Celebrity Xcel To Debut In Europe And Multiple Other ‘Firsts’ Revealed In Celebrity Cruises 2026-2027 Season

Sunday 6 October, National Grandparents Day, marks the official launch of a nationwide search for the Great British Grandparent 2024 – an accolade conceived as a heartfelt tribute to the unsung heroes who give so much of their time, consideration, emotional and, in some cases, financial support to their nearest and dearest, day in, day out. The search, which has been launched by Ambassador Cruise … [Read More...]

On October 1, 2024, Norwegian Cruise Line announced that the brand’s new “More at Sea” program would replace its current “Free At Sea” Program – taking effect for voyages sailing from January 1, 2025, and beyond.  While the new plan is supposed to be bigger and better, the announcement left booked guests wondering how the upgrade would impact their sailing. But now, we have our … [Read More...]

Guests booked on the record-breaking Icon of the Seas will be relieved to learn the ship’s next sailing will move forward as planned following the ship being temporarily out of service for emergency repairs. While the cruise line has been in touch with guests since the ship was pulled from service for the unexpected work, the update was rather vague, only promising “As we get closer, we’ll … [Read More...]

The highly anticipated second Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas, is officially floating on her own hull following a celebratory construction milestone. This is a major event as a cruise ship comes to life, and signals the next phase of her development as she comes closer to her August 2025 debut. The ship is being built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in southern Finland, the same shipyard that … [Read More...]

Sarah Bretz, ContributorSarah has been writing about the cruise industry since 2015, and in that time has taken a dozen cruises and counting. Her favorite onboard activities include trying the casual dining options, spending time in the spa’s thermal suite, and attending the love & marriage show. You can keep up with her on Instagram at @IAmSarahJaneB.See all author posts Source: … [Read More...]

Royal Caribbean is ready to restart cruises on the world's biggest cruise ship.In a rare move, the cruise line previously canceled Icon's 7-night sailing that was set to leave on September 28th.Now, Icon of the Seas is set to return to her scheduled sailings on October 5th, 2024. The cruise line informed passengers and travel agents booked on the next sailing they've completed the necessary … [Read More...]

The Port of San Diego, gateway to the Mexican Riviera, has officially kicked off its 2024-25 winter cruise season, with major cruise lines poised to homeport ships or visit on port calls. Holland America Line, which typically homeports ships for winter season cruises to Mexico, will again deploy two ships from November 2024 to late April 2025. Other cruise brands sailing from San Diego or … [Read More...]

Passengers aboard the 3.5-year Villa Vie Odyssey residency voyage can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the ship has officially left port to begin its 147-country world cruise, ending a long saga of delays and paperwork issues. The 24,344-gross-ton vessel carrying over 100 passengers (one guest was just removed on September 17, 2024, due to negative texts) initially … [Read More...]

Star of the Seas is sitting in water for the first time.Royal Caribbean's new cruise ship is being built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, and has reached an important construction milestone. It's taken 19 months to reach this milestone, and represents thousands people's collective effort to reach it.Star of the Seas is the second Icon Class ship, following up the wildly successful Icon of … [Read More...]

Carnival cruise fans eager to visit Celebration Key when the new Bahamas destination opens in August 2025 will be glad to know the cruise line is listening to feedback and adding an important feature travelers want. In response to guest inquiries and comments, new plans are being adjusted to add lockers to Celebration Key to allow visitors to securely store their belongings while they enjoy a … [Read More...]