Wartsila Planning New Capacity Expansion at Vaasa Hub
Wärtsilä plans to additionally expand the technical production capacity at its Sustainable Technology Hub (STH) in Vaasa, Finland, and across its associated global supply chain. In a press release, the company said it would spend around €90 million to increase the hub’s capacity by 30 percent, with the start of operations scheduled for the first…
Viking Mira Delivered at Ancona
Fincantieri and Viking have celebrated the delivery of the Viking Mira at the Ancona shipyard. The ceremony was attended by Jeff Dash, executive vice president and head of business development at Viking, as well as Giorgio Gomiero, senior vice president of operations at Fincantieri and Gilberto Tobaldi, director of the Ancona Shipyard. With a gross…
Refreshed Carnival Magic Resumes Miami Sailings
The Carnival Magic has returned from a 35-day drydock at the Grand Bahama Shipyard, Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement. The ship is now resuming sailing from Miami, offering cruises to destinations across the Caribbean and The Bahamas. As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, the ship entered drydock on April 19, 2026. Several spaces onboard have been updated, including the casino and arcade, paired…
Filip Hermann Named Polar Latitudes CEO
Filip Werne Hermann has been appointed as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of Polar Latitudes Expeditions. He will succeed former CEO Patrick Shaw, who passed away suddenly earlier this year. His appointment will be effective August 1, 2026, according to a statement. “Speaking for all of us on the board of Directors, I first…
30 Years of Service for Marella Discovery
The Marella Discovery recently completed its 30th year of service after debuting for Royal Caribbean International in the mid-1990s. Originally built for the U.S.-based brand as the Splendour of the Seas, the ship was delivered by the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard on March 15, 1996. As a sister to the 1995-built Legend of the Seas,…
Storylines Secures $500M Guarantee; Second Shipyard, Refunds in Focus
Storylines is nearing the completion of a restructuring and recapitalization process that has secured the company access to a $500 million cash-backed bank guarantee, according to CEO and Co-Founder Alister Punton who also addressed pending resident refunds in a video update and confirmed the company is working with a secondary shipyard as a future-proofing and…
Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas Completes 25 Years of Service
The Radiance of the Seas recently completed 25 years of service for Royal Caribbean International after embarking on its maiden voyage on April 7, 2001. As the prototype ship in the company’s Radiance class, the 90,000-ton ship was built by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. After being delivered in late March, the vessel…
Cruise Industry News: 50 Million Guests Annually
The global cruise fleet is set to grow to around at least 540 ships by 2037, from a fleet of 459 ships at the start of 2026, according to the 2026 Cruise Industry News Annual Report. That also means that the passenger capacity grows from about 36 million at the start of this year to…
MSC Cruises Raises Service Charges in North America
MSC Cruises recently raised the hotel service charges for its ships sailing in North America, according to a statement sent to guests. The changes took effect on May 11, 2026. Passengers who are aged 2 years or older and sail in standard staterooms will now pay $17 per person per day. MSC said that the…
Industry Event Examines Shifting Weather’s Impact on Med Navigation
“The New Weather Character of the Mediterranean Sea,” an event dedicated to the impact of severe weather phenomena on maritime operations, was recently hosted by Navimeteo and Vaisala Xweather. Professionals from the shipping, cruise, yachting, meteorological and port operations sectors gathered for the event held on May 14, live at the Grand Hotel Torre Fara in Chiavari, Italy, and via live…
Ambassador Renews ORCA Partnership for 2028–29
Ambassador Cruise Line has renewed its partnership with marine conservation charity ORCA for a sixth consecutive season for 2028–29. Two ORCA Ocean Conservationists will join each sailing to collect data to support the charity’s efforts in protecting marine animals while delivering workshops and lectures for guests onboard, during 22 no-fly itineraries between April 23, 2028,…
Qingdao City Plans to Build a 30,000-ton Coastal Cruise Ship
The coastal city of Qingdao has taken a significant step towards building its first domestically developed coastal cruise ship, with a key bid out for design review services. Qingdao Marine Tourism Development Co., Ltd. publicly invited bids for a design review service provider for its “near-sea comprehensive luxury sightseeing large cruise ship (small cruise ship)”…
MSC Magnifica to Start Northern Europe Season with Yacht Club
The MSC Magnifica will soon kick off its summer season in Northern Europe, marking the official opening of its MSC Yacht Club. Added to the ship during a refit in late 2025, the suite enclave offers 63 suites, in addition to private areas that include a restaurant and lounge. Building on the concept of ship-within-a-ship,…
Silversea Reveals 2027 Venetian Society Reunion Voyage
Silversea will sail its Venetian Society Reunion Voyage in 2027, the cruise line said in a press release. The seven‑day voyage aboard the Silver Dawn will sail from Copenhagen to Southampton on September 3, 2027, featuring special experiences and onboard events. The cruise’s itinerary is selected by the members of the Venetian Society loyalty program, which is set to get an upgrade starting July 1, and hosted by…
A Closer Look at Regent’s New 2028-29 Voyage Collection
Cruise Industry News takes a closer look at the highlights of Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ recently announced 2028-29 voyage collection. Africa & Arabia with the Seven Seas Explorer The Seven Seas Explorer will visit Africa and Arabia for the first time during the 2028-29 season, with three voyages ranging from 14 to 23 nights. Regent…