Rhapsody of the Seas and Silver Moon Make Inaugural Calls to Dominica

Rhapsody of the Seas and Silver Moon Make Inaugural Calls to Dominica

Royal Caribbean International’s Rhapsody of the Seas and Silversea’s Silver Moon made their inaugural calls to Dominica on Friday, December 2, 2022.

To mark the occasion, traditional plaque exchange ceremonies were held aboard each of the two ships, attended by government officials and captains.

The Rhapsody of the Seas and the Silver Moon thus become the third and fourth ships to make their inaugural calls in Dominica this season. The first ship to do so was The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Evrima on November 24, 2022.

The Rhapsody of the Seas is scheduled to make a total of twelve calls to Dominica in the 2022/2023 season. The ship is currently on its 14-night Ultimate Caribbean Cruise which departed from Bridgetown, Barbados on December 4.

The Silver Moon, the sister ship of the Silver Muse, made its only call scheduled for Dominica in the 2022/2023 season.

After a call in Roseau, Dominica, the Silver Moon set sail to St Georges, Grenada and Bequia, Grenadines before arriving in Bridgetown, Barbados.

The Silver Moon is currently on its 16-night Bridgetown to Lima voyage which departed on December 5 and will make stops at St Vincent, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Cartagena, Colombia and Oranjestad, Aruba among other destinations.

As of November 25, the port of Dominica has received a total of 13 cruise calls carrying a total of 18,980 cruise passengers. Dominica will welcome 51 cruise calls in December 2022.

Queen Mary 2 Cancels New York Call, Waits for More Crew in Barbados

The Queen Mary 2 is changing its current itinerary due to the impact of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. According to a letter received by the ship’s current passengers, the ship will likely now be required to stay in Barbados for “additional manning” until the evening of Jan. 2.

“(This) extended stay in Barbados means that unfortunately, we will no longer be calling in New York on Jan. 3 if we are to maintain our arrival back in Southampton on Jan. 10,” wrote the ship’s captain, Andrew Hall, in the letter.

The decision of additional manning in essential roles onboard came after speaking with the relevant authorities and Cunard’s head offices in Miami and Southampton, Hall said.

He added that it was a precautionary measure and the Jan. 2 departure from Barbados was yet to be confirmed.

Cunard’s new focus, according to the letter, is “making sure that for those guests due to disembark on Jan. 3 in New York, the onward journey home is as smooth and easy as possible.”

Hall said that the cruise line is looking at flight options for these passengers and will be in contact directly with “exact details and confirmation.”

The Queen Mary 2 is currently on a 28-day round-trip itinerary entitled Grand Caribbean Celebration. The ship left Southampton on Dec. 13 and arrived in Barbados on Dec. 28. It was due to leave Barbados for Dominica today.

With the announced amendments, the Queen Mary 2 would seemingly skip three ports of call in Dominica, St Maarten and New York on Dec. 29, Dec. 30 and Jan. 3, respectively. The ship would instead head straight from Barbados to Southampton on Jan. 2.

To compensate for the itinerary changes, guests will receive an enhanced 125-percent Future Cruise Credit of the money paid on their booking pro-rata to all days sailed from Dec. 22, when the Queen Mary 2 departed from New York.

For example, if a guest joined the ship in Southampton on Dec. 13 and was due to disembark the ship in New York on Jan. 3, they will receive an FCC for 13 days (Dec. 22 to Jan. 3).

“Your FCC can be used for any new sailing that is booked before Dec. 31, 2023, on any voyage on sale at the time of booking. Should this be unsuitable for any reason, then you are entitled to a 100-per cent refund of monies paid on your booking on the same pro-rata basis,” the letter read.

UK-based guests have also been offered the option of flying from Barbados to Southampton earlier, should they wish so.

“Should our UK guests wish to fly back to the UK directly from Barbados we do have some limited flight options departing on Dec. 31 or Jan. 1. We will be sending you a further letter in the next 24 hours asking if you would like to take this option,” Hall wrote.

However, Hall said, passengers, are welcome to stay on board until the very end of the voyage.

“There may be some slight amendments to our services, but we will make every endeavour to ensure that you have a very enjoyable journey as planned,” he wrote.

Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur Resumes Service with New Barbados Program

After a 21-month operational pause, the Grandeur of the Seas is resuming service for Royal Caribbean International today. The vessel is also launching a new program for the company that features Barbados as a new homeport. 

Sailing from Bridgeport, the Vision-class ship is now offering a series of island-hopping itineraries throughout the Southern Caribbean and Latin America.

The program includes new ports of call for the Royal Caribbean, with itineraries ranging from seven to 14 nights.

For its first cruise, the Grandeur is offering the "Southern Caribbean Explorer" itinerary that features calls in Grenada, Dominica and St. Lucia, in addition to three new ports: Scarborough, Tobago; Port of Spain, Trinidad; and Kingstown, St. Vincent.

Another itinerary offered is the "ABC Caribbean Adventure Cruise" featuring Grenada, Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, Trinidad and one day at sea.

In January, a longer 14-night cruise also includes stops in Central and South America, with calls to 11 ports, including Limón, Costa Rica; Colón, Panama; and Cartagena, Colombia.

Previously slated to be transferred to sister brand Pullmantur, the Grandeur of the Seas is now the first Vision-class ship to resume service for Royal Caribbean.

The vessel is the third in the series of six ships and entered service originally in 1996. Built in Finland, it has a capacity for 1,950 guests and 74,140 tons.

