Blogs

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) — Hundreds of passengers on a Swiss-owned cruise ship were stricken with severe vomiting and diarrhea caused by a mysterious ailment, Brazilian health officials said Thursday.

At least 340 victims have been sickened on the MSC Sinfonia, now docked in Salvador, Bahia, according to a spokeswoman for the National Agency for Sanitary Vigilance. She spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with department policy.

The illness didn't appear to be life-threat... Read More

MSC Cruises has announced a new 2009-10 Caribbean program featuring MSC Poesia. The ship, which joined the MSC Cruises fleet in spring 2008, will sail itineraries of 3-, 5, 7-, 8- and 10-nights throughout the Caribbean sea and to Bermuda during the winter season before returning to Europe in spring 2010.

“MSC Poesia’s program will feature a variety of itinerary lengths and destinations, offering a full range of choices to guests in the Caribbean,” says Richard E. Sasso, president... Read More

Cruise traffic has brought new record figures at the Port of Barcelona with the arrival of 2.069.651 passengers in 2008, of which more than 55% began and/or ended their tour in the city. This result confirms the forecast of Barcelona Port Authority to break the mark of two million passengers in 2008, which was achieved in November, one month before reaching the end of the year.  

2008 cruise tourists throughput means a 17,20% increase over the previous year, when the Port received... Read More

MSC Cruises, long a leader in the European market and a growing presence in the Caribbean winter market, will be adding Canada/New England sailings to its offerings in 2010.
 
MSC Magnifica, currently under construction and scheduled to debut in March 2010, will be sailing a series of Fall Foliage cruises from both New York City and Quebec in the fall of 2010 before sailing to Fort Lauderdale to join MSC Lirica for the 2010-11 Caribbean season.
 
“This is a wonderf... Read More

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is expanding its Wave Season Freestyle Resolution Sales Event by offering 50 percent off the standard cruise booking deposit for all sailings fleet-wide*.  This special offer runs for one week only from Saturday, January 10 through Saturday, January 17, 2009 and is combinable with NCL’s on-board credit promotion, which launched last month.

 The 50 percent reduced deposit offer makes a cruise deposit on a three to five day sailing just $50; cruise... Read More