Cruise Liner Refloated After Running Aground

Posted on 20 May, 2015 by Spacejunkie2

Norwegian Dawn

A Norwegian Cruise Line ship with more than 3,500 people on board has had to be refloated after running aground near Bermuda.

The Norwegian Dawn was returning to Boston with 2,443 passengers and more than 1,059 crew.

It is believed to have temporarily lost power after leaving port.

The Norwegian Dawn struck the sea bed when leaving Bermuda

A spokesman for Norwegian Cruise Lines said: “The ship’s propulsion was affected and, at which time, the vessel made contact with the channel bed.”

However, the vessel has now been refloated after high tide.

A spokesman for the cruise line said the boat would remain anchored off Bermuda overnight.

Experts will inspect it on Thursday before it returns to Boston.

It was unclear whether the passengers would disembark before the 92,000-ton vessel, which is nearly 1,000ft long, heads back to Boston.

Cruise lines alter itineraries due to Hurricane Gonzalo

Posted on 15 October, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

Winds and rain from Hurricane Gonzalo have forced cruise ships in the Caribbean east of Puerto Rico to alter their itineraries.

Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International are among the cruise lines that have skipped ports of call because of the storm.

Royal Caribbean said Jewel of the Seas did not call at St. Maarten on Oct. 13. The ship spent Monday at sea before returning to the scheduled itinerary, calling at Antigua on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

Explorer of the Seas departed San Juan at 9 p.m. on Oct. 13, instead of staying overnight.

Allure of the Seas is sailing a modified western Caribbean itinerary. The ship will now visit Falmouth, Jamaica on Oct. 15 and Cozumel on Oct. 17.

The storm led to Carnival Liberty staying at sea for a second day rather than calling at St. Thomas on Oct. 14. The cruise will go to Grand Cayman and Cozumel before returning to Port Canaveral. Carnival Breeze will stay at sea rather than call at La Romana, Dominican Republic, on Oct. 14.

Carnival Conquest’s original eastern Caribbean itinerary out of Miami was scrapped in favor of a western Caribbean route that will stop in Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay (Honduras) and Costa Maya (Mexico).

The hurricane is expected to strengthen from its current Category 1 status and move toward Bermuda later this week.

Bermuda launches Horseshoe Bay shuttle for cruisers

Posted on 12 August, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

Bermuda cruise visitors will be able to ride a dedicated shuttle to Horseshoe Bay Beach, starting this week.

The shuttle, sponsored by the West End Development Corp. and the Ministry of Tourism and Transit, is expected to take pressure off of the crowded public buses that cruise tourists have been using.

Priced at $16 roundtrip, the shuttles will leave the cruise pier from 8 a.m. to 3 pm daily. The last return bus leaves at 6 p.m.

The minibus shuttle will serve the King’s Wharf terminal, which is used by Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Dawn, Celebrity Summit and Royal Caribbean International’s Explorer of the Seas.