Alaskan Dream Cruises Shuts Down

 Alaskan Dream Cruises announced it has shut down operations effective immediately through it's website. 

"Since 2011, Alaskan Dream Cruises has had the privilege of sharing the wonders of Alaska and the richness of our Alaska Native heritage with incredible guests from across the globe.  It has been an equal honor to work alongside extraordinary communities, partners and crew."

"We are deeply grateful for the trust you have placed in us over the past 15 years.  Thank you for the lasting relationships we've built and for allowing us to be a part of your Alaskan stories."

Passengers that have bookings have been notified via email with instructions to obtain a refund.  A phone number was also provided 855-747-8100 as well as an email address info@alaskandreamcruises.com for passengers and travel agents that require additional assistance.

Carnival's New Rewards Program Details

 

9 Year Old Dies at Hershey Park's Water Park

 

Hershey, Pennsylvania - July 25, 2025

A 9 Year Old child died after an incident at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania, according to the company's CEO.

The child was seen in distress by a lifeguard in the Boardwalk at Hersheypark waterpark section.  The child was attended to by on site lifeguards, first responders and other medical personnel and was transported to Milton S. Hershey Medical Center but the child did not survive.

The company will conduct a thorough internal review and cooperate fully with authorities to determine the child's cause of death.

The county coroner's office declined to comment as of the time this post was written.

About Hersheypark:

The park is 119 years old and is located in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  The section of the park, The Boardwalk at Hersheypark, where the incident took place opened in 2017 and features 16 water attractions.

Read More About Hershey Park

Gillian's Wonderland Pier Closing at the End of the Season!

 

Be sure to visit Gillian's Wonderland Pier before it closes for good at the end of the season!  

Cruise Ship of the Day - Celebrity Edge

 

Celebrity Edge was launched in 2018 and was the largest ship in the Celebrity fleet at the time of delivery.  She is also the first ship Celebrity ship to feature the "Magic Carpet" on the side of the ship.

• Owner: Royal Caribbean Group
• Operating Brand: Celebrity Cruises
• Build By: STX France
• IMO #: 9812705
• Maiden Voyage: 2018 | Last Drydock: Oct. 2023
• Passenger Capacity: 3,521 | Crew Capacity: 1,320
• Tonnage: 130,000
• Length: 306 meters | 1,004 feet
• Width: 39 meters | 128 feet
• Draught: 8.4 meters | 28 feet
• Speed: 21.8 knots | 40.4 kmh | 25.1 mph
• Cabins: 1,467 on 10 decks
• Decks: 14 Public Decks, 18 Total Decks

Click the "View More" link to see the deck details!

Cruise Ship of the Day - MSC Euribia

 The MSC Euribia entered the MSC fleet in 2021 and is the 2nd ship for MSC that is powered by liquid natural gas.  She is the 3rd ship of the Meraviglia Plus Class.

• Owner: MSC Group
• Operating Brand: MSC Cruises
• Built By: Chantiers de l'Atlantique
• IMO# 9901544
• Maiden Voyage: 2021
• Passenger Capacity: 5,806 | Crew: 1,400
  
• Tonnage: 184,011
• Length: 331.4 meters | 1,087.4 feet
• Width: 43 meters | 141.2 feet
• Draught: 
• Speed: 22.3 knots
• Decks: 22 (18 Passenger Accessible)
• Cabins: 2,419 on 11 Decks

Check out more deck by deck details by clicking see more below!

Weekly News Update - 6/16/2024

 

Cruise Industry News

American Cruise Lines:

• The company orders 3 newbuilds as the domestic market is growing strongly.  The new ships will be modified versions of ships of the same class built in 2023, including a larger passenger capacity.

Cunard Cruises:

• The company celebrated record bookings following the Queen Anne launch. Source

Carnival Cruise Line:

• A guest was banned for life from the line after for sharing a video of them refilling a water bottle with faucet water and resealing the bottle's lid with glue and placing it back on the shelf, making the bottle appear unused and would not be charged.  A 12 pack of large bottles now costs $14.95, up from $4.95 18 months ago.

Celebrity Cruises:

• Sells 2 ships to Lindblad Expeditions and will sell it's 3rd ship when the line is folded into Carnival Cruise Line in 2025.

Disney Cruise Line:

• Port of Vancouver awards Disney Cruise Line the Blue Circle Award for 2023.

Holland America Line:

• The line added Bora Bora to upcoming 56 day "Tales of the South Pacific" Voyage aboard the Zaandam.  Other destinations will include Hawaii, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, American Samoa, Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands.

Lindblad Expeditions:

• The company announced it was buying 2 ships from Celebrity Cruises; Celebrity Xpedition and Celebrity Xploration.  It will take possession of the ships in early 2025.

Margaritaville at Sea:

• The company's second ship, Margaritaville at Sea Islander, enters service after being refurbished.

