January 20, 2022
Crystal Cruises has suspended its ocean sailings at least through April 29 as its parent company moves to restructure its debt.
August 30, 2021
Cruise calls to Santa Barbara have been suspended until March next year, it's being reported by KSBY TV. The suspension is the result of an increase of COVID-19.
This will affect the seven-day Classic California cruises on Majestic Princess scheduled for October 9 and 23 and the four-day West Coast Getaway cruise on Majestic Princess that is scheduled to depart on December 18
Cruise ship visits to Santa Barbara suspended until next year (ksby.com)
May 25, 2021
UPDATE: Cruise season will now begin September 25 with a five-day Cabo San Lucas Getaway on Grand Princess.
The San Pedro cruise season is currently scheduled to begin on Saturday, August 28 when Ruby Princess departs on a 5-day Cabo San Lucas sailing. In all, 55 cruises are scheduled among Princess, NCL, and Royal Caribbean between then and the end of the year.
Royal Caribbean returns to Los Angeles on Friday, November 19 with Navigator of the Seas. It will offer mostly 3- and 4-day cruises to Ensenada (including Catalina Island on the 4-day itineraries).
NCL's Norwegian Bliss will return on Sunday, November 7 to begin a program of 7-day Mexican Riviera cruises.
In addition to Ruby Princess, Princess will have sailings on Diamond Princess, Majestic Princess, and Grand Princess before the end of the year.
May 22, 2021
CBSLA (Channel 2) news is reporting that while it called here, 221 members of the Majestic Princess crew received COVID-19 vaccinations. You can read about it here: Hundreds Of Members Of The Majestic Princess Crew Vaccinated At Port Of Los Angeles – CBS Los Angeles (cbslocal.com)
May 5, 2021
As we noted about a month ago, Princess Cruises is taking bookings for its July 1 four-day cruise on Ruby Princess from Los Angeles. It currently has 10 other cruises listed for the remainder of 2021. And it appears that the July 1 sailing is selling well. Some sub-categories are sold out. Again, though, everything will depend on the government giving the go-ahead for these cruises. And berthing for the ship at the World Cruise Terminal for a July 1 departure has not yet been announced.
April 6, 2021
Princess Cruises is accepting bookings for a July 1 four-day cruise on Ruby Princess, along with other cruises from San Pedro. Whether they actually get to sail will depend on the government and whether it approves resuming cruises.
March 27, 2021
It appears that cruise lines are getting ready to sail again. Crew Center is reporting that about 100 officers and crew members embarked Diamond Princess in Manila yesterday and are enroute to Singapore, where they will transfer to other Carnival Corporation lines' ships.
February 17, 2021
It's being reported by www.Crew-Center.com that Astoria, which was originally the Stockholm and is currently the world's oldest large passenger ship, is for sale for $10 million.
Astoria began sailing in 1948 as a transatlantic liner under the name Stockholm and was the smallest of the liners across the ocean. It was rebuilt into a cruise ship in 1993. Its most recent North American sailings had been in the Sea of Cortez.
But Stockholm gained infamy on July 25, 1956 when it was headed eastbound and collided with the Italian liner Andrea Doria, sinking the Italian vessel. In all, 51 people died on the Andrea Doria.
You can find more information about the Andrea Doria and its collision with the Stockholm at this site.
February 5, 2021
No Alaska Cruise Season This Year
There will be no cruises from the U.S. to Alaska this year after Canada's Ministry of Transport banned cruise ships in Canadian waters until February 28, 2020. The U.S. Jones Act requires foreign-flagged ships, which virtually all major cruise ships are, to make a call in a foreign port between U.S. ports that begin and end a cruise. In the Alaska region, the only foreign port options are Canadian. Read more about it at this link.
Below the Surface
Your cruise ship crew members have lives beyond their ships. Many have great accomplishments ashore. This is a sad but informative story about a man working in a ship's laundry, but who was also a poet and author. Click here for the story of I Komang Alit Juliartha from Bali, Indonesia.
Something Fun
Examples of the towel art created by cabin stewards. I'm Starting To Think We Need A Towel Art Museum - 18 Pics
