With severe weather forecast for Bermuda over the weekend, Norwegian Cruise Line is being proactive to keep ships safe and passengers comfortable by changing the current sailing for Norwegian Gem. The ship will still visit Bermuda, but will be leaving earlier than anticipated to avoid the poor weather.
Norwegian Gem Itinerary Change
The Jewel-class Norwegian Gem is currently homeported from New York, offering sailings to the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda. The ship is now on a 5-night Bermuda itinerary that was originally scheduled to spend more than 30 hours docked at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda, but due to expected poor weather, the overnight stay has been shortened to just a typical port of call visit of 6 hours, 45 minutes.
“Although our dedicated team is committed to delivering unforgettable vacation experiences at every step of the cruise journey, at times there are elements that are out of our control,”the letter delivered to guests at embarkation said.“Unfortunately, as a result of expected inclement weather conditions, our itinerary has been revised.”
Photo Credit: Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock
Now, instead of remaining docked from 9 a.m. on Friday, January 13, through 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, January 14, the ship will only remain in port from 9 a.m. on Friday until 3:45 p.m. that same day, losing a full 24 hours of in-port time.
“We share your disappointment and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused,”the letter continued.
There are no other changes to Norwegian Gem‘s itinerary, and the ship is expected to arrive back in New York on schedule at 10 a.m. on Monday, January 16, 2023. The 93,530-gross-ton ship has a capacity of 2,394 guests, with 1,070 crew members aboard as well.
Compensation Offered
No alternative port of call is being substituted for the loss of the full day in Bermuda, and because of that, the cruise line is offering compensation to all guests onboard.
Every stateroom will receive $100 (USD) of non-refundable onboard credit, with $50 applied for the first and second guests in the stateroom. The credit can be used for any onboard expenses, such as drinks, spa treatments, photos, souvenirs, or specialty dining.
Any shore excursions booked for Bermuda will be adjusted as necessary to accommodate the ship’s new time in port. If the tours are unable to be run, including those planned for Saturday, January 14, they will be cancelled automatically and the full refund returned to guests’ onboard accounts.
Severe Weather Predicted
All cruise vacations are at the mercy of the weather, and poor conditions can not only make an oceangoing getaway less enjoyable, high winds and tall swells can make cruise conditions dangerous. Even if a ship is docked, bad weather can make a gangway dangerous or may make the ship unsafe adjacent to the dock structure.
Cruise lines take every precaution to avoid poor weather and the safety of the ship, guests, and crew is always the primary concern.
Photo Credit: Darryl Brooks / Shutterstock
On Saturday, January 14, Bermuda is expected to have severe thunderstorms with steady winds predicted as high as 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour), while wind gusts may occasionally reach 60 mph (96 kph). A total of 1-2 inches of rain is expected.
In comparison, while the ship is in port on Friday, the chance of rain is less than 5% and while it will be breezy, the winds will only likely reach 20-30 mph (32-48 kph). The wind direction is also slightly different, which can impact docking conditions. Overnight on Friday, the weather is expected to worsen with higher wind gusts, late thunderstorms, and a much higher chance of rain.
Norwegian Gem is the only cruise ship scheduled to visit Bermuda early this weekend, but poor weather can impact any cruise port worldwide. Guests should always stay alert to weather forecasts and stay in touch with their cruise line for updates on schedule adjustments or itinerary changes.
Adventures by Disney, a unit of Disney that operates guided land and sea family and group travel vacations, revealed details of its 2024 European river cruises in partnership with Ama Waterways. The cruise roster includes the company’s first New Year’s holiday river cruise on the Danube.
22 Cruise Options in Europe Next Year
In 2024 Adventures by Disney will offer 22 river cruises in Europe, with sailings on the Rhine, Danube and Seine rivers. The company uses chartered ships owned by luxury river line Ama Waterways under a partnership that began in 2015.
