The cruise ship Silver Spirit got into trouble last week in Key West hitting a concrete block when trying to leave the harbor. 

A new player in the international duty-free market has just started to operate its first stores on the Costa Cruises ship, Costa Atlantica. After some fierce competition from many international duty-free companies back in July this year, China Duty Free Group CDFG has won the tender launched by Carnival Corporation for operating retail shops on Costa Atlantica.

In a letter signed by Richard Morse, Senior Vice President Hotel Operation, Carnival Cruise Line announced the increase of the automatic gratuity charges for all beverage sales and a la carte dining outlets. This increase will be reflected in the Bar Department paychecks starting December 2018.

The Italian cruise line Costa Cruises presented a new campaign with a video spot starring Penelope Cruz in which she will become a beautiful mermaid, enchanted by the sound coming from the Costa cruise ship.

The US Coast Guard performed a medical rescue evacuation of two crewmembers who reportedly suffered from second-degree burns on the NCL cruise ship Norwegian Escape on Monday evening. A officer onboard contacted watchstanders at the Fifth District command center at 3:50 p.m. requesting an urgent medical evacuation of two Filipino crewmen, 25 and 26 years of age, who suffered burns caused by a fire in the engine room.

A big raid on the cruise ship MSC Seaside has left many crew members traumatized after they were held at a gunpoint and interrogated. Some crew members were handcuffed by Law-enforcement officers, says one crew member. The Authorities conducted the raid in the early morning hours on November 24th shortly after MSC Seaside docked in the Port Miami. Crew members say that Law-enforcement officers searched crew cabins and left them looking like hell and that the crew were taken ashore for interrogation.

Seven crew members were arrested in the port of Miami for smuggling cocaine reports Cruise Law News. The drug bust happened last week while the cruise ship MSC Seaside was in the port says Jim Walker, who was contacted by a crew member wishing to remain anonymous.

Today the French court imposed a €100,000 fine to the captain of a cruise ship for using fuel with high sulphur levels in the port of Marseille, the first such ruling in France.

The prosecution was intended by authorities to signal that they are serious in tackling pollution from cruise ships after they found a higher level of sulphur during a check on the vessel P&O Azura.

A staff member was reported missing from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Adventure of the Seas.

Princess Cruises theatrical show "Fantastic Journey," with its elaborate costumes and state-of-the-art multimedia technology was honored with the prestigious Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement. The official recognition was at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo in Orlando.