Author Archives: Ben Murphey

Two New Ships for MSC Cruises

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Category: Cruise Lines | MSC

Two New Ships for MSC Cruises

Last week, Swiss-based MSC Cruises announced they will be building two brand new “mega” ships that will be able to carry 6,300 passengers each at full capacity. So a lot more people will be able to enjoy an MSC Cruise in the coming years!

The two new ships will comprise MSC Cruises’ Meraviglia Plus class, which will be 16 meters (about 52 feet) longer than the current Meraviglia ship – 1,034 feet in length – with 200 more cabins for a total of 2,444 cabins. Despite their size, the new ships will actually be 2 meters (about 6 feet) …

New Norwegian Cruise Ship Sets Social Media Record

New Norwegian Cruise Ship Sets Social Media Record

Last year, Norwegian Cruise Lines introduced the Norwegian Escape, their newest and largest ship out of their 14-ship fleet. During the ship’s inaugural celebrations from October 22 to November 11, 2015, the Norwegian Escape broke social media records for the amount of social media usage at sea.

So how many posts are we talking about? Cruise-goers wrote 576,896 Facebook posts, 14,150 tweets, and posted 11,367 Instagram pictures – totaling 159 million impressions in just 21 days! The record was first set in 2013 by the inaugural launch of the Norwegian Breakaway, which was surpassed in 2014 by the …

Is Disney Liable for Molested Girl on Cruise?

Is Disney Liable for Molested Girl on Cruise

On Disney Magic’s 5-Night Western Caribbean cruise, which departed the Port of Miami on December 18th, an 11-year-old girl accused Juan Manuel Palma-Ortega of molesting her. The girl told her parents that Palma-Ortega – a 31-year-old Honduran man – fondled her three times during the cruise.

When the cruise returned to the Port of Miami on Wednesday, December 23rd, Miami-Dade police detained Palma-Ortega and he supposedly confessed to the crime. Palma-Ortega was then charged with three felony counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor and is being held without bond. In addition, Palma-Ortega …

What to Expect if You Take a Holiday Cruise

What to Expect if You Take a Holiday Cruise

What sounds better: scraping snow and ice off your windshield or lounging by the pool with a festive drink? Making small talk with your visiting in-laws or eating a delicious meal from a professional chef? If you answered the latter, then you’re in luck, because cruises are available and waiting for you to enjoy the holidays on the sea.

While most people opt to stay home for the holidays or travel to spend them with their family, why not go for something a little different this year and jump aboard a holiday cruise! Many cruise lines get in a …

The Safest Cruise Lines for 2015

The Safest Cruise Lines for 2015

Many potential cruise customers have been turned off by recent reports of mechanical failures, sickness, and injuries on major cruise lines.

But despite horror stories like the incident aboard the Carnival Triumph in 2013, the vast majority of passengers have a wonderful cruise vacation. Cruise ships are often more safe that living on land.  Even outbreaks of norovirus—a virus so commonly associated with cruise ships it’s sometimes called “the cruise ship bug”—are more likely to strike on solid ground.

Some cruise lines have more of a checkered past than others, however. If safety is a primary concern for you …