Royal Caribbean Protocol Updates

Updated August 30, 2022

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have announced that they are welcoming all guest, regardless of vaccination status, beginning with sailings departing on September 5, 2022, from any U.S. homeport (excluding sailings visiting Bermuda or Canada).  Please make note of not only the changes to vaccination status for U.S. departures, but also testing requirements for some of our European itineraries. 

What You Need To Know

All U.S. Departures beginning September 5^th (excluding Canada, Bermuda, and Transpacific sailings)

Vaccination:

• If eligible, we recommend that guests be fully vaccinated against COVID‐19. While vaccination is not required, we kindly ask that guests disclose their status during check-in to ensure we maintain a highly vaccinated onboard population.
• Grand Cayman will now allow unvaccinated guests to disembark in port

Pre-Cruise Testing:

• Sailings 9 nights or less:
  • Unvaccinated guests ages 5 years and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken no earlier than 3 days prior to sailing.
  • Fully vaccinated guests do not need to test for these sailings.
  • Accepted tests are FDA‐approved PCR or antigen tests, which now includes self-tests. (Yes, the unsupervised ones!)
    • Proof of a negative test can be the printed or digital results, a clear photo of the self-test result, or the actual self-test in hand.
• Sailings 10 nights or more:
  • All guests ages 5 years and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken no earlier than 3 days prior to sailing.
  • Accepted tests are FDA‐approved PCR or antigen tests, which now includes self-tests. (Yes, the unsupervised ones!)
    • Proof of a negative test can be the printed or digital results, a clear photo of the self-test result, or the actual self-test in hand.

U.S. Departures visiting Bermuda beginning September 5^th

• While requirements for sailing have changed for some destinations, most of Bermuda’s local regulations and requirements are still in place.
• This means vaccination and pre-cruise testing requirements remain unchanged.
• We’ve removed the boarding day test requirement.

Sailings beginning September 5^th that begin, end, or stop in Canada

• While requirements for sailing have changed for some destinations, Canada’s local regulations and requirements are still in place.
• The vaccination requirement and the pre-cruise & embarkation testing requirement (2 days prior for vaccinated guests | 3 days prior for unvaccinated + boarding day test) remain in place.

All European & UK Departures beginning September 5^th (excluding Transatlantic sailings)

Vaccination:

• All European and UK Itineraries (excluding Transatlantic sailings)
  • We recommend that guests be fully vaccinated against COVID‐19 and up to-date, when eligible.
  • While vaccination is not required, we kindly ask you disclose your status during check-in to ensure we maintain a highly vaccinated onboard population.

Pre-cruise Testing (check departure port for info):

Sailings departing from Amsterdam, Barcelona, and the U.K.

• Sailings 9 nights or less:
  • Guests ages 12 years and older who are unvaccinated or not up-to-date must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken no earlier than:
    • 24 hours before boarding day if taking an antigen test
    • 72 hours before boarding day if taking a PCR test
  • Up-to-date guests do not need to test for these sailings.
  • Accepted tests are PCR or antigen tests, which now includes self-tests. (Yes, the unsupervised ones!)
    • Proof of a negative test can be the printed or digital results, a clear photo of your self-test result, or your actual self-test in hand.
• Sailings 10 nights or more:
  • All guests ages 12 years and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result.
  • Up-to-date guests must present a negative COVID-19 test taken no earlier than 3 days prior to boarding day.
  • Unvaccinated or not up-to date guests must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken no earlier than:
    • 24 hours before boarding day if taking an antigen test
    • 72 hours before boarding day if taking a PCR test
  • Accepted tests are PCR or antigen tests, which now includes self-tests. (Yes, the unsupervised ones!)
    • Proof of a negative test can be the printed or digital results, a clear photo of your self-test result, or your actual self-test in hand.

