Carnival Answers - Sending Biggest Ship to Long Beach

Posted 06/14/07

Early this week RCI announced that Mariner of the Seas would transfer to LA in 2009.  Just a few days later, Carnival has announced that their largest ship, the Carnival Splendor, will sailing from Long Beach starting March 2009.  She will take over the route currently operated by the Carnival Pride - 7 night Mexican Riviera cruises.  Meanwhile, the Elation appears to be a hit operating out of San Diego.

Finally, a West Coast Floating Ice Rink!

Posted 06/12/07

Royal Caribbean announced this week that the "Mariner of the Seas" will be moved to the West Coast begining 2009, starting with 25+ 7 night Mexican Riviera cruises.  She will be the largest cruise ship placed in regular service on the West Coast.  She is not the biggest to visit, as she is a tad smaller than the Queen Mary 2.  "Mariner of the Seas" is an Eagle Class ship (aka Voyager Class), so along with the Royal Promenade and some inside staterooms with bay windows, she features an ice skating rink.

Continuing Medical Education

Posted 04/19/07

We have just added CME courses to our cruise menu.  Click on the CME Groups link on left of home page for full details!

Windstar Sold

Posted 02/22/07

Windstar Cruises has been sold by Carnival Corp.  In line with the sale of Swan Hellinic, Windstar is a niche line that no longer fits into Carnival's long range plans.  Buyer is the Ambassador International group, parent company of Majestic America Lines.  Majestic America, in turn, is the combined fleet of several small US operators, America West Steamboat Company, Delta Queen Steamboats, etc.  The Windstar fleet currently consists of 3 motor-sail cruise ships, sailing primarily the Med and Caribbean.

Disney New Builds!

Posted 02/22/07

Disney Cruise Lines announced today the order of 2 new cruise ships.  To be delivered in 2011 and 2012, both ships will be about 122,000 gross tons, quite a bit larger than the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder.  More details forthcoming, names not yet selected.

Bad Mermaid...Bad Mermaid! Take 10..11..12...

Posted 11/23/06

Celebrity's "Millennium" has cancelled her December 10, 2006 Caribbean cruise, the first Caribbean sailing scheduled after her return from Summer Med sailings.  Once again, one of her Mermaid pods has revealed excess metal parts in bearing oil samples.  Translation - a bearing is wearing out way too fast and if allowed to fail, would cause great damage to the pod.  The ship will be drydocked in Grand Bahamas for bearing replacement.  This class of ship is one of the best, but she and her sisters have been plagued with the same bearing wear problems since new.  Rolls Royce, the pod designer, has yet to figure out what is wrong.  RCI filed suit over this issue some time back.

4 & 5 Night Cruises to Cabo Coming!

Posted 11/08/06

Carnival has announced the repositioning of their "Elation" to the West Coast, begining 4 and 5 night sailings June 2007.  She will operate year-round from San Diego, with a port call in Cabo San Lucas.  This is a FANTASTIC new offering in short cruises for the West Coast, which in prior years simply offered the LA-Catalina-Ensenada (and for RCI, San Diego) as port calls.  While nice, there is no doubt that Cabo San Lucas will provide a welcome, and much prefered change, for many West Coast passengers.

We are so pleased, that we are offering our Group sailing on the Elation's very first 4 night sailing to Cabo, on June 7, 2007.  For details, click on the Cabo Golden Trout Cruise link at left of our home page!

Europe Blackout cause

Posted 11/08/06

On November 5, 2006, millions of Europeans suffered a blackout lasting about 90 minutes.  Cause?  The moving of the Norwegian Pearl from her builders yard in Germany.  For her sea trials, she was moved stern first down the Ems River.  Each time a large ship is taken down the river, the power company powers down a major powerline crossing the river (for safety, and also without juice flowing, the powerline raises up several extra feet).  The planned shut-down caused other automated systems in the power grid to think there was a problem, and thereby shut down multiple other power supplies. 

Passports - Not "Required" - But Get One Anyway!

Posted 10/25/06

About 2 weeks ago, Congress modified the laws requiring passports for US citizens on cruise ship.  This ONLY applies if you are sailing on a ship departing the US and returning back to the US port after the cruise (example, a 7 night round trip to Mexico out of LA, or 4 days round trip Miami, etc).  While you will not need a passport to enter the US if you arrive by land or sea, you WILL need a passport to enter by air.  So what does this mean?

If you sail from a US port on a cruise ship until Jan 2009, you just need a birth certificate and photo ID.  Sound good?  Maybe, but here are the pitfalls....

Example 1 - You sail from Miami, during the cruise you are informed a family member is ill, etc, and you must leave the cruise early.  If you are in a foreign port of call, you MUST have the passport to enter the US, since you will be arriving by AIR, and NOT re-entering by land or sea.

Example 2 - You are cruising round trip from Los Angeles.  You have purchased insurance, the cruise line's air, etc.  Your flight is delayed, and you miss the sailing.  You are covered by insurance, and the line can get you on a flight to meet the ship at the next port of call.  Unless you have a passport, you will not be able to return into the US, since your departure was by air.

Translation of all of this?  Please, get a passport.  They are good for 10 years, and for the cost of about 2 margaritas per year, you are "covered".

Monterey sold for scrap

Posted 10/24/06

MSC's Monterey, formerly used by Matson Line for US West Coast to NZ/Australia routes, then later as part of Aloha Pacific's round Hawaii cruise service, is on her way to the scrapyard, after just over 50 years in service.  While she was in very good condition, failure of a boiler last month sealed her fate - just too old to be repaired or repowered.  She left Genoa for the breakers under the name "Monte".