Tag Archives: Puerto Plata

Virgin Voyages Cancels Scarlet Lady Cruise

Posted on by
Reply

Virgin Voyages Cancels Scarlet Lady Cruise

Virgin Voyages recently cancelled a cruise on board the Scarlet Lady that was scheduled to sail from Miami on April 19, 2026.

According to a statement sent to booked guests, the sailing will no longer go ahead due to a full-ship charter.

“It looks like your Scarlet Lady sailing on April 19, 2026, has been privately chartered. We’re truly sorry for the impact this has on your plans, and we’re here to make it right,” Virgin Voyages said in the letter.

As part of its 2025-26 season in the region, the Scarlet Lady was scheduled to offer a seven-night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.

Sailing from Virgin’s Terminal V in Miami, the itinerary included visits to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, San Juan in Puerto Rico and Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.

Affected guests are being offered two options, including rebooking their cruise to the Resilient Lady’s April 18, 2026, cruise.

According to Virgin, the ship is set to offer the “San Juan & Dominican Dreams” itinerary, which also sails for seven nights and features visits to Puerto Plata and San Juan, as well as Bimini in the Bahamas.

Passengers will get the same cabin category on the new booking, with their original paid fares protected, the company added.

If the new voyage costs less than the original booking, Virgin said it will refund the difference to the original form of payment.

All promotions from the initial booking, including Bar Tab bonuses, will also carry over to the sailing onboard the Resilient Lady.

Some cabin categories are also set to receive the company’s Sailor Loot onboard credit as “a thank you for sticking with us.”

The company is also offering similar perks to guests who opt to change their booking for other seven-night cruises in the Caribbean.

Lastly, passengers will be able to cancel their bookings to receive a 100 per cent Future Voyage Credit or a full refund.

Celebrity Xcel Named As Next Ship For Celebrity Cruises

Posted on by
Reply

Celebrity Cruises announced today that the fifth ship in its Edge Series will be named Celebrity Xcel, and will debut in 2025. The company previously announced the ship would be methanol ready.

The reveal was made at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, as executives from both Royal Caribbean Group and the yard celebrated the steel cutting.

“The Edge Series has shattered preconceived notions of cruising, and I am thrilled to announce our next bold step as a brand with Celebrity Xcel,” said Celebrity Cruises’ President Laura Hodges Bethge. “True to her name, this next ship will ‘Xcel’ beyond her sister ships with entirely new experiences, yet to be revealed, but that will change the game all over again.”

The Celebrity Xcel will make her debut in November 2025 in the Caribbean, sailing her inaugural winter season from Fort Lauderdale, on 7-night itineraries alternating between the Bahamas, Mexico and the Cayman Islands, and Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. The sailings are now open for sale.

Norwegian Escape Resumes Service After Repairs

Posted on by
Reply

The Norwegian Escape is back in action. After a month out of service due to a grounding incident, the Norwegian Cruise Line ship welcomed guests back on Saturday in Port Canaveral.

Marking its first cruise since Mar. 12, the 2015-built vessel departed on a seven-night Eastern Caribbean voyage that includes calls in Tortola, St. Thomas, Puerto Plata and Great Stirrup Cay.

The Norwegian Escape ran aground off Puerto Plata on Mar. 14. The ship was freed on the following morning but was said to have suffered minor damage.

With the ship back alongside in the Dominican Republic, guests were sent back to the United States between Mar. 16-18 using charter flights.

Upon returning to its homeport with no passengers on board, the Escape remained docked in Port Canaveral while repairs were being carried out.

A total of five cruises have been affected by the incident. While the Mar. 19, Mar. 26, Apr. 2 and Apr. 9 departures have been entirely cancelled, the Mar. 12 sailing was cut short due to the event.

Upon completing the Apr. 16 Caribbean cruise, the Norwegian Escape is set to cross the Atlantic for a summer season in Europe.

Based in Civitavecchia, Italy, the vessel is offering a series of ten- and 11-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Mediterranean.