Editor's Note: Due to the holiday period, this write-up covers news and happenings of the past two weeks. Starting on January 9, we'll return to our normal weekly coverage.
A massive rogue wave hit HX’s 266-passenger Maud while it was sailing from Norway to the United Kingdom. While no major guest injuries were reported, the ship temporarily lost propulsion and guests were called to muster stations as a precaution. The ship was inspected and, according to Seatrade Cruise News, sailed to Bremerhaven, Germany, where passengers later disembarked,
In other top news, the new Riverside Luxury Cruises will launch Riverside Debussy, its third luxury river ship, on a late March 2024 inaugural voyage from Brussels, Belgium, to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Overall, the all-suite ship will offer 40-plus voyages next year. Separately, Explora Journeys introduced new destination experiences for Explora I’s West Coast and Hawaii voyages in 2024.
And as the new year dawns, travel advisors and cruise lines continue to see soaring sales. On December 21, 2023, Carnival Corporation reported that its full-year 2023 revenues were tracking at an all-time high of $21.6 billion and that it would enter 2024 at its best-booked position ever for both price and occupancy.
More Cruise News
Recently updating its two-ship fleet with shore power connectivity, SeaDream Yacht Club also introduced its new schedule of Mediterranean voyages for 2026. Highlights include seven new ports of call and SeaDream's first-ever,14-day, in-depth, slow travel voyages.
Viking also introduced its 2026 European river schedules, while Norwegian Cruise Line unveiled its schedule for fall-winter 2025-2026. As for polar expeditions, Atlas Ocean Voyages unveiled its line-up of new 2025 Arctic expeditions, plus Scenic announced the early release of its 2025-2026 Antarctica sailings, including Christmas and New Year's holiday sailings.
Technology-wise, Princess Cruises is introducing a new Princess Cruises app. It's now available in the Apple App Store and Android Play Store. For now, the new app will coexist alongside the original app so guests will choose which they prefer to use.
Related Stories
Norwegian Extends NCF Commissions Through March 2024
Five 2024 Travel Trends Driving Guest Choices: MSC Cruises