A new itinerary, Danube River Cruise: Magical Holidays, represents the company’s first themed cruise during the New Year’s holiday, with visits to Germany, Austria and Hungary. Guests on the holiday cruise will board the ship in Munich on December 28, 2024, travel to Mondsee, Melk and Vienna, Austria, and to the holiday markets in Schonbrunn, Austria, before moving on to Hungary.
Photo Credit: Matt Stroshane / Disney Cruise Line
Bookings for the eight-day holiday cruise will open on January 20, 2023; earlier for past cruisers and Disney Vacation Club members.
Other sailings in the 2024 lineup include Oktoberfest and Christmas markets river cruises, along with food and wine-themed sailings. A team of Disney-trained Adventure Guides travels on each cruise.
The company said,“Guests become part of the story on an Adventures by Disney river cruise, and itineraries are designed for everyone in the family. The masterful narratives, knowledge of the places visited and the culture and history are brought to life by the Adventure Guides. Through these experiences, families discover real world magic in a way only Disney can do.”
European river cruise highlights include toboggan rides in Germany’s Black Forest, viewing the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, still under reconstruction from a 2019 fire, exploring Schonbrunn Palace in Austria, and viewing castles and castle ruins along the Rhine.
More Cruise Offerings From Disney
Adventures by Disney also markets expedition cruises onboard chartered Ponant ships in a partnership forged with the luxury expedition line in 2021.
Sister brand Disney Cruise Line operates five ocean-going ships, Disney Magic, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wonder and its newest vessel, Disney Wish, which launched in June 2022 and is home-ported in Port Canaveral, Florida. Two more ships are scheduled to join the fleet: Disney Treasure in 2024 and an unnamed ship slated for a 2025 launch.
When most cruise travelers think of an expedition sailing, they think of far distant, highly exotic destinations like Antarctica or the Galapagos. One closer-to-home expedition destination is gaining more popularity, however, and providing cruisers with unique opportunities to explore history, culture, and nature – all around the Great Lakes.
Expedition Cruises Making Waves in the Great Lakes
While expedition cruises traditionally visit the most remote, pristine, preserved destinations on earth, the Great Lakes is an increasingly popular option for these in-depth sailings. A new video released by The Great Lakes Cruise Association (GLCA) showcases all the region has to offer, including vibrant cities, relaxed lakeside villages, stunning natural beauty, and diverse cultures.
From Montreal and Toronto to Cornwall, Kingston, Windsor, Little Current, Killarney, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, and more, Great Lakes cruises offer a range of ports of call that can explore history, arts, architecture, native cultures, wine country, and many other enriching and engaging experiences.
Along the way, stunning natural beauty such as Niagara Falls, the Northshore Inside Passage of Lake Superior, and the largest freshwater island in the world, Manitoulin Island.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Lake Superior. Photo Credit: Bo Shen / Shutterstock
“This enormous eco-region hosts a variety of aquatic, wetland, forest and dune habitats,”said Stephen Burnett, executive director of The Great Lakes Cruise Association.“We invite cruise operators and their guests to explore the stunning, biodiverse Great Lakes region during an unforgettable journey aboard their expedition cruise ships.”
In addition, guests sailing through the Great Lakes region will also experience such unique nautical experiences as crossing through amazing locks and canals as well as passing beneath the stunning Mackinac Bridge connecting the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan, the longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the Western Hemisphere, depending on the cruise itinerary and route.
About the Great Lakes
Accessed via the Saint Lawrence Seaway from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the north Atlantic Ocean, the Great Lakes includes lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, Superior, and Michigan, as well as the rivers, canals, and locks that interconnect what is the largest group of freshwater lakes on earth. Together, the lakes hold 21% of the planet’s surface fresh water, and create a vital shipping zone.
Because of their size, the Great Lakes are often subject to weather conditions similar to oceanic cruises, including rolling waves and strong winds. Their vastness gives these lakes extensive horizons and amazing views, with spectacular sunrises and sunsets to greet travelers.
