All the latest cruise news from the man in the know

New life for the Black Prince

The venerable cruise ship Black Prince, which has sailed under the Fred Olsen flag since 1966, is to get a new life. It has been bought by a South American company, Servicios Acuaticos de Venezuela CA (SAVECA), and is expected to be adapted for short cruises in Venezualan waters. The 11,200-ton, 450-passenger ship will be handed over to its new owners after it completes the last of a series of farewell cruise in Southampton on October 16. Olsen decided to retire the ship rather than carry out extensive modifications which would ne necessary under new safety regulations which will come [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:44+00:00 6 May 2009|Cruise News|1 Comment

Cunard’s precious cargo for charity

Jewellery designed by Victoria Beckham, Penelope Cruz and Angelina Jolie is among treasures arriving in the UK this weekend on board the Queen Mary 2. Other Hollywood A-listers including Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Lopes and Goldie Hawn have donated items which will be auctioned by LA-based charity Stars For A Cause. There's a Methuselah of Champagne, whose Moet et Chandon label has been signed by Ricky Gervais, Susan Sarandon and Colin Farrell, and Golden Globe posters autographed by Kate Winslet, Brad Pitt, Sigourney Weaver, Tom Hanks and Sir Ben Kingsley. Kingsley will host a preview of the auction items at Bonham's, [...]

By John Honeywell| 2009-05-01T20:23:52+00:00 1 May 2009|Cruise News|0 Comments

Change of course for Balmoral

Fred Olsen Cruises are taking no risks with next year's world cruise for Balmoral (above). Rather than sail through Pirate Alley in the Gulf of Aden, the ship will now take the African west coast route on its way home from Australia. The decision was made in the wake of last weekend's attack on MSC Melody, and follows MSC's similar decision to re-route MSC Sinfonia next year. The 106-night Balmoral cruise leaves Dover on January 5, heading first to the Caribbean and then across the Pacific to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The original schedule had several calls in the Middle [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:44+00:00 30 April 2009|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

Cruise ship cocaine grans arrested

Spanish police say they have smashed a drug trafficking ring which used old age pensioners as "mules" to smuggle cocaine into the country on transatlantic cruises. Two elderly women were among nine people arrested in Cadiz as they were about to bring the drugs ashore. The women's cabin, on the unidentified cruise ship, was found to contain 27 kg (59 lbs) of pure cocaine. "The group included members of an advanced age who boarded luxury transatlantic cruises to pick up the narcotic in South America. The 'mules' would pass themselves off as tourists," said a police spokesman. Another seven members [...]

By John Honeywell| 2009-04-29T21:50:36+00:00 29 April 2009|Cruise News|0 Comments

Swine flu fears keep passengers at sea

If you thought swine flu was moving quickly, then it has nothing on the ability of a cruise line executive to change his mind. Yesterday the bosses at Carnival Corporation were adamant that their ships would not be cancelling calls at Mexican ports. Today, the 10,000 or so passengers on those ships found themselves still at sea instead of going ashore, as health officials in America and Europe advised against all non-essential travel to Mexico Carnival Elation stayed out in the Pacific instead of visiting Ensenada on the Mexican Riviera. Carnival Inspiration and Holiday remained in the Caribbean Sea instead [...]

By John Honeywell| 2009-04-28T20:16:01+00:00 28 April 2009|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

NCL join the rush away from Alaska

The $50-a-head levy on cruise passengers imposed by Alaska has led to another ship being pulled out of the region next year. Norwegian Cruise Lines have joined the exodus led by Princess and Royal Caribbean. Instead of sailing from Vancouver to Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, the Norwegian Sun will be sailing from Dover to the Baltic, including one of the world's finest destinations, St Petersburg. But interestingly, at a time when cruise lines like P&O and Royal Caribbean are adding more cruises sailing from the UK, the 1,936-passenger Sun's arrival will mean NCL have less capacity. It replaces the 2,376-capacity [...]

By John Honeywell| 2009-04-28T15:47:36+00:00 28 April 2009|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|3 Comments

MSC vows not to return to pirate alley

After Saturday's pirate attack on the cruise ship MSC Melody in the Indian Ocean, owners MSC Cruises have decided to keep well away from the area in future. Chief executive Pierfrancesco Vago said: "I will never have a ship there again until the area is secure. The area is not safe. We were in an area that was considered to be safe. MSC will no longer take the risk." The Melody had already taken a diversionary route to take it away from the Somali coast, but was attacked about 650 miles off Africa and 200 miles north of the Seychelles. [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:44+00:00 28 April 2009|Cruise News|1 Comment

Cruises to Mexico will go ahead

Cruise lines with ships sailing to ports in Mexico have announced they have no plans to cancel voyages or change itineraries, despite growing concern over the outbreak of swine flu affecting the country. Carnival Corporation say they are "consulting closely" with US public health officials, the World Health Organisation, and the Department of Homeland Security to monitor the situation. "There are currently no reported cases on Carnival ships or in any of the ports we visit in Mexico," said a spokesman. "We do not anticipate that our guests' cruise experience will be impacted by this type of illness and will [...]

By John Honeywell| 2009-04-27T22:48:46+00:00 27 April 2009|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

Swine flu hits cruise companies

The first impact of swine flu on cruising has been to send shares in the two major companies plunging today. On Wall Street Carnival Corporation's shares were down almost 10 per cent to $25.62 while those in Royal Caribbean Cruises fell15 per cent to $2.22. Several Carnival ships call at Mexican ports on their Caribbean cruises from Florida, and the line's newest and biggest ship, the 3,000-passenger Carnival Splendor, started sailing this month on regular voyages down the Pacific coast from Long Beach in California to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas also [...]

By John Honeywell| 2009-04-27T11:50:21+00:00 27 April 2009|Cruise News|3 Comments

Cruise ship under attack from pirates

So much for MSC Melody's attempt to avoid Somali pirates by taking a diversion en route from South Africa to the Suez Canal. The cruise ship, carrying 994 passengers - 493 of them from the UK and Ireland - and 500 crew, came under attack in the Indian Ocean on Saturday night, 200 miles north of the Seychelles and a good 500 miles from Somalia. Shots were exchanged and six men in a small white boat attempted to board the ship, but were repulsed by a private Israeli security force hired by the ship's Italian owners. None of the passengers [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:44+00:00 26 April 2009|Cruise News|2 Comments