What’s happening across the fleet
Daily cruise news across the big-five lines, written for cruisers and deal hunters. Deals, new ships, itinerary shifts, and policy changes, with the sources so you can dig deeper.
NCL ranks last, Carnival's biggest ship, Legend debuts
In this reel
NCL finishes last among 19 cruise lines in Consumer Reports satisfaction survey
A poll of 18,850 Consumer Reports members ranked Norwegian Cruise Line at the bottom of all 19 ocean cruise lines surveyed for overall passenger satisfaction.
Jul 26, 2026
Carnival cuts steel on Carnival Destiny, the first of three next-gen Ace Class ships due in 2029
The July 10 steel-cutting at Fincantieri's Monfalcone yard formally launched Carnival's most ambitious shipbuilding program in decades, with ships that will dwarf the current Excel Class.
Jul 26, 2026
Legend of the Seas is now sailing Europe as the world's largest ship
Royal Caribbean's third Icon Class ship debuted in the Mediterranean this month, offering 28 dining options, the largest waterpark at sea, and a Europe-first launch no Icon Class vessel has attempted before.
Jul 26, 2026
Middle East cruise exodus deepens as AIDA joins 2027-28 Gulf pullout
AIDA Cruises becomes the latest brand to cancel Arabian Gulf plans, leaving large sections of the 2027-28 winter season without major operators.
Jul 21, 2026
NCL's Great Stirrup Cay waterpark opens September 4 as the line's Great Tides expansion lands
Norwegian Cruise Line has set a September 4, 2026, opening date for the Great Tides Waterpark at its private Bahamian island, adding a major new draw as the line competes for Caribbean bookings.
Jul 21, 2026
Barcelona fast-tracks cruise passenger tax to €30, skipping a four-year phase-in
Barcelona's city council voted to immediately apply its maximum €24 municipal surcharge on transit cruise passengers, bringing the combined daily per-person total to €30.
Jul 21, 2026
Hero of the Seas confirmed as Royal Caribbean's fourth Icon Class ship, due in 2027
Cruise Critic's confirmed on-order list details Hero of the Seas, plus a fifth unnamed Icon Class vessel and a seventh Oasis Class ship coming by 2028.
Jul 21, 2026
Royal Caribbean eyes a second Galveston terminal to double its Texas presence
A port director says Royal Caribbean has expressed interest in building a new cruise terminal adjacent to its existing Pier 10 facility, which could bring more ships to the Gulf Coast's busiest homeport.
Jul 21, 2026
Disney Cruise Line to nearly triple St. Maarten calls from 3 in 2026 to roughly 14 in 2027
Island officials announced a major expansion of Disney's Caribbean footprint following Disney Destiny's inaugural port call on July 1, signaling a broader fleet-driven itinerary shift.
Jul 12, 2026
Carnival names first Ace Class ship Carnival Destiny, cuts steel in Italy
Carnival officially revealed the name and design philosophy of its next-generation megaship at a steel-cutting ceremony in Monfalcone on July 10.
Jul 12, 2026
Royal Caribbean plans 7 new ships by 2032, including the first Discovery Class
With Legend of the Seas now in service, the line has laid out the most aggressive build program in its history, doubling down on 2028 and 2029 deliveries.
Jul 12, 2026
Norwegian Bliss propulsion fault trims every Alaska port visit for a sixth straight sailing
A propulsion component repair that began in late May is now shortening port times on the July 11 Alaska departure, with Victoria reduced to a technical stop and guests receiving a $100 onboard credit.
Jul 10, 2026
Carnival adds adults-only SEA sailings, reshuffles Firenze and Conquest itineraries
Carnival's expanding SEA adults-only casino cruise program is forcing itinerary changes on two November 2026 sailings, with Carnival Firenze swapping port order in Mexico and Carnival Conquest dropping St. Maarten in favor of St. Thomas.
Jul 10, 2026
Italian court kills environmental permit for Royal Caribbean's €600M Rome port
A Lazio regional court overturned the green-light for a new cruise terminal in Fiumicino on July 3, halting construction until developers secure fresh approvals.
Jul 10, 2026
Royal Caribbean confirms July milestone for Royal Beach Club Lelepa in Vanuatu
Executives aboard Legend of the Seas said the South Pacific beach club project will hit a key development milestone this month, though no specifics were given.
