Key Aspects: Guests onboard Symphony of the Seas were reminded of Royal Caribbean’s policies regarding cabin door decorations. Royal Caribbean stated that it is not liable if door decorations are lost or stolen. The cruise line also suggests that guests with the itch to decorate use magnets to avoid potential damage and safety concerns. Likely
Key Aspects: Carnival Cruise Line cancelled some reservations booked during its extended May 2026 system outage. Originally scheduled to last 18 hours, the outage extended for days and disrupted bookings, with guests reporting unusually low fares. The cruise line is refunding the bookings and offering an onboard credit. A days-long Carnival Cruise Line system outage
Key Aspects: Norwegian Dawn has submitted a corrective report following the failed health and sanitation inspection. Every one of the 48 items of concern has been addressed in some way, many with multiple steps. The ship’s overall score will not be adjusted until her next inspection in a few months, as is standard practice. Just
Key Aspects: Two women now face federal charges after a fight onboard Carnival Spirit in March 2026. The fight escalated over whether both women belonged in the Diamond and Platinum priority line at Guest Services. Priority Guest Services access is a great perk, but not always available or exclusive to VIFP members. Cruise line loyalty
Key Aspects: Carnival is being sued by a former guest who fell from her mobility scooter during the debarkation process. The former guest claims the cruise line created unsafe conditions and that the scooter she fell from was rented from Carnival’s website. While the conditions on the gangway haven’t been confirmed, Carnival only makes recommendations
Key Aspects: MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages are cruising to Alaska for the first time ever in 2026. On May 11, MSC Poesia made her debut in Seattle to officially begin her inaugural Alaska season. At the same time, Brilliant Lady made her inaugural call to Vancouver, which is another major port for Alaska itineraries.
Key Aspects: A reported gas leak near Southampton’s dock gates forced evacuations and major traffic disruptions at the cruise port. Two major cruise ships were in port and impacted by the disruptions. The leak turned out to be a false alarm but delayed Queen Anne and Costa Diadema. Thousands of cruise passengers heading to Southampton, UK, Monday, May
Key Aspects: Disney Adventure has returned to service and set sail on her May 11 sailing with guests happily onboard. This is great news following the abrupt cancellation of the ship’s May 7 cruise after guests had already embarked. Repairs and testing appears complete and there should be no further impact to future Disney Adventure
Key Aspects: Dover, UK, handled its first-ever four-ship cruise day on May 8, 2026. Celebrity Eclipse, Viking Sky, MS Fram, and Le Bellot all arrived simultaneously. The record-setting day comes as the port is expected to receive 115 calls from 22 cruise lines. Residents of Dover, England, woke to an unusual waterfront on May 8, 2026, when four
Key Aspects: An elderly woman died at Celebration Key after her mobility scooter tipped off the dock while she was riding it. The exact cause of death is not yet known but an autopsy and full investigation is underway. The woman was a guest aboard Carnival Celebration and the incident happened on the last full
Key Aspects: Guests booked on Norwegian Jade have been informed that laundry services are temporarily unavailable. This follows the ship’s 2-week dry dock and the installation of updated laundry equipment is not yet complete. The situation is temporary, but no date has been confirmed for guest laundry services to resume. Cruise guests don’t often think
Key Aspects: Vision of the Seas will be departing the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda an hour earlier than originally planned. The impacted sailing is the ship’s May 9, 2026 departure, a 5-night cruise from Baltimore. No technical difficulties are reported with the vessel, and the change is just to ensure an on-time return to
