Cruise line changes more cruises; Royal follows Carnival ban todayheadline

When a cruise line cancels a cruise, it can cause significant ill will with passengers. That’s why even if it has to make some unpleasant itinerary adjustments, that’s almost always better than fully canceling a cruise. 

Princess Cruises has suffered problems with one of its most popular ships and, instead of canceling one cruise for repairs, it’s making an overnight stop on a number of cruises so it can slowly perform the needed work.

Related: Royal Caribbean shares more bad port news for passengers

That’s a different decision than the one Royal Caribbean made earlier this year when it canceled an Icon of the Seas sailing to fix a propulsion issue. Not all engine issues are, of course, equal, so it’s likely Royal Caribbean did not have the option of spreading its repairs over multiple stops without canceling a sailing.

Doug Parker has the story and much more on the Dec. 7 edition of Cruise News Today.

Want the latest cruise news and deals? Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter.

Princess changes more cruise itineraries

Transcript:

This is cruise news today with Doug Parker. 

Good morning; here’s your cruise news for Friday, December 6. 

Cruise maintenance issues continue on the heels of a string of cancellations over the past couple of months.

Princess Cruises has adjusted future itineraries for four upcoming voyages on Regal Princess, allowing time for much-needed engine maintenance. The Galveston-based ship will replace Costa Maya with extended stays in Roatan on its December 8, January 5, and 12 departures, and then on January 19, Roatan will replace Montego Bay. The adjustments follow earlier power generator repairs that took the ship out of service for three weeks.

Passengers will receive a 20% future cruise credit or can opt-out for a full refund. The line said it would keep the casino open while it was docked overnight. 

Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise.

Royal Caribbean bans an item following Carnival

And Royal Caribbean has banned the use of portable travel routers like Starlink mini-dishes on its ships, adding them to the prohibited items list, effective immediately.

This policy follows a similar ban by Carnival Cruise Line earlier this year. The move is said to address cybersecurity concerns and prevent passengers from bypassing the ship’s internet or them losing money. 

Now security checks are being enforced with some devices already being confiscated at embark.

Passengers who wish to stay connected can purchase Royal Caribbean’s high-speed Voom internet, which is promoted as the fastest internet at sea. 

Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter.

Avoid a popular Facebook cruise scam, Merry Christmas Icon of the Seas

And two Jacksonville, Florida, residents are warning others after falling victim to a Royal Caribbean cruise scam. Nyesha Lambert and Rachelle Price say that they, along with seven others, each paid over $500 to a woman posing as a travel agent who advertised a three-day cruise on Facebook.

Payments were made via Cash App to the woman and they did receive reservation numbers and confirmation emails for Utopia of the Seas. However, when the group arrived to board their shuttle to Port Canaveral, they were denied entry and sent home. Royal Caribbean later confirmed that these bookings were never finalized.

It’s currently under investigation. The woman’s message to others, verify travel agencies and always avoid social media deals. Good lesson there.

And it was the inaugural lighting of the Christmas tree aboard Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas. For reference, the ship was launched earlier this year and is spending its first holiday season in service. Led by the cruise director and thousands in attendance, the tree was illuminated and the holiday festivities officially kicked off.

ALSO READ: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise

Looks like fun.

Tips at cruiseradio.net. Have yourself a great weekend. I’m Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.

Are you taking a cruise or thinking about taking one? Visit our Come Cruise With Me website to have all your questions answered.