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….
Royal Caribbean’s Legend Starts Sea Trials
Royal Caribbean International’s new Legend of the Seas recently sailed from the Meyer Turku shipyard for its first set of sea trials. According to an update shared by the company, the LNG-powered vessel will spend the next 10 days at sea undergoing a series of real-world tests. The company said that the trials will push…
When the Middle East Ships Are Resuming Service
With the Strait of Hormuz now reopened for maritime traffic, the six cruise ships that were stranded in the region are expected to resume service soon. MSC Euribia Cruise Line: MSC Cruises Status: Repositioning to Europe Next Scheduled Cruise Departure: May 16, 2026, from Kiel, Germany Upcoming Itineraries: Northern Europe and Scandinavia Currently on its…
MSC Euribia Out of Dubai and Heading to Northern Europe for May 16 Start
MSC Cruises has confirmed that the MSC Euribia has departed Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, has safely transited the Strait of Hormuz and is now en route to Northern Europe. The passage was completed in close coordination with the relevant authorities, the company said. The Euribia is on course to resume her Northern Europe season, and…
Different Strategies Expected to Move Cruise Ships Out of Gulf
Four cruise operators with ships stranded in the Persian Gulf have brought them down to minimum crew manning and are expected to begin repositioning them to Europe following news that the Strait of Hormuz is open. Each operator is expected to employ a different strategy to move the ships out of the region with minimal…
Princess Newbuilds Push Orderbook to 2039 and 82 Ships
Three Princess newbuilds ordered at Fincantieri have pushed the global cruise ship orderbook out to 2039, with the total now standing at 82 cruise ships on order. The trio of 4,700-guest ships ordered on Wednesday will be the largest Princess ships to date and be 183,000 tons each, with deliveries slated for 2035, 2038 and…
Princess Cruises Orders Three New Ships
Princess Cruises today announced three new shipbuilding agreements with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri to build three new cruise ships on a next-generation platform, according to a statement. The LNG-powered newbuilds are slated to be delivered in late 2035, 2038 and 2039, respectively. “The Voyager class will delight both our loyal guests and attract the next generation…
State of Cruise Industry 2026: Record Demand Despite Temporary Challenges
Leaders from the top four cruise conglomerates, Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and MSC Group’s Cruise Division, gathered in Miami Beach on Tuesday morning to discuss the state of the global cruise business. “Nobody asks us about (fuel) hedging when the price is low. The starting point is fuel is something…
Cruise Industry News Spring 2026 Magazine Out Now
The 2026 spring issue of the Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine focuses on itinerary planning, food and beverage, the luxury market segment, expedition cruises, operations and future forecasts for the largest publicly traded cruise companies. The Cruise Industry News editorial team has produced exclusive insight into the itinerary planning process of 35 different cruise lines,…
Cruise Industry 10-Year Timeline: 50+ Million Guests, 20% Growth
The global cruise business is on course to grow at least 20 percent between 2026 and 2036, with big new ships driving growth to an estimated 50 million guests, according to the 2026 Cruise Industry News Annual Report. That is compared to just over 23 million guests 10 years ago, and an estimated 39 million…
HX Expeditions Reports Record Antarctica Season
HX Expeditions announced that its October 2025 to March 2026 Antarctica season has been the company’s most successful on record, according to a press release. “This has been an extraordinary season, not only in terms of guest numbers and satisfaction, but in the depth of scientific engagement and responsible travel practices,” said Gebhard Rainer, chief…