Cruise News Update: November 20, 2021

The cruise industry is huge and the explosion of global travel has only increased demand for more seamless, comfortable cruising. While many companies have been continuously improving their ships’ amenities, a new ship-building technology will completely transform them in 2021.

The “carnival cruise updates august 2021” is a blog post that discusses the latest news on Carnival Cruise Lines.

Cruise companies are finally catching up on new ship naming ceremonies now that the cruise season has officially begun. We’ve got all the details on that, as well as the most up-to-date cruise news from the main cruise companies, including additional schedule modifications.

Update on Cruise News

Another busy week of cruise news has arrived, with even more cruise ships resuming operation. So far, we’ve heard about naming ceremonies for two new cruise ships sailing from Florida, itinerary changes for multiple Carnival cruise ships, a change in Norwegian Cruise Line’s pre-cruise testing, Royal Caribbean resuming service from Los Angeles after more than a decade, and a significant milestone for Celebrity Cruises.

 

Ceremonial Naming of the MSC Seashore

MSC Seashore, MSC’s new flagship, was the first cruise ship to have its naming ceremony on a cruise line’s own island. MSC Seashore left on a special two-night journey after landing in Miami for the first time on November 14 after completing her initial Mediterranean sailings.

Conrad Schutt is the photographer behind this image.

The cruise stopped at MSC’s own island of Ocean Cay in the Bahamas, where the ship was christened by godmother Sophia Loren. Loren has named the 16th ship in the MSC Cruises fleet, with a total of ten more ships on order or under construction; no doubt there will be many more to name.

MSC Seashore will begin passenger operations from PortMiami in Florida on November 20. She will be sailing a variety of voyages, from five-night to typical seven-night itineraries, as well as even longer 16-night itineraries. The Seaside EVO class ship has a gross tonnage of 169,400 tons and a passenger capacity of 5,877 people, as well as 1,648 crew members.

The naming ceremony for the Odyssey of the Seas

The Odyssey of the Seas was officially named on November 13 during a naming ceremony on board the ship in Fort Lauderdale. Godmother Erin Brown, the first Bahamian to be a godmother of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, christened the Quantum-Ultra class ship. Brown is a paratriathlete who qualified for the Paralympic Games.

Odyssey of the Seas Cruise ShipRoyal Caribbean provided this image.

The ship was officially named during a special two-night voyage that also included a call to the cruise line’s private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay. Odyssey of the Seas began sailing from Florida on July 31, but due to several delays caused by the pandemic, it was only in November that the ship was officially named.

The ship will be travelling to the eastern, western, and southern Caribbean, as well as CocoCay in the Bahamas, on 6-night and 8-night itineraries. Odyssey of the Seas will be stationed in Rome, Italy, for Mediterranean cruises beginning in April 2022.

Itinerary Changes on Carnival Cruises

Carnival Cruise Line has notified customers and booking agencies about a number of schedule modifications affecting four ships. Twelve Carnival Sunshine sailings from the Port of Charleston have been changed. On January 13, 2022, the ship will start cruise operations from the port.

Carnival Cruise Line ShipsSeregaSibTravel / Shutterstock.com / SeregaSibTravel / Shutterstock.com / SeregaSibTravel /

Eight sailings on the Carnival Breeze, which resumed cruises from Galveston, Texas this summer, have been changed. Four sailings have been changed aboard the Carnival Liberty, which will begin sails from Port Canaveral on February 11, 2022. Six sailings aboard the Carnival Ecstasy are altered for departures from Jacksonville.

The reason for the revisions in the information that was sent out was not stated by the cruise company.

Changes to the Carnival Vista Homeport

Because the upcoming Carnival Jubilee cruise ship will be based in Galveston, Texas, another Carnival cruise ship will have to make way in 2023. In November 2023, Carnival Vista, which now sails year-round from Galveston, will relocate to Port Canaveral, Florida.

Carnival Vista Cruise ShipSeregaSibTravel / Shutterstock.com / SeregaSibTravel / Shutterstock.com / SeregaSibTravel /

The last cruise from Galveston will be a six-day Western Caribbean itinerary that includes stops in Costa Maya, Belize, and Cozumel, before returning home on November 10, 2023. Carnival Vista will depart from Port Canaveral on five-, six-, and eight-day cruises to the Caribbean and Bahamas.

Pre-Cruise Testing on Norwegian Cruise Line

On November 15, Norwegian Cruise Line alerted passengers of a change in pre-cruise testing that will take effect on sailings beginning January 17, 2022. Guests will no longer be required to take two exams before to embarking on their cruise, since testing at the terminal at embarkation is no longer required. Guests will be able to complete their exam at their leisure.

Norwegian Cruise Line Shiphbw pictures / Shutterstock.com / hbw pictures / Shutterstock.com / hbw pictures /

The update was made to make the check-in procedure more efficient. It also aligns NCL with other cruise lines, which only ask passengers to take one exam. Guests must still provide a negative test result obtained within two days of departure, plus an additional day for overseas travellers.

The good news is that pre-cruise testing at the terminal isn’t going away, and visitors may utilize Norwegian Cruise Line’s option if they can’t show a negative test result before embarkation. Pre-cruise testing will cost $99 per passenger at the terminal.

Royal Caribbean Launches Cruises from Los Angeles

After more than a decade away, Royal Caribbean has returned to Los Angeles! On November 19, the Navigator of the Seas resumed service and left the Port of Los Angeles with passengers on board. The inaugural guest sailing comes after an unique two-night journey on which selected guests got a sneak peek of Royal Caribbean’s new Californian offering.

Navigator of the Seas Cruise ShipJoe Hendrickson / Shutterstock.com / Joe Hendrickson / Shutterstock.com / Joe Hendrickson / Shutter

The ship is currently running its much-anticipated year-round season of three-night weekend excursions to Catalina Island, California, and the Mexican Riviera, as well as four- and five-night midweek voyages. Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, are among the ports visited. There’s also the option of combining the trip with excursions to Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan, Mexico, to make it a lengthier week-long journey.

The fourth Edge-Class cruise ship has reached a significant milestone.

The first steel for Celebrity Ascent, the fourth ship in Celebrity Cruises’ Edge series, was cut on November 17, 2021 at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The historic event featured corporate leaders signing the ceremonial first cut of steel, which marks the beginning of the actual construction of a ship, advancing beyond the design and development stages.

Celebrity Ascent Steel CuttingCelebrity Cruises provided this image.

Celebrity Ascent will make her debut in early 2023, joining sister ships Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Edge, and Celebrity Beyond in the Edge Series. The future ship will have a gross tonnage of over 140,600 tons and a passenger capacity of around 3,000.

The Edge-class ships are breaking new ground in terms of luxury and innovation, with features like The Retreat, a magnificent accommodation with unrivaled amenities and private areas. Private plunge pools, the Magic Carpet floating multipurpose area, nature-inspired health facilities, and much more can be found on board the ships.

Additional Cruise News

So those were just a few of the cruise stories from the week; we’ve got even more on cruisehive.com, including the Carnival Radiance’s godmother, MSC Seascape reaching a major construction milestone and being floated out, Disney Cruise Line requiring vaccinations for children aged 5 and up, Carnival Sunrise cancellations due to scheduled maintenance, and Carnival Cruise Line restarting operations from Port Tampa Bay in Florida.

Carnival Vista Docked at Port of Galveston

The “norwegian cruise news today” is a blog post that provides updates on the latest news in the cruise industry. This blog post includes an update on the Norwegian Cruise Line, which has announced its new route for 2020.

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