Sailings departing from Athens, Greece

• All guests ages 12 years and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result from a test taken no earlier than:
  • 48 hours before boarding day if taking an antigen test
  • 72 hours before boarding day if taking a PCR test
• Accepted tests are PCR or antigen tests taken in person.
  • Proof of a negative test can be the printed or digital results.
  • Telehealth and unsupervised self-testing are not accepted for sailings departing from Greece

Sailings departing from Tarragona, Spain

• All guests ages 12 years and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result from a test taken no earlier than:
  • 48 hours before boarding day if taking an antigen test
  • 72 hours before boarding day if taking a PCR test
• Accepted tests are PCR or antigen tests taken in person or supervised virtually.
  • Proof of a negative test can be the printed or digital results.
  • Unsupervised self-testing is not accepted for sailings visiting Greece

Sailings departing from Haifa, Israel

• All guests ages 12 years and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result from a test taken no earlier than:
  • 48 hours before boarding day if taking an antigen test
  • 72 hours before boarding day if taking a PCR test
• Accepted tests are PCR or antigen tests taken in person or supervised virtually.
  • Proof of a negative test can be the printed or digital results.
  • Unsupervised self-testing is not accepted for sailings visiting Greece

Sailings departing from Italy visiting Greece

• If the sailing departs from any Italian port and makes at least one (1) stop in Greece, the following testing is required.
  • All guests ages 12 years and older must present a negative COVID-19 test result from a test taken no earlier than:
    • 48 hours before boarding day if taking an antigen test
    • 72 hours before boarding day if taking a PCR test
  • Accepted tests are PCR or antigen tests taken in person or supervised virtually.
    • Proof of a negative test can be the printed or digital results.
    • Unsupervised self-testing is not accepted for sailings visiting Greece

Sailings departing from Italy not visiting Greece

Vaccination:

• Guests ages 12 years and older who are unvaccinated or not up-to-date must present a negative COVID-19 test result taken no earlier than:
  • 24 hours before boarding day if taking an antigen test
  • 72 hours before boarding day if taking a PCR test
• Up-to-date guests do not need to test for these sailings.
  • Accepted tests are PCR or antigen tests, which now includes self-tests. (Yes, the unsupervised ones!)
  • Proof of a negative test can be the printed or digital results, a clear photo of your self-test result, or your actual self-test in hand.

Onboard Testing:

• Any sailing visiting Greece
  • Guests ages 12 years and older who are unvaccinated or not up-to-date will require additional testing to be completed onboard at their own expense, in order to go ashore.
• Any sailing ending in Spain
  • Guests ages 12 years and older who are unvaccinated or not up-to-date will require additional testing to be completed prior to debarking in Spain at their own expense.

Resources

• Royal Caribbean Healthy Sail Center
• Royal Caribbean Healthy Sail Center FAQs
• Celebrity Healthy at Sea
• Celebrity Country Travel Requirements

 

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Exciting News from Celebrity Cruises

Have You Been Waiting To Cruise Again - Wait No Longer

We just concluded the latest briefing by Celebrity Cruises regarding changes to testing and vaccination requirements both in the U.S. and Europe.   They mentioned that Top Gun has their sequel Top Gun Maverick and they said this is Cruising's Sequel.   As you can see from the charts below, more people are now able to cruise with relaxed requirements.  There are only a few exceptions, which are anticipated to change in the near future as well.   We can unravel the requirements and find the perfect cruise for you, your family, and your friends.

We encourage you to contact your Travel Advisor to plan your next vacation NOW.   Pricing has remained steady, allowing ships to fill up.   Don't miss the boat (ship)!  Prices will rise - take our word for it.   Your cruise deposit will lock in these low prices and also an incentive that is currently in place.

Here are the latest updates.  Click on the images to enlarge.   You can also visit Healthy Sailing page.

We can't stress enough - don't try to plan on your own.  The requirements for our October sailing has changed 3 times in less than a month.   We are keeping updated so you don't need to.

 Current Celebrity Cruises Promotions

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Come Sail Away with Royal

We look at the current state of the cruise industry through the lens of a CEO of one of the largest cruise lines. We end with an optimistic video, which was made almost a year ago, by their entertainment department .

Industry Update

As a professional travel advisor, part of my job is to stay informed, so that I can keep my guests updated with the latest information during these unprecedented times.

This morning I attended the 49th trade update presented by Royal Caribbean since the pandemic started.  These weekly updates have been very beneficial to me and the rest of the trade industry.  Thank you Royal Caribbean Group for your ongoing commitment and efforts during these times. 

Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, was guest speaker for this session. This image captured his expressions during his various past appearances, with the latest one reflecting joy about the progress made in resuming operations safely.

In fact, Royal Caribbean Group has already had 100,000 guests onboard. With the new protocols in place, mainly testing and contract tracing, they have only had 10 positive cases of COVID-19 without any major disruption to other passengers or countries visited.  This is mainly due to the ability to isolate anyone that is showing symptoms and identify anyone they were in contact with.  The industry as a whole has had 350,000 guests sailing successfully since gradually resuming sailings.

