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While it may seem morbid to think about, you may wonder if cruise ships have morgues. What happens if someone dies while aboard a ship? Where could a body possibly be kept? Even though it probably (or hopefully!) won’t cross your mind when you’re gearing up for your next vacation, it is a question of curiosity for some.

The answer to this question is, yes, cruise ships do have morgues. Since cruise ships are like portable, miniature cities, having a morgue along with various other services makes perfect sense. While no one likes to think about someone dying while cruising the open seas, death is a natural process that can occur at any time. Therefore, cruise ships are prepared for this possibility.

The Reality

While we may picture the young, adoring family taking their first magical cruise, the truth is that many cruisers are mature in age. Additionally, with

Guests aboard Norwegian Encore had an unexpected itinerary change immediately after setting sail on the current cruise, but fortunately, another port of call was able to be substituted instead. Instead of visiting Great Stirrup Cay, the cruise ship visited Nassau on Monday, December 19, 2022.

Great Stirrup Cay Not Possible Due to Weather

Norwegian Encore set sail from Miami on Sunday, December 18, and guests were notified right away that the next day’s call on Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island destination in The Bahamas, would not be possible. Instead, the ship was rescheduled to spend the day in Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas.

The port swap was likely due to weather, as high winds were forecast for the vicinity of Great Stirrup Cay on Monday, December 19. The island is a tender port – requiring the use of small boats to ferry guests from their

Flynn Cruiseport Boston bounced back from the lean years of 2020 and 2021 and welcomed more than 300,000 cruise ship passengers onboard 128 cruise ships in the last 12 months.

No less than five ships used Massport as a homeport, which contributed to the port surpassing the passenger and ship numbers in October compared to the same period in 2019. 

With 135 million dollars in economic impact, the strong return of the cruise industry is great news for locals. The cruise industry supports a large number of jobs in the area, including positions in the terminal, on the ships, and in local businesses that support the industry.

Boston’s Massport Returns to pre-Pandemic Numbers

Flynn Cruiseport Boston returned to pre-pandemic visitor numbers this year, after two years where only a few cruise ships sailed from the port. The 128 cruise ship calls this year, which includes 56 homeport calls and 72

Costa Toscana, the latest flagship of Costa Cruises, made its inaugural call at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal today, December 16. To celebrate the occasion, an event was held on board the ship attended by local and Italian authorities. 

Throughout the winter of 2022/23, Costa Toscana will offer week-long itineraries in the Persian Gulf, departing from Dubai and visiting destinations such as Oman, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar. Costa Cruises is one of several cruise lines that has sent its flagship to the Middle East, becoming an ever more popular cruise destination. 

Costa Toscana Arrives in Dubai

Costa Cruises celebrated the inaugural call of its flagship, Costa Toscana, at the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal today, December 16. This terminal, which the Costa Group opened in December 2021, is the most modern in Dubai and will be the home port for the Excel-class Costa Toscana throughout the winter of 2022/23.

The

Royal Caribbean International has reached out to guests about another change to its free loyalty drink vouchers for Crown and Anchor Society members, this time in a way guests will undoubtedly appreciate. Now, the time frame to use vouchers is being shifted, which will give guests more peace of mind when enjoying late night drinks.

Time Change for Drink Vouchers

Royal Caribbean guests who have reached the Diamond, Diamond Plus, or Pinnacle level of the cruise line’s Crown and Anchor loyalty program have long enjoyed daily drink vouchers as a special perk for their loyalty.

A problem, however, is that the time to reset the voucher use window has always been midnight. This means that vouchers redeemed after midnight would count toward the following day’s total, though many guests consider a late night of karaoke, comedy, or hanging out past midnight to be technically part of the previous day.

Now,

As we prepare to explore the best Cozumel beaches near the cruise port, let’s make note of where our cruise ship is docking. On Isla Cozumel, there are three cruise ship terminals at this busy location – Terminal de Cruceros Plaza Langosta, Muelle Internacional and Muelle Puerta Maya. Which of these spots you will disembark depends on which cruise line you are sailing.

All three terminals are conveniently located near the main town of San Miguel and have access to everything you would like to do while in port. Once on land, you will quickly discover that this island (only 30 miles long and 10 miles wide) offers unique beach experiences.

Best Beaches in Cozumel

While all locations in the Caribbean have exceptional beaches, the shoreline here comes in three types – rocky, white sand and a hybrid variety. The natural qualities of those on the west side of the

Holland America Line has quietly added an announcement to the “Crew Appreciation & Service Charge Policy” page of its website noting that as of February 1, 2023, gratuity rates will be increasing. While the increase is relatively minimal, this follows the trend of other cruise lines likewise raising gratuity fees.

Holland America Line Raising Gratuities

Holland America Line, part of Carnival Corporation & plc, has announced a slight increase in gratuity rates to take effect on all sailings from February 1, 2023. The increase will be $.50 (USD) per guest per day in all stateroom categories.

The new rate will then be $17.50 per person per day for guests in suites, and $16.00 per person per day in non-suite stateroom categories such as balcony, oceanview, and interior staterooms.

Holland America Line describes these fees as “a daily amount for each guest that will be automatically added to your onboard

Out at sea, there are no cell towers. That’s why cruise ships utilize at-sea providers like Wireless Maritime Services or Cellular at Sea. Guests can use their mobile devices and ship-to-shore services.

However, sending and receiving texts and using your phone can be very expensive using these services. So, to avoid costly fees, learn how to text on a cruise ship for free.

How Can I Send an SMS Text Message?

Text messages travel over your mobile network. Therefore, you can send and receive only text messages (no pictures) in your phone’s app wherever there is service.

After your cruise ship leaves port and travels 12 miles out to sea, the vessel switches to at-sea providers. You will lose your cell tower signal if you don’t place your phone in airplane mode before reaching this distance.

Guests need to be aware of what happens next. Your phone will automatically

The past week in the cruise industry has been busy, so Cruise Hive is here to make sure don’t miss a thing. We’ve got cruise news updates on multiple new ships, including from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages, along with a price hike from Norwegian.

Cruise News Update

It was another busy week of cruise news, but no fear as we have you covered. It was dominated by new cruise ship news with Royal Caribbean’s new mega-ship floating out onto the water at the shipyard for the first time, the world’s largest cruise ship celebrating its naming, Carnival’s third excel-class vessel being delayed, Virgin Voyages taking delivery of its third new ship, the naming ceremony for MSC’s new vessel and NCL hiking the price of gratuities.

Icon of the Seas Floats Out

Icon of the Seas has officially touched water for the first time, as the