Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas hit a cable while sailing into the port of Klaksvik in the Faroe Islands of Denmark.  The accident caused a crew member to be injured when falling debris hit him while he was outside.

The incident occurred September 6 at 8am local time according to a Royal Caribbean statement when Jewel of the Seas came "in contact with a cable hat extends between Bordoy and Eysturoy Islands."

The accident also resulted in damage to the mast and some equipment on the mast.  Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez emphasized that the accident has no effect on the seaworthiness of the ship. Moreover, Jewel of the Seas has moved to its next port of call in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Martinez added that Royal Caribbean is working closely with the local authorities to determine why the collision occurred, "All the navigational tools and charts we use to plan our voyage, including information we obtained from the local port authorities and harbor master in advance of our arrival, indicated we had enough clearance to pass under the cable."

Photography buffs, aspiring photographers or just people that want to take better photos are all encouraged to join the 11th DSLR Photography Workshop Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas on October 21-28, 2012.

Hosted by professional photographers Arthur Bleich and Peter E. Randall, the cruise will teach you how to first learn to identify the crucial elements that make up every great image. Over the eight day cruise, you're promised a photographic epiphany: you'll go from simply "taking" photos to "making" them, shooting with a firm concept in mind of exactly what story you want your shot to tell.

The workshop will feature one-on-one help with taking better photos, lecture and demonstration sessions and more.

If you're interested, check out more details on the workshop website.

Each year, the Centers for Disease Control conducts surprise government health inspections to make certain that the cruise ships millions enjoy are safe and clean.  Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas all scored a perfect 100 on their test this year.

The Vessel Sanitation Program is run by the CDC and unannounced inspections will occur twice per year in US ports, with a test that grades each ship on a 100 point scale.  The CDC evaluates cruise ships in 42 areas such as adherence to proper food handling, storage procedures, overall galley cleanliness and pool and spa cleanliness.

This is the third perfect score in a row for Oasis of the Seas while the other ships that scored perfectly have also had perfect scores in the past.

Only a small fraction of the dozens of cruise ships inspected each quarter receive a perfect score.  Most infractions are small in nature and are corrected quickly.

The island of Antigua is promising a better cruise season in 2013 thanks in part to Royal Caribbean bringing back ships during summer.  Jewel of the Seas will visit three times a month during the summer period from May to October 2013 and will remain for the 2013-2014 winter season.

Jewel of the Seas is planning to make 29 stops at the island, which translates to 72,500 passengers in 2013.  Jewel of the Seas replaces Serenade of the Seas.

Chief Executive Officer of Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority Colin James mentioned Royal Caribbean's return was thanks in part due to ongoing "lobbying efforts" by the island. A delegation involving the Antiguan Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture met with Royal Caribbean in recent weeks.

“I think this is excellent news for the destination because in the summer months things really dry up and it makes it very difficult for the key tourism partners on island to sustain their business during the summer month. It is good news for our destination and we are really pleased that the lobbying effort has borne fruit."

United States Coast Guard reported that a 75 year old cruise passenger had to be evacuated by sea from Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas after he fainted.

The Coast Guard was called at 6:12pm and a 45-foot vessel was sent to take the man and his family to Medical Center of Trinity in Tampa, Florida. The cruise passenger had an irregular heartbeat after he fainted and it was determined by the ship's doctor that the best course of action was to get him off the ship.

Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas made her inaugural visit to the island of St. Kitts in the Virgin Islands yesterday.

The ship, with a passenger total of 2,070, arrived after stopping in Barbados and docked at the island to allow its passengers a day of site-seeing.  Most of these passengers enjoyed sun bathing, snorkeling, taxi tours and shopping.

Jewel of the Seas is yet another big cruise ship to visit the island and will be part of the estimated 625,000 passengers expected between October 2011 and September 2012.

Royal Caribbean's partnership with Universal Studios Orlando is expanding to include cruises that go out of Tampa, Florida.

Royal Caribbean announced with Universal Studios that that they will start selling vacation packages that include a stay at Universal Studios Orlando along with a Royal Caribbean cruise.  The packages include three or four-night stays at Universal Studios along with four or five-night cruises on Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean will be homeporting Jewel of the Seas in November out of Tampa.  

This new deal is in addition to the partnership the two companies already offer for cruises out of Port Canaveral.

For Royal Caribbean, the expanded deal with Universal is another move into Disney's lucrative family-cruise niche. The Miami-based cruise operator last year struck a separate deal with DreamWorks Animation to outfit some of its ships with characters from animated movies such as Shrek and Madagascar, much the way Disney Cruise Line features popular children's characters such as Buzz Lightyear and Donald Duck.

Royal Caribbean in the United Kingdom is offering its passengers an extra layer of luxury service with chauffeur serviceto and from UK ports and London airports.

For those sailing on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas out of Southampton and Jewel of the Seas out of Harwich or those flying from London airports can book a chauffer driven service with partner Tristar Chauffeur Services to and from their address to their port or airport of departure.

Royal Caribbean Associate VIce President and General Manager of United Kingdom of Ireland, Jo Rzymowska,  commented on the new service, "This is a great addition to the list of optional extras we offer our guests.  Having the opportunity to transfer in luxury is the perfect way to make the most of your holiday time and a fantastic treat.”

Peak time transfers cost approximately £65 for first 15 miles and £1.40 per mile thereafter. Off-peak transfers cost approximately £55 for first 15 miles and £1 per mile thereafter. Costs will vary depending on where the guest is being picked up from.

If you're looking to get away this summer on a Royal Caribbean cruise, there may be a cruise on sale for you.

The "Bring a Friend" offer allows curent Crown & Anchor Society members to bring guests new to Royal Caribbean with them on a cruise and receive $25 onboard credit per stateroom, up to five rooms per sailing.  You must book by July 31.

Royal Caribbean has placed select ships on sale as well, most notably Voyager of the Seas' Adriatic Sea sailings where the 7-night itineraries in July and August 2011 can get you  $2,000 of ChoiceAir credit for a Suite stateroom, $500 for a Balcony stateroom, $400 for an Ocean View stateroom, and $300 for an Interior stateroom.

In addition, there are deals on four, five and seven night sailings in the Western Caribbean on Jewel of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas.  These ships sail out of Tampa, New Orleans and Galveston and prices start at $896 per quad-occupancy stateroom from November 2011 through April 2012.

Seven night cruises to Alaska on the Radiance of the Seas are also available at $649 per guest from August 5 through September 9, 2011.

Royal Caribbean launched a new promotion today for its cruises to the western Caribbean, departing between July 16, 2011 and May 27, 2012. Guests who make reservations on Wednesday (06/22), will receive $100 onboard credit per stateroom on all cruises aboard Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas of seven nights, and $50 for itineraries of five or six nights on sailings between November 12, 2011, and April 19, 2012 on the Liberty of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas or Navigator of the Seas.

The offer applies only to new bookings, and cabins must belong to the categories or suites with a balcony outside. The credit can be used to pay expenses of board and spa treatments, shopping in stores or in the casino.