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Royal Caribbean Cruises News

28 Dec 2023

"Green" Loan Secured for Low-Emission Cruise Ship

Copyright UMB-O/AdobeStock

Fincantieri signed a "green" construction loan for a maximum amount of $461m with Intesa Sanpaolo (IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division) and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), the proceeds of which will be used to cover the financial needs linked to the construction of the Mein Schiff Relax, the first of two newly designed dual-fuel inTUItion class cruise ships (Liquid Natural Gas - LNG and Marine Gas Oil - MGO) that Fincantieri is building for TUI Cruises, a joint venture between the TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises.

11 Jul 2023

US Court Revives Lawsuit Against Royal Caribbean Over Toddler's Death

© JULOR / Adobe Stock

A federal appeals court on Tuesday revived a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean Cruises by the parents of an 18-month-old girl who died after slipping through her grandfather’s hands and falling through an open cruise ship window.The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta restored two negligence claims over the July 2019 death of Chloe Wiegand, who had been in a children’s play area aboard the ship Freedom of the Seas, which was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico.Her grandfather Salvatore Anello testified that he picked Chloe up and put her feet on the windowsill


21 Jul 2022

US Cruise Operators' Recovery Runs Into Rough Weather

© TOimages / Adobe Stock

Andrea Mather's plans for a long-awaited summer cruise around the Hawaiian islands with her financial analyst husband unraveled after her booking with Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America was canceled due to a staffing shortage.It was the second time this year that the 55-year-old homemaker's plan to go on a cruise was scuppered.The cruise industry is sailing in choppy waters yet again as it has to deal with a storm of labor problems, red-hot inflation and recessionary threat


14 May 2022

'Cruise Conversations Live' to Headline Cruise Ship Interior Show

Copyright Björn Wylezich/AdobeStock

As the cruise industry rebounds from its COVID hiatus, more than 25 cruise lines, designers, outfitters and sustainable accreditation experts are scheduled to be sharing their expertise at this year’s Cruise Conversations Live, taking place at Cruise Ship Interiors Expo America June 7–8, 2022. Cruise Conversations Live’s official Conference Partner is Passenger Ship Interior & Refurbishment Review and the official sponsor is NEWH. The conference will give life to the conversations everyone is talking about in the cruise interiors industry


26 Apr 2022

Wärtsilä Launches Large Bore, Medium Speed 46TS-DF Marine Engine

WĂ€rtsilĂ€ 46TS-DF is the latest addition to WĂ€rtsilÀ’s portfolio of future proof engines and has been designed to set a new benchmark in efficiency and emissions performance. © WĂ€rtsilĂ€

Wärtsilä launched the 46TS-DF medium-speed marine engine.The first order for this engine type was placed by Chantiers de l’Atlantique for Royal Caribbean Cruises in April 2021. The engines will be installed on their latest Oasis class ship ‘Utopia of the Seas’. The ship is being built by the shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique and will feature six Wärtsilä 46TS-DF engines with Gas Valve Units, NOx Reducer SCR systems, LNGPac and Transverse Thrusters.“Cutting-edge efficiency and leading environmental performance are crucial factors when designing our new ships


21 Apr 2022

DNV Issues Guidance on Passenger Vessel Blackouts

© idmanjoe / Adobe Stock

A newly published guidance paper from DNV seeks to support the prevention and mitigation of blackouts impacting passenger vessels.With blackout incidents on cruise ships on the rise, DNV has created a new guidance titled ‘Managing the risk of blackouts’ which addresses the main causes and associated risks, while offering recommendations and best practices on how to avoid them and reduce the likelihood of their occurrence.In 2019 there were 12 reported power-loss events on cruise ships that resulted in full or partial blackout while in transit or maneuvering – up from four events in 2018.

