Key cruise port pushes back on safety warning; Carnival waives fee
In addition, Royal Caribbean has abandoned a key cruise port.
Just because the United States government issues a travel warning does not mean that cruise ships will skip those destinations.
That's because, in many cases, while the country itself may have elevated danger levels, the cruise port does not. In ports like Roatan, where the country is under an elevated warning level from the U.S. State Department, the actual port area is not included in that warning.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line takes on tricky casino problem
Sometimes, the country under a U.S. travel advisory does not agree with what it says. When that happens, it may issue its own statement explaining why it has an issue with what the U.S. government has said.
That means that cruisers really need to rely on their cruise line when it comes to the safety of their destination. No cruise line will put passengers in danger or stop someplace that's not safe.
It is important to pay attention, however, as your cruise line may share specific instructions for each port you visit.
Doug Parker has the story plus news of Carnival Cruise Line waiving a medical fee and Royal Caribbean leaving a key port on the March 10 edition of Cruise News Today.
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U.S. issues increased travel warning
Transcript:
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, here's your cruise news for Monday, March 10.
The U.S. State Department has raised its travel advisory for the Turks and Caicos Islands to Level 2, urging visitors to exercise increased caution due to rising crime in the area.
For context, the Grand Turk Cruise Center, where cruise ships go, is owned and operated by Carnival Corporation and has not reported any violence or crimes there.
Multiple cruise lines outside of Carnival Corporation brands like Royal Caribbean and sometimes MSC call to Grand Turk.
Carnival Cruise Line waives medical fee; Royal Caribbean abandons port
A family sailing on Carnival Panorama faced a $506 medical center charge after their toddler's hand was caught in the elevator door.
Now, Emily Lee, the child's mother, shared the story on TikTok, where it gained a lot of traction. After going to the infirmary, the family was assured there would be no charge for the visit, but later discovered the $500 fee on their account.
Initially, guest services offered little help, but following her viral video, Carnival responded and agreed to refund the charge.
The mother hopes that Carnival Cruise Line will review the safety of its elevator doors so that it doesn't happen again to another family.
And Royal Caribbean is set to leave Baltimore by the end of next year, marking the first time in years that a Royal Caribbean ship won't homeport there. Now, Vision of the Seas is relocating to Port Everglades after its final sailing from the city next October.
The move is said to be part of Royal Caribbean's shift towards shorter getaway cruises. Other ships that could potentially sail from Baltimore have already been assigned to ports in Florida, Puerto Rico, California, and Panama.
Tips@cruiseradio.net here in the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport, because I have a few hours before my flight on to Jacksonville. And it's actually a pretty cool hotel.
A neat rooftop bar here overlooking the runway and all that stuff if you're into that kind of thing. I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News today. Have yourself a great Monday.
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