It comes as no surprise that Queen Mary 2, which is operated by Cunard Line, has won the “Best Cruise Ship Refurbishment” in 2016.
Queen Mary 2 is one of the great transatlantic ocean liners of our time, so of course, the ship had one of the biggest dry dock refurbishments in recent years.
In second place in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards by Cruise Hive readers was Carnival Magic’s upgrade back in March 2016. In third was Carnival inspiration and Pride of America was voted in fourth place.
Queen Mary 2 entered the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany on May 25 and the refurbishment lasted 25 days. They got new onboard spaces and expansions along with a new, fresh look inside and out. Over 1 million man-hours had gone into upgrading the ship, and millions of pounds were spent by Cunard Line. The ship is 150,000 gross tons and can carry over 2,700 guests at double occupancy.
The Cruise Ship Awards are different from most, where we posted new categories each month since September. Readers were only able to vote once per category and any double votes were not counted. We want to say a big thank you to all who voted and keep an eye open for further results this week.
Norwegian Escape has come out on top one again in this year’s “Cruise Ship Awards” by Cruise Hive readers. The ship didn’t just win but blew the competition away. The ship also won last year.
The Norwegian Cruise Line ship received the most amount of votes in the “Best Cruise Ship Hull Artwork” category in the 2016 Cruise Ship Awards. In a faraway second, the Royal Princess by Princess Cruises and P&O Britannia by P&O Cruises both received the same amount of votes. Third was the recently launched Genting Dream, which is based in Asia, and then finally, the Aidaprima from German-based Aida Cruises was fourth.
Norwegian Escape has one of the most popular hull designs in the industry thanks to famed wildlife marine artist Guy Harvey. In fact, we posted about how the ships hull artwork came together in including a fascinating video as the ship was under construction. Designing the hull artwork and then implementing it on the large hull is a long process that involves laser technology. The design showcases key Caribbean sea life, including sting rays, sea turtles, whale sharks, and a variety of tropical fish. A sailfish takes center stage as Guy Harvey’s signature piece. The artwork spans a total of 1,000 feet from bow to stern.
Thousands of Cruise Hive readers voted in this year’s third annual awards. Readers were only able to vote one time in each category and any multiple votes were not counted. New categories were added each month starting in September 2016, unlike any other cruise award.
Norwegian Escape is a 163,000 gross-ton ship and can carry over 4,200 guests at double occupancy. The vessel is currently sailing Caribbean cruises out of Port Miami, and NCL recently announced the ship would replace the Norwegian Breakaway out of New York in 2018.
Carnival Cruise Line has announced that it will be transferring the Carnival Splendor to P&O Cruises.
The Miami-based cruise line announced that Carnival Splendor will be transferred to P&O Australia in late 2019. The reason the ship is being sent down under is a new ship build was expected for P&O Australia in 2019, this new build will now be for Carnival Cruise Line.
Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said:
“We are truly thrilled to have another Vista class ship joining our fleet, Carnival Vista, which was named the best new ship of 2016 in the Cruise Critic Editors Picks awards, has proven to be the most innovative and popular ship we’ve ever introduced. Consumer, travel agent and media reaction to the Vista class design has been extraordinary and we are elated to have two additional ships in this spectacular series now joining our fleet – Carnival Horizon, which is scheduled to be delivered in March 2018, and now a third in 2019.”
This new ship order for Carnival Cruise Line will be the third Vista-class vessel at 133,500 gross tons. The ship will be identical design to Carnival Vista and Carnival Horizon but with some new features. The ship will be built by Fincantieri in Italy and will be completed in 2019.
Duffy added that the introduction of these ships to the Carnival fleet provides the opportunity to offer the Vista class experience from a variety of homeports in addition to creating exciting new itinerary options across the balance of the Carnival Cruise Line fleet as this additional capacity is integrated into the deployment mix.
Carnival Splendor is currently based at Port Miami and sail Caribbean cruises. The ship is 133,300 gross ton and can carry over 3,000 passengers at double occupancy, it is the only ship of its class in the Carnival fleet.
We’ve all seen these videos of cruise ship passengers missing the ship. Over the years many of them have gone viral but no matter what, some cruisers never learn! Here at Cruise Hive, we’ve come across lots of videos so have decided to compile six videos of passengers missing their ships which we think are worth watching. Who knows, we might even learn from this!
Here are the videos in no particular order:
It Will Turn Back!
We reported this all the way back in December 2014 and it’s right up there with the all-time greats. After just missing the Norwegian Sky by seconds in Nassau Bahamas the man is filmed running down the long pier to try to get the ship to come back. He puts his bags down so he can focus on getting the ship to stop. Waving his arms and shouting as the NCL ship gets further and further away from the pier.
Partner Waits With No Luck
This video is more serious and reminds us it can be a worrying time if a loved one never makes it back on board in time. In this footage, a woman is seen waiting for her partner who is nowhere to be seen.
