New Law Changes Cruise Prices, Ship Cancels 9 Sailings

Editorial Summary

Doug Parker reports on several significant updates within the cruise industry. Princess Cruises has announced a delay in the delivery of its next Sphere class vessel, the Star Princess. Originally scheduled for July, the ship is now expected in October, resulting in the cancellation of nine sailings. Princess President John Padgett stated that the delay is necessary to meet high quality standards. Impacted passengers are offered the choice of a refund or rebooking on another ship within the fleet. Additionally, a new consumer protection law in California takes effect on July 1st. This law requires all advertised cruise prices to include the total cost, such as taxes and fees, to ensure advertising transparency. In other news, Cunard has celebrated the delivery of the Queen Anne at the Fincantieri shipyard. The ship is scheduled to begin service in early May and will participate in a christening ceremony in Liverpool in June. The vessel features 14 decks and can accommodate over 3,000 passengers. Finally, the report notes mixed performance for major cruise line stocks, with Carnival Corporation down while Royal Caribbean and Norwegian saw increases.

Written by TripBacon from this video's transcript.