Cruise & Ferry
Body of doctor who missed Norwegian cruise ship found on Alaska mountain

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A tourist who went missing after she failed to return to her cruise ship last week has been found dead.
Marites Buenafe, 62, of Kentucky, was visiting Alaska’s capital city when she did not return from a hike.
The Alaska Department of Public Safety said her body was found by an Alaska Army National Guard helicopter crew late Thursday below the ridge line of Gold Ridge.
Buenafe is listed as a doctor at UK HealthCare, a system of hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky.
AMERICAN CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER DISAPPEARS AFTER HIKING AT SUMMER VACATION DESTINATION
Marites Buenafe, 62, is listed as a doctor for UK HealthCare. Her body was found July 3, 2025, in Alaska. (Alaska State Troopers)
State troopers and Juneau Mountain Rescue were able to recover Buenafe’s body with help from Temsco Helicopters and the National Guard.
Her family has been notified of her death and her body will be sent to the state’s medical examiner’s office for an autopsy, the Associated Press reported.
HIKER SUFFERS HYPOTHERMIA DURING TREK ON NEW ENGLAND’S HIGHEST PEAK AMID EAST COAST HEAT WAVE
The Norwegian Bliss cruise ship passes through John Hopkins Inlet in Glacier Bay, Alaska on Thursday, July 11, 2019. (Tim Rue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
On July 1, the Juneau Police Department heard from Buenafe’s relatives that she had left for a hike that morning and had plans to take a popular tourist tram partially up a mountain overlooking downtown Juneau before walking to Gastineau Peak and Gold Ridge, according to the state Department of Public Safety.
She had gotten off the Norwegian Bliss and did not return to the vessel by its departure time.
The 62-year-old woman’s relatives called authorities after she failed to return to the cruise ship as it was docked in Juneau, Alaska. (John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the guest,” a spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Our CARE team is providing support to the guest’s family and our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.”
Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cruise & Ferry
Princess Makes Further Changes to Premier and Plus Packages – Cruise Industry News

Princess Cruises is making further changes to its Premier and Plus Packages after announcing updates to the products earlier this week.
According to a statement, specialty coffee and teas are now unlimited in the Plus package and will not count towards the 15-drink daily limit.
The additional change was made after feedback from its Princess guests’ community, the company explained.
Princess initially announced changes to its packages on July 21, revealing new refreshed product additions, such as extra casual dining options and shore excursion credits.
The premium brand also raised pricing for the add-ons, with the Princess Premier Package costing $100 per person per day and the Princess Plus Package costing $65 per person per day. Prices are based on guests booking pre-cruise.
When booked prior to the cruise, these packages were previously priced, respectively, at $90 and $60 per person per day.
Guests sailing on the company’s new Sphere class ships, the Sun Princess and the Star Princess, will pay an additional $5 per person per day, regardless of the package chosen.
According to Princess, these packages offer savings of between 50 and 70 percent compared to purchasing their components separately.
In addition to a new shore excursion credit varying by voyage length, the Premier Package includes unlimited casual and specialty dining, a four-device Wi-Fi package and unlimited digital professional photos.
Other benefits include the unlimited premier beverage package, as well as reserved seating for theatrical shows and the inclusion of daily crew appreciation fees.
The Plus Package features four casual meals per voyage, in addition to the plus beverage package, Wi-Fi for a single device and the inclusion of daily crew appreciation fees.
When purchasing any of the packages, guests will also take advantage of waived fees for Princess’ OceanNow, as well as room service deliveries.
The changes will be in effect for all voyages starting in 2026.
Cruise & Ferry
Costa Favolosa on 17-Night Cruise to Spitsbergen – Cruise Industry News

The Costa Favolosa is currently offering a unique cruise to Spitsbergen, Iceland, the British Isles and the Arctic Circle.
Deployed for a full summer season in Northern Europe, the Costa Cruises ship kicked off the itinerary in Hamburg on July 14, 2025.
The 17-night cruise will see the 2012-built vessel visiting eight ports of call in Scotland, Iceland and Norway.
After departing from Germany, the Favolosa sailed to Stornoway, Seydisfjordur, Akureyri and Isafjord during the first week of the cruise.
The 3,012-guest ship then crossed the Arctic Circle, arriving at Spitsbergen’s Longyearbyen for a two-day call on July 23, 2025.
Following the visit to the capital city of the Svalbard region, the Costa Favolosa is scheduled to visit additional destinations in Norway, including Tromso and Malloy.
The itinerary is also highlighted by a visit to Honningsvag, from which passengers can embark on excursions to the northernmost point of the continent of Europe, Nordkapp.
Completing the unique voyage, the 114,500-ton ship is scheduled to arrive back in Hamburg on July 31, 2025.
The cruise is part of the vessel’s summer deployment in Northern Europe, which also includes additional departures to Iceland, as well as other itineraries to destinations in the North Sea, the British Isles and Scandinavia.
The cruise program ends in mid-September with a repositioning voyage to Italy via Western Europe and the Strait of Gibraltar.
Following a fall season in the Mediterranean, the Costa Favolosa is set to return to South America in early November.
As part of Costa Cruises’ 2025-26 season in the region, the vessel offers a series of three- to nine-night cruises departing from ports in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, including Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
Also sailing in Northern Europe this summer, the Costa Diadema is set to join the vessel in South American waters in November.
Cruise & Ferry
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