Crystal Cruises: Setting the F&B Benchmark
“Dining aboard our ships is immersive, elegant and deeply personal,” Günter Lorenz, vice president of food and beverage at Crystal Cruises, told Cruise Industry News. “We offer fine dining without formality, indulgence without excess and service delivered with intuitive warmth. Each venue offers its own identity, yet all share the same commitment to quality, precision…
Royal Caribbean: One Icon-Class Ship a Year Appears to be the Plan
Royal Caribbean International’s Icon-class debuted in 2024 with the Icon of the Seas, which was followed by the Star of the Seas in 2025. The Legend of the Seas debuts this summer as it launches service in the Mediterranean before heading to the Caribbean. The fourth Icon-class vessel, Hero of the Seas, is slated for…
Royal Caribbean Welcomes Guests to Its First European Beach Club
Royal Caribbean has welcomed guests to Royal Beach Club Santorini in Greece. According to a press release, this is the first Royal Beach Club to open in Europe. As previously reported, the club will welcome vacationers from Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises. The club is visited as part of the Ultimate Santorini Day, a full-day…
Atlas Ocean: Expedition Expansion and Hardware Innovation
Atlas Ocean Voyages is pushing the boundaries of expedition cruising with the introduction of the industry’s first ice-class luxury sailing yacht, according to Chief Executive Officer James Rodriguez. The company is also strategically expanding its deployment starting in 2028, he added, noting that technical innovation and respect for the environment are what drive the brand’s…
Carnival Adjusts 2026 Itineraries for Venezia
Carnival Cruise Line is adjusting two itineraries aboard the Carnival Venezia, which is offering cruises to the Caribbean departing from Port Canaveral. According to a statement sent to booked guests, the vessel’s present itinerary was changed to drop a planned visit to Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos. Instead of visiting the destination, the Venezia will…
Lindblad Schedules 2026 Q1 Financial Results Call
Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. will report 2026 first quarter financial results before the market opens on Tuesday May 5, 2026. A conference call to discuss the results will follow at 9:00 am Eastern Time, the company said in a press release. The earnings release and a live audio webcast of the call will be available…
World Odyssey Enters Drydock Ahead of Farewell Season for Phoenix Reisen
The World Odyssey is currently undergoing a drydock ahead of kicking off its farewell season for Phoenix Reisen. Following the completion of its spring world cruise for Semester at Sea, the 1998-built vessel arrived at a shipyard in Germany in mid-April. Preparations include a change of livery, as well as the renaming of the vessel,…
Upgraded Rotterdam Back from Drydock
Holland America Line’s Rotterdam is back in service after a two-week drydock in The Netherlands. The first guests got to see the enhancements firsthand on April 26, and the Rotterdam now resumes its seven-day summer itineraries throughout Northern Europe. According to a statement, one of the areas that was refurbished is live music venues. Billboard…
Royal ONE Tri-Branded Credit Cards Launch Today
Royal Caribbean Group has announced in a statement that its credit cards developed in collaboration with the Bank of America are available for application starting April 28. As previously reported, the Royal ONE and Royal ONE Plus cards are meant to simplify how travelers earn and redeem rewards across the company’s brands: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea. The Royal ONE Credit Card is available…
For Emerald and Scenic, the View Keeps Getting Better
A rising tide raises all ships, the old saying goes. Scenic Group’s Managing Director Ken Muskat certainly sees the rapidly expanding luxury expedition cruising market that way. While the increase in high-end small-ship tonnage injects competition into the sector, it also amplifies what Scenic does better than any other, Muskat told Cruise Industry News. “I…
Meyer Turku to Build New Headquarters
Meyer Turku will build a new headquarters in the Blue Industry Park area near the shipyard, according to a press release. The project is valued at approximately 40 million euros and forms part of the company’s investment program. “This office building is a long-term strategic investment for us and a concrete way to modernize and…
Rare Aurora Display Captured by Hurtigruten in Norway
Pulsating Northern Lights were captured during a sailing aboard the Trollfjord over northern Norway in a rarely witnessed event, Hurtigruten said in a press release. The footage was captured by the company’s Chief Aurora Chaser, Tom Kerss, on February 22, 2026, but was discovered in April when he was reviewing video content at the end of the aurora season. According to the cruise line, the unusually powerful display of pulsating Northern Lights is one of the longest…
Victory Cruise Lines Building on Domestic Demand
“Our guests want to stay a little bit closer to home. It’s a perfect year with America’s 250th to explore home,” said John Waggoner, founder and chairman at Victory Cruise Lines. The company has its two ships on the Great Lakes this summer and is pushing the season longer into the fall. In addition are…
Royal Caribbean Introduces $30 Fee for Early Guarantee Cabin Assignments
Guests who book Royal Caribbean International’s guarantee cabins will be able to pay a fee to have their staterooms assigned earlier. According to guest reports, the initiative is part of the limited-time “Early Access” pilot program that was launched in late April. The company is reportedly charging a $30 fee per cabin for passengers who…
Celestyal Ships Return to the Mediterranean
Celestyal Cruises confirmed that its two ships have now returned to the Mediterranean ahead of welcoming guests back in Greece. After spending nearly two months stranded in the Persian Gulf due to conflicts in the region, the vessels were able to start repositioning voyages to Europe in late April. “We are delighted to share that…