AIDA Cruises’ AIDAsol arrived in Port Louis, Mauritius on Friday, Jan.19, starting the last leg of its world cruise.
Having sailed on October 2023 when it departed from Hamburg, the AIDAsol has so far crossed each of the major oceans once during this world voyage.
Mauritius serves as the last port of transfer for guests on the 2023-24 world cruise.
After leaving Port Louis, the ship will head for Saint-Denis, Reunion, before exploring several ports in South Africa including Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. Other ports of call on the last leg of the journey are Walvis Bay, Namibia; Praia, Cape Verde Islands; Tenerife, Canary Islands; Funchal, Madeira; Lisbon, Portugal; Porto, Portugal; and Portland, England. The ship is scheduled to arrive back in Hamburg on Feb. 21.
In October 2024, the AIDAsol will again embark on a world tour with some destinations in New Zealand that have not previously been visited by AIDA Cruises.
A search is under way off the Kent coast after reports of a crew member falling overboard from a cruise ship.
The coastguard was alerted at about 09:00 BST on Sunday after the man disappeared from the German vessel AIDAperla off Ramsgate.
The HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter was sent from Lydd alongside a fixed-wing aircraft.
The RNLI sent all-weather lifeboats from Ramsgate and Dover to join the search.
The AIDAperla was travelling from Hamburg in Germany to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, the cruise company has confirmed.
A spokesman for AIDA Cruises said: “The captain and crew of AIDAperla immediately initiated all necessary rescue measures, in close co-ordination with the local authorities.
“The search on board confirmed that a male crew member is missing. The ship was immediately stopped and returned to the spot where the incident was believed to have taken part in the search.”
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.
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