Cruise News Update - The Travel Scouts
Source: Travel Scouts | 9 news items covered
1. Emergency at Royal Caribbean's CocoCay
- Passenger went off the pier between ship and dock, ~1:25pm Saturday
- CocoCay = Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas
- Two ships in port: Adventure of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas
- A crew member jumped in to help; multiple crew assisted rescue
- Some reports suggest a malfunctioning mobility scooter (unconfirmed by cruise line)
- Passenger recovered within minutes via rescue sled, taken to Wonder of the Seas for medical treatment
- Unclear which ship the passenger was from; status currently unknown
- Royal Caribbean has not yet commented
- Context: Similar incident in May — an 88-year-old woman on Carnival Celebration died after a mobility scooter went off the pier at Celebration Quay
2. St. Lucia Travel Advisory Raised
- U.S. State Department raised St. Lucia from Level 1 to Level 2 ("exercise increased caution")
- New advisory language cites violent crime — armed robbery, assault, burglary, rape; some U.S. citizens killed
- Recommendation: same precautions as a major U.S. metro area
- Note: all major cruise lines still make port calls there — a Level 2 is fairly standard, not cause for alarm, but plan time ashore wisely
3. Cruise Ship Crew Salary Report (17 positions)
Ranges given, with midpoint monthly pay annualized. Captain used as the example ($12,000–$25,000/month range → $18,500 midpoint → $222,000 annualized). Annualized income by position, highest to lowest:
| Position | Annualized Income |
|---|---|
| Captain | $222,000 |
| Chief Engineer | $144,000 |
| Staff Captain | $132,000 |
| Hotel Director | $114,000 |
| Executive Chef | $84,000 |
| Cruise Director | $79,800 |
| Casino Manager | $72,000 |
| Chief Housekeeper | $66,000 |
| Restaurant Manager | $60,000 |
| Nurse | $60,000 |
| Shore Excursion Manager | $57,000 |
| Guest Services Manager | $51,000 |
| Security Officer | $45,000 |
| Cabin Steward | $34,800 |
| Waiter | $33,000 |
| Galley Utility (e.g., dishwasher) | $22,200 |
| Housekeeping Utility (e.g., laundry) | $20,400 |
Note: some lower-tier positions also receive gratuities on top of base pay.
4. Carnival Reveals New Ship Name — "Carnival Destiny"
- First ship in "Project Ace" — will be Carnival's largest ship ever
- Construction just started; over 200,000 gross tons
- Revives the name of a prior Carnival Destiny (first-ever cruise ship over 100,000 gross tons, debuted 30 years ago)
- Launch scheduled summer 2029
- 70%+ of venues/attractions will be new to the cruise line
- Home port not yet announced (new ship styles often go to Port Canaveral or Port Miami)
- More details expected November this year
🎙️ Mid-Show Check-In
Previous poll — would you cruise with pets onboard? (~10,000 responses)
- Yes: 14%
- Maybe, with strict pet rules: 18%
- No: 68%
This episode's question: If you worked on a cruise ship, what job would you want? (Prompted by the salary segment.)
5. Hurricane Season Update
- Atlantic currently clear
- Eastern Pacific has multiple tracked systems; 90% chance at least one becomes a tropical storm this week
- Systems currently moving west — not expected to impact cruise operations
- Will continue to monitor
6. Royal Caribbean Loyalty Program — New Perk
- Loyalty tiers: Gold → Platinum → Emerald → Diamond → Diamond Plus → Pinnacle Club
- Points generally earned 1 per night sailed (2 points/night for suites or solo cruisers)
- New perk: Pinnacle Club members now get priority tendering (priority boarding on small boats used to reach shore at tender ports)
7. New Cruise Destination — Puerto Limón, Costa Rica
- Southwestern Caribbean itineraries typically include Mexico, Belize, Roatán (Honduras)
- Costa Rica's president signed a bill for a new cruise terminal at Puerto Limón
- Investment: $854 million
- Capacity: up to 10,000 passengers on a peak day
- Currently only small ships visit Costa Rica (occasional Holland America, plus lines like Windstar and National Geographic)
- Country is evaluating 11 companies for the project; more info on completion timeline pending
8. Missing Crew Member — Regal Princess (Princess Cruises)
- Ship departed Fort Lauderdale on Saturday; crew member found missing this morning
- Believed to possibly be overboard; sailing off the coast of Mexico (near Cancún) at the time
- Active search and rescue underway as of broadcast
- Princess Cruises statement: coordinating with maritime authorities, search ongoing
- Regal Princess's scheduled Cozumel dock this morning will be affected
9. Silversea Opens 2028–2029 Bookings
- Silversea = luxury line operated by Royal Caribbean Group
- New booking window: March 2028–March 2029
- 278 sailings across 497 destinations in 71 countries
- Known specialties: Antarctica, Mediterranean, Northern Europe