Many cruises stay primarily on the eastern and northern portions of the Great Lakes region, often bypassing Lake Michigan, though that western lake provides even more amazing destinations such as Green Bay, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois.
Cruises to the Great Lakes
A variety of expedition and river cruise lines offer itineraries featuring the Great Lakes. Hapag Lloyd, Ponant Cruises, Plantours, Windstar, Silversea, and Viking are some of the most well known lines with a variety of sailing options, but other cruise operators are showing increased interest in this underserved region.
Pearl Seas Cruises, USA River Cruises, and American Queen Voyages all operate in the Great Lakes.
Photo Courtesy: Viking Cruises
Interested travelers should carefully investigate which cruise line will best meet their expectations in the Great Lakes. Expedition ships are typically smaller and more intimate than typical ocean cruise ships, and while the ships can be quite luxurious and offer excellent service, their smaller size means fewer onboard spaces and options.
Most staterooms on expedition ships will offer superior views so guests do not miss any scenic vistas, and lounge areas also feature unparalleled views. The onboard experience is also likely to feature enrichment opportunities such as guest lecturers, naturalists, and local entertainers, truly giving guests an immersive getaway to connect to each region they explore.
Autumn cruises are especially popular in the region, when spectacular fall foliage creates even more amazing views along the Great Lakes’ coastlines.
P&O Cruises has reported its biggest-ever booking day during the Wave Season of 2023, with four of its five biggest booking days ever falling in the period.
The most popular itineraries booked were in the Caribbean, the Western Mediterranean, and the Norwegian fjords. With two Excel-class cruise ships operational currently, the UK-based cruise line has one of the youngest fleets in the industry.
P&O Cruises Proves Popular During Wave Season
Wave season is proving to be a hit for UK-based P&O Cruises, as the cruise line reported a record-breaking period in the first weeks of January. Of the five busiest booking days in history, four were recorded in the past period.
P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said:“These record-breaking days are testament to the fact that a P&O Cruises holiday provides extraordinary value for money, which is critical at the moment, and also demonstrates how much everyone values a holiday.”
“There are so many priorities for our hard-earned or hard-saved money in the current climate and a cruise offers an almost all-inclusive, individual holiday. This is clearly recognized by a new generation of cruisers with the Norwegian fjords perennially popular for those trying a cruise for the first time.”
The most popular itineraries booked by guests since the start of Wave Season are the Caribbean, the Western Mediterranean, and the Norwegian fjords.
Photo Credit: Smeerjewegproducties / Shutterstock
Popular cruises include a seven-night Norwegian fjords cruise on the Britannia. Departing on June 30, 2023, the cruise will sail from Southampton to the ports of Stavanger, Olden, Flam, and Haugesund.
Another exciting cruise included in the wave discounts is a 14-night Canary Islands cruise on the Excel-class cruise ship Iona. Departing on December 16, 2023, the cruise will sail from Southampton to ports such as Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Arrecife de Lanzarote, Cadiz, and Lisbon.
The popularity of the Wave Season deals with P&O Cruises is not surprising, given what is on offer. Besides operating two Excel-class cruise ships, the cruise line offers guests £500 of onboard credit available for select departures through April 1, 2025. This credit can be used for various onboard amenities, such as spa treatments, shore excursions, and specialty dining.
The wave season deal is valid through March 6, 2023, and includes a low 10% deposit but excludes inside cabins on cruises under seven nights.
P&O Cruises Now Has Two Excel-class Cruise Ships
P&O Cruises is a British cruise line operating under the Carnival Corporation flag. With over 200 destinations worldwide and a wide choice of holidays from two days to three months, there is something for everyone, with most cruises operating from the UK and through fly-cruises in the Caribbean.
P&O Cruises’ newest cruise ship, the 180,000 gross ton Arvia, joined the fleet in December 2022 as the second LNG-powered, Excel-class ship.
Photo Courtesy: P&O Cruises / James Robinson for Christopher Ison
Arvia offers a Caribbean maiden season of fly-cruise holidays from homeport Barbados starting January 20. The vessel is currently sailing a transatlantic crossing that will call at Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Castries, St Lucia; and St Georges, Grenada.
