Cruise Industry News Ship Updates & Breaking Reports

A woman scammed out of nearly $1,100 booked a cruise to confront her alleged scammer and get an explanation for their behavior. The incident took place onboard the August 30, 2026 sailing of MSC Seascape, a 7-night cruise from Galveston. Despite the verbal confrontation, the woman does not condone bullying or harassment and has reported the scam to the FBI. No one likes to get … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley is celebrating 45 years since joining the cruise line in September 1981. Bayley was surprised with an anniversary party after joking that he thought his colleagues had forgotten the milestone. The longtime executive began as an Assistant Purser aboard Nordic Prince before eventually rising to become Royal Caribbean's president and CEO. … [Read more...]

Disney Magic will now be visiting Cozumel on Christmas Eve on her December 22, 2026 departure from Galveston. Previously, only a visit to Progreso was on the ship's 5-night Very Merrytime sailing, but Cozumel has been added. There are no other changes to the cruise at this time, either to Progreso or the ship's departure from or arrival back to Galveston. Guests booked on the Very … [Read more...]

Carnival Venezia guests booked on a September 14, 2026 sailing from New York are being warned to follow their terminal arrival appointments due to high guest volume. Guests arriving before their assigned time may not be permitted inside the cruise terminal. The terminal will be shared with another cruise line's ship, which Carnival did not identify, although Oceania Vista is also … [Read more...]

Carnival Cruise Line has opened bookings for Carnival Tropicale with her debut from Galveston, Texas on April 15, 2028. The fifth and final Excel-class ship will offer sailings ranging from 4-8 nights to Western Caribbean and Bahamas destinations. New details revealed, including Turning Tides raft slide, The Vault Retrocade, Atrium, and Fairway 66 Mini Golf. Yeehaw, it's a good day … [Read more...]

A 58-year-old pastor from Minnesota has passed several weeks after a fall and near-drowning on Sun Princess. Stephen Junker was paralyzed in the incident and evacuated in Naples, but was flown back to the US for further treatment. Junker's death is the latest unfortunate incident to plague Sun Princess, following debut delays, cancelled features, and a crew member overboard. A … [Read more...]

Disney Wish will be using two different terminals at Port Canaveral for her 3-night sailing departing Friday, September 11, 2026. The ship will depart from Cruise Terminal 10 but will dock at Cruise Terminal 8 when she returns on Monday, September 14. Cruise terminal construction may be a factor in the change for Disney Wish's embarkation and debarkation schedule. It can be hectic … [Read more...]

Strong winds in Le Havre, France, caused AIDAperla to break away from her berth and make contact with the quay on September 8, as shown in witness videos shared on social media. No injuries were reported, and tugboats helped return the ship to her berth before technicians began inspecting the vessel. AIDAperla missed her scheduled September 9 call in Zeebrugge, and it remains unclear … [Read more...]

Margaritaville at Sea's newest ship, Beachcomber, will sail from Galveston, Texas, beginning in October 2027. The ship will offer diverse Caribbean, Mexico, and Bahamas itineraries, including Margaritaville's first-ever call to Veracruz, Mexico. Beachcomber features multiple new experiences and an industry-first live music venue designed by Zac Brown. Margaritaville at Sea is quickly … [Read more...]

MSC Cruises has unveiled five new bars and lounges that will debut aboard MSC World Asia. The new venues include a throwback soda bar, the futuristic Sky Box Bar, an Italian aperitivo lounge, a Philippine-inspired pool bar, and a cocktail bar serving drinks inspired by Asian flavors. MSC World Asia will begin sailing 7-night Mediterranean cruises on December 4, 2026, visiting ports in … [Read more...]

Daquan Lamont Smith has been federally indicted for making a threat against passengers aboard a cruise ship in December 2025. The ship was not specified, but Smith's recorded threat said he was on a cruise from the Bahamas with a bomb on the boat and the intention to blow it up. If convicted the 20-year-old Smith could face up to five years in federal prison under US federal law. A … [Read more...]

Norwegian Joy's May 19, 2028 Alaskan itinerary has been shuffled, with visits to Skagway and Sitka replaced with a call at Whittier. The day cruising near Hubbard Glacier as well as the port visits to Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan have also been adjusted. There is no change to the ship's departure from or return to Seattle as planned for the 10-day roundtrip sailing. An Alaskan … [Read more...]

Guests sailing aboard Norwegian Sky's final voyage were notified that several onboard venues and services would be unavailable or closed early. The ship's gift shops were closed throughout the voyage, while the Art Gallery and Mandara Spa ceased operations before the cruise concluded. Norwegian Sky will leave Norwegian Cruise Line following the voyage before joining Cordelia Cruises … [Read more...]

Hero of the Seas was floated out at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland on Friday, September 4, 2026. Both Meyer Turku and Royal Caribbean have shared behind-the-scenes looks at the milestone with photos and video. The fourth Icon-class ship is now at the outfitting pier at the shipyard where her construction continues. Cruises are getting a little more heroic as the upcoming fourth … [Read more...]

These will no doubt be the 10 Western Caribbean cruise ports that are on your radar when planning a cruise. Many of these stops include multiple piers and cruise line exclusivity, so you'll want to know which cruise lines sail to which ones. In This Article:Cozumel, MexicoGrand Cayman, Cayman IslandsCosta Maya, MexicoRoatán, HondurasOcho Rios, JamaicaMontego Bay, JamaicaFalmouth, JamaicaProgreso, … [Read more...]

Three cruise lines have placed restrictions on cruise ducks: Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Marella Cruises. Despite the restrictions, none of the three cruise lines has ducks on its official prohibited items list. Guests should respect the restrictions, or the activity could be banned outright, and more cruise lines might introduce restrictions. Cruise ducks have flown to … [Read more...]

A recent Royal Caribbean guest has asked about elevator use etiquette while toting luggage after encountering a skeptical passenger. Cruise lines do not restrict guests from bringing luggage into elevators, even on the most crowded days. Elevator etiquette can be a hot topic among cruisers, including rude behavior, misusing buttons, or smart elevator operation. Every experienced … [Read more...]

Scottish trail runner Paul Manson ran 7 marathons during a 7-night cruise aboard Enchanted Princess in August 2026. He completed the first marathon in Rome the day he boarded the cruise ship and did additional marathon distances at every port. One day was a marathon onboard the ship at sea with 185 laps on the jogging track on Deck 18. Many cruise ships are equipped with fitness … [Read more...]

A small fire broke out onboard Norwegian Aura on August 28, 2026, while the future Norwegian Cruise Line ship was under construction at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard. The fire reportedly began in a waste container, producing a large cloud of black smoke. Emergency crews at the shipyard contained the fire and no injuries were reported. Late on the morning of August 28, 2026, a … [Read more...]

There are a lot of nautical terms that you may hear for the first time when you take your first cruise. Among them, and two terms that you definitely need to understand, are port and starboard. You probably know that one means "left" and one means "right," but it will be useful to know which one is starboard side and which one is port side. I've been on over a hundred cruises as a crew member and … [Read more...]