Latest news with #CarnivalValor
Business Insider
30-06-2025
- Business Insider
A child fell overboard a Disney cruise ship and was rescued. Here's what to do if it happens to you, and how to survive.
If you fall from a cruise ship, there are a few things you can do to boost your chances of surviving and of being found, according to a survival expert. Two people were rescued after going overboard on a Disney Cruise Lines ship as it traveled from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas on Sunday, Disney confirmed. Details about how the pair went overboard have not been confirmed by Disney, but several media outlets have reported that passengers said a father jumped in the water to save his child, who fell overboard first. Disney said in a statement that the crew aboard the Disney Dream, a cruise liner that holds up to 4,000 passengers, quickly recovered the two passengers from the water. While it's rare for passengers to go overboard on cruise ships, it does happen. Many passengers who go overboard are never rescued, but others have survived the falls and, in some cases, long stretches of time in the water. In June 2023, a woman survived after going overboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship more than 30 miles off the coast of the Dominican Republic and was rescued about 45 minutes after she went overboard. In November 2022, Carnival Valor cruise ship passenger James Michael Grimes survived after going overboard, unbeknownst to anyone on board, and spending 20 hours in the water in what he described as a fight for his life. He described treading water, fending off jellyfish and at least one finned creature, and trying to eat objects that floated by, including a piece of bamboo. He was finally spotted and rescued by the US Coast Guard. There are some practical things a person who falls into the open ocean can do in order to increase their chances of surviving, according to Cat Bigney, a survival expert who has consulted for Bear Grylls and National Geographic. Don't panic There are many things working against a person who goes overboard. First, they have to avoid injury during the fall and when they hit the water. Calling for help or actually finding help in the open ocean is just about impossible. There could be blazing sun, potentially hungry predators, and rough water. Hypothermia and dehydration are also major risks. "All of these factors make it very difficult for people to survive if they're adrift," Bigney, who has taught at the Boulder Outdoor Survival School for decades, told BI. Going overboard on a cruise ship is extremely rare, but the vast majority of those who do are never rescued. Between 2009 and 2019, there were 212 overboard incidents on cruise ships, according to data compiled by Cruise Lines International Association. Only 48 of those people were rescued. But the first thing a person in an overboard situation needs to remember is? Don't panic. "When people enter into a body of water, they usually damage their lungs right away, because they gasp," Bigney explained. "We have such a panic instinct to get air, and when people do that they bring water into their lungs." Keeping your cool in life-or-death situations is key, as panicking is "the biggest thing that will kill you in a survival situation," according to Bigney. Find anything that floats Once you're in open water, your next priority is to stay above the surface. Some people may have a natural advantage and float more easily, depending on their body composition, including body fat percentage and muscle mass. Though Grimes was in the water for around 20 hours, it's unlikely he was treading water for that entire time, according to Bigney. A combination of floating, treading, and swimming would be ideal, although it would still be exhausting, especially in rough waters. But treading water periodically is still much more doable than constantly. There are also ways to make floating easier. For instance, Grimes said he had taken off all of his clothes, in order to make himself more buoyant. "Even a small buoyant device will help you — something you can use with your arms around or your neck over just to help relieve some of the stress if you're not a great swimmer or you're having a hard time staying afloat," Bigney said. Grimes had said he tried chewing on some bamboo, which Bigney said is extremely buoyant. Even collecting small bits of bamboo or driftwood could help a person stay afloat, she said. In a best-case scenario, you could collect enough that would allow you to make a pile or raft that you could get up on top of and out of the water, which would also make you safer from any potential predators. Water would be a concern, food not so much It's unlikely Grimes was able to get significant energy from chewing on bamboo, but food would not be a primary concern in the amount of time he was at sea. "Our bodies are perfectly, evolutionarily adapted to have this ability to fast for a long period of time, so he should have been fine as far as food," Bigney said, adding that "psychologically," it may have helped him, but "physiologically" his body was probably OK without eating. Calories are needed to regulate core body temperatures, but she said most bodies would be able to do that for a couple of days with reserves, including from fat and the liver. Grimes was treated for hypothermia after he was rescued, as the 70-degree water temperature was significantly colder than humans' baseline core body temperature, but moving around and swimming for much of the time he was stranded — as