After some hiccups during the maiden voyage, the creases seem to have been ironed out, and the vessel has received positive reviews.
The ship boasts a unique SkyDome with a retractable glass roof and 16 guest decks. It features the first Altitude Skywalk high ropes experience, the tropical-themed Altitude Minigolf, the Altitude Splash Valley aqua zone, an outdoor Sports Arena, a swim-up bar, and an infinity pool.
Overall, cruise lines seem to be going all out during this Wave Season, when guests are rewarded with deep discounts for booking their cruise vacation early on. Yesterday Cruise Hive reported on discounts of up to 75% from Celebrity Cruises and 800 dollars worth of onboard credit.
Cunard is celebrating two unique centenaries – 100 year anniversaries – with a special “Sea Views” photography exhibition that will include not only archival images, but also carefully curated images from guests.
This distinctive project is being led by world-renowned British photographer Mary McCartney, and the exhibition will go live near the end of February 2023.
Special Exhibition Includes Never-Before-Seen Images
The “Sea Views” exhibition is planned to include hand-picked images from Cunard’s extensive photography archives that will help showcase the gorgeous imagery of life on the ocean waves as well as the iconic moments that make a Cunard cruise so special.
“With over 14,000 images stored in the Cunard archives in Liverpool – the founding home port of Cunard Line – we have a wealth of memories from the 1920s to present day to choose from,”said Siân Wilks, Cunard Archivist at the University of Liverpool Library.
British photographer Mary McCartney, who has been involved with many notable projects including photographing Queen Elizabeth II in 2015 to celebrate the fact that Her Majesty was the longest-reigning British monarch in 1,000 years, has been chosen to curate the new exhibition.
British photographer Mary McCartney
Not only will McCartney delve into Cunard’s extensive archive, but she will also select from submitted guest photos to add even more richness and perspective to the exhibition.
Guests interested in submitting digital images may do so by February 5, 2023, via the exhibition’s website. Entries must include the basic information such as the ship the image was captured on, the date it was taken, and a short description of the photograph.
“I’m pleased to curate an exhibition within this treasure trove of 100 years of on board photography,”said McCartney.“I’m looking forward to exploring the archives and the crowdsourced images to hand pick a portfolio of iconic images that will reflect a century of luxury travel.”
Celebrating Two Special Anniversaries
The “Sea Views” exhibition celebrates two 100-year anniversaries for Cunard: the successful conclusion of cruise line’s first-ever world voyage, and the introduction of professional photographers onboard to capture all those special cruise moments.
Cunard’s first world voyage was aboard the RMS Laconia, a 19,695-gross-ton ocean liner that set sail on the historic sailing on November 21, 1922. The voyage lasted 130 days and brought 347 passengers to 22 ports of call. While not initially marketed as a “world cruise,” the sailing was later acknowledged as the first continuous circumnavigation by a passenger vessel, and thus the first world cruise.
“We’re extremely proud of Cunard’s 183-year history and particularly of the fact we pioneered the round-the-world voyage 100 years ago,”said Sture Myrmell, Cunard President.“What better way to celebrate this centenary anniversary than by curating a fantastic selection of images from our guests who’ve travelled with us.
“We’re delighted to be working with the wonderful Mary McCartney to create this exhibition and can’t wait to see the unforgettable moments that our guests have captured over the years.”
The second centenary celebration is that in 1923, Cunard first hired professional photographers to capture iconic moments of cruise vacations to preserve guests’ memories and special moments in style.
Today, no cruise vacation would be complete without various snapshots, portraits, and poses, and nearly every cruise ship offers photography services onboard, from silly props and backdrops to elegant formal and family portraiture.
The Cunard cruise ship Queen Elizabeth has been refused entry to New Zealand due to biofouling issues. Biofouling refers to the accumulation of various objects and sea life, such as algae, bacteria, plankton, sea grasses, mussels, and barnacles, on a ship’s hull. After cleaning the hull, the cruise ship’s January 7 sailing was delayed by 48 hours.
