As Carnival Cruise Line prepares to overhaul its loyalty program, Royal Caribbean cruisers are staying anchored in familiar waters, clinging to their Crown & Anchor status like a life vest – and hoping their program doesn’t get swept into the same current. Carnival’s upcoming switch to a dollar-based rewards system has rattled longtime cruisers who spent years sailing
Continuing years of yes-no-yes-no debate, environmental studies, approval grants, challenges, and pauses, the much-discussed fourth cruise ship pier in Cozumel, Mexico, is once again on hold. According to Mexico News Daily, the project is being debated yet again, this time just two months after receiving approval from the Environment Ministry. An injunction against the project
Is Carnival Cruise Line trying to put a positive spin on what has quickly become a public relations nightmare? A new letter from the line’s president, Christine Duffy, is offering great explanations but little further details for frustrated cruisers. The letter has been sent to past and present Carnival guests (with millions of travelers, it
Carnival Cruise Line’s new loyalty program, which is coming in 2026, has been making waves since it was announced, but not in a good way. The new program, which takes effect in June of 2026 if nothing changes, has left many cruisers outraged because the “lifetime” loyalty status has been eliminated. Instead, guests will earn
Looking for the top cruise news stories of the week? We have them right here in Cruise Hive’s new edition of its weekly recap. Highlights include Carnival Cruise Line’s new rewards program getting panned by guests, and Royal Caribbean planning renovations to three mega-ships. Make sure you stay well informed by signing up for Cruise
At 10:00 a.m. on June 20, 2025, the 1,964-passenger Westerdam officially crossed into the Arctic Circle. Guests onboard are currently enjoying a 28-night Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice cruise, which arrived at the Arctic Circle on the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere. During the longest day of the year in this particular location, the sun
The second-largest city in the Bahamas and just a short distance from Florida, Freeport is a popular stop on cruising itineraries. While, yes, it’s not as popular as Nassau Cruise Port, some cruisers think this is a benefit. You get fewer crowds and a more low-key vibe while still enjoying all the amenities you expect
Even with no hurricanes in the Atlantic basin, it’s been a stormy week for Carnival Cruise Line with intense, Category 5 reactions to the line’s announcement of the new Carnival Rewards program. Due to replace the existing Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) loyalty program from June 1, 2026, the new rewards program has proven to
Sometimes the simplest solutions really are that easy! One Carnival Cruise Line guest has shared an inexpensive, lightweight, safe, and relaxing option for the cruise cabin nightlight quandary, and yes, it’s cruise line-approved. Cruise ship staterooms can have a lot of odd lights at night – a spotlight-like glare from an uncovered peephole (try a
Nicknamed the world’s “last frontier,” Antarctica is largely unexplored by people because of its extreme conditions and remote, difficult-to-access location. Cruise ships – and primarily Polar Class ships that are built for the ice and weather – can usually only safely visit Antarctica during the summer, which lasts from late November until mid-March. But despite
Earlier this month, passengers on Carnival Paradise went to a karaoke night that took an unexpected turn when guest Tyler Heyworth began to sing. Of course, karaoke is a toss-up, but what passengers got was a near-perfect rendition of Keith Sweat’s song “Nobody” by a 20-year-old Georgia native. Guests were quick to start recording the
Sometimes an unexpected emergency can develop after a cruise ship seems to be safely docked in port. That was the case in Alaska just days ago and now a probe is underway to find out what happened and why. The US Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the dangerous situation that emerged at the
