When a cruise line cancels a cruise, it can cause significant dissatisfaction among passengers. That’s why even if you have to make some unpleasant itinerary adjustments, it’s almost always better than canceling the cruise entirely.
Princess Cruises is having issues with one of its most popular ships, and instead of canceling one ship for repairs, the company is spending the night on multiple ships to slowly complete the work needed.
RELATED: Royal Caribbean shares more bad port news with passengers
This differs from a decision Royal Caribbean made earlier this year when it canceled sailings on the Icon of the Seas to address propulsion issues. Of course, not all engine problems are the same, so Royal Caribbean likely won’t have the option to spread repairs across multiple stations without canceling sailings.
Doug Parker tells this story and more in the Dec. 7 issue of Cruise News Today.
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Princess changes more cruise itineraries
Transcript:
Here’s Doug Parker in today’s cruise news.
Good morning; here’s the cruise news for Friday, December 6th.
Cruise ship maintenance issues remain after a series of cancellations over the past few months.
Princess Cruises has adjusted the Regal Princess’s future itinerary for four upcoming sailings to allow time for much-needed engine maintenance. The Galveston-based ship will replace the Costa Maya with extended stops in Roatan on departures on December 8, January 5 and 12, and then on January 19 in Roatan Island will replace Montego Bay. The adjustment follows earlier repairs to the generator, which resulted in the ship being idle for three weeks.
Passengers will receive 20% credit toward future cruises or can opt out for a full refund. The company said the casino will remain open during the overnight stop.
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Royal Caribbean bans one program after Carnival
Royal Caribbean has banned the use of portable travel routers such as the Starlink Mini Dinner on its ships and added them to the list of prohibited items, effective immediately.
The policy follows a similar ban introduced by Carnival Cruise Line earlier this year. The move is said to be to address network security issues and prevent passengers from bypassing the ship’s network or causing damage.
Security checks are now being carried out and some equipment has been confiscated on board.
Passengers looking to stay connected can purchase Royal Caribbean’s high-speed Voom Internet, which is billed as the fastest at sea.
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Avoid Popular Facebook Cruise Scam, Merry Christmas Ocean Icon
Two residents of Jacksonville, Florida, are issuing a warning to others after falling victim to a Royal Caribbean cruise scam. Nyesha Lambert and Rachelle Price said they, along with seven others, paid more than $500 to a woman posing as a travel agent who advertised a three-day cruise on Facebook.
Payment was made via cash app to the lady and they did receive the booking number and confirmation email for Ocean Utopia. However, when the group arrived to board a shuttle to Port Canaveral, they were denied entry and sent home. Royal Caribbean later confirmed those bookings were never finalized.
Currently under investigation. The woman’s message to others, verify travel agents and always avoid social media transactions. There are good lessons there.
This is also the first Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas. For reference, the ship was launched earlier this year and is currently enjoying its first holiday season in service. Led by the cruise director and thousands of attendees, the Christmas tree was lit and the holiday festivities officially kicked off.
Also read: Top travel agents share how to get the best cruise prices
Looks like fun.
See Cruiseradio.net for tips. Have a great weekend yourself. I’m Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.
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