NYCruiseInfo Blog

USNS Comfort Arrives in New York to Provide Hospital Beds to Non Coronavirus Patients The USNS Comfort arrived in New York on Monday 3/30/20 at 11:00 AM. The massive Navy hospital ship came to NYC to help relieve city hospitals overwhelmed by coronavirus patients. Spectators lined both sides of the Hudson River, ignoring social distancing, to get a look at the gleaming white ship with a red cross on it as the USNS Comfort sailed up the river. The 1,000-bed floating hospital docked at Pier 90 on Manhattan’s West Side, and is set to begin treating patients Tuesday. “Our nation has heard our plea for help here in New York City,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said as he greeted the ship at Pier 90. “There could not be a better example of all of America pulling for New York City than the arrival of the USNS Comfort.” The USNS Comfort will not treat coronavirus patients, but will take on other patients including trauma cases, freeing up beds at local hospitals focused on c

Brooklyn Cruise Terminal to Become Temporary Hospital For Excess Patients. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the federal government will build four additional temporary hospitals in New York City, one in each borough, to handle the coronavirus pandemic. The chosen sites, which would each be equipped with a thousand beds, include the 182,000-square-foot Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, which encompasses a total of 200,000 square feet of flexible terminal space with separate bus stalls and parking, will be converted into a massive hospital to treat non-coronavirus patients. Work is expected to begin immediately since the virus is expected to peak in the metropolitan area in April and May. RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cruise Schedule, Ship Reviews, Ports of Call & More. => Nick's Cruise Corner Blog - News On Cruise Ships Sailing World Wide. => Fol

Work Has Been Temporary Suspended On Board the Conversion of the Carnival Victory to Become Carnival Radiance Reports out of Cadiz, Spain state that all conversion work on the Carnival Victory, to become the Carnival Radiance, has halted. The $200 Million dollar refit was expected to touch almost every corner of the ship. Work has stopped due to the Coronavirus and the lockdown in Spain which is preventing workers from being able to report to work. It was also reported that efforts are under-weigh to remove the non-essential crew from the ship and attempt to make travel arrangements to fly them home. It is expected that work will resume on a later date yet  "to be determined". The new Carnival Radiance was expected to debut in Europe in May and then sail transatlantic to New York where she was expected to sail cruises to the Bahamas and Caribbean. At this time, the European and Transatlantic voyages have been cancelled and some/all of the  New York cruises are in j

Oceania Cruises Insignia Sails Unique Itinerary With New York As a Port of Call This time I figured I would spotlight an unique itinerary that does not depart from New York - but visits New York as a port of call. The 15 day cruise departs Montreal, Canada on October 26, 2020 visiting such great ports as Quebec, Canada; Saguenay, Canada; Sydney, Nova Scotia; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Bar Harbor, Me; Portland, Me; Newport, RI; New York City, NY; St. George Bermuda and Miami, Florida (where the cruise ends). The sailing is on Oceania Cruises' mid-sized cruise ship, the Insignia. Fresh from a refit this premium ship is ready to provide passengers with a refined upscale experience. - great food, attentive service, excellent entertainment and more. Cruise Only Fares for an inside stateroom start at $2,999 per person all the way to $14,799 per person. For approximately an additional $800/per person - the fare can include ONE of the following: - Round-trip Airfare or 8 Shore excur

Katie Eastham will serve as the Carnival Radiance's  Entertainment Director Lee Mason will serve as the ship’s cruise director for the  Carnival Victory Carnival Radiance Let the fun begin! Giving Carnival Radiance cruisers a peek at all the fun they have in store, Carnival Cruise Line announced that longtime guest favorites Lee Mason and Katie Eastham will serve as the ship’s cruise director and entertainment director duo when it debuts in April in connection with Carnival Victory’s $200 million bow-to-stern transformation. In charge of leading the fun on board, Mason’s energetic personality and Eastham’s playful nature will spearhead Carnival Radiance’s vast array of entertainment offerings from the line’s award-winning Playlist Productions shows, including the new-to-fleet Rock Revolution and Broadway Beats as well as Celestial Strings and Soulbound, to legendary deck parties, hilarious performances at Punchliner Comedy Club and audience favorites such as

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas Spending Lay Up at Private Island and At Sea. Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas has been alternating her days between an anchorage off the coast of the Bahamas and pulling along side at Coco Cay Royal Caribbean's Private island. It is suspected that she will pull into a Floridian or Bahamian port shortly for fuel and stores. RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cruise Schedule, Ship Reviews, Ports of Call & More. => Nick's Cruise Corner Blog - News On Cruise Ships Sailing World Wide. => Follow Us on Instagram - NYCruiseInfo At Instagram => Subscribe to Our Monthly New York Cruises Newsletter .

Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is expected to sail directly back to Southampton. Cunard has announced that the Queen Mary 2 is heading back to Southampton England abandoning the remainder of her world cruise due to the coronavirus. Although there are no reports of any infected passengers, Cunard has decided to halt the cruise as a precaution. The Queen  is expected to depart Port Louis, Mauritius on March 23, 2020 and  arrive in Southampton  on April 11, 2020. RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cruise Schedule, Ship Reviews, Ports of Call & More. => Nick's Cruise Corner Blog - News On Cruise Ships Sailing World Wide. => Follow Us on Instagram - NYCruiseInfo At Instagram => Subscribe to Our Monthly New York Cruises Newsletter .

Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Gem - Currently idle in Nassau, Bahamas. 3/22/20 - Although originally reported to be laid up temporarily in Jacksonville, Florida, the Norwegian Gem headed from New York directly to Nassau. As of Sunday, the Norwegian Gem remains dockside with other Norwegian Cruise Line , Seven Seas Cruise Line and Oceania Cruises ships. (all of the Norwegian Cruise Lines Family). Located in Nassau with the Norwegian Gem is the Norwegian Breakaway (another New York favorite) and Norwegian Encore (coming to New York in the summer). The Norwegian Gem was expected to sail 10 and 11 day cruises from New York before heading to Boston for Boston to Bermuda cruises in May/June. The current plan has the cruises from Boston operating as planned. Berthed together is the Seven Seas Explorer and the Riviera of Seven Seas Cruises. RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cruise Sch

Where is the Norwegian Bliss?  The Ships are continuously moving. 3/22/20 - Although originally reported to be laid up temporarily in Norfolk, the Norwegian Bliss headed from New York directly to Nassau and then on to Miami where she is with the Norwegian Encore, Carnival Pride, MSC Armonia, MSC Seaside, MSC Divina, Explorer of the Seas, Sirena and Scarlett Lady (docked at the container terminal). MSC Mergavilla is anchored off shore. The Norwegian  Bliss will most likely move to a new destination to make room for the next ship. In general, the cruise lines have been alternating ships in ports to give crew an opportunity to go ashore and too take on supplies. The ships are continually moved and refueled.  Onboard plumbing, lighting and air-conditioning is exercised. Idle ships deteriorate more quickly so the cruise lines are keeping them moving. RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cruise

Hapag-lloyd Europa 2 To Resume Sailing in April with a Departure from New York Hapag-Lloyd Cruises (now a joint operation between Royal Caribbean and TUI) has suspended operations. In progress cruises will conclude over a period from now to March 21. Operations are planned to restart April 18 with departures by Europa from New York, Hanseatic Inspiration from Belem, Brazil;  April 30 for Europa 2 from Lisbon, Portugal;  May 19 for Hanseatic Nature from Sao Miguel and May 23 for Bremen from Otaru.  RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cruise Schedule, Ship Reviews, Ports of Call & More. => Nick's Cruise Corner Blog - News On Cruise Ships Sailing World Wide. => Follow Us on Instagram - NYCruiseInfo At Instagram => Subscribe to Our Monthly New York Cruises Newsletter .

Predictions on the future of the cruise industry post coronavirus Here is my prediction of the future impacts of the coronavirus on the cruise industry in the months / years ahead.  Basically the damage has been done and it will be a long time before cruise passengers have confidence to return to the ships. In the near term 1-6 months: When cruise lines resume operations after a temporary suspension, a good number of their ships will remain laid-up. They just will NOT be able to fill all the ships right away. The number of cruise ports that prohibit cruise ship calls will increase. Bergen, Norway just joined the list of  destinations saying - "No Thanks" to the cruise lines. Ships will be laid up due to the lack of demand.  Itineraries will be altered based on the health of those onboard. Potentially sick passengers will cause ports to be skipped or passengers to be quarantined. Cruise capacity in Europe will be ratcheted back significantly. Addition

Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Bliss Leaves Her New York Anchorage for Layup in Norfolk, Va. Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Bliss left her New York anchorage  she occupied for the past 2 days. It was expected that she would either tie up at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal or Brooklyn Cruise Terminal until she is scheduled to resume service mid-April. It is believed that the progressing Coroniavirus incidents happening in NYC, caused Norwegian Cruise Line to look for other options for layup. The Norwegian Bliss left New York Anchorage Tuesday, 3/17/20 promptly at 5:20 PM she began heading out under the bridge destined for Norfolk, Va. She is expected to arrive in Norfolk at Midnight on March 19th. RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cruise Schedule, Ship Reviews, Ports of Call & More. => Nick's Cruise Corner Blog - News On Cruise Ships Sailing World Wide. => Fo

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas - Heading to Coco Cay Bahamas to wait out the Coronavirus Temporary Suspension Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Bliss and Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas both arrived in New York / New Jersey on Sunday. Both let off passengers from their prior cruise and were expected to be laid up in Manhattan and Bayonne. In an unusual change of events, the Anthem of the Seas departed New York empty heading toward Coco Cay in the Bahamas at around 5:00 PM. The Norwegian Bliss departed the Manhattan Cruise Terminal at around 6:45 PM and sailed down the Hudson River and remained idling off of Staten Island/Fort Wadsworth, just prior to the Verranzaro-Narrow Bridge. Norwegian Bliss was moved (presumably) to make way for the Norwegian Gem which is arriving Monday morning. Not sure exactly why, since New York has adequate berth space for 6 cruise ships simultaneously. Not sure why the Anthem of the Seas departed from New Jersey today - but

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Bliss Two cruise ships arrived in New York Today.  Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas docked in Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ. The ship is returning from a 7 Day Bahamas and Florida cruise. Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Bliss arrived at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal from a 7 Day Florida and Bahamas cruise. Both ships are expected to disembark passengers and then enter layup, as both cruise lines have temporarily suspended operations. See our other post from today. Additional Impacts of the Coronavirus on the Cruise Industry.  RETURN TO NYCRUISEINFO.com   ---------------------------------------   Sister Sites => NYCruiseInfo.com Website - Cruise Schedule, Ship Reviews, Ports of Call & More. => Nick's Cruise Corner Blog - News On Cruise Ships Sailing World Wide. => Follow Us on Instagram - NYCruiseInfo At Instagram => Subscribe to Our Monthly New Y

Latest Impacts of Coronavirus on the Cruise Industry Here is the latest round of impacts to the cruise industry due to the Coronavirus. Here are the happenings of the last 24 hours.  As expected, Carnival Cruises has announced a temporary suspension of their US cruise operations effective 3/14/2020.   Cruises are currently expected to resume on April 10, 2020. Luxury cruise line, Seabourn Cruise Line has also temporarily suspended operations. Cunard Line (A Carnival Brand) WILL continue to sail as planned since their ships are not currently departing from the United States. Fred Olsen Cruise’s Braemar is now a ships without a country. The ship has 5 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus. The ship, filled with British cruise passengers, has not found a port that will let the ship enter. The ship, which is registered in the Bahamas, attempted to call at Freeport in the Bahamas but was denied entry. Freeport allowed the ship to remain offshore and to load food and medical s

Cruise Lines Temporarily Cease Operation (30-60 Days) Due to the Coronavirus. Well the second shoe hit the floor today when the remainder of the cruise lines operating – all agreed to temporarily cease operations.      ·          AIDA Cruises ·          Azamara ·          Carnival (No Formal Statement Provided Yet – but expected) ·          Celebrity ·          Celestyal Cruises ·          Costa Cruises ·          Cruise and Maritime Voyages ·          Disney ·          Fred Olsen ·          MSC Cruises ·          Norwegian Cruise Line ·          Oceania ·          Regent ·          Royal Caribbean ·          Silversea ·          Windstar The above cruise lines, all temporarily ceased operation today from 30-60 days depending on the cruise line. At the end of the day, President Trump says that he has requested that the cruise industry shut down for 30 days effective at 11:59 PM on Friday 3/13/2020.  A number of cruise destinations have turned