Pacific Sun Storm - Cruise Ship MayhamTravel Weekly reports that the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) announced three new policies designed to supposedly improve cruise ship safety after the Costa Concordia disaster earlier this year. 

It’s great PR for the cruise industry. But like the other post-Concordia CLIA policies, there’s not much substance to the new procedures.

One policy talks about

ABC News reports that Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has adopted an all-inclusive drink package on three of its cruise ships (Norwegian Sun, Norwegian Gem & Norwegian Jade) at $49 per person per day plus tips.

NCL is following Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean which all offer all-you-can-drink plans on their cruise ships. 

ABC states that

A number of people have contacted us, including one passenger "Nancy" from Australia, complaining about a recent, major norovirus outbreak on the Voyager of the Seas.  She writes:

"The Voyager of Seas has relocated to Asia Pacific region husband and I sailed on the relocation cruise from Singapore 22nd Oct 2012 to Fremantle Australia.

Yesterday we received an email from a cruise passenger planning to board the Celebrity Constellation, indicating that embarkation would be delayed several hours today because of a norovirus outbreak on the cruise ship.

Today news outlets are reporting that there has been a large outbreak of the dreaded disease on this ship. BBC reports

Cruise industry expert Professor Ross Klein’s website, Cruise Junkie, mentions an incident this last Sunday involving a passenger ferry in France.

High winds broke a dozen mooring lines to the Napoleon Bonaparte, a passenger and vessel ferry. The impact with the pier ripped a 30-metre long hole in the stern, causing water to

Carnival Inspiration Medevac - Coast Guard HelicopterThe U.S. Coast Guard issued a press release indicating that it medically evacuated a passenger from a cruise ship 50 miles southwest of Point Loma yesterday afternoon.

The Carnival Inspiration cruise ship contacted the Coast Guard yesterday shortly before noon requesting a medevac for a 26 year old man who was experiencing rapid heart rate and

Do you know this former Royal Caribbean crew member?

He’s on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s "Most Wanted" List. Here’s the story:

In 1993, Michael Evangelos Psomadakis was the chief engineer aboard RCCL’s Nordic Empress cruise ship which routinely discharged oil into the water. But the Nordic Empress was no island to itself.  RCCL’s

News sources are reporting that the U.S. Coast Guard rescued a woman "experiencing pregnancy issues" on a Disney cruise ship approximately 180 miles from Galveston coast early today. 

A Coast Guard helicopter crew medevaced the 31 year old woman from the Disney Magic cruise ship and flew her to the University of Texas Medical Branch

Nile River FireA number of news outlets are reporting that a fire broke out aboard an Egyptian cruise ship, which caused the evacuation of 77 tourists during a cruise on the Nile River.

The fire reportedly occurred due to a short circuit near the stern of the cruise ship as it sailed between Luxor and Esna in