Carnival Corp. reaches WiFi deal

Posted on 16 October, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Corp. reaches WiFi deal

By Tom Stieghorst

Harris CapRock said it won a five-year contract to provide telecommunications services to over 100 ships operated by Carnival Corp.’s 10 brands. Terms were not disclosed.

The satellite communications firm said its system will provide for “dramatically improved bandwidth levels.”

Carnival will get equipment, installation, maintenance, service, monitoring and support worldwide, Harris CapRock said.

Previously, telecom services on many Carnival Corp. ships were supplied by MTN Satellite Communications.

Carnival preparing Seattle ships for new emission limits

Posted on 12 October, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival preparing Seattle ships for new emission limits

Carnival Cruises is pumping a significant sum of money into equipping five of its ships based in North America with new environmental technology.

With strict new rules coming into effect over cruise ship emissions in the region, the company will reportedly spend $10 million (£6.3 million) fitting exhaust scrubbers on its Seattle-based fleet, Bizjournals reports.

The green technology works by cleaning ship emissions and should ensure that the vessels in question comply with the new air quality standards.

As well as fitting its own Seattle-based ships with the exhaust scrubbers, Carnival will also implement the technology on ships operated out of the Port of Seattle by its subsidiaries Holland-America Line and Princess Cruises.

Seattle, along with Alaska, is one of the main cruise ports expected to be negatively affected by the new rules, with ships concentrating on these areas likely to remain in the North American Emission Control Area for the majority of their cruising.

In the long-term, Carnival has suggested that the exhaust tech will be fitted to all 32 of the ships it has servicing North America.

Previously, it warned that the new environmental rules could negatively impact on the number of cruises offered in the region, particularly those focusing on the Canadian Atlantic.

Royal Princess cruise cancelled after power failure

Posted on 23 September, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Royal Princess cruise cancelled after power failure

By Phil Davies

Princess Cruises has been forced to cancel a cruise by new ship Royal Princess after it lost power in the Mediterranean.

The ship suffered from a power outage yesterday while sailing between Mykonos and Naples.

The vessel, carrying 3,594 passengers and 1,336 crew, was on the seventh day of a 12-day voyage from Venice.

Power was reported to have been out for around three and a half hours.

A statement from the US line confirmed that the cruise will be cancelled after the ship arrives in Naples tomorrow evening (Tuesday).

It is not yet known what impact there will be on the next cruise, due to depart from Barcelona on September 27.

Passengers in the current voyage will receive a full refund along with a 25% future cruise credit.

The US line said: “The ship’s technical team continued to evaluate the problem overnight and, upon further assessment, it became apparent that repairs need to be made to fully resolve the situation.

“We sincerely regret this means the remainder of the current cruise will be cancelled, and passengers will disembark the ship in Naples.

“Princess is making homeward air arrangements for passengers, and we anticipate that passengers will spend Tuesday night onboard and depart the ship on Wednesday.”

The company added: “We have dispatched a care team to Naples to ensure that all our passengers are provided with any assistance they may require.

“The impact of the repairs on the next Royal Princess cruise, scheduled to depart from Barcelona on September 27, is not yet known and we will keep passengers fully advised as details become known.

“Once again, we are deeply sorry for this unanticipated disruption of our passengers’ vacation plans, and we appreciate their patience and understanding of these circumstances.”

Royal Princess experienced a power outage at lunchtime on Sunday.

“During the power outage, an emergency backup generator was used to provide essential services, such as toilets,” the company said.

“The ship is not in any danger, and the captain has been keeping passengers regularly informed about the situation.”

The 141,000-ton vessel was named by the Duchess of Cambridge in June in Southampton.