Key Aspects: Goldbelt Tram, a popular attraction enjoyed by cruise guests in Juneau, is temporarily closed following an accident. The cruise lines have not commented publicly on the incident, but will likely automatically refund Goldbelt Tram shore excursions for the time being. More than a dozen cruise ships are expected in Juneau over the next
Key Aspects: Only 700 individuals survived the sinking of the Titanic, and it’s estimated that less than 100 of those were rescued directly from the water. Hypothermia is now considered a major cause of death for Titanic passengers, superseding drowning, which was the originally recorded cause. Hypothermia can occur at any point where the body loses heat faster than it
Key Aspects: The Free at Sea drink gratuities are increasing by $3.50 per person, per day, but only on cruises from 2-5 nights. This makes the drink gratuity rate $32 per person, per day instead of the previous daily rate of $28.50. No other gratuities, including the daily service charge, are changed at this time.
Key Aspects: Norfolk, Virginia, is hosting a Spring Wine Festival during the weekend of May 2-3, 2026. The event will bring road closures and heavy traffic to the Waterfront in Downtown Norfolk. Guests embarking on Carnival Sunshine on May 2 should allow extra time to reach the cruise port. Thousands of cruisers are surely looking
Key Aspects: Several guests of Celebrity Summit’s previous sailing experienced gastrointestinal illness. Out of an abundance of caution, the ship was deep cleaned and sanitized before guests were allowed to embark on April 30. Passengers were told not to arrive at the cruise port before 11:30 a.m. or before their scheduled appointment time. Embarkation for
Key Aspects: Royal Naval Dockyard traffic will be disrupted on Friday, May 1, due to His Majesty King Charles III’s visit to Bermuda. This may impact guests returning to Norwegian Breakaway before the ship’s 3 p.m. departure that day. There is no official change to the ship’s schedule but it would be wise for guests
Key Aspects: Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed that personal, portable neck fans are permitted to be brought onboard. Other types of fans, including clack fans and any fans larger than 12 inches in diameter, are not allowed. Neck fans can be helpful for guests to keep cool on hot days, particularly in humid ports of
Key Aspects: Legend of the Seas has successfully completed her intense sea trials in the Baltic Sea. The ship returned to the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland on Thursday, April 30. Now the ship’s outfitting will continue and she’s on track for delivery to Royal Caribbean in a few weeks. The highly anticipated third Icon-class
Key Aspects: More than 8.7 million records have allegedly been impacted in a major data breach impacting Carnival Corporation. The cruise line has now been slapped with three class action lawsuits related to the breach. In the claims, the cruise company is accused of negligence related to inadequate cybersecurity protocols. At the end of April,
Key Aspects: For the very first time, Star Princess arrived at the Port of Los Angeles. The Sphere-class ship will feature LA in many upcoming 2026-2027 itineraries. Itineraries include Pacific Coast, Mexican Riviera, and Panama Canal voyages. Move over, Hollywood Walk of Fame, there’s a new star in Los Angeles: the 177,800-gross ton Star Princess.
Key Aspects: Guests of Norwegian Encore were delayed by Customs and Border Control agents in San Francisco. The screening process took much longer than normal due to the ship’s late arrival, technical difficulties, and a death onboard. Passengers weren’t allowed to go ashore for several hours, and some never even made it off the cruise
Key Aspects: Platinum guests will not receive key VIFP benefits on Carnival Spirit‘s May 5 departure from Seattle. The 7-night Alaskan sailing is the 2026 FFS Cruise with brand ambassador John Heald. Diamond guests are still retaining all their loyalty benefits for the very special cruise. With the Alaska season just getting underway for Carnival
