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!
Early this week, guests aboard Norwegian Dawn had been quarantined by local authorities at Port Louis, Mauritius, due to a gastrointestinal illness. A “small number” of passengers experienced a stomach illness with “mild symptoms” which prompted the local authorities to require further testing for cholera before permitting disembarkation. Fortunately, the test results came back early, there were no cases of cholera, and the ship was able to resume service.
Due to continued unrest in the Middle East and along the Suez Canal and Red Sea, Virgin Voyages made the difficult decision to cancel all of Resilient Lady’s 2024-2025 Australian voyages. She will complete her Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific itineraries before repositioning to the Mediterranean by way of western Africa.
Sun Princess finally made her debut on February 28, 2024. Guests onboard have found a world-class shopping experience in its more than 5,800 square feet of retail space. The space, which spans two decks, houses more than 200 premium brands and 25 first-at-sea brands.
Royal Caribbean International has pushed back the inaugural sailing of its newest Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas. The ship’s new inaugural sailing is now set to depart on August 31, 2025, and sail a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary. Guests booked on one of the ship’s first two canceled sailings may either transfer their booking to the new date, move their booking to another sailing, or cancel their sailing for a full refund.
Carnival Corporation has announced a contest giving Grand Bahamians the opportunity to name the Artisan Village at Carnival Cruise Line’s new Celebration Key destination. The Artisan Village, a central feature of Celebration Key, is a vibrant area that will showcase local artists and their talents to guests who will be able to immerse themselves in real Bahamian culture. The winner, which will be announced in early April, will receive $5000 cash, as well as the honor of attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony. They will also receive a day pass to Celebration Key with drink vouchers, food and a cabana for the day.
Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Treasure is receiving the cruise line’s first ever signature song! “Live the Adventure” was released on Friday, March 1, 2024, and set the tone for a “bold new era” of Disney Cruise Line vacations. “Live the Adventure” is an original song written by Dewain Whitmore, Jr. and Chantry Johnson and produced by Brandon N. Caddell that can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music and Deezer. It is also available in the Instagram music library for use in feed posts and stories.
There you have it. This week’s Cruise News Digest. You can jump on over to La Lido Loca’s YouTube Channel for even more cruise news and updates. If you want to see more details of Tony’s Massive Thyroid Removal or see his LEGO Haul during his downtime, you can watch those videos and more on the Tony Barnette YoutTube Channel.
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