Cruise News Update: January 14, 2023 (2023)

FAQs

Are cruises about to be Cancelled? ›

Unfortunately, there are still cruises being cancelled in 2022 due to Covid-19 and the uncertainty surrounding it. The pandemic has not ended, and some sailings have been cancelled due to too many Covid-19 cases onboard. The good news is that there are not the mass cancellations we saw in 2020.

Ships are all back to 100%

With the cruise industry back up and running, you can expect your next cruise ship to be sailing at full capacity.

If you or your travel companions have COVID-19 symptoms or test positive at embarkation, the cruise ship may deny you from boarding. If you are allowed to board, you may be required to isolate or take other precautions, depending on your symptoms and test results.

While Titanic holds her own when it comes to length, the ship's width is substantially smaller than modern cruise ships. Titanic's length from one side to the other measured 92.5 feet. Modern cruise ships are typically around 120 feet today, which is about 22% bigger than Titanic.

When your trip is cancelled, your cruise operator should offer the choice of an alternative or a refund. When a sailing is cancelled and an overnight stay becomes necessary, your cruise operator should offer you accommodation free of charge, if possible. This can be on board the ship, or ashore.

Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald confirmed today that a number of sailings must be cancelled for Carnival Glory in spring 2024, as the ship will be entering dry dock for maintenance. The impacted sailings include all departures from March 24, 2024 through and including the April 28, 2024 sailing.

Most cruise lines are sailing at full capacity and are motivated to get travelers back onboard. Many lines offer great deals with tremendous cruise fare savings to make this happen. Be on the lookout for value-added amenities such as beverage packages, wifi, gratuities, specialty dining, and/or cabin upgrades.

Your best bet is to go to one of the on-line sites (cruise.com is excellent) and try to make a reservation for your cruise. You'll see the availability (or non-availability) of accommodations in every category, stateroom by stateroom. If your sail date isn't listed, it's a sellout.

The average, or medium size of cruise ship measures in with a passenger capacity of about 3,000 guests. For example, most of the major cruise lines in the industry today operate ships that hold anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 guests and measure in at about 1,000 feet in length.

U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship, such as an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL), a government-issued birth certificate (issued by the Vital Records Department in the state where he or she was born) or passport, and if 16 or older, a government ...

Can I go on a cruise if I have a cold? ›

If you indicate that you have been feeling sick, you will be pulled aside for a quick checkup. If the ship's medical personnel determine that you're feverish, contagious or otherwise ill, they have the authority to prevent you from boarding.

CDC recommends all travelers (passengers and crew) be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.

The average lifespan of an iceberg in the North Atlantic typically is two to three years from calving to melting. This means the iceberg that sank the Titanic "likely broke off from Greenland in 1910 or 1911, and was gone forever by the end of 1912 or sometime in 1913."

Rod Sullivan, professor of maritime law at the Florida Coastal School of Law, tells Steve Inskeep the captain has no legal obligation to go down with the ship.

It lies in two main pieces about 2,000 feet (600 m) apart. The bow is still recognisable with many preserved interiors, despite deterioration and damage sustained hitting the sea floor. In contrast, the stern is completely ruined.

Sorry, but there is no refund on a cruise for rainy days. Even if it pours during your entire trip, if the cruise still happens then you won't be refunded any money. (Trips entirely cancelled due to storms may be entitled to a refund.)

If you miss the ship, you'll have to either meet it in a subsequent port of call or call it a wash and head home. Your cruise line, travel agent or travel insurance provider might be able to help you make the plans; otherwise, you'll have to make arrangements on your own.

For starters, policies often will reimburse you for the cost of canceling a cruise due to a last-minute crisis. They also often will cover costs related to an interruption of a cruise (maybe your ship breaks down, requiring you to fly home mid-voyage).

Recovery Route

However, the company's recovery plan is clearly in full motion as its fourth-quarter earnings report revealed a 198.29% year-over-year revenue surge. The cruise liner's occupancy is back at 99% of its pre-pandemic level, and its earnings are 2% higher per passenger cruise day on a currency-neutral basis.

