everybody it's Bruce here with traveling with Bruce welcome to this week's recap
February the 24th 2019 what's new in the Cruz world what a week it's been we have
news this week from Norwegian cruise lines we've got news about how well
they're doing and what's happening in Alaska what's happening in the Bahamas
what's happening in the Cayman Islands we got all kinds to stuff to cover today
and let's get right at it let's start with our friends up in Norwegian Cruise
Lines the story this week that came out was about the Norwegian joy cruise ship
here she is this ship was built two years ago was a great fanfare
billion-dollar build-out she was sent to China with or with a go-cart track on
the back and it was supposed to shake it up the most luxurious cruise ship in all
of China in 18 months Norwegian had lost enough money they
just couldn't fill this ship up and couldn't get enough of a of a daily rate
from the passengers they decided to pack it in and this ship is heading to Alaska
but first she has to go in for refurbishing March the 11th to April the
21st 40 days of refurbishing this is a shock because the thought was it was
going to be a 50 million dollar refurb now we're looking at maybe as much as a
hundred to a hundred and twenty to get her ready for Alaska we'll have to see
how that works out in the meantime talking about Norwegian they're talking
about how much money they're making they're bragging about how great things
are going record RIT year this year for earnings and they're predicting an even
bigger year next year because passengers just can't get enough of the cruise
ships well the reality is that the Norwegian folks are running at a hundred
and 7.6 percent capacity right now how many more do you think you could stuff
on a cruise ship I don't know the other area is drinks drinks drinks they're
making all kinds of money on these drinks would you pay twelve to fourteen
dollars for each one of these that's kind of prices you're talking about they
just came up with a new drink package that will cover all their drinks and
they're offering you 110 fifty-five dollars a day per person
minimum two people per cabin to enjoy the drink package a one-week drink
package will now run you twenty one hundred and seventy dollars those are
American dollars for a one-week cruise I don't know if I'd be paying that kind of
money I think I wouldn't be on Norwegian if I'm gonna pay that kind of money for
drinks I might just go on a six-star Cruise Line instead we'll have to see in
the meantime in Alaska oh my god Alaska the governor wants to remove the ocean
Ranger program that is where Coast Guard trained observers are on cruise ships to
Alaska making sure that cruise ships do not pollute the waters and the governor
wants to kill the program even though the state doesn't pay a dime for it it's
paid for by cruise passengers outrage is building what is this guy thinking we're
gonna have to find out what is what he's up to in the Bahamas and the Cayman
Islands all kinds of news coming out about future cruise ports the Bahamas
are having all kinds of problems in Nassau that is a fact
people want to avoid going to Nassau they don't like being hassled there and
cruise lines are responding in kind by building private resorts all over the
Bahamas so they can avoid downtown Nassau even Virgin Atlantic or virgin
voyages is doing it they're the new kids in town in the meantime that Cayman
Islands they've got the opposite problem they've got two million passengers this
year that have been tendering into downtown Georgetown the government was
desperate to build a brand-new port facility these citizens are outraged who
live there they don't want it and now the fight is on the cruise lines are
backing this deal with Disney Carnival Royal Caribbean all chipping in funding
if the government wants it the public are basically saying enough is enough we
don't want to go to three million passengers a year we're already at two
million we really should be only at about a million what are we doing here
we could kill paradise we're gonna have to find out how this all plays out join
me Monday to Friday five o'clock Eastern Saturdays at 2:00 Eastern we'll stay on
top of these stories and see how they come together take care everybody bye