WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.560 Welcome to Cruise News, your daily update on 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:04.960 everything happening at sea. Visit CruiseNews 00:00:04.960 --> 00:00:07.900 .io to see today's stories and sign up for email 00:00:07.900 --> 00:00:12.859 alerts. New Year's cruising in focus major ports 00:00:12.859 --> 00:00:15.900 and fireworks draw ships and crowds, while real 00:00:15.900 --> 00:00:18.420 -world onboard emergencies can still reshape 00:00:18.420 --> 00:00:21.690 itineraries fast. It's great to be back. It is 00:00:21.690 --> 00:00:24.030 fantastic to have you. And today we're doing 00:00:24.030 --> 00:00:26.250 a deep dive that, you know, it really feels like 00:00:26.250 --> 00:00:28.289 it captures the entire spectrum of the cruise 00:00:28.289 --> 00:00:30.769 experience. Oh, absolutely. We are really going 00:00:30.769 --> 00:00:32.829 to peel back the layers of the industry today. 00:00:33.009 --> 00:00:35.310 We're not just looking at the, you know, the 00:00:35.310 --> 00:00:37.670 shiny brochure photos. Not at all. We're looking 00:00:37.670 --> 00:00:40.149 at the engine room of logistics that makes something 00:00:40.149 --> 00:00:42.450 as massive as New Year's Eve happen on a global 00:00:42.450 --> 00:00:45.070 scale. Exactly. I want to welcome everyone to 00:00:45.070 --> 00:00:47.649 this deep dive. Usually when we talk about New 00:00:47.649 --> 00:00:49.469 Year's Eve, we think about our own plans. Sure. 00:00:49.490 --> 00:00:51.689 Maybe a house party. Maybe you're watching the 00:00:51.689 --> 00:00:54.369 ball drop on TV for me. It's maybe just trying 00:00:54.369 --> 00:00:57.189 to stay awake past 10 p .m I can relate to that 00:00:57.189 --> 00:01:02.070 but in the cruise world New Year's Eve is It's 00:01:02.070 --> 00:01:04.750 essentially the Super Bowl of logistics. It is 00:01:04.750 --> 00:01:08.200 the single biggest most complex night of the 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:10.900 year for operational coordination. That is a 00:01:10.900 --> 00:01:13.579 very, very apt comparison. It really is. It's 00:01:13.579 --> 00:01:15.719 the night where the industry has to deliver on 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:18.459 its biggest promise. The dream, you know, the 00:01:18.459 --> 00:01:21.319 champagne, the perfect fireworks view, that one 00:01:21.319 --> 00:01:24.609 perfect moment at midnight. But to make that 00:01:24.609 --> 00:01:27.849 single moment happen for tens of thousands of 00:01:27.849 --> 00:01:30.349 people at once. I mean, the logistical gymnastics 00:01:30.349 --> 00:01:32.409 are just incredible. And that's what we're going 00:01:32.409 --> 00:01:34.769 to unpack. We're looking at a tale of two realities 00:01:34.769 --> 00:01:37.709 today. On one hand, you have this massive coordinated 00:01:37.709 --> 00:01:39.709 spectacle. We're talking about fireworks and 00:01:39.709 --> 00:01:42.049 fleets of ships. I mean, literally parking or, 00:01:42.049 --> 00:01:44.290 I guess, anchoring together in places like Rio 00:01:44.290 --> 00:01:47.590 and Madeira. It's glitz. It's glamour. It's thousands 00:01:47.590 --> 00:01:49.530 and thousands of people toasting at midnight 00:01:49.530 --> 00:01:51.950 all at the same time. Correct. That is the front 00:01:51.950 --> 00:01:55.150 of house experience. the perfect show. But then, 00:01:55.530 --> 00:01:57.269 and this is the other side of the coin, we have 00:01:57.269 --> 00:02:02.049 the back of house reality, the operational truth 00:02:02.049 --> 00:02:04.969 of what happens when the ocean decides to intervene. 00:02:05.170 --> 00:02:07.469 When things don't go according to the plan. Exactly. 00:02:07.849 --> 00:02:10.330 And we have to talk about a major incident that 00:02:10.330 --> 00:02:12.229 happened on New Year's Day involving a search 00:02:12.229 --> 00:02:15.530 and rescue operation that Well, it really sobers 00:02:15.530 --> 00:02:17.349 you up. And that is really the core of our mission 00:02:17.349 --> 00:02:20.069 today. We want to unpack the start of 2026 for 00:02:20.069 --> 00:02:22.210 the cruise industry, but we're not just going 00:02:22.210 --> 00:02:24.389 to, you know, list off a bunch of ships. We are 00:02:24.389 --> 00:02:27.250 looking at the logistics. How do you park? I 00:02:27.250 --> 00:02:30.949 think the total was what 19 massive vessels across 00:02:30.949 --> 00:02:33.349 two harbors to watch fireworks without them, 00:02:33.349 --> 00:02:35.310 you know, bumping into each other. A very expensive 00:02:35.310 --> 00:02:38.490 fender bender. Exactly. And then how does a port 00:02:38.490 --> 00:02:42.449 handle two maiden calls to brand new ships visiting 00:02:42.449 --> 00:02:44.310 for the very first time on the first morning 00:02:44.310 --> 00:02:46.650 of the year when everyone is arguably, you know, 00:02:46.710 --> 00:02:49.370 a little hungover. And maybe most importantly, 00:02:49.590 --> 00:02:52.189 what happens to that carefully crafted minute 00:02:52.189 --> 00:02:55.909 by minute schedule when a man overboard alarm 00:02:55.909 --> 00:02:58.729 sounds in the middle of the night? It's the full 00:02:58.729 --> 00:03:01.469 spectrum. It's about the birthing wars for the 00:03:01.469 --> 00:03:03.789 best views right next to the solemn life and 00:03:03.789 --> 00:03:07.289 death protocols of search and rescue. It's everything. 00:03:07.409 --> 00:03:10.689 OK, so let's start with the party, the global 00:03:10.689 --> 00:03:14.000 party. We're taking you to Rio de Janeiro. Copacabana 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:17.300 Beach. Iconic. Absolutely iconic. If you asked 00:03:17.300 --> 00:03:19.639 any captain where the most high pressure parking 00:03:19.639 --> 00:03:22.099 job is on New Year's Eve, I guarantee you a lot 00:03:22.099 --> 00:03:24.580 of them would say Rio. It's the ultimate bucket 00:03:24.580 --> 00:03:27.319 list spot for this, right? Now, I want you to 00:03:27.319 --> 00:03:29.699 just picture this. It's New Year's Eve. It's 00:03:29.699 --> 00:03:33.620 approaching midnight, January 1st, 2026. You 00:03:33.620 --> 00:03:35.879 are standing on the deck of a cruise ship. It's 00:03:35.879 --> 00:03:38.099 warm. It's the peak of the Brazilian summer. 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:40.979 But you are definitely not alone. No, far from 00:03:40.979 --> 00:03:43.680 it. You are in a crowd of giants. In Rio alone, 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:46.080 we had seven cruise ships anchored just offshore. 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:48.379 Not docked, just sitting there in the bay waiting 00:03:48.379 --> 00:03:50.560 for the show. And let's put some numbers on that 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:52.379 visual because seven ships doesn't sound like 00:03:52.379 --> 00:03:54.819 a lot until you really understand the scale of 00:03:54.819 --> 00:03:56.860 modern tonnage. Right, these aren't fishing boats. 00:03:57.150 --> 00:04:00.310 No. We aren't just talking about seven metal 00:04:00.310 --> 00:04:02.409 hulls bobbing in the water. We are talking about 00:04:02.409 --> 00:04:05.909 humanity. Those seven ships represent over 18 00:04:05.909 --> 00:04:09.599 ,000 passengers. 