Cruise News Today — March 23, 2023 [VIDEO]

Royal Caribbean Retiring Sky Pad Attraction

Say goodbye to a top deck attraction.

Royal Caribbean announced that on March 31 it’ll be retiring the SkyPad VR trampoline experience on all of the ships that have it.

Mariner, Independence, Spectrum, and Odyssey of the Seas all feature the bungee trampoline attraction, which allows guests to jump while playing virtual reality games through a wearable headset.

The cruise line hasn’t said what will be replacing the experience, but it will continue to be complimentary.

In 2019, a Mariner of the Seas guest fractured his pelvis in a 20 foot fall on the ship’s Sky Pad. He filed a $10 million dollar lawsuit against the operator.

STORY: Royal Caribbean Discontinuing One of Its Top-Deck Attractions

MSC Euribia Sea Trials Delayed Due to Strikes

As protests and strikes continue in France over pension reform, the turmoil has reached a shipyard in western France.

Sea trials for MSC’s new ship MSC Euribia have been delayed due to union strikes. They were originally supposed to start today, and no new date for the trials have been announced.

Despite the setback, MSC Euribia is still slated for her late May delivery date. She’s scheduled to be christened in Copenhagen in May.

STORY: Strikes Delay Cruise Ship From Leaving Shipyard

Celebrity Ascent Preview Cruises Open For Booking

If you ever wanted to cruise on a new ship before the general public does, now you can. Celebrity Cruises has opened two new preview sailings for the upcoming Celebrity Ascent.

The ship, set to debut this December, will be offering a three-night cruise and four-night cruise in late November prior to its official launch. The ship’s official maiden voyage will be a seven-night eastern Caribbean itinerary on December 3rd.

Celebrity Ascent is the sister ship to Edge, Apex, and Beyond.

STORY: Celebrity Cruises Opens Preview Voyages For Booking on Upcoming Edge-Class Ship

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