Elon Musk has built himself into something between a James Bond villain and an unparalleled titan of industry.
It really depends on whom you ask.
He serves as CEO for multiple companies and runs a government-efficiency agency created by President Donald Trump. He’s one of the most powerful people in the world, due partly to his wealth and partly because of his connection to Trump.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean both charge unpopular fee
Musk relishes his new post and his position in the spotlight. He’s also someone that few people or nations want to take on, given the millions of followers he commands from his X social-media platform.
Grand Turk, home to the only cruise port in the Turks and Caicos, wants Musk, or at least his SpaceX space-tech company, to clean up its mess.
Doug Parker of Cruise News Today has the full story as well as news about another cruise line raising its daily gratuities.
Grand Turk wants SpaceX debris removed
Transcript:
From Las Vegas, this is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning. Here’s your cruise news for Friday, February 7.
A popular Caribbean cruise port wants space debris off its beaches.
Locals and tourists in the Turks and Caicos Islands are dealing with unexpected fallout from a SpaceX Starship that exploded last month. [Debris] from the unmanned spacecraft rained down on the islands after the upper stage broke apart during reentry on January 16.
[Locals] and visitors are finding pieces of the wreckage near their homes and in tourist areas.
SpaceX has urged people not to handle the debris, but some are frustrated with the slow cleanup response and are doing it anyway.
Last year, 1.2 million cruise passengers called to Grand Turk.
Margaritaville at Sea raises daily gratuities; Disney adds Alaska cruise
And Margaritaville at Sea has increased its daily gratuities by 11%.
Mandatory gratuities for staterooms has gone from $18 to $20 per day, while suite guests will now pay $24 daily. That’s up from $22.
Service fees for drinks, dining, and spa, well, they also went up, from $18 to $20.
The move follows an industrywide trend, with Disney last month raising gratuities by up to 16% for suite guests. The new rates took effect earlier this month.
And Disney Cruise Line is expanding its itineraries next summer.
Two Disney ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, will sail Alaska cruises from Vancouver for the first time simultaneously. Disney Dream will debut in Italy and cruise through the Med.
Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish will continue their Bahamas and Caribbean sailings from Port Canaveral, while the new Disney Destiny will depart from Fort Lauderdale.
And of course, the Disney Adventure, the megaship launching from Singapore, will sail through Asia. The line is also expanding its stops at its private islands in the Bahamas.
And a correction from Wednesday’s broadcast.
When I said the word artisan market wrong, Mark wrote in and said I sounded like an idiot and I needed to learn the difference. So, Mark, I apologize for the error, my friend.
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The photo of the week comes from Sean.
A fisheye view of Carnival’s Mardi Gras taken from Carnival Elation.
You can send yours in [email protected]. All photos are subject to broadcast.
If you have a lead on a story or just want to correct me, [email protected].
In Las Vegas one last time, I’m Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.
Have yourself a great weekend.
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