Cruise News Roundup: New Cruise Ships, Passengers Get Sick, and More
Keeