Carnival Cruise Line to Return to South America After 14 Years
The recently announced deployment for the Carnival Firenze in 2026-27 will mark Carnival Cruise Line’s return to South America following a 14-year gap. As part of a repositioning cruise to Miami, the Firenze is set to offer three sailings in the region, visiting destinations in Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. Currently sailing from…
Royal Caribbean to Add Nearly 100 New Staterooms to Harmony
Royal Caribbean International is adding a significant number of staterooms to the Harmony of the Seas during its Royal Amplified refit. Cruise Industry News estimates that the 2016-built ship will resume service next May with over 91 additional cabins. Most of the new staterooms will be added to the area which is now the ship’s…
Aroya Transits Suez Canal on Way Back to Red Sea
The Aroya completed a full transit of the Suez Canal earlier this week with over 2,300 guests and 1,500 crew members onboard. According to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), the operation was part of its “efforts to enhance the Suez Canal’s status as a central hub for maritime tourism and logistics services.” As Head of…
Carnival Legend Launches Hawaii Series, Freedom Moves to Norfolk
Carnival Cruise Line has announced plans for three homeports as it opened new sailings in Long Beach, Norfolk and Baltimore. With seasonal cruises on the Carnival Legend in Long Beach, Carnival will launch its first-ever dedicated series of Hawaii cruises. Carnival is also repositioning the Carnival Freedom to Norfolk and extending the Carnival Pride’s year-round…
Cunard Reveals Exclusive Offerings for Queen Elizabeth’s Caribbean Season
Cunard will offer an exclusive lineup of entertainment and gastronomy experiences for Queen Elizabeth’s maiden deployment in the Caribbean. According to the company, the new program of offerings will be available on select voyages of the 2025-26 season in the region. These include a lineup of culinary experiences, alongside nearly 120 limited-time theatrical performances. “At…
Celebrity Xcel Successfully Completes Sea Trials
The Celebrity Xcel has reached a major milestone after completing its first set of sea trials, Celebrity Cruises announced in a press release. Currently in the final stages of construction at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard, the Celebrity Xcel finished the tests on Sep. 13, 2025. With Captain “Kirk” Kyriakos Matragkas at the helm, the…
Cruise Executives Evaluate Investments in the Brazilian Market
The Brazilian cruise market could be poised for further growth following the 2025-26 season, when capacity is projected to be down based on published deployment. Speaking at an industry gathering in Brasília earlier this month, executives from major brands said they are currently evaluating further investments in the country. The national market, however, is plagued…
AIDA Shows Off 3D Virtual Tours of Crew Areas
AIDA Cruises is now offering a glimpse of its crew areas through a series of 3D virtual tours created in partnership with Liquid Ambient. According to a report by Crew Center, the 360º views give seafarers and future employees a behind-the-scenes look at life onboard. The tours allow potential crew members to explore crew areas,…
Ponant Launches New Yachting Brand and New Vessel
Ponant Explorations Group is introducing a new commercial brand for its yacht operations, Ponant Yachting. According to a press release, the launch showcases the Group’s expertise in crafting ultra-intimate experiences, combining sailing, sophistication and bespoke service. The company is also adding to its fleet with the order of a new catamaran, which will be called…
Aroya Completes Maiden Season in the Mediterranean
Aroya Cruises is completing its inaugural season in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Greek Isles later this week. Debuting in the region in late June, the Arabian company has been offering a series of seven-night cruises to Türkiye, Greece and Egypt. Sailing onboard the company’s flagship, the Aroya, the itineraries departed from Istanbul’s Galataport Cruise…
Explora Reveals 2027-28 Sailings, Asia Debut and Explora V Launch
Explora Journeys has unveiled its 2027-28 sailing program, including its Asia debut, to be operated by the Explora III, as well as the launch of the Explora V in the Mediterranean Sea before it heads to the Middle East. The company will offer up to 100 sailings to nearly 200 destinations in 59 different countries…
AIDA Cruises Progresses with Shore Power and Biofuels
AIDA Cruises announced that in the first half of 2025, the company used more than 3,300 tons of bio-LNG for the AIDAnova and that its ships had connected to shore power more than 250 times by the end of August 2025. After an initial test in 2024, AIDA Cruises sourced more than 3,300 tons of…
Priority Access for Celebrity River Cruises Sells Out in Minutes
Celebrity Cruises said that priority booking access for its newly announced river cruises sold out in just six minutes. According to the company, the product experienced “unprecedented demand” and sold out just minutes after opening for bookings on the morning of Sep. 3, 2025. Priority access allows guests the first chance to book Celebrity’s new…
MSC Brings Gastronomic Experiences to Italian Grand Prix
MSC Cruises announced in a press release that it brought a taste of its gastronomy trackside at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix at the Monza circuit. The cruise line, which is a premium partner of the BWT Alpine Formula One Team, said that three of its award-winning chefs brought flavors from Eataly, Kaito Sushi and…
The World Completes $30 Million Drydock
The World, Residences at Sea has successfully completed a comprehensive drydock at the Navantia Shipyard in Cádiz, Spain. According to a press release, the refurbishment was the largest ever carried out onboard the vessel, which serves as a privately owned residential ship. The World said that the refit “ushers in a new era of environmentally…