18 ,000 in one spot. That's 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:11.759 the size of a small town. It absolutely is. And 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:14.580 you can't forget the crew. That's nearly 7 ,500 00:04:14.580 --> 00:04:16.899 crew members working to make that night perfect 00:04:16.899 --> 00:04:20.759 for the guests. So you have a combined population 00:04:20.759 --> 00:04:24.600 of roughly 25 ,500 people floating off the coast 00:04:24.600 --> 00:04:27.540 of Copacabana. Wow. All of them focused on one 00:04:27.540 --> 00:04:29.800 stretch of coastline for one specific event. 00:04:30.180 --> 00:04:32.740 That is a logistical density that is just hard 00:04:32.740 --> 00:04:35.120 to wrap your head around. It's staggering. And 00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:36.779 looking at the list of ships that you pulled 00:04:36.779 --> 00:04:39.339 for this deep dive, it really feels like one 00:04:39.339 --> 00:04:42.279 cruise line in particular decided to own the 00:04:42.279 --> 00:04:45.120 night. Oh, absolutely. This was, for all intents 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:47.199 and purposes, the MSC Cruises show. If you look 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:49.899 at the manifest, MSC is the dominant player in 00:04:49.899 --> 00:04:51.720 the South American market right now and their 00:04:51.720 --> 00:04:53.740 presence in Rio while it proved it. How many 00:04:53.740 --> 00:04:55.639 do they have there? They accounted for the bulk 00:04:55.639 --> 00:04:58.459 of that lineup with five different vessels. Five 00:04:58.459 --> 00:05:01.009 of the seven. Five. OK, let's run through them, 00:05:01.350 --> 00:05:03.490 because the scale of these specific ships really 00:05:03.490 --> 00:05:05.569 matters here. It's not just about the quantity 00:05:05.569 --> 00:05:07.850 of ships, but the type of ships, right? It absolutely 00:05:07.850 --> 00:05:11.290 does. So leading the pack, you have the MSC Seaview. 00:05:11.649 --> 00:05:14.290 Now, for those who track ship architecture, the 00:05:14.290 --> 00:05:17.149 Seaview is a fascinating vessel. It was designed 00:05:17.149 --> 00:05:20.209 specifically for warm climates. What does that 00:05:20.209 --> 00:05:22.600 mean in practice? It means a lot of outdoor space. 00:05:23.019 --> 00:05:25.779 It has this massive wraparound promenade deck 00:05:25.779 --> 00:05:28.100 that's really low to the water, deck eight, I 00:05:28.100 --> 00:05:30.759 think. It's all designed to connect you to the 00:05:30.759 --> 00:05:33.639 sea, which makes it the ultimate platform for 00:05:33.639 --> 00:05:35.459 watching fireworks over the water. So it's not 00:05:35.459 --> 00:05:37.220 just a floating hotel block. It's designed to 00:05:37.220 --> 00:05:39.259 be a grandstand. Exactly. It's an observation 00:05:39.259 --> 00:05:41.899 platform. And it was the largest ship in that 00:05:41.899 --> 00:05:44.550 Rio lineup. We are talking about a vessel that 00:05:44.550 --> 00:05:48.910 carries at maximum capacity 4 ,140 guests. 4 00:05:48.910 --> 00:05:51.509 ,000 people on one ship. Just imagine the lines 00:05:51.509 --> 00:05:53.540 for the elevators at midnight. Well, hopefully 00:05:53.540 --> 00:05:56.120 everyone is already on deck by then. But that 00:05:56.120 --> 00:05:57.920 ship wasn't just passing through. It was on a 00:05:57.920 --> 00:06:00.660 specific seven night cruise starting and ending 00:06:00.660 --> 00:06:04.220 in Santos, the port for Sao Paulo. It's a very 00:06:04.220 --> 00:06:06.399 targeted itinerary for the local market. And 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:09.339 it wasn't alone? No, you had the MSC Sinfonia, 00:06:09.480 --> 00:06:12.800 the MSC Fantasia, the MSC Armonia. It's like 00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:15.459 a family reunion for the fleet. You can just 00:06:15.459 --> 00:06:17.860 imagine the captains on the radio coordinating 00:06:17.860 --> 00:06:20.120 their positions. You know, OK, you take this 00:06:20.120 --> 00:06:22.160 spot. I'll hold back a bit. And then there's 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:25.959 the fifth one, the MSC Preciosa. This one caught 00:06:25.959 --> 00:06:28.019 my eye because it wasn't just a regular cruise, 00:06:28.040 --> 00:06:30.500 right? This wasn't your typical book a cabin 00:06:30.500 --> 00:06:33.199 on the website situation. No, not at all. This 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:34.860 is where the business model of cruising gets 00:06:34.860 --> 00:06:38.600 really interesting and really specialized. The 00:06:38.600 --> 00:06:41.220 MSC Preciosa represents what we call event cruising. 00:06:41.500 --> 00:06:43.660 OK, break that down. It wasn't selling just a 00:06:43.660 --> 00:06:46.379 standard holiday voyage. The entire ship was 00:06:46.379 --> 00:06:49.060 chartered, rented out. by a company called Promo 00:06:49.060 --> 00:06:50.980 Acem Aventos. So a full ship charter. Someone 00:06:50.980 --> 00:06:53.199 just rents the whole boat for a few days. Lock, 00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:55.660 stock and barrel. It was a four night themed 00:06:55.660 --> 00:06:58.920 cruise. They brought in local Brazilian artists, 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:02.779 famous bands, DJs. They were putting on concerts 00:07:02.779 --> 00:07:05.459 right there on the ship. So wait, try to visualize 00:07:05.459 --> 00:07:08.500 this contrast. You have 4 ,000 people on the 00:07:08.500 --> 00:07:11.040 sea view right next door having a traditional 00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:13.800 cruise experience. Right, a gala dinner, maybe 00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:16.420 a string quartet playing in the atrium. And right 00:07:16.420 --> 00:07:19.019 next to them you have the preziosa operating 00:07:19.019 --> 00:07:21.459 basically as a floating music festival. thumping 00:07:21.459 --> 00:07:24.300 bass, stage lights, a completely different energy. 00:07:24.379 --> 00:07:26.879 All watching the same fireworks. It's wild, isn't 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:29.220 it? It just shows how segmented the market has 00:07:29.220 --> 00:07:31.519 become. You can be in the exact same harbor, 00:07:31.779 --> 00:07:34.439 looking at the exact same view, but having a 00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:36.519 completely different onboard vibe. I love that. 00:07:36.540 --> 00:07:38.680 The product is totally different. Precisely. 00:07:38.980 --> 00:07:40.620 And speaking of different products, we have to 00:07:40.620 --> 00:07:43.199 look at the outliers, because while MSC totally 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:44.839 dominated the scene, they weren't the only ones 00:07:44.839 --> 00:07:47.720 there. You also had Costa cruises. That makes 00:07:47.720 --> 00:07:50.579 sense. Costa is historically huge in South America. 