well as factors like what he had recently eaten and his body fat content — may have helped him avoid the worst of it. Dehydration would be of much greater immediate concern than food, according to Bigney. "You don't want to drink any salt water," she said, adding that you'd want to try to conserve whatever water you already had. One way to do that would be to try and use your clothing to create shelter from the sun, such as by wrapping it over your head. Make a signal however you can — including with trash Ultimately, if you fall from a cruise ship many miles from shore, it's a waiting game to be rescued, and making a signal is one way to improve your chances of being found. "There's a lot of trash in our great oceans, unfortunately," Bigney said, adding that collecting any floating garbage into a large pile could potentially form a signal that could be spotted by rescuers. When an overboard situation is reported, the US Coast Guard uses a program to estimate where a floating object might be, Gross told Insider. The Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System factors in the person's weight, clothing, body fat percentage, and whether or not they have a flotation device, as well as weather and ocean patterns. For Grimes, the system returned over 7,000 square nautical miles of ocean where he could be, which is about the size of Massachusetts — so anything you can do to increase the chances of being spotted can help. "In the end, it's kind of a grim situation, but people have survived," Bigney said, adding: "And people sometimes just die." Editor's note: This story was originally published in December 2022 and was last updated in June 2025.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line fixes massive passenger pain point
Carnival Cruise Line fixes massive passenger pain point originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. It's amazing how a seemingly small improvement to the design of a basic item can sometimes dramatically increase its value for users. In a cruise ship cabin where space is very limited, thoughtful design that equips a room with multipurpose features and devices makes the small room so much more manageable for cruise lines introduce new innovations to ship design, tiny staterooms get more comfortable with each new ship class. But it's not just new ships that get these enhancements. Older ships can often be updated with innovative new features that elevate the passenger experience. Carnival Cruise Line's latest upgrades to some of its 20-year-old ships prove that. The cruise line's brand ambassador, John Heald, recently showed off one new cabin enhancement on his popular Facebook page that stirred excitement among thousands of the cruise line's loyal brand ambassador posted a photo of a new bedside lamp that the cruise line recently added to staterooms on Carnival Valor, as well as other cruise ships in its fleet that were recently updated during routine dry dock maintenance. 'We added these new lamps on the Carnival Valor during dry dock and will be doing this to other ships in future dry docks. They have USB and the smaller one [USB-C] and a power plug for things like CPAP perhaps,' Heald said. As he often does with ship features and enhancements, Heald asked his followers for feedback on the new lamps and their charging ports to determine if the majority of passengers would find them than 12,500 Carnival cruisers weighed in through comments on the post, and the results were overwhelming in favor of putting the lamps on as many ships as possible. 'I've been waiting for this moment my whole life,' Julie Jebaily commented. 'And I'll only use it for my cell phone charger because the USB outlets never charge my devices.' 'Best change made to cabins in 20 years,' Keith Bruce agreed. Many Carnival passengers insist that there are never enough power outlets in cabins, especially on older post about the new lamps was especially popular with cruisers who use CPAP machines when they sleep. These passengers typically have to pack extension cords for their cruises to meet their CPAP power needs. 'As a CPAP user it will make things much easier because I won't have to have an extension cord stretched across my cabin floor at night. That makes midnight potty runs really dangerous,' Mick Kyte explained. 'I love the functionality. I can charge my phone and plug in my CPAP all in one lamp — and I don't have to bring an extension cord with me,' Jeremy Rynca added. 'That will help give me (my wife) more room to overpack clothes.' More Carnival cruise news:Some passengers noted though that it would be more helpful if the lamp was not bolted down in the middle of the table as they're currently positioned on the ships that recently received them. 'They should be towards the front or the back so you actually have room for the CPAP or whatever you are plugging into the outlet,' Avril Lawshé suggested. Hopefully, after reviewing the helpful passenger feedback gathered by its brand ambassador, Carnival will make an adjustment to improve the lamp placement as they're added on more ships. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Royal Caribbean, Carnival add ship enhancements cruisers will love
