inaugural Voyage Begins
As an inaugural cruise, all the events onboard, as well as the port visits, will be momentous firsts for the ship. Furthermore, as a Christmas cruise, there will be all sorts of special holiday offerings with themed activities, seasonal festivities, the Christmas Gala Dinner, visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus, and much more.
“We’ll have more celebrating to do in the coming months, but for now, we’ll let our skilled team take the reins and bring to life the special holiday season cruises they’ve been preparing to deliver to our guests,”Duffy remarked.
Of course, Carnival Jubilee‘s second sailing will be equally festive as a New Year’s cruise with guests ringing in 2024 in style.
Special Firsts
Not only is the first sailing of any cruise ship a special occasion, but Carnival Jubilee has a few extra special notes that make her unique. She is the first-ever new-built ship to be homeported from Galveston, bringing greater prestige and amazing experiences to Texas cruisers.
To properly welcome the new ship and service her in style, Galveston Wharves’ Terminal 25 has undergone a $53 million renovation and upgrade. Gangway modifications were essential to accommodate the ship’s size, and other upgrades have been done to elevators, the roof, security, and more to ensure the smoothest and most efficient port operations.
Carnival Jubilee Arriving in Galveston (Photo Credit: Carnival Cruise Line)
The 183,521-gross-ton, Excel-class ship also has exclusive firsts onboard, including the Lone Star Tailgate party and a new production show, “Dear Future Husband” that is only to be seen on Carnival Jubilee.
The ship does share key features with her sister ships, Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration, such as the wildly popular Big Chicken restaurant, the amazing view from the central atrium and its wall of glass, and the distinctive zones throughout the ship. On Carnival Jubilee, the Currents and Shores zones have an ocean-inspired theme not found anywhere else in the Carnival fleet.
Of note is the fact that Carnival Jubilee is also one “last” for the moment – the last new build ship ordered for Carnival Cruise Line at least for the next couple of years, though Carnival Firenze will be joining the fleet in April 2024.
The large ship with her 5,374-guest-occupancy (double occupancy; 6,631 passengers when fully booked) does significantly expand the cruise line’s overall capacity and is sure to usher in an era of amazing cruises filled with Texas hospitality.
We think of cruise ships as engineering marvels outfitted with lavish interiors and a wide variety of amenities, but what happens to them when they are abandoned? To answer this question, we will take a deep dive into the world of abandoned cruise ships.
Not only will we explain how these once bustling ships end up getting abandoned, but we will also highlight where some of the world’s most famous abandoned cruise ships and wreckage sites are. We will even explain whether or not adventurous tourists can visit and explore some of these ghostly abandoned cruise ships.
So, if you are ready to dive into uncharted waters and uncover the mysteries of abandoned cruise ships, it’s time to get started!
Cruise ships remain incredibly valuable assets even when they are no longer serviceable. Not only do the vessels’ furnishings, amenities, and equipment retain significant value for the cruise lines that own the ships, but the scrap value of the metal and other materials that the ship is constructed from can be worth millions of dollars.
Given how valuable full-size cruise ships are, regardless of their age and condition, you might wonder why they would ever sit abandoned rather than being taken for recycling at a ship scrapping yard.
Most decommissioned cruise ships are taken for dismantling at a ship scrapping yard. After the cruise line has removed everything of value, the remaining hull of the ship is auctioned off and eventually sent to a scrap yard that can handle dismantling a vessel of that size.
However, in rare cases, retrieving and scraping a cruise ship may not be economically viable, especially if transporting that ship to a scrap yard would prove to be too expensive and complicated. In other cases, disposing of a grounded cruise ship could pose serious environmental concerns.
In these cases, the bulk of the ship may stay in a state of abandonment. In these cases, any equipment or components deemed of significant value would be dismantled on-site, but the bulk of the ship would remain behind. As we will discuss, in some instances, the decision is made to leave the cruise ship where it is, as it could make more financial sense to convert it into a floating hotel, entertainment venue, or tourist destination.
In cases where a cruise ship capsized, even surfacing the ship can prove astronomically expensive and prohibitively difficult if the sinking occurred in an economically underprivileged region. In other words, local authorities and scrapping specialists could lack the capabilities to surface such a massive and heavy vessel. In these cases, the ship would simply lay in a state of abandonment where it was capsized.
