Unexpected Dry Dock Ends Alaska Sailing Season Early

Celebrity Millennium

2013 Alaska Season

Over in Ketchikan

Celebrity Millennium has been experiencing mechanical problems since early August, resulting in the early termination of its latest cruise and cancellation of 4 sailings ending the Alaska sailing season early for the vessel.

During the August 2nd sailing, the ship was delayed coming into port at the end of the cruise.   The ship made news as it was stranded in Seward during the August 9th sailing for emergency repairs. The ship bypassed all ports, sailing directly to Vancouver.

The final straw was on the August 16th sailing when the ship was stranded in Ketchikan in need of additional repairs.  Celebrity then decided to cancel the four remaining cruises and transition the ship to Freeport, Bahamas where it can undergo maintenance at the dry dock facility.

Celebrity Cruises provided charted air transportation for all passengers as well as compensation for the cancelled cruises.   

This is not the first time this year that Celebrity Millennium has had propulsion problems.   Itineraries were impacted in April (see Celebrity Millennium Itinerary Change).

 Propulsion: 2 × 19 MW Rolls-Royce/Alstom Mermaid azimuth thrusters

The Celebrity Millennium-class were the first of the larger class ships to be introduced to the Celebrity fleet later being  joined by the modern and popular Solstice-class ships.   Propulsion problems have often occurred with the azipod system, which improves maneuverability of the vessel.  In many of the previous cases, problems could be repaired by the onboard mechanics.   When they can't be resolved, unexpected dry docks, like the current one, result.

Hopefully the impacted passengers will be able to return to Alaska another time.  We are certain that Celebrity Cruises made the decision to cancel the remaining cruises after exhausting all other options.

Lobsters Keep Cruise Ship from Entering National Park

Celebrity Xpedition Cruises Temporarily Suspended 

  

June 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd Cruises Canceled

With all the cruise line stories in the news this year, here is one for the books.  Twenty-six pounds (12 kilograms) of frozen lobster has prevented Celebrity Xpedition from entering the protected waters of Galapagos National Park.  Authorities have suspended the ship's license when it was discovered that the ship was transporting the frozen lobster out of season.   The lobsters were purchased legally during season, but according to a recent change in the laws, should have been consumed within 5 days of the end of the season.

Celebrity Cruises contends that it wasn't aware of the law change and both the cruise line and the authorities did confirm the purchase had been made legally within the season.   A $2,000 fine has been levied against the line along with a 45 day suspension.  Celebrity is appealing the fine and suspension and at press time it isn't known when this matter could be resolved and sailings continue.

According to the line "Celebrity Cruises is committed to complying with the rules and regulations of the Galapagos, which are put in place to protect and safeguard this unique and pristine environment"
We know this first-hand from our Xpedition cruise.  The naturalists onboard explained all the rules and regulations and carefully monitored passengers to be sure all were in compliance.

Booked on a Future Cruise? 

Celebrity Cruises is hopeful that the license can be restored sooner, so they are making decisions on a cruise by cruise basis. June 16th passengers should monitor the situation. We'll provide updates here as we have updates.

Celebrity also has a travel alert dedicated to this topic on their site. Consult this for updates.

Booked guests can also contact them directly at 1-888-829-4050 in the U.S. and 1-408-916-9001 internationally.

Passengers are being compensated for the canceled cruises and also being provided with future credit equal to 50% of cruise fare.  They will have 2 years to rebook.

We hope that Celebrity Xpedition will soon be sailing again in the Galapagos.   This is an amazing voyage - see our series of articles to learn more about visiting the land where Darwin explored.

Costa Voyager Replacing Allegra in Europe

Costa Voyager Redeploying 

to Mediterranean

Red Sea Voyages Canceled

2012 continues to be a year of cancellations and itinerary shuffling for Costa Cruises, in the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster and the Costa Allegra fire.

