Carnival Cruise Lines’ big expansion plans in Tampa and Long Beach and a new ruling in the labor dispute at Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel are the top headlines to watch in the travel industry today.
Carnival Expands in Tampa, Long Beach
Carnival Cruise Line is expanding its capacity from two ports with the addition of Carnival Miracle operating seven-day Caribbean cruises from Tampa and Carnival Splendor offering week-long Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach, CA, beginning in 2018.
Prior to launching the new service, both ships will sail extended Panama Canal cruises in January 2018, calling at ports throughout the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. Carnival Splendor will also operate 14-day Hawaii cruises round trip from Long Beach.
The move means Carnival will now have two year-round ships out of Tampa and a newer, larger vessel on the West Coast.
Carnival Miracle’s seven-day Caribbean sailings from Tampa will kick off January 27, 2018, departing Saturdays and Sundays and calling at George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; and Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan; and Belize City, Belize. These voyages are part of Carnival’s Cozumel Plus program, which offers extended stays in Cozumel with access to new shore excursions, many of which are on Mexico’s mainland. Options include swimming with whale sharks, visiting centuries-old ruins and swimming in hidden caverns.
The 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle joins the 2,052-passenger Carnival Paradise, which operates year-round four- and five-day Caribbean cruises from Tampa.
Carnival Splendor’s schedule of seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach will begin January 27, 2018, replacing Carnival Miracle and representing a 41 percent capacity increase on the line’s week-long cruises from the West Coast, Carnival said.
The ship will sail three different itineraries. One will visit Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, while another will spend two days at Cabo San Lucas and a full day in Puerto Vallarta. The third itinerary will overnight in Puerto Vallarta with a day-long call in Cabo San Lucas.
Carnival Splendor will join Carnival Inspiration and Carnival Imagination, which both offer three- and four-day Baja cruises from Long Beach. With the addition of Carnival Splendor, the line will carry upwards of 700,000 guests annually from Southern California, operating nearly 250 three- to 14-day cruises a year, Carnival said.
Prior to reaching its new homeport, Carnival Splendor will offer a 13-day Panama Canal cruise from Miami January 14 and arriving in Long Beach January 27, 2018. The itinerary will make it the first Carnival ship to transit the newly opened Panama Canal locks, with visits to Cartagena; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Additionally, Carnival Splendor will operate two 14-day Carnival Journeys cruises to Hawaii round-trip from Long Beach. One will depart October 13, 2018, and the other December 1, 2018, with calls at Maui, Honolulu, Kona and Hilo, Hawaii, as well as Ensenada, Mexico.
Carnival Miracle will also sail a 14-day Panama Canal cruise, departing Long Beach January 13 and arriving in Tampa January 27, 2018, with ports of call including Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Quetzal, Puntarenas, Cartagena, and George Town. The ship will also sail an eight-day Panama Canal cruise round-trip from Tampa April 14 - 22, 2018, with stops at Limon, Costa Rica and Grand Cayman.
Finally, the ship will offer a 14-day Carnival Journeys cruise with a partial Panama Canal transit along with calls at Cozumel, Limon, Cartagena, Aruba, Curacao and Ocho Rios, sailing from Tampa December 2 - 16, 2018.
Labor Board Finds Trump’s Las Vegas Hotel Violated Law
In hotel news, the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas was charged with violating federal labor law Thursday by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for refusing to bargain with a union that represents more than 500 of the property’s housekeeping, food and beverage and guest services workers, Politico reports.
The NLRB ordered the hotel to recognize and bargain with the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, an affiliate of UNITE HERE, which represents the workers. The hotel was also ordered to post notices about the violation.
The hotel had been in a dispute with the workers for two years. The workers voted to become affiliated with the union in December 2015, with the NLRB certifying the election in March. Since then, the hotel had refused to bargain with the union.
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