Royal Caribbean Now Offering Crew Shore Leave in Caribbean Ports

Royal Caribbean Now Offering Crew Shore Leave in Caribbean Ports

Royal Caribbean International is now offering shore leave in select Caribbean ports to the crew, according to a letter sent to crew onboard ships selected to trial the program.

According to the letter, the program will run from April 8 through April 22 on six ships, believed to be the Odyssey, Freedom, Harmony, Navigator, Liberty and Grandeur of the Seas.

The company will allow 150 crew to disembark in the ports, which for the crew aboard the Odyssey, for example, include Curacao, Aruba, Costa Maya and Cozumel.

Advanced sign up is required through a crew member's manager.

Crew members must be up to date with vaccinations and a booster (if eligible), the company said. Masks are required while indoors or inside transportation and masks and crew members are recommended to follow social distancing guidelines.

The company said it will continue its bubble tours for the crew, which it is said to be offering globally.

A review of the crew shore leave trial program will be conducted later this month to "confirm continuity of the program in Caribbean Ports of Call."

Royal Caribbean Ship Welcomes Guests Back in Tampa

The Brilliance of the Seas is resuming service for Royal Caribbean International today.

After a 21-month hiatus, the vessel is welcoming guests back to Tampa, Florida.

Kicking off a program of four- and five-night cruises from the port, the Brilliance has become the 19th of Royal Caribbean’s 25-ship fleet to resume guest operations.

The Radiance-class ship is now offering a series of itineraries to Mexico and the Bahamas, featuring visits to Costa Maya, Cozumel, Nassau, CocoCay and more.

The first sailing, for instance, cruises four nights and includes a call in Costa Maya, in addition to two days at sea.

The Tampa departures are set to take place until late March and will be followed by a summer season in Europe.

Starting in May, the Brilliance of the Seas is poised to offer seven-night cruises to the Greek Islands, Montenegro and Croatia, sailing from Italy’s Ravenna port.

Built in 2002, the vessel has a capacity for 2,100 guests, who can enjoy amenities that include three pools, 12 lounges and bars, a rock-climbing wall, a nine-hole miniature golf course, an interactive golf simulator, and a 9,000-sq. ft. fitness centre and spa.

With the Brilliance now in service, Royal Caribbean has added two ships to the active lineup in December.

The vessels will be followed by the Enchantment of the Seas, which is set to return to guest operations on Dec. 23, in Baltimore.

Previously, on Dec. 5, the Grandeur of the Seas launched a Barbados-based program in the Caribbean.

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.

The Grandeur of the Seas to Transfer to Pullmantur

The Grandeur of the Seas will move from Royal Caribbean International to the Pullmantur brand in early 2021.

The 1996-built ship will increase Pullmantur's capacity by 1,950 berths, representing a 32.5 per cent increase for the Spanish brand, according to Cruise Industry News data. Royal Caribbean is a stakeholder in Pullmantur.

The ship will sail in Northern Europe in summer 2021 following a major refurbishment. Other fleet changes at Pullmantur include the Zenith, which is exiting the fleet at the end of this year and will be transferred to Peace boat.

The Grandeur will join the Monarch, Sovereign and Horizon at Pullmantur.

Hurricane Humberto Causes Cruise Ships to Alter Course

PHOTO: Five-day forecast for Hurricane Humberto. (Photo courtesy of National Hurricane Center)

Hurricane Humberto, which has developed over the weekend from a Tropical Storm into a full-blown, Category-1 hurricane, is making its way toward Bermuda, forcing cruise lines operating in the region to reroute their ships.

According to CruiseCritic, Humberto has thus far affected two Carnival Cruise Line itineraries that were scheduled to be sailing in Bermuda between Wednesday, September 18, and Friday, September 20.

Carnival Pride, which left Baltimore on September 15, is now spending two days at sea before sailing on to visit Grand Turk and the Dominican Republic's Amber Cove, rather than Bermuda, as was originally intended.

Carnival Sunrise, departing today from New York City, will stop in Charleston, South Carolina, on September 18 before spending a previously-unscheduled day at sea. Sunrise will then spend a single day in Bermuda on Friday, September 20, by which time the storm is expected to have moved on, before cruising back to New York by September 22.

Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas is also scheduled to weigh anchor in Bermuda on September 21, after Humberto is forecast to have already moved away from the island.

While no warnings are currently in effect, the National Hurricane Center anticipates the need to a Tropical Storm Watch for Bermuda later this afternoon, as Humberto continues to gain strength and move east-northeast over the next two days or so.

