Category: Cruise Deals

From huge lines for Christmas dinner to WiFi connection issues and IT problems, Arvia‘s maiden voyage is one that P&O Cruises will want to forget in a hurry.

The newest Excel-class cruise ship, which was only handed over by the shipyard in mid-December, might be state-of-the-art, but P&O Cruises should have taken a bit more time to get systems operational.

Arvia‘s Maiden Voyage Ruined for Some Guests

Sailing on a maiden voyage onboard a new cruise ship is always a hit-or-miss scenario. Sometimes cruise lines hit the nail on the head and get everything right, but sometimes things don’t exactly go as planned.

Arvia‘s maiden voyage falls squarely into the second scenario. On December 16, Arvia was officially handed over by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, to UK-based P&O Cruises. The 180,000 gross tons cruise ship is the sister ship to Iona, also sailing for P&O, and

Nassau is the world’s second most popular cruise destination, just behind Cozumel. However, its port area did not live up to the expectations of the millions of visitors that visit the port each year. To provide those guests with the welcoming environment the Bahamas is known for, the port started a massive redevelopment project in 2019.

Nassau Cruise Port has been completely transformed during the last couple of years at the cost of some $300 million. The project is now in the final phases of completion, with the port announcing the official opening will be at the end of May 2023.

Nassau Cruise Port Officially Opens May 2023

With 3.7 million cruise ship visitors each year, having a welcoming port area is a pretty important part of your image. That’s why Nassau has invested massively in rejuvenating and upgrading its port to a world-class waterfront area.

First revealed in February

A guest has been reported missing and possibly overboard from the Carnival Cruise Line vessel Carnival Valor, and search operations have commenced. The cruise ship is retracing its route, and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) is conducting a search.

At the moment, the incident is being classified as a “search and rescue” operation, and activity is focused on locating the missing guest.

Guest Reported Missing From Carnival Valor

The male guest, whose name has not been released to safeguard the family’s privacy, was reported missing at approximately noon on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24, 2022.

The last time the individual was seen was at a bar aboard the Conquest-class Carnival Valor with his sister. According to her, he left the bar to find a restroom at approximately 11 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23, and was not seen again. The sister reported her brother as missing the next day.

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