Cruise Radio News Briefs | Week of March 7, 2021

Welcome to the Cruise Radio News Brief for the Week of March 7, 2021, where we bring you the latest cruise news, our weekly podcast, and recent YouTube videos.

1. MSC Cruises’ ship MSC Lirica caught fire off the coast of Corfu, Greece, on Friday. Onlookers watched smoke billowing and flames coming from the starboard side near the lifeboats toward the middle of the vessel. Though the cause is still being investigated, the fire is said to have originated from one of the ship’s starboard-side fiberglass lifeboats on deck 6. Among the 51 crew on board at the time, no one was injured.

2. Crystal Cruises plans to have the first ship to sail from the Americas in over a year starting July 3. This summer, Crystal Serenity will begin sailing seven-night Bahamian itineraries, departing from Nassau on Saturdays and Bimini on Sundays with a maximum of 900 guests on board.

3. U.K. Maritime Minister Robert Courts is working to restart domestic cruises as early as May 17. With the U.K. government outlining an initial roadmap to reopen the travel industry, we can only wonder when the same will be said about U.S.-based cruise travel.

4. Royal Caribbean International canceled most cruises through May 31. The only exceptions to the line-wide cancelations include Quantum of the Seas sailings from Singapore, China sailings departing April 25, 2021, and beyond, and departures from Israel aboard Odyssey of the Seas. The move aligns with the schedules of most other major cruise lines.

5. Carnival Cruise Line won four of USA Today’s 10Best Awards, including one repeat win as the fourth time the line has been named “Best Ocean Cruise Line.” Though a panel of cruise industry experts select the nominees, USA Today readers vote for the winners in each category. Mardi Gras won for “Best New Ship,” while Carnival Horizon took the top prize for both “Best Ship for Families” and “Best Cruise Ship for Dining.”

Featured Article: 49 Things Carnival Cruise Line Guests are Missing

In celebration of Carnival Cruise Line, we’re outlining 49 things Carnival cruisers have been missing the most since the industry shutdown forced us from the high seas.

This Week’s Podcast: Passing Time During the Shutdown

On this week’s episode, we reflect on the one-year anniversary of the shutdown of the cruise industry. Sherry Laskin joins us for cruise news, and listener Tommy Casabona shares what he’s been up to and the first things he’ll do once back at sea.

Featured Video: Carnival Horizon Ship Tour

The winner of two USA Today 10Best Awards this year, Carnival Horizon is the second ship in the Vista class and weighs just over 133,000 gross tons. Watch the full ship tour below to see what makes this ship so much fun for cruisers of all ages.