With sustained wind speeds of 85 mph, the hurricane was this morning sitting about 710 miles outside of Bermuda but is expected to reach the north end of the island by Wednesday night. Humberto is expected to peak as a major hurricane within the next 36-48 hours, with forwarding speed intensifying through Thursday, September 19.

Other effects of the storm include large swells, which will affect portions of the northwestern Bahamas and the southeastern U.S. during the upcoming few days. People in those areas should be aware of dangerous surf conditions and potentially life-threatening rip currents.

St. Maarten welcomes first cruise ship since Hurricane Irma

The Viking Sea in St. Maarten. Photo Credit: RTGH Photography

St. Maarten has reopened as a port of call for cruise ships, three months after Hurricane Irma left the Dutch-French island in shambles. 

The Viking Sea sailed into St. Maarten on Dec. 4, followed by the Marella Discovery on Dec. 5. Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas will call on Dec. 17.

Signs of progress on the French side of St. Martin include the reopening of Tijon Parfumerie and the Spiga restaurant and the debut of Cafe Spiga in Grand Case later this month.

On the Dutch side, hundreds of villas are available for rent. Timeshare resorts Sapphire Beach Resort and Atrium Resort plans to welcome guests early in 2018, according to SXM Weekly News.

Grandeur of the Seas Returns

Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur returns to BaltimoreBy: Marilyn Green

Cruise

Grandeur of the Seas was welcomed her homeport of Baltimore flying an historic flag. // (c) 2013 Royal Caribbean International

On July 12, Royal Caribbean International’s Grandeur of the Seas was welcomed back to her homeport of Baltimore, after six weeks’ recovery from a May 27 fire in the Bahamas, which is still under investigation.

Grandeur previously had a five-week, $48 million revitalization last year, adding balconies and Oasis-class features including flat-screen televisions, an outdoor movie screen and a redesigned atrium equipped for aerial shows, which received heavy applause as guests captured the Four Seasons spectacular. There are also new digital signs by the elevators that take guests through the daily schedule, give directions and display restaurant menus, all in several languages.

But only a few weeks after the ship started service out of Baltimore, the fire broke out. It was extinguished without injuries, although the passengers were called to their muster stations as a precaution. The ship never lost its power, propulsion or communications.

As Grandeur sailed back into Baltimore in July, the ship flew the historic Star-Spangled Banner flag as it passed Fort McHenry, as well as the U.S. Navy’s “Don’t Give up the Ship” flag flown by Commodore Perry during the War of 1812. Clearly, agents took up the message: Royal executives hosted 1,600 travel partners on a July 12 sailing prior to the resumption of revenue service, and attendees were warm in their praise.

The city was even more enthusiastic in its welcome for Grandeur in the wake of the announcement that Carnival Pride would be leaving the homeport in 2014. Grandeur of the Seas is committed to year-round cruises from Baltimore until at least April 2015.

RCCL overcoming negative media coverage of cruising, says Fain

By Jerry Limone

Despite the “unrelenting pressure of a deluge of negative publicity” on the cruise industry this year, things are looking up, said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Speaking during RCCL’s second-quarter earnings call on Thursday, Fain said the company is overcoming what he called “the CNN effect” of media scrutiny on events that have occurred this year, including fires on the Grandeur of the Seas and Carnival Triumph and the Carnival Dream stalling.

Negative coverage “clearly hurt our bookings, and unfortunately to a greater extent than we originally understood,” Fain said.

The company’s net income for the second quarter was $24.7 million, compared with a net loss of $3.7 million in the same period a year earlier.
The company managed a profit despite the Grandeur fire in May, which resulted in the cancellation of six cruises. Royal Caribbean estimated that the financial impact of the Grandeur incident was about $11 million in the second quarter (an approximate $11 million hit is expected for the third quarter, too).

An unexpected noncash charge of about $15 million also was a second-quarter setback. The charge occurred because the company needed to readjust liability in its affinity credit card program.

Still, Royal Caribbean was profitable, and Fain credited robust onboard spending, effective cost control and the performance of its largest, newest ships — the Oasis and the Allure of the Seas.

Looking ahead, Fain said that bookings for the rest of 2013 and 2014 are ahead of where Royal Caribbean was at this time last year, in terms of load factor and pricing.

The company is still dealing with the effects of negative publicity from incidents in the industry that occurred earlier this year, Fain said, including “competitive pricing.”

However, he added, “We can already see indications that [the media coverage] factor is waning, and this is most encouraging going forward.”

Addressing concerns about cruise safety, Fain said, “I think most of you understand that the recent incidents in our industry are an aberration from an otherwise exemplary safety record over many decades.”

