Category: Cruise Deals

Royal Caribbean International and PortMiami have reached one of the largest ever agreements for the port, with port commissioners approving a lease agreement that will extend for 50 years and net approximately $2.8 billion for the local economy.

The agreement was reached Tuesday, November 15, 2022, and includes new port development projects with an exclusive new terminal, thousands of additional jobs, increased passenger counts, improved port staffing, and more.

New Terminal Agreement Reached

According to Florida Politics, the new agreement between Royal Caribbean and PortMiami is one of the largest ever development and lease agreements for the port, with an estimated value to the county of $2.8 billion over the course of the agreement, a term of 50 years.

This equates to net revenues that will average $56 million per year, though revenues will be lower in the initial years as the port development is completed, and will increase

The Celebrity Beyond cruise ship has come to the rescue of 19 refugees that were stranded on a makeshift boat made out of styrofoam and wood. This rescue operation is the third by a cruise ship in the Caribbean in just a single day and marks a busy start to the year with refugees trying to get from Cuba to South Florida.

Carnival Beyond Rescue

Celebrity Cruises has become the second cruise line involved in rescuing refugees in the Caribbean in 2023 so far, with its flagship, Celebrity Beyond. The large cruise ship spotted the small boat in the Florida straights on January 2.

The small makeshift boat was made of styrofoam and wood and packed with 19 refugees trying to get from Cuba to Florida.

Captained by Kate McCue, the crew launched a rescue boat and brought the refugees aboard. As a procedure, they were checked by

In an abundance of caution in response to recent cases reported onboard cruise ships, Carnival Cruise Line has reintroduced mandatory mask wearing policies for the cruise line’s sailings in Australia.

Masks will now be required in all indoor public spaces or in any crowded venue, indoors or outdoors, regardless of vaccination status. It must be noted that at this time, this policy only impacts Carnival cruises in Australia, and masks are not required on any Carnival ships in other regions.

Masks Now Required Onboard

Carnival Cruise Line updated its Have Fun. Be Safe protocols for Australia sailings on November 17, 2022, reintroducing mandatory mask wearing.

The policy now reads, “out of an abundance of caution, for the time being, masks are required in public indoor spaces.”

Those indoor spaces include all lounges, corridors, elevators, theaters, casinos, and other spaces, unless guests are eating or drinking. Guests do not need to