Welcome to the weekly Cruise News Digest. Here you can catch up on the past week’s cruise news and all things La Lido Loca.
Let’s dive in!
In celebration of the launch of Margaritaville at Sea Islander, Margaritaville at Sea announced its sponsorship of Front Row Motorsports this week. When the green flag drops on the Busch Light Clash it’ll be “5 o’Clock somewhere” and Michael McDowell, the 2021 NASCAR Daytona 500 winner, will have his No. 34 Ford Mustang wrapped in the Margaritaville at Sea iconic tropical colors and vibe as it sails around the track at the LA Memorial Coliseum.
Princess Cruises released details of its 2024 Canada & New England itineraries. Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada was named as one of “The Best Places to Visit” in 2024, and Princess Cruises is offering its guests plenty of chances to explore the region.
Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas was officially christened in Miami on Tuesday, January 23, 2023. The ceremony was hosted by American actor Mario Lopez and attended by cruise line and shipyard executives, county officials, crew families and many more. At the end of the evening, world-renowned fútbol player, TIME’s 2023 Athlete of the Year, the ship’s godfather and the Icon of Icon Lionel Messi officially christened Icon of the Seas by placing a soccer ball on the ceremonial podium to release the “largest production bottle” of champagne down a wire to smash on the ship’s hull.
Holland America Line is breaking records again. On January 16, 2024, the cruise line broke its largest booking day record by 18%. It also set its largest-ever booking week during its current “wave” season. Holland America Line’s President, Gus Antorcha said, “Stacking records on top of records is a sign of continued strength for our business and an endorsement from our guests that they are truly having the time of their lives exploring the world with us.”
Norwegian Cruise Line is adding two more mega-ships to US ports sailing Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. The cruise line says the change is in response to guest demand for more warm-weather destinations. The cruise line is repositioning Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Epic to New Orleans and Port Canaveral, respectively, following their deployments in Europe. Bookings for these new series of Caribbean cruises will open next month, February 2024.
Disney Cruise Line has revealed a new look for Captains Mickey and Minnie Mouse when they sail to the cruise line’s newest island destination, Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. The look has been designed by Bahamian fashion designer Theodore Elyett. Mickey and Minnie’s new look has been created with a Bahamian flair inspired by the country’s signature festival, Junkanoo. Junkanoo is a joyful celebration that takes place in December and boasts of joyous music, bright and vibrant colors, and parades. Theodore will be designing new looks for the rest of the crew as well.
There you have it. This week’s Cruise News Digest. Did you follow along at La Lido Cruising Community with Tony and the lovely Jenny B’s latest cruise on the Carnival Jubilee? You can check out the guided tour of the ship over on the La Lido Loca YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe with notifications on so you never miss the latest breaking cruise news. And be sure to become a patreon member of Loca Extra for extra live content and more.