3-year cruise for remote workers cancelled as organizers admit they have no ship

Table Of Content

• Former HGTV star slapped with $10 million fine and jail time for real estate fraud
• Virgin Voyages Reroutes Resilient Lady's Repositioning Voyage
• Daughter surprises mom at the airport with trip to Copenhagen, Paris
• Royal Caribbean cancels cruise because of Houthi Attacks in Red Sea
• Marella Cruises Cancels Asia & Middle East Program, Reroutes Marella Discovery 2
• I Spent 7 Days on My First Adults-Only Virgin Voyages Cruise

Royal Caribbean previously told PEOPLE that it was reviewing alternative routes for the Serenade of the Seas. She covers all things travel and home, from celebrities' luxury mansions to breaking travel news.

Former HGTV star slapped with $10 million fine and jail time for real estate fraud

Affected departures include Celestyal's "Three Continents" voyages sailing aboard Celestyal Journey on October 21, 28; November 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2023. “We were on tour of Galilee region at Jordan River when we were all recalled to the ship,” writes CNSJ on Cruise Critic’s Holland America Line message boards. Carnival Corporation announced on January 30, 2024 that it would re-route 12 individual cruise ships across its family of brands in order to avoid the Red Sea and conflict in the Middle East. "We appreciate how disappointing this news will be and therefore all impacted customers will be contacted by their booking agent to discuss the options available to them. Options include being able to rebook with a £200 per person reduction or receive a full refund." British line Marella Cruises is the latest in a string of cruise lines to adjust itineraries amid the ongoing Red Sea conflict and crisis in the Middle East.

Virgin Voyages Reroutes Resilient Lady's Repositioning Voyage

MSC is offering passengers the option to move to a new sailing or cancel for a full refund. The line becomes the third cruise operator to fully pull its ships out of the region due to the ongoing conflict. In its statement, Virgin Voyages said that passengers on the former legs of the original repositioning voyage will have guaranteed spots on the new sailings at no additional cost and a price protection commitment in place. Cruisers also have the option to receive a future cruise credit based on their paid balance or a full refund. The cruise, which was originally scheduled to depart from Istanbul on Nov. 1 and visit nearly 400 ports, was scrapped earlier this month.

Daughter surprises mom at the airport with trip to Copenhagen, Paris

Passengers aboard Norwegian Epic were notified that their November itinerary would drop ports in Israel – but also the Greek ports of Rhodes and Patmos. On October 24, Windstar announced Star Legend would instead be deployed to the Mediterranean, offering cruises from Rome (Civitavecchia) to Barcelona or reverse between December 2023 and April 2024. Each brand is offering affected cruisers a variety of compensation options, depending on the circumstances and whether their voyages are already underway. First was the “Immersive Africa” route that would visit ports in 11 different nations and territories in Africa, compared to an “Africa and Greece” itinerary that had far fewer port visits in Africa but included more extensive exploration of the Greek Islands. The vessel completing the tall task is the Serenade of the Seas, which has a guest capacity of 2,146 in 1,073 rooms, according to the cruise line's website.

Some amenities onboard the ship include panoramic views, a mini-golf green and a variety of cuisines. The first option, an “Immersive Africa” itinerary, features ports of call in 11 different African countries and a total of 20 port visits from May 9 through June 20. "We're truly sorry for the impact that this has on your vacation plans," Royal Caribbean said in a statement to guests booked on the now cancelled cruise. Many are stuck in a tough position, having spent tens of thousands of dollars on the now-canceled voyage that may take months to get reimbursed — and, in some cases, having sold or rented out their houses ahead of the cruise. In his message, Ugurlu also confirmed that the cruise was canceled because the company could not afford the ship.

Marella Cruises Cancels Asia & Middle East Program, Reroutes Marella Discovery 2

Royal Caribbean Addresses Rumor Spreading Among Passengers That 9-Month Cruise Could Be Cut Short - PEOPLE

Royal Caribbean Addresses Rumor Spreading Among Passengers That 9-Month Cruise Could Be Cut Short.

Posted: Wed, 17 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to be a useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. Matt started Royal Caribbean Blog in 2010 as a place to share his passion for all things Royal Caribbean with readers. He oversees all the writers at Royal Caribbean Blog, and writes a great deal of content on a daily basis. This isn't the first Royal Caribbean cruise to have changes made to avoid the Middle East. There have been more than 60 recorded attacks so far, and the incidents have drawn a military response from a number of countries, including the United States.

