All the latest cruise news from the man in the know

P&O’s Aurora in £1m drug bust

American law enforcement agencies announced today that they seized 13 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of more than £1 million from a cruise ship docked in San Francisco last month, according to a report in SF Weekly. According to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a joint operation among federal agencies and local law-enforcement led to two separate discoveries of a large amount of the drug on a cruise liner at Pier 35 on January 25. The CBP spokesman said a routine search was carried out, in accordance with the agency's practice for all vessels arriving from [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:54+00:00 14 February 2012|Cruise News|0 Comments

UK debut for the new Royal Princess

More exciting news for British cruise passengers - they will be the first to experience the new Royal Princess when the ship makes its debut next summer. Currently under construction in Italy, the 3,600-passenger vessel will sail two three-night preview cruises before embarking on its maiden voyage from Southampton on June 16, 2013. The maiden season cruises will see the 141,000-ton ship plying a route between Barcelona and Venice, on itineraries slightly different from those announced for Carnival Legend earlier today. After the advance sailings - round-trips to St Peter Port, Guernsey, leaving Southampton on June 10 and 13, Royal [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:54+00:00 14 February 2012|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|1 Comment

Carnival’s back in the UK

It's carnival time! Celebrations get under way around the world later this week, with the biggest street party in the world ready to rock Rio de Janeiro. Here in Britain, Carnival Cruise Lines have chosen today to announce it is bringing a ship back to the UK next year for the first time since 2008. Carnival Legend, which was christened by Dame Judi Dench (above) in 2002, will be based in Europe for 17 voyages between April and October 2013, visiting 34 ports in 18 countries. The 2,600-passenger ship will sail eight cruises from Dover to the Baltic, the Norwegian [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:54+00:00 14 February 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

New-look Minerva takes shape

The £10 million refit of Swan Hellenic's cruise ship Minerva is nearing completion - as Victor Lunn-Rockliffe's cartoon illustrates. The ship should be leaving dry-dock in Bremerhaven in two weeks' time, ready for what will almost be a maiden voyage leaving Portsmouth on March 2. The 15-day cruise to the Canaries has been sold out for months, with regular Swans eager to see the changes that have been made to their favourite ship. The list of improvements announced by managing director Colin Stone six months ago seemed substantial enough, including as it did the fitting of a new observation lounge, [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:54+00:00 13 February 2012|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

New threats to Adonia’s adventure

It is billed as a South American Adventure, and the 87-night cruise which is opening Adonia's 2012 season is certainly living up to its name. It got under way only after an unscheduled visit to dry dock in Falmouth for "essential maintenance" and I reported earlier this week on the diplomatic tension which threatens to disrupt calls to Buenos Aires and other ports in Argentina. Now I learn that tomorrow's visit to Salvador in the north-eastern Brazilian province of Bahia has been cancelled because of fears for the safety of passengers. Police and firefighters in the city have been on [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:54+00:00 11 February 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

Cruise lines change muster drill

Almost four weeks since Costa Concordia ran onto the rocks, the cruise industry has announced that safety drills for all passengers must now be carried out before a ship leaves port at the start of a voyage. No drill had taken place on Concordia since leaving Civitavecchia a few hours earlier, because Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulations allow it to be held any time within the first 24 hours of a cruise. The new policy now goes beyond SOLAS requirements. It also allows that on the rare occasions when passengers arrive after the muster has been completed, they [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:54+00:00 9 February 2012|Cruise News|2 Comments

Bug cuts cruise short

Cases of the winter vomiting bug have been reported at 34 hospitals in Britain in the past two weeks and outbreaks are sweeping schools and other institutions in north America. No surprise, then, that there have also been incidences of norovirus on cruise ships, where it can spread quickly, if unchecked, among a closed community. Two ships arriving in Fort Lauderdale at the weekend reported outbreaks, as did one based in New Orleans. After a further outbreak, one of the ships is cutting short its current week-long voyage in order to return to port two days early for a thorough [...]

By John Honeywell| 2012-02-08T15:35:51+00:00 8 February 2012|Cruise News|0 Comments

As Argentina complains to UN, will cruises be next victim of conflict?

With the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War approaching, increased diplomatic tension between Argentina and Great Britain could threaten cruise ship visits to Buenos Aires and other ports in the country. Vessels operated by P&O and Fred Olsen are due in Argentine waters within the next few weeks. Angered by the arrival of helicopter pilot Prince William in Port Stanley, and by the deployment to the South Atlantic of HMS Dauntless, one of the Royal Navy's newest and most advanced Type 45 destroyers, Argentina's president has signalled her intention to make a formal complaint to the United Nations. The Foreign [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:54+00:00 7 February 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

Golden welcome for Diamond Queen

As Her Majesty the Queen prepared to mark the Diamond Jubilee of her accession to the throne, the cruise ship which bears her name made a maiden call at the port of San Francisco at the weekend. Cunard's Queen Elizabeth sailed gracefully under the Golden Gate Bridge before dawn, to one of the highlights of her 107-night world cruise. Captain Christopher Wells welcomed local dignitaries on board for the traditional exchange of plaques, and patrons of the San Francisco Symphony were entertained in the ship's Verandah restaurant. The ship is now en route to Honolulu. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:54+00:00 7 February 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

Into Africa: Cruise ship Braemar opens up new territory next winter

Some interesting new ports of call become available next winter when cruise ship Braemar will be based in the Canary Islands for the first time and Senegal, The Gambia and Cape Verde Islands are added to its itineraries. The Fred Olsen Cruise Lines ship has spent the past few winters in the Caribbean, but will be withdrawn after this season because of the high cost of flights to the region. The Canaries have long been a popular winter destination for cruises from the UK - usually involving the risk of a rough crossing of the Bay of Biscay. Braemar will [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:54+00:00 6 February 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|2 Comments