Carnival Cruise Line has made the decision to cancel the September 30, 2022 sailing of Carnival Liberty from Port Canaveral, due to the continuing impact of Hurricane Ian and the port's closure. Guests had already been alerted to the possibility of delays with the cruise, but the cancelation is now confirmed.

What ships is Carnival getting rid of? ›

Several ships could be under consideration for removal among the different fleets, but likely candidates due to size, age, and updates include AIDAaura (2003), AIDAdiva (2007), Carnival Elation (1998), Carnival Paradise (1998), Volendam (1999), Zaandam (2000), Grand Princess (1998), and others.

Wave season sales will vary by cruise line, but you can expect to find plenty of discounts and freebies when you book your 2023 cruise within the next few months.

Cruising in 2023 is mostly back to normal following the pandemic-induced changes implemented across the industry in 2021 and 2022. Pre-cruise testing has been almost entirely abolished, ships are sailing at full capacity, and new ships are being constructed.

After years of uncertainty, the cruise industry will make a strong recovery in 2023, according to a new AAA survey. Over the past few years, the cruise industry suffered significant financial losses due to Covid-19 restrictions.

During the booking process you'll be able to see how many cabins in any category are left. If you're already booked on that cruise and see that there are open higher-category rooms than what you've got booked, contact the line or your travel agent to see if there are any upgrade offers open.

Six to eight weeks before the cruise departs is the most advantageous time to book last minute because it's within the window for those who booked early to cancel their reservation without penalty. You may be able to score a mid-ship veranda stateroom or a top-deck stateroom because someone else has just opted out.

What Is the Salary of a Cruise Ship Captain? ZipRecruiter reports that the annual pay for 2022 for cruise ship captains is $54,229 per year. It also reports that annual salaries can be as high as $100,000 to as low as $17,500.

Can you go on a cruise without papers? ›

The documentation is required at embarkation and throughout the cruise and is the responsibility of the guest. Our policy states that any guest traveling without proper documentation will be denied boarding the ship and will be under full penalty, and therefore, will not be offered a refund or a replacement cruise.

If you are aboard a Caribbean closed-loop cruise, (a cruise that departs and ends at the same U.S. port), you can travel with a state-issued ID (for example: your driver's license) and an original birth certificate. You must have both of these documents in order to be able to travel without a passport.

Though most foreign travel requires that you have a valid passport to come back home, cruising makes it easier to enjoy your vacation without worrying about this paperwork. If you are a US citizen, you can take a “closed-loop cruise” (one that begins and ends at the same port) to The Bahamas without a passport.

Mask wearing – We recommend that guests wear masks on board, but they're only required in the medical centre.

Paying for Medical Care While Cruising

When you get sick or worse and need treatment or emergency services, you will pay for it, typically out of pocket. If you receive treatment or medicine from ship physicians, the cost will be charged to your cabin folio.

The lower you are, and more towards the middle of the ship, you will not feel it as much. Cabins at the front and back of the ship tend to sway the most, so you want to avoid any rooms in these areas.

If you do not meet the requirements to be considered fully vaccinated, you will not be able to board your flight to the United States, unless you meet criteria for one of the exceptions.

If you have not been fully vaccinated, you should continue to follow the entry requirements of the country you are travelling to, such as proof of a negative COVID-19 test on arrival. You should carefully research the requirements of your destination country before travelling.

Unvaccinated passengers 12 and up must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test. These requirements end October 4, 2022. Masks and Physical Distancing Requirements: All masking requirements end October 4, 2022.

— People have been diving to the Titanic's wreck for 35 years. No one has found human remains, according to the company that owns the salvage rights.

How many dogs survived the Titanic? ›

Canine survivors

Three small dogs, two Pomeranians and a Pekingese, survived the Titanic disaster cradled in their owners' arms as they climbed into lifeboats.

Around two-thirds of the bodies recovered after the sinking were transported to Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada for burial, whilst a third were buried at sea.

