Hurricane Rafael continues to strengthen and that has wreaked havoc on Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, which have had to change multiple itineraries.
“#Rafael is now a major #hurricane (Category 3) with maximum winds of 115 mph – the fifth major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. 7 other seasons in the satellite era (1966 onwards) have had more than 5 major hurricanes through November 6: 1995, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2017, 2020,” Philip Klotzbach shared on x, the old twitter, in a post that was retweeted by Royal Caribbean chief meteorologist Craig Setzer.
The weather isn't the only story of the day, as MSC has made a major change to its loyalty program. Doug Parker covers all that and more in the Nov. 7 edition of Cruise News Today.
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Hurricane Rafael causes problems for cruise ships
Transcription
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker. On the Gulf side, Hurricane Rafael is affecting cruise ship itineraries throughout the region. For example, in the Gulf of Mexico, Jewel of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas and Carnival Breeze are returning to Texas a little ahead of schedule to escape the reach of these storms, while other ships have abandoned ports in the west. Caribbean.
On the Atlantic side, strong winds have hit the Bahamas region, forcing many ships to leave private islands like Half Moon Cay and Perfect Day in ports like Nassau and Bimini this week. This week there have been a total of 50 global itinerary changes due to weather.
Crazy out there. And MSC Cruises has renewed its loyalty program, adding a new Blue Diamond level. Yes, MSC Cruises is updating its Voyagers Club, introducing that new tier status.
The tier includes exclusive benefits such as flexible check-in through the Yacht Club desk, a free Wi-Fi package and My Choice Dining, which allows guests to dine wherever and whenever they want. Blue Diamond members also receive priority boarding, baggage services, and access to free shuttle buses at select ports in Europe. In addition to these new Blue Diamond benefits, all loyalty levels can now enjoy their extended membership valid for three to five years.
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And Oasis of the Seas is back in Florida after a two-week repositioning cruise from Europe. Now, while in Europe, Oasis spent some time at the Navantia Shipyard in Cadiz, Spain, performing some general renovations to public areas and inspections before returning to the Sunshine State. She will spend the winter sailing from Port Everglades to the Bahamas and the Caribbean .
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