There’s nothing like basking in the warm Miami sun with drinks in our hands! Yes, we are laying poolside today getting ready for our Norwegian Sky cruise leaving tomorrow. Just because we are catching some rays this weekend doesn’t mean we have abandoned our weekly news summary! So, while we flag down a waiter for a second round of drinks, here are the latest updates from the past seven days with Cruise News May 7, 2017.

Cruise News May 7, 2017

Norwegian Sky Sails into Havana

It was Norwegian Cruise Line’s turn to make history this week. This past Monday, the Norwegian Sky made her inaugural cruise into Havana, Cuba. Spending a total of two days on the island, Norwegian Sky became the first NCL ship to visit Cuba. Representatives from the cruise line were onboard to mark this special occasion. Norwegian Sky will continue to offer these sailings throughout the rest of the year and part of 2018. We followed all of the action from home while some of our travel media friends and bloggers were onboard. Now it is our turn! So, don’t forget to follow along with us as we explore Havana this week.

Cruise News May 7, 2017 (Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line)

Carnival Cruise Line Adds a Bahamas Port

It became official just a few days ago during a ceremony held in Freeport, Bahamas that Carnival Corporation has agreed to create a new port. The yet to be named port will be located on Grand Bahama Island. The new port will be the largest purpose-built port created by a cruise line in the Bahamas. A beach, shopping, and other facilities are expected to be part of the new area. When completed, the pier will be able to accommodate up to two of the largest Carnival ships. Eventually, the addition of this port could bring upwards of a million people to the island each year.

New MSC Cruise Ship Bookings Open

With five ships debuting over the next three years, MSC Cruises will have plenty of innovative ships cruising on both sides of the Atlantic. If you want to try out this growing fleet, then you are in luck. Just a few days ago, the cruise line opened reservations for one of their newest ships. Guests who have sailed with MSC in the past can now book cabins for the inaugural season of MSC Bellissima. This second Meraviglia-class ship will be the largest ship in the fleet. The ship will be cruising the Western Mediterranean starting in March of 2019. Rooms go on sale to the general public on May 15th.

Cruise News May 7, 2017 (Courtesy of MSC Cruises)

Royal Caribbean Returns to New Orleans

In ports of call news, Royal Caribbean is changing things up yet again. Given Mariner of the Seas’ return to Miami, FL (see last week’s news), the line has made further changes to its ship deployments. Among the welcomed changes is the return of Royal Caribbean to New Orleans. Starting in late 2018, Vision of the Seas will be offering 7-night cruises rotating between the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Along with shifting Vision of the Seas, Royal Caribbean is also further expanding its presence in the Gulf. Enchantment of the Seas will begin offering four and five night cruises from Galveston, TX starting in June of next year. Liberty of the Seas will continue to sail from the port as well offering seven night sailings.

Cruise News May 7, 2017

Terminal Upgrades Coming to Port of Miami

Norwegian Cruise Line’s parent company has come to terms with the Port of Miami. The cruise line will now get preferential treatment in the to be built $100 million dollar Terminal B. When finally constructed, the terminal should be able to host two mega-ships. The company has agreed to a total of 52 calls at the new terminal with ships carrying at least 3,000 passengers. Odds are that these calls will occur on NCL’s Breakaway or Breakaway-plus class ships. The agreement also includes additional calls from sister cruise lines, including Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises.

Comments

Did we miss any headlines in our latest edition of Cruise News May 7, 2017? Do you have any additional updates to share? Drop us an anchor below with your cruise news from the week.