While cruise ship passengers can't really get in the way of operating the ship, they can cause disruptions.
In many ways, it's like a person in the back seat of the car making a lot of noise or kicking the driver's seat. The annoying person isn't grabbing the wheel or stepping on the gas, but their actions can still put the ship at risk.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line changes nearly 200 sailings
Some fixed instructions on cruise ships are designed to limit these annoyances for the bridge crew. For instance, ships with windows or balconies in certain locations on the ship are asked to keep their curtains closed after dark.
That's because if they don't, the light from their cabins can distract the people operating the ship.
In addition, in some special situations cruise lines ask passengers not to do certain things. That's the main topic on the Nov. 12 edition of Cruise News Today.
Carnival issues evacuation warning
Transcript:
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker. Carnival Cruise Line has reminded guests to avoid using camera flashes or video lights during emergency operations such as a Coast Guard helicopter evacuation.
Now, Carnival's brand ambassador, John Heald, said the cruise director and captain should not have to keep repeating not to turn on the flashes of your phones and cameras.
He went on to say only one can imagine how dangerous that could be for the helicopter. It should be noted that announcements are made during medical evacuations to remind guests to stay off of outside decks and to use a little common sense.
And some big news for Florida cruise ports. Port Miami, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral have all set cruise passenger records for the fiscal year of 2024.
Now, Port Miami led the way with 8.2 million passengers, up nearly 13% from last year, keeping its title as the world's busiest cruise port. Port Everglades welcomed 4 million passengers, a 39% increase from breaking its previous record back a decade ago in 2014. And Port Canaveral saw 7.6 million passengers, a 12% increase.
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And Royal Caribbean has delayed the transatlantic cruise of Voyager of the Seas by one day due to weather-related dry-dock issues. Now, it was originally scheduled to leave Barcelona over the weekend. The ship did depart yesterday as a result.
A planned stop in Valencia has been axed, while a visit to Palma de Mallorca is shifted by a day. Go ahead and correct me on that. Voyager of the Seas recently entered dry dock for maintenance and will sail Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral once it completes this crossing.
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