00:07:50.699 --> 00:07:52.339 Right. They were there with the coast of Fava 00:07:52.339 --> 00:07:54.399 Lhosa. It was coming up from Plano Ceres on an 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:57.259 eight night trip. That's a classic route. The 00:07:57.259 --> 00:08:00.339 Argentina to Brazil run for the holidays. The 00:08:00.339 --> 00:08:02.560 six of the seven. It was the last one. And this 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:04.040 is the one that really stands out to me. The 00:08:04.040 --> 00:08:05.879 one that as an analyst makes me smile because 00:08:05.879 --> 00:08:09.220 it just breaks all the rules. The Hamburg. The 00:08:09.220 --> 00:08:11.240 Hamburg. Yeah. I feel like I haven't heard of 00:08:11.240 --> 00:08:13.360 that one as much in the major headlines. And 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:15.560 that's because it's tiny. At least compared to 00:08:15.560 --> 00:08:17.879 the Giants we just mentioned, it's operated by 00:08:17.879 --> 00:08:21.939 a German line, Plantours, and it only holds 420 00:08:21.939 --> 00:08:24.759 passengers. Wait, wait. 420, you just said the 00:08:24.759 --> 00:08:28.879 sea view has 4140. Exactly. The Hamburg is literally 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:32.039 one tenth the size of the MSC sea view. Just 00:08:32.039 --> 00:08:34.840 try to imagine that visual contrast in the harbor 00:08:34.840 --> 00:08:38.100 at night. You have these massive towering resort 00:08:38.100 --> 00:08:41.440 ships, 20 decks high, lights blazing everywhere, 00:08:41.500 --> 00:08:44.340 and then this intimate, much smaller vessel just 00:08:44.340 --> 00:08:46.440 bobbing amongst them. Like a rowboat next to 00:08:46.440 --> 00:08:49.090 a skyscraper. Right. Well, OK, maybe not a robo. 00:08:49.429 --> 00:08:51.710 But you get the idea. It's a completely different 00:08:51.710 --> 00:08:54.450 scale of maritime engineering. It's David and 00:08:54.450 --> 00:08:57.350 Goliath. It really is. But here is the cool part. 00:08:57.429 --> 00:08:59.789 And this is where we really get into the concept 00:08:59.789 --> 00:09:03.570 of the luxury of time in cruising. Go on. The 00:09:03.570 --> 00:09:05.909 itinerary for the Hamburg was completely different. 00:09:06.220 --> 00:09:09.559 The big MSC ships, they're mostly doing these 00:09:09.559 --> 00:09:12.720 local loops, you know, Santos, Rio, maybe down 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:15.740 to Uruguay and back, short, punchy, mass market 00:09:15.740 --> 00:09:17.840 trips. The goal is to get them on, show them 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:19.600 a good time, get them off. Turnover is the name 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:21.820 of the game in that market. Exactly, but the 00:09:21.820 --> 00:09:25.480 Hamburg, the Hamburg is on a marathon, a 23 -night 00:09:25.480 --> 00:09:29.460 voyage. 23 nights, wow. That is a serious commitment 00:09:29.460 --> 00:09:32.120 from a passenger. It is. It started all the way 00:09:32.120 --> 00:09:34.519 over in the Canary Islands, it crossed the entire 00:09:34.519 --> 00:09:38.080 Atlantic, stopped in Maceio Ilhaes Salvador along 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:40.559 the Brazilian coast, and then arrived in Rio 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:42.820 for the big night. That sounds incredible. And 00:09:42.820 --> 00:09:45.340 here is the kicker. This is the key logistical 00:09:45.340 --> 00:09:48.159 difference. When the fireworks end, usually around 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:51.879 12 .30 or 1 .0 a .m., the big ships, the Sea 00:09:51.879 --> 00:09:53.919 View, the Favalosa, they have to move. They've 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:56.279 got schedules to keep. They have thousands of 00:09:56.279 --> 00:09:58.320 people to offload and onload at the next port 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:01.299 in just a few hours. Right. Time is money. And 00:10:01.299 --> 00:10:04.179 that pier slot in Santos is waiting for them. 00:10:04.440 --> 00:10:06.720 They can't be late. So they disperse pretty quickly 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:09.799 to continue their loops. But the Hamburg. Because 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:12.659 it's on this long, leisurely itinerary, it's 00:10:12.659 --> 00:10:15.539 scheduled to stay in Rio for two full days after 00:10:15.539 --> 00:10:18.129 the fireworks. Oh, now that is luxury. That is 00:10:18.129 --> 00:10:19.970 the real difference. That is the difference between 00:10:19.970 --> 00:10:22.070 being on a bus schedule and having a private 00:10:22.070 --> 00:10:24.950 tour. Because it's small and because of the nature 00:10:24.950 --> 00:10:27.490 of that 23 -night itinerary, they can afford 00:10:27.490 --> 00:10:29.870 to just sit there. They let their guests wake 00:10:29.870 --> 00:10:32.269 up on New Year's Day, have a relaxed breakfast, 00:10:32.470 --> 00:10:35.590 and then enjoy Rio while the port completely 00:10:35.590 --> 00:10:38.090 clears out. So while the 18 ,000 other people 00:10:38.090 --> 00:10:40.210 are rushing off to their next port, you know, 00:10:40.210 --> 00:10:42.210 dealing with disembarkation briefings and packing 00:10:42.210 --> 00:10:44.789 their bags, the 420 people on the Hamburg are 00:10:44.789 --> 00:10:47.220 just ordering another caipirinha and enjoy. an 00:10:47.220 --> 00:10:49.940 uninstructed view of Sugarloaf Mountain. Without 00:10:49.940 --> 00:10:52.720 any of the crowds, it's a perfect example. It 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:55.259 highlights that even within one singular event, 00:10:55.480 --> 00:10:57.720 New Year's Eve in Rio, there are vastly different 00:10:57.720 --> 00:10:59.779 ways to experience it, and it all depends on 00:10:59.779 --> 00:11:02.490 the ship you book. The hardware dictates the 00:11:02.490 --> 00:11:04.970 entire experience. I love that. OK, so that's 00:11:04.970 --> 00:11:07.990 the South American party, a huge, massive celebration. 00:11:08.570 --> 00:11:10.490 But we mentioned this was a global celebration. 00:11:10.529 --> 00:11:12.990 So let's fly across the Atlantic, because while 00:11:12.990 --> 00:11:15.649 Rio is the party capital, there's another place 00:11:15.649 --> 00:11:18.610 that is just as famous for this gathering of 00:11:18.610 --> 00:11:22.129 the fleet phenomenon. Madeira, specifically the 00:11:22.129 --> 00:11:25.070 port of Funchal. Funchal. Now, for those who 00:11:25.070 --> 00:11:26.809 haven't been, you have to describe the setting. 00:11:27.610 --> 00:11:31.000 Why is this place a relatively small Portuguese 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:33.879 island in the middle of the Atlantic. Why is 00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:36.980 it such a magnet for cruise ships on New Year's 00:11:36.980 --> 00:11:40.139 Eve? It's the geography. Pure and simple. Funchal 00:11:40.139 --> 00:11:43.100 has this incredible natural amphitheater effect. 00:11:43.539 --> 00:11:45.759 The city is built on hills that rise steeply 00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:47.799 up from the harbor. So it's not a flat coastline? 00:11:47.899 --> 00:11:50.200 Not at all. It's like a bolt. So when the ships 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:51.659 park in the harbor, they aren't just looking 00:11:51.659 --> 00:11:53.220 at a flat line of buildings. They're looking 00:11:53.220 --> 00:11:56.179 up at a wall of city lights climbing the mountainside. 