Cruise Radio News Brief | Week of October 6, 2019

Every week we bring you the latest cruise news stories, articles we’ve published, our latest Cruise Radio podcast, and our recent YouTube videos for October 6, 2019.

1. Carnival Cruise Line introduced two new beers, the ParchedPig Pumpkin Ale and ParchedPig Beach Lager. Just in time for fall, the Pumpkin Ale will debut fleet-wide later this month, while the Beach Lager will debut on Carnival Panorama when the ship enters service this December.

2. MSC Cruises’ Meraviglia became the largest cruise ship ever to dock in New York City. This was the ship’s first time in North America, and the ship, which is just over 171,000 gross tons, will soon relocate to Miami to home port there.

3. Norwegian Cruise Line rolled out its fee-based Priority Access program fleet-wide. The program allows cruisers to purchase perks such as priority boarding, a $50 spa credit, priority tendering, and more.

4. Royal Caribbean announced the name of its fifth Oasis-class ship. Wonder of the Seas will join the fleet in 2021 and will sail from Shanghai, China. It will be the first ship in the Oasis class to sail the Asia Pacific.

5. Cunard celebrated the start of construction on the line’s 249th ship. With the first steel cut at a Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the line celebrates a 179-year history. The ship is not yet named but is expected to begin sailing in 2022.

Featured Article: Do These Angry Cruise Passengers Deserve a Refund?

Guests aboard Norwegian Spirit were practically mutinous on a 14-night cruise when four of the nine ports of call were cancelled due to weather and safety concerns. Despite Norwegian offering a future cruise credit, some passengers still wanted more.

This Week’s Podcast: Celebrity Infinity Review

This week we hear a review of Celebrity Infinity on a seven-night Mediterranean cruise.

Be sure to also check out our bonus episode this week featuring what it’s like to stay in MSC’s Yacht Club.

Featured Video: Carnival Cruise Line Pizza Delivery Review

First introduced as a service last year, Carnival Cruise Line’s pizza delivery service is expected to be available fleet-wide by the end of 2019. For just $5 per pie, a Carnival crew member will deliver a pizza to you anywhere on the ship when you order via the Carnival HUB app. Complimentary pizza is still available at Pizza Pirate and Pizzeria del Capitano.