Where Are Some of the Most Famous Abandoned Cruise Ships?
While abandoned cruise ships are far from common sights, you can still find them in various locations worldwide. The following are just some of the most famous examples of abandoned cruise ships:
MS World Discoverer
The MS World Discoverer is perhaps the most mysterious and interesting of all the abandoned cruise ships in the world.
This relatively small German cruise ship struck a rocky reef near the Solomon Islands in April 2000. While the ship was safely abandoned and no crew or passengers were lost, the capsized vessel was almost immediately declared a total loss.
This was partly due to the wreck’s remote and shallow location. However, the ship could not be recovered mainly because the Solomon Islands were undergoing a violent civil war at the time of its sinking.
MS World Discoverer (Photo Credit: Tetyana Dotsenko)
In fact, when a salvage attempt was made in late 2000, a local tribe shot arrows at the salvage crew. Naturally, this quickly ended any plans to recover the MS World Discovery.
Today, the MS World Discoverer remains abandoned and lying in shallow waters. It remains beached close to shore in front of a dense jungle backdrop, adding to its mysterious and otherworldly appearance. In fact, trees and other types of plant life have even begun growing directly along the surface of the abandoned ship’s decks.
While the ship has since been stripped of all valuables by locals, it remains a popular tourist destination. Many adventurers and explorers travel out to the site of the abandoned MS World Discoverer to photograph the remaining hull.
Queen Elizabeth 2
The Queen Elizabeth 2, or QE2 for short, is a retired British cruise ship that carried out countless transatlantic voyages during her heyday. While it was considered one of the world’s most luxurious and impressive cruise ships when it was first launched in 1969, it was eventually retired in 2008. During that time, she was even requisitioned by the British army to serve as a troop carrier during the Falklands War.
Queen Elizabeth 2 in Dubai (Photo Credit: Delpixel)
Despite her storied past and reputation, it was decided that the QE2 should be sold to a Dubai-based investment company for $100 million. Following her final voyage to Dubai, which included thousands of passengers, the new owners could not decide what to do with the famous vessel.
While the ship was supposed to be refurbished and converted into a floating hotel, the 2008 global recession that followed her final voyage halted these plans. Since then, she has remained idle and abandoned. After much debate, it was determined that the ship would indeed be converted into a luxury hotel, which followed over a decade of abandonment in a very public location.
MS Mediterranean Sky
The Mediterranean Sky started sailing in 1953 under her original name of MS City of York after being constructed at the Vickers Shipbuilding complex in the UK. The ship operated for Ellerman Lines, which eventually was sold off to other shipping companies until the cruise line’s name fully disappeared in 2004.
MS Mediterranean Sky (Photo Credit: Aerial-motion)
The vessel was eventually sold in 1971, along with three sister ships named City of Port Elizabeth, City of Exeter and City of Durban. Under the new name of Mediterranean Sky, she was fitted out to become more of a passenger vessel. She operated her final sailing in 1996, but eventually started to list during lay-up. The ship was finally towed in 2002 to be beached in Greece. The ship is listed to one side and remains partially sunk in Elefsina.
MS Astor
The MS Astor was launched in 1987 and served until 2020. While there were plans that the ship would continue to cruise the Mediterranean and French coast, the COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacted the cruise industry, forcing the ship’s owners, Cruise & Maritime Voyages, to enter administration.
The ship was sold at auction to a scrapping company as part of the administration process. Due to pandemic-related issues, she then sat abandoned along the coast of Wales for nearly three years.
MS Astor (Photo Credit: Vytautas Kielaitis)
Since the ship was decommissioned so suddenly, the interior was hardly touched. Many urban explorers, adventurists, and photographers explored and photographed the ship’s uniquely preserved interior.
Many who explored the abandoned ship have described its interior as a time capsule due to its relatively pristine condition. Even glassware and bedding remain as she awaits her final voyage to a scrap yard.
SS United States
We don’t need to introduce you to this once iconic vessel, which now remains abandoned and hollow in Philadelphia. SS United States was built in 1951 and departed on her maiden voyage in 1952 for United States Lines. The ship is the largest ever ocean liner built in the US and still holds the blue ribbon for the fastest ocean line crossing the Atlantic.
