Starboard Cruise Services, a subsidiary of luxury goods conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, has announced an exciting partnership with Blue Dream Cruises, a prominent Chinese cruise operator. This milestone collaboration marks a significant step forward in the cruise industry, as Starboard becomes the first retailer to offer onboard retail services on a Chinese-owned cruise ship since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Costa Cruises has announced the much-anticipated return of Costa Serena to service in Asia. Following two successful cruises between Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, Costa Serena set sail today from the port of Busan in South Korea, with Nagasaki and Yatsushiro in Japan as its next destinations. This marks a significant milestone as the first outbound cruise to resume in South Korea after the lifting of travel restrictions.

The cruise industry is excited as the former Mein Schiff Herz makes its grand return to the seas, this time under the name Marella Voyager. Operated by Marella Cruises, the renowned British cruise line belonging to the TUI Group, the vessel embarked on its inaugural voyage from the port of Palma de Mallorca on Saturday, 3rd June. This marks the first official voyage for Marella Cruises, with the ship undergoing notable changes and sporting the brand's distinctive hull livery.

The cruise ship Carnival Sunshine recently encountered a treacherous storm on its way back to Charleston, leaving passengers and crew members in fear and uncertainty. As the ship battled turbulent waves and powerful winds reaching speeds of up to 70 mph, the vessel's interior and guests' areas suffered damage. Although no injuries were reported, the incident was a distressing experience for all involved during this intense storm.

In a heartwarming gesture, Carnival Cruise Line has played a pivotal role in renovating a learning center at St. Ann's Bay Regional Hospital in Jamaica. As part of their Labor Day Volunteer Project, approximately 20 Carnival Horizon crew members dedicated their time to cleaning up, painting, and repairing the Learning Centre. Additionally, Carnival Cruise Line generously donated essential items to enhance the facility.

Norwegian Cruise Line canceled all European cruises aboard the Norwegian Epic from December 1, 2023, to April 9, 2024. As a result, the cruise line will be temporarily withdrawing from the European market for the winter season. Initially, the Norwegian Epic was scheduled to embark on a series of voyages exploring the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. However, the ship's itinerary has been altered, and it will now be deployed in a different region during the winter months of 2023/24.

Royal Caribbean International has announced an open position for the role of Chief Meteorologist, shortly after the former Chief Meteorologist, James Van Fleet, parted ways with the company. This announcement comes at a crucial time, just before the onset of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, when precise updates on weather conditions impacting cruises are of utmost significance.

MAN Energy Solutions has successfully completed a retrofit project on the cruise ship 'Ambience' owned by Ambassador Cruise lines and managed by Bernhard Schulte Cruise Services. The retrofit involved the installation of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems and the replacement of turbochargers on two of the ship's MAN 8L58/64 engines with modern MAN TCA 66 units.

Carnival Corporation's Chinese joint venture, CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping, has revealed the name of its highly anticipated Chinese-built cruise ship: "Adora Magic City." This announcement marks an exciting milestone in the cruise industry, as the vessel will be the world's first to incorporate advanced wireless communication technology, offering passengers a network experience comparable to being on land. 

Crew Center received concerning news regarding the crew shore leave in New York. A crew member, who wishes to remain anonymous, has informed us that shore leave is currently not permitted. 

At this time, we are working to gather more information to determine if this restriction applies to a specific cruise line or affects all cruise ships sailing to New York.