Key Aspects: Multiple river cruise lines are alerting guests to itinerary changes, ship swaps, and even cancellations due to low water levels. The Danube and Rhine Rivers are most impacted by ongoing drought and heat waves. Cruise lines are monitoring river conditions closely and will update guests as needed if their sailings are impacted. Exceptionally
Key Aspects: A cruise guest lost his swim trunks while riding the FlowRider Surf Simulator onboard Quantum of the Seas. Rather than hiding in shame, the guest is embracing the wipeout with a sense of humor. Royal Caribbean advises guests to wear well-fitting swimwear to ensure their bathing suits can withstand the water pressure. Wipeouts
Key Aspects: Marella Cruises has begun requesting that guests not participate in the cruising ducks phenomenon onboard its ships. The request for no ducks is printed in the daily onboard newsletters for at least two ships in the Marella fleet. Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean also have restrictions on cruise ducks, but other cruise
Key Aspects: Wilderness Legacy offered aid to a stranded skiff that ran out of fuel in southeastern Alaska on August 3. The cruise ship towed the smaller boat several miles to a safe anchorage and provided supplementary fuel. The luxury yacht Launchpad owned by Mark Zuckerberg was closer to the skiff but failed to respond
Key Aspects: The Port of Fira in Santorini has resumed normal operations after a temporary closure. A wall bordering the famous Karavolades Stairs collapsed, making the pathway from the port to the city of Fira inaccessible. Cruise operations were relocated to the ferry port of Athinios while the stepped path was closed. Things are getting
Key Aspects: MSC Musica rescued 8 men from a single-outboard craft roughly 16 miles east of Ibiza on Friday, July 31, 2026. A lifeboat was quickly launched and the men were brought aboard the cruise ship and later delivered to local authorities. The men were reportedly from North Africa, but no further details on their
Key Aspects: Cruise passengers have noticed a broken glass panel in the AquaDome onboard Legend of the Seas. The discovery comes just over a month after the new Icon-class ship entered service. Interestingly, a nearly identical panel broke in the AquaDome onboard Star of the Seas in May. Newcomers often like to “break the ice,”
Key Aspects: A unique behind-the-scenes update on Carnival Festivale‘s construction has been shared from the Meyer Werft shipyard. The ship’s azimuth thruster pods are now installed, but there are no propellers in place yet. Ongoing construction updates give cruise guests a look at the new ship and build excitement for her May 2027 debut. The
Key Aspects: MSC Grandiosa had a false overboard alarm early Thursday night, August 6, 2026 on her way to Palma de Mallorca. The ship immediately began search operations and a full headcount of all guests and crew members. It was ultimately determined to be a false alarm and the ship resumed sailing with no itinerary
Key Aspects: Legend of the Seas has cancelled its visit to Naples, Italy, for the second time across two back-to-back sailings. The Icon-class ship is reportedly unable to dock due to damage to port infrastructure. Instead, the Royal Caribbean ship is swapping in Marseille, France, as a replacement port. For the second sailing in a
Key Aspects: Port Canaveral’s expansion and renovation of Cruise Terminal 10 has begun and should be finished by November 2027. The project will expand screening areas, update interiors and equipment, and enlarge the overall square footage by nearly 30%. Multiple cruise lines use Cruise Terminal 10, including Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Royal Caribbean.
Key Aspects: Carnival Cruise Line has appointed its first-ever female Staff Captain. Italian native Daniela Gargiulo will serve under Captain Francesco Bencivenga on Carnival Adventure. Her appointment represents a growing shift towards more equitable gender diversity in the cruise industry. Carnival Cruise Line is celebrating a historic maritime milestone. On August 5, 2026, the cruise
