The US Coast Guard is searching for a missing cruise ship passenger in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 150 miles offshore Southwest Pass, Louisiana.

As the Covid-19 surge caused over the past several months by the Omicron variant continues to decline and many cruise ships are reporting zero Covid cases in the past few weeks, several cruise lines decided to relax some of the safety measures. This week Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line announced rolling back of its onboard mask policy for guests, allowing fully vaccinated passengers to go without masks in most of the public areas.

The sale of some of Genting Group global assets, including shipyards and cruise ships, could become a reality after the company announced appointment of joint provisional liquidators by a Bermuda court.

Carnival Cruise Line has decided to offer passengers a reschedule or cancellation of the booked cruises from this moment to 14th of January without paying cancellation fees and have a full refund. 

Those guests were notified through a letter from Carnival Cruise Line’s president Christine Duffy, which contains lots of details regarding current protocols and other pressing matters.

Dozens of cruise ships with COVID-19 cases are under observation by the U.S. authorities during their cruises, and several of them are reportedly denied port in the Caribbean. Over 60 cruise ships are monitored after "reported cases of COVID-19 have met the threshold for CDC investigation," the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. One of the denied, the Carnival Freedom, was turned away from the Caribbean island of Bonaire.

Watchstanders in New Orleans received an emergency call from Carnival Valor on Wednesday morning at 11:23. The ship was located south of the Southwest Pass, Louisiana, asking for a man to be airlifted because he was experiencing internal bleeding symptoms, similar to a stroke. According to the Coast Guard, the man they medevaced is 53 years old and is in stable condition, as reported.

Carnival Cruise Line updated a number of health and safety protocols that will be valid through January 2022. The company announced that these updates are due to the Omicron variant and notified the guests, without exception aged two and above are required to wear masks indoors, except while eating or drinking; when in their cabins; and during large gatherings outdoors, where physical distancing is impossible.

Carnival Freedom called at Grand Turk this Wednesday, marking the company’s first time back to the port since resuming cruises. The cruise ship departed Port Miami on 12th of December, starting the six-day eastern Caribbean cruise, visiting company’s private Bahamian island Half Moon Cay and Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic. 

The much-anticipated new and updated Carnival vessel was finally christened on December 12 in a naming ceremony in Long Beach, California by the ship’s godmother Dr. Lucille O’Neal.

At this year's annual competition, the 70th Miss Universe, which took place in Eliat, Israel, Chantel O'Brian, Miss Bahamas won the crown and the Spirit of Carnival Award.