MSC Cruises:

• MSC World America will feature the largest, most action packed kids area in the MSC fleet spanning 10,000 feet.  The ship will offer the first LEGO themed parade at sea, a LEGO family game show and master build area.  Source

Neonyx Cruises:

• The Goddess of the Night was seized by official in Italy for signifigant hygienic sanitary issues and serious accommodation deficiencies.  The ship was set to host police officers at the G7 Summit.  The ship was found to have defective toilets, leaks, air conditioning not working, flooding in cabins, tears in mattresses and stained carpets.  It was also found to have moldy food, a dirty buffet and waste materials scattered around the ship.  When the ship was inspected in April, the deficiencies were noted, but had not been fixed.  The cruise line is now potentially facing fraud charges.

Royal Caribbean International:

• Takes delivery of Utopia of the Seas, it's 2nd mega ship of 2024.  This one is built for shorter cruises of 3 to 4 day cruises.  Royal Caribbean's standard 3 to 4 day cruise ship segment is mainly served by the Freedom Class ships which are half the size of the Utopia of the Seas.

Seabourn Cruise Line:

• The Seabourn Pursuit visits Australia for the first time. Source

Silversea Cruises:

• Official names it's newest ship, Silver Ray.

TUI Cruises:

• Takes delivery of the Mein Schiff 7, the first methanol ready fuel powered cruise ship.

Windstar Cruises:

• Christopher Prelog receives TravelAge West Excellence in Leadership Award.  The company also won the Best Travel Advisor Support for Small Ship Cruises.  Source
• The company reveals it's newest ship, Star Seeker.  Announced it will bring back routes to include Alaska and Japan in 2026.  Source

Other Industry News:

• The SS United States, currently laid up at Pier 82 in Philadelphia, will have to be moved by September 12, 2024, by order of a U.S. District Court Judge. The ship's owners having paid a large amount of past docking fees.  The ship faces potential scrapping if the owner fails to have it moved in time.

Amusement Park Industry News

Disney Parks:

• The multi-year Epcot transformation has been completed with the launch of the CommuniCore Hall and CommuniCore Plaza.
• The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District has unanimously approved a $17 billion development deal with Disney.  The deal calls for Disney to invest the money over the next 10-20 years and permit a 5th major theme park and 2 minor parks, expanded hotel room capacity and an increase in retail and restaurant space.  Disney must also provide $10 million for affordable housing and donate at least 100 acres of land to the tourism district.

Universal Parks:

• Universal Orlando has expanded its Epic Universe development district from 700 acres to more than 2,000 acres.

Cruise Ship of the Day - Carnival Jubilee

 

Carnival Jubilee is the 3rd ship of the Excel Class and was built by Meyer Werft in Germany.  Her maiden voyage was in December 2023.  She is one of the largest ships in the world.

• Owner: Carnival Corp & plc 
• Operating Brand: Carnival Cruise Line
• Built By: Meyer Werft - Yard # 717
• IMO: 9851737
• Maiden Voyage: 2023 | Last Refit: N/A
• Passenger Capacity: 5,228 (Max: 6,631) | Crew: 1,745
• Tonnage: 182,015
• Length: 325 meters | 1,066.4 feet
• Width: 137 meters | 449.48 feet
• Draught: 11.8 meters | 38.9 feet
  
• Speed: 17 knots | 31.48 km/h | 19.56 mph
• Decks: 18
• Cabins: 1,745

See deck details after the jump!

Cruise Ship of the Day - Queen Anne

 

The Queen Anne is a Pinnacle Class ship named after Anne, the first monarch of the Kingdom of Great Britain.  She is the 2nd largest ship in Cunard's fleet behind Queen Mary 2 and features 15 dining venues.

• Owner: Carnival Corp & plc 
• Operating Brand: Cunard Line
• Built By: Fincantieri - Yard # 6274
• IMO: 9839399
• Maiden Voyage: 2024 | Last Refit: N/A
• Passenger Capacity: 3,000 | Crew: 
• Tonnage: 114,188
• Length: 322.51 meters | 1,058.1 feet
• Width: 35.6 meters | 116.8 feet
• Draught: 8 meters | 26 feet
  
• Speed: 18 knots | 33 km/h | 21 mph
• Decks: 14
• Cabins: 1,397

Cruise Ship of the Day - Icon of the Seas

 

Icon of the Seas is the first ship of the Icon Class and entered service in 2024.  She is currently the largest ship in the world and was built by Meyer Turku.

• Owner: Royal Caribbean Group
• Operating Brand: Royal Caribbean International
• Built By: Meyer Turku | Yard # NB 1400
• IMO: 9829930
• Maiden Voyage: 2024 | Last Refit: N/A
• Passenger Capacity: 5,610 (Max: 7,600) | Crew: 2,350
• Tonnage: 248,663
• Length: 364.75 meters | 1,196.7 feet
• Width: 48.47 meters | 159 feet
• Draught: 9.25 meters | 30.3 feet
  
• Speed: 22 knots | 41 km/h 
• Decks: 20