New Zealand has strict laws designed to prevent the introduction of foreign species via the hulls of ships. These laws were implemented six years ago, but several ships have been caught off-guard in the last two weeks, forcing them to change course and complete a full hull cleaning before being allowed into New Zealand.
Queen Elizabeth Refused Entry to New Zealand
Although she had already sailed in New Zealand in December, the Cunard cruise ship Queen Elizabeth has been refused re-entry to the country this time around. After being warned by New Zealand authorities to have the hull cleaned up, the cruise ship was forced to postpone the sailing of the January 7 cruise from Sydney.
Queen Elizabeth is already the fourth cruise ship in a week to have been told to clean up biofouling on the vessel’s hull, an issue that occurs naturally. As ships sail, sea life, such as algae, plankton, sea grasses, mussels, and barnacles, attach to the hull.
While this would not usually be a problem, New Zealand’s strict biosecurity rules call for biofouling to be removed not to disturb the delicate balance of the ecosystems in the country.
Photo Credit: Drew Rawcliffe / Shutterstock
Cunard said in a statement the company would ensure they are fully compliant with the local rules and regulations:“Cruise operators along with the broader shipping industry are adapting to the standard, with a wide variety of commercial ships also requiring additional cleaning to meet the requirements in 2022/23.”
“We are dedicated to protecting the communities we visit and we are committed to ensuring that our hull maintenance program meets the standards required in 2023 and beyond.”
Queen Elizabeth was due to set sail from Sydney on January 7 but has only recently departed. At a minimum, the vessel will miss calls to Fjordland National Park and Dunedin, New Zealand.
Following calls to Christchurch, New Zealand, on January 12, Wellington, New Zealand, on January 13, and succeeding calls to Tauranga, Auckland, and the Bay of Islands, will likely take place as scheduled.
Biofouling Rules Introduced in 2018
Several cruise ships have been caught off guard by the current rules on biofouling, which New Zealand introduced in 2018. However, as very few cruise ships sailed to New Zealand in the last two years, cruise lines were not fully prepared.
The current increase in vessels that have their voyages affected due to necessary cleaning comes from an increased engagement of the New Zealand authorities with the cruise lines.
Growth on Ship Hull (Photo Credit: Maciej Mienciuk / Shutterstock)
Biosecurity New Zealand environmental health manager Paul Hallett said:“The current biofouling standards were introduced in 2018, and Biosecurity New Zealand undertakes significant stakeholder engagement to help vessel operators comply with bio-fouling requirements. As a result, we have seen an increase in proactive management of vessel hulls by operators and in awareness of our bio-fouling rules.
“For context, a total of 6121 international vessels arrived in New Zealand from January 1, 2020, to September 2022. Of these, 6 percent (377) were issued a notice of direction to address bio-fouling issues.”
As Cruise Hive reported last week, Coral Princess, Viking Orion, and Regent Seven Seas Explorer were forced to change their itineraries due to the same reasons as Queen Elizabeth.
For cruise ships to float on open seas, they must be able to stand up to the weight of the vessel in addition to luggage, crew, cruise passengers, and supplies. This is done through a combination of buoyancy and density.
Ships can weigh up to 71,550 tons, displacing the same amount of water when in the ocean. They do all this while being pushed up due to buoyancy. So, what does a cruise ship out of water look like?
When examining a cruise ship out of the water, people wonder how such a small percentage of the vessel can be submerged while the rest of the ship towers above and stays afloat. The entire cruise ship looks incredibly top-heavy, making people wonder how it simply doesn’t topple over with the weight.
Taking a ship out of water is known as dry docking; when the ship sails into its shipyard, the water is drained from the dock area allowing its workers to make repairs or inspect it in a dry area. This maintenance is significantly easier for the crew to accomplish on dry land than when the ship is in the water.
