Damage to Bahamas shipyard leaves cruise lines scrambling

The aft end of the Carnival Vista on the Boka Vanguard at the Grand Bahama Shipyard.

Damage to a drydock facility at the Grand Bahama Shipyard in the Bahamas is proving inconvenient and expensive for the cruise industry, and it demonstrates how few drydock options exist on the U.S. East Coast.

The damaged drydock, the largest of three at Grand Bahama, was put out of commission on April 1 when a crane collapsed while raising the stern of the Oasis of the Seas to repair its propulsion pods.

The accident forced Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) to take the Oasis to a yard in Europe to finish repairing it.

The repairs, plus the cost of three canceled Oasis cruises, will pare an estimated $52 million from RCCL's 2019 earnings. 

But Royal is not the only line affected by the loss of the Bahamas drydock.

In June, Carnival Cruise Line's 4,000-passenger Carnival Vista also developed a problem with its Azipod motors that required immediate replacement of their bearings. Normally, the work would have been done in drydock at Grand Bahama, a facility jointly owned by RCCL and Carnival Corp. 

But on June 20, Carnival Cruise Line disclosed to investors that because it was not possible to use Grand Bahama, the ship would go out of service for 17 days, and three July cruises from Galveston, Texas, would be canceled.

The cost was projected at between $50 million and $62 million, partly because it will take more time to complete than it would have if the ship had been drydocked in the Bahamas.

Carnival turned to what it said was a "first of its kind" solution, loading the entire ship onto a semi-submersible, heavy-lift transport vessel, the Boka Vanguard, built to haul offshore oil and gas drilling rigs.

The loading and lifting operation was scheduled for the weekend of July 12 to 14, after which the Vista was to head for the Grand Bahama yard for the repair work. 

Both situations underscore how dependent cruise lines are on Grand Bahama Shipyard for drydock space that is within a quick sailing distance from their headquarters in Florida and from ports on the Eastern Seaboard.

Walter Nadolny, assistant professor of marine transportation, ship construction and stability at the State University of New York's Maritime College, said there are several reasons for the infrastructure deficit.

One is that costs are low in the Bahamas. 

"The United States is the most expensive place in the world to build and repair a ship," Nadolny said. Most U.S. shipyards of the size needed to work on late-model cruise ships are accustomed to cost-plus contracts from the U.S. Navy and are too expensive, he said.

The Carnival Vista arrives at night in Grand Bahama after being picked up by the Boka Vanguard.

Second, the specialized gear and materials have been concentrated in Grand Bahamas and are not easily duplicated.

"If they brought [the Carnival Vista] into Jacksonville Yard, in Jacksonville, Fla., right now by bringing in all the stuff they need to do the repair, they'd be incurring duties," Nadolny said. "The logistics they need are probably sitting in the Bahamas, which means we've got to bring people in, we've got to bring equipment in, [and] it could be stuck in customs."

Cruise lines have grown to rely heavily on Grand Bahama because most of what they do there is routine refurbishments that are predictable and can be scheduled well in advance, he said. 

But unforeseen situations are posing more of a challenge. "The intricacies of changing out Azipods make it a little more difficult," Nadolny said. 

Carnival had the option of sending the Vista to Europe, where cruise ship drydocks are more numerous, Nadolny said, but that would have meant extra transit time. 

"Now, instead of a three-week downtime, it's going to be a seven-week downtime or a 10-week downtime," he said about the European alternative.

Before 2000, when the predecessor of Grand Bahama Shipyard was founded in Freeport, cruise lines were more dependent on U.S. yards. For example, when the Carnival Ecstasy caught fire leaving Miami in 1998, it was sent to the giant Newport News Shipbuilding yard in Hampton Roads, Va.

But ships have been growing in size.

"The reason why Grand Bahama came about is specifically that there were no large drydocks in the southeast part of the U.S. that could accommodate these mega-cruise ships," said Lawrence Rapp, principal consultant at Seawise Consulting, which focuses on new building and refurbishment management.

After the previous operator of the Freeport yard went bankrupt, Carnival and Royal Caribbean invested in it.

"That's worked reasonably well until this accident," Rapp said. "The only real fallback that exists is Newport News, but they're committed to Navy contracts. If the Navy ship isn't finished, then you don't get the dock, so it's just not reliable enough for the cruise industry."