Jul 8, 2026
Legend of the Seas sets sail today as world's largest cruise ship
Royal Caribbean's third Icon-class vessel begins its maiden Mediterranean voyage on July 4, 2026, earlier than originally planned.
Jul 8, 2026
Legend of the Seas sets first passengers free in the Mediterranean
Royal Caribbean's third Icon-class ship kicked off revenue service July 4 from Rome, becoming the world's largest cruise ship in operation.
Jul 8, 2026
Royal Caribbean's Discovery Class ships confirmed for Asia, Alaska, and Europe
CEO Michael Bayley revealed the destination brief for the next new ship class aboard Legend of the Seas, and the Caribbean is not on the list.
Jul 8, 2026
Royal Caribbean eyes a second Icon Class ship in Europe as soon as 2028
Strong early bookings on Legend of the Seas have prompted executives to hint that another Icon may follow to the Mediterranean within two years.
Jul 8, 2026
Man charged with video voyeurism after alleged incident aboard Allure of the Seas
A 25-year-old passenger from Illinois faces three felony counts after Broward County investigators say he used his phone to photograph beneath a 13-year-old girl's dress on a May 31 sailing.
Jun 22, 2026
Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas returns after major Royal Amplified refit
The 2007-built Freedom-class ship is back in service with a new pool deck, 15 restaurants, and added cabins following a spring dry dock.
Jun 22, 2026
Perfect Day Mexico petition tops 5M signatures as Royal Caribbean eyes relocation
A Change.org petition against the already-rejected Mahahual resort keeps growing, and Mexico is now weighing added protections for the site.
Jun 22, 2026
Carnival completes Celebration Key upgrade with expanded beach and new amenities
Carnival unveiled the finished phase of enhancements at its Bahamas private destination on June 17, adding more beach front and guest facilities.
Jun 22, 2026
Royal Caribbean reveals Discovery Class will carry 4,300 passengers, debut in 2029
An SEC filing gives the first concrete numbers for Royal Caribbean's next generation of ships, confirming passenger capacity and delivery dates for a class designed to replace older vessels.
Jun 22, 2026
Royal Caribbean declares $1.50 quarterly dividend payable July 2, and stock climbs 3.8 percent
Royal Caribbean Group's board declared its latest quarterly dividend this week while RCL shares rose nearly 4 percent on June 9, reflecting continued investor confidence in the cruise sector.
Jun 22, 2026
Carnival launches its first-ever President's Cruise and reveals Project Ace steel-cut date
A fan-focused sailing aboard Carnival Magic in February 2027 will double as the line's inaugural President's Cruise, while the next-generation Project Ace ships inch closer to reality.
Jun 22, 2026
Royal Caribbean lays keel for seventh Oasis Class ship, 2028 debut confirmed
Just one day after taking delivery of Legend of the Seas, Royal Caribbean broke ground on yet another future megaship in France.
Jun 22, 2026
NCL opens ticket sales for Great Tides Waterpark, debut set for Sept. 4
Norwegian's new six-acre, 19-slide waterpark at Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas has a firm opening date and day passes are already on sale.
Jun 22, 2026
Royal Caribbean takes delivery of Legend of the Seas, Icon Class No. 3
The world's largest class of cruise ship now has a third member, delivered from Finland and set for a July 4 Mediterranean debut.
Jun 22, 2026
NOAA forecasts below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, good news for Caribbean cruisers
The US weather agency gives a 55 percent probability of a quieter-than-average season driven by El Nino, projecting between eight and fourteen named storms through November 30.
Jun 22, 2026
Royal Caribbean opens Coastal Kitchen to non-suite guests for a fee
Sky and Star Class suite guests can now invite up to four non-suite friends or family members to dine at the previously exclusive Coastal Kitchen restaurant, with meals priced from $15 per person.
Jun 22, 2026
Carnival plans 10-ship Fourth of July celebration with dual coast fireworks gatherings
Seven East Coast ships will converge at Celebration Key and three West Coast ships will position for San Diego's Big Bay Boom in one of the largest coordinated fleet events the line has staged.
