The New York Times published an article yesterday that should alarm women who are pregnant and thinking about taking a cruise calling on ports in the Caribbean or South America or Central America. CDC May Warn Pregnant Women Against Travel to Countries With Zika Virus written by science and health reporter Donald G. McNeil Jr., says that test
caribbean
Did Royal Caribbean Dupe USPH Inspectors?
A former crew member posted photographs saying that the Liberty of the Seas hid equipment, pots, pans and other items from the galley during an USPH inspection last December. You can see photographs of the galley equipment hidden throughout the ship (primarily in the crew quarter) on our Facebook page.
Two years ago Silversea…
Caribbean Cruise Line Scam?
NBC 6 is airing a story about Caribbean Cruise Line alleging that the company routinely offers essentially "free" cruises via unsolicited phone calls or vouchers in the mail, and deceives the public by not disclosing hidden fees.
It also claims that businessmen behind the scenes at the travel company have been in trouble for deceiving…
Will the Cruise-Dependent Caribbean Islands Embrace Marijuana Tourism?
There’s an excellent article in Travel Pulse today entitled Caribbean Tourism Officials Talk Marijuana Tourism. Written by Brian Major, the article takes a look at how the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) may capitalize on marijuana tourism.
The article cites the growing legalization of pot here in U.S., and the fact that several Caribbean islands, like…
Are Cruise Ships Vectoring Chikungunya Virus to Florida?
Today I received a comment from a Royal Caribbean passenger who said that he was infected with the dreaded chikungunya virus when he sailed to St. Martin last year on the Oasis of the Seas:
You might need a new cruise category "Disease" as the cruise industry has become a vector for spreading the…
Top 10 Most Dangerous Cruise Destinations in the World
The last thing that a family going on vacation wants to think of is being victims of crime. Cruise lines spend literally hundreds of millions of dollars a year creating idyllic illusions of tropical vacations on beautiful Caribbean beaches. But behind that slick marketing facade lies danger.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime recently…
A Week the Cruise Industry Would Like to Forget
This week has been a public relations disaster for the cruise lines and the travel industry.
A Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) crew member from the Norwegian Pearl was gunned down in Roatan after he walked off the ship to call his wife and check on his child back in the Philippines (suspect photo below right).
Crime, Crew Member Treatment & Environmental Practices – Not “Wow” Gadgets – Will Shape the Millennials’ View of Cruising in the Future
This week I have read a couple of articles about the Cruise Lines International Association’s (CLIA) "Cruise 3 Sixty" conference in Fort Lauderdale. I read an article in the Sun Sentinel (Cruise Execs Talk About Industry’s Future) and an article in Travel Weekly (CEOs Say Cruise Lines Must Wow Travelers).
CLIA’s Christine Duffy…
Nassau Bahamas Crime Watch: Cruise Passengers Beware
The newspapers in Nassau continue to report the high rate of armed robberies and murder.
If you are thinking of taking a cruise to Nassau, don’t trust the U.S. based cruise lines or U.S. travel agents to be transparent with you. That would be a mistake. There are hundreds of millions of dollars to be…
Blame Game: Princess Accuses Passengers of Starting Norovirus Outbreak on Caribbean Princess
Last night the Caribbean Princess cruise ship returned early to Houston, Texas with passengers and crew members suffering from a gastrointestinal illness (GI) outbreak. There are around 173 people officially reported to be ill on the ship, mostly passengers. A Houston news station says the outbreak was caused by norovirus.
Determining the type of GI…