At the start of the year, Grand Bahama had 25 projects scheduled for 2019. It is not known how the crane accident will impact that total or when the damages from the accident will be repaired. Grand Bahama Shipyard officials have said nothing about the cause or consequences of the accident.

Phone and email efforts to reach the yard for comment were unsuccessful. 

Problems with podded propulsion systems continue to dog the industry, making the need for repair facilities acute. The sister ship of the Oasis of the Seas, the Allure of the Seas, is currently operating at less than full speed because of a technical problem with one of its pods.

In May, Royal Caribbean International sent a letter to passengers booked on the Allure saying that the ship would be leaving some ports early and substituting some ports for others through October because it could not sail at full speed.

Nadolny said the only cost-effective drydock alternative to Grand Bahama for ships needing work along the East Coast would be another Caribbean facility. 

He said a yard could be built in another offshore location; Haiti, for example. But it would require that country to say "We want to do this" and then devoting the necessary resources.

Rapp said that keeping a drydock operation in the black can be tricky.

"There are a lot of risk factors," he said. "It's hugely capital intensive. There are all sorts of labor issues. It's not something that's easy to make money with. You look at a drydock bill for a big cruise ship and you think 'Look at all that money.' Most of it is going to subcontractors for interior refurbishments and so on."

He added: "The amounts going to the shipyard are substantial, but they're not constant, and they're not reliable."

Royal Caribbean voyages to double the fun at the private island

CocoCay's waterpark opened earlier this year.

Royal Caribbean International has added nearly 40 sailings in the coming year that will feature two stops at its Perfect Day at CocoCay private island.

The four-day cruises on Navigator of the Seas from Port Canaveral and Mariner of the Seas generally sandwich a stop in Nassau between the two visits to nearby CocoCay. 

Royal Caribbean will sail three Navigator cruises that stay at CocoCay late into the night.

Entertainment will include traditional Bahamian-inspired activities, including a Junkanoo Jam Up Party, an island barbecue and performances by a calypso band and fire dancers, topped off with fireworks. 

Both Virgin Voyages and MSC Cruises are preparing to offer private beach attractions in the Bahamas that provide evening activities.

Norwegian Cruise Line boss nets $1.3m in the share sale

Norwegian Cruise Line boss nets $1.3m in the share sale

Norwegian Cruise Line boss Andy Stuart netted $1.3 million from the sale of shares.

He sold 25,000 shares in parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in two tranches last week, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

The sale at $50 per share came after the company reported record second-quarter financial results with earnings of $240.2 million for the three months to June 30.

The lift in profits came despite the impact of the abrupt US government ban on cruise ships calling into Cuba and a technical problem with the ship Norwegian Pearl which forced one cruise to be amended and another to be canceled.

Company president and CEO Frank Del Rio said at the time: “The underlying fundamentals of our business remain strong across all core markets, and we continue to expect record financial results in 2019, despite the impact from the change in federal regulations which resulted in the cessation of premium-priced Cuba sailings.”

NCLH has a market capitalization of $10.88 billion and controls NCL alongside Oceania and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Venice to Begin Rerouting Cruise Ships Away From Historic City Centre

PHOTO: A cruise ship sailing the Giudecca Canal in Venice. (photo via Mark Edward Smith/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Venice has taken a huge step toward banning large cruise ships from entering the crowded grand canal through its historic city centre just months after a cruise liner smashed into a riverboat and dock and a week after city officials asked other European cruise destinations to join in its effort to curb cruise ship visits.

The Italian government announced that it will begin to gradually reroute the ships away from the city centre starting next month.

By next year, at least one-third of the ships visiting Venice are expected to call at ports closer to the Italian mainland but still inside the lagoon, including the Fusina and Lombardia terminals.

Italy's minister of transport Danilo Toninelli said the ultimate goal was "to avoid witnessing more invasions of the Giudecca by these floating palaces, with the scandals and risks that they bring," via the Financial Times.

"Starting now, we will decrease the number of liners passing by Giudecca and San Marco, particularly the bigger ones," he added during a transport committee hearing. "The aim is to reroute about one-third of the cruise ships already booked on Venice towards new berths by 2020. We've been talking about big ships for 15 years and nothing has been done. These floating palaces will start to go elsewhere."

