Celebrity Cruises bartender, Andrej Malic has been named Diageo Global Travel’s best bartender for 2016. This global bartender competition was held on 17 August in the Diageo 396 Bar in Miami. Andrej Malic, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, topped the competition from hundreds of cruise line bartenders representing Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises. The Celebrity Cruises bartender won this prestigious award with his ‘Old Spice Fashion’ cocktail, featuring Bulleit Bourbon.

The Regional Secretariat for Tourism and Transport in Madeira announced that the arrival of two cruise ships in Funchal was canceled due to the situation with the wildfires that occurred last week on the island. The cruise ship operated by AIDA cruises, AIDACara scheduled to arrive on 15 of August, and the Italian cruise ship Costa Magica scheduled to stop on 16 of August are canceled. First to divert the cruise schedule was the British cruise ship P&O Azura on August 11, when the wildfires were most intense. Instead the arrival in Funchal, Azura spend a day at sea.

A Chinese woman sailing on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Mariner of the Seas has been rescued by a fishing vessel after she fell overboard. The accident happened on August 10, when the ship was returning back to its homeport in Shanghai. First to notice her disappearance was her family who informed the ships officers. All crew were engaged in an on board search operation, but they could not find the 32 year-old woman. Ship’s captain notified the Coast Guard, and search and rescue operation was initiated.

The owner of the funeral company Costa, Natalino Costa, wanted to "fool around" with the similar names between his firm and the name of the Italian cruise company Costa Cruises. As a sponsor of local festival in Italy, Natalino printed the slogan “Costa Cruises One way trips” on the aprons worn by the waiters. Many people offended by this slogan with bad sense of humor reacted to the message reminding them of the terrible tragedy of Costa Concordia where 32 people lost their lives. Evidently, the owner of the funeral firm has not come to terms with the sensitivity of his action.

On Wednesday, August 10, Italian authorities raised the security threat level in all major ports where cruise ships and ferries transit. Coastguard Admiral Vincenzo Melone sent an order to all passenger and cruise-ship ports to raise their alert level from MARSEC 1 to MARSEC 2. The Coast Guard said that the raising of the security measures is not, connected to a specific terror threat, but the need for prevention following the latest developments in Europe. The order to raise the level of Security issued yesterday refers to the SOLAS Convention on maritime safety.

Due to safety concerns of the Wildfires in Madeira, P&O Cruises decided to skip the arrival of P&O Azura in Funchal. The Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean faces major catastrophe with the fire closing dangerously to Funchal. So far four people have died since the fire broke out however the authorities fear the numbers of the victims will rise. Currently there are 132 active fires on the island leaving thousands of tourists stranded to the island. There are reports of tourists who had to flee the hotels and spend the night awake or sleeping on the floor.

As of August 1 Holland America Line has updated the Restaurant price list paid for the entire fleet. Holland America Line says that their alternative restaurants, winners of three awards, are more affordable than those of other competing cruise companies. The company also said that many years had passed since the last price update.

SorentoPress reports that a passenger on cruise ship sailing in the Gulf of Naples, last night almost lost a finger of his left hand. The medical emergency has been reported by the captain of MSC Poesia to the Italian Coast Guard, stating that a tourist suffered partial detachment of his finger.

The amazing model of Queen Mary 2 made from Lego bricks will be exhibited at the International Maritime Museum in Hamburg between 10 and 16 August 2016.  Built by the artists Klaas H. Meijaard and René Hoffmeister from about 1 million Lego bricks in approximately 1,200 labor hours the ship weighs a 870 kg and includes a highly detailed replica.

In a major operation conducted by the Italian authorities 17 members of the organized criminal syndicate Ndrangheta were arrested. Among them was the boss Gaetano Tomaselli who was arrested on a cruise ship. The police boarded the cruise ship during a stop in Cagliari on August 4, before the passengers could get off, and arrested Tomaselli. The special antiterrorism squad of the Guardia di Finanza of Reggio Calabria on the night of July 30, planned to arrest Tomaselli at his home. However one day before, he boarded on cruise ship with his family in Civitavecchia.