UFO sighting on Carnival cruise ship?

Posted on 18 October, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

When you’re embarking on your cruise voyage, you’ll look forward to delightful meals and drinks, exceptional sightseeing opportunities and the chance to explore new cultures.

What you do not expect to see, however, is a UFO!

Onboard a Carnival cruise ship in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, passengers reported seeing an object in the sky they could not identify. The sighting immediately sparked discussion, with some claiming that it could have been a military drone, video editing technology or a wide manner of other things.

The object certainly looks unusual and does not have the traditional shape associated with UFOs through the media.

UFO seen over a Carnival Cruise Ship

YouTube user ThirdPhaseofMoon uploaded the video, which has proved to be particularly popular online, recording 85,237 views to the current day.

However, the validity of the video has been questioned by some users, with scOtte1 saying: “Sorry, but when the ‘UFO’ entered the clouds you can tell that it was poor editing using the fade out tool. Completely obvious.”

On the other hand, some people believe the flying object is instead a military carrier.

Whether people are getting carried away over nothing, or there really are aliens visiting Florida, the video has sparked a lot of discussion on YouTube and the cruise community in general.

It is not the first time UFOs have been allegedly spotted in the state, with a report from Mutual UFO Network recently reporting that another fast-moving object was seen in broad daylight on September 15th of this year.

A photo of the flying structure was taken by a witness driving on I-95 southbound near Fort Lauderdale.

Could it be that Fort Lauderdale is a preferred spot for visitors, or are all the claims false?

What do you think? Did the passengers see UFOs and have you seen any yourself?

Carnival gets bigger in Texas

Posted on 25 April, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

By Jerry Limone

Carnival Cruise Lines will have three ships based in Galveston when the Carnival Freedom joins the Magic and Triumph at the Texas port next February.

Carnival said no other cruise line has deployed three year-round ships in Texas.

“In partnership with the Port of Galveston and the local community, we have been able to increase our passenger counts fivefold since we first launched service from Galveston in 2000,” Carnival Cruise Lines CEO Gerry Cahill said. “Additionally, we are extremely grateful for the support of our travel agent partners who have played a key role in the growth of our Texas cruise program.”

Before arriving in Galveston, the 3,000-passenger Freedom will undergo a previously announced makeover that will add Fun Ship 2.0 product enhancements, including Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, RedFrog Pub and the Camp Ocean kids’ club.

Carnival Freedom will sail a 12-day repositioning cruise departing Fort Lauderdale on Feb. 2, arriving in Galveston on Feb. 14. The cruise will call in St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Curacao, Aruba and Grand Cayman.

The Freedom will kick off its new schedule from Galveston with a six-day Caribbean voyage to Costa Maya, Mexico; Belize; and Cozumel. Following the six-day voyage, the Freedom will sail seven-day Caribbean cruises year-round.

Crew member arrested for assault on HAL ship

Posted on 20 February, 2014 by Spacejunkie2

By Tom Stieghorst

A 28-year-old crew member on Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam ship has been arrested following an assault on a passenger in her cabin last week.

The crew member was taken into custody by the FBI when the ship docked in Fort Lauderdale at the end of a chartered cruise on Feb. 16.

He has been charged with attempted murder and sexual assault, according to South Florida media reports. Court records say the Indonesian man confessed to the attack, and told investigators that he was responding to a perceived insult to himself and his family.

Holland America has fired him.

“No words can adequately express our shock at this event,” Holland America said in a statement. “We continue to work closely with authorities to understand how this incident occurred and what additional actions we can take to help ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.”

The 31-year-old U.S. citizen was cared for and her condition was stabilized in the ship’s hospital, the statement said. She disembarked the ship on Saturday in Roatan, Honduras, and was transferred by air to a hospital in the U.S.

Nieuw Amsterdam left Fort Lauderdale on Feb. 9 for a week-long western Caribbean cruise. It had been chartered by Bare Necessities Tour & Travel, in Austin, Texas, which specializes in clothing-optional vacations.

Holland America Line said the cabin steward was hired in 2012 following a screening that included a clean criminal history check.

He had no performance issues and came with good references, the statement said.

The line reiterated that it asks for a police screening of nearly all shipboard employees in their country of origin, and that virtually all crew members must get a U.S. visa and be screened by the U.S. government prior to employment.