Officials plan to consult the public before determining a new location for cruise ships to dock in the long-term future.

"Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) cruise lines have been actively engaged in discussions for a considerable time about using the Vittoria Emanuele Canal as the preferred alternative solution," said Andy Harmer, CLIA's U.K. and Ireland director, in a statement. "We have been cooperative in simulations and studies that supported the Comitatone recommendation. CLIA urges all parties in Venice to reach a conclusion to start the preparation work to prepare the Vittoria Emanuele Canal so we can begin to reroute the larger ships."

“The cruise industry has worked diligently with the Mayor of Venice, the Veneto Region, the Port Authority and many others to find viable solutions to allow larger cruise ships to access the Marittima berths without transiting the Giudecca Canal and we are in agreement with the solution developed by Comitatone in 2017 to utilize the Vittorio Emanuele Canal as the best and most prudent means to move larger cruise ships away from the Giudecca," he added. "CLIA cruise line members welcome and will support the urgent implementation of this solution."

Venice has been struggling with over-tourism for several years now with as many as 30 million visitors passing through each year.

"The growing size of vessels, their environmental impacts on the areas surrounding the ports and the 'burden' that the increasing number of tourists...are creating a situation of conflict," Pino Musolino, chairman of the northern Adriatic Sea port authority, wrote in a recent letter to eight fellow port authorities.

Desperate officials have even called on UNESCO to add Venice to the World Heritage site blacklist of endangered destinations.

Norwegian Joy’s Onboard Revenue More Than Doubles in Alaska

The decision to move the Norwegian Joy from China to the North American market has been successful for Norwegian Cruise Line.

“The redeployment of Norwegian Joy to Alaska resulted to a profound improvement to her profitability, especially in the top line driven by more than doubling of her onboard revenue generation,” said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO, on the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' second-quarter earnings call.

The decision to pull the ship from China came in 2018, as part of the company’s strategic itinerary optimization initiative which also included its entry into new European homeports.

The North American launch of Norwegian Joy generated over $2.5 billion media impressions and further elevated Norwegian Cruise Line's already the preeminent position in the all-important growing and high-yielding Alaska market, Del Rio said.

“We are extremely pleased to not only see her garnering the high pricing she rightfully deserves but also to see her deliver a customer experience that ranks her first in guest satisfaction for the Norwegian brand, driven by the high-tech and industry-first innovation onboard.”

Next year is shaping up to be even stronger for Joy in North America.

“And I may add that we won't have the challenges of selling Joy, a very large ship, in a very abbreviated eight-, or nine-month booking cycle like we did this year when we announced her departure from China,” Del Rio explained.”We have a regular (18- to 24-month) booking cycle in front of us.”

According to Andy Stuart, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, Joy is ahead in the pricing of the vessel she replaced in the Alaska market.

Bullish on Alaska, the growth will grow with the Norwegian Sun joining the market in 2020, sailing seven- to 15-day cruises from Seattle.

“We believe the Norwegian Sun Alaska deployment will generate yield that will approach, if not be equal to what she was commanding in her Cuba deployment led by strong onboard spending,” Del Rio said.

Norwegian Cruise Line Enhances Award-Winning Entertainment Program With SIX: The Musical

See the British pop musical SIX on the Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Breakaway or Norwegian Getaway. (photo via Norwegian Cruise Line)

WHY IT RATES: Musical lovers will be able to see the critically acclaimed pop musical before its Broadway debut while also enjoying a vacation at sea. – Mackenzie Cullen, Editorial Associate

Norwegian Cruise Line, the innovator in global cruise travel, today announced that SIX, the critically-acclaimed British pop musical about Henry VIII’s six wives will debut onboard Norwegian Bliss, Breakaway and Getaway beginning next month.

From Tudor queens to pop princesses, SIX is a historical retelling of Henry VIII’s six wives. Each leading lady takes centre stage to share her personal story and reclaim her identity. Remixing 500 years of heartbreak into a celebration of 21st-century girl power, the production features lively performances and music by an all-female band.

