Currently set at €7 per day for less than 12 hours, the city’s mayor, Jaume Collboni, hinted at a substantial hike during a recent interview.

‘Substantial’ Increase Planned

This cruise tax hike aims to address the impact of mass tourism in Barcelona and will need approval from the Catalan regional government. With potential changes on the horizon, cruise travelers may see higher fees when visiting this vibrant Spanish city.

A critic of the cruise industry, Collboni sees it as another measure to “tackle the consequences of mass tourism” in Barcelona. The city has commissioned studies to evaluate how much the tax increase should be.

Along with the Spanish island of Mallorca, Barcelona has been at the forefront of anti-tourism protests. A recent demonstration of several thousand marches occurred in Catalan city, with protestors spraying tourists with water pistols.

CLIA Responds to Growing Opposition to Cruise Ships

This has alarmed the European arm of the Cruise Lines International Association. Director Marie-Caroline Laurent said cruise lines may soon have to make itinerary changes to skip ports like Barcelona.

Mayor Jaume Collboni recently said the city is at breaking point regarding cruise ship capacity, however CLIA responded by claiming cruise ship guests only make up about 4% of Barcelona’s total tourist numbers.

Anti-Cruise Sentiment Growing Across Spain

The cruise industry is on the firing line as over-tourism protests grow in size and frequency. Spain has seen major demonstrations in Barcelona and the Balearic and Canary Islands. In Palma de Mallorca, there have been beach blockades and demonstrations outside hotels, protesting overtourism in general.

In Barcelona, cruise guests were reportedly sprayed with water pistols while demonstrators wielded “tourists go home” placards.

Protests have also occurred in Scandinavia and France, while Venice and Amsterdam have already limited the cruise ship visits. The Greek Prime Minister recently announced tentative plans to cap cruise ship calls on the popular islands of Santorini and Mykonos.

Protesters Have Targeted Cruisers

“There will be some consideration of adapting the itineraries if we feel that all passengers will not be well-treated,” Laurent added.

Barcelona city officials say the city is almost at breaking point for cruise ship visits, although CLIA points out that cruise guests account for only 4% of total visitors to the city. Barcelona’s resentment of spiraling visitor numbers extends far beyond day-tripping cruisers.

Along with crowded streets and congestion, the main issue is the vast number of short-term rentals catering to tourists, causing a major shortage of affordable housing for residents. 

NZ Cruise Ship Traffic on the Decline Partly Due To Costs

Cruise Lines International Association Australasia warns this would severely impact New Zealand’s standing as a cruise destination. The New Zealand Cruise Association forecasts a 22% decline in cruise ship visitors for the 2024/25 season, even without this extra cost. The trade groups say margins are already extremely thin for New Zealand cruises.

Furthermore, they say that, with a December 1 start, cruise lines are on the hook for the costs applicable to guests who have already booked and paid for their cruise. CLIA claims the country is already one of the most expensive to operate in.

New Zealand Cruise Association CEO Jacqui Lloyd says the fee hike could cost cruise lines an estimated NZ$2 million extra for the 2024/25 season.

Trade Groups Demand Talks with Government Officials

Both the CLIA and the NZCA are pushing for a “more constructive process” where cruise lines have a voice and can highlight the economic impact of cruising, especially in New Zealand’s more remote ports of call.

The trade groups plan to discuss cruise lines’ grievances with the New Zealand Customs Service and government officials. Currently, the border processing fee per cruise ship passenger is NZ$11.48, and it is set to rise to $21.54 in December. There is also a per-passenger biosecurity levy of NZ$10.58 payable.

Maura hopes to have the work completed within 18 months. The site has been cleared, but work hasn’t started yet.

Port Wants to Boost Family-Friendly Options

It is a move to provide more “family friendly’ amenities for a cruise port facility with ambitions to be the “best in class in the Caribbean.” Maura added: “A lot of the experiences visitors can participate in are adult-oriented. Through this investment, which is a pool experience, we intend to focus on families.”

He cited the frequency of port calls by family-focused Disney Cruise Line ships as a gap in the market for families who don’t wish to venture far onshore. 

Addressing concerns that it could deprive other local businesses of cruise tourism revenue, Maura said that with up to seven large cruise ships visiting Nassau each day, the market is big enough for all.

Nassau Cruise Passenger Traffic Continues to Rise

The port set a daily record of almost 30,000 visitors late last year. Passenger numbers for the first half of 2024 rose 24%, representing an increase of half a million in 2023.

The port also received an extra 15,000 cruise passengers this week due to revised Caribbean itineraries caused by Hurricane Beryl. Maura says Nassau is on course to handle over 5 million guest arrivals by the end of the year.

