The cruise industry is in shock following the death of a crew member on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas and injuries to four others after a lifeboat accident during a stopover in Marseille.The crew were taking part in a safety exercise when the lifeboat became detached from the fifth deck. Travel Extra ponders why more people are dying in cruise ship safety drills, all of them cabin crew members, than in genuine emergencies.
Viking River Cruises’ Viking Freya crashed into a bridge in Erlangen, Germany early Sunday morning, killing two crew members and destroying the wheelhouse. According to a company statement, no passengers or other crewmembers were injured. The dead were a 49-year-old who was guiding the vessel in place of the captain and a 33-year-old sailor. Both men were from Hungary.
Stena Line is offering 20pc off new Economy, Flexi or Premium car fare bookings to Britain for travel up to January 8 2017 when booked 2 days in advance of travel.
Princess Cruises will raise the ‘optional’ daily gratuity from $12.95 to $13.50. The gratuity is automatically charged to passengers onboard accounts, those in mini-suites and suites will be charged $14.50 and suite passengers $15.50. Princess already raised its automatic service charge back in January. Passengers can prepay gratuities at the current rate before November 15. Celebrity Cruises, Carnival and Royal Caribbean have all raised the daily gratuity rates this year. An email sent by Princess Cruises to its passengers said the changes “ensure our guest service on board remains among the best in the cruise industry.”
DD is DEAD, officially. After a controversial two year pilot and resistance from cruise passengers, Royal Caribbean will drop its rotational dining concept Dynamic Dining, and removed it from Anthem of the Seas. Instead they have introduced a menu (see here) that will be the same at all four restaurants, but it will change every night. Dynamic Dining was piloted on Quantum of the Seas when the ship launched in November 2014 and required passengers to eat in a different restaurant, at a different table, and with different waiters each night. Starting with Anthem’s November 27 sailing, passengers will be assigned to one of four dining venues in two sitting 6pm or 8:30pm and will eat there for the duration of the voyage, something Royal Caribbean calls My Time Dining concept which is used throughout the rest of the fleet. Cruisers seeking set-seating dining will be assigned to either Chic or The Grande, and those who choose flexible dining will be placed in Silk or American Icon. Watch here Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley questioned by Travel Extra about Dynamic Dining.
Royal Caribbean has extended the hours for its iFly and North Star attractions on Anthem of the Seas to 8am-10 pm, opening an hour later on nine night sailings with a midday break on port days. Operating hours are weather dependent.
MSC Cruises has postponed the opening of its private island, Ocean Cay MSC in the Bahamas until October 2018, 11 months later than originally planned.
French line Ponant is to name its four new 184-passenger excursion ships Le Laperouse, to sail Iceland, Seychelles and Japan from June 2018, Le Champlain, to sail the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers from September 2018, Le Bougainville and Le Kerguelen, both due 2019.
Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Serenity sailed into New York City to a spectacular sunrise welcome having become the largest passenger vessel to complete the historic 32-day Northwest Passage journey. Don’t tell Lord Franklin.
American Queen Steamboat Company will launch 166-passenger American Duchess to sail on the Mississippi River and some of its tributaries in 2017.
Roberto Martinoli will become CEO of Silversea cruise line from September 19th, in succession to Enzo Visone. Martinoli has been a Board Member of Silversea since 2013, becomes CEO after an extensive, and successful career in the cruise and shipping industry
