Star Princess - June 24 - July 1, 2017

http://www.inspirationcruises.com/christian-tours/walk-in-the-word-alaska-2017



 

"Carnival Corp.’s Costa Cruises started basing ships in China in 2006. Since, other lines have added ships there, including Carnival Corp.’s Princess Cruises, which based its Sapphire Princess in Shanghai in 2014 as well as its new Majestic Princess."

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article134327089.html

"Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, stated: "Looking at the global scenario means trying to widen one's boundaries, laying the foundations to further boost business prospects and access more complex markets. It is not possible to maintain a competitive presence in the medium and long term without such a commitment. We therefore believe that today's agreement is an example of industrial partnership that not only reaffirms our leadership in the cruise industry, but also creates a virtuous system among the two countries."

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/16446-carnival-fincantieri-make-china-ship-order-official.html

"Fincantieri, China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and Carnival Corporation have signed a deal for the construction of two cruise ships, with an option for another four. They will be the first large cruise ships ever built in China for the Chinese market.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the signing ceremony for the $1.5 billion deal which will see the vessels built at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, a facility of CSSC.

The ship design will be tailored to suit Chinese tastes and Carnival Corporation’s cruise joint venture – a partnership announced in 2015 with CSSC in which Carnival Corporation holds a minority interest – plans to launch a cruise brand in China using ships that are purchased from Carnival Corporation’s existing fleet. The joint venture would then add the new China-built cruise ships starting in 2023 with the first delivery."

http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/order-for-first-cruise-ships-built-in-china

"CRUISE LINES Royal Caribbean, Princess and Uniworld have all scrapped Turkish ports from itineraries amid civil unrest."

http://www.express.co.uk/travel/cruise/770710/cruise-ship-turkey-holidays

"Passengers who boarded two recent cruises from Melbourne have been warned they may have been exposed to Hepatitis E while on board.

The Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday alerted passengers who were travelling on the Golden Princess between February 8 and 15.

An on-board crew member had been suffering the illness at the time."

"Victoria's Chief Health Officer Professor Charles Guest said passengers were at 'low risk' of infection."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4249198/Golden-Princess-passengers-warned-Hepatitis-E-exposure.html

I just joined this site.  I use cruisecompete.com most of the time and highly recommend them.  Best Price Cruises is one of the agencies that I have seen submit bids to me.  Not sure but I think I used them one time.

The Federal Trade Commission and 10 states have closed the book on the remaining defendants who assisted a Florida-based cruise line company in running an illegal telemarketing campaign that flooded consumers with billions of unwanted robocalls. In settling the charges, Fred Accuardi and his companies are barred from robocalling and illegal telemarketing, as well as helping anyone else make such calls.

In early 2015, the FTC and its state partners alleged that that the companies involved in the scheme illegally sold cruise vacations using political survey robocalls. The FTC and states filed charges against—and reached settlements with—most of the defendants in the case, including Caribbean Cruise Line, Inc. (CCL).

The CCL robocall campaign ran from October 2011 through July 2012 and averaged approximately 12 to 15 million illegal sales calls a day. Consumers who answered these calls typically heard a pre-recorded message telling them they had been selected to participate in a 30-second research survey, after which they would receive a “free” two-day cruise to the Bahamas. In reality, the calls were designed to market CCL’s cruises and various up-sell packages. The illegal robocalls generated millions of dollars for CCL."

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2017/02/ftc-states-put-remaining-defendants-massive-caribbean-cruise

"Most of the cases happen at night, and often there is alcohol involved," said Coast Guard spokesman Ryan Doss in the USA Today report. Doss is a petty officer based in Miami.

"Open-air decks and cabin balconies on modern cruise vessels are lined with railings as high or higher than those found at hotels on land, with the typical ship balcony railing today measuring 45 inches high, according to the USA Today report. On a five-foot, six-inch person, that places the top of the rail at roughly mid-torso – four to six inches above the navel.

"It's next to impossible to fall off a ship without climbing over a railing," notes Mike Driscoll, editor of Cruiseweek, a weekly publication that follows the industry. "Most over-boards to date have been suicides.""

"Many media organizations are reluctant to report on suicide deaths over fears the coverage might spur copycat behavior. The circumstances of Mossman's presumed death were initially reported as potentially an accident, which generated significant media interest. Such accidents are rare because cruise ships are required by law to have railings and guardrails of a certain height to prevent accidental falls."

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/coast-guard-handful-of-people-jump-from-cruise-ships-each-year/410952624