In the wake of the Costa Allegra fire, February 27th, Costa Crociere is replacing the 28,500-ton, 1,000-passenger Costa Allegra with the 24,400-ton, 927-guest Costa Voyager, starting March 18.

The company has not determined how long it will take to repair and bring Costa Allegra back into service and restore planned cruises. Costa Cruises continues to conduct inspections and technical evaluations to ascertain what caused the generator-room fire.

Revised Costa Voyager Schedule

March 18 to July 1	various length cruises	French market - Mediterranean and Northern Europe
July 13	9-day cruise	Amsterdam to Savona
July 23 to August 20	7-day Mediterranean	Barcelona,Spain; Villefranche, France; Livorno and Capri, Italy; Malta; Cagliari, Italy and Minorca, Spain
August 28 onward	various length cruises	French market - Mediterranean

About Costa Voyager

Costa Voyager is a new-generation ship that entered service in 2000 and was renovated in November 2011. The ship has 416 cabins, three restaurants, four bars, a spa with fitness center, solarium, swimming pool, two Jacuzzis, theater, casino, disco and shopping center.

Canceled Red Sea Cruises

Costa Cruises is temporarily suspending Costa Voyager’s “Corals and Ancient Treasures” Red Sea itinerary. Guests who have booked this itinerary will be re-protected on equivalent cruises.   

Among the options offered are:

• 7-day UAE "Jewels of the Emirates" cruise - Costa Favolosa
• 7-day Caribbean "Pearls of the Caribbean" - Costa Luminosa
• any 7-day itinerary in western or eastern Mediterranean - Costa Atlantica, Costa Classica, Costa Fascinosa, Costa Favolosa, Costa Magica, Costa neoRomantica or Costa Serena.

Alternatively, guests booked on a Costa Allegra cruise may cancel without penalty and receive a full refund and a voucher equal to 30 percent of the rate paid toward the purchase of a future cruise.

Related Blog Posts:

Costa Allegra Adrift After Engine Fire

Costa Explains Fire Prevention & Fighting at Sea

Costa Allegra Arrives in Seychelles

Oceania Riviera Maiden Voyage Delayed

Year	2012
Gross Tonnage	66,000 t
Length between Pp	210 m
Moulded  Breadth	32.2 m
Number of Cabins	629
Max Speed	19.5 knots

Artist Rendition of  Oceania Riviera            Courtesy Fincantieri

Oceania Riviera Facts

Oceania Cruises announced that the debut of its next ship, the 1,250-passenger Riviera, has been delayed due to recent strikes at the Fincantieri shipyard near Genoa, Italy where it is being built.  It is a sister ship to Marina which debuted last year.  It was also built by the same shipyard.

Delay Cancels Two Cruises

The maiden voyage of the 66,000-ton vessel has been pushed back to May 16 from April 2, 2012. Two cruises scheduled to take place between April 24 and May 16 are being canceled.

"We sincerely regret any inconvenience that this may cause our guests," Oceania President Kunal Kamlani says in a statement accompanying the announcement. "We are working very closely with the shipyard to ensure Riviera is completed to meet Oceania's high standards of quality and service."

Second Delay for Debut

This is the second announced delay, within the last six months, to the maiden voyage of the Riviera. The line announced in August that the ship's debut was being pushed back from April 14 to April 24.  Delays to maiden voyages, while rare, can happen for a number of reasons.  In this case, a strike over reorganization planned at the shipyard due to a slowdown in newbuild orders, lasted longer than expected.


Oceania says customers on the canceled cruises will be contacted by the line or their travel agents to discuss alternative cruise dates. Those who choose to rebook onto a later voyage will receive a credit ranging from $250 to $1,000 per person, depending on category of accommodation. Those who do not wish to rebook will receive a full refund.

The new maiden voyage is a 10-day ‘Pearls of the Aegean’ cruise that includes an overnight aboard ship in Venice before departing for Dubrovnik, Kotor, Corfu, Monemvasia, Crete, Santorini, Delos, Mykonos and Athens.