Swim away from the boat, so as to avoid the propeller, and although television shows like Mythbusters busted the whole ship pulling you under myth, it has been reported to take place from actual survivors. Now, if you're in the water, no life jacket, no life preserver, no floatation device.

What happens if captain doesn't go down with ship? There is no requirement for a Captain to go down with their ship. The Captain of a ship is ultimately responsible for everything that occurs on the ship. This includes damage control and evacuation of passengers and crew in the event the ship needs to be abandoned.

Avg Salary

Ship captains earn an average yearly salary of $81,640. Wages typically start from $37,240 and go up to $159,690.

Oceanographers have pointed out that the hostile sea environment has wreaked havoc on the ship's remains after more than a century beneath the surface. Saltwater acidity has been dissolving the vessel, compromising its integrity to the point where much of it would crumble if tampered with.

Yes, and when divers found the wreck after 70 years, they were amazed to find that the swimming pool was still full of water!

Based in part on these assurances, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia awarded RMST salvor-in-possession status and exclusive rights over any items salvaged from Titanic to RMST on June 4, 1994.

North American cruise operators started service in June 2021. And while all the major cruise lines are now back at sea, the return to cruising has taken a phased approach, with ships returning to service one at a time and some cruise lines keeping vessels idle until well into 2022.

Most likely a hurricane will not impact your cruise, but you might incur an itinerary change if a hurricane is in the path of a port of call on your cruise itinerary.

Will a cruise be Cancelled due to hurricane? ›

Cruises are very rarely cancelled due to hurricanes, but they can have itinerary changes and could be made shorter, or longer in duration. In most cases, if a cruise is set to sail near a hurricane, it will simply be diverted to visit different ports of call, or you may skip a port altogether and have an extra sea day.

Cruise ships and COVID-19

Although operators have taken steps to improve infection control, cruise ships continue to experience COVID-19 outbreaks, affecting passengers and seafarers. The confined setting on board and combination of multiple households enables COVID-19 to spread faster than it is able to elsewhere.

On land it's easy to forget that at any given moment there are around 50,000 merchant ships crisscrossing the oceans – carrying as many as 5-6 million containers stuffed with goods.

Is Royal Caribbean limiting capacity 2022? RCI-Royal Caribbean cruise ships to be back to full capacity by summer 2022. The cruise shipping industry is slowly moving back towards normal numbers by getting more ships back into service and more guests onboard. Full capacity is expected to return this summer.

Key Statistics: Currently, there are 314 cruise ships operating worldwide, with a combined capacity of 537,000 passengers. Cruise industry revenue grew to 37 billion in the US. There are 2,219 cruise ports, according to cruisemapper.

Hurricane Season

Storms in August and October have a moderate risk of developing into hurricanes while September has the highest risk of all. For these reasons, September is the worst month of the year to take a cruise.

Lower Decks

This is because this part of the ship, its lowest and most central area, is the most stable during rough sea conditions.

Sorry, but there is no refund on a cruise for rainy days. Even if it pours during your entire trip, if the cruise still happens then you won't be refunded any money. (Trips entirely cancelled due to storms may be entitled to a refund.)

Hurricane activity typically peaks from late August to early October, which is why this period is sometimes called hurricane season.

The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is September 10, with most activity occurring between mid-August and mid-October. For the eastern Pacific basin, the analyses are based on data from the 50-year period from 1971 to 2020 (starting when there was reliable satellite imagery) but also normalized to 100 years.

Where do cruise ships go during hurricane? ›

Hurricanes may cause ships to miss ports as they seek calmer seas, and in some cases, itineraries are changed more drastically. You may find your eastern Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten is changed to a western Caribbean cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, or the opposite.

The risk of a COVID-19 outbreak is higher when a lot of people share a common space, like a cruise ship. Most cruise lines have dropped vaccination and testing requirements. Consider your risk level based on your health status before booking a cruise, and take precautions while on board to avoid getting sick.