We certain had a busy week of cruise information, so we’re right here to make sure you’re totally up to date, together with tales from most of the main cruise traces and locations. Some highlights are a pizza petition being began by a Carnival visitor, soda being faraway from Princess packages, and even taxes being a scorching subject for passengers.
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Canned Soda Nixed From Some Princess Packages
Princess Cruises has eliminated cans of soda from the inclusions in its Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages, though friends can nonetheless get fountain sodas by way of the plans.
The cruise line quietly altered the coverage, however friends had been fast to note the change, and a few reached out to Princess for a proof. The road didn’t clarify why soda cans had been faraway from the choices however merely confirmed that the coverage had been modified.
The cruise line famous that, initially, cans of soda weren’t coated in both plan. So, it’s truly a return to a earlier coverage.
It seems that as soon as the change is totally rolled out, friends with the Plus and Premier plans will obtain a 25% low cost on canned soda, which presently prices $3 plus an 18% tip.
On the upside, two different drink plans supplied by Princess nonetheless embody cans of soda. These are the Traditional Soda Bundle and the Zero-Alcohol Bundle.
Additionally, friends who like to drink soda are allowed to convey as much as 12 unopened, sealed cans (12 ounces or much less every) onboard Princess Cruises ships at embarkation.
Negotiation With Mexico Ends With Decrease Tax on Cruisers
The Florida Caribbean Cruise Affiliation (FCCA) has managed to negotiate a giant discount within the proposed vacationer tax that Mexico supposed to levy on cruise friends visiting its ports.
The so-called non-resident price was authorised by the Mexican authorities at $42 per individual, per cruise, which might have added a whopping $168 to the price of a household of 4 crusing an itinerary that calls at a Mexican port.
The brand new price is $5 per individual and it takes impact on July 1, 2025. Nonetheless, Mexico will elevate the price on a phased-in foundation — to $10 in 2026 and $21 in 2027.
Beneath the settlement, cruise traces will accumulate the tax and pay the Mexican authorities. The non-resident tax isn’t new. It has been in impact since 1999 however didn’t apply to guests spending lower than seven days within the nation.
In return for the lowered tax, the FCCA, which represents 23 cruise traces, vowed to extend the variety of calls and friends to Mexican ports, and to assist native infrastructure tasks.
Pizza-Loving Visitor Petitions Carnival Cruise Line
Some cruisers love pizza a lot they’re prepared to struggle for it — not with fists however with a petition, asking Carnival Cruise Line to convey again late-night pizza.
Cruise line visitor and pizza fanatic Jonathan Hurrell created a petition on change.org in search of like-minded cruisers to signal on and strain the cruise line to supply some free meals choices — particularly pizza, onboard Carnival Journey and Carnival Encounter.
Each ships are former P&O Cruises Australia ships that had been just lately transferred to the Carnival fleet when the model was absorbed by Carnival, and each proceed to sail itineraries Down Beneath. However some Aussies are pissed off by the cruise line’s coverage to supply no free meals decisions after 9 p.m.
That’s not the case on different Carnival Cruise Line ships, they level out, the place complimentary eateries are open properly previous midnight. Greater than 500 individuals have signed the petition to this point.
Meals is offered on each ships 24/7, nevertheless, through room service, however it’s not free. A pan pizza will value a cruiser $6 on both of the ship. No phrase from Carnival Cruise Line on whether or not it is going to contemplate the petitioner’s request.
Royal Caribbean Makes Affords That Are Exhausting to Resist
It says rather a lot concerning the well being of the cruise business {that a} 225,282-gross-ton ship accommodating as much as 6,700 friends is overbooked for her Might 15, 2025 Mediterranean cruise from Rome.
That’s the case with Royal Caribbean’s Attract of the Seas, and booked friends are being courted with some very profitable presents if they comply with transfer to a smaller cabin or change to a special ship.