Photo Credit: Felix Mizioznikov / Shutterstock
With SS United States being full of records and firsts, it’s been sad to see her rust away since first arriving in Philadelphia in 1996. The good news is that interest remains in bringing back the iconic US vessel, mainly thanks to the SS United States Conservancy organization never giving up. Norwegian Cruise Line showed interest in the ship by adding her to the fleet; there was also interest in using the vessel as a waterfront complex; however, none of these came to fruition.
It costs $60,000 per month to dock and maintain the SS United States, and despite continued interest in redeveloping her, the conservancy group had to start looking at the possibility of scrapping the iconic ocean liner. Crystal Cruises even got close to purchasing the ship to transform her, but that eventually fell through.
SS United States Concept
Finally, in 2023, a plan was announced to restore the SS United States by RXR Realty and MCR Hotels. The plan is for the ship to hold 1,000 rooms onboard, along with a restaurant and a range of features that guests can enjoy. The plan also includes the SS United States being permanently moored in New York City. Let’s hope this plan moves forward and the ship returns to life.
Is it Legal to Explore Abandoned Cruise Ships?
Exploring abandoned cruise ships has enticed all sorts of adventurists and explorers. With that said, the activity is not always legal. Even though many abandoned cruise ships look like they belong to nobody but the ocean or sea itself, most are still private property, either owned by the original cruise line or auctioned off to scrapping companies and awaiting transport to a suitable scrap yard.
This means entering the ship would be a form of trespassing. Aside from the legal ramifications of exploring an abandoned cruise ship, it can also be hazardous. Decaying metal can cause severe structural damage to the ship, meaning trespassers could easily hurt themselves as they wander the eerie halls of the ship.
Abandoned Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Sashiko)
Then, of course, there are the environmental risks. If someone is exploring a partially capsized vessel, there is always the chance that they will get trapped and drown. More remote abandoned cruise ships, like the MS World Discoverer, are even treacherous to get to. Hostile locals, a dense jungle-lined coast, and a rocky reef could all pose life-threatening hazards to inexperienced explorers.
In short, unless the abandoned ship is serving as an organized and legal tourist attraction, it is unlikely that exploring it would be lawful or safe.
Are There a Lot of Abandoned Cruise Ships?
Put simply, no. Abandoned cruise ships are incredibly rare. As we discussed, decommissioned and wrecked cruise ships still retain incredible value, especially to scrapping companies.
Since they are so valuable, the owners rarely allow them to sit abandoned. Regarding smaller ships, like ferries and fishing vessels, abandoned hulls are far more common, as the scrap value of these types of crafts is significantly less. In these cases, removing them is not always economically viable or practical.
What Is the Environmental Impact of Abandoned Cruise Ships?
While abandoned cruise ships can almost act as artificial reef sanctuaries for marine life in the short term, they can also pose serious environmental risks if they deteriorate for too long.
This is because cruise ships are often constructed of materials that can contaminate marine environments over time. This is particularly true of older vessels regularly made with hazardous materials like asbestos and lead.
An abandoned cruise ship’s primary environmental concern is the risk of a major oil spill when the ship’s fuel tanks and fuel lines eventually corrode. The MS World Discoverer is the most notorious example of this concern, as environmentalists are worried that the deteriorating ship’s fuel tanks and engine parts will eventually leak oil into the surrounding water.
New environmental regulations and pressure from local governments may reduce the number of cruise ships allowed to remain in a state of abandonment. As international regulatory organizations crack down on environmental regulations, cruise lines may face severe penalties if they do not remove their wreckage and damaged vessels in a timely manner.
Even the cruise industry is committing to becoming more environmentally friendly, which could put pressure on individual cruise lines to deal with abandoned ships before they pose an environmental risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do some abandoned cruise ships get repurposed?
While most are eventually removed and broken down for scrap, some abandoned cruise ships can get repurposed. Some have been turned into maritime museums, floating restaurants, unique hotels, and even Hollywood filming locations.
The Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, is a famous example. After sitting in a state of abandonment and neglect for decades, the city of Long Beach paid millions of dollars to renovate the old ship and transform it into a floating hotel with accommodations replicating the exact look and feel of a luxury liner. During the day, they also host ship tours and temporary exhibits, which allow guests to feel like they have traveled back in time.
Is it safe to explore abandoned cruise ships?