When engineers discuss the weight of a ship, they talk about water displacement rather than the actual weight. To prevent a cruise ship from sinking, it needs to displace its own weight in water before being submerged. It is easier to accomplish if the ship is built so it is less dense than the water below it.
To put it in practical terms, if you submerge a bowling ball into the water, it will sink since it doesn’t displace enough of the water before entering it, causing a sinking effect. However, if you put a beach ball in the water, it will always float.
Buoyancy
Buoyancy is accomplished by selecting lightweight materials that disperse weight across the ship’s hull yet are composed of sturdy materials.
The hull, the body of a cruise ship below its main deck, is wide and contains deep baselines. Large vessels like cruise ships usually have displacement hulls that push water out of the ship’s way. This allows it to remain floating.
Adjusting for Center of Gravity
Wide hulls, low centers of gravity, and ballast tanks containing sea water and fuel prevent ships from capsizing. The center of gravity can be manipulated by adjusting a vessel’s weight, commonly in the fuel and ballast tanks. In extreme situations, crew members can drain swimming pools on the upper deck for more stability, allowing the center of gravity to move higher.
Cruise ships have mechanical stabilizing systems that deploy when at sea. This mechanism extends fins that rotate and can exert a righting force when the cruise ship moves. While it won’t prevent rolling, it will considerably reduce it.
Bilge keels also assist with roll. They are metal fins that are long and welded on each side of a cruise ship.
Displacement Hulls
Displacement hulls with a round bottom appear like large rectangles with rounded edges. They work to dissipate any force or drag exerted against the ship. Rounded edges decrease the water’s force against its hull, permitting larger, weightier ships to move smoothly.
If you examine a ship when it isn’t in the water, the hull appears to be in the shape of a large “u,” depending on keel size. Keels run from stern to bow, creating the backbone of any ship.
Displacement hulls with rounded bottoms have both pros and cons. These hulls move through the water easily, making them seaworthy and stable. Passengers tend not to notice any rocking movement while on board.
Cruise Ship Hull (Photo Credit: El Greco 1973 / Shutterstock)
They move fluidly through the sea; however, the water resistance makes it slower. These ships can only sail at a top speed for so long before the engine power reaches points of diminishing returns. The requirements for smoothness and stability will always override high speeds, making this type of hull the best fit for a cruise ship.
Hulls also protect against icebergs, sandbars, and reefs which can tear through their materials. To prevent extensive damage, builders construct the hull using extra-strength steel. They also insert a double hull to provide additional protection. Double-hull designs look like a hull within another hull.
Regrettably, accidents can happen. To prevent sinking if the first two lines are compromised, ships are equipped with bulkheads, which are watertight dividers in the interior of a ship’s hull.
In an emergency, the bulkheads will keep a damaged cruise ship floating by containing any incoming water and placing it into the compartments. This prevents the ship from flooding or taking on water.
Flat Bottoms
The square shape on the bottom maximizes the space on board a cruise ship and allows the vessel to be stable. Flat bottoms make construction simpler and the dry dock process easier. The bottom, however, is not quite as flat close to the bow or at a raised area located where the propellers lie close to the stern.
What About Power?
Ships move by using reciprocating diesel engines for propulsion. The power goes through transmission into propeller shafts. The transmissions are what determine a propeller’s revolution. Most ships contain diesel-electric, gas turbine, or LNG-powered solutions.
Photo Credit: Ihor Koptilin / Shutterstock
The larger the ship, the higher the demand for electrical power. Some ships only need two different sources of power, one for electrical power and one for propulsion.
Special Markings
Looking at its draft marks, people can see how deep the cruise ship is when sitting in water. These marks are at the stern and bow of a ship.
The load line marks the center of the side of a ship and is known as the Plimsoll line, named after Samuel Plimsoll. Samuel Plimsoll campaigned for safe draft marks, which was enacted in 1875.
Plimsoll Line (Photo Credit: Luca DAddezio / Shutterstock)
A line through a circle indicates the lowest a ship should sit in the water when it is fully loaded. There are different lines for maximum drafts in specific conditions. These are:
T for tropical
S for Summer
W for Winter
An S load line is typically used as it is illegal for a ship to sail with the S line submerged. If it is, the cruise ship is overloaded.
N and V designations are the ship’s classification society. They ensure it is maintained and constructed according to the relevant international standards. NV indicates Bureau Veritas while LR is Lloyds Registrar.
Additional Items
In addition to engines and propellers, most guests will note the towering decks on any cruise ship. The upper decks contain all the cabins and staterooms. The lower decks are where the crew live, sleep, and eat.
There are also rooms used as the morgue and jail or brig on a cruise ship. These are all below deck and set apart from guests, with only the crew having access.
Photo Credit: Broadbelt / Shutterstock
Within this construction, on the inside, are specialty dining, entertainment venues, an assortment of activities, pools, water slides, spas, whirlpools, and a myriad of fun activities available to anyone on the cruise.
Is it Possible for Cruise Ships to Roll Over?
While it may be technically possible, it is unlikely. In the cruise industry, navigational officers and the Master continually monitor a cruise ship’s stability. Weight distribution is adjusted as needed to ensure the safety of all guests on board.
Cruise ships, however, can capsize if buoyancy and weight distribution are compromised, creating negative stability. However, in large cruise ships, tipping is impossible even if you are traveling in the most turbulent of waters.
Final Thoughts
The design of a cruise ship is remarkable. A cruise ship out of water will contain a flat bottom, hulls in a u-shape, plus bilge keels and stabilizers to prevent rolling. All these things coordinate to ensure the cruise ship is kept in an upright position.
Deck officers and the Master monitor the ship’s stability continuously by adjusting the ballast and other items to ensure the ship remains upright and preserves its stability within the designated parameters.
Celebrity Beyond rescued another boat of refugees near Cuba on Saturday, January 7, 2023, the cruise ship’s second such rescue in just five days, following a similar rescue operation on January 2. This incident involved four individuals, all of whom were turned over to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in accordance with standard procedure for such rescues.
Another Refugee Rescue for Celebrity Flagship
The Edge-class Celebrity Beyond was sailing the last sea day of a 5-night, Western Caribbean sailing when the small boat with four refugees aboard was spotted in the Straits of Florida. The cruise ship responded and pulled alongside, tossed a rope to the small craft, and offered assistance.
The USCG was contacted, and coordinated with Celebrity Beyond to take the refugees into custody. It is most likely they will be repatriated to their home country, which is standard practice for these incidents when individuals are found in U.S. waters without appropriate authorization or documentation.
Celebrity Beyond responded to a successful rescue at sea off the coast of Cuba this afternoon. Great job Captain Kate McCue and team. pic.twitter.com/jiPCe3Dhlz
While authorities have not confirmed the refugees’ nationalities, the individuals did apparently speak with guests onboard the cruise ship, telling that they’d left Cuba and been adrift for the past 10 days.
After the encounter, Celebrity Beyond continued on its route back to Port Everglades, with no delay anticipated for the ship’s arrival back in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, January 8. The next cruise, a 7-night roundtrip Eastern Caribbean sailing visiting St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and the Dominican Republic, should not be affected.
Unlike the first incident, however, the craft in this encounter appeared to be more sturdily made of wood, with what appeared to be a windsurfing sail attached near the bow for an attempt at steering. Only four refugees were aboard the boat.
Photo Courtesy: Celebrity Cruises
As is customary, all refugees would have received food and water, as well as any necessarily medical attention, before being transferred to authorities.
It is not known what happened to the small boat the refugees were travelling in, but most likely it would have been left adrift, with the position noted so the Coast Guard could later remove it to prevent it from being a hazard to other vessels in the high traffic area.
So Many Rescues
In addition to this second rescue by Celebrity Beyond, the number of refugee encounters by other cruise ships has also risen sharply from the end of 2022 and into the first days of 2023.
