Carnival Staffing Levels Slowly Ramping Up

Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador John Heald took to Facebook on Friday morning to say that with assistance from United States Customs and Border Protection, Carnival crew members with expired visas are being allowed to return to ships and that staffing shortages are starting to lighten up.

In the same post, John announced that the Diamond and Platinum VIFP parties and the Diamond lunch has officially returned to every ship. There is no news yet on the return of Cucina Del Capitano, Chef’s Table, Suess at Sea, Priority Boarding, or Behind the Fun Tours.

This weekend will be one year since Carnival’s first ship returned to service.

Rocks Fall Onto Alaska Cruise Dock During Rockslide

A rockslide early Thursday morning caused havoc on the cruise dock in Skagway, Alaska. The slide happened around 6:30 on Thursday morning, sending rocks, dirt, and trees into dock. No one was injured during the event, and there was only minor damage to the pier.

Four ships were scheduled to visit Skagway. A couple skipped the port, Discovery Princess anchored off the coast and tendered guests to shore, and another was berthed at a smaller dock.

Nearly 1.5 million cruise passengers are expected to visit Skagway this season.

Norwegian Cruise Line Returning to Asia

Norwegian Cruise Line announced that it’ll be returning to Asia in the fall of next year.

Norwegian Jewel will sail a series of 10 to 12 day voyages calling throughout Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. There will also be a 16-night repositioning cruise after next year’s Alaska season from Seattle to Tokyo.

Earlier this month, the line announced that starting this fall, Norwegian Sun will return to the Canary Islands for the first time since 2017.

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