“Guests will be mesmerized by the comical and powerful leading ladies who will have them laughing, singing and dancing their way out of the theatre,” said Andy Stuart, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “SIX is an excellent example of the exceptional entertainment we feature across our innovative fleet; we are really proud to add this amazing musical to our lineup.”

From the premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017 to its recently announced debut at the Brooks Atkinson on Broadway in spring 2020, the musical was written by aspiring young playwrights Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss and produced by Andy and Wendy Barnes of the Global Musicals theatre company, award-winning songwriter George Stiles, the acclaimed West End producer Kenny Wax and Broadway impresario Kevin McCollum.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Norwegian Cruise Line to showcase this award-winning musical for the first time at sea,” said Kenny Wax, one of the producers of SIX. “Originating from the minds of two senior Cambridge University students in the U.K., the show has surprised and delighted audiences around the globe.”

SIX will appear first on Norwegian Bliss on September 1, 2019, followed by Norwegian Breakaway on November 10, 2019 and Norwegian Getaway on April 23, 2020.

Genting Hong Kong Sells Stake in Dream Cruises

Genting Hong Kong announced that it has reached a deal to sell a 35 per cent stake in Dream Cruises to Canada’s TPG Darting, which is owned by TPG Capital Asia and Growth Funds.

The company said the deal would strengthen its balance sheet as well as its ability to continue to expand its fleet in the cruise industry. 

According to the 2019 Cruise Industry News Annual Report, Dream Cruises has 8,800 berths in service with a market capacity of 528,000 guests.

“The Disposal would also reduce the Group’s financial burden in meeting future funding requirements in relation to Dream Cruises’ business,” the company said. “It is intended that the sale proceeds for the Disposal will be used as general working capital and capital expenditure for the Group in relation to the construction of (the Global-class ships) and/or to fund new investments of the Group should suitable opportunities arise.”

According to a Genting statement, the transaction was valued at $488,645,875. Genting also noted that Dream has a current three-ship fleet, the Genting Dream, World Dream and Explorer Dream. In addition, is a contract to build a Global-class ship at MV Werften.

“It also expects to enter into the Global II Shipbuilding Contract in relation to the construction of Global II with MV Werften,” the company said, in a prepared statement.

The agreement also noted options third and fourth Global-class ships.

Cruise Companies Pursue Different Brand Growth Strategies

The multi-brand cruise companies will continue to grow their largest and most popular brands, but individual brand growth may surprise, according to the 2019 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

While Carnival Cruise Line brand will continue to be the dominant brand for Carnival Corporation over the next decade, carrying twice as many passengers as the second-largest brand, Costa Crociere will see the most capacity growth over the same time period, driven partially by its short cruises in China.

AIDA will be third in terms of capacity growth, followed by Princess Cruises.

Altogether the Carnival brands will grow their passenger capacity from an estimated 12 million (double occupancy) in 2019 to some 16 million in 2027, barring any ship withdrawals and deployment changes.

At Royal Caribbean Cruises, the Royal Caribbean brand will also continue to dominate and could be the single largest brand in the world by 2027, growing by an estimated 1.2 million passengers, twice the projected capacity growth for the Carnival brand over the same time period. TUI Cruises, which is 50 per cent owned by Royal Caribbean, will also see significant growth. However, Celebrity, which will see less growth over the same time period, will remain the second-largest brand at Royal Caribbean. The total capacity for the Royal Caribbean brands is forecast to grow to about 9 million.

MSC Cruises will move up to become the third-largest cruise company with the most capacity growth of any brand, from an estimated 2.4 million in 2019 to nearly 5 million by 2027.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings moves to fourth place, however, the Norwegian Cruise Line brand will see the second largest passenger capacity increase. Total capacity for the three Norwegian brands is estimated at 3.7 million in the nine-year forecast.

Genting will also see significant relative growth and remains the fifth largest cruise operator.

P&O Cruises pulls Dubai and Arabian Gulf programme

P&O Cruises pulls Dubai and Arabian Gulf programme

P&O Cruises has scrapped its entire Dubai and Arabian Gulf 2019-20 winter programme amid rising fears for British-flagged vessels sailing in the region.

The cruise line’s president Paul Ludlow said it had sought advice from “external authorities” have been monitoring the friction between the West and Iran before announcing the decision.

Last month, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz, which lies between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

The majority of the 49 departures between October to next March on Oceana were due to pass through the Strait.

