Tag Archives: Cayman Islands

Ambassador’s Ambience Kicks Off 40-Day Cruise to the Caribbean

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Ambassador’s Ambience Kicks Off 40-Day Cruise to the Caribbean

Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience recently kicked off one of the company’s longest cruises this year, a 40-day voyage to the Caribbean.

Sailing roundtrip from Tilbury, the “Jewels of the Caribbean Sea” itinerary is highlighted by visits to a wide range of destinations in the region.

As part of the voyage, the Ambience will become the only mainstream cruise ship to sail to Cuba in 2026, with a 13-hour visit to Havana scheduled for Feb. 16, 2026.

The cruise started with a visit to Ponta Delgada in the Azores after departing from the United Kingdom on Jan. 30, 2026.

The Ambience then crossed the Atlantic for destinations in Antigua and the British Virgin Islands, such as Antigua and Tortola.

Following its visit to Cuba, the ship is also scheduled to sail to George Town in the Cayman Islands, Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and Fort-de-France in Martinique.

Other ports of call include Montego Bay and Ocho Rios in Jamaica, as well as Bridgetown in Barbados and Castries in St. Lucia.

Before arriving back in Tilbury in early March, the Ambience also sails to Basseterre in St. Kitts and St. Vincent.

Upon returning to the United Kingdom, the Ambience embarks on a series of spring cruises to Northern Europe, visiting Scandinavia, the Baltic, the British Isles and more.

For the summer, the 1,578-passenger ship adds visits to more destinations, including Portugal, Spain, Madeira, the Canaries and Iceland.

The vessel’s deployment is also highlighted by a 31-night cruise to the Mediterranean scheduled for early November, which sails roundtrip from Tilbury and features ports of call across North Africa, the Adriatic, Sicily and more.

In related news, Ambassador’s Ambience recently underwent a three-week drydock refurbishment in the United Kingdom.

The multi-million-dollar refurbishment included technical work, as well as improvements to public areas and staterooms.

Carnival Legend to Homeport in Galveston in 2025

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Carnival Cruise Line announced that the Carnival Legend will be homeporting in Galveston in 2025, offering Western Caribbean sailings ranging from four to ten nights.

In addition, the Carnival Legend will offer two Panama Canal voyages, according to a statement.

“Carnival Legend’s deployment in Galveston strengthens our already robust portfolio of sailings from Texas, adding more variety to the offered itineraries, as well as another ship choice, and more opportunities for cruises to Mexico and other Western Caribbean that fit any vacation length,” said Fred Stein, Carnival’s vice president of revenue planning and deployment.

From the fall of 2025 through early 2026, the Carnival Legend will alternate between shorter and longer itineraries. Among the available sailings is a five-day voyage that visits Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico. Seven newly available 10-day itineraries feature ports of call in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Mahogany Bay, Roatan; Belize and Cozumel, Mexico.

Additionally, an eight-day Christmas sailing departing on December 18, 2025, will visit Mahogany Bay, Roatan; Belize and Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.

Ahead of its move to Galveston, the ship will sail a 16-day Carnival Journeys sailing departing from San Francisco on October 6, 2025. Ports of call include Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and Puntarenas, Costa Rica before transiting the Panama Canal, and then Cartagena, Colombia before arriving in Galveston. A second 14-day Carnival Journeys cruise sails roundtrip from Galveston and departs on February 2, 2026. Ports of call include Montego Bay, Jamaica; Aruba; Curacao; Cartagena, Colombia; Colon (Panama Canal), Panama; Limon, Costa Rica and Cozumel, Mexico. Additionally, the Carnival Legend will offer three 10-day Panama Canal sailings departing on Oct. 27 Dec. 8, 2025, and March 16, 2026.

The Carnival Legend’s Galveston cruises open for sale on September 21.

Coronavirus: MSC cruise ship rejected from two Caribbean ports as crew member falls ill

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Image result for MSC meraviglia in the caribbean

CRUISES have been hard hit by the outbreak of Coronavirus and yesterday MSC Meraviglia was rejected from two Caribbean ports amid fears that a crew member on board the MSC Cruises ship was sick.
Cruise ship MSC Meraviglia was turned away from two ports in the Caribbean on Tuesday. The rejection came amid fears of the spread of coronavirus. The MSC Meraviglia was denied permission to dock in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Georgetown, Cayman Islands in the Caribbean.

Authorities were concerned the sickness was a result of coronavirus.

However, the cruise line claims his illness is down to common seasonal flu and insist no cases of coronavirus have been reported on any MSC ships.

MSC is “extremely disappointed” with the double rejection.

The ship is now sailing onward to Cozumel, Mexico, the next scheduled port of call.

The Jamaican Ministry of Health released a statement yesterday.

It stated: “A cruise line with over 4,500 passengers and over 1,600 crew members was today (Tuesday, February 25, 2020) denied access to the port of call in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.

“The vessel arrived at approximately 8:30 a.m. and upon inspection by the Port Health Officials, it was discovered that a crew member was placed in isolation on board.

“The crew member had a cough, fever and associated muscle pains with a travel history to a country of interest relating to the COVID-19.”

Dwayne Seymour, health minister of the Cayman Islands, also released a statement.

He said: “In an abundance of caution, in order to provide protection to the health and safety of the residents of the Cayman Islands, the government has denied permission for the cruise ship to call on Grand Cayman as previously scheduled.”

Image result for msc meraviglia photos

MSC have said that the sick crew member and all passengers onboard the Meraviglia had passed a health screening before boarding the ship at the weekend.

The cruise ship departed Miami on Sunday and was scheduled to complete a 15-day cruise of Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Mexico, Bahamas, Belize and Honduras, returning to Miami on March 8, according to an itinerary.

MSC said in a statement sent to Express.co.uk today: “MSC Cruises is extremely disappointed that Jamaican authorities yesterday delayed a decision for many hours to give our ship the necessary clearance to disembark guests, despite us having provided detailed medical records to the local health and national authorities ahead of its arrival as per normal protocol.

“Similarly, the decision taken overnight by the Grand Cayman authorities to refuse disembarkation at Georgetown was made without even reviewing the ship’s medical records, which show one single case of common seasonal flu (type A influenza) affecting one crew member with a travel history clearly showing no passages through territories either affected by COVID-19 (Coronavirus) or subject to any international health restrictions. In both instances, the ship was effectively turned away simply based on fears.

“MSC Meraviglia is currently at sea on her way to Cozumel, Mexico, her next scheduled port of call.