How safe it is to explore an abandoned cruise ship will depend entirely upon the ship’s condition. While some are maintained in a way that allows them to act as tourist attractions, others are in a state of deterioration and disrepair that would make them extremely dangerous to ill-equipped explorers.
The ship’s structural integrity can be questionable, and it can be filled with jagged pieces of corroded metal. If the ship was abandoned in a remote location, seemingly insignificant injuries could prove to be life-threatening. There is also the fact that visiting some abandoned cruises is prohibited by local authorities, so that you could risk fines and more serious penalties.
How many cruise ships are decommissioned each year?
While decommissioning a cruise ship is not the same thing as abandoning one, in some cases, a decommissioned ship can remain in a state of abandonment for many years before it is hauled to a suitable ship scrapping yard.
About 20 cruise ships will typically be decommissioned and dismantled each year, but that also depends on industry trends. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw a significant decline in passenger numbers. This forced many cruise lines to decommission and scrap ships they could no longer afford to keep in operation, so the number of decommissioned ships increased substantially.
Final Words
The world of abandoned cruise ships is undoubtedly fascinating, but these once-luxurious vessels can also pose significant environmental risks if they are not disposed of responsibly. On the other hand, they can become interesting tourist attractions for those interested in maritime history and mechanical decay.
Ideally, a cruise ship would be dismantled and recycled or altogether repurposed, so it can continue to serve a useful purpose beyond life as a sophisticated form of travel. If you want to see an abandoned cruise ship for yourself, we encourage you to visit one of the many repurposed ships, where you can enjoy guided tours or even spend the night in a floating hotel.
With any luck, the cruise industry will continue to evolve and find new and more efficient ways to recover and dispose of abandoned cruise ships so they do not threaten the marine environments that help make taking a cruise so magical.
Guests booked on various sailing dates for Norwegian Sky are learning that their itineraries have been altered, with some ports of call being completely changed and others having times shifted.
While most of the changes are relatively minimal, it can still be disappointing to travelers, especially if a port of call is cancelled and pre-booked shore excursions are no longer available. But why are so many changes being made?
Multiple Cruises Changed for Norwegian Sky
Norwegian Sky, one of the oldest and smallest ships in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet, is having multiple itineraries adjusted for her 2023-2024 winter sailing season in the Caribbean.
The cruise line has reached out to travel agents and booked guests to notify them of the changes, which vary depending on the exact itinerary. The following cruise departure dates all have similar changes:
January 29
February 12, February 26
March 11, March 20
April 10, April 20
The impacted sailings range from 9- to 14-nights depending on departure date and overall itinerary.
Norwegian Sky Cruise Ship
“We are committed to providing the best vacations at sea and have been working tirelessly to continue to elevate the quality of our offerings and overall guest experience while driving a positive impact on society and the environment,”the notification letter read.“As we optimize itineraries for fuel efficiencies, we have modified Norwegian Sky’s itinerary.”
Norwegian Cruise Line has made similar itinerary changes to other vessels, including for sailings aboard Norwegian Encore in January and February 2024.
Types of Itinerary Changes
The itinerary changes vary for different sailings, but all have similar adjustments. For example, each cruise is now departing Norwegian Sky’s homeport – La Romana in the Dominican Republic – at 8:30 p.m. rather than 5:30 p.m. as originally scheduled, in order to accommodate flights for incoming passengers.
In some cases, ports of call are cancelled and replaced with alternatives. For instance, on the ship’s February 12, 2024 departure, the very first port of call – which was planned as Cabo Rojo in the Dominican Republic – has been replaced with Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic instead.
Other adjustments include things like shifting time in ports of call by an hour or trimming some time off longer port visits. The ship’s visit to Bonaire on the same itinerary, for example, will now be from 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. rather than from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m, and the visits to both Roseau in Dominica and Pointe-a-Pitre in Guadeloupe are likewise trimmed by an hour – now leaving port at 5 p.m. instead of 6 p.m.
These types of shortened visits can allow the ship to sail at slightly slower speeds between port destinations, which can improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
Photo Credit: Felix Mizioznikov / Shutterstock
In case the changes – whether port cancellations, substitutions, or timing changes – impact shore excursions, any tours pre-booked through Norwegian Cruise Line will be adapted to the new time where possible. If the tours cannot be adjusted, guests will be given a full refund of the tour costs.
No further compensation is being offered for the itinerary changes, as cruise lines have full authority to make such operational changes.
