NEWS UPDATE: RCI private South Pacific island update + Carnival details Spirit's replacement & more!

RSVP to Australia's BIGGEST Cruise Party here: 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 During a conference call with travel agents this week, Carnival VP Kara Glamore gave away a little information about the ship that will soon be calling Brisbane home. In response to a question about what people can expect of the new ship, she said that won’t be a new ship, but will be newly refurbished. She will be bigger than Spirit and very different from Splendor. She’ll offer different activities and food options when compared to her Sydney based sister. The new ship will have a different feel to encourage guests to enjoy unique shipboard experiences from both Sydney and Brisbane. An official company announcement is expected in the next few months. Carnival also announced their long-awaited repositioning voyage. Carnival Splendor will make her way back down to Sydney via a lengthy 23 night journey. Departing Seattle, the ship’s passengers will enjoy stops in four Hawaiian ports as well as Fiji on their way back home. I can only imagine how incredible it will feel to be onboard as Splendor makes her way through the heads and into the harbour city. As a repositioning voyage departing an American port, the onboard currency for the entire cruise will be in US dollars. P&O also announced that the Pacific encounter cruise departing on August 27th has been switched from a South Pacific itinerary to a domestic voyage due to operational reasons. I would imagine access to South Pacific islands is still going to present a problem for cruise lines until at least the summer. Over the course of the pandemic, cruise lines have been at the mercy of government and health bodies which has made planning for restarts more than a little problematic. In response to the uncertainty, many lines instituted cruise with confidence policies that allowed people to book a voyage with the promise of a refund or future cruise credit if they chose to cancel. After being extended time and time again, many of these programs are now finally coming to an end. Local line P&O Australia’s own Assurance program will be ending on April 5th. Any guests that book a voyage with the line before that date, for any cruise departing on or before November 30th can cancel their cruise for a full refund up until 76 days before departure, or cancel for a future cruise credit equal to the penalty amount up until 14 days before departure. Only days ago, Princess Cruises extended their Cruise With Confidence offer. Their policy covers guest bookings made before May 31st for all departures up until September 30th. It allows you cancel for any reason up until 30 days before departure for a future cruise credit. If in the 30 days before departure you test positive for covid, you will be able to cancel your cruise and claim a future cruise credit. The credit will last one year from the date of issue and can be applied to any cruise departing by September 30th 2023. These programs are a great tool to utilise especially in the early days of the cruise restart on local shores. Royal Caribbean Blog last week reported an update on the status of Royal Caribbean’s private South Pacific island. Known as Perfect Day Lelepa, the island should be open for the beginning of the 2023/2024 summer cruise season. The Cruise Passenger publication released artist impressions, depicting what we can expect when Royal Caribbean guests on South Pacific itineraries begin to arrive on the tropical island. Though it won’t offer the same array of attractions as Perfect Day Coco Cay, according to CEO and President Michael Bailey, you can expect “authentic adventures” and “genuine relaxation” - so expect white, sandy beaches, lounge chairs, food stalls and pools among other more adventurous attractions that are yet to be revealed. Thanks for watching, see you soon!