Holiday cruise turned into nightmare for thousands of cruise ship passengers at Ft. Lauderdale airport after a gunman started shooting at people in the Terminal 2 luggage claim area. The 26-year-old former soldier serving in Iraq, Esteban Santiago, killed 5 and wounded 6 people. Authorities have not released the names of the victims, however news media are reporting that at least four of the five people killed were vacationers heading for a Caribbean cruise holiday.

At the world's largest tradeshow for consumer technology CES in Las Vegas, Carnival Corporation has announced the launch of wearable tech gadget called Ocean Medallion.  The world's first interactive experience platform capable of transforming cruise travel to a highly personalized holiday, will be first implemented on Princess Cruises 

The British cruise operator All Leisure Holidays has ceased its activity affecting some 400 holiday travelers and around 350 crew members. All Leisure Holidays which is a member of the British Association of travel agencies ABTA declared bankruptcy on Tuesday January 4, 2017.

Hong Kong, 5 January 2017 – Have you have ever imagined what it would be like to swim with a mermaid? Myth becomes a reality for guests on Genting Dream with the visit of a ‘real’ mermaid - the aquatically astounding ‘Mermaid Kat’. This epic voyage also marks her first-ever cruise experience which will be a milestone for every passenger who joins Mermaid Kat on the upcoming 5-Night Cruise on 22 January 2017.

A bomb dating back to the World War 2 was found by a diver in the waters near the port of Naples. On December 23, a bomb disposal team of Navy divers intervened in the port of Naples to remove and destroy the bomb containing about 120 kg of TNT. According to the authorities the bomb was found just a few meters from the Angioino Pier, where large cruise ships usually dock. Naples Port authorities together with the Marina Militare secured the area which was off-limits for all maritime activities. 

A 22-year-old American male passenger has gone overboard the cruise ship Independence of the Seas early this morning. According to Royal Caribbean press release the man was witnessed intentionally going overboard from the ship’s deck 12 at around 1:45 a.m. Shortly after the incident Independence of the Seas crew has released two lifeboats in an attempt to find the missing passenger.

A video was released today on YouTube showing a man jumping off the cruise ship bow. This lunatic jumped roughly 50 to 60 feet while the cruise ship was docked in the port and his friend filmed the video from the pier. After swimming back to the dock the man said “that was awesome”. It’s not awesome you dumbass. If you injure your back you will for sure sue the company for your stupidity.

According to the data released by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), 2017 will be good year for the cruise industry. CLIA expects 25.3 million cruise passengers next year, a figure 4.5% higher than in 2016. 

Costa Serena crew member Savio Rasquinha working as a buffet steward was reported missing.

Azamara Club Cruises will make history in 2017 as the first luxury cruise line to visit Havana, Cuba. The cruise ship Azamara Quest will depart from Miami on March 21, 2017 for a 13-night voyage to Key West, Tampa, New Orleans, Cozumel, and an overnight stay in Havana, Cuba. Azamara decided to include the Cuban capital on its existing voyages, in order to give faster access to the brand’s customer destination. Havana will be packed by the 690 passengers and 380 crew members especially at night.