All bookings will be cancelled and guests will be given a full refund.

Ludlow said: “The increased tension in the region highlighted by the attacks on tankers in the strait and the detention of a British-flagged tanker by the Iranian authorities means as a British company flying the Red Ensign it is not advisable for us to maintain our planned Dubai and Arabian Gulf programme this winter season.

“We have therefore taken the unusual step of withdrawing Oceana from the region for the upcoming season.

“Whilst we appreciate our guests will be disappointed, the safety of our guests and crew is absolutely paramount and given our UK status, coupled with the uncertainty in the region, we have had to make this difficult decision.”

 

Strait of Hormuz

New itineraries for Oceana are currently being put together and will be put on sale from 9am on August 20.

The line added that the new programme will include ex-Southampton departures to Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands, plus a 35-night pre-Christmas sailing to the Caribbean.

Affected passengers have also been given an exclusive offer on 2020-21 Dubai and Arabian Gulf cruises and well as this season’s Caribbean fly-cruises.

P&O launched its first Arabian Gulf programme this year, basing Oceana in Dubai for a series of fly-cruises to destinations such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Oman from January and April.

P&O Cruises launched a new advert in March starring comic Rob Brydon to promote its 2020-21 Arabian Gulf programme.

Actress Helen Mirren named godmother of Scenic ship

Actress Helen Mirren named godmother of Scenic ship

Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren has been named godmother of the Scenic Eclipse expedition vessel. The ship will be christened on Sept. 10 in New York City.

"Scenic Eclipse is a unique ship that requires an equally unique person to act in this role," stated Glen Moroney, Scenic's founder and chairman.

Mirren won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2007 for her performance in "The Queen." She was also nominated for Oscars for her roles in 1994's "The Madness of King George," 2001's "Gosford Park" and 2009's "The Last Station."

The Eclipse is Scenic's first oceangoing vessel. It was originally scheduled to debut in 2018 but shipyard problems delayed its completion.

The 200-passenger ship's maiden voyage is slated to depart Iceland on Aug. 15 on a 13-day discovery sailing ending in Quebec on Aug. 27.

The ultra-luxe Eclipse will have two six-guest helicopters and one six-guest submarine capable of depths of nearly 1,000 feet, indoor and outdoor plunge pools, and butler service for all guests. The 114-suite ship will have 10 dining options, including Asian fusion, French fine dining, a chef's table and a poolside buffet. There will be a state-of-the-art theatre for entertainment and lectures.

Scenic operates river cruises in Europe, Southeast Asia, Russia and Egypt on 15 ships.

Venice Asks Other Cities to Join in Effort to Curb Cruise Ships

PHOTO: A cruise ship sailing through Venice, Italy. (photo via Jan-Otto/iStock Unreleased)

Venice officials have asked several of Europe's other popular cruise destinations, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dubrovnik and Marseille to join them in working toward the enforcement of new rules that would require cruise lines to adapt their ships to reduce the potential for injury to people as well as environmental impact.

The MSC Opera suffered a mechanical issue before crashing into a Uniworld riverboat and a dock in Venice in early June, injuring at least four people, while video surfaced last month of the Costa Deliziosa narrowly missing a yacht and the dock while being towed by a tugboat during a storm.

"I have written to all European cities that share our experience with cruise tourism and that find themselves having to balance economic development with environmental sustainability," Pino Musolino, chairman of the northern Adriatic Sea port authority, said in a statement Thursday.

"The growing size of vessels, their environmental impacts on the areas surrounding the ports and the 'burden' that the increasing number of tourists...are creating a situation of conflict," he wrote in a letter to eight fellow port authorities.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site and bucket list destination for many, Venice is slowly sinking, with officials blaming cruise ships for contributing to the growing problem.

Venice is no stranger to over-tourism struggles with city officials implementing controversial policies to battle the frequent visitor crowds in recent years.

The city has even called on UNESCO to add Venice to the World Heritage site blacklist of endangered destinations.

Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay Drives Rate and Short Market

“To describe Perfect Day as a home run wouldn't do it justice. It really resets the bar in the short cruise market,” said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises, on the company’s second-quarter earnings call.