10 Jan 2022

Royal Caribbean Pauses Some Cruises Due to Omicron Concerns

© Stephan Schulz / Adobe Stock

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd has paused some of its cruise operations amid rising numbers of COVID-19 infections due to the Omicron variant.The sailings of three ships - Serenade of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas - have been paused while the return of its Vision of the Seas to cruising has been postponed to March 7, 2022, the cruise line said in a statement on Friday."We regret having to cancel our guests' long-awaited vacations and appreciate their loyalty and understanding


05 May 2021

CDC Advances Plan for Resumption of US Cruise Operations

Two Carnival cruise ships, Carnival Breeze and Carnival Vista, returned to Galveston earlier this week ahead of  planned voyages later this year. (Photo: Port of Galveston)

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun a key step for the eventual resumption of U.S. cruise industry operations by issuing new technical instructions.In October, the CDC issued Conditional Sailing Order for operators, which acted as a guidance for a phased resumption of cruise ship passenger operations.On Wednesday, it announced two new phases and said operators now have all necessary requirements needed "to start simulated voyages before resuming


08 Apr 2021

Florida Sues Biden Administration in Bid to Restart Cruise Industry

© Tamme / Adobe Stock

The state of Florida sued President Joe Biden's administration in federal court on Thursday seeking to block the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's decision to prevent the U.S. cruise industry from immediately resuming operations paused for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.The suit, filed by Republican Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody in Tampa, asked the court to issue an injunction barring enforcement of the CDC's order and to quickly lift a "nationwide lockdown" on the industry in place since March 2020.

05 Apr 2021

CDC Updates Cruise Ship Guidance; Still No Date for Resumed Voyages

© icholakov / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention on Friday issued new guidance to the cruise ship industry, including the need for COVID-19 vaccinations, a necessary step before passenger voyages can resume.The new technical instructions, the first update since October, include increasing from weekly to daily reporting frequency of COVID-19 cases and illnesses and implementing routine testing of all crew based on a ship’s COVID-19 status and establishing a plan and timeline


24 Mar 2021

US CDC Order Limiting Cruises to Remain Effective Until Nov. 1

© Ruth P. Peterkin / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday it would keep its stringent framework for a resumption of cruise ship operations until November 1, rebuffing an industry body’s push to lift the order early.Earlier on Wednesday, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) had urged the CDC to allow for a return to sailing from U.S.

03 Nov 2020

Cruise Lines Extend Operational Pause Through Year End

© gladchenko / Adobe Stock

The cruise industry will extend its suspension of U.S. cruise operations through Dec. 31, an industry group that represents 95% of global ocean-going cruise capacity said on Tuesday.The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said its members will use the remainder of the year to prepare for the implementation of measures to address COVID-19 safety issues.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday issued a framework for a phased resumption of cruise ship operations after a no-sail order issued in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic was to expire on Saturday.

30 Oct 2020

US CDC Issues Framework for Resumption of Cruise Ship Operations

© Solarisys / Adobe Stock

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday issued a framework for a phased resumption of cruise ship operations after a no-sail order issued in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic expires on Saturday.The CDC said it was requiring testing and additional safeguards for crew members. A U.S. House of Representatives committee is investigating if the White House blocked the CDC from extending the no-sail order through mid-February.The no-sail order issued in March came amid a rising number of coronavirus cases on cruise ships.

06 Oct 2020

Royal Caribbean Extends Suspension of Sailings until November 30

© Debbie Ann Powell / Adobe Stock

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd has extended suspension of sailings until November 30, excluding those originating from Hong Kong, the U.S.

28 Sep 2020

Crew on TUI Cruise Ship Test Positive for Coronavirus

© Debbie Ann Powell / Adobe Stock

A cruise ship carrying about 920 passengers was expected to dock at Piraeus port near Athens, after 12 of its crew members tested positive for the coronavirus, an official at Greece's Civil Protection agency said on Monday.The Mein Shiff 6, operated by TUI Cruises, departed from Heraklion in Crete on Sunday with all passengers having tested negative before boarding.But sample tests on 150 crew members out of a total of 666, detected 12 infections. The ship's operators TUI Cruises said six of the 12 had since tested negative."They are all asymptomatic," the civil protection official said.

