Buckle up for this week’s thrilling information recap from Cruise Hive. Learn on to learn how pier runners reacted to lacking their ship, study what Royal Caribbean has deliberate for its new Excellent Day Mexico vacation spot, and get the inside track on a brand new ship for Margaritaville at Sea.
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Port Calls to Labadee Are Suspended For Even Longer
Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s personal vacation spot on the northern coast of Haiti, is once more off-limits to cruise ships, this time no less than by mid-summer as a result of nation’s ongoing civil unrest and gang exercise.
Regardless that the personal enclave at Labadee is 90 miles from the embattled capital metropolis of Port-au-Prince and has its personal safety system, Royal Caribbean is extending the suspension of visits to the vacation spot.
The cruise line has notified friends booked to sail on Oasis of the Seas’ July 20, 2025 Western Caribbean voyage that Labadee is off the itinerary. The ship will swap the vacation spot for a day at sea and add a name to Nassau.
Different ships slated to name at Labadee in July have been Journey of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas — each itineraries have been altered to keep away from the go to.
The US Division of State has a Stage 4: Do Not Journey advisory for all of Haiti. Calls to Labadee have been initially cancelled from March to September 2024.
They resumed in October of that yr, however by April 2025, some calls have been cancelled as gang violence and political unrest elevated.
Pier Runners Get Sympathy However Not Reimbursement
Carnival Cruise Line has loads of sympathy for friends who arrive on the pier late and miss a ship’s departure, however the feeling doesn’t prolong to reimbursing bills to these unfortunate cruisers, who should make their very own solution to the subsequent port of name.
That’s the upshot from the road’s model ambassador, John Heald, who responded to a visitor’s inquiry on his widespread Fb web page, the place he interacts with friends and infrequently handles powerful matters.
The so-called pier runners, on this case, missed their ship in Costa Maya as a result of the clock within the Jeep they rented was set to native time, not ship’s time. They arrived again on the port too late to board the vessel.
The couple needed to pay for a resort after which a ferry experience to the subsequent port, Cozumel. They wished Heald to know they didn’t recognize that, nor did they just like the jeers from friends who have been watching from the ship’s balconies and decks.
Heald sympathized with the couple, however stated there is no such thing as a approach the cruise line will reimburse them. As to the jeering, nicely, Heald admits that’s unkind, however the line is unable to cease folks from reacting to pier runners.
Virgin Voyages Apologizes for Delayed Debarkation
Virgin Voyages is sorry, very sorry certainly, for the debarkation delays that irritated friends crusing on Resilient Girl’s latest cruise roundtrip from Athens.
There had been a gastrointestinal bug that affected an unknown variety of folks on the cruise, and authorities in Athens required that every one friends with signs of the sickness debark first. Additionally they required that every one friends put on masks whereas leaving the ship and going by port entry procedures — as an added precaution.
These guidelines delayed disembarkation, and lots of friends later contacted the cruise line to complain in regards to the course of. Additionally they have been pissed off by the shortage of communication by ship administration in the course of the disembarkation, a few of them posted on social media.
Virgin Voyages quickly issued an e mail apology to friends, saying the cruise line was deeply sorry for the debacle and that protocols could be reviewed to keep away from comparable issues sooner or later.
The road additionally acknowledged that communication from ship officers ought to have been higher. It didn’t supply any compensation for the chaotic debarkation, however primarily based on the social media posts, friends appeared happy with the cruise line’s apology.
Carnival Miracle Makes Up For Cabin’s Soiled Situation
A pair crusing for the primary time with Carnival Cruise Line boarded Carnival Miracle in Lisbon on Might 11, 2025 solely to seek out soiled — make that abhorrent — circumstances, inside their cabin.
The cruisers took to Fb to complain in regards to the mess, which included significantly disgusting sights resembling mould in a cleaning soap dish, sticky surfaces, hairs on a desk, unknown stains on a baggage mat, and what seemed to be feces beneath the bathroom seat, amongst different atrocities.
Commenters on the social media web site recommended the couple contact visitor companies to complain, and they also did. Workers and administration arrived to examine the cabin and have been appalled on the state of the lodging.