Fain highlighted Perfect Day CocoCay as part of Royal Caribbean’s strength to adapt to an ever-changing business environment.

“We continue to do well because we continue to adapt our product to the changing desires of our current and future guests and the changing environment which we operate,” Fain added.

Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said that through 2020, 11 Royal Caribbean ships will call at the private island that now features an expansive water park. 

“If you may recall, we put Mariner, Navigator and Independence through Royal Amplified and we completely changed the product offering in the short cruise market and literally put the biggest best ships in that short market, which is about 20-something per cent of the entire American cruise market,” Bayley said. “So we already started to see demand increasing for those products because they are truly great products.”

Bayley said that since May when the new experience opened, the company has taken around 350,000 guests to CocoCay.

“It's now rated the number one resort globally for Royal Caribbean. It's knocking it out of the park in terms of truly delivering a phenomenal day. The guest satisfaction is extremely high. And so the demand that we're seeing is coming from all segments. It competes very well with Orlando,” Bayley said, adding that 40 per cent of guests in the short cruise market was new-to-cruise.

“We’re seeing both significant increase in volume and of course that's driving rate,” Bayley noted.

Holyhead: 30 Percent Traffic Increase Set For 2020

“2019 will be on par with 2018 for passenger numbers and calls,” said a spokesperson for Cruise Wales, discussing the cruise traffic in Holyhead.

Next year is better, showing a 30 per cent increase in passenger numbers thanks to larger vessels, the spokesperson said.

“Cruise Wales works closely with local authorities, port services, and tourism businesses to meet expectations to ensure passengers are immersed in our wonderful culture and heritage so they will return again and again,” they said. “We are also working on digital language translation and an ambassador program.”

Berth bookings for Holyhead Port are being taken out through 2022.

Through the Tourism Investment Support Scheme, the Welsh government has invested in a pontoon at Fishguard allowing larger cruise vessels to call, and the Port of Holyhead is also to undergo change, with a new multi-use berth development with 340 meters of dock space coming soon.

Fain: Cruise Industry Has Features That Make It Recession Resistant

Royal Caribbean Cruises is well-prepared to adapt to a changing marketplace, according to Chairman and CEO Richard Fain, speaking on the company’s second-quarter earnings call.

“When circumstances change, we are prepared to adapt. While no one is recession-proof, looking forward, I think the industry has features that make it recession-resistant,” he said. “The growing appeal of our product, the relative price attractiveness, the fixed cost component, the portability of our assets, et cetera; all of these things make us better able to do well even in bad times.

“A good example of that would be China, where Spectrum of the Seas started operating just a few weeks ago,” Fain continued. “Conventional wisdom suggests that bringing a new ship into a market whose economy is weakening ain't such a good idea. But Spectrum and our other ships there are doing very well, despite the softer economy.”

CFO Jason Liberty said that the company had plans and scenarios it would consider if the economy slowed down.

Liberty said the multi-brand cruise corporation operates a worldwide business that can source guests globally.

“We also have itineraries that go to a thousand different places,” Liberty said. “So what's available to our guest is much more.

“We also have a much stronger balance sheet and a much stronger liquidity position,” he continued. “And I think we would evaluate our plans in case there was a change in the winds.”

That being said, Liberty said the company was not seeing any of those changes whether it's booking levels, even daily, or onboard performance.

Looking back to the last recession, Liberty said there was regret that the company pulled back on its growth.

“We would all be talking about higher earnings numbers today, better return profile today, if we hadn't slowed down our growth or our investment efforts in expanding our global footprint, investing in different projects that would have put us in an even stronger position than we are today.”

The 19-month-old girl plunged 150 feet from the vessel in San Juan on Sunday

The 19-month-old girl plunged 150 feet from the vessel in San Juan on Sunday

The toddler is believed to have fallen from a window on the 11th deck - shown above the balconies - on Sunday afternoon

A toddler has fallen to her death after slipping out of her grandfather's arms on a cruise ship which was docked in Puerto Rico. 

The 19-month-old girl from Indiana plunged 150 feet from the Royal Caribbean vessel in San Juan on Sunday afternoon. 

Her maternal grandfather, identified as Salvatore Anello, is believed to have slipped and fallen while holding the toddler by a window on the 11th deck of the Freedom of the Seas ship. 

