Key Aspects: It’s been a busy start to the year at PortMiami, Florida. Carnival warned guests embarking on January 4-5 of increased congestion at the cruise port. 10 ships were present on January 4, with nine more ships in the port on January 5. As one of the busiest cruise ports in the world, it’s
Key Aspects: MSC Sinfonia arrived in Santos around 10 hours late on January 5, 2026. The ship was delayed leaving her previous port due to poor weather conditions. Aside from moving back disembarkation and embarkation, no additional itinerary changes have been announced. MSC Cruises’ MSC Sinfonia finally made it to Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, on
Key Aspects: A routine border exit check at the Bremerhaven cruise terminal in Germany led to the arrest of a cruise ship crew member. The man was subject to two different arrest warrants by two German courts. The warrants included robbery-related theft and a probation violation following an assault conviction. A routine departure check at
Key Aspects P&O Cruises’ Britannia has cut short a 14-night sailing, returning to homeport early for emergency repairs. Passenger reports indicate possible power and propulsion issues are to blame. The ship is set to resume its original itinerary on January 6. P&O Cruises is off to a difficult start in 2026. Just days after 5,000 passengers sailing
Key Aspects: P&O Cruises was forced to reorganize travel for 5,000 fly-cruise guests after airspace closures disrupted Caribbean flights. Chartered flights from the UK were turned back mid-flight or cancelled. Some cruise passengers remained onboard Arvia in Barbados an extra night, awaiting new flights. Thousands of cruise passengers spent the first days of the New Year facing
Key Aspects: Some VIFP benefits are removed for Carnival Radiance‘s January 10 sailing and Carnival Venezia‘s January 11 sailing. Both impacted cruises are 14-night Carnival Journeys voyages, to Hawaii and the Panama Canal, respectively. It is not unusual for Carnival Cruise Line to remove benefits from longer or more unique sailings. Guests on two upcoming
Key Aspects: Quantum of the Seas will be late returning to Los Angeles, and embarkation for the next cruise is delayed. The 2-night sailing will still visit Ensenada and has even extended the port time as a bonus. The delay is due to an emergency medical evacuation several hours after the ship departed Cabo San
Key Aspects: Norwegian Epic pushes back its San Juan departure from 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM. It is due to a temporary airspace closure caused by tensions between the US and Venezuela. The rest of Norwegian Epic’s itinerary remains unchanged. It’s been a chaotic weekend of flight cancellations and delays for cruisers following the US
Key Aspects: Princess Cruises is delaying Grand Princess’ departure from San Juan to allow additional time for passengers affected by flight cancellations. The delay has the ship spending the night in Puerto Rico, then proceeding directly to St. Kitts. Affected guests will miss a call in St. Thomas and receive a prorated refund. What was supposed to
Key Aspects: Virgin Voyages rerouted Valiant Lady’s 7-night Caribbean sailing, replacing planned stops in Aruba and Curaçao. The January 3, 2026, voyage will now visit Barbados and St. Lucia instead. The change comes amidst travel disruptions across the Caribbean following an attack on Venezuela by the US government. After a surprise US military attack in Venezuela
Key Aspects: A federal appeals court blocked Hawaii from enforcing a new climate-related tax on cruise ship passengers. The tax would have imposed an 11 percent levy on prorated cruise fares, with counties authorized to raise the total to 14 percent. State officials say the pause is temporary, while Cruise Lines International Association will continue
Key Aspects: The FAA temporarily restricted US flights, including Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean. It’s due to the US military attack in Venezuela that took place on January 3. Cruise passengers were unable to fly home, while others on suspended flights missed embarkation. Cruise passengers traveling across the Caribbean woke up to