We Control the Environment

You might be wondering why there has been such a low percentage of positive cases among these 100,000 passengers.   Richard Fain explained that since they are in control of the environment, everyone is tested and contract tracing can identify any possible risk from exposure.  He went on to say that the contract tracing technology being used is more effective that what is used on land.   There you would be contacted by phone by someone and most likely you wouldn't even know who you had been in contact with.  On the ship, they can determine who you were in contact with, and for how long, using the technology put in place.  Impacted individuals can quickly be identified and isolated keeping the remaining guests safely protected and not impacting their vacations.

Time to Move On

Back in October, 2020, CDC issued a Conditional Sail Order which consisted of four phases.  We are still in Phase 1 with no direction regarding remaining phases.  This plan is out of date, therefore Royal Caribbean has been working with health experts and various governments to put safe cruising protocols in place.

The various Public Health agencies have detailed information about infectious illnesses and the cruise lines have the data about the cruise industry and protocols.   Cooperation and dialog has been very valuable, as well as science and technology, in creating a revised plan to safely resume sailing.

Royal Caribbean has announced homeport changes which will allow them to continue their gradual return to sailing.  The latest announcement has sailings embarking from Bermuda starting in June (more on that in another post).

Delivering Great Experience

As you can imagine there were many questions during this session.  One agent asked how crew members were holding up.  Mr. Fain acknowledged that it had been hard on everyone, especially in the beginning with flight restrictions preventing crew members from getting home.  He said that "while the men and women that deliver the great cruise experience had it very difficult, their response was a joy to behold."  Royal Caribbean recently had a survey and within 12 hours they had overwhelming responses with the crew anxious to return.  He said "I often say that I have the best job in the world.  I work with a team that really cares."

Passengers who are disembarking the cruises, that have begun, are giving Royal Caribbean high marks.  The cruise experience that Royal is known for is still being delivered.  Another technology item that is making a difference is Muster 2.0, which allows passengers to view the safety video at their leisure and checkin at the muster station during a pre-defined period of time.  This eliminates social distancing issues while still maintaining the mandatory safety requirements.

Who is Cruising Now

There had been an assumption made that when cruising resumed, the majority of the cruisers would be well-seasoned veteran cruisers.  In Singapore for example, 80% of the guests are first time cruisers.  In Germany, first time cruisers are at or above the level they were at prior to COVID-19.

What Destinations 

Several questions were asked about various cruise destinations.   He indicated that there will be a Europe season this summer, but it won't be the same as usual.  Royal Caribbean is still working through the various regulatory hurdles.   He mentioned that MSC and Costa are currently operating in Europe and Royal Caribbean's Israel to Greece itinerary will be very popular.

Alaska's cruise season is still in question.  There has been support by several members of Congress and others, mostly on behalf of businesses in Alaska.   The cruise season is short, so you can't just postpone it for a few months.  One issue is the it takes months to prepare a ship's sailing so getting timely permissions is crucial. 

Royal Caribbean Entertainment

A year ago the world learned about Zoom meetings and soon they discovered you perform music as well.  The Royal Caribbean Entertainment team produced this video with performers all over the world to share an inspirational message.  The video ends with "We'll Be Back".  

This is the last time this video will be seen in its current form.   Royal Caribbean is Back (sailing again)!!

 

Related Posts 

Cruise Industry Leaders Share Their Vision
CDC Publishes Conditional Sailing Order

Reassuring Safe to Cruise

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Captain Schettino Prison Sentence Set

Captain Schettino

Convicted & Sentenced

Costa Concorida Trial

 

Just over three years following the capsizing of Costa Concordia off the coast of Giglio, Italy, the Italian court has handed down its verdict in the trial of Captain Schettino. He was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years and one month in prison for multiple counts of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship in the 2012 disaster that killed 32 people.


Sentencing by the three judge panel was as follows:

• five years for causing the Jan. 13, 2012, shipwreck
• one year for abandoning the ship 
• one month for false communications to maritime authorities

While this sentence was less than the 26 years and 3 months requested by prosecutors, Schettino had commented (prior to sentencing) that the verdict "should have involved an entire organization and instead sees me as the only defendant." Several of his crew members had already taken deals by pleading guilty to their charges.

