Harmony of Seas Will Include Royal Caribbean’s First Aqua Park for Kids

Freedom_of_the_seas_constructionHarmony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s third Oasis class cruise ship, will be the first in the fleet to offer the Splashaway Bay, an interactive aqua park for kids, the Miami-based cruise line said in a press release.

The new 5,497- passenger Harmony of the Seas is scheduled to debut Continue reading

U.S. Government Approves Ferry Services to Cuba

800px-Luxury_yacht_in_the_Gulf_of_Saint-Tropez,_2006The U.S. government is authorizing the first ferry services to Cuba for the first time in five decades. At least four companies were licensed to provide a wide range of large-scale sea travel to Cuba.  The U.S. Embassy in Cuba officially reopened August 14, 54 years after having broken diplomatic relations. More on the topic here.

Norwegian’s Largest Cruise Ship to Homeport at Port Canaveral in Fall 2016

800px-Norwegian_Epic_water_chute_2Port Canaveral will become homeport to Norwegian Cruise Line’s largest ship and currently the fifth largest in the world, Norwegian Epic, starting in November 2016.

Norwegian Cruise Line will increase its Port Canaveral presence in fall 2016 and will mark the line’s return to the port after a three-year absence Continue reading

Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Catches Fire near Jamaica

Office_Fire_ExtinguisherA fire broke out aboard Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas Wednesday injuring one crew member. Passengers were moved to assembly stations but not evacuated.

The incident happened at about 9:30 a.m. while the cruise ship was pulling into the port of Falmouth, Jamaica. Royal Caribbean International said on its Twitter page that the fire started in a mechanical area and was extinguished a short time later. The passengers were told to put on their life jackets and gather on the deck. The fire suppression system for the vessel was immediately activated and the fire did not spread. Photos posted on social media showed a thick plume of grey smoke coming from an upper deck of the 154,407-ton Freedom of the Seas. Continue reading

Carnival Granted U.S. Approval for Travel to Cuba

800px-Carnival_Cruise_ShipCarnival Corporation will sail to Cuba in a new deal, the world’s largest cruise ship company announced Tuesday. Princess, the parent company of Carnival, will launch seven-day “people-to-people” travel to the island beginning in May 2016. The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Commerce granted the company approval to begin traveling to Cuba. Continue reading