Carnival Corporation has realigned its corporate structure allowing the presidents of its six largest lines to report directly to CEO Josh Weinstein. Those six brands: Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises and Holland America Line make up 90% of the corporation’s capacity. The Corporations smaller lines will be supported by a larger line with Seabourn running through Holland America Line, Cunard as part of P&O Cruises in the UK and P&O Australia reporting through Carnival Cruise Line. Weinstein stated that this restructuring will allow for more flexibility by giving lines a direct line to him, speeding up the process and letting the corporation act “much quicker and purposefully for the brand’s needs…[and] enables its brands to operate with greater speed and responsiveness to market demands and opportunities,”
I am not exactly sure how everything was structured before because it only makes sense that the presidents would report directly to the CEO of the company. I know that the lines often seem very separate from each other with different policies and procedures, which I guess makes sense when they are based in different areas of the world, but I’ve always thought it was odd that Carnival ships don’t all have the same policies that Princess and Holland America has. I wish that Carnival Corporation would consider merging their loyalty programs into one though! I understand why they don’t, but it would be huge for cruisers!
Celebrity cruises will now be offering stops at Royal Caribbean International’s private island, CocoCay as part of their 2024 itineraries. Two of its Edge-class ships, Celebrity Beyond and Celebrity Reflection will be based out of Fort Lauderdale with the Beyond offering six to eight day cruises and the Reflection offering three to four night cruises, all stopping for a Perfect Day at CocoCay.
I haven’t been to CocoCay, but I prefer authentic experiences to these private islands. It definitely depends on what you are wanting in a vacation. If you are wanting a beach day and don’t care about the crowds, maybe some ziplining, or time spent at a waterpark, then something like CocoCay may be for you. I can see going if it is at a port that I have been to multiple times and don’t have something else I’d like to do, but usually I would prefer to stay away from the crowds. And I don’t have enough money for the private cabanas these islands offer. Royal Caribbean International is banking on Coco Cay being a draw though as it sets up Celebrities two newest ships to sail itineraries around the island. What about you? Have you been to CocoCay and would it being a stop on an itinerary be a reason to book on one of these ships? Let me know in the comments below.
Just like I mentioned last week with the announcement that Royal’s latest Oasis class ship will be making short cruises, I do wonder if this will mean more of a party atmosphere for those cruising on the Reflection. I’m not sure mid-tier lines like Celebrity are exempt from the booze cruise phenomenon that occurs on short itineraries. I doubt it would be as much of a party as something like a 3-day Carnival cruise, but I do imagine it will be a much different experience than a regular Celebrity cruise.
This brings up something that is very important for inexperienced cruisers to know…you cannot judge what a cruise or cruise line is like if all you have been on is a 3 or 4 day cruise. I understand why it might be tempting, or even make sense to someone who has never cruised before, to book a short cruise to “see if you like cruising.” However, the only thing that a short cruise is going to help you learn is the basic layout of the ship and if you get sea sick easily. The food, entertainment, and most importantly atmosphere, will all be different, so just keep that in mind when planning your first cruise. I recommend at minimum booking a 5-night cruise!
A woman was rescued after falling overboard from the 10th deck of the Mariner of the Seas last Sunday. While not confirmed, it has been reported that she was sitting on the railing while taking a selfie. Luckily she was spotted and an emergency buoy and a smoke flare were quickly tossed overboard to mark her location. Crew were able to launch the pilot boat and bring her back onboard the ship in less than an hour. My assumption is that someone was nearby when this happened, saw the whole thing and able to immediately alert the crew. Balcony passengers helped guide the rescue boat as they scanned the water for the unnamed woman. Video posted to Twitter shows the buoys and smoke flare tossed into the sea but not the woman, then we see the pilot boat searching the area where they located the woman and were able to bring her back onboard ship. After the rescue, the woman was taken off the ship and transferred to a hospital at Curacao. Even if someone is rescued without injury, they will be removed from the ship at the next port of call.
While that was a big story in the US, it wasn’t the only such event in the last week. Our next story has a much more tragic ending. A Polish mother and son died after going into the Baltic on Thursday. The mother jumped in to rescue her son after the seven-year-old boy fell off the Stena Spirit, a ferry heading from Sweden to Poland. The crew reported the man-overboard, and the Swedish Maritime Administration responded to the request for assistance. A full-blown rescue was enacted as multiple NATO vessels and helicopters were already in the area conducting an exercise, and they joined in the emergency response effort. Poland also dispatched a rescue helicopter. Around an hour later, a rescue helicopter located the mother and pulled her from the water. The child was found separately by the ship’s crew, who retrieved him with a rescue boat. Both were taken to a nearby hospital; however, neither survived. Authorities said the child fell from the Stena Spirit ferry and his mother dove into the sea after him in an apparent rescue attempt. The boy fell from a height of about 65ft., according to the Swedish Maritime Administration. An investigation is underway to determine how the boy went overboard.
The Stena Spirit is one of the many ferries owned by StenaLine that are like a cross between a small cruise ship and a car ferry. They offer cabins, restaurants, bars and even entertainment. The Stena Spirit can hold 1300 passengers and 500 cars. While a popular way to travel throughout Europe, this type of ferry is not something we see in the US, so I wanted to make sure everyone understands this is more like a cruise ship than something like the New York City Ferry!
Only 28% of those who go overboard ships are rescued; although some experts believe the percentage is actually closer to 10%. Often times no one sees a person when they go overboard, so by the time their absence is noticed and the ship begins a search, it is too late.
I have said this before, but please be careful when around the edge of a cruise ship. While it is nearly impossible to accidentally fall overboard, it still happens as passengers make poor decisions that put them in a precarious position. Don’t drink to excess, don’t even think about getting a dangerous selfie or make an attempt at a viral video, and watch your children like a hawk when near balcony railings.
Cruising From The Ozarks 