Passengers refunded as Grandeur of the Seas repairs continue

Royal Caribbean has been forced to re-accommodate a number of guests due to embark on tomorrow's Grandeur of the Seas sailing as work on the ship continues following a fire.

A blaze, which engulfed part of the ship on May 27 and took about two hours to extinguish,caused several sailings to be cancelled.

The ship is setting sail from Baltimore to Bermunda tomorrow but the occupants of the 78 staterooms affected by the fire have be given a full refund with finishing touches still being carried out.

A spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean said: "In the past weeks, Grandeur of the Seas staff and crew and many others have worked tirelessly to restore the onboard spaces that were affected by a fire in May.

"Every member of Grandeur of the Seas’ staff and crew demonstrated a heroic response that night and has since been dedicated to bringing the ship back into service.

"While Grandeur of the Seas is ready to welcome guests again, there are still a few finishing touches that remain to be done. We unfortunately had to re-accommodate some guests on the July 12 cruise to later sailings so that additional needed workers may stay onboard in order to complete these remaining tasks as quickly as possible.

"We sincerely appreciate our guests understanding as we ensure that Grandeur of the Seas continues to deliver an unmatched vacation experience from Baltimore, Maryland."

The affected guests have also been given a 25% cruise credit for future sailings.

A muster drill that's life-saving and lively

By Tom Stieghorst

And of course one of the lessons from the Costa Concordia tragedy, which occurred just hours after leaving an embarkation port, was the need to conduct a muster drill before sailing and to compel every passenger’s participation during the drill.

Have you have used your cell phone or tablet during a cruise ship safety demonstration?

During a recent muster drill, a crew member stopped me from using my phone to send a tweet. No pun intended: It was the right call. Passengers are supposed to be paying attention to the safety message.

Except that there were long stretches when nothing happened. No instruction, no videos, nothing but waiting. Some sort of communication seemed to be happening behind the scenes. And granted, sometimes it takes more than a few minutes for everybody to report to their assigned muster stations. But in the meantime, passengers are cooling their heels. 

Getting attention for routine safety messages is a problem that has plagued many companies in the business of transportation. On every flight, airline personnel are required to tell passengers something that most of them have already heard. The natural impulse for most listeners is to tune it out. Social media and portable devices (cameras not forgotten) are just the latest means of avoiding a mind-numbing couple of minutes.

The recent fire on Grandeur of the Seas offers a reminder of why it's worth it to pay attention to the safety message. Passengers roused at 2:50 a.m. had at least some idea of what was happening, where to go, what to do.

But still, some thought and effort should go into the presentation of these life-saving exercises. Perhaps some sort of interactivity is called for. Or a quiz at the end. A cruise credit for the passenger that correctly demonstrates they’ve been paying attention.

Cruise lines also owe it to passengers to make the drill as effective as possible. Please keep it moving, to minimize the boredom. Make whatever is said audible, especially announcements on the ship’s public address system. 

And try to involve the crew in communicating to small groups of guests. The more personal the safety demonstrations are, the more attention and respect they will command.

And now one long tone signals the end to the muster drill. Back to your phones!

Six more Grandeur cruises cancelled after fire

A further six summer cruises have been cancelled by Royal Caribbean International to allow for repairs to fire damaged Grandeur of the Seas.

The blaze burnt out what the line described as an “industrial area” at the aft of the ship which had only just re-entered service after a refit.

The 2,446-passenger capacity vessel is not expected to return to service on seven-night itineraries from Baltimore until July 12.

The vessel was being moved from Freeport in the Bahamas to a berth at Grand Bahama shipyard yesterday for the repairs to be carried out. A cruise due to depart on Friday had already been cancelled.

Parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises said: “The company has taken the vessel out of service and expects that it will take approximately six weeks to complete the repair efforts.”

The line laid on 11 charter flights to fly passengers from the vessel’s aborted cruise back to Baltimore. Others were travelling by ferry to Florida and then being transferred by  train or coach.

People booked on the cancelled cruises are being offered refunds and 25% future cruise discounts.

Royal Caribbean estimates that the direct financial impact will be a reduction of $0.10 per share.

Senior vice president and chef financial officer Jason Liberty said: "The extent of the financial impact was relatively high because the affected sailings were during the premium summer season."

Royal Caribbean International president and chief executive Adam Goldstein said: "We are gratified that no one was hurt and that the safety and comfort systems performed exactly as designed.

"I extend my appreciation to our crew who performed so well, as well as to our guests who have been co-operative, understanding and highly complimentary of the shipboard team throughout.”

FIRE on board a Royal Caribbean Ship.

