Cruise News May 28, 2017

It is the unofficial start of summer this weekend. Hopefully, you have some Memorial Day plans that include grills, sun, beach, and fun. Bonus points to those who get to include all of those as

Cruise News May 28, 2017

It is the unofficial start of summer this weekend. Hopefully, you have some Memorial Day plans that include grills, sun, beach, and fun. Bonus points to those who get to include all of those as part of a cruise! With some red hot Memorial Day sales happening now, there were also some bright updates from the major cruise lines. So, here is our weekly look at all of the latest travel news with this edition of Cruise News May 28, 2017.

Cruise News May 28, 2017

Another Cruise Line Will Be Heading to Cuba in 2017

Holland America Line (HAL) will be heading to Cuba later this year. The cruise line released the news this week that they have also gotten approval to call in Cuba. The first visit to Cuba will be part of the MS Veendam 9-day Caribbean sailing this December. In addition, future nine day itineraries will include regular stops in Havana, Cuba. Some nine and twelve day cruises will also include a stop in Cienfuegos, Cuba. The addition of Holland America Line to Cuba will increase the number of premium cruise lines calling on the island. In addition to HAL, Viking Ocean Cruises will also have Caribbean itineraries stopping in Cuba starting this December.

Carnival Cruise Line Drink Package Prices Increase

Carnival Cruise Line is increasing the price of one of its drink packages. The line announced that the per-day price for the Bottomless Bubbles Package (i.e their “soda package” ) was going up for adults. The line is increasing the price by $1 a day to a total of $7.50 per day, plus 15% gratuity. Children’s prices remain unaltered with a daily charge of $4.50 (plus 15% service charge). The package covers select soft drinks at bars and restaurants on the ship, as well as a handful of juices. Based on current onboard pricing, cruisers would need to average around 5 soft drinks a day to “break even” on the program now.

Cruise News May 28, 2017Cruise News May 28, 2017

Norwegian Bliss Keel Ceremony

Norwegian Cruise Line has laid the first keel for their next Breakaway-plus ship. The ceremony was held a few days ago in the shipyard in Germany where the Norwegian Bliss is being built by Meyer Werft. One of the only ships to be “custom built” for Alaska, Bliss will include a forward facing Observation Lounge. The ship will begin regular seven day sailings to Alaska next April. The Princess and I are eagerly awaiting the release of additional details about the ship.

As part of this megaship’s upcoming season in Alaska, the cruise line and port officials in Seattle officially opened the newly renovated Bell Street Terminal at Pier 66. Costing around $30 million, this newly updated terminal will allow for the efficient processing of Bliss’ 4,000 passengers. Updates include separate customs areas, enhancements to the luggage delivery system in the terminal, and additional escalators to allow for easier embarkation and disembarkation.

Comments

Did we miss any noteworthy cruise developments from this past week in our latest edition of Cruise News May 28, 2017? Do you have any updates to share? Drop us an anchor below to share your breaking news with fellow cruisers.

Cruise News May 28, 2017

Don Bucolo, or “DB”, loves everything about cruising- the ocean, the food, and the atmosphere. While he may be obsessed with doing extensive amounts of research on ships and all elements of a cruise, Don enjoys sharing his new found knowledge with fellow cruisers. When he is not sailing the high seas, he does whatever his wife tells him to do-it only took 10 years to realize this.
Don Bucolo
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Cruise News May 28, 2017

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