Carnival Splendor Cruises Cancelled until January 16

The Mexican navy vessel P110 holds position off the
port bow of the Carnival cruise ship C/V Splendor
(Photo Courtesy U.S. Navy)

Carnival Splendor Out of Service

Miami - November 16, 2010 – 11am

Carnival Cruise Lines has cancelled voyages of the Carnival Splendor through the departure of January 9, 2011, to allow time for repairs following an engine room fire last week. The ship is scheduled to re-enter service on January 16, 2011.

Guests who were scheduled to sail on these voyages will receive a full refund of their cruise fare and air transportation costs, along with a 25 percent discount on a future cruise.

Carnival Splendor was towed to San Diego following the fire which occurred off the Mexican coast on November 8. A team from the U.S. Coast Guard, NTSB and flag authorities, along with Carnival's engineers and technicians, is currently on board investigating the cause of the fire. Carnival personnel are being assisted by representatives of the shipyard that built the vessel and other manufacturers of engine room components in assessing damage and necessary repairs.

"We realize how much guests look forward to their vacations and know that they are very disappointed by this news. We too are disheartened that we are not able to fulfill the dreams of those who have entrusted us with their important vacation plans. We sincerely apologize to everyone who was scheduled to sail on these cancelled voyages and look forward to welcoming them aboard in the future. Now that we have a full technical team engaged in the assessment, we wanted to provide this information as quickly as possible," said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO.

Carnival is contacting travel agents and guests on the affected sailings and providing assistance in finding alternate cruises. Travel agent commissions on the cancelled sailings will be protected.

Please continue to check back here for updates. 

If you are affected by this, please click here for an important notice detailing your options.

Related Blog Posts:

Carnival Splendor Fire Investigation 
Assisting Carnival Splendor 
Carnival Splendor Without Power After Engine Fire 

Cruise Itinerary Changes Following St. Kitts Robbery

Photo courtesy of Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park

In the wake of Sunday's brazen robbery at gunpoint of a bus full of Celebrity Mercury passengers on a St. Kitts shore excursion, at least two cruise lines have canceled calls on the island.   Carnival Miracle, scheduled to visit St. Kitts  headed to Antigua, and Princess Cruises' Grand Princess will make a similar detour on Wednesday.

Two masked gunmen on St. Kitts held up 17 passengers from Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Mercury who were on a ship-sponsored tour, called "Essential St. Kitts", that includes a sight-seeing drive of the city of Basseterre.  The tour was headed to Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, a popular tourist spot.

According to police reports, the gunmen blocked the road with a fallen tree which prompted the bus driver to exit the vehicle to clear the road.   When this was done, the band of robbers emerged from the  bushes and robbed the tourists at gunpoint before disappearing back into the woodlands.  The passengers' cash, jewelry, cameras and other valuables were taken and fortunately noone was injured in the incident.

Celebrity Cruises has cancelled the tour indefinitely and indicated that it will closely monitor the safety situation in St. Kitts, but has yet to cancel any calls at the island.  They released the following statement:


"We are thankful that none of our guests were injured in this unfortunate event, and will continue to provide them any support they may need.  A vacation is supposed to be filled with fun, rejuvenation and relaxation. An act of crime should not be part of any vacation, and we regret our guests had to experience those events."

St. Kitts-Nevis Observer was told by a police spokesperson, "this tour bus robbery is an unprecedented incident in St. Kitts, where visitor safety is of the highest priority. Last year, over (500,000) cruise passengers safely disembarked in St. Kitts...we deeply regret any type of incident that might tarnish our visitors' experience."

It is believed that the recent surge in violence in the Caribbean is linked to an increase in drug traffic. Much of the cocaine headed for the U.S. and European markets from South America transits the Caribbean.

Watch here for updates from the cruise lines in reaction to this incident.