Jun 11, 2026
Royal Caribbean opens $137M Seward terminal, Alaska's largest cruise facility
A decade-in-the-making project has finally delivered a new gateway for southcentral Alaska, with Ovation of the Seas the first ship to homeport there.
Jun 11, 2026
Royal Caribbean suspends all Labadee visits through end of 2026
Haiti's ongoing instability has pushed Royal Caribbean to skip its private Haitian resort for a second straight year.
Jun 11, 2026
Carnival plans seven-ship East Coast fleet gathering for America's 250th on July 4
Carnival Cruise Line is assembling the largest coordinated cruise-ship formation in the line's history near Celebration Key for a fireworks display marking the U.S. semiquincentennial.
Jun 9, 2026
Harmony of the Seas makes history as first Oasis-class ship to tender in La Spezia
Royal Caribbean's massive 220,000-ton Oasis-class ship successfully ferried thousands of passengers ashore at an Italian port previously considered off-limits to ships of that size.
Jun 9, 2026
Norwegian Jewel brings cruise service back to Philadelphia for first time in 15 years
NCL's seven-year exclusive deal at the new PhilaPort terminal gives Mid-Atlantic passengers a direct route to Bermuda, though the permanent terminal building is still under construction.
Jun 9, 2026
Royal Caribbean sweeps 2026 travel awards with Star of the Seas leading the way
The cruise line took top honors across multiple major award programs this season, with Star of the Seas named best cruise overall by PureWow and earning a Conde Nast Traveler Hot List spot.
Jun 9, 2026
Royal Caribbean expands travel insurance limits for medical and luggage coverage
Royal Caribbean quietly raised the coverage ceilings on its cruise travel insurance program this week, increasing limits for both medical expenses and lost or delayed baggage across the fleet.
Jun 9, 2026
Disney Cruise trims wine allowance to one bottle fleet-wide starting June 3
A phased policy rollout cuts the onboard alcohol bring-on limit in half and bars corridor decorations, drawing sharp criticism from loyal Disney cruisers.
Jun 4, 2026
Norwegian Viva scraps San Juan season, shifts to Miami over port availability
Nearly three months of Southern Caribbean sailings from Puerto Rico are cancelled as NCL redeploys the Prima-class ship to Bahamas routes from Miami.
Jun 4, 2026
Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas returns from Refit with 68 new cabins
The amplified Freedom-class ship welcomed guests back in Southampton on May 29 before a full summer season in Northern and Western Europe.
Jun 4, 2026
MSC World Asia due in December as MSC's third World-class ship nears delivery
MSC Cruises is set to take delivery of its third World-class megaship later this year, expanding the line's largest and newest class of vessel.
Jun 3, 2026
Carnival rolls out upgraded main dining room menus to three more ships this summer
After a successful pilot on Carnival Magic, the revamped dinner menu including complimentary Beef Wellington expands to Celebration, Venezia, and Dream by early July.
Jun 3, 2026
Carnival switches its loyalty program to a spend-based model starting June 1
VIFP points tied to nights sailed are gone; guests now earn stars based on every dollar spent with the line.
Jun 3, 2026
Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas completes sea trials, debuts July 4
The third Icon-class ship passed its 10-day technical test in Finland and is on track for a Mediterranean launch from Rome on July 4, 2026.
Jun 3, 2026
Royal Caribbean's $821M Perfect Day Mexico plan is dead, for now
Mexico's environmental regulator blocked the 230-acre private destination at Mahahual, forcing Royal Caribbean to pull its permits and look for a new site.
Jun 2, 2026
NCL sets September 4 opening for Great Tides Waterpark at Great Stirrup Cay
Norwegian's nearly six-acre, 19-slide waterpark has an official grand opening date and day passes are now on sale, giving families a concrete target for booking.
Jun 2, 2026
Carnival opens new deep-water pier at Half Moon Cay, ending the tender era
A June 1 ribbon-cutting marks the completion of a $100M-plus overhaul of Carnival's Bahamian private island, letting Excel-class mega-ships dock directly for the first time.
Jun 2, 2026
Carnival data breach exposed personal info of 800,000-plus Texans
An unauthorized user accessed a Carnival Inc. employee account on April 14 and copied personal data; affected customers are being offered two years of free credit monitoring.
Jun 2, 2026