A ship carrying 855 refugees including 47 children arrived in the port of Salermo, Italy at midnight. The refugees, from Sub-Saharan Africa, Somalia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Egypt, have been rescued in the recent days over the course of several operations by the Italian Navy off the coast of Sicily. The first to exit the ship were the sick refugees and people with infectious diseases. Among them were several wounded, including two men wounded by firearm, one of them with the bullet still in his body. Then disembarked the women, six are pregnant.

The fifth tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Ocean this season, formed in the Caribbean, has forced two Carnival cruise ship to change their current itineraries. In order to avoid the path of the tropical storm Earl, Carnival Glory has replaced its scheduled arrival in Belize City and Roatan with stops in the Bahamas ports Nassau and Freeport. Carnival Magic will also cancel the arrival in Belize and will have extra fun day at sea. The arrival in Cozumel is being moved up one day of the original schedule.

Royal Caribbean has announced changes in itineraries of Empress of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas current voyages. In order to avoid the path of the tropical storm Earl, Empress of the Seas has replaced its scheduled arrival in Grand Cayman with visits in the Nassau, Bahamas on August 4, Coco Cay on August 5, and will be anchored  today,  August 2 in Key West.

A Youtube video was uploaded today showing teenage boy throwing golf club off a cruise ship. As you can see from the video bellow the boy with a medal on his chests first looks if someone is around, and then throws the golf club in the sea with a smile on his face. Polluting the ocean is serious issue, and all cruise lines during the master drill inform the passengers that throwing any items in the ocean is strictly forbidden following the International Maritime Organization convention. If caught in the act the passenger can be kicked off a cruise ship at the next port of call.

NCL cruise ship Norwegian Joy will set sail to China next year with stunning hull design of a giant phoenix bird. The cruise company announced today that has commissioned the Chinese artist Tan Ping to design the hull artwork of the new Breakaway-Plus class vessel. Norwegian Joy is the Norwegian Cruise Line's first purpose-built cruise ship for the Chinese market. Tan Ping's artwork will deliver Norwegian Joy closer to the Chinese consumers providing an unparalleled cruise experience to this region.

The Brevard County Police in Florida arrested Red Bluff city council member Suren Patel, on fraud charges as an out of state fugitive. Action News reports that he tried to flee U.S. on a Disney Fantasy cruise ship departing on July 23, from Port Canaveral. Patel is charged with public embezzlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars, conspiracy to commit welfare fraud, and insurance fraud. This June the charges were filed and arrest warrant was issued. Authorities went to Sacramento to arrest him, but they could not find Patel.

The cruise ship Thomson Celebration minutes after departing from La Valletta Grand Harbour on Saturday July, 23 suffered an engine failure leaving it powerless near the port entrance. The ship’s captain was forced to drop the anchor in order to avoid hitting the harbor structures constructed as part of the coastal weather defense system.

Bermuda authorities have identified the Norwegian Breakaway crew member who lost his life during the emergency lifeboat drill after a rescue speed boat broke from its tethering. According to the Bermuda news site “Royal Gazette” the deceased is a 41-year old Filipino national Diogenes Carpio. The captain of the catamaran Aristocrat, who assisted in the rescue said that the crew member was floating in the water next to the overturned boat.

Four crew members were rushed to hospital after a rescue boat fell from the cruise ship Norwegian Breakaway. The incident occurred in Bermuda Dockyard cruise terminal this afternoon while the cruise ship was docked. Police spokesman confirmed that a portside rescue boat had fallen from the NCL cruise ship Norwegian Breakaway resulting in four crew members falling into the water according to Bernews.

A group of cruise ship passengers were robbed in a restaurant located in the center of Split, Croatia. As the footage from the surveillance camera in the restaurant shows a middle-aged man in blue jeans, a light blue shirt and short hair carefully entered the restaurant and looked around the dining room. After few seconds he sat on a small table just behind the group of eight Spanish tourists who were sailing on the cruise ship MSC Sinfonia. The thief targeted a black backpack hanging on the chair and tried to steel it by covering with his jacket.