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!
Sadly, our week began with news of an attack on Israel and the subsequent diversion and cancellations of cruises in an effort to keep guests and crew safe. We at La Lido Loca continue to remember Israel in this time of war.
Carnival Freedom is finally getting her permanent “Fun Ship” emblem. She is currently in dry dock at the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain receiving her new funnel along with other refurbishments and enhancements She will be back in service in Port Canaveral, Florida on November 6, 2023.
Barcelona, Spain is joining other cities around the world in limiting cruise ships in port and which port they are permitted to use. Beginning October 22, 2023, the port of Barcelona is banning passenger ship from docking at its central port in an effort to reduce pollution and overtourism. Cruise ships will dock at the southern docks at the Moll Adossat Pier which are further away from the popular La Rambla district. Guests will now have a 30-minute shuttle ride or 55-minute walk over a bridge to the city. The port is also reducing the number of cruise ships permitted to visit daily from ten to seven.
Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group and Grand Bahama Port Authority received permission from the Bahamian government to expand and revitalize the Grand Bahama Shipyard. The completed project is expected to bring billions of dollars to Grand Bahamas’ economy over the next 25 years. The project is a $600 million investment that will bring the Grand Bahama Shipyard back to one of the world’s largest and most modern shipyards for cruise ships.
Explora Journeys, the luxury cruise line of MSC Group, christened its first ship at her naming ceremony in New York City. Explora I was officially named by her godmother, Dr. Sylvia Earle, a renowned marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer, at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal on October 12, 2023. Guests from around the world were present to witness the maritime tradition of cutting a ribbon to break a bottle of champagne on the ship’s bow.
Carnival Cruise Line announced a multi-year partnership with the New York Jets. The agreement calls Carnival a “Proud Partner of the New York Jets” and further strengthens the cruise line’s ties to New York City. While not many details have been revealed, it is known that a sweepstakes will be held later this season giving lucky fans a chance to win a Carnival Cruise.
There you have it. This week’s Cruise News Digest. Are you a member of the Loca Extra Patreon? You can join here and get extra live content and more. Tony’s back from Canada! You can catch the live replay to hear all about it. You can get even more cruise news and views at La Lido Loca, along with extra content and the podcast at La Lido Loca Two. Catch up with Tony and his weight loss journey over at Have To Lose. You can also join in on the conversation via social media on the La Lido Cruising Community and the Have to Lose Support Crew group pages.