Hurricane Joaquin cruise update

As of Thursday morning, Hurricane Joaquin continued its path towards the Bahamas. The wind and related rain forced cruise companies to adjust itineraries. According to Cruise Log, the following ships adjusted or changed their plans due to the storm:

• The Carnival Pride will skip its scheduled stop at the company's private island Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas Thursday.
• The Carnival Valor will skip its scheduled Thursday stop in Grand Turk.
• The Norwegian Getaway will skip its Friday stop in Nassau.

As the storm moves through the region, other ships may be impacted. Always remember to check in with your cruise line regarding schedule changes. 

Report: fire on Carnival Pride

Cruise Law News is reporting that a fire took place Wednesday night on the Carnival Pride. According to their report, the fire was in the engine room and contained. The ship made its scheduled stop in Half Moon Cay Thursday, although it did arrive late. Surprisingly there is no mention of the fire from passengers on social media. Other recent ship fires provided lots of social media chatter and pictures from their respective passengers. There is also no official statement from Carnival. [UPDATE: Carnival is saying it was just smoke and not a fire.]

Unless pressed, Carnival should avoid any mention of the Carnival Pride fire. Coming on the heels of the Liberty's fire, this would amplify any worry from current and future customers. Carnival deserved commendation for handling the blaze, however, they need to discover why these fires keep breaking out.

Carnival Pride back in Baltimore

Carnival ended its hiatus in Baltimore and announced the return of year-round sailing out of the Maryland. The Carnival Pride will sail a variety of itineraries from the port. Most coverage focused on the renovations of the ship and its new environmental standards (which were a factor in the hiatus from coastal waters). However, the big picture news is really that Carnival is committed to year-round service in a northern drive market.

Having the renovated and updated Carnival Pride sail from Baltimore is a win-win for the company and passengers. Ten of millions of potential cruisers live within driving distance of Charm City. A driveable cruising option can save each passenger thousands in airfare. For Carnival, the upside of Baltimore is less local competition, the chance to introduce cruising to those who might not otherwise sail, and the opportunity to turn some of those airfare savings into onboard spending.

Given the history and reinvestment, there will probably be more sailings and other ships out of Baltimore. And with continued success, more out of other east coast ports (Philadelphia? expanded options from New York? More in Boston?). All of that is good news for people exploring new cruise options.