Sadly he never makes it back and as a result, she also must stay in port to make sure nothing has happened. This happened on a more recent sailing in September 2015 on Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas.
Leaves The Kids Onboard
This is one of the most popular cruise passenger videos missing the ship in recent times. The original video, which Cruise Hive first reported on back in April, has received over a Million views, but that doesn’t include all the copycat videos and television network coverage.
The Norwegian Breakaway which is a 144,000 gross ton vessel operated by Norwegian Cruise Line was pulling away from the pier. As the ship was just inches away from the pier the woman can be seen begging for the ship to come back. The woman gets on her knees hoping it would come back.
Not long after the video went viral and the entire world was posting about it, it was known that her kids were onboard with their uncle so all was good. The woman’s husband was also with her on the ship pier Nassau, Bahamas.
The Phone Also Misses The Ship!
We don’t know too much about this video but according to the user who uploaded it the cell phone and a cruise ship passenger missed the ship. The user posted “A guy left his cell phone on the bus. His pal decides to bring it to him but the cruise ship was pulling away. He had a great idea to throw it to someone on the balcony, but his lack of throwing skills made for a good laugh!”By the way
By the way, never try and throw something to the ship as it could end badly!
Come Back! Come Back!
For once this woman missing the ship wasn’t in Nassau, Bahamas! In Ketchikan, Alaska, a woman missed the Carnival Legend by 38 minutes, so there was no way it would wait any longer. The woman was walking fast along the pier and shouted out “hey! hey! hey! hey! come back! come back!” unfortunately, the vessel didn’t come back.
Pier Runners
These guests missed the Carnival Valor in Nassau, the Bahamas in December 2012. The Conquest class ship which is operated by Carnival Cruise Line waited 30 minutes for them to come back but couldn’t wait any longer. The passengers are seen running along the pier waving their arms.
Just remember to always stay on ship time and double-check it before getting off in port. Always make sure your back on the ship well before the back onboard time which is usually 30 minutes before departure. Plan your day in port and don’t do everything last-minute.
If you want to watch more cruise related videos then we’d love to have you subscribe to us over at YouTube where we post new videos almost daily!
Dedicated cruisers have probably experienced bad weather conditions several times and some new cruisers have been unlucky enough to experience it too. When the cruise ship is in choppy seas there are procedures in place to provide safety for guests and crew onboard. Let’s take a look at what is done onboard when the ship is sailing in bad weather conditions.
Closed Open Decks
When there are high winds during the cruise it can be dangerous to be out on the open decks. Some open areas located on the starboard and port sides can be more dangerous than the areas where usually the main pool is. Some guests may not realize how gusty the winds can be so the crew will go into action to keep everyone safe.
Any access to at-risk areas will be closed off, chains blocking the stairwells and roped off doorways. There will be a notice at any closed area informing passengers there are high winds.
Nets Over Pools
It’s common for the swimming pools to be covered up with netting, why? To stop guests getting in and having a swim when the ship is rocking. When the weather is bad the ship will rock around and you can really see just how bad by seeing the waves in the pool splashing everywhere.
Just do a search on YouTube and you’ll find plenty of videos featuring ship swimming pools in bad weather conditions.
The nets will keep guests out but sadly not the water in. Don’t get too close or you’ll be soaked! With most pool areas located outdoors, it might be best to stay inside anyway during bad weather. The entertainment staff will put on extra activities and events to make up for it.
Stabilizers
Photo By: Templar52 (Wikipedia)
When the vessel is hit by bad weather the captain may decide to use the stabilizers. These are two large fin type parts which emerge from both sides of the ship’s hull. Located underwater the stabilizers will help make the ship become more stable through the strong winds and waves. The stabilizers do use more fuel so are usually only used if really needed. They are part of most modern cruise ships
Seasick Bags
Motion sickness is part of cruise life and the cruise lines are prepared. When there is bad weather the crew will provide guests with seasick bags. Depending on the cruise line, they are provided by the stateroom steward and also put in some public spaces around the ship.
To be honest, if the motion is that bad it’s best to stay in the cabin. If you’re in an ocean view or balcony then close the curtains so the ocean can’t be seen going up and down.
Often the captain will inform all departments around the ship that a storm or bad weather is on the way. Hotel departments like the gift shops which has all kinds of valuable liquor displays, racks and merchandise will usually lock everything down.
Items will be taken off the shelves and on to the floor and racks will be taped to the walls so they don’t crash over.
In the past, those liquor bottles have gone smashing all over the floor costing thousands of dollars. Thankfully now the ship is ready for these situations and many movable objects can be stowed away.
Hope these give you an insight into what is done when the cruise ship is sailing in bad weather. Hopefully, none of you have ever experienced this, in many cases, the captain will decide to sail around any oncoming storm, but this would also affect the ship’s itinerary. If there is anything you would like to add then please feel free to post in the comments below.
