Whether you are on “April Break” or spending some time with family and friends this holiday weekend, it is surely a time to celebrate. While it has been a relatively slow news week in the world of cruising, that does not mean we are on hiatus. There were still noteworthy announcements and updates from the major cruise lines. So, here is our latest edition of Cruise News April 16, 2017.

Cruise News April 16, 2017

You Can Now Use Onboard Credit Before You Cruise

Fans of Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises got an Easter present earlier this week. In separate announcements, the two cruise lines revealed a change in policy regarding onboard credit. Cruise Critic was first to break the news about the changes to both cruise lines’ stance on using onboard credit pre-cruise. Of course, the Princess and I have cruises reserved with both cruise lines, and we are also able to confirm that on reservations where we received onboard credit from the cruise lines, we received notices that we could now use our onboard credit for purchases. In theory, the credits can be used to purchase things such as shore excursions, specialty dining, and even beverage packages. Do you like this new development? We sure do!

Carnival Cruise Line Opens up Aft Pools

Positioning itself as a family cruise line, Carnival Cruise Line made moves to further make their ships “kid friendly”. The line announced that they would be opening up pools on seven ships to all cruisers. These formerly “adult only pools” located on the aft of seven ships will now be opened to adults and children. The revelation was made by brand ambassador John Heald in a Facebook update this past week. The ships that will no longer have adult aft pools include the Carnival Conquest, Glory, Valor, Liberty, Freedom, Splendor, and Victory. Many Carnival Cruise Line ships will maintain the adults only “Serenity” area that often includes a pool.

Cruise News April 16, 2017

Carnival Cruise Line Expanding in Long Beach

In additional enhancement news, Carnival Cruise Line is looking to grow operations in Long Beach, California. The cruise line has been operating cruises from the current port there since 2003. A few days ago, the cruise line held a ceremony to mark the expansion of operations from the port. Plans include tripling the current size of the terminal as well as expanding parking. The larger building will allow for bigger vessels to sail from the port, as well as to provide for more efficient embarkation and disembarkation of passengers. The construction should be completed by the end of the year. There has been no word yet on which additional ships will use the new terminal. Currently, you can book 2 to 7 day cruises sailing to Mexico onboard Carnival Splendor, Imagination, Inspiration, and Miracle.

Majestic Princess Will Spend a Season in Australia

Princess Cruises’ newest ship, the Majestic Princess, has not even made it to her homeport yet and she is already planning on a move. In what was a surprise change of plans for the ship, Princess Cruises announced that the Majestic Princess would have a seasonal stop over in Australia during the 2018-2019 cruise season. Majestic Princess was built specifically for the Chinese market and was billed to be sailing year round in Shanghai. However, the move to position the ship for a season in Australia, as well as the line’s decision to also relocate the Sapphire Princess from China to Europe, indicates the cruise line may have over estimated demand for their ships in the region. When Majestic Princess officially calls on Sydney, she will be the largest Princess ship to sail from the continent, offering 16 cruises with exotic ports including Fiji and New Zealand.

Comments

Did we miss any major cruise developments in our latest edition of Cruise News April 16, 2017? Do you have any updates to share? Drop us an anchor below to share your headlines from the world of cruising.