Probably the most astonishing supply is for a full refund of the cruise fare paid and a $200 onboard credit score to those that will transfer to an inside stateroom. A second possibility is to switch their reserving to Odyssey of the Seas, leaving Rome three days later, and luxuriate in a Greek Islands itinerary.
The total refund applies to this various, too, however friends must pay taxes, port charges, and crew ideas — nonetheless a cut price.
And eventually, friends can cancel their Attract of the Seas reserving, get a full refund, and obtain a future cruise credit score equal to 100% of the worth of the unique reserving.
On the subject of candy offers, Royal Caribbean takes the cake with these decisions.
MSC Cruises’ Visitor Arrested on Homicide Cost
A getaway cruise crusing from the UK took a tragic flip when a 60-year-old visitor died following a struggle onboard an MSC Cruises ship.
It’s now a homicide investigation, and a suspect is beneath arrest. The altercation occurred on MSC Virtuoso’s weekend crusing from Southampton to Bruges, Belgium, on Might 3, 2025. Lower than three hours after departure, a struggle between two males left one lifeless.
The cruise continued on its scheduled itinerary, and when the 4,800-guest ship returned to Southampton on Might 5, 2025, a 57-year-old suspect was taken into custody.
Particulars of the incident are unknown, together with whether or not the sufferer and suspect knew one another, how the struggle began, and the way the person died. Police requested friends with data, or who might have witnessed the struggle, to come back ahead.
Some social media posts described the crusing as a booze cruise, with a lot of events occurring. Apparently the demise was not made recognized to the ship’s inhabitants at massive, as on-line posts confirmed friends having an excellent time, seemingly oblivious to the incident.
Each the suspect and sufferer had been stated to be UK residents.
Carnival Constructing New Miami Campus For All Manufacturers
Carnival Company, the conglomerate behind main cruise manufacturers together with Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Cunard, Costa Cruises, and others, is planning to construct a large — as much as 700,000-square-foot — company headquarters in Miami.
The corporate is already based mostly in Miami, however the brand new, greater company campus will convey collectively workers from all manufacturers into one large constructing.
Slated for completion in 2028, the location will home not solely workplace area for two,000 workers but additionally coaching areas for the traces’ leisure tasks and different initiatives.
It signifies that workers now positioned at smaller places of work across the US — Princess is predicated in Santa Clarita, California, and Holland America in Seattle, as an illustration, all will relocate to Miami. Carnival Company will construct the campus on property it has bought in Miami’s Waterford Enterprise District.
Some business insiders noticed the transfer coming, since Carnival Company in April 2024 put its present workplace area up on the market.
Hawaii Legislature Passes First Cruise Tax
For the primary time, Hawaii lawmakers agreed to broaden the state’s transient lodging tax to incorporate cruise passengers who go to ports throughout the islands.
Efficient on January 1, 2026, the state will levy an 11% tax on cruise fares, prorated based mostly on the variety of days a ship is docked at a Hawaii port.
For instance, if a cruise visitor visits three Hawaii ports on three days of an itinerary, the tax will mirror 11% of the cruise fare for every of these days.
Hawaii sometimes welcomes about 1 million cruise friends every year, and is a vacation spot regularly included on world cruises and on sailings from the US and Canadian west coasts. Only one ship, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Satisfaction of America, sails inter-island voyages year-round from Honolulu.
The tax, which should be signed into regulation by the state governor, is predicted to generate $100 million yearly, and be invested in environmental safety tasks.
Extra Cruise Headlines
Don’t cease right here! Cruise Hive has much more tales for cruise fanatics. Take a look at our protection of Carnival Cruise Line promoting a restricted version of Jack Daniel’s bourbon onboard its ships; and MSC World America rescuing individuals stranded on a ship off Mexico.
Additionally, see tales about Virgin Voyages rebranding its Celebration voyages; Carnival Cruise Line planning to nix paper tour tickets; and Royal Caribbean saying that its new-build Star of the Seas is practically prepared to enter service.