Protestors Stop Luxury Cruise Ship Guests from Coming Ashore

Several protestors took to the water to deny access to the Seven Seas Voyager. The ship has a guest capacity of almost 700. Protestors waved a banner stating: “We are the iceberg.” The ship was unable to tender guests ashore.

Last year, cruise passengers were jeered when coming ashore at the nearby port of Douarnenez. There were cries of “you are not welcome” and “shame on you” aimed at guests aboard the Atlas Ocean Voyages vessel’ World Traveller.’ This is a relatively small yacht-style vessel with a guest capacity of just over 100.

Although there have been no arrests, the port of Douarnenez has been something of a flashpoint for anti-cruise protests. Shore visits have in the past been canceled or supervised by a police escort.

On suffoque, et en mer Méditerranée et dans nos ports, d'énormes bateaux polluent notre air en toute impunité ! Vous voulez que ça s'arrête ? Moi aussi.

Marseillaises, Marseillais, mobilisons-nous !

Signez la pétition de @marseille : https://t.co/8S1sqwDBgS pic.twitter.com/fV3PwWouv4

— Benoît Payan (@BenoitPayan) July 19, 2022

Like elsewhere in Europe, there is growing opposition to the unrestrained growth of cruise ship tourism in France. The mayor of Marseille Benoît Payan has been vocal in opposition to large cruise liners, which he describes as “floating cities” that he claims “emit as much pollution as a million cars.”

A 2023 study found Marseille and the Channel ferry port of Le Havre were among the most polluted ports in Europe.

Anti-cruise Sentiment Spreading Across Europe

Major tourist destinations like Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Venice have taken measures to restrict cruise ship traffic. Just recently, Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis revealed plans to restrict ship visits to the islands of Santorini and Mykonos.

It is a partnership with Oriental Land Company, which operates Disney’s two local theme parks – Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.

The theme parks division, along with Oriental Land Company, have developed three new areas at the Tokyo DisneySea theme park based on its Frozen, Tangled, and Peter Pan movies.

Joint Venture With Operator Of Disney’s Tokyo Theme Parks

They signed a 10-year partnership worth about $60 billion to expand Disney’s theme parks and cruise operations jointly. The new ship will follow the design concept of the Disney Wish, which accommodates 4,000 guests.

New Ship Will Sail Short Itineraries As Part Of Theme Park/Cruise Packages

The new cruise ship will be registered and based in Japan year-round. It will initially sail short localized cruises with theme park packages ranging from two to four nights. The company said further details about the inaugural sailing, itineraries, and onboard amenities will be announced later.

Disney Cruise Line currently operates five ships and plans to launch three more in the coming years. This includes the mega-ship Disney Adventure, which will enter service in 2025.

With a capacity of 6,000 guests, Disney purchased the ship at a huge discount due to the bankruptcy filed by the original customer, Genting Hong Kong. This will become the first Disney ship to homeport in Asia, at Singapore’s Marina Bay Cruise Centre.

This means the advertised cruise fare will initially look more expensive, although it just means it will now include the mandatory extras upfront.

For instance, Carnival Cruise Line’s CHEERS! beverage package is now listed at $70.74 per day, inclusive of the 18 percent service charge. Previously, it was listed at $59.95 per day, with the service charge added separately.

The new law passed sent cruise lines scrambling to adjust back-end booking engines before the July 1 deadline. Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line both had theirs live before the July 1 deadline, and the others followed shortly after.

It should be noted that inclusive of taxes and fees does not include daily gratuities.

Cruise Lines’ Revise Pricing Policy for all US Cruise Bookings

This marked a big change in cruise lines’ pricing policy. Very few lines currently advertise their fares, including all additional fees. It won’t just affect customers in the Golden State.

While this is a state law requirement, the big cruise companies—Royal Caribbean Group (RCL), Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), MSC, and Carnival Corp (CCL) brands—will adopt full price transparency nationwide. This will simplify the booking experience for all US customers and will not mean higher prices.

The California law is a separate measure from the federal government’s war on “junk fees.” The Biden Administration plans to roll out similar consumer safeguards to give shoppers full price transparency. This includes other areas of the travel sector, such as displaying upfront hotel resort fees and ancillary fees when flying.

Pricing Policy Change Supported by Cruisers

Adopting a total advertised price has consumer support and will simplify comparison shopping, especially for new cruisers.

The Carnival Paradise, based in Tampa, was returning to its homeport when the incident occurred in the Lido deck dining room. A passenger trying to get pizza filmed the whole incident, capturing chairs being thrown and plates flying across the room.

The exact reason for the fight is unclear, but it involved a group of women shouting obscenities and tackling each other.