The Most Epic World Cruise Ever To Set Sail

All passengers booked on the three repositioning cruises have been, or are in the process of being, contacted directly or through their travel agent and can transfer their booking to a future Grand Voyage of a similar duration for free. Alternatively, affected passengers can rebook to any other cruise in the company’s global network, with either a partial refund or additional payment for the difference in price of the original booking or receive a full refund with no cancellation fee. Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines. We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports.Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. To reserve a stateroom on the Ultimate World Cruise a non-refundable deposit is required, deposit amount varies by stateroom category booked. For bookings created within 180 days prior to cruise departure, final payment must be received within 48 hours of booking.

I Spent 7 Days on My First Adults-Only Virgin Voyages Cruise

"The Ultimate World Cruise has given guests the opportunity to see the world in a unique way, and we have loved watching their reactions to this incredible experience," Royal Caribbean's statement said. "This adventure will complete its first segment in February, and we can't wait to kick off the next part of the journey shortly after and begin exploring Asia." Captain Stig, who guided the journey on its first leg around South America, shared an update with passengers about the possibility of major itinerary changes during a send-off ceremony on Feb. 7. According to drjennytravels, the captain said Royal Caribbean would be making an announcement on Feb. 16 regarding the changes.

The cruise departed from Miami on Dec. 10, 2023, to weave through the Caribbean and sail down the east coast of South America. The cruise then traveled around Cape Horn and braved the tempestuous Drake Passage near Antarctica; it then made its way up the Americas' west coast and concluded its first segment in Los Angeles on Feb. 11. Adita’s video on these rumors has been viewed more than 85,600 times and is one of her more popular videos documenting this extreme journey. Other videos include showing weather conditions it the Drake Passage, tips for organizing and storage for such a long trip, and other tidbits that bring viewers along on the spectacular sailing. MSC Cruises, which maintains a strong presence in the Arabian Gulf with cruises aboard MSC Opera, also told Cruise Critic in an email that those voyages – which operate far removed geographically from the current conflict – would continue as planned.

The TikToker said it's "worrying" if these rumors are true and passengers are not yet informed. The Life at Sea guest said he and his wife planned to stay in Istanbul until they get a full refund. “We’re at a complete loss as to what to do or where to go without having our money,” he said. Vedat Ugurlu, CEO of Life at Sea’s parent company Miray Cruises, said the cruise was facing “challenges due to investor withdrawal” in a statement shared with USA TODAY.

Go from postcard-perfect Caribbean shores—including the ABC islands —to viewing abundant wildlife like sea lions, penguins and whales roaming glacier-studded Antarctica as you round Cape Horn. Along the way, discover World Wonders in South America, including man-made marvels and extraordinary natural phenomena. It’s seven continents, more than 60 countries, 8 World Wonders, and endless adventures — all one voyage.

At least one cruise ship — the Silversea's Silver Moon, which the Royal Caribbean Group owns — has altered its planned route in the wake of the conflict, according to Travel Weekly. Guests who have been booked on one of the three individual segments of the cruise that are impacted are also being offered compensation options for the cancellation of their cruises. Guests onboard the ship can submit questions about the new options through February 20, and a webinar is planned with the cruise line’s corporate office on Wednesday, February 21. After that, passengers will be able to vote on the itineraries, and the winning option will be confirmed on Tuesday, February 27.

“Sad, angry and lost” is how one would-be passenger described their current situation to CNN. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Although Labadee is a private destination for Royal Caribbean ships, Haiti has sovereignty over the resort. Guests may be taken to an alternative destination such as Royal Caribbean’s private resort, Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas or may get another sea day. The cruise line had halted trips to its private island in mid-March and has now extended the ban until at least the end of May. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Since embarking on the high seas three weeks ago, the hashtag #ultimateworldcruise has garnered over 150 million views on TikTok, with videos from passengers giving followers a behind-the-scenes look at the 274-day circumnavigational adventure. The company says it will refund passengers, who put down tens of thousands of dollars on the cruise as deposits. But that money won’t come quickly, as repayments will be made in monthly installments and won’t begin until next month. All travelers will be receiving either a 25% or 50% pro-rated refund for the altered segment of the cruise based on their cruise fare and which option is ultimately selected.

Rumors that the ship would need to change her route have been circulating for weeks, but the decision has now been made that a change is essential for the safety and well-being of guests and crew members. Guests on the cruise will have the opportunity to vote on how their itinerary changes and what ports of call they visit, an unprecedented way for the cruise line to handle the situation. Instead of going through the Middle East, the MSC ships will sail with no passengers on board and go around Africa. While cruises in the Middle East do not constitute a major region for sailings, it's certainly impacting many lines and people's vacations.