Cruise News Roundup: Disney’s Iron Man Godfather, Carnival Safety Cancellations, and More
It’s been another hectic week for news across the cruise industry, and Cruise Hive has it all covered. In this week’s recap, some of our top stories include Carnival Cruise Line cancelling some Mexico shore excursions due to safety issues; Disney Cruise Line naming Robert Downey Jr. as godfather to Disney Adventure; and Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Infinity sailing as planned following earlier issues with power outages.
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Regal Princess Rescues Four Off Yucatan Peninsula
It started as a relaxing day at sea aboard Princess Cruises’ Regal Princess on February 23, 2026, but soon turned into a rescue operation in the waters north of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
The event unfolded when guests and crew noticed a rowboat with four men inside, bailing out water. The boat had a makeshift sail and was clearly in distress.
Regal Princess quickly altered her route to come to the aid of the sailors, who were likely refugees. The northeastern coast of the Yucatan is about 150 miles from Cuba.
The men in the small, rusty boat were able to maneuver their vessel alongside Regal Princess and then board the cruise ship. At the time of the rescue, the cruise ship was roughly 150 miles north of Progresso, Mexico.
Regal Princess was sailing a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise roundtrip from Galveston when she came upon the sinking boat. The ship had departed from the Texas port on February 22, and her itinerary included an overnight at Cozumel, Mexico, on February 24.
That is likely where the four sailors were handed over to local authorities. The identities of the refugees are unknown. It is also unclear whether they were fleeing Mexico after the February 22 death of Mexican cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera. (See the next news brief for more on that.)
Safety First: Line Cancels Excursions to Mainland Mexico
Carnival Cruise Line drew a line in the sand this week when it comes to guest safety. The line has cancelled shore excursions to mainland Mexico from ships that are calling at Cozumel.
It’s all tied to the February 22, 2026, death of Mexican cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, and any possible ramifications that might stem from that event.
Among the ships that called at Cozumel this week was Carnival Jubilee, which homeports at Galveston, Texas. Guests onboard the ship posted on social media that the ship was calling at the destination as planned on February 23.
But their shoreside experiences were altered, as excursions were cancelled and refunded by the line. Nixed tours included mainland trips to the Mayan ruins at Tulum, for instance, as well as zip lining at Xplor Park.
Excursions happening on the island of Cozumel were continuing as scheduled.
The death of Oseguera has ignited violence in some Mexican Riviera destinations, causing some cruise ships to avoid the Pacific coast region, but the changes to Cozumel excursions is the first cruise line action taken on the Caribbean side of Mexico.
MSC Cruises to Roll Out Pioneering Robot Experiences
Interactions with robotic dogs and humanoids on a cruise ship? Yes, indeed, such experiences are coming soon to MSC Cruises, which is in the process of enhancing its entertainment programming with some very high-tech roll-outs.
The line’s robot program will debut first on two ships. The robot dogs, powered by AI and created by Unitree Robotics, are in testing stages on MSC Bellissima and will be introduced on MSC Magnifica during that ship’s 2026 world cruise.
There will be robot meet-and-greets, robot-themed parades, and interactive workshops — all industry-first experiences.
Along with the robotics additions, MSC Cruises announced lots of other entertainment upgrades across the fleet. New game shows include Chart Toppers, a music competition, and Quiz O’Clock, a new trivia-style game.
The line’s popular LEGO Parade will expand to 14 ships; MSC Meraviglia will feature the lively flamenco show called “Paz,” and MSC Seascape will add an American country band performance and a dueling piano experience.
A New Disney Role For Robert Downey Jr.
American actor and longtime Disney movie star Robert Downey Jr. was named godfather of Disney Cruise Line’s new Disney Adventure.
Downey is a major Marvel character (Disney owns Marvel), having starred as Iron Man in the three “Iron Man” movies plus the Avengers films, “Captain America: Civil War,” and “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”
He was named a Disney Legend in 2019, and soon he will oversee the christening of Disney Adventure, which is soon to begin cruising in Asia.