00:11:56.350 --> 00:11:58.029 And when the fireworks start, they're not just 00:11:58.029 --> 00:12:00.309 in one spot. They're launched from the shore, 00:12:00.830 --> 00:12:02.870 from barges on the water, and from different 00:12:02.870 --> 00:12:05.110 stations all the way up in the mountains. So 00:12:05.110 --> 00:12:07.129 everyone on the decks has basically a stadium 00:12:07.129 --> 00:12:11.309 seat to a 360 degree show. It is absolutely incredible. 00:12:11.429 --> 00:12:13.889 It's world famous for it. And the cruise lines, 00:12:14.090 --> 00:12:16.409 they know this. The demand to be in Funchal for 00:12:16.409 --> 00:12:19.070 New Year's Eve is massive. The numbers here are 00:12:19.070 --> 00:12:21.389 actually even higher than Rio, at least in terms 00:12:21.389 --> 00:12:24.129 of ship count. Really? I would have thought Rio 00:12:24.129 --> 00:12:26.929 was the peak. Rio had seven ships. Funchal had 00:12:26.929 --> 00:12:30.149 twelve. Twelve ships. All in one harbor. That 00:12:30.149 --> 00:12:33.230 sounds incredibly crowded. Well, in is a relative 00:12:33.230 --> 00:12:35.750 term. Some of them dock at the pier, others anchor 00:12:35.750 --> 00:12:38.830 out in the bay. But yes. 12 cruise ships all 00:12:38.830 --> 00:12:41.070 gathering for that same fireworks display. We 00:12:41.070 --> 00:12:44.289 are looking at over 20 ,000 passengers. Wow. 00:12:44.509 --> 00:12:46.309 And nearly 10 ,000 crews. So you're talking about 00:12:46.309 --> 00:12:49.149 a temporary floating population of 30 ,000 people. 00:12:49.269 --> 00:12:51.129 So that's even bigger than the Rio crowd. It 00:12:51.129 --> 00:12:53.389 is. And the demographic is completely different. 00:12:53.549 --> 00:12:55.769 This is where market segmentation becomes fascinating 00:12:55.769 --> 00:12:58.950 to watch. In Rio, it was largely the Brazilian 00:12:58.950 --> 00:13:01.940 and South American market on those. MSC and Costa 00:13:01.940 --> 00:13:05.200 ships. In Madeira, it is heavily, heavily European, 00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:09.039 specifically two major powerhouses, the German 00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:11.159 market and the British market. Let's break that 00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:13.659 down. Who showed up for the German side? The 00:13:13.659 --> 00:13:16.100 German heavyweights really came out swinging. 00:13:16.620 --> 00:13:20.600 You had TUI cruises, which operates the mine 00:13:20.600 --> 00:13:22.919 ship fleet, and they didn't just send any old 00:13:22.919 --> 00:13:26.179 ship. They set their newest, biggest and best, 00:13:27.080 --> 00:13:30.350 the mine ship. Relax. MindShift Relax. Is that 00:13:30.350 --> 00:13:32.710 the actual name? It is. It's part of their new 00:13:32.710 --> 00:13:36.070 intuition class of ships. And it's really significant 00:13:36.070 --> 00:13:37.850 because it's the newest and largest in their 00:13:37.850 --> 00:13:41.070 lineup. It only entered service earlier in 2025. 00:13:41.330 --> 00:13:44.110 So this is a brand new vessel. Brand new. Spending 00:13:44.110 --> 00:13:47.789 its very first New Year's Eve in Madeira. That's 00:13:47.789 --> 00:13:50.970 a huge statement. That's TUI saying to the market, 00:13:51.230 --> 00:13:53.889 look at our shiny new toy. This is the place 00:13:53.889 --> 00:13:56.149 to be. And they sent more than one. Oh, yeah. 00:13:56.299 --> 00:13:58.919 It brought its sisters, Mineshift 3 and Mineshift 00:13:58.919 --> 00:14:01.940 7. So T .Y. had this massive coordinated presence 00:14:01.940 --> 00:14:04.320 of three ships. And you had Ada, the other big 00:14:04.320 --> 00:14:06.220 German line, the one that's recognizable by the 00:14:06.220 --> 00:14:08.679 giant lips painted on the hull. Right. They were 00:14:08.679 --> 00:14:10.559 represented by the Ada Bella. So the Germans 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:12.759 are very, very well represented. OK, so that's 00:14:12.759 --> 00:14:14.500 the German contingent. What about the British? 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:17.220 Who came from the UK? The British contingent 00:14:17.220 --> 00:14:19.740 was out in full force, which makes a lot of sense 00:14:19.740 --> 00:14:22.580 given the long history between the UK and Madeira. 00:14:22.860 --> 00:14:26.299 It's a classic holiday spot. You had... P &O, 00:14:26.440 --> 00:14:28.580 probably the most famous British line with the 00:14:28.580 --> 00:14:31.799 Arcadia. You had Fred Olsen with the Ballet, 00:14:31.960 --> 00:14:34.620 a real classic favorite for traditional cruisers. 00:14:34.679 --> 00:14:36.580 Both the big names. And the Specialists. Right. 00:14:36.740 --> 00:14:39.919 You had Saga Cruises, which is a very specific 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:44.179 over 50s luxury market. And they sent both of 00:14:44.179 --> 00:14:46.539 their new ships, the Spirit of Discovery and 00:14:46.539 --> 00:14:48.480 the Spirit Adventure. Both of them. They sent 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:50.539 their entire boutique fleet. The whole fleet. 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:53.120 And then you had Morella Cruises with the Morella 00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:55.159 Voyager. I mean, it's like a who's who. of the 00:14:55.159 --> 00:14:57.259 UK cruise industry. If you're a British cruiser, 00:14:57.419 --> 00:14:59.299 you probably bumped into your neighbors in the 00:14:59.299 --> 00:15:01.539 Funchal Harbor that night. It really is. It's 00:15:01.539 --> 00:15:03.539 so interesting to think about the logistics of 00:15:03.539 --> 00:15:06.120 that. You have 12 ships. You mentioned some dock 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:08.480 and some anchor. How do they decide who gets 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:11.840 the good spots? Is it a fight? A lottery? It's 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:14.220 a mix of long -term planning and what you could 00:15:14.220 --> 00:15:16.500 call birthing wars. The lines will book these 00:15:16.500 --> 00:15:19.080 slights years, sometimes five or six years in 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:21.970 advance. Usually the ships that arrive earliest 00:15:21.970 --> 00:15:24.629 or the cruise lines that have the most clout 00:15:24.629 --> 00:15:26.789 or a long historic relationship with the port, 00:15:27.269 --> 00:15:29.850 they get the prime dockside spots. Which is a 00:15:29.850 --> 00:15:32.110 huge perk for the passengers. It's a huge perk. 00:15:32.370 --> 00:15:34.830 If you're docked, your guests can just walk right 00:15:34.830 --> 00:15:37.429 off the ship into Funchal during the day on January 00:15:37.429 --> 00:15:40.190 1st. They can go to the market, they can grab 00:15:40.190 --> 00:15:43.070 a coffee, stretch their legs on solid ground. 00:15:43.149 --> 00:15:45.679 And if you're anchored out in the bay. If you're 00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:48.059 anchored, you have to tender back and forth. 00:15:48.120 --> 00:15:50.679 You're reliant on those little lifeboats turned 00:15:50.679 --> 00:15:53.740 taxis, which can be slow. There can be lines. 