Royal Caribbean, Carnival add ship enhancements cruisers will love originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. Although cruise lines put a lot of careful thought and attention into ship design, they don't always get everything right. Sometimes, cruise ship features miss the mark, or designers fail to recognize something that was important to passengers. Occasionally, they even overlook something that passengers say has a negative impact on the cruise preferences and needs change over time, too, so certain features eventually become outdated as new innovations are developed that enhance the cruise experience. Luckily, the fact that there's limited space on a cruise ship doesn't mean onboard areas like the pool deck, restaurants, bars, and casinos, can't be redesigned at some point. Even spaces that can't be fully reworked, like staterooms, can be refreshed to add some enhancements. When cruise ships go to dry dock for routine maintenance every few years, they often receive significant refurbishment throughout to overhaul existing venues and make improvements that will elevate passengers' future sailings on the ship. Sometimes when a need arises, cruise lines will even make upgrades to a ship without taking it out of service for dry dock. That's something Royal Caribbean is currently doing to fix a big casino problem on some of its newer and most-popular ships. Doug Parker shared more on the upgrades rolling out on board certain Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise ships, plus details on the largest ultra-luxury cruise ship suite yet, on the June 12th edition of Cruise News This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker. Good morning. Here's your cruise news for Thursday, June 12th. Carnival Valor is back in service after completing a month-long dry dock over in Spain. The 21-year-old ship received major upgrades including the addition of the Heroes Tribute Bar and WaterWorks Aqua Park. Public spaces were also refreshed, staterooms upgraded with USB outlets, and the casino and spa were also expanded. Valor resumed service yesterday in Barcelona and is now sailing a 15-night repositioning cruise to New a $25,000-per-night cruise. Yeah, Regent Seven Seas has unveiled its most extravagant suite yet, the Skyview Regent Suite aboard the upcoming Seven Seas Prestige. Spanning nearly 9,000 square feet over two levels, the suite will set you back $25,000 per night and includes a private gym, sauna, bar, elevator, and a car and driver in every port. Bookings — they open next week if you're Royal Caribbean is expanding the casino aboard Wonder of the Seas, converting the Crown Lounge on Deck 4 into a larger, non-smoking gaming area. The Crown Lounge will be relocated to Deck 16 and reopen later this month. The expanded, redesigned casino will reopen in mid-July. Wonder of the Seas is currently sailing Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral and will reposition to Miami in cruise stocks were down on Wednesday. Carnival Corporation: down 2.6 percent, 23.87. Royal Caribbean: down 1 percent, 267.96. Norwegian: down 3.3 percent, 19.08. And Viking: down 3 percent, 47.36. If you have a lead on a story, let us know. Tips@ This week's Cruise Radio Podcast: a review of a Norwegian cruise ship — can't remember which one. Here in Victoria, British Columbia, waiting to debark for the evening, I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today. Have yourself a great Thursday. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Miami Herald
17-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Carnival Cruise Line adds powerful solution to solve cabin problem
It's amazing how a seemingly small improvement to the design of a basic item can sometimes dramatically increase its value for users. In a cruise ship cabin where space is very limited, thoughtful design that equips a room with multipurpose features and devices makes the small room so much more manageable for passengers. Related: Carnival and Royal Caribbean are making major cruise ship upgrades As cruise lines introduce new innovations to ship design, tiny staterooms get more comfortable with each new ship class. But it's not just new ships that get these enhancements. Older ships can often be updated with innovative new features that elevate the passenger experience. Carnival Cruise Line's latest upgrades to some of its 20-year-old ships prove that. The cruise line's brand ambassador, John Heald, recently showed off one new cabin enhancement on his popular Facebook page that stirred excitement among thousands of the cruise line's loyal guests. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. The brand ambassador posted a photo of a new bedside lamp that the cruise line recently added to staterooms on Carnival Valor, as well as other cruise ships in its fleet that were recently updated during routine dry dock maintenance. "We added these new lamps on the Carnival Valor during dry dock and will be doing this to other ships in future dry docks. They have USB and the smaller one [USB-C] and a power plug for things like CPAP perhaps," Heald said. As he often does with ship features and enhancements, Heald asked his followers for feedback on the new lamps and their charging ports to determine if the majority of passengers would find them useful. Related: Carnival Cruise Line testing new dining option passengers want More than 12,500 Carnival cruisers weighed in through comments on the post, and the results were overwhelming in favor of putting the lamps on as many ships as possible. "I've been waiting for this moment my whole life," Julie Jebaily commented. "And I'll only use it for my cell phone charger because the USB outlets never charge my devices." "Best change made to cabins in 20 years," Keith Bruce agreed. Many Carnival passengers insist that there are never enough power outlets in cabins, especially on older ships. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Heald's post about the new lamps was especially popular with cruisers who use CPAP machines when they sleep. These passengers typically have to pack extension cords for their cruises to meet their CPAP power needs. "As a CPAP user it will make things much easier because I won't have to have an extension cord stretched across my cabin floor at night. That makes midnight potty runs really dangerous," Mick Kyte explained. "I love the functionality. I can charge my phone and plug in my CPAP all in one lamp - and I don't have to bring an extension cord with me," Jeremy Rynca added. "That will help give me (my wife) more room to overpack clothes." More Carnival cruise news: Carnival Cruise Line rep addresses a troubling tipping rumorCarnival Cruise Line ship pivots to avoid Hurricane BarbaraCarnival cruise passengers reject central Royal Caribbean element Some passengers noted though that it would be more helpful if the lamp was not bolted down in the middle of the table as they're currently positioned on the ships that recently received them. "They should be towards the front or the back so you actually have room for the CPAP or whatever you are plugging into the outlet," Avril Lawshé suggested. Hopefully, after reviewing the helpful passenger feedback gathered by its brand ambassador, Carnival will make an adjustment to improve the lamp placement as they're added on more ships. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@ or call or text her at 386-383-2472. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Carnival and Royal Caribbean are making major cruise ship upgrades
Although cruise lines put a lot of careful thought and attention into ship design, they don't always get everything right. Sometimes, cruise ship features miss the mark, or designers fail to recognize something that was important to passengers. Occasionally, they even overlook something that passengers say has a negative impact on the cruise experience. Related: Royal Caribbean passengers demand key onboard change Passenger preferences and needs change over time, too, so certain features eventually become outdated as new innovations are developed that enhance the cruise experience. Luckily, the fact that there's limited space on a cruise ship doesn't mean onboard areas like the pool deck, restaurants, bars, and casinos, can't be redesigned at some point. Even spaces that can't be fully reworked, like staterooms, can be refreshed to add some enhancements. When cruise ships go to dry dock for routine maintenance every few years, they often receive significant refurbishment throughout to overhaul existing venues and make improvements that will elevate passengers' future sailings on the ship. Sometimes when a need arises, cruise lines will even make upgrades to a ship without taking it out of service for dry dock. That's something Royal Caribbean is currently doing to fix a big casino problem on some of its newer and most-popular ships. Doug Parker shared more on the upgrades rolling out on board certain Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise ships, plus details on the largest ultra-luxury cruise ship suite yet, on the June 12th edition of Cruise News Today. Want the latest cruise news and deals? Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Transcript: This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker. Good morning. Here's your cruise news for Thursday, June 12th. Carnival Valor is back in service after completing a month-long dry dock over in Spain. The 21-year-old ship received major upgrades including the addition of the Heroes Tribute Bar and WaterWorks Aqua Park. Public spaces were also refreshed, staterooms upgraded with USB outlets, and the casino and spa were also expanded. Valor resumed service yesterday in Barcelona and is now sailing a 15-night repositioning cruise to New Orleans. Related: Carnival Cruise Line testing new dining option passengers want And a $25,000-per-night cruise. Yeah, Regent Seven Seas has unveiled its most extravagant suite yet, the Skyview Regent Suite aboard the upcoming Seven Seas Prestige. Spanning nearly 9,000 square feet over two levels, the suite will set you back $25,000 per night and includes a private gym, sauna, bar, elevator, and a car and driver in every port. Bookings - they open next week if you're interested. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. And Royal Caribbean is expanding the casino aboard Wonder of the Seas, converting the Crown Lounge on Deck 4 into a larger, non-smoking gaming area. The Crown Lounge will be relocated to Deck 16 and reopen later this month. The expanded, redesigned casino will reopen in mid-July. Wonder of the Seas is currently sailing Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral and will reposition to Miami in August. Related: Royal Caribbean makes casino smoking, loyalty program change And cruise stocks were down on Wednesday. Carnival Corporation: down 2.6 percent, 23.87. Royal Caribbean: down 1 percent, 267.96. Norwegian: down 3.3 percent, 19.08. And Viking: down 3 percent, 47.36. If you have a lead on a story, let us know. Tips@ This week's Cruise Radio Podcast: a review of a Norwegian cruise ship - can't remember which one. Here in Victoria, British Columbia, waiting to debark for the evening, I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today. Have yourself a great Thursday. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@ or call or text her at 386-383-2472. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
