Recapping Some of the Major Stories of 2011
Notable Cruise Line Highlights
Three Queens Meet ... On a cold wintry day in January, 3 queens met in New York Harbor. Cunard Lines Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria rendezvoused by the Statue of Liberty as crowds watched an amazing fireworks display. Read more ... Royal Rendezvous New York
Watching Live ... Kevin Sheehan, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, appeared on CBS televisions popular "Undercover Boss" where he learned first-hand what the crew faces to bring Freestyle Cruising to their guests. Read more ... NCL's Boss Goes Undercover
New Ships ... Several ships entered service this year including Disney Dream, which is the first of two new ships being added to that fleet. Read more ... Welcome Home Disney Dream
Returning to Service ... One of the most notable cruise line events in 2010 was the fire aboard Carnival Splendor. The ship returned to service this year where it continues to be one of the few ships in the Mexican Riviera. Read more ... Carnival Splendor Resumed Cruises
These are just a few of the top cruise line stories making the headlines of our blog posts this past year.
Political Unrest & Other Issues
Economics, Violence, Unrest ... Poor economic conditions prompted strikes and political unrest in several European & Middle Eastern countries this year impacting cruise line schedules. Since cruise lines take passenger and crew safety very highly, many itineraries were changed to avoid conflict areas. Here are some of the notable stories:
Weather & Natural Disasters
Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Hurricanes, Snow storms, Volcanic Eruptions ... There were several natural disasters and weather-related interruptions to travel, including cruises, this past year. The most devastating event had to be the earthquakes and resulting tsunami in Japan. The entire world watched as the country tried to avoid a nuclear disaster.
As 2012 dawns, the cruise lines that are in the Mexican Riviera are still avoiding Mazatlan, some of the eliminated European and Middle Eastern ports of call have had some limited resumption of service, and weather will continue to impact schedules. We will continue to monitor changes in the industry and events that have an impact on cruise schedules in the upcoming months. Wave Season is about to start, so contact us with your bucket list so that we can watch for specials that might be of interest.
We wish you all a Healthy and Prosperous New Year. The Sea is Calling ...
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