In fact, the 6,700-guest mega-ship, the largest in the cruise line’s fleet, will introduce Marvel Landing, featuring three thrill rides, including Ironcycle Test Run, inspired by “Iron Man.” At 820 feet, Ironcycle will be the longest rollercoaster at sea.
Other Marvel Landing thrill rides include Pym Quantum Racers, a car chase-inspired adventure around a track, and Groot Galaxy Spin, featuring vehicles that spin, lift, and drop.
Disney Adventure is scheduled to begin sailing short getaway cruises roundtrip from Singapore on March 5, 2026.
Celebrity Infinity Back at Sea After Power Issue
Guests booked on Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Infinity’s February 27, 2026, cruise got some great news: The ship’s technical problem was solved, and the voyage is happening as scheduled.
The 90,940-gross-ton vessel has had issues in recent weeks with power outages that affected air conditioning, WiFi, bathroom operations, and more, prompting one cruise to be cut short and the next to be cancelled.
The ship will sail as planned from Athens on her 10-night voyage with calls at Nafplion, Heraklion, Rhodes, Kavala, Thessaloniki, and Kusadasi.
The technical issues started on February 15, when the ship lost power on her way to Athens. Guests debarked a day early and were put up in hotels. The next cruise, slated to depart the next day, was cancelled.
At the time, the cruise line did not disclose the specific nature of the power problem, but a statement from the Hellenic Coast Guard has since revealed there was a malfunction in the ship’s electrical distribution panels.
However, by all accounts, all is well now, and the ship is sailing as planned to those fabulous Greece and Turkey destinations.
Royal Caribbean Alters Ship’s Solar Eclipse Route
Royal Caribbean has alerted guests booked on Liberty of the Seas’ solar eclipse cruise in August 2026 that certain itinerary revisions are being made.
The changes are designed to provide the best viewing of the total eclipse, which will happen on August 12. The 4,960-guest ship will be at sea on that day, off the coast of Spain, but the port calls the day before and the three days after are being altered.
The changes will enable the ship to take full advantage of the phenomenon as the eclipse passes over the region.
Unfortunately, a call to Lisbon, a very popular cruise destination, is now off the 9-night itinerary. The ship will sail roundtrip from Southampton on August 7, 2026. On August 11, the port call to La Coruna was replaced by Vigo, Spain. The ship will call at La Coruna the day after the eclipse, rather than Lisbon.
On August 14, the ship will be at sea, rather than calling at Vigo, and on August 15, Liberty of the Seas will call at Paris, rather than spend the day at sea.
Guests who had booked Lisbon shore excursions through the cruise line are being refunded, and tours in Vigo and La Coruna are being adjusted based on the new itinerary.
Carnival Legend Alters Sign & Sail Settlement
Guests sailing aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Legend’s Eastern Caribbean cruise that ended on February 26, 2026 experienced an unexpected change in the way their onboard accounts were settled.
Without explaining why, the cruise line told guests on the 10-night voyage, which departed Galveston on February 16, that there would be two account settlements — one on February 23 and a second on debarkation day.
Typically, onboard accounts are settled once, on the night before disembarkation. So, guests on this cruise who used a credit card for their onboard Sign & Sail accounts, as most cruisers do, will see two charges on the card rather than one.
Guests were able to switch the credit card associated with their Sail & Sign accounts mid-voyage, if they wished.
Carnival also informed guests that, once the first payment is processed on February 23, that portion of the account will be considered settled. It meant that no one could be added or removed from the account, and payments could not be changed.
The cruise line did not indicate whether the two-payment settlement process was a one-time thing, a pilot test, or a permanent change.
More Cruise Headlines
Let’s keep going with more cruise news, including the Port of Vancouver prepping for a record year in cruise-tourism; Carnival Luminosa revising her South Pacific itinerary due to bad weather; and new-build Legend of the Seas reaching another construction milestone.
Also, a former guest sues Princess Cruises after a dining room accident, and MSC Cruises’ MSC Poesia enters dry dock for a series of major enhancements.
Cruise News Roundup: Disney’s Iron Man Godfather, Carnival Safety Cancellations, and More