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:56.120 And if the Atlantic swell picks up, it can be 00:15:56.120 --> 00:15:58.980 a bit of a bumpy ride. So docking is definitely 00:15:58.980 --> 00:16:01.759 preferred. For convenience, yes. But honestly, 00:16:01.779 --> 00:16:04.500 for the fireworks themselves, sometimes being 00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:06.740 anchored a bit further out gives you a better 00:16:06.740 --> 00:16:09.279 panoramic view. You aren't craning your neck 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:11.340 looking straight up. You see the whole sweep 00:16:11.340 --> 00:16:13.460 of the island in the sky. That's a good point. 00:16:13.620 --> 00:16:15.720 Perspective matters. And there are a couple of 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:17.940 other really interesting operational details 00:16:17.940 --> 00:16:20.639 in that Madeira lineup. We mentioned the MindShift 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:23.960 Relax being brand new, but we also had Silversea's 00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:26.720 Silver Muse. Okay, the luxury line. Ultra luxury. 00:16:26.779 --> 00:16:30.379 Exactly. And this was a debut call for the Silver 00:16:30.379 --> 00:16:33.460 Muse in Funchal, but it had a little twist. It 00:16:33.460 --> 00:16:36.159 had just come out of a major dry dock refurbishment 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:39.080 in Italy. So it had that fresh paint smell. New 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:41.639 carpets. Fresh everything. It literally sailed 00:16:41.639 --> 00:16:43.940 from the shipyard in Italy, and Madero was one 00:16:43.940 --> 00:16:45.960 of its first stops on its way down to the Canary 00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:48.799 Islands. So you have a ship that is technically 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:52.980 not new, but it's in that pristine post -refurbishment 00:16:52.980 --> 00:16:55.440 state. It probably still had that new ship smell 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:57.799 for the guests. And you mentioned Phoenix Rise 00:16:57.799 --> 00:17:00.159 and Zartania there, too. It just seems like... 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:02.480 If you were a ship spotter, Funchal on January 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:05.299 1st was absolute heaven. It was absolute heaven. 00:17:05.400 --> 00:17:08.319 You have the massive modern TUI ships, the classic 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:10.880 British vessels, the ultra -luxury Silver Sea. 00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:14.259 It's a living, breathing cross -section of the 00:17:14.259 --> 00:17:17.559 entire European cruise industry in one bay. It 00:17:17.559 --> 00:17:19.200 really shows you just how diverse the options 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:21.500 are for a traveler these days. Okay, so we've 00:17:21.500 --> 00:17:25.900 had the massive parties, Rio and Madeira. tens 00:17:25.900 --> 00:17:28.200 of thousands of people celebrating, champagne 00:17:28.200 --> 00:17:30.480 flowing, captains blowing the ship's whistles 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:33.759 at midnight. It's a huge success. But as the 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:36.859 sun comes up on January 1st, 2026, the industry 00:17:36.859 --> 00:17:39.180 doesn't stop. No, it never stops. The maritime 00:17:39.180 --> 00:17:43.039 world is 247, 365. And while those 12 ships were 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:45.000 clearing out of Madeira and the seven were leaving 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:48.380 Rio, another island was waking up to a very, 00:17:48.380 --> 00:17:50.940 very busy morning. We need to talk about St. 00:17:51.079 --> 00:17:53.650 Martin. St. Martin is always busy. I mean, it's 00:17:53.650 --> 00:17:55.890 one of the Caribbean's premier ports, a shopping 00:17:55.890 --> 00:17:58.329 mall with a beach attached. But January 1st, 00:17:58.390 --> 00:18:01.269 2026 was really special. They had a double inaugural 00:18:01.269 --> 00:18:03.779 call. That sounds very official. It is very official. 00:18:04.200 --> 00:18:06.099 And for those who don't know the jargon, an inaugural 00:18:06.099 --> 00:18:09.119 or a maiden call is the very first time a specific 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:11.779 ship visits a specific port. It's like a birthday, 00:18:11.880 --> 00:18:13.859 essentially. One's a big deal for the port. A 00:18:13.859 --> 00:18:17.059 huge deal. It signifies new business, a new relationship. 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:19.519 It shows the industry that you're a port of call 00:18:19.519 --> 00:18:21.920 that matters. And for St. Martin to have two 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:24.779 of them on the same morning. A New Year's Day, 00:18:24.920 --> 00:18:28.539 no less. On New Year's Day. That is a massive 00:18:28.539 --> 00:18:31.099 flex for the port. It's sending a signal to the 00:18:31.099 --> 00:18:34.140 entire industry. We are a top -tier destination, 00:18:34.579 --> 00:18:36.660 and we can handle anything you throw at us, even 00:18:36.660 --> 00:18:39.000 on a holiday. So who were the two guests of honor? 00:18:39.420 --> 00:18:42.099 It was another perfect study in contrast. Much 00:18:42.099 --> 00:18:44.599 like the Hamburg versus the Sea View in Rio, 00:18:45.339 --> 00:18:47.839 on one side of the pier you had the Sun Princess. 00:18:48.259 --> 00:18:50.430 The new Princess ship. The one with the giant 00:18:50.430 --> 00:18:53.009 glass dome on top. The Behemoth. This is the 00:18:53.009 --> 00:18:55.130 largest ship ever built for Princess Cruises. 00:18:55.490 --> 00:19:00.549 It comes in at 177 ,882 gross tons. It's part 00:19:00.549 --> 00:19:03.329 of their new sphere class. That is just a monster 00:19:03.329 --> 00:19:05.950 of a ship. It is. And it's not just big. It's 00:19:05.950 --> 00:19:08.509 technologically advanced. It's powered by LNG 00:19:08.509 --> 00:19:11.089 liquefied natural gas, which is the new gold 00:19:11.089 --> 00:19:13.569 standard for reducing emissions. And it carries 00:19:13.569 --> 00:19:17.509 up to 4 ,300 passengers. 4 ,300 people all trying 00:19:17.509 --> 00:19:19.670 to get off the ship at once. Yep. And here's 00:19:19.670 --> 00:19:21.450 the interesting context about this particular 00:19:21.450 --> 00:19:24.289 visit. For the Sun Princess, this was a one -off. 00:19:24.829 --> 00:19:26.430 What do you mean by that? I mean, the Sun Princess 00:19:26.430 --> 00:19:28.450 wasn't scheduled to come back to St. Martin for 00:19:28.450 --> 00:19:31.390 the rest of 2026. This was his only planned stop 00:19:31.390 --> 00:19:34.170 there for the year. Really? That's it? Why just 00:19:34.170 --> 00:19:36.910 stop once and then, you know, go to the island? 00:19:37.079 --> 00:19:39.299 It's all about deployment logistics. This was 00:19:39.299 --> 00:19:41.759 the final port call of a seven night holiday 00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:44.400 cruise that started in Fort Lauderdale. So it 00:19:44.400 --> 00:19:46.740 stopped in St. Martin on January 1st. And then 00:19:46.740 --> 00:19:49.119 after that, it's likely repositioning or moving 00:19:49.119 --> 00:19:51.440 to a different rotation of Caribbean islands. 