'Passengers were throwing up, crying... I thought we were going to sink!' The terrifying moment fire engulfed Royal Caribbean cruise and crew got ready to abandon ship

• A fire broke out aboard a Royal Caribbean ship on Monday morning but was extinguished about two hours later with no injuries reported
• The Grandeur of the Seas, which left Baltimore on Friday, never lost power and was able to sail into port in Freeport, Bahamas, on Monday afternoon
• The company said the more than 2,200 passengers will be flown from the Bahamas back to Baltimore where the trip began
• Royal Caribbean said all guests and 796 crew were safe and accounted for

A huge fire broke out on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship last night causing panic as 2,000 passengers abandoned their rooms and prepared to get into life boats. 

The Grandeur of the Seas was forced to return to port this morning after the rear of the ship caught fire, sending smoke into several hallways as passengers waited in assembly stations for more than four hours. 

On Monday afternoon, Royal Caribbean announced that they were reversing a prior decision and cancelling the cruise as it could no longer safely take passengers to the Bahamas, its intended destination. 

'It was obviously the most terrifying thing in my life,' says passenger Katie Coleman according to CBS News. 'There was panic on deck as passengers watched lifeboats being lowered into the water.'

Scroll down for video

Passengers report that amid the chaos life preservers were distributed to several people as they waited in safety areas

The fire broke out on deck 3 and was quickly extinguished but the damage caused Royal Caribbean to cancel the cruise bound for the Bahamas

Startling photos of the ship emerged on social media showing the entire rear of the vessel charred and destroyed.

Royal Caribbean said that the fire began at 2,50am and was extinguished about two hours later with no injuries reported.

The ship had sailed from Baltimore on Friday and arrived in Freeport, Bahamas, Monday afternoon.

Royal Caribbean announced that the 2,224 passengers would be receiving a full refund and a gift certificate from the company. They said all 2,224 guests and 796 crew were safe and accounted for.

Bang Warren was one of the passengers who had to evacuate her room as a warning horn blared over the sound system. 

She described the scene chaotic to The Baltimore Sun, saying: 'A lot of people were passing out with fear.' 

Bang also said she saw crew members distributing oxygen masks and life vests. 'I know some children were vomiting,' she said.

Grandeur of the Seas passenger Danielle Miller initially thought the ship was sinking as she filmed this footage

South Jersey resident Jennifer Allen filmed the moment when lifeboats were lowered into the ocean as the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Grandeur of the Seas caught fire on Monday morning

The ship was forced to dock in Freeport, Grand Bahama island as the fire damage was assessed

According to several passenger accounts nobody was seriously injured but the fire did cause smoke and flooding

 

One New Jersey cruise-goer, Jennifer Allen, told NBC 10 Philadelphia that she thought the ship was doomed and it made her think of the 1997 movie, 'Titanic'.

Another passenger, Danielle Miller, 23, said that she was sound asleep and was unaware of anything untoward until the ship's intercom asked passengers to put life jackets on.

'My first thought was that we were sinking,' said Danielle of her terror.

'I opened the door and just see people running around with life jackets on and we were being yelled at to get our life jackets on and run up to a deck that was two floors above us,' she told ABC News. 

'But we didn't know what was going on because when we were going to bed it was really stormy, so we honestly thought the boat might have been sinking. And we were just panicking and running upstairs. 

'And we didn't know for about a half hour that there was a fire two decks below where we were at.'

Miller revealed she was so nervous as the fire raged that her hands were shaking and her heart was pounding.

'A couple people fainted. People were throwing up, crying. Just anxiety attacks everywhere. I was just telling my roommate stay calm,' she said. 

Fire Investigators: A fire that broke out aboard a Royal Caribbean ship Monday did enough damage that the rest of the cruise was canceled

Fiery Call: The fire that began at 2:50 a.m. Monday was extinguished about two hours later with no injuries reported

President and CEO Adam Goldstein (left) meets with passengers on board Grandeur of the Seas. Courtesy Royal Caribbean while (right) the Grandeur of the Seas captain and Royal Caribbean executives meet with passengers on board the ship after the fire

Adam Goldstein, president & CEO or Royal Caribbean and Anders Aasen, AVP of Technical Services survey the fire damage

Nathan Pletscher spoke to ABC News to explain how he became nervous for his parents aboard the ship only after he looked at a photo tweeted by Royal Caribbean's public relations team.

'We originally saw a news article and were a little nervous. When we made contact with my parents, they said there was a small fire,' he said.

'When I saw the photo on Twitter, I said, "That was a little more than a small fire." It's really fortunate the crew was able to get fire under control and things of that nature.'

Speaking to the news network, Pletscher admitted that his parents had a 'sense of panic' and had become 'obviously nervous', but were calmed by the ships crew.