After a few minutes, security intervened to break up the fight. However, the aftermath left the dining room team with a massive mess, including broken plates, glass, and food all over the floor, for the service team to clean up.

The altercation video was posted initially on TikTok by user rizzarioman123 and has now gone viral on social media.

(Note: The video is graphic and involves fighting. It was removed from TikTok once and has since been reposted.)

Carnival told Cruise Radio in a statement, “Carnival Paradise’s security team intervened in an incident that took place on June 6. As is our policy, we will not tolerate such behavior and the guests involved were fined and will not sail on Carnival Cruise Line again.”

A commenter on the video said: “What could you possibly have to fight about on a cruise. If you don’t like someone, go on the other side of the ship. It’s big enough. Smh.”

In early 2023, Carnival sent a letter to guests on short cruises reminding them of its code of conduct and the consequences that could follow if a guest is caught misbehaving.

However, Carnival Cruise Line maintains a strict code of conduct for its guests, emphasizing respect and community.

Carnival also notes that guests must acknowledge and agree to the code of conduct in the cruise line ticket contract before boarding the ship.

Any violation may result in a $500 fine, possible stateroom confinement, and removal from the ship. Guests may also be liable for reimbursement of expenses incurred by Carnival due to detainment or disembarkation.

The Carnival Paradise offers year-round short cruises from the Port of Tampa Bay.

Among the changes, the cruise line has discontinued the one-time $100 donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for Diamond-level members of its Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) program.

Despite the challenge of managing its philanthropic efforts, Carnival continues to raise money for the children’s hospital through fundraising efforts like Groove for St. Jude. The line is still on track to raise $50 million for the charity by 2030.

Dropping your luggage off after boarding

Additionally, a note was issued reminding guests of its luggage drop-off policy for Platinum and Diamond VIFP members. Upon boarding, the top-tier guests can access their staterooms to drop off their luggage.

John reminded guests not to remain in the cabins, unpack, or use the space until all staterooms are officially open. This ensures cabin attendants can thoroughly clean and prepare the rooms for all guests.

Carnival‘s warm ships

Heald provided insights into why some ships’ staterooms are warmer, particularly on Conquest-class vessels.

These ships feature retractable roofs over the aft pool on Deck 9, which cannot be moved while the vessel is at sea. If the roof is closed due to poor weather, it must remain closed, potentially increasing temperatures in nearby areas.

Guests in staterooms on Deck 8 below the aft pool might experience heat transfer, making their cabins warmer.

This issue also affects other Carnival ships with retractable roofs, including the Venice-class (Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze) and the Spirit-class ships (Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Miracle, and Carnival Legend).

Heald assured guests that the air conditioning systems on all Carnival ships function correctly.

For instance, open gangways on port days can allow heat to enter the ship, particularly affecting lower decks. Additionally, improperly closed balcony doors can deactivate air conditioning in staterooms, leading to higher temperatures.

Watching the game on Carnival ships

Heald also responded to guest inquiries about sports broadcasts on board various ships, advising travelers about what can and cannot be shown.

Broadcast licensing agreements, event timing, and satellite coverage can all impact what may be displayed on cruise ships. Heald urged guests to check with him about specific sports events before booking.

Carnival ships with sports bars or the Hereos Tribute Bar typically broadcast popular events. Guests can also ask bartenders to change the broadcast if a specific game is on.

Some events may also be shown on the poolside screen on the Lido deck, and in-cabin televisions can access a limited number of network feeds.

Travelers can also use onboard Starlink Wi-Fi packages to stream their favorite games.

In fact, Wall Street analysts had expected another quarterly loss. This is a significant turnaround from the 2024 Q2 loss of $214 million.

It exceeded guidance on all metrics. The record numbers were driven by higher average cruise fares and more onboard spending. Overall Q2 revenue rose to $5.78 billion.

With demand showing no signs of weakening, Carnival has upped its full-year 2024 net yield guidance to around 10.25% and adjusted net income to $1.5 billion, up by $275 million from the previous guidance.

Best Ever Booked Position

The company said total customer deposits are at an all-time high of $8.3 billion. This is more than $1 billion above the previous best. The company’s booked position for the rest of the year and for full-year 2025 is the best ever. “While still early, the cumulative advance booking for full year 2025 is even higher than 2024 in both price and occupancy.”

Carnival said it paid off $6.6 billion of debt during the last 15 months.

Carnival Corp ended the quarter with $4.6 billion of liquidity.

One Carnival Brand Sunsets in 2025

Operational costs based on available lower berth days rose 4% during the quarter. The cruise company expects cost-saving in March 2025, when the Australian brand P&O Cruises shuts down. The P&O Cruises (Australia) business will be absorbed into Carnival Cruise Line.