Cruise news in brief

There’s been lots of cruise news since the end of last week, so I’ve decided to write a news roundup so you can all catch up.

MSC Cruises announced that it will build a fourth Musica-class ship. The MSC Magnifica will debut in 2010. Its sisters, the MSC Orchestra and MSC Poesia, will launch in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

Royal Caribbean plans to build a second Genesis-class ship for delivery in August 2010. Like its prototype sister (to debut in 2009), this ship will carry 5,400 passengers and will feature new amenities—some which may have never been seen before onboard a cruise ship.

Norwegian Cruise Line will introduce Nintendo Wii video game systems fleetwide this spring. Wii systems will be located in the main atrium, kids’ club, and other public areas, and guests can compete against each other and cheer on their friends.

Norwegian also announced that it’s canceling the May 26 and June 2 departures of the Norwegian Dawn in order to repair the ship’s propulsion system. Passengers on the Dawn prior to May 26 will experience an altered itinerary to accommodate the ship’s reduced speed. Guests booked on the canceled sailings will receive a full refund and a 25 percent future cruise credit. A two-night Memorial Day weekend cruise has been added on May 26 before the cruise heads to dry dock. This new sailing goes on sale on April 4.

Carnival is upgrading its eight Fantasy-class ships. The makeovers, which will take place through 2009, include expanded water parks for kids, a new design for the pool deck, and an adults-only deck area. Other enhancements include remodeled cabins, flat-screen TVs, miniature golf courses, and New York-style delis onboard.

The AP reports that Carnival’s Sensation was evacuated on Friday because of a bomb threat. The threat turned out to be fake, and the ship departed Port Canaveral for the Bahamas that evening.