Three Guests Dead as Oceanwide Battles Suspected Virus Outbreak
Oceanwide Expeditions has confirmed three guests have passed away onboard the Hondius which is currently located off the coast of Cape Verde. Media reports said the 174-guest ship is battling a hantavirus outbreak. Information regarding the number of guests and crew aboard was not immediately available. In addition, one passenger is currently being treated in…
Liberty: Disruptive Technology and AI Will Improve Product, Drive Returns
Disruptive Technology and AI will only help drive performance at Royal Caribbean Group, said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, speaking on the company’s first quarter earnings call. “What differentiates us in this space is not access to tools, but the combination of a deep understanding of our guests, a fully integrated digital ecosystem the ability…
Royal Caribbean Reports 2026 Q1 Results, Bookings Recover to Higher Pace
Royal Caribbean Group today reported first quarter Earnings per Share of $3.48 and Adjusted EPS of $3.60. The company said these results were better than the company’s guidance due to more favorable revenue, lower costs, and better performance from joint ventures. During the first quarter, the company returned approximately $1.1 billion to shareholders through $836…
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…
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…
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 Orders Icon Class 6 and 7
Royal Caribbean Group today announced it has confirmed with Meyer Turku the order of a sixth and seventh Icon Class ship to be delivered in 2029 and 2030, respectively. The order is part of the company’s long-term framework agreement with Meyer Turku that secures the Group’s access to shipbuilding capacity through 2036 and includes the…
Costa Deliziosa to Visit 29 Countries on 2028 World Cruise
Costa Cruises has unveiled its World Cruise 2028, a 139-day journey across five continents and three oceans aboard the Costa Deliziosa. Setting sail from Savona on November 25, 2027, the ship will call at 51 destinations in 29 countries, including 21 islands, before returning to Savona on April 11, 2028. In a press release, the cruise line described the journey as blending major global cities, unspoiled nature, ancient cultures and remote ports. “With…
Key Cruise Ship Drydocks in April
Cruise Industry News looks into some of the key drydock projects that are happening around the world in April. Harmony of the Seas Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean International Capacity: 5,558 guests Tonnage: 227,625 Year built: 2016 Drydock Period: Apr. 3 to May 21, 2026 Shipyard: Navantia (Cádiz, Spain) The Harmony of the Seas is currently…
Carnival Names Galveston Home for New Ship Tropicale, Arriving 2028
Carnival Cruise Line’s fifth Excel-class ship, the Carnival Tropicale, will homeport in Galveston after its delivery in 2028. It will join the Carnival Jubilee – which started service in Galveston in 2024 – making Galveston home to two of the three newest ships in the cruise line’s fleet. In a press release, Carnival said the…
Disney Extends San Diego Homeport Deal Through 2031
Disney Cruise Line has extended its homeport partnership with the Port of San Diego through at least 2031, according to a statement. This is expected to double the number of Disney cruises out of the city each year, with more than one million Disney passengers expected to pass through the Port in this timeframe. “San…
Full Fleet, Full World: Hapag-Lloyd Extends Bilingual Service to All Five Ships
“The most important news is that we are bilingual now, every ship,” said Lisa Wilken, head of luxury at Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. “Since January, the three expedition vessels and the two Europa ships, are fully bilingual. Especially now on the Europa, we are getting more international clients.” The 135-year-old company, which helped pioneer leisure cruising, had…
Oceania Nautica To Be Reborn as Oceania Aurelia
The Oceania Nautica is set to be reimagined as the Oceania Aurelia, Oceania Cruises said in a press release, describing the ship as the ultimate explorer. Having completed 25 years of operation last year, the ship will be transformed under the OceaniaNEXT program and is scheduled to come into service in late 2027. It is…
Grupo Vidanta Takes Its Resort Formula to Sea With the 216-Guest Elegant
Grupo Vidanta, the Mexican luxury resort operator, has entered the cruise business as the 216- guest Elegant has launched operations in the Mediterranean, where it will sail offering a luxury yacht-like product through the fall. Ivan Chavez, executive vice president of Grupo Vidanta, told Cruise Industry News they approached the ship they bought as if…
Port Canaveral’s New Terminal Will Be for Everyone and No One in Particular
Every major cruise line operating from Florida’s Space Coast wants the same thing: more space at Port Canaveral. And Captain John Murray, the port’s CEO, has a clear answer for all of them. “Everybody wants the new terminal,” Murray said, speaking with Cruise Industry News. “And I refer to it as a non denominational terminal….