Despite the prison sentence, Schettino remains a free man.  The court rejected prosecutors' request that Schettino be immediately arrested. In Italy, defendants have two levels of appeals and sentences don't begin being served until those appeals are exhausted.

The appeals will undoubtedly center around Schettino's contention that no one died because of the collision, but because of problems beyond his control including the following factors:

• helmsman who botched Schettino's orders immediately before and after the collision
• crew members who weren't fluent in English or in Italian, the working language of the ship
• emergency generator failed after the crash 
• water-tight compartment doors also didn't work properly
• lack of emergency drills after cruise started 

We have been covering the entire Costa Concordia accident, including the cleanup and legal proceedings.   For complete details, see our anchor article:  Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident

Related Blog Posts 

Captain Schettino Testifies
Captain Schettino Gets Day in Court or Not
The Legal ABCs of the Costa Concordia Shipwreck (Peter Greenberg)
Costa Concordia Legal Update (Ongoing updates)
Expert Findings Released on Costa Concordia

Captain Schettino Testifies

Captain Schettino

Testifies in 

Costa Concorida Trial

 

CNN reporter Barbie Nadeau details Captain Schettino's testimony December 2nd as he took the stand for the first time. Commenting about the trial he said

 "It is exhausting, but I think it is going well," Schettino said of Tuesday's hearing. "It is important because this is the only chance I have to tell my version of events."

Several of his crew members have already taken deals by pleading guilty to their charges. Those testimonies may be hard for Schettino to overcome as he tells his version of the story. He faces up to 23 years in prison if convicted.  The trial began in July, 2013.

We have been covering the entire Costa Concordia accident, including the cleanup and legal proceedings.   For complete details, see our anchor article:  Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident
Related Blog Posts 

Captain Schettino Gets Day in Court or Not
The Legal ABCs of the Costa Concordia Shipwreck (Peter Greenberg)
Costa Concordia Legal Update (Ongoing updates)
Expert Findings Released on Costa Concordia

Captain Schettino Trial Set for July

Captain Francesco Schettino, Captain of the Costa Concordia when it ran aground off the coast of Giglio, Italy, will stand trial in a hearing scheduled to begin July 9th in the Tuscan city of Grosseto.

Schettino is accused of multiple counts of manslaughter, causing the accident, and abandoning ship prematurely.  If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

 According to his lawyer, prosecutors rejected a plea bargain offer from Schettino last month but accepted those of five other officials, including four ship's officers and the crisis coordinator of the vessel's owners, Costa Cruises.  A plea bargain was also accepted for the cruise line as we reported in our previous article:  Costa Fined - No Criminal Charges in Italy for Concordia.

The court also rejected new evidence which Schettino's lawyer indicated would "clarify" that there were other factors, beyond the captain's control, that factored into the accident.  

Related Blog Posts Regarding the Costa Concordia:


Costa Concordia Legal Update

Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident
     

Costa Concordia Legal Update

This post will serve as the anchor post for all Costa Concordia legal matters.  

Information will be contained in the body of this post or links will point you to the story.

For Latest Updates on the disaster please see the following blog post: 

Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident

Click one of the following links for topic of interest:

• Amended Lawsuit in Florida
• Pre-Trial Hearings   
• Concordia Captain Freed from House Arrest 
• Expert Findings Released on Costa Concordia
• Costa Concordia Black Box   
• Prosecutors Request Indictments
• Costa Fined - No Criminal Charges in Italy for Concordia
• Captain Schettino Gets Day in Court or Not  
• Concordia Captain's Trial Finally Underway
• Five Sentenced in Costa Concordia Shipwreck  
• Captain Schettino Prison Sentence Set

11 Feb 2015 - Captain Schettino Sentenced

Sentencing by the three judge panel was as follows:

• five years for causing the Jan. 13, 2012, shipwreck
• one year for abandoning the ship 
• one month for false communications to maritime authorities

Under Italian law, he now has two appeals before actually serving the prison sentence.