In 2012, the vessel underwent a major bow-to-stern revitalization. During the five-week-long, $48 million drydocks, the Grandeur received venues first introduced on Oasis-class ships, including new dining options such as the Giovanni’s Table Italian trattoria and the Park Café casual eatery.

The ship’s seven-deck Centrum atrium was also transformed into a chic and lively new space that features an array of daytime activities, as well as unique nighttime entertainment with high-flying aerialists.

The Grandeur of the Seas is the first of three ships that are resuming service for Royal Caribbean International in December.

On Dec. 16, the Brilliance of the Seas is set to welcome guests back for a series of cruises departing from Tampa, while, on Dec. 23, the Enchantment of the Seas resumes service in Baltimore.

With the three vessels returning, Royal Caribbean will close out the year with 20 of its ships back in revenue service.

Mein Schiff 3 Becomes First Ship Back in Dominica

Dominica recently welcomed its first cruise ship since Hurricane Maria hit the island as the Mein Schiff 3 called on Jan. 28 with more than 2,000 passengers visiting the island, according to a statement. 

Passengers from the ship engaged in shore excursions to Dominica’s famous Emerald Pool, Trafalgar Twin Falls, Bois Cotlette Estate and. Some participated in whale watching tours and experienced the island’s unique therapeutic black sand at Mero Beach.

Dominica also said it welcomed a delegation from Carnival Cruise Lines last week. In a prepared statement, Discover Dominica said the delegation met with local tour operators to assess various sites and attractions for future tour offerings. 

Discover Dominica also announced that all natural sites on the island managed by the Division of Forestry, with the exception of the Boiling Lake, Waitukubuli National Trail and Soufrière Sulphur Springs, are now open to visitors. Park wardens are there to attend to guests. Trail beds have been cleared, debris has been removed and information centres are back in operation. These beautiful and distinctive sites reflect the Nature Island’s resilience and the country’s boundless natural beauty.

Trafalgar Falls has received a great deal of attention since Hurricane Maria as well. The Visitor Reception facility has a new roof and work on the interpretation signage continues. The trail bed has been cleared of debris and restored, while the viewing platform has been replaced.

MSC Cruises Donates School in Rebuilding Caribbean

PHOTO: The semi-permanent school will serve the island of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. (photo via Flickr/kansas photo)

MSC Cruises continues to assist in the rebuild of the Caribbean following September's devastating hurricanes.

The Swiss-based cruise line announced Thursday that it has joined forces with government officials in the British Virgin Islands to donate a new 4,000 square-foot, the pre-fabricated building that will function as a semi-permanent school on the island of Virgin Gorda.

All 15 of the territory's schools were destroyed in the recent hurricanes.

"It is our responsibility as a family-owned company in the seafaring business for more than 300 years, to come to the aid of our family, friends and neighbours in dire times," said MSC Cruises USA chairman, Richard Sasso in a statement. "This donation is one of many ways we are working to set the industry standard to help those who need it most and we’re proud to utilize our global resources to assist as the Caribbean works to recover and rebuild."

The donation represents just one example of MSC Cruises' ongoing effort to restore the British Virgin Islands and the surrounding Caribbean as a whole.

"With most cruise ports in the Caribbean region now open for business, MSC Cruises, along with other players in the cruise industry, are working to support local governments in their efforts to restore normality and rebuild the damaged infrastructures on the islands impacted," the cruise line stated on its website.

With the help of its global network of partners, MSC Cruises has already helped ship food, water, medical supplies and building materials to the British Virgin Islands as well as hard-hit places in Puerto Rico, St. Maarten and Dominica.

The cruise line recently provided shipping services to bring emergency lighting to Puerto Rico.

Another aspect of the global cruise's effort to assist the islands is by ultimately returning to the coveted destinations.

Travelers seeking a holiday sailing to the Caribbean with MSC Cruises this December can have their pick of the MSC Divina or the brand new MSC Seaside.

Click here to learn more about some of the ways MSC Cruises is aiding in the Caribbean's recovery.

P&O Cruises' Britannia to make St Lucia debut in 2016

P&O Britannia

P&O Cruises' newest ship, Britannia, is to sail from St Lucia for the first time as part of its winter 2016-17 deployment in the Caribbean.

An expanded fly-cruise programme of new seven-night cruises alongside traditional 14-night winter sun itineraries went on sale yesterday (Thursday).

Britannia will run a total of 28 Caribbean cruises from St Lucia or Barbados during its second winter season in the region.

The ships will depart from the new Caribbean port for the first time on November 12, 2016 on a seven-night itinerary with calls into Dominica, Antigua, St Maarten and Barbados.

The line described St Lucia as a “must-see” Caribbean destination for its passengers.  

Marketing director, Christopher Edgington, said: “Introducing new itineraries which all depart or return St Lucia will offer a new dimension to our Caribbean cruises.

“St Lucia is a popular destination with passengers and no other cruise line has it as a home port, so we are looking to make the most of this by offering an exciting range of shore excursions to maximise the time there.

“It is also the first time we have offered a seven-night Caribbean cruise option. These new week-long itineraries will appeal to those wishing to escape the cold weather and see a number of destinations but who don’t have the time for a longer cruise.

“For passengers with more leisure time, our 14-night cruises provide the perfect opportunity to see more than seven islands in one holiday.”

Prices for seven-night Caribbean fly-cruises start at £1,099 per person for an inside cabin and a 14-nights from £1,299, including return flights from Gatwick.