Carnival Pride Cruise Cancelled After Technical Issue

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Carnival Pride in Alsund, Norway photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Carnival Cruise Line cancelled the upcoming cruise onboard the Carnival Pride following a technical issue with the vessel.

Scheduled to sail roundtrip from Dover, England, on July 21, the nine-night itinerary was set to visit the British Islands and Ireland.

According to a statement published by Brand Ambassador John Heald, following the technical issue, the Carnival Pride made an unplanned stop in Kiel, Germany, to board expert technicians.

While work onboard is underway to get the ship back to Dover “as quickly as possible,” it was necessary to cancel the upcoming departure, the statement said.

“We know you have been looking forward to your summer cruise and are very sorry to share this unexpected, last-minute news,” Carnival added.

Affected passengers will be offered different compensation and options, based on their current location and plans.

Those who have not yet travelled to Europe will receive a full refund and a 100 per cent future cruise credit (FCC), plus any airline cancellation fees, Carnival stated.

Meanwhile, the passengers already in Europe will receive reimbursement for the expenses related to the cancelled cruise.

These guests will be eligible to receive a refund of two nights of hotel accommodation (up to $300 per night) and food per diem of US$100 per day, per person, beginning on Friday.

Carnival is also covering airline fees in case the passengers decide to return home now.

“Based on when we can make the repairs and return the ship to Dover, we may be able to operate a revised itinerary with a shorter cruise that will end in Dover on the originally scheduled debarkation date of Sunday, July 30,” the company added.

If a shorter cruise does go ahead, Carnival will provide a prorated refund of the original cruise fare, in addition to offering a to-be-determined amount of onboard credit.

Carnival is also said to be exploring any availability on seven-day cruises onboard its sister brands out of Southampton on July 22.

Passengers currently onboard in Germany, meanwhile, can opt to return to the United Kingdom or to stay onboard.

“Our team has been busy exploring all options to get you back to the UK so you can catch your return flights home or continue your vacation in Europe,” the company said in a statement delivered onboard.

“We cannot project when the Carnival Pride will depart for Dover, but for those guests with flexibility, you may stay on the ship until Dover if that is an option for you,” the letter said, adding that the extended period onboard won’t have any cost to the guest.

All passengers who boarded the vessel on July 9 will also receive a one-day prorated refund of their cruise fare plus a 25 per cent future cruise credit.

Amsterdam bans cruise ships to limit visitors and curb pollution

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Costa Medditrannia berthed in Amsterdam photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Amsterdam’s council has banned cruise ships from the city centre as the Dutch capital tries to limit visitor numbers and curb pollution.

Politicians said the vessels were not in line with the city’s sustainable ambitions.

It means the central cruise terminal on the River IJ near Amsterdam’s main train station will close.

It is the latest measure to clamp down on mass tourism in the city.

Cruise ships have become a symbol of the problem, with more than 100 mooring in the capital every year.

The council has been trying to scrub up the city, banning cannabis smoking on the streets of the red-light district.

In March the city launched an online campaign urging young British men considering holding their bachelor parties in Amsterdam to stay away.

Amsterdam has become a victim of its own popularity, attracting 20 million annual visitors – some drawn by its party city reputation.

“Cruise ships in the centre of the city don’t fit in with Amsterdam’s task of cutting the number of tourists,” said Ilana Rooderkerk of the liberal D66 party, which runs the city along with the Labour party and environmentalists.

Ms Rooderkerk recently compared cruise tourists to a type of “plague of locusts” descending all at once on the city.

Iconic buildings in Amsterdam are great for Photographers credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)Other Amsterdam officials have baulked at that kind of language. But Mayor Femke Halsema complained last year that cruise tourists were let loose for a couple of hours, ate at international chains and had no time to visit a museum, consuming the city but doing little for it.

The other key reason for removing cruise ships is to lower air pollution levels in Amsterdam. A 2021 study of one big cruise ship found that it had produced the same levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in one day as 30,000 trucks.

Other mooring sites away from the city centre have been under consideration for some time but no decision has yet been taken.

In a separate development, Amsterdam has announced plans to beef up night-time culture for young people.

The city has outlined its aim to find nightclub locations such as disused tunnels and garages to develop the talent of “creative young people who want to organise something at night”.

Former Vantage Cruise Ship Ocean Explorer on the Move

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Vantage Travel’s Ocean Explorer is on the move again. After several weeks of being docked in Northern France, the expedition vessel is on its way to Stavanger, in Norway.

According to AIS data, the 140-guest ship left Caen on Thursday and is scheduled to arrive at its destination on July 15.

Along with its sister ship Ocean Odyssey, the vessel had been docked at the French port since late May – when Vantage Deluxe World Travel ceased operations.

At the time, it sailed to Caen with no guests onboard, starting what was believed to be an extended lay-up period.

According to French media, the ships were initially scheduled to remain docked at the port for three months.

Later, on June 29, Vantage Deluxe Travel filed for a Chapter 11 in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts, pending a sale of its brand and assets to a new owner.

Built-in 2021 and 2022, the Ocean Explorer and the Ocean Odyssey are owned by SunStone Ships and were sailing for Vantage Travel on a long-term charter.

The vessels are part of SunStone’s Infinity Class, including four additional purpose-designed expedition ships.

Built by the CMHI Shipyard in Haimen, China, the 8,000-ton vessels offer an upscale cruising experience, including a swimming pool, two full-service restaurants, a spa, a two-story lounge and more.

Before Vantage’s bankruptcy, the Ocean Explorer was scheduled to offer a series of cruises to the Arctic and Northern Europe during the 2023 summer.

The program also included voyages to the Great Lakes and New England, in addition to itineraries to Canada’s St. Lawrence Sea Way and Atlantic Coast.

The ship was then scheduled to reposition to Antarctica for the winter, offering a series of expeditions departing from Ushuaia, in Argentina.

The ship was also set to sail to additional destinations in South America, the Amazon and the Caribbean during the 2023-2024 season.