Key Aspects: The sixth Icon-class ship isn’t officially under construction yet, but work has already begun on her future floating engine room unit. Construction on the actual vessel will likely begin in the Meyer Turku Shipyard later in 2026 or 2027. Royal Caribbean intends to launch the unnamed megaship in 2029. Royal Caribbean’s sixth Icon-class
Key Aspects: MSC Cruises has unveiled the Tree of Life, a 32-foot-tall centerpiece aboard MSC World Asia. The attraction will feature The Spiral @ Tree of Life, a 266-foot dry slide spanning 12 decks and will be the longest dry slide at sea. The centerpiece will anchor The Harbor family entertainment district. MSC Cruises is offering
Key Aspects: A hack to get a cruise cabin upgrade on embarkation day is once again circulating on social media. John Heald has reminded guests that Carnival ships are fully booked and random upgrades are not possible. Unusual and emergency circumstances might warrant switching to a different stateroom on rare occasions. A long-standing cruise stateroom
Key Aspects: A large fight was filmed at the Floating Flamingo at Royal Beach Club Paradise Island this week. Several security personnel and other employees had to intervene to break up the altercation. No official statement has been released but the guests are in violation of Royal Caribbean’s conduct policies. It’s been a rough and
Key Aspects: Royal Caribbean has the best suites for families. Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruises have the largest suites for families. Other cruise lines with family-specific suite offerings include Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line. Not all cruise lines cater to families, but for those who do, they’ve realized something: When on vacation, families don’t want to cram everyone together into one balcony cabin or a few
Key Aspects: Carnival Cruise Line has unveiled the brand-new Tangalooma Dunes Cabana Club on Moreton Island in Australia. 20 private cabanas are already available to pre-reserve at a cost of $399.99 AUD per cabana. Each cabana has room for eight guests, and comes with luxurious perks like phone charging ports and cooling capabilities. Carnival Cruise
Key Aspects: Online rumors that Carnival Legend struck a sandbar between Estonia and Finland have been proven false. The ship was completing a compass calibration maneuver that took several hours at very slow speeds. No operational changes have been made to the ship and she is continuing her 12-night itinerary without delay. Social media is
Key Aspects: Voyager of the Seas’ next Alaska sailing, which embarks on June 19, 2026, is overbooked. Royal Caribbean is hoping some guests will be willing to make a last-minute change to their travel plans in exchange for some generous perks. Guests who volunteer to pivot may not hear if they were selected until one
Key Aspects: Mariner of the Seas is slightly delayed back to Galveston on Saturday, June 13, due to a medical evacuation and diversion. Guests with the first two terminal arrival times for the next sailing should push back their arrival by 30 minutes. The ship’s next 5-night itinerary will set sail on time and there
Key Aspects: The Miami Police Department and Bayfront Park are warning travelers about traffic congestion in Miami on Saturday, June 13. Eight cruise ships are in port that day with as many as 63,000 cruise guests transiting through PortMiami. Cruise lines are not responsible if guests miss embarkation because of traffic delays or congestion. Cruise
Key Aspects: TUI Cruises took delivery of Mein Schiff Flow on June 12, 2026. The approximately 160,000 gross ton ship will welcome its first guests on a 3-night preview cruise from Trieste, Italy, on June 14. It is the ninth ship in the cruise line’s fleet and the second vessel in the new InTUItion class. Less than
Key Aspects: The keel has been laid for the seventh Oasis-class ship at the Chantiers de L’Atlantique shipyard in France. Construction is expected to take two years and the ship will debut in 2028, but few other details have been confirmed. Oasis 7 was first announced in February 2024 and steel was cut for the
