Category: Current Events
Beloved Captain Michele Bartolomei Dies Suddenly Aboard Diamond Princess
Captain Michele Bartolomei, a beloved and respected cruise ship captain commanding Diamond Princess, suddenly passed away in the early morning of May 19, 2025. The cause of death has not been revealed. He was just 52 years old. At approximately 2 am, passengers on Diamond Princess awoke to hear a call for a medical team…
Tall Ship Cuauhtémoc Hits the Brooklyn Bridge
Last night, May 17, 2025, tragedy struck when the Mexican Navy tall ship Cuauhtémoc hit New York’s Brooklyn Bridge just before 8:30 pm. Onlookers captured shocking video of the incident as it unfolded before them. All three masts snapped upon hitting the bridge span, leaving crew members dangling high in the rigging. Mexican Navy officials…
No Room for Complacency: Cruise Ships & Modern Piracy
Setting sail on a world cruise is an exciting adventure. Especially when it’s aboard a brand-new ship like the Queen Anne. The Cunard Line has a long history of world cruises, with legendary ships like RMS Carinthia, RMS Caronia, RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, and others having previously sailed the globe. As Cunard noted in a…
Captain Kate McCue Joins Four Seasons Yachts
Captain Kate is going back to sea. Not that we ever thought her seafaring days were over! She even said as much. The famous cruise ship captain, who left Celebrity Cruises last month, announced on social media earlier today that she’d joined the new Four Seasons Yachts luxury brand. Captain Kate will command their first…
A Break with Tradition: Captain Inger Klein Thorhauge
Inger Klein Thorhauge (née Olsen) made history in December 2010 when the Cunard Line promoted her to captain of MV Queen Victoria. It was a historic appointment. She was the first woman to command a Cunard ship in the company’s long history. And at 43, she was also one of its youngest captains too. Peter…
Can “America’s Flagship” Still Be Saved? One Group Thinks So
Ever since the SS United States left Philadelphia on February 19 for Mobile, Alabama, social media has been abuzz with images of the grand ship. The crew of Vinik No. 6 — the tugboat towing “America’s Flagship” — has posted some phenomenal pictures, as have spectators from land, sea, and air. One Facebook comment said…
The SS United States Leaves Philadelphia After Nearly 30 Years
After nearly 30 years, the SS United States has left Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On February 19, 2025, “America’s Flagship” left her longtime berth aided by tugboats. She was maneuvered into the Delaware River and started the first leg of her last voyage. Over the next two weeks, the ship will be towed down to Mobile, Alabama…
Breaking Barriers: Captain Belinda Bennett
Belinda Bennett made history in January 2016 when Windstar Cruises promoted her to captain of MSY Wind Star. It was well earned. She’d begun her maritime career as a deck cadet at age 17 and worked on a variety of ships before joining Windstar Cruises as a second officer in 2005. Not only was Captain…
In Memory of Bug Naked (2016-2024)
On December 27, 2024, Celebrity Cruises’ Captain Kate McCue announced that her famous feline companion Bug Naked had suddenly and unexpectedly passed away the previous day. My heart broke instantly.
Contingent Contract: The Pending Sale of the SS United States
Florida’s Okaloosa County approved a contingent contract to purchase the SS United States on October 1, 2024. The famed ship would be “converted into the world’s largest artificial reef,” which is a really fancy way of saying that the ship will be taken out and sunk (yes, I know there’s more to it than that…