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:54.319 Its next scheduled visit isn't until December 00:19:54.319 --> 00:19:57.529 of 2027. Wow. So if you were in St. Martin on 00:19:57.529 --> 00:20:00.390 New Year's Day and you saw that giant ship with 00:20:00.390 --> 00:20:02.990 the sphere on the side, you were witnessing something 00:20:02.990 --> 00:20:05.230 pretty rare for that year. Exactly. It was a 00:20:05.230 --> 00:20:07.230 special cameo appearance. Hello, it's nice to 00:20:07.230 --> 00:20:08.829 meet you. Goodbye. And who was the second ship 00:20:08.829 --> 00:20:12.009 making its debut? That was the Allura from Oceania 00:20:12.009 --> 00:20:14.509 Cruises. OK, totally different vibe. A completely 00:20:14.509 --> 00:20:17.230 different world. Oceania is what we call boutique 00:20:17.230 --> 00:20:21.349 luxury. The Allura is about 68000 gross tons, 00:20:21.869 --> 00:20:24.650 so roughly a third of the size of the Sun Princess. 00:20:24.650 --> 00:20:28.039 It carries only about 1 ,200 passengers. So we're 00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:31.220 talking foodies, luxury travelers, people who 00:20:31.220 --> 00:20:34.079 want a country club casual atmosphere, not a 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:36.240 mega resort. That's it, exactly. This is part 00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:38.779 of their Allura class, which just debuted in 00:20:38.779 --> 00:20:41.799 2025. The entire focus is on fine dining and 00:20:41.799 --> 00:20:44.700 destination intensive cruising. And unlike the 00:20:44.700 --> 00:20:47.019 Sun Princess, the Allura is putting down roots 00:20:47.019 --> 00:20:48.900 in St. Martin. What does that mean? It means 00:20:48.900 --> 00:20:50.759 it's coming back. It's scheduled to return in 00:20:50.759 --> 00:20:53.839 March of 2026. And then it's going to be a regular 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:55.859 frequent visitor the following winter season. 00:20:56.059 --> 00:20:58.000 It's building a long term relationship. So let 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:01.119 me get this straight. On one pier, you have the 00:21:01.119 --> 00:21:05.710 massive 4 ,300 passenger Floating city making 00:21:05.710 --> 00:21:08.890 a rare one -time appearance and right next to 00:21:08.890 --> 00:21:12.730 it the 1200 passenger luxury ship That's basically 00:21:12.730 --> 00:21:15.069 starting a long -term relationship with the island 00:21:15.069 --> 00:21:17.930 and just try to imagine the port operations It's 00:21:17.930 --> 00:21:20.670 eight point zero zero a .m.. On New Year's Day 00:21:20.670 --> 00:21:23.670 every single port worker every taxi driver every 00:21:23.670 --> 00:21:26.509 shop owner They're probably a little tired from 00:21:26.509 --> 00:21:28.589 the night before. I would imagine so. And suddenly 00:21:28.589 --> 00:21:31.650 you have 5 ,500 new people plus a couple thousand 00:21:31.650 --> 00:21:33.829 crew members spilling off these two ships into 00:21:33.829 --> 00:21:36.009 Phillipsburg. The taxi drivers must have been 00:21:36.009 --> 00:21:38.410 loving it even if they were tired. A great start 00:21:38.410 --> 00:21:40.700 to the year for them. Oh, the transport surge 00:21:40.700 --> 00:21:43.119 would have been immediate. You've got the mass 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:45.680 market crowd from Sun Princess looking for beach 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:49.119 transfers and big group island tours. Then you 00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:51.859 have the luxury crowd from Elora, maybe looking 00:21:51.859 --> 00:21:54.680 for private excursions, high end dining reservations 00:21:54.680 --> 00:21:58.359 or boutique shopping. It's a huge stress test 00:21:58.359 --> 00:22:00.759 for the island's entire tourism infrastructure 00:22:00.759 --> 00:22:03.759 right at the very start of the year. And you 00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:05.480 said there are ceremonies involved too, right? 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:09.069 Since it's a maiden call? Yes, this is a wonderful 00:22:09.069 --> 00:22:11.230 maritime tradition that goes back centuries. 00:22:11.670 --> 00:22:14.369 Since it was a mating call for both ships, the 00:22:14.369 --> 00:22:16.329 port officials have to run around doing plaque 00:22:16.329 --> 00:22:18.730 exchanges with both captains. So they literally 00:22:18.730 --> 00:22:20.910 run from one ship to the other. Pretty much. 00:22:21.009 --> 00:22:22.829 They go aboard, meet the captain on the bridge. 00:22:22.970 --> 00:22:25.529 There are speeches. Welcome to St. Martin. We're 00:22:25.529 --> 00:22:27.950 so glad to have you here as a nice wooden plaque 00:22:27.950 --> 00:22:30.230 with our port crest on it. The captain gives 00:22:30.230 --> 00:22:32.549 them a ship's plaque in return. They take a photo. 00:22:32.549 --> 00:22:34.869 It's very formal. And they had to do that twice 00:22:34.869 --> 00:22:37.720 in one morning while managing thousands of arriving 00:22:37.720 --> 00:22:40.660 tourists. Hats off to the St. Martin port team. 00:22:40.900 --> 00:22:44.200 It's why they projected over 1 .5 million passengers 00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:48.059 for 2025. They know how to handle volume, but 00:22:48.059 --> 00:22:50.559 January 1st was definitely starting 2026 with 00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:54.460 a bang. So, OK, we've had the massive party in 00:22:54.460 --> 00:22:57.369 Rio. the huge gathering in Madera, this operational 00:22:57.369 --> 00:22:59.690 triumph in St. Martin. It really sounds like 00:22:59.690 --> 00:23:02.170 the perfect, flawless start to the year for the 00:23:02.170 --> 00:23:04.049 industry. It does. It sounds exactly like the 00:23:04.049 --> 00:23:07.150 brochure, doesn't it? And there is always a but 00:23:07.150 --> 00:23:09.150 in this industry. The ocean is unpredictable, 00:23:09.170 --> 00:23:11.529 and so are people. We really have to shift gears 00:23:11.529 --> 00:23:13.150 here. This is the other side of that coin we 00:23:13.150 --> 00:23:15.579 talked about because While all of this planned 00:23:15.579 --> 00:23:17.319 celebration and the hall money was happening, 00:23:17.799 --> 00:23:19.880 there was another ship sailing north of Cuba 00:23:19.880 --> 00:23:23.160 where things went very, very wrong. This is the 00:23:23.160 --> 00:23:24.940 sobering reality we mentioned at the top of the 00:23:24.940 --> 00:23:28.339 show, and this involves the new Statham. A Holland 00:23:28.339 --> 00:23:31.339 America line ship. Yes, a pinnacle class ship. 00:23:31.450 --> 00:23:33.990 A beautiful vessel, very classic lines, holds 00:23:33.990 --> 00:23:37.730 about 2 ,600 guests. It was on a standard seven 00:23:37.730 --> 00:23:40.309 night Eastern Caribbean cruise. They had been 00:23:40.309 --> 00:23:42.769 in Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic for New 00:23:42.769 --> 00:23:45.049 Year's Eve and they were sailing back toward 00:23:45.049 --> 00:23:47.150 Florida. So everything is normal. The cruise 00:23:47.150 --> 00:23:50.049 is winding down. Until the early hours of January 00:23:50.049 --> 00:23:53.650 1st, New Year's Day, an emergency call goes out. 00:23:54.170 --> 00:23:58.269 The specific alarm is man overboard. I think 00:23:58.269 --> 00:24:01.029 for most passengers, that is the single most 00:24:01.029 --> 00:24:03.750 chilling announcement you can possibly hear on 00:24:03.750 --> 00:24:06.750 a ship. It changes the entire atmosphere in an 00:24:06.750 --> 00:24:09.609 instant. It stops everything cold. The reports 00:24:09.609 --> 00:24:11.750 from passengers on board indicate that they heard 00:24:11.750 --> 00:24:14.690 announcements at first, just asking a specific 00:24:14.690 --> 00:24:17.250 guest to report to guest services. Which is the 00:24:17.250 --> 00:24:18.990 first sign something is wrong. They're doing 00:24:18.990 --> 00:24:21.029 a head count, trying to find someone. Right. 