Here’s your latest cruise news update for October across the major cruise lines, with the week’s big stories. We have news for Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Holland America Line.
Cruise news update
In this week’s roundup of cruise news, we have a mix of updates that not all guests will be happy to hear, such as Carnival Cruise Line operates 21 cruises, which we will review later.
Cruise Hive also has coverage on Royal Caribbean’s upcoming record-breaking mega-ships, more cruise lines dropping requirements to make it even easier to take a cruise vacation, and Celebrity Cruises’ newest ship arriving in America of the North!
Record booking icon of the seas!
We already know that Icon of the seas is set to break the record as the world’s largest cruise ship. But the cruise line may add another record to the ship before it sails, as the phenomenal response and interest led to the largest single-day booking record ever in Royal Caribbean’s 53-year history.
Public bookings opened on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, just five days after new details of the ship were revealed, including many of its unique features. Members of the Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program – actually had the chance to book a day earlier, on Monday 24th October.
However, it is the October 25 bookings that have broken the cruise line’s records and are sure to be the first of many records that the new Icon-class ship will break.
Royal Caribbean has not disclosed all the details of the record bookings, but it could be more than just sheer volume of bookings made.
The types of cabins sold, the speed at which reservations are filled, projected revenue from reservations, and other details can contribute to “booking logs.”
It should also be noted that this does not mean that individual sailings are already sold out, although the cruise line’s website shows very little availability remaining for the January 2024 maiden voyage, with interior cabins and suites showing “sold out ” in reservation. the engine.
It is possible that some reservations that have been made will be canceled in the 15 months before the ship’s debut, as eager travelers change their plans. However, it is more likely that the ship will continue to generate spectacular interest and bookings will continue to increase.
This maiden voyage is a 7-night Eastern Caribbean round-trip sailing from Miami, visiting St. Kitts, St. Thomas and the cruise line’s private Bahamas destination, The Perfect Day at CocoCay.
After that first sailing, the ship will offer alternating 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises, with the western sailings visiting Honduras, CocoCay and two ports in Mexico.
Carnival Cruise Line Landing Requests
It is an important step towards normalcy as Carnival Cruise Line has done have fun updated. Be sure protocols. The cruise line no longer requires passengers to be fully vaccinated, and testing is not necessary on nearly all cruises for all guests.
So vaccinations, proof of vaccination and testing for unvaccinated guests are no longer required on cruises of 15 nights or less. However, Carnival encourages all guests age 5 and older to take a pre-cruise test within three days of their cruise.
Previously, vaccinated guests aged five and over had to provide proof of their status. Those guests who could not provide proof of vaccination had to submit a negative PCR or antigen test result taken no earlier than three days before the cruise.
There are still requests for longer cruises of 16 nights or more. Guests who are 18 years of age or older must still be fully vaccinated, including any booster shots.
If unvaccinated guests want to sail on longer cruises, they must apply for a vaccine exemption for 2023. Guests five years of age and older must also submit a PCR or antigen test taken within three days prior to departure .
Netherlands America removes requirements
Cruising is getting back to normal and many cruise lines have now dropped many of their requirements, including those from Holland America Line.
The Carnival-owned cruise brand has removed the need for guests to take a pre-cruise test, regardless of their vaccination status.
The update applies to most Holland America travel and is effective immediately. It now makes navigation much easier for many guests. The cruise line is also removing checks on guests’ individual vaccination status unless a specific destination requires it.
The changes affect Holland America’s “Standard Protocols,” which apply to most cruise ship departures. There may be different requirements for charter cruises, cruises to Canada and Australia. Guests can check which protocols apply to them using the cruise line’s Health Protocols tool. Guests can check protocols specific to their cruise reservation.
Also included in the simplified “Standard Protocols” are Panama Canal transits of up to 15 nights. New ships such as The new state from Fort Lauderdale to Florida and dam of the king outside of San Diego are also part of the more straightforward procedures. Even when young Rotterdam begins sailings out of Fort Lauderdale this weekend, guests will enjoy fewer requests.
The famous cruise ship arrives in North America
Celebrity Beyond completed her first transatlantic crossing on October 25, a 12-night itinerary from Barcelona, Spain, that concluded the ship’s inaugural summer in the Mediterranean and brings it to North America.
The ship, captained by Captain Kate McCue, arrived at the port of Bayonne in New Jersey, the first time the new ship was in North America.
Notable attendees included Nate Berkus, who welcomed media to the new Sunset Bar, a multi-level bar that redefines the stern of the ship with its internationally inspired beach club ambiance designed by Nate himself. Daniel Boulud was also present hosting a private dinner at his first restaurant at sea, Le Voyage.
The ship departed New York for Fort Lauderdale on October 26, 2022, on a 9-night one-way cruise visiting Bermuda, Curacao and Aruba.
From Fort Lauderdale, the ship will begin its winter Caribbean season offering 5-8 night cruises with itineraries that include ports of call in Mexico, the Bahamas, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Grand Cayman and other popular destinations.
In late April 2023, the ship will return to the Mediterranean for another summer in Europe, offering round-trip sailings from Italy.
Mardi Gras itinerary changes
Carnival Cruise Line guests are scheduled to sail on the line’s ship, Mardi Gras, are notified of a change of port of callwith 21 different cruises affected.
For affected journeys, Mardi Gras will no longer visit San Juan, Puerto Rico. Instead, the ship will visit Nassau in the Bahamas.
Guests booked on affected sailings were notified of the change by email on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, regardless of when their sailing was scheduled.
21 in total Mardi Gras sailings are affected by this change, including the closest departure on December 31, 2022. There are also 12 affected departures in 2023 and six in 2024.
Each of these cruises are 7-night Eastern Caribbean itineraries. These aren’t the only Eastern Caribbean cruises Mardi Gras however it is sailing but other launch dates have yet to be touched upon. The remaining Eastern Caribbean cruises still include San Juan on the itinerary.
According to local authorities, the changes were made as a cost-saving exercise. Instead of sailing to San Juan, Carnival has chosen ports closer to the cruise ship’s home port of Port Canaveral, such as Nassau in the Bahamas.
In February, Carnival Cruise Line made a similar move to swap Mardi GrasSan Juan calls Nassau, and this latest change appears to be a continuation of that arrangement.
Are you affected by the route changes, what do you think of Carnival’s tactics? Tell us in the comments below.
More Cruise Titles!
Remember we have all the coverage across the major cruise lines including Norwegian prima making her Galveston debutVoyages of the Virgin removing all protocolsPrincess Cruises revealing new route details on her new class ship, Holland America’s Rotterdam arriving in New York CityCarnival Cruise Line it makes a big difference to the drinkCosta Cruises cancels departures from AsiaP&O Cruises’ Arvia cruise ship delay the first tripand more.