Royal Caribbean’s upcoming cruise ship Harmony of the Seas is voted Most Eagerly Awaited New Ship For 2016. Cruise Hive readers voted for the ship more than any other new ship coming in 2016.
It comes at no surprise the ship received more votes than any other to be delivered in the same year. Harmony of the Seas was up against ms Koningsdam (Holland America Line), Carnival Vista (Carnival Cruise Line), Ovation of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) and Genting Dream (Dream Cruises). Even though there are some fancy new ships to look forward to Harmony of the Seas will the largest in the world and will bring some groundbreaking new features.
ms Koningsdam which is being delivered in April, 2016 came in second place and Carnival Vista which is also being delivered in April came in third. Thousands of Cruise Hive readers voted for all the ships with only one chance. The category was the last to be posted online in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards and is an insight for what’s to come in 2016.
Harmony of the Seas will become the largest cruise ship ever at 227,700 gross tons which is slightly larger than sister ships oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.Just recently Royal Caribbean revealed details of the much-anticipated 10-story high Abyss slide. The slide will be located at the aft and will twists all the way down to the boardwalk neighbourhood.There will be a ton of new features onboard that will keep guests busy all cruise long. Harmony of the Seas will be delivered by STX Europe to the cruise line in May 2016.
Anthem of the Seas which is operated by Royal Caribbean has been voted Best New Cruise Ship In 2015. Readers of Cruise Hive’s first-ever Cruise Ship Awards voted for the ship more than any other ship in the category.
The new arrival of Anthem of the Seas in 2015 was huge and those who voted in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards agree. Anthem of the Seas received the most votes and was up against fellow newcomers P&O Britannia (P&O Cruises), Viking Star (Viking Ocean Cruises), Norwegian Escape (Norwegian Cruise Line) and Mein Schiff 4 (TUI Cruises).
In a very close second came NCL’s Norwegian Escape which only recently began sailing from Miami, Florida. In third place was Viking Star which is the first ocean cruise ship for Viking Cruises. Thousands of Cruise Hive readers have been voting in the category since it was first online in early December. Voting closed at the end of December.
Anthem of the Seas is the second Quantum class ship for Royal Caribbean. Guests can enjoy industry firsts including the North Star, Ripcord by iFLY, Bumper Cars and even Robotic Bartenders. The ship is one of the largest in the world at 168,666 gross tons and carrying 4,180 passengers. The ship entered service in April 2015.
The Cruise Ship Awards are the first ever by Cruise Hive where new categories were added every 2 weeks. Readers had the chance to vote only once in each category.
Carnival Cruise Lines Buys Burger Joint has been voted Best Burger Venue At Sea according to those who voted in the Cruise Ship Awards.
Buys Burger Joint has received the most votes in Cruise Hive’s very first Cruise Ship Awards. The popular venue, which can be enjoyed on most Carnival ships, was up against Johnny Rockets (Royal Caribbean), O’Sheehan’s (NCL), Burger & Hot Dog Grill (Princess Cruises), and Dive-In at the Terrace Grill (Holland America).
The Burger venue, which has been a major hit throughout the Carnival fleet, was first added on the Carnival Liberty at the end of 2011. The FUN 2.0 venue located on the ships open deck is in partnership with best-selling author, restaurateur and Food Network personality Guy Fieri. Guests can add their own toppings to a delicious burger with fries on the side.
Royal Caribbean’s Johnny Rockets came in second place and Norwegian Cruise Lines O’Sheehan’s pub came in third. Thousands of Cruise Hive readers voted in the category which has been online since early November. The Cruise Ship Awards began in early September where new categories were added every 2 weeks.
The North Star, which can be experienced on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum class ships has been voted Best Cruise Ship feature in this year’s Cruise Ship Awards by Cruise Hive.
The North Star, which can be found onboard Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, and the upcoming Ovation of the Seas, got more votes than any other cruise ship feature. Other features in the category were The Plank on NCL’s Breakaway class ships, SeaWalk on Princess Cruises Royal class ships, The Lawn Club on Celebrity Cruises Solstice class ships, and Thrill Theater on the Carnival Breeze.
The Plank, which is featured onboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway class ships, came in second place, and Princess Cruises SeaWalk, which can be found on Royal Princess and Regal Princess, came in third place.
With thousands of votes in the category from Cruise Hive readers, the innovative North Star came out on top. The cruise feature was first introduced on Quantum of the Seas in 2014. The North Star is a London Eye-type capsule that rises 300 feet above sea level, offering guests 360-degree ocean views.
Readers began voting in the Best Cruise Ship category in late October all the way until the end of December. The Cruise Ship Awards are the first ever by Cruise Hive where new categories have been added every 2 weeks.
