Tag Archives: England

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.

Princess Ship Completes Drydock in Rotterdam

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The Sky Princess successfully completed a routine drydock at the Damen Verolme in Rotterdam earlier this month.

According to the Dutch shipyard, the Princess Cruises vessel spent a total of 16 days in the facility undergoing regular maintenance, in addition to technical upgrades.

The scope of work included the installation of class-certified parts for a new air lubrication system and a full hull painting program, Damen said.

A total of 1,200 crew members and 700 contractors worked around the clock to complete the project, which the shipyard called a logistical challenge.

Following the successful drydock, the Sky Princess resumed service on May 5.

Spending the summer in Northern Europe, the 2019-built vessel is presently offering a series of cruises departing from Southampton, England.

The program includes itineraries to Western Europe, the Norwegian Fjords, the Mediterranean, the Baltic and more.

In May, for instance, the ship is offering a seven-night cruise to Scandinavia, in addition to a special 14-night cruise to Iceland and Norway.

Also sailing roundtrip from Southampton, the two-week cruise features visits to Akureyri, Isafjord and Grundarfjordur in Iceland, as well as Skjolden, Olden and Alesund, in Norway.

Following its summer program in Europe, the Sky Princess is set to return to North America in November.

Starting on Nov. 25, the vessel offers a series of itineraries to the Caribbean and the Bahamas departing from Princess’ cruise terminal in Port Everglades, Florida.

Fourth in a series of six ships known as Royal Class, the Sky Princess originally entered service in 2019.

Built by the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the 141,000-ton cruise ship was followed, in 2020, by the Enchanted Princess – which also completed a drydock recently.

After arriving in Europe in March, the 3,660-guest vessel underwent routine work at a facility of the Fincantieri Shipyard in Palermo, Italy.

A third ship also spent time at a shipyard recently, as the Sapphire Princess visited the Vigor Shipyard on the U.S. West Coast for regular maintenance in April.

Holland America Line Celebrates 150th Anniversary Crossing

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Holland America Line’s Rotterdam VII departed Rotterdam last week for the cruise line’s 150th-anniversary transatlantic crossing, according to a press release.

The 15-day voyage was designed to recreate Holland America Line’s first voyage onboard the Rotterdam I and the route follows the original route to New York, with stops in Le Havre, France, and Plymouth, England, according to Holland America Line.

“Today is historic for our brand as we depart 150 years to the day that Holland America Line’s very first ship began its journey to New York,” said Gus Antorcha, president, of Holland America Line.

“In that time, we’ve carried immigrants and cruising vacationers, soldiers and refugees and earned a reputation for the extraordinary care and welcoming all those guests as if into our own homes. As we sail into our next 150 years, that environment of service will be our hallmark as we create exceptional experiences for guests around the world,” he added.

Guests will travel through Holland America Line’s history with onboard enrichment programming, culinary recreations of dishes served in the original sailing, and other forms of entertainment. The celebrations will continue on October 26 with a commissioned performance on the World Stage by past and present Lincoln Center Stage performers.

The cruise line will offer its anniversary sailing again on April 6, 2023, setting sail from New York and ending in Rotterdam on April 18.