Sailing on Norwegian Sky
The 77,104-gross-ton, Sun-class Norwegian Sky will remain homeported from La Romana through late April, 2024. At that time, the ship will move to Miami, Florida, where she will be offering Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from 5- to 9-nights, with visits to top ports such as Key West, Cozumel, Great Stirrup Cay, San Juan, St. Thomas, and more.
In September 2024, Norwegian Sky will move to New York for a series of autumn Canada & New England sailings, very popular itineraries for spectacular fall foliage. After that deployment, the ship will move to an Asian deployment with departures from New York, Barcelona, Haifa, Dubai, and Mauritius along the way.
A new and delightful experience is appearing for a limited time aboard Oasis of the Seas – the first-ever holiday marketplace aboard a Royal Caribbean International ship.
Filled with seasonal cheer (and appearances from some very special holiday guests!) the new pop-up marketplace will only be on one ship and just through the holiday sailings, but will offer all guests a unique opportunity to find mementos and gifts for everyone on their holiday shopping list.
Holiday Marketplace Introduced on Oasis of the Seas
Guests sailing aboard Oasis of the Seas will have a very unique opportunity never before see on any Royal Caribbean ship – the Oasis Holiday Marketplace.
The limited-time event is running only through January 7, 2024 and can be found on Deck 8. Travelers will find a wide variety of Christmas ornaments, home décor, sweet treats, holiday toys, and themed attire – perfect options for gift-giving or special souvenirs of a memorable holiday cruise.
Inspired by the wildly popular European holiday markets, the pop-up Oasis Holiday Marketplace is being brought to guests in partnership with Starboard Cruise Services, which offers a wide variety of duty-free merchandise onboard cruise ships worldwide.
“The Oasis Holiday Marketplace is a terrific example of Starboard’s passion for ‘retailtainment’, offering families onboard engaging shopping experiences during magical holiday sailings,”said Claudia King-McWilliams, VP General Manager of Royal Caribbean.
Holiday marketplace pop-up aboard Oasis of the Seas
Many cruise travelers like to collect holiday ornaments as mementos of their sailings, or a new ornament to commemorate each year. What better option than to pick up a special ornament right onboard?
In addition to curated seasonal merchandise, the Oasis Holiday Marketplace will also bring guests together with Santa Claus for photos, creating very special memories and moments parents will want to capture to share with family and friends.
This limited time special shop is only onboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. If successful, it is possible the new concept may be introduced on additional vessels for future holiday cruises, and could be expanded to additional sailings for all the holiday season.
Visiting the Oasis Holiday Marketplace
Oasis of the Seas is currently homeported from Miami, Florida, offering a variety of Western and Southern Caribbean sailings through the holiday season.
Because the Oasis Holiday Marketplace is a limited-time special event, just a few cruises will have the special shop onboard.
The ship’s December 22 departure is a very special 7-night Christmas cruise, visiting Falmouth, Jamaica; Labadee, Haiti; and Nassau and CocoCay in the Bahamas before returning to Miami on Friday, December 29. Guests onboard will be able to finish their holiday shopping onboard at the Oasis Holiday Marketplace just in time for Christmas.
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas (Photo Credit: Palephotography / Shutterstock)
The New Year’s cruise – departing December 29 – is a 9-night Southern Caribbean cruise, visiting the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, as well as Willemstad, Curacao; Oranjestad, Aruba; and Falmouth, Jamaica before returning to Miami on January 7, 2024. This is the last sailing that will feature the Oasis Holiday Marketplace this year.
The first of the Oasis-class vessels, the 226,838-gross-ton Oasis of the Seas joined the Royal Caribbean fleet in 2009. The ship can welcome 5,606 passengers when booked at double occupancy, or up to 6,699 guests when fully booked with all berths filled.
Also onboard are approximately 2,200 international crew members to ensure everyone has an enjoyable cruise, during the holidays and all year long.
Because holiday sailings are very popular for family getaways, the ship is more likely to be fully booked at this time of year. Guests interested in the Oasis Holiday Marketplace should plan to shop early, in case their favorite souvenirs and gifts run out of stock.
Of course, a wide range of holiday events – in addition to special seasonal shopping – are also onboard at this time of year, including themed trivia contests, special entertainment, caroling parties, a gingerbread village, and much more to celebrate the season.
