On Tuesday, China's Ministry of Transport officially gave the green light for the full resumption of international cruise ship transport to and from its ports, signaling a crucial step towards normalcy in the wake of the global pandemic.
Cruise ships will return to the primary cruise port in Venice at Marittima (Stazione Marittima) in spring 2027, announced Fulvio Lino Di Blasio president of the Port Authority of Venice and Chioggia. This marks a turning point after the ban on large ships' access to San Marco, which was imposed by Prime Minister Mario Draghi in 2021.
Hurtigruten Group has unveiled a new global brand identity for its adventure travel brand, Hurtigruten Expeditions. Effective from December, the brand will be known by the new name, HX.
Royal Caribbean International's newest Oasis-class cruise ship, the Utopia of the Seas, emerged from dry dock at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The float-out was a meticulous process, taking nearly 15 hours to complete. It commenced with the shipyard filling the dry dock with a staggering 46 million gallons of water, allowing the vessel to glide into an outfitting dock.
Matteo Romano, age 56, who had been on the run since 2018 after a conviction for drug trafficking and evasion, was apprehended during a family cruise. Romano, who had been living in Spain's Balearic Islands, had evaded authorities for years. Italian police received a tip that he was aboard the cruise ship Costa Smeralda departing from Palma de Mallorca.
Greek police have dismantled a criminal organization that has been systematically involved in pickpocketing tourists in the bustling tourist areas of Santorini. The operation resulted in the arrest of three foreign nationals, who are believed to be members of the criminal ring. They now face charges of criminal organization and theft.
Cunard and P&O Cruises announced improvement of Wi-Fi connectivity aboard the fleet with the integration of SpaceX's Starlink technology. This partnership aims to provide reliable, high-speed internet access to passengers and crew aboard the ships.
The expedition cruise ship Ocean Explorer has been successfully pulled free after running aground in the remote wilderness of northeast Greenland. After several attempts to dislodge the ship, Nature Institute's research ship, Tarajoq, took on the task of yet another rescue attempt.
German authorities have launched an investigation into an incident involving the cruise ship Mein Schiff 4, which reportedly entered a restricted area in the Baltic Sea. The incident occurred on September 5th during the vessel's eastbound journey from Kiel to the Polish port city of Gdynia, passing through the Fehmarnbelt.
The expedition cruise ship Ocean Explorer found itself stranded after running aground in Alpefjord at the national park of Northeast Greenland. The incident unfolded on Monday afternoon when the Arctic Command received a distress call from the vessel. There are 206 passengers and crew members on board, all of whom are reported to be unharmed.