20 July 2013 - Five Sentenced


A court in Italy has convicted five people of manslaughter over the Costa Concordia shipwreck off Giglio island which killed 32 people in January 2012.  The plea bargains were accepted by the court.
Prison sentences ranged from 18 months to 34 months.  Five Sentenced in Costa Concordia Shipwreck 


17 July 2013 - Trial for Captain Begins

Captain Schettino's lawyers requested a plea bargain with the prosecutor objecting.  The court will rule out that in a few days. The names of the victims and how they died were read into the record on day 1 of the hearing.  Continuing coverage: Concordia Captain's Trial Finally Underway

9 July 2013 - Trial to Begin in Grosseto

Captain Schettino was scheduled to appear in court today to begin the trial where he faces several counts including manslaughter and leaving the ship. A nationwide lawyers strike in Italy has forced the postponement until July 17th. Full details: Captain Schettino Gets Day in Court or Not 

11 April 2013 - Costa faces €1m fine over Concordia

Costa Cruises has accepted a €1m ($1.3m) plea bargain agreement with an Italian court to limit its criminal liability for the capsizing of the Costa Concordia with the loss of 32 lives. They will no longer be held criminally liable in the Italy, and will in fact join the upcoming trial as an injured party seeking damages for the loss of the ship. Full details: Costa Fined - No Criminal Charges in Italy for Concordia

27 Feb 2013 - Prosecutors Request Indictments

Italian prosecutors in Grosseto, Italy, are seeking indictments against Captain Schettino and 5 others in the Costa Concordia disaster January, 2012.   Full details: Prosecutors Request Indictments

11 Sep 2012 - Expert Panel Releases 270 page Report

In a 270-page analysis, the experts indicated that there were several factors in response to Captain Schettino's maneuver that contributed to the botched evacuation: crew members bungled directions, didn't understand orders and weren't trained or certified in security and emergency drills. Costa Cruises was also to blame for not notifying authorities of the seriousness of the accident.  Pre-trial hearing is still scheduled for October 15th.   Full details: Expert Findings Released on Costa Concordia

21 Jul 2012 - Pre-Trial Adjourned until Oct. 15th

Judge Valeria Montesarchio confirmed at a courthouse in Grosseto, central Italy that problems analyzing the "black box"  (Voyage Data Recorder - VDR) caused an adjournment of the pre-trial hearing until October 15, 2012.

03 Jul 2012 - Captain Freed from House Arrest

Captain Francesco Schettino was released from house arrest by Italian judges on Thursday.  He no longer has to remain confined to his home in Meta di Sorrento near Naples but must remain in the town. Concordia Captain Freed from House Arrest


31 Mar 2012 - Carnival Triumph held by Court

A federal judge Friday ordered the cruise ship held in Galveston as part a $10 million lawsuit filed by the family of a German tourist who died aboard the Costa Concordia shipwreck off the Italian coast, according to a news story on Galveston Daily News. Read more about this in our blog article:  Judge Holding Carnival Triumph In Galveston

2 Mar. 2012 - Pre-Trail Hearings Begin

Captain Francesco Schettino, who denies accusations of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship before all those aboard were evacuated, will not attend the proceedings in the town of Grosseto according to his lawyer. He indicated that it would be "unnecessary" for him to attend and it could be dangerous in light of the climate surrounding the proceedings.

Arriving in Grosseto

According to Italy's La Repubblica newspaper, more than 250 are already in the town as 70 lawyers and their teams arrive to represent survivors and relatives of victims in the legal proceedings. The public and members of the press will not be allowed to attend.

Panel of Experts to Review Evidence

Evidence and testimony, which has been gathered since the accident, will be presented to a court-appointed panel of experts made up of two naval experts and two academics. In a process that may take several months, these experts will have the task of reconstructing what happened and apportion degrees of culpability and blame.

Besides looking at Captain Schettino, the investigation will also look at the decisions and actions of Costa's vice-president, Manfred Ursprunger, and the head of its crisis unit, Roberto Ferrarini, with whom the captain was in contact during the evacuation. The ship's first officer, Ciro Ambrosio, is also under investigation. He was second in command of the vessel at the time.

Reports by the four experts, appointed at the hearing in the Tuscan city Grosetto, are due to be presented on July 21.

13- Feb. 2012 - Amended Lawsuit in Florida

39 Plaintiffs Asking over $500m

A suit filed in the state of Florida back in January, on behalf of 6 individuals who were onboard the Costa Concordia when it struck the rocky coastline January 13th, listed, and eventually was abandoned, was amended February 13th adding an additional 36 plaintiffs.