'When the alarm first went off, there was an 'uh-oh' moment,' Pletscher said. 'But they couldn't say enough about how organized and professional both the captain and crew were. They kept everyone calm and were extremely transparent on with the whole situation.'

The Twitter account for their public relations department announced they were in the process of scheduling passengers on flights to Baltimore. 

Panic on the High Seas: Royal Caribbean said all guests and 796 crew were safe and accounted for

Royal Caribbean has said they are in the process of arranging flights for the 2,224 guests currently aboard the ship

Firefighter Brian Goss, a passenger on the ship, told WOOD-TV that some of the cabins did experience flooding and that the hallways smelled of smoke for most of the morning. 

He praised the efforts of the company, and said they were working tirelessly on the situation. 

'Up all night in emergency mode and now serving food and drinks with smiling faces and no sleep.'

An announcement from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship that passengers needed to go their muster stations roused Mark J. Ormesher from his stateroom on the Grandeur of the Seas early Monday.

Ormesher said in an email to The Associated Press that immediately after the captain's announcement, his room attendant knocked on the door and told him and his girlfriend to grab their flotation devices, saying: 'This was not a drill.'

The native of England, who lives in Manassas, Virginia, Ormesher said he and his girlfriend smelled acrid smoke as they went to their muster station, the ship's casino. He said the crew quickly provided instruction.

A provided by Royal Caribbean shows the fire-damaged exterior on the Grandeur of the Seas cruise ship

The company in a statement on its website said it is 'deeply sorry for this unexpected development in our guests' vacation. We understand that this may have been a very stressful time for them'

'This encouraged calm amongst the passengers,' he said.

Passengers were required to remain at their stations for four hours, he said, and the captain 'provided us as much information as we needed to stay safe.'

Ormesher, 25, and on his first cruise, said the air conditioner had been shut off, and as the hours passed and the ship got hot, bottled water was passed around.

The crew and passengers remained calm, and helped those who needed it. Crying babies were given formula and held while their parents used the bathrooms.

 

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After passengers were allowed to leave their stations, Ormesher said he saw water on the outside of deck 5 and in the hallways. The mooring lines were destroyed he said; crew members brought new lines from storage.

Royal Caribbean said all 2,224 guests and 796 crew were safe and accounted for

In Freeport, passenger Andrea Sanders of Washington, D.C., said she slept on the deck with hundreds of other passengers as smoke billowed out of the stern of the ship. 'I was terrified with it being my first cruise,' Sanders told The Freeport News as she ate lunch in port.

Magnus Alnebeck, general manager of the Pelican Bay Hotel, said they were asked to hold rooms for passengers, although it was not yet clear how many would stay there.

The ship will stay docked in Freeport overnight.

Royal Caribbean said in a statement on its website that most public areas and staterooms are safe and power, propulsion and communications systems functioned without interruption.

Royal Caribbean International president and CEO Adam Goldstein met with passengers in Freeport.

A tweet sent from the NTSB shows they are investigating the situation

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a tweet that it will join the U.S. Coast Guard in investigating the fire.

Carnival Corp. also had trouble with fire aboard ship earlier this year.

The 900-foot Triumph was disabled during a February cruise by an engine room fire in the Gulf of Mexico, leaving thousands of passengers to endure cold food, unsanitary conditions and power outages while the ship was towed to Mobile, Alabama.

It remained there for repairs until early May when it headed back to sea under its own power.

Grandeur starts Baltimore service, Port Canaveral could get third Royal ship

By Tom Stieghorst ~ Image of Port Canaveral

Royal Caribbean International launched service with a new ship from Baltimore and may be looking at Port Canaveral as home to a third ship next winter.

The Grandeur of the Seas has begun sailing from Baltimore, offering six- to 10-day cruises to Canada, New England, Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. The ship was refurbished last year.

Grandeur replaces Enchantment of the Seas, which went to Port Canaveral to do three- and four-day cruises.

Port Canaveral interim CEO John Walsh told the Florida Today newspaper in Melbourne, Fla., that Royal Caribbean plans to base a third ship at his port in the winter of 2014-15.

In addition to Enchantment, Port Canaveral is home to Freedom of the Seas. Walsh also said the port is in discussions about the potential to host either an Oasis-class or Quantum-class ship, possibly in conjunction with a new terminal.

Both Oasis and Allure of the Seas sail from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. Royal Caribbean has ordered a third in the series for delivery in 2016.

Earlier this week, it was disclosed that Navigator of the Seas will sail from Galveston, Texas, year-round starting in February 2014. It currently sails from Galveston in the winter but will go to the Mediterranean this summer.