Horrified passengers said they had heard a 'cry of pain' from the girl's mother.

'[We heard] the screams of the families because we were close,' a nearby passenger told Telemundo PR. 

'I looked because of the mother's cry. That tonality, a scream of pain of that nature, does not compare with any other scream.'

The girl had a hard landing on the concrete of the Pan American dock in San Juan and died in hospital shortly afterwards.  

The child and her extended family from Indiana were vacationing together aboard the Freedom of the Seas cruise ship, operated by the Royal Caribbean cruise line.

 Both her sets of grandparents, her parents and her younger brother were on board the ship at the time. 

The child's father has been identified by WSBT as South Bend police officer Alan Wiegand. 

The South Bend Police Department in Indiana said in a statement: 'The South Bend Police Department offers its sincerest condolences to Officer Alan Wiegand and his family during this difficult time following the tragic loss of their child while in Puerto Rico. The department asks the community to pray for the entire Wiegand family as they grieve and to respect their privacy.'  

 

The police chief Scott Ruszkowski disputed the statement issued by Puerto Rico police that the girl was being held out of an 11th-floor window.   

Police Sgt Nelson Sotelo told The Associated Press that the family of the child will remain in the US territory until the investigation is complete.

'They’re in shock,' he said. 

Department of Public Security official Elmer Román said the grandfather was playing a game with the child when she slipped from his arms. 

The homicide division was investigating the death, he said. 

'It has not been possible to interview the family,' he said, adding that they were being provided with medical and spiritual support. 

El Vocero reported the grandfather was holding the child when he slipped and fell into the window, and the child then fell from his arms to her death.   

People claiming to be familiar with the layout of the ship in an online forum said the 11th deck is a pool deck on the cruise ship, which would be the only place on the ship that would have open windows.    

The call to authorities came in reporting the child's fatal drop at 4.27pm Atlantic Standard Time, according to Primera Hora.  

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. told DailyMail.com: 'We are assisting local authorities in San Juan, PR as they make inquiries after an incident aboard Freedom of the Seas earlier today. 

'We do not have further information to share at this point.'    

Security camera footage from the ship has been requested by Prosecutor Ivette Nieves, who was conducting interviews with the passengers who observed the tragic fall. 

Carnival to use platform ship to fix Vista

Carnival Cruise Line said it will hire a heavy lift vessel used in the oil and gas industry to enable repairs on the Carnival Vista's underperforming azipod units.

https://vimeo.com/345668784The Boka Vanguard, built in 2012 and operated by the Dutch speciality shipping firm Boskalis, is the largest vessel of its type in the world, capable of transporting equipment of up to 117,000 tons.

Carnival will use the ship as a floating dry dock to pick up the Vista on its platform and transport it to Grand Bahama Island, where repairs will occur.

The Boka Vanguard is a bowless ship with a flat 230-by-920 foot watertight deck. The ship's tanks will be filled with seawater to submerge it so that the Carnival Vista can be towed over it. Then the tanks will be evacuated, raising the Vista onto the Boka Vanguard's platform.

The Boka Vanguard is expected to arrive in Bahamian waters on July 5 to prepare for Carnival Vista's arrival on July 12. The loading, transport and repairs are expected to take approximately two weeks, allowing Carnival Vista to return to Galveston in time for its July 27 voyage, Carnival said.

The Carnival Vista's azipod propulsion motors will have all of the bearings replaced while it is out of service. Carnival turned to the novel solution because the drydock it would normally use at the Grand Bahama Shipyard was damaged in April by crane collapse. The cranes were attempting a repair on the Oasis of the Seas, which also needed work on its azipods.

In 2013, Costa Cruises obtained a $30 million option on the Boka Vanguard for possible use in refloating the sunken Costa Concordia in Italy, but the option expired when Costa decided on a different method of raising it.

Engine problems on the Norwegian Pearl.

Thousands of passengers are stuck in Barcelona on a stricken cruise ship while another of its voyages has been cancelled with just days' notice

Norwegian Pearl

A mechanical issue has left thousands of cruise passengers stuck in Barcelona, while another of its voyages has been cancelled entirely with just days' notice.

Norwegian Pearl was sailing a 13-day voyage from northern Europe to the Mediterranean when it experienced a technical issue - causing it to travel at a slower speed. 