Not a Class Action Suit

A consumer protection agency in Italy had expressed its intent to file a class action suit shortly after the incident occurred. They are partnered with two U.S.-based law firms for this amended action.

The attorneys clarified the nature of their lawsuit indicating that it is not a class action.

“Although previous reports indicated a class action was filed, this is incorrect. No class certification is sought as the respective losses and injuries suffered by each plaintiff is unique,” according to a statement from the attorneys. 

The law firms are Napoli Bern Ripka Shkolnik & Associates (with offices in New York and Florida), New York-based Proner & Proner and Florida law firm Colson Hicks Eidson, along with Codacons, a consumer-protection association in Italy. 

Gross Negligence & Fraud Cited

The suit accuses the ship’s owners of gross negligence and fraud, and asks for at least US $528-million in damages.  Specifically it asks for more than $78 million in compensatory damages and at least US $450-million in punitive damages, plus interest and attorney costs.

The amended lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in the state circuit court in Miami against Carnival Corp, which is incorporated in Panama and headquartered in Miami, and several of its subsidiaries, including Florida-based Costa Cruise Lines and Costa Crociere, which is based in Italy and operated the Costa Concordia.

“Plaintiffs found themselves in a listing, capsizing, sinking vessel without communication, direction or help from the captain and misdirection from the crew from approximately 9:45 p.m. to approximately 11 p.m. and were left to fend for themselves,” the lawsuit said.

It alleges that the cruise company committed fraud in claiming that it complied with safety regulations, and that the online version of the agreement passengers had to accept in order to buy tickets did not include complete details.

Carnival Extends Deadline

Meanwhile, as we had reported in Compensation Guidelines Costa Concordia, those passengers who survived the incident and were not injured had been offered a settlement, of US $14,500 plus a refund and costs of travel home.  Passengers originally had a deadline of February 14 to respond, but the corporation has now extended the deadline to March 31st.

Carnival said it extended the deadline to allow passengers time to review the offer with less urgency.

“The families of deceased and missing victims and guests who were injured will be covered under a separate proposal based on their individual circumstances,” the cruise line said.

Captain Remains Under House Arrest

An Italian court refused February 7th to lift an order of house arrest for Francesco Schettino, the captain of Costa Concordia cruise ship that ran aground off a Tuscan island last month.

The court in Florence rejected two requests: one from prosecutors to jail Schettino and another from Schettino to be freed.

His pretrial hearing is scheduled for March 20th. If convicted on all charges, Schettino could be imprisoned for a term exceeding 2,500 years.

Blog Improvements for Hurricane Season

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

Following Tropical Weather As it Develops

Those of you who follow our blog on a regular basis already know that when bad weather strikes, we are here to bring you updates.   This is a service to our readers to assist them in staying safe and also to rearrange their plans in the event a hurricane or other severe weather impacts their cruise plans.

Unlike the tornado hunters and hurricane hunters who put themselves in harms way, we "hunt" the storms from the comfort of our computer chair in our office.  Several government agencies, such as the NHC of NOAA, make this possible by providing detailed information which we then share with you.

Searches May Not Get The Info you Want

We realized that since we have been reporting on these tropical storms since 2009, it is quite possible that if you did a search on our blog (or in your favorite search engine such as google.com)  you might come across an older blog post and get discouraged.

Therefore, we have added a static tab, Hurricane Zone, which will be visible on every page in our blog.   All you need to do to find what you want is to bookmark our blog and then click on the new tab.    If you happen to search, we have also updated the past blog posts with a link to Hurricane Zone.

What's in Store on Hurricane Zone

The top portion of the page has a table of this year's Atlantic and East Pacific tropical storms to date.  The name of the storm, a link to the blog post,  and other links (such as to the storm archives) are included in this table.    Below the current storms, is a link to the hurricane section on our static Weather tab and a double combo box which allows you to very easily navigate to past storms and other useful information such as Hurricane Season Predictions, and Hurricane Preparedness.

We hope that this helps make finding tropical storm / hurricane information much easier on our blog.   We try to keep the information as current as our busy schedule allows.   Even when we don't post updates, the links will take you to NHC's latest updates.   We also have RSS feeds on our page so that you can click on those links if you want the information directly from that source.

Let us know if these changes are useful and we welcome any other ideas you might have for additional improvements.   Between this blog, our Facebook Fan Page, and our website, we want to be your one source for information about the cruise industry and anything that might impact your cruise vacation.