03 Sep 2020

Carnival's Shares Surge as Costa Cruises Prepares to Sail

Costa Cruises is initially restarting sailing with two ships, Costa Deliziosa (pictured) and Costa Diadema, calling Italian ports. The one-week itineraries are being reserved exclusively for Italian guests. (Photo: Costa Cruises)

Carnival Corp’s shares surged 11% on Thursday after its Italian brand Costa Cruises said two of its ships would resume sailing this weekend, with more to follow.Cruise companies, among the worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, were forced to halt voyages for months after ships in Japan, Australia and California made headlines because of large numbers of infections onboard.So far this year, Carnival’s shares have lost nearly two-thirds of their value, while peer Royal Caribbean Cruises Group has lost about 45% and Norwegian Cruise Line Holding Ltd about 67%.Shares of Royal Caribbean were up 6% an

30 Jul 2020

Stalled Cruise Industry Targets Repeat Passengers

Retired New Yorkers Mahlon and Kim Russell have taken 15 cruises over the past 15 years, visiting destinations from Tahiti to St. Petersburg, primarily with Norwegian Cruise Line.After canceling a fall trip to Europe, in July the Russells booked a 10-day cruise around Australia and New Zealand—for January 2022.“We love cruising,” said Mahlon Russell. “But we don’t love it enough to be the first ones out of the gate.”The cruise industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic


22 Jun 2020

Carnival Extends Operations Pause to Sept. 30

© Tamme / Adobe Stock

Carnival Cruise Line said on Monday it has extended its pause in operations for North American voyages until September 30, as it determines how to safely resume service amid the COVID-19 pandemic.The cruise line, owned by Carnival Corp, had previously said it would resume some voyages on August 1.Industry trade group Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said on Friday its ocean-going cruise line members, which include Carnival, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, would voluntarily extend their pause in operations from U.S. ports until Sept.

20 May 2020

Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Extend Cruise Suspensions

(Photo: Royal Caribbean)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd on Wednesday extended the suspension of voyages by another month until July 31 amid sailing curbs imposed to check the spread of the coronavirus.The cruise industry has faced the brunt of the health crisis as major outbreaks in ships were blamed for spreading the disease, resulting in government-mandated “no-sail” orders and trip cancellations.Royal Caribbean, which warned of a second-quarter loss in the face of a mounting debt


20 May 2020

Royal Caribbean Warns of Second-quarter Loss

(File photo: Royal Caribbean Cruises)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd forecast a loss in the second quarter on Wednesday as the cruise operator struggles with mounting debt amid trip cancellations due to travel curbs imposed to check the spread of the coronavirus.The company, which posted a bigger-than-expected loss in the first quarter, has faced the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic as major outbreaks in cruises were blamed for spreading the disease.In the past few months, Royal Caribbean has borrowed more than $5 billion, some by pledging its ships, and now expects to pay between $590 million and $610 million in interests for the rest

19 May 2020

World First: Cruise Ship Piloted Remotely During Sea Trials

Silver Origin on sea trials (Photo: Silversea Cruises)

Royal Caribbean's Silversea Cruises says it is preparing to take delivery of its newest ship, Silver Origin, following a unique set of COVID-19-related challenges overcome by the shipbuilder and innovative sea trials that included world-first remote operations.The new 100-passenger ultra-luxury cruise ship was built by Dutch shipyard De Hoop, which completed construction despite setbacks brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.Silver Origin was still under construction on March 15


13 May 2020

Royal Caribbean Pledges 28 Ships as Collateral in $3.3 bln Bond Offer

(File photo: Royal Caribbean)

Royal Caribbean Cruises on Wednesday launched a $3.3 billion bond offering, pledging 28 of its ships as collateral and forecast heavy losses for the first quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic brings the sector to a virtual standstill.Royal Caribbean, which was forced to suspend its cruises globally and cut about 26% of its U.S. workforce, said the health crisis has dented its first-quarter net income by about $453 million.The cruise operator’s shares, which have sunk over 72% this year


05 May 2020

Norwegian Cruise Line Flags Doubts About Its Ability to Stay Afloat

(Photo: Norwegian Cruise Line)

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, the world’s third-largest cruise operator, raised doubts about its ability to continue operating on Tuesday, the first in the sector to signal it may succumb to the coronavirus crisis.The company’s shares closed down more than 20% as it launched a $1.6 billion offering of shares and bonds in a scramble to raise money, and announced a $400 million investment in a subsidiary from private equity firm L Catterton.“This is an industry that we’ve been pursuing for a long period of time


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