The problem meant the ship, which has 2,300 guests on board, missed a stop in Palma, Majorca, as well as Monte Carlo and is currently stranded in the Spanish city.

Additionally, an upcoming cruise of the Greek Isles and Italy, which was due to depart on Friday (July 5), has been cancelled much to the fury of its passengers. 

She said: 'We were supposed to depart to Livorno at 6am and only miss the second port of call.

'They changed it around 9am to tell us we may not be able to go to Civitavecchia (Rome), will not be travelling to Livorno, will be receiving a 50 per cent refund and credit for a future cruise. If guests wanted to fully disembark they were allowed to and to make other travel arrangements.

'Then they announced we will not be sailing to Civitavecchia, our last port of call where most guests have flights booked. We are now kindly asked to disembark the ship by Friday at noon.'

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A picture was taken by Cheyenne Lewis, a passenger on the cruise, showing people lining up at guest services to try and re-arrange their travel plans

She continued: 'A good portion of the guests aren’t from Europe and will be spending a lot in fees to get to another destination. They are reimbursing $300 for airfare costs and have given customers an hour of free WiFi.

'However, flight tickets will soon run out or be price gouged.

'I was fortunate enough to have a WiFi package so when the first announcement about disembarking came on, I just bought my family and I flights to Rome and a hotel room.

'However, from what I’ve heard walking around, some of the flights are not remotely close to the $300 guests will be reimbursed.' 

Another passenger Kelly Flint expressed her frustration on Twitter posting: 'Stuck on Norwegian Pearl in Barcelona. Already missed two shore stops. No info from NCL. 

'Learned on the internet that next cruise has been cancelled. Don’t know how to get to Rome for flights home. Come on NCL.'

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Several passengers took to Twitter to vent their frustration at being stuck in Barcelona 

Jessica Monroe also took to social media to vent her anger.

'Still stuck on the Norwegian Pearl in Barcelona. They said we’d leave at 6am, pretty sure the engine still won’t start. Can they update us so I can book a flight out of Barcelona?'

While Simon also tweeted: 'I was on the Norwegian Epic last February when we missed all ports of call due to engine problems. Used credits to book Norwegian Pearl - now cancelled due to engine problems. Want to vacation with you again but you're not making it easy.'  

A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line said: 'On July 1, 2019, Norwegian Pearl, which is currently sailing a 13-day repositioning cruise from Northern Europe to the Mediterranean, experienced a mechanical issue which necessitates that she travel at a reduced speed. 

'As such, she did not call to Palma, Majorca, and instead sailed directly to Barcelona where further assessments were made.  

'Due to necessary repairs, Norwegian Pearl’s upcoming Greek Isles and Italy sailing departing on July 5, 2019, will be cancelled.

'We recognise the disappointment and inconvenience our guests have experienced as a result of this unforeseen situation and we offer our sincere apologies. 

'Our team is working diligently to assist all of our guests, and we thank them for their continued support and loyalty.' 

Royal Caribbean Orders Third Icon-Class Ship

PHOTO: Royal Caribbean International's Oasis-class ships. (photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean International)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has entered into an agreement with shipbuilder Meyer Turku to order a third Icon-class ship.

The new vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2025, the company announced Tuesday.

Featuring environmentally-friendly innovations and powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the ship will join a pair of sister ships slated to be delivered in 2022 and 2024, respectively.

Details surrounding the cruise line's Icon-class ships remain relatively scarce. However, it is known that they will accommodate approximately 5,000 passengers and introduce fuel cell technology as part of an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"We are thrilled to announce the newest addition to our Icon-class fleet that affirms our commitment to clean-power technologies at sea," said Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, in a statement. "We've designed a class of ships powered by liquefied natural gas that leverages the latest, environmentally-friendly applications. We believe that innovative shipbuilding can reduce our carbon footprint and boost energy efficiencies to help to build a cleaner future."

In his own statement, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO, Michael Bayley, called these "exciting times" for the cruise line.

"Building on our vision with the addition of a third order is a testament to our confidence in the innovative design and energy-efficient technology and engineering that will, without a doubt, make Icon class a game changer," he added.

Royal Caribbean said the order is contingent upon financing.