00:24:21.130 --> 00:24:23.250 It's the first step. They're trying to verify 00:24:23.250 --> 00:24:25.210 if the person is just in the bathroom or maybe 00:24:25.210 --> 00:24:27.089 they fell asleep in a deck chair somewhere. They 00:24:27.089 --> 00:24:29.410 page them over and over. But when they don't 00:24:29.410 --> 00:24:33.809 show up, the tone changes. Then came the captain's 00:24:33.809 --> 00:24:35.890 confirmation that the ship was stopping and conducting 00:24:35.890 --> 00:24:38.369 a search operation. And do we know any details 00:24:38.369 --> 00:24:40.769 about the guest? Not their name, of course, out 00:24:40.769 --> 00:24:43.269 of privacy, but the Coast Guard later identified 00:24:43.269 --> 00:24:46.329 the person as a 77 -year -old female guest. 77. 00:24:46.970 --> 00:24:49.250 That just adds another layer of sadness to it. 00:24:50.009 --> 00:24:51.950 And Holland America later released a statement 00:24:51.950 --> 00:24:54.990 with a very difficult detail. They had reviewed 00:24:54.990 --> 00:24:58.150 the ship's CCTV, the security cameras. And this 00:24:58.150 --> 00:25:00.910 is the tragic part. They stated that the footage 00:25:00.910 --> 00:25:03.630 appeared to show the guest going overboard intentionally 00:25:03.630 --> 00:25:07.769 from one of the lower decks. Oh, that is just 00:25:07.769 --> 00:25:10.490 heartbreaking. It's deeply, deeply tragic. But 00:25:10.490 --> 00:25:12.849 from an operational standpoint, and this is where 00:25:12.849 --> 00:25:14.809 we have to put our analyst hats on for a moment, 00:25:15.529 --> 00:25:18.529 once that person is in the water, the why doesn't 00:25:18.529 --> 00:25:20.529 matter in that immediate moment. The rescue is 00:25:20.529 --> 00:25:22.349 all that matters. The bridge team has to act 00:25:22.349 --> 00:25:25.009 instantly. What happens on the bridge in that 00:25:25.009 --> 00:25:28.769 situation? You have a 99 ,000 ton ship probably 00:25:28.769 --> 00:25:31.809 moving at, what, 18 or 20 knots? It is controlled 00:25:31.809 --> 00:25:34.630 chaos, the absolute highest level of professional 00:25:34.630 --> 00:25:37.089 response. The ship immediately has to begin to 00:25:37.089 --> 00:25:40.069 reverse course. They mark the exact GPS location 00:25:40.069 --> 00:25:42.430 where the incident likely happened. But you have 00:25:42.430 --> 00:25:45.069 to remember, a ship moves fast. By the time you 00:25:45.069 --> 00:25:47.450 verify it on video or by the time a witness reports 00:25:47.450 --> 00:25:49.730 it and it's confirmed, you might be two, three, 00:25:49.869 --> 00:25:51.670 even four miles away from that spot. So they 00:25:51.670 --> 00:25:53.599 have to turn this massive ship around in the 00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:56.200 dark. It's not like turning a car. No, it takes 00:25:56.200 --> 00:26:00.019 miles to stop and turn a vessel that large. They 00:26:00.019 --> 00:26:02.559 executed what's likely a Williamson turn or a 00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:04.660 similar maneuver designed to backtrack perfectly 00:26:04.660 --> 00:26:06.980 along their own wake. And then they start the 00:26:06.980 --> 00:26:09.960 search patterns. The reports from on board mention 00:26:09.960 --> 00:26:12.559 a zigzag pattern. So they're just going back 00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:15.599 and forth across the ocean in the dark, looking 00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:18.839 for a person in the waves. For eight hours. For 00:26:18.839 --> 00:26:21.940 eight solid hours, the ship did that. Just imagine 00:26:21.940 --> 00:26:24.299 being a passenger on board. The party is over. 00:26:24.539 --> 00:26:27.339 The ship is moving slowly back and forth. Every 00:26:27.339 --> 00:26:29.319 crew member available is likely on the rails 00:26:29.319 --> 00:26:32.180 with binoculars acting as a lookout. The searchlights 00:26:32.180 --> 00:26:35.079 are sweeping the water. The mood would be incredibly 00:26:35.079 --> 00:26:37.799 somber. And they called for help, I assume. Immediately. 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:41.079 The U .S. Coast Guard was called in, Sector Key 00:26:41.079 --> 00:26:44.099 West. They deployed one of their cutters, the 00:26:44.099 --> 00:26:48.640 USCGC William Trump. They sent an MH -60 Jayhawk 00:26:48.640 --> 00:26:50.779 helicopter, all the way from their air station 00:26:50.779 --> 00:26:52.799 in Clearwater, Florida. That's a long flight 00:26:52.799 --> 00:26:55.400 to get out there. It is. Between the ship's own 00:26:55.400 --> 00:26:57.319 search and the Coast Guard assets, they covered 00:26:57.319 --> 00:27:01.220 an area of approximately 690 square miles. 690 00:27:01.220 --> 00:27:03.779 square miles. That's huge. That's bigger than 00:27:03.779 --> 00:27:06.460 the entire city of London. It's a massive area. 00:27:06.579 --> 00:27:08.420 And yet when you're looking for a single person 00:27:08.420 --> 00:27:12.140 in the ocean, It is a needle in a haystack. The 00:27:12.140 --> 00:27:14.819 ocean is big. The waves are choppy. There are 00:27:14.819 --> 00:27:17.299 currents pushing you off course. Even with thermal 00:27:17.299 --> 00:27:20.200 cameras, even with helicopters, it is an incredibly, 00:27:20.200 --> 00:27:23.039 incredibly difficult task. And sadly, the outcome 00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:24.700 wasn't what everyone on board must have been 00:27:24.700 --> 00:27:28.759 helping for. No. Late on January 1st, the Coast 00:27:28.759 --> 00:27:30.880 Guard made the difficult decision to suspend 00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:33.480 the active search, pending any new information. 00:27:34.059 --> 00:27:37.319 It's a harsh, brutal reality of the sea. It's 00:27:37.319 --> 00:27:39.420 just such a heavy reminder. We talk about these 00:27:39.420 --> 00:27:42.599 ships as these floating cities as resorts, but 00:27:42.599 --> 00:27:45.160 they are vessels at sea, subject to the laws 00:27:45.160 --> 00:27:47.960 of the sea. They are. And this single incident 00:27:47.960 --> 00:27:50.700 had a major ripple effect. We talked about how 00:27:50.700 --> 00:27:53.180 the schedules in Rio and St. Martin were so precise. 00:27:53.559 --> 00:27:55.680 Well, the new Staten Dome had a precise schedule, 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:58.240 too. It was supposed to make a port call in Key 00:27:58.240 --> 00:28:00.740 West on January 2nd. But you can't search the 00:28:00.740 --> 00:28:02.460 ocean for eight hours and still make your port 00:28:02.460 --> 00:28:05.519 time. Absolutely impossible. Not only did they 00:28:05.519 --> 00:28:07.279 spend eight hours searching, but they had to 00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:09.359 backtrack significantly to get to the search 00:28:09.359 --> 00:28:12.440 area. The scheduled call to Key West was scrapped. 