2024 has been an exciting (and sometimes odd) year for cruise news, but which headlines caught the most attention?
Cruise Hive has brought you nearly 2,000 news stories in the past 12 months, from last-second cancellations to out-of-control passengers to travel advisories. Which stories impacted your cruise travels?
#10 – Pirates Causing Traffic Delays for Carnival Cruise Passengers
While pirates have been a very real threat to ships in the Red Sea region throughout 2024, it was a fun pirate invasion near Port Tampa Bay that impacted Carnival Paradise guests in January.
The Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest features one of the largest parades in the US, which caused significant traffic snarls for cruise ship passengers.
The parade showcases roughly 140 floats, bands, and other participants, and the 4.5-mile route is close to Cruise Terminal 3 where Carnival Paradise docks.
Carnival Cruise Line reached out to travelers ahead of the impacted sailing, alerting them to potential delays and reminding them of embarkation and departure times.
#9 – Carnival Ship Won’t Be Able to Return Home as Scheduled
Hurricane Milton made multiple headlines as the massive Category 5 storm took aim at Florida in October. The most popular cruise headline for the storm involved Carnival Elation‘s significant delay to return to Port of Jacksonville.
Due to the homeport closure and uncertain reopening after the storm would pass, the Fantasy-class ship remained at sea for an extra day, causing her next cruise to be shortened. Guests were able to cancel their reservations at the last minute if they preferred to skip the cruise instead.
#8 – Carnival Removing Upside Down Pineapple Door Decorations
Many cruise travelers enjoy decorating their stateroom doors, but one fun tropical fruit is not welcome on Carnival Cruise Line. Because of a potentially risqué and controversial meaning behind pineapple imagery, Carnival is removing the decorations from doors whenever possible.
Not all cruisers may be aware of the hidden meaning of different images and icons, and the cruise line is seeking to avoid inappropriate and potentially inflammatory confrontations. Guests onboard Carnival ships do report that enforcement of the new restriction isn’t always consistent, however.
#7 – Cruise Guest Called a Karen After Complaining About Neighbors
When a cruise ship can hold more than 7,000 passengers at maximum occupancy, it stands to reason that not everyone onboard may be BFFs with everyone else. But, calling out one’s neighbors on TikTok for poor behavior is not always the best way to deal with the situation.
One woman sailing aboard Wonder of the Seas in January did just that, after reaching out to Guest Services and security due to her neighbors playing loud music at night and smoking.
Her approach did have some elements of entitlement, however, and rubbed other cruisers the wrong way – leading to her being called a Karen.
#6 – Carnival Ship Hits Pier During High Winds, Leaves Guests Behind
No cruise traveler wants to be a pier runner and miss their ship in a port of call. Some Carnival guests were left scrambling in early February, however, when Carnival Magic was forced to depart Ocho Rios abruptly after high winds caused the ship to impact the pier.
While passengers were temporarily “left behind” in the port, the cruise line did provide support to everyone involved. Later in the day, Carnival Magic was able to dock at another pier nearby and everyone rejoined the ship successfully, though the vessel remained overnight due to overall poor weather.
#5 – Cruise Passenger Confronts Comedian Mid-Performance
It’s no surprise that late-night, R-rated comedy acts onboard cruise ships can touch on sensitive, controversial, or even offensive topics.
What is a surprise is when a guest gets so wrapped up in the material that they climb onto stage to confront the comedian up close – which happened aboard MSC Seashore in August.
The jokes that precipitated the confrontation involved an earlier fight, which made one woman extremely upset at the comedian’s performance.
The woman, who appeared to have been intoxicated, was removed from the show after throwing a drink at the comedian and getting onstage to confront him.
#4 – Cruise Guest Denied Boarding After Not Reading the Small Print
All cruise travelers are subject to the terms and conditions of their cruise ticket contracts. One Australian woman, however, missed the fine print and was denied boarding Carnival Luminosa due to being 26 weeks pregnant at the time of her sailing in February.
The traveler and her mother claimed the policy was discriminatory against pregnant woman, but Carnival Cruise Line Australia held firm about the policy’s restrictions.
While cruise ships do have extensive infirmaries onboard, they are not capable of dealing with all possible prenatal or premature birth scenarios.
#3 – Travel Advisory Issued for Top Cruise Destination
Travel advisories have been issued for popular cruise destinations throughout the year, but it was the Level 2 Travel Advisory for the Bahamas in late January that raised the most eyebrows.
An increase in crime was cited as part of the reason for the advisory, along with noting water activities as risky and potentially unregulated.
Nassau is one of the most popular cruise destinations in the world, with many weekend getaways as well as longer cruises stopping at the popular port. As of December 31, the Level 2 Travel Advisory remains in effect – but hasn’t stopped cruise lines from visiting the Bahamas.
#2 – Royal Caribbean Cruise Cancelled After Guests Are Already Onboard
Even the most nervous traveler can feel a sense of relief once they’ve successfully boarded their cruise ship. That relieve was short-lived for guests onboard Radiance of the Seas in late April, however, when the cruise was cancelled just hours after embarkation.
The abrupt cancellation was due to ongoing propulsion repairs that were not yet complete, despite guests having been reassured earlier that their sailing would go ahead after a bit longer in port to finish the work. The ship was eventually repaired and able to continue through her Alaska season full speed ahead.
#1 – Cruise Line Shuts Down and Cancels All Sailings
With the 15-month, industry-wide shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic still fresh on travelers’ minds, it’s no wonder that a complete cruise line shutdown with all sailings cancelled in February was the top story of 2024. It was the financial struggles of the pandemic that caused the shutdown of American Queen Voyages.
Naturally, such an abrupt shutdown startled booked guests, who had to work through insurance companies for refunds of their now-cancelled sailings.
Which of these cruise headlines was your most memorable in 2024? Did other cruise stories cause you to do a double-take about the latest news? Stay tuned into 2025 as Cruise Hive continues to bring you all the breaking news, headlines, announcements, updates, and other details about the cruise industry!
