NEWS UPDATE: Pacific Explorer on her way! Is the buffet making a return? Carnival ups service fees.

RSVP to Australia's Biggest Online Cruise Party: https://fb.me/e/4eY5rhlFI Join my private Facebook group for cruise deals, tips and advice - the more members we have, the better we’ll get! www.facebook.com/groups/CTGdeals Follow me on Facebook and Instagram: www.facebook.comn/thecruiseandtravelguy www.instragram.com/thecruiseandtravelguy Head to my website for great cruise and travel deals: www.thecruiseandtravelguy.com.au This week, Royal Caribbean’s sixth and potentially final Oasis Class vessel began construction in France. The cruise line announced the name of the new ship at its steel cutting ceremony - dubbing it: Utopia of the Seas. Utopia is set to be the world’s largest cruise ship when she takes to the ocean in mid 2024, stealing the title from sister ship, Wonder of the Seas. While there are limited details on just what Utopia will be like… she will be the first Oasis Class ship to run on LNG or liquified natural gas. The cleaner burning fuel will actually debut on Royal Caribbean’s new generation Icon of the Seas when she launches in 2023, with the fuel type eventually underpinning the cruise line’s efforts towards reducing its emissions and climate impact. Wherever you look in the world at the moment, costs are up and in keeping with that theme, Carnival Cruise Lines announced an increase to their onboard service charges. These charges are better known as gratuities or tips and on voyages originating from outside of Australia, are charged to passenger’s onboard accounts on a daily basis unless prepaid prior to departure. The service charge is rising to $14.50USD per person per day for standard staterooms and $16.50USD per person per day for suite category staterooms. Though Australian departures onboard Carnival ships don’t attract this daily charge, Splendor’s upcoming repositioning voyage from Seattle to Sydney will see all guests paying the increased daily rate. Anyone on that voyage can prepay the service charges before May 1st to lock in the existing service rate which is $0.51 cents per day cheaper. Australians who’ve been cruising for a while might recall that onboard service charges were common place on local voyages across most cruise lines, until a few years ago. Some cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have incorporated the service charges into their fares, so Aussie consumers see only one price and aren’t charged anything further onboard. Princess, P&O and Carnival have likewise abolished automatic service charges from their local voyages and leave it up to the individual to tip at their discretion. One of the questions I’ve received the most over the past year in particular is about travel insurance. As the saying goes, if you can’t afford travel insurance, then you can’t afford to travel. In particular though, people have been understandably curious about travel insurance covering incidences related to COVID onboard a cruise ship. It’s been incredibly difficult to find covid cover for cruising and locally its been limited to just several insurers. This week, CoverMore, one of Australia’s largest travel insurers announced that they will soon be offering covid cover for cruise travel. The updated policies will be available within weeks, just in time for the Australian cruising restart. It’s important to remember to always check the travel insurance policy in detail, including the product disclosure statement to understand what is and isn’t covered and the best people to talk you through that, is the insurer themselves. Even if you purchase a policy through a travel agent, they shouldn’t be giving you any specific advice about your individual circumstances - that is something best left to the insurance experts. And finally, Royal Caribbean have begun trialling the resumption of the classic cruise ship buffet. Their onboard buffet-style dining venue is called the Windjammer and is famous for its open plan arrangement of food stations serving a dazzling array of sweet and savoury dishes. Of course, prior to COVID, self-serve was the name of the game but when the line began operating again, crew members were tasked with serving guests - eliminating the potential for cross surface contamination. Royal Caribbean have now confirmed that they will be bringing back the self-serve buffet - with one change. Self service will be permanently partnered with dishes that have been plated in a grab and go style. As I’ve mentioned previously, P&O Australia did away with the self-service buffet years ago, instead offering an array of shop-front style outlets in a space they call, The Pantry. Crew members plate and serve dishes of various cuisines on request and this approach has been repeated by cruising newcomer, Virgin Voyages, with their version called The Galley. Whether you love a traditional buffet or prefer the idea of being served, there’s no doubt that food is a cruising staple and one of the main attractions of a holiday at sea. Thanks for watching!