Cruise News Update: Further Suspensions, Private Destination, Dirty
Buckle up for this week’s exciting news recap from Cruise Hive. Read on to find out how pier runners reacted to missing their ship, learn what Royal Caribbean has planned for its new Perfect Day Mexico destination, and get the scoop on a new ship for Margaritaville at Sea.
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Port Calls to Labadee Are Suspended For Even Longer
Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private destination on the northern coast of Haiti, is again off-limits to cruise ships, this time at least through mid-summer due to the country’s ongoing civil unrest and gang activity.
Even though the private enclave at Labadee is 90 miles from the embattled capital city of Port-au-Prince and has its own security system, Royal Caribbean is extending the suspension of visits to the destination.
The cruise line has notified guests booked to sail on Oasis of the Seas’ July 20, 2025 Western Caribbean voyage that Labadee is off the itinerary. The ship will swap the destination for a day at sea and add a call to Nassau.
Other ships slated to call at Labadee in July were Adventure of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas — both itineraries have been altered to avoid the visit.
The US Department of State has a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory for all of Haiti. Calls to Labadee were originally cancelled from March to September 2024.
They resumed in October of that year, but by April 2025, some calls were cancelled as gang violence and political unrest increased.
Pier Runners Get Sympathy But Not Reimbursement
Carnival Cruise Line has plenty of sympathy for guests who arrive at the pier late and miss a ship’s departure, but the feeling does not extend to reimbursing expenses to those unlucky cruisers, who must make their own way to the next port of call.
That’s the upshot from the line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, who responded to a guest’s inquiry on his popular Facebook page, where he interacts with guests and often handles tough topics.
The so-called pier runners, in this case, missed their ship in Costa Maya because the clock in the Jeep they rented was set to local time, not ship’s time. They arrived back at the port too late to board the vessel.
The couple had to pay for a hotel and then a ferry ride to the next port, Cozumel. They wanted Heald to know they didn’t appreciate that, nor did they like the jeers from guests who were watching from the ship’s balconies and decks.
Heald sympathized with the couple, but said there is no way the cruise line will reimburse them. As to the jeering, well, Heald admits that’s unkind, but the line is unable to stop people from reacting to pier runners.
Virgin Voyages Apologizes for Delayed Debarkation
Virgin Voyages is sorry, very sorry indeed, for the debarkation delays that annoyed guests sailing on Resilient Lady’s recent cruise roundtrip from Athens.
There had been a gastrointestinal bug that affected an unknown number of people on the cruise, and authorities in Athens required that all guests with symptoms of the illness debark first. They also required that all guests wear masks while leaving the ship and going through port entry procedures — as an added precaution.
These rules delayed disembarkation, and many guests later contacted the cruise line to complain about the process. They also were frustrated by the lack of communication by ship management during the disembarkation, some of them posted on social media.
Virgin Voyages soon issued an email apology to guests, saying the cruise line was deeply sorry for the debacle and that protocols would be reviewed to avoid similar problems in the future.
The line also acknowledged that communication from ship officials should have been better. It did not offer any compensation for the chaotic debarkation, but based on the social media posts, guests appeared satisfied with the cruise line’s apology.
Carnival Miracle Makes Up For Cabin’s Dirty Condition
A couple sailing for the first time with Carnival Cruise Line boarded Carnival Miracle in Lisbon on May 11, 2025 only to find dirty — make that abhorrent — conditions, inside their cabin.
The cruisers took to Facebook to complain about the mess, which included seriously disgusting sights such as mold in a soap dish, sticky surfaces, hairs on a table, unknown stains on a luggage mat, and what appeared to be feces under the toilet seat, among other atrocities.
Commenters on the social media site suggested the couple contact guest services to complain, and so they did. Staff and management arrived to inspect the cabin and were appalled at the state of the accommodation.
They acknowledged the unseemly condition of the cabin and vowed to make good on it, and so they did. The aggrieved guests were moved to a different stateroom, a very clean one, and were refunded their entire cruise fare.
So the couple was pleased with Carnival Cruise Line’s reaction and went on to enjoy their voyage, which concludes in Dover, England, on May 18, 2025.
Royal Caribbean Offers Peek Into Perfect Day Mexico
Royal Caribbean has revealed enticing details about its new Perfect Day Mexico destination, a private, 200-acre coastal paradise near Costa Maya, Mexico.
Scheduled to open in fall 2027, Perfect Day Mexico promises to feature lots of record-breaking activities, such as the Loco Waterpark, with the tallest waterslides in North and South America, and Splash Cove, the longest lazy river in the world.
Seven themed neighborhoods will provide experiences for guests of all ages and abilities. The destination will have 10 pools, with the largest coming in at 100,000 square feet. An adult-only area, Dl Hideaway, will have a swim-up bar and in-pool DJ.
Those looking for a luxury atmosphere can indulge in the Costa Beach Club, which will sport a heated infinity pool, private cabanas, and a private beach.
Twenty-four bars will offer exotic drinks to guests, while several dining venues will range from casual restaurants to sit-down experiences.
The Mexican development will be Royal Caribbean’s second Perfect Day destination, following its wildly popular Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas.
‘Poop Cruise’ Documentary to Air in June
Who can forget the story of the famous “poop cruise,” the 4-day voyage that turned into a nightmare when an engine room fire left Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Triumph without power?
If anyone has forgotten, they can relive the whole mess by watching an episode of “Trainwreck,” a Netflix documentary anthology that recaps some of the world’s most notorious incidents.
The anthology’s episodes begin on June 10, 2025, and the “Poop Cruise” episode is slated to air on June 24, 2025.
It will tell the story from the perspectives of guests who were stranded on the ship with no propulsion, air conditioning, refrigeration for food, bathroom facilities, and other necessary services.
Carnival Triumph was sailing from Galveston on February 7, 2013 to the Western Caribbean, with one port call at Cozumel, Mexico, when the fire caused damage that basically left the ship adrift.
Other Carnival Cruise Line ships in the area delivered food and water to Carnival Triumph, but it wasn’t until emergency electrical generators began working that the ship was able to return to port after several challenging days at sea.
Margaritaville Cruise Line Buying Another Costa Ship
Margaritaville Cruise Line will soon expand to a three-ship fleet following the planned purchase of Costa Cruises’ Costa Fortuna.
Starting in 2026, the 2,700-guest Costa Fortuna will join the line’s two existing ships, the 2,650-guest Islander and the 1,680-guest Paradise.
Both of those ships previously sailed for Costa Cruises, too, as Costa Atlantica and Costa Classica, respectively.
The Margaritaville at Sea brand, inspired by Jimmy Buffett’s laid-back, island vibe, has not disclosed the new name of Costa Fortuna, but the cruise line plans to renovate the 22-year-old ship, adding the decor and public spaces that reflect the tropical Margaritaville theme.
The ship will join the fleet in September of 2026 and enter dry dock later that year. For its part, Costa Cruises had announced on May 9, 2025 that Costa Fortuna, which is its longest-serving ship, would be transferred to a new owner in 2026.
More Cruise Headlines
Cruise Hive has plenty more stories about happenings across the global cruise community, so check out our exciting coverage of Princess Cruises adding a third ship to its solar eclipse-focused voyages in 2026, Royal Caribbean deploying Navigator of the Seas to Singapore in 2026, and another viral outbreak impacting a cruise ship, this time a luxury vessel.
Also, a Disney Cruise Line ship experiencing a computer glitch that delayed embarkation; and a big storm causing flooding aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship after it departed PortMiami.
Cruise News Update: Further Suspensions, Private Destination, Dirty