Cruise News Today

Posted on 04/15/2016 | About Cuba

The impact of American tourists arriving in Cuba has resulted in more demand for beer than the island’s brewery can supply. Cerveceria Bucanero which partners with Belgium's Anheuser Busch InBev, makes the island's most widely consumed Cristal beer. The company apparently now needs a new plant to keep up with the demand from private run restaurants and state-run outlets.

Ponant gets OK for US to Cuba Cruise Ponant, 

the French-flagged cruise line has received permission from the Cuban government to sail there from the US. Its "People-to-People Cultural Exchange" cruises will run seven or eight nights, roundtrip out of Miami from early January 2017 through April 2017 and the same in 2018. 

"Ponant has been introducing Europeans to Cuba in the past and we are now delighted to offer Americans this enriching opportunity," said Navin Sawhney, CEO of the Americas for Ponant. 

Two more christenings for Avalon Waterways

Last week The Avalon Imagery II was christened in Engers, Germany, by its godmother, New Zealand broadcaster Judy Bailey. This week Avalon Waterways christened the Avalon Passion by godmother Jill Ellis, head coach of the US Women's National Soccer Team. 

The two vessels bring to 12 the number of Suite Ships Avalon has launched since introducing its newest generation of river cruise ships in 2010. With the addition of these two new ships and the retirement of the Avalon Scenery (launched in 2008) Avalon's European river cruise fleet numbers 16 this year. 

Was accident avoidable 

A hearing is underway to investigate the death of a woman who was killed when she fell as she stepped from a tender to a cruise ship’s boarding platform. 

Mary Atherton, 75, fell when a swell created a gap causing her to fall in the water and become crushed between the boat and the pontoon. Atherton was sailing the Indian Ocean and South China Sea with a friend on a Cunard world cruise. 

Another passenger, Andrew Allen, told Preston’s coroner’s court that there were no safety warning posted or advised by the crew and said, “I was expecting a rope to be pulled in and tied round a cleat. I was expecting it to be tight, not much gap, but there was a considerable gap and we were moving backwards and forwards. I saw Mrs Atherton at the top of the steps, waiting for a while. It looked very precarious.” 

Football partnership 

Carnival Cruise Line announced an exclusive multi-year partnership with the NFL’s Houston Texans, making Carnival the official cruise line of the NFL franchise and expanding the line’s presence in the Texas market. 

To celebrate they are hosting the “Mom’s Dash to the Splash” event aboard Carnival Breeze when it makes its Texas debut on Mother’s Day, May 8 where Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and linebacker Brian Cushing will lead two teams of local Texas moms in a head-to-head water slide race for charity. 

The five-member teams selected via an online contest will race to the finish on Carnival Breeze’s Twister slide and DrainPipe water slide attraction. Hopkins will be competing for the Houston Food Bank and Cushing for the Brian Cushing Foundation with the winning team earning $10,000 and the runner-up $5,000 for their respective charities.