Let there be light, in this case a brighter, animated light on the crown-and-anchor logo aboard Royal Caribbean’s soon-to-debut Star of the Seas. Images of the new-build, second in the line’s Icon class, were captured at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland where the mega-ship is undergoing final touches before her launch in four weeks.
Carnival Cruise Line is giving its loyalty cruisers plenty of time to prepare for its much-publicized shift in its VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) loyalty program. But that doesn’t mean loyalty members haven’t been upset. Now, President Christine Duffy is addressing the changes directly to try to ease the building tension that has resulted in
True to its Southern California vibe, the city of Avalon on Catalina Island has historically taken a laid-back approach to cruise ship visits, allowing ships to call without firm anchorage agreements in place. However, that practice is slated to change as the city is negotiating official, long-term pacts with three major cruise lines — Disney
Early risers on select Carnival Cruise Line ships now have a new way to get their morning caffeine fix… without the wait. The cruise line has launched a mobile ordering feature on its Hub app that lets guests order select coffees to go, with pickup at designated bars like Vista Bar. The feature means to ease
Royal Caribbean announced its highly anticipated upcoming exclusive destination on Costa Maya, Mexico, in October of 2024. Only one thing stood in the way. The deal to purchase the Port of Mahahual and the surrounding land just needed to be formally completed. But finally, the money has been transferred, all the papers have been signed,
Ongoing propulsion issues onboard Ruby Princess have the passengers feeling more cold toward Princess Cruises than Alaska’s glaciers. The problems became apparent on embarkation day, July 9, 2025, right around the time that the 3,080-guest ship set sail from her homeport of San Francisco, California, on an 11-night cruise to Alaska. “They announced over the
Carnival Cruise Line left some of its most dedicated guests frustrated earlier this summer, and now its luxury sister brand is making waves of its own. In June 2025, Carnival Cruise Line overhauled its VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) loyalty program, shifting milestone eligibility to a spending-based model and reducing some of the perks longtime cruisers
Several international crew members working aboard two ships operated by Victory Cruise Lines were recently removed from the vessels by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. As many as 13 crew from the cruise line’s Victory I and Victory II, both small ships with a capacity for 180 guests, were detained and apparently deported
Margaritaville at Sea, the cruise brand modeled on Jimmy Buffett’s concept of laid-back Caribbean vibes, unveiled details about the soon-to-be third ship in its fleet, including the name: Margaritaville Beachcomber. Fans of the cruise line have been waiting to learn more about the fleet expansion, which was announced in May 2025. Margaritaville at Sea had
Just hours after attending a muster drill for the first night of an 18-night voyage to Canada and Greenland, passengers aboard Island Princess were rushing to their muster stations due to a fire. The 92,822-gross-ton Princess Cruises vessel had departed from New York City at 4 p.m. on July 14, 2025, and less than 12 hours later experienced an
Many people opt to book their cruise vacations through a travel agent because the travel professional will handle all the planning and organizing on their behalf. Especially for first-time cruisers who are nervous about the process, having an expert to guide them as they plan their vacation can be the path of least resistance. But
A recent Carnival Cruise Line guest had a rather gross question that has made me question if I can ever go swimming on a cruise ship ever again. After observing their fellow passengers spending hours in the pools, the Carnival Magic guest couldn’t help but wonder if his fellow cruisers were considerate enough to get