00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:14.799 It was cancelled. So the passengers just lost 00:28:14.799 --> 00:28:17.519 a port day. They did. It became a day at sea. 00:28:17.769 --> 00:28:20.309 The ship just headed slowly back to Fort Lauderdale 00:28:20.309 --> 00:28:23.069 for its scheduled on -time return on January 00:28:23.069 --> 00:28:25.390 3rd. It must change the whole mood of the voyage 00:28:25.390 --> 00:28:27.049 for those last couple of days. Oh, completely. 00:28:27.529 --> 00:28:30.809 You go from a New Year's Eve celebration to a 00:28:30.809 --> 00:28:33.690 search and rescue operation to a port cancellation 00:28:33.690 --> 00:28:37.970 to a very quiet and somber return home. It reminds 00:28:37.970 --> 00:28:40.309 us that the cruise lines can plan the fireworks, 00:28:40.509 --> 00:28:43.190 they can build the amazing LNG ships, but they 00:28:43.190 --> 00:28:45.529 cannot control human nature or the fundamental 00:28:45.529 --> 00:28:47.950 physics of a rescue at sea. You mentioned some 00:28:47.950 --> 00:28:50.730 stats on this earlier. Is this, I mean, how common 00:28:50.730 --> 00:28:52.849 is this? It's more common than people like to 00:28:52.849 --> 00:28:55.369 think, but it is statistically very rare given 00:28:55.369 --> 00:28:57.210 the millions and millions of people who cruise 00:28:57.210 --> 00:29:00.730 safely every year. CLIA, the Cruise Lines International 00:29:00.730 --> 00:29:04.769 Association, cites about 19 to 25 overboard incidents 00:29:04.769 --> 00:29:08.480 annually worldwide. 19 to 25 a year. across the 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:11.779 entire global fleet. So on average, it happens 00:29:11.779 --> 00:29:13.720 roughly twice a month somewhere in the world. 00:29:14.200 --> 00:29:16.339 And despite all the technology, the cameras, 00:29:16.500 --> 00:29:19.079 the new thermal sensors, the man overboard detection 00:29:19.079 --> 00:29:22.279 systems, finding someone in open water is a desperate 00:29:22.279 --> 00:29:25.259 race against time that tragically is often lost. 00:29:25.440 --> 00:29:27.319 It really puts this whole deep dive into perspective, 00:29:27.460 --> 00:29:29.779 doesn't it? It absolutely does. It balances the 00:29:29.779 --> 00:29:31.539 narrative. We can't just talk about the highs 00:29:31.539 --> 00:29:33.980 without acknowledging the lows. We started this 00:29:33.980 --> 00:29:36.220 conversation talking about the sheer glitz of 00:29:36.220 --> 00:29:40.259 Rio. the 18 ,000 people cheering, the MSC sea 00:29:40.259 --> 00:29:42.519 view lighting up the night sky, then we move 00:29:42.519 --> 00:29:44.960 to the operational precision in St. Martin with 00:29:44.960 --> 00:29:48.240 the giant Sun Princess. And then we have this, 00:29:48.759 --> 00:29:52.380 this solemn, difficult reality. It is the dual 00:29:52.380 --> 00:29:55.730 nature of cruising. On one hand, it is a logistical 00:29:55.730 --> 00:29:57.450 marvel. I mean, think about the coordination 00:29:57.450 --> 00:30:00.170 to get 19 ships into position for fireworks. 00:30:00.569 --> 00:30:02.609 Think about the supply chains required to feed 00:30:02.609 --> 00:30:04.849 everyone on the Sun Princess for a week. It's 00:30:04.849 --> 00:30:06.970 a miracle of modern engineering and planning. 00:30:07.230 --> 00:30:09.230 But the great variable is always the ocean. The 00:30:09.230 --> 00:30:11.390 ocean and the people. You can't plan for every 00:30:11.390 --> 00:30:14.329 human contingency. That's very true. And that's 00:30:14.329 --> 00:30:17.029 the core of it. You can book a cruise for the 00:30:17.029 --> 00:30:19.690 fireworks in Rio. You can book it for the quiet 00:30:19.690 --> 00:30:22.920 luxury of the Allura. But ultimately you are 00:30:22.920 --> 00:30:26.140 stepping onto a machine, a vessel, that has to 00:30:26.140 --> 00:30:28.619 obey maritime law and the fundamental reality 00:30:28.619 --> 00:30:32.140 of its environment. And sometimes that reality 00:30:32.140 --> 00:30:34.779 is harsh. So after looking at all this, what 00:30:34.779 --> 00:30:37.339 does this all mean for you, the listener? I think 00:30:37.339 --> 00:30:40.220 it's about having a deeper appreciation for the 00:30:40.220 --> 00:30:42.980 complexity of it all. When you are on that ship 00:30:42.980 --> 00:30:45.319 and you're enjoying that sunset cocktail, just 00:30:45.319 --> 00:30:48.440 take a second to realize the immense, invisible 00:30:48.440 --> 00:30:50.980 machinery that is working all around you to keep 00:30:50.980 --> 00:30:53.000 it all running smoothly. And the people making 00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:55.980 it happen. Thousands of people. And also to realize 00:30:55.980 --> 00:30:58.740 that when things do go wrong, there is a serious, 00:30:59.119 --> 00:31:01.660 solemn, and highly professional protocol that 00:31:01.660 --> 00:31:03.880 kicks in instantly to handle it. It's not taken 00:31:03.880 --> 00:31:06.559 lightly. It's not just a vacation. It's an expedition. 00:31:06.779 --> 00:31:09.079 even if there is a really, really good buffet. 00:31:09.339 --> 00:31:11.579 A very well -catered expedition. That's a perfect 00:31:11.579 --> 00:31:14.680 way to put it. Well, this has been a truly fascinating 00:31:14.680 --> 00:31:17.720 look at the start of 2026 for the cruise industry, 00:31:18.660 --> 00:31:21.200 from the highest of highs at Copacabana to the 00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:23.220 heavy silence of a search grid off the coast 00:31:23.220 --> 00:31:26.599 of Cuba. It's the full unvarnished picture. So 00:31:26.599 --> 00:31:28.900 here is a final thought to leave you with. As 00:31:28.900 --> 00:31:31.319 these ships get bigger and bigger, like that 00:31:31.319 --> 00:31:33.880 massive Sun Princess, and as the fleets continue 00:31:33.880 --> 00:31:36.380 to grow like those 19 ships we saw in Rio and 00:31:36.380 --> 00:31:39.240 Madera combined, the industry is becoming better 00:31:39.240 --> 00:31:41.960 and better at manufacturing these amazing perfect 00:31:41.960 --> 00:31:44.839 moments. They can guarantee the fireworks display. 00:31:45.099 --> 00:31:47.180 They can guarantee the state dinner will be cooked 00:31:47.180 --> 00:31:49.519 perfectly. But they can't guarantee the sea state 00:31:49.519 --> 00:31:51.799 and they can't guarantee what's in every passenger's 00:31:51.799 --> 00:31:54.950 heart and mind. Exactly. When an emergency happens 00:31:54.950 --> 00:31:57.730 in international waters, we're reminded that 00:31:57.730 --> 00:31:59.809 these floating cities are still at their core, 00:32:00.329 --> 00:32:04.210 just that ships. Vessels at sea, reliant on maritime 00:32:04.210 --> 00:32:06.809 law, reliant on the Coast Guard, and ultimately 00:32:06.809 --> 00:32:09.690 reliant on the physics of the ocean. A very humbling 00:32:09.690 --> 00:32:11.890 thought to start the new year. Thanks for listening 00:32:11.890 --> 00:32:14.890 to Cruise News. Visit cruisenews .io to catch 00:32:14.890 --> 00:32:16.930 up on the latest updates and sign up for free 00:32:16.930 --> 00:32:18.869 email alerts. Safe sailing, everyone.