Cruising Resumes From Charleston
After nearly two years, Carnival Sunshine has officially resumed cruises from Charleston.
The ship set sail on a four-night Bahamas cruise on Thursday, marking the return of cruising from the South Carolina homeport.
Sunshine is kicking off a schedule of four to 10-night cruises to the Bahamas and Caribbean.
Destinations will include Bimini, Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, St. Kitts, and other island ports.
Currently, Carnival Cruise Line has 19 ships in service.
STORY: Carnival Sunshine Resumes Cruises From Charleston
Norwegian Updates Latitudes Loyalty Program
Norwegian Cruise Line has updated its Latitudes rewards program, effective immediately.
The previous version of the program included a massive 500-point jump between the two highest tiers. In response to complaints from cruisers, Norwegian has added two additional levels — Sapphire and Diamond — between the Platinum and Ambassador tiers.
Points are earned for each night sailed, with additional points earned by booking a suite.
STORY: Norwegian Cruise Line’s Revamped Latitudes Program: What You Need to Know
Cruise Health Consultant Says Pandemic Likely Coming to an End
Cruise industry health consultant Dr. Scott Gottlieb says he believes the pandemic is finally coming to an end.
In a webinar with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio, Gottlieb said he believes the Omicron variant is already peaking, and cases should rapidly decline in the next few weeks.
He also said that the pandemic phase of COVID-19 is nearing an end, and it will soon become a seasonal nuisance.
Gottlieb, who is chairman of Norwegian and Royal Caribbean’s SailSAFE Council, is so confident in the decline of the virus and in the cruise industry’s protocols that he is planning a cruise for this summer with his family.
He said “I feel very strongly that [a cruise ship] is an environment where you can carefully measure and mitigate risk… When we get past this wave I think confidence will return very quickly and we will feel much more safe this summer.”
STORY: Physician & Cruise Industry Consultant Says Pandemic Nearing An End