It must be noted that these are only the confirmed, reported refugee encounters, and does not include refugee rescues made by military craft, cargo ships, or private vessels. Nor does this account for any refugee craft that make it safely across the Straits of Florida, or those that unfortunately may sink or founder on the hazardous journey, or any vessels that turn back to Cuba.
Photo Credit: Leslie Andradi
At this rate, cruise ships may make hundreds of refugee rescues in 2023, though it is unlikely that the high number of encounters will continue throughout the year. During the Atlantic hurricane season (June 1 through November 30), the number of refugee craft spotted generally decreases, as conditions are much more hazardous to attempt such desperate voyages.
Furthermore, winter is the busiest season for Caribbean cruises, but in the summer there are fewer vessels sailing in the Straits of Florida and therefore fewer opportunities for any refugee craft to come into contact with a cruise ship.
Norwegian Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked aboard another ship with itinerary changes in the name of sustainability. Guests looking forward to sailing on Norwegian Joy from New York City to Virginia Beach and Bermuda in the coming months will now only be visiting Bermuda, as Norfolk has been removed as a port of call from multiple itineraries.
Multiple Cruises Changed for Norwegian Joy
Travel agents and guests booked aboard multiple upcoming cruises on the Breakaway Plus-class Norwegian Joy are being informed of an itinerary change that includes a cancelled port of call. On many of the ship’s scheduled “Bermuda Virginia Beach” sailings, the call in Norfolk, Virginia, has been cancelled with no replacement port visit.
Instead, the ship will depart New York City as planned, spend two days at sea en route to Bermuda, enjoy the planned extended stay in that unique tropical destination, then return directly to New York without any other port visits.
A variety of 7-night roundtrip sailings have been impacted by this change, including the following departure dates:
May Departures: 21, 28
June Departures: 4, 11, 18
July Departures: 30
August Departures: 6, 13
Additional sailings may also be impacted as Norwegian Cruise Line continues to refine itineraries and schedules, and booked guests should stay in close communication with their travel agent and the cruise line via email and text message to be sure they are updated as plans may be adjusted.
Photo Credit: Igor Grochev / Shutterstock.com
It should be noted that Norwegian Joy‘s classic “Bermuda” itineraries remain unaffected, as Norfolk was never included as a port of call on those sailings, but the ship will now be operating many of the “Bermuda Virginia Beach” sailings without the “Virginia Beach” component.
Norwegian Joy weighs in at 167,725 gross tons and can welcome as many as 3,883 guests aboard at double occupancy, with 1,700 crew members to provide excellent service along the way.
Why Remove a Port of Call?
Sustainability has been cited as the reasoning behind the change.
“As part of our global sustainability program, Sail & Sustain, we are continually seeking opportunities to reduce our overall carbon footprint, and recently committed to pursuing net zero greenhouse gas emissions across our operations and value chain by 2050,”the notification email read.“To support this mission, we have optimized our arrival and departure times.”
This is identical language in letters to booked guests announcing different changes for sailings aboard Norwegian Getaway. For that ship, changes included removing Puerto Plata as a port of call for the ship’s January 8 sailing, as well as adjusting visit times in other ports of call.
Removing a port of call permits a ship to reduce speed, which in turn promotes better fuel efficiency and lower emissions.
It is also possible that the changes could be somewhat related to new speed limits introduced to protect endangered north Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), though this is unlikely because the whales’ typical migration season is from mid-November through mid-April, well outside the dates of Norwegian Joy‘s adapted sailings, and the speed limits will not be in effect.
Right whales birth their calves in southern waters, however, and Virginia is well within the animals’ typical range, even if they are not migrating at the time of the peak cruise season. It has been proven that not only are collisions a threat to the whales, but ocean noise can also be detrimental to the whales’ communication and ability to find food, attract mates, and navigate.
Considerations for other wildlife may also play a role in these itinerary adaptations, with other marine animals such as sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, and other wildlife all impacted by cruise ships and increased marine traffic.