They acknowledged the unseemly situation of the cabin and vowed to make good on it, and they also did. The aggrieved friends have been moved to a distinct stateroom, a really clear one, and have been refunded their total cruise fare.
So the couple was happy with Carnival Cruise Line’s response and went on to get pleasure from their voyage, which concludes in Dover, England, on Might 18, 2025.
Royal Caribbean Gives Peek Into Excellent Day Mexico
Royal Caribbean has revealed attractive particulars about its new Excellent Day Mexico vacation spot, a personal, 200-acre coastal paradise close to Costa Maya, Mexico.
Scheduled to open in fall 2027, Excellent Day Mexico guarantees to characteristic a lot of record-breaking actions, such because the Loco Waterpark, with the tallest waterslides in North and South America, and Splash Cove, the longest lazy river on this planet.
Seven themed neighborhoods will present experiences for friends of all ages and skills. The vacation spot may have 10 swimming pools, with the biggest coming in at 100,000 sq. toes. An adult-only space, Dl Hideaway, may have a swim-up bar and in-pool DJ.
These searching for a luxurious ambiance can indulge within the Costa Seashore Membership, which is able to sport a heated infinity pool, personal cabanas, and a personal seashore.
Twenty-four bars will supply unique drinks to friends, whereas a number of eating venues will vary from informal eating places to sit-down experiences.
The Mexican improvement will probably be Royal Caribbean’s second Excellent Day vacation spot, following its wildly widespread Excellent Day at CocoCay within the Bahamas.
‘Poop Cruise’ Documentary to Air in June
Who can overlook the story of the well-known “poop cruise,” the 4-day voyage that became a nightmare when an engine room hearth left Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Triumph with out energy?
If anybody has forgotten, they will relive the entire mess by watching an episode of “Trainwreck,” a Netflix documentary anthology that recaps a few of the world’s most infamous incidents.
The anthology’s episodes start on June 10, 2025, and the “Poop Cruise” episode is slated to air on June 24, 2025.
It’s going to inform the story from the views of friends who have been stranded on the ship with no propulsion, air-con, refrigeration for meals, lavatory amenities, and different mandatory companies.
Carnival Triumph was crusing from Galveston on February 7, 2013 to the Western Caribbean, with one port name at Cozumel, Mexico, when the fireplace triggered harm that principally left the ship adrift.
Different Carnival Cruise Line ships within the space delivered meals and water to Carnival Triumph, however it wasn’t till emergency electrical mills started working that the ship was capable of return to port after a number of difficult days at sea.
Margaritaville Cruise Line Shopping for One other Costa Ship
Margaritaville Cruise Line will quickly broaden to a three-ship fleet following the deliberate buy of Costa Cruises’ Costa Fortuna.
Beginning in 2026, the two,700-guest Costa Fortuna will be part of the road’s two current ships, the two,650-guest Islander and the 1,680-guest Paradise.
Each of these ships beforehand sailed for Costa Cruises, too, as Costa Atlantica and Costa Classica, respectively.
The Margaritaville at Sea model, impressed by Jimmy Buffett’s laid-back, island vibe, has not disclosed the brand new identify of Costa Fortuna, however the cruise line plans to renovate the 22-year-old ship, including the decor and public areas that mirror the tropical Margaritaville theme.
The ship will be part of the fleet in September of 2026 and enter dry dock later that yr. For its half, Costa Cruises had introduced on Might 9, 2025 that Costa Fortuna, which is its longest-serving ship, could be transferred to a brand new proprietor in 2026.
Extra Cruise Headlines
Cruise Hive has a lot extra tales about happenings throughout the worldwide cruise neighborhood, so try our thrilling protection of Princess Cruises including a 3rd ship to its photo voltaic eclipse-focused voyages in 2026, Royal Caribbean deploying Navigator of the Seas to Singapore in 2026, and one other viral outbreak impacting a cruise ship, this time a luxurious vessel.
Additionally, a Disney Cruise Line ship experiencing a laptop glitch that delayed embarkation; and a giant storm inflicting flooding aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship after it departed PortMiami.
