Travel&Vacation

In late March, Carnival quietly changed its beverage policy, banning guests from bringing nonalcoholic beverages onboard. The cruise line already had a policy that stated the only alcohol passengers could bring onboard was one bottle of wine or champagne. Carnival cruisers were not happy with the new rules, claiming they’d now have to pay the high onboard prices for drinks.

However, according to Cruise Critic, Carnival has repealed its ban on nonalcoholic beverages. Less than a month after the initial change, guests are now allowed to bring small quantities of soda, juice, and bottled water onboard.

The emphasis is on “small quantities” so don’t pack a cooler per person and expect to stock your cabin with multiple cases of drinks. The official Carnival policy states “all alcohol,
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Back in the good old days, cruisers could embark with a few bottles of wine or champagne and consume the Caribbean rum they bought ashore back on the ship. Then cruise lines cracked down on alcohol not purchased onboard, confiscating any purchased alcohol until the end of the cruise and allowing guests to bring only one bottle of wine onboard the ship with them. Luckily for those passengers who preferred bottled water, soda, and juice and didn’t want to pay shipboard rates, the cruise lines allowed nonalcoholic beverages to come aboard.

Well, that liberal policy is coming to an end. CruiseCritic reports that Carnival will ban cruisers from bringing all nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages onboard, with the exception of one bottle of wine or champagne. No more six packs of soda or
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Is a cruise vacation safe? This is a topic I’ve addressed in the past, and which cruise lines, the government, and the traveling public continue to debate. On the one hand, cruise lines say their ships have lower instances of crime than you’d find on land. On the other hand, victims of onboard crimes report the cruise lines did not help prevent the crimes or take appropriate action after the incidents.

As reported by Travel Weekly (registration required) and other U.S. newspapers, a House subcommittee met this week with representatives from the FBI, Coast Guard, and several cruise lines, as well as victims of cruise-ship crimes, to discuss the hot topic of criminal activity at sea. On Monday, the cruise lines agreed to call the FBI and Coast Guard whenever a major crime occurs
(Read the full post about ‘Cruise lines agree to report more crimes’…)

Princess is very proud of its connection with
The Love Boat
, and aims to be a leader in cruise ship romance. To this end, the cruise line just announced a new Department of Romance. Its “romance experts” are expected to help Princess’ guests experience the highest levels of onboard amour.

This dream team, if you will, consists of dating guru Trish McDermott, therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, wedding planner Alba Carreras, and the Love Boat’s captain, actor Gavin MacLeod. I’m not sure whether these known personalities are actually sitting in on planning conferences to create onboard amenities or have merely allowed Princess to mention their names or sell their products. Regardless, Princess has clearly demonstrated that it’s serious about love.

The department will roll out several
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It seems like all the cruise lines are gabbing about their newest ships this week, and Royal Caribbean is next up. The cruise line has revealed some of the new onboard programs debuting with the Liberty of the Seas.

A new “Vitality” program will offer enhanced health and fitness options, such as tai chi, acupuncture, wellness seminars, and “a soothing signature scent.” The “Explorer Weddings” program is an addition to Royal Caribbean’s current wedding-and-vow-renewal package. Lovebirds can tie the knot or reaffirm their love while doing adventurous activities such as surfing on the FlowRider, scuba diving, or hiking on a glacier.

Kids and teens will also benefit from Royal Caribbean’s innovations. Camp Broadway, a New York-based children’s theater group, will involve young guests in
Tags: caribbean itineraries, flowrider surf pool, onboard