NEWS UPDATE: P&O Australia Makes History, Quantum Engine Trouble & Carnival Dining Changes

Join my private Facebook group for cruise deals, tips and advice - the more members we have, the better we’ll get! www.facebook.com/groups/CTGdeals Follow me on Facebook and Instagram: www.facebook.com/thecruiseandtravelguy www.instragram.com/thecruiseandtravelguy Shop tee shirts: https://thecruiseandtravelguy.myshopify.com Head to my website for great cruise and travel deals: www.thecruiseandtravelguy.com.au Quantum of the Seas has suffered from an engine malfunction during its Alaskan cruise season. Royal Caribbean confirmed there are issues with one of the ship’s four engines, leading to the vessel sailing at a reduced speed. Global supply chain issues mean that parts required for the repair have been delayed and unfortunately for those onboard, the ship will not be completing scenic cruising through some of the state’s spectacular glaciers. Scenic cruising is one of the highlights of any Alaskan cruise, so affected guests have been offered the option of cancelling their cruise for a full refund or remaining onboard and receiving a refundable onboard credit. This week, P&O made history when it finally welcomed the Pacific Encounter into an Australian port. The largest ship to ever join the P&O fleet, Pacific Encounter sailed into Sydney for the firs time on Tuesday morning with a tug boat water cannon salute. Of note is that in 2016, Carnival Corporation announced that P&O Australia would receive its first ever new build. The 4200 passenger, 135,000 gross tonne ship was set to join the Australian fleet in 2019. However, during construction the ship was transferred to Carnival Cruises and P&O lost its chance to acquire its first purpose built vessel. That ship was eventually launched as the Carnival Panorama. In replacement of the new build, P&O acquired both the Star Princess and Golden Princess, what we now know as the Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure. Encounter is the first of the two Grand Class vessel to join the P&O Australia fleet. The 109,000 tonne vessel is considerably larger than fleet mate Pacific Explorer and debuts new features for the cruise line like the suites only Byron Beach Club and the indoor family pool and entertainment zone. Personally, I’m a big fan of the Grand Class and I’m glad that we’ll get to enjoy both ships locally for years to come. Encounter will remain berthed at Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal until the afternoon of Sunday August 7th, and she’ll return on August 10th and remain berthed until August 18th when she will embark on a 2 night activation cruise to Brisbane, just in time to commence passenger service from her home port of Brisbane on August 20th. I’ll be bringing you a full ship tour very soon, so make sure you subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss it. The United States has been on the leading edge when it came to the resumption of the cruise industry, and last week I reported that Royal Caribbean would be removing its pre cruise testing requirement for vaccinated travellers on short cruises. Now, Carnival cruises and MSC have joined their competitor line in removing the testing requirement for vaccinated travellers on cruises of 5 nights or shorter. It’s likely that these developments will eventually make their way to Australia, though I suspect any significant changes to local protocols won’t occur until 2023. Whether for work or recreation, our dependence on internet connectivity has never been so high. In response to this demand, Carnival Cruises are updating their onboard technology to better cater for increased guest demand for faster and more stable internet. The company will use additional satellite bandwidth from a number of different providers, and has also installed extra wifi access points onboard its ships to make connecting and staying connected easier than ever. The upgrades arrive in synchronisation with the revised Carnival HUB app. The updated app will allow passengers to book onboard services and shore tours, as well as join virtual queues to better manage crowding. The development of these technologies will only increase guest dependance on stable wifi and internet access so the upgrades couldn’t come at a better time. Meanwhile, as reported by Cruise Radio, Carnival Cruise Line has announced a series of changes that will be implemented across the fleet. This includes the removal of the room service breakfast ordering card from staterooms, instead passengers will need to place their orders via the phone. Plus the on-board pizzeria will no longer operate 24x7, but will instead close between 4am and 9am daily. I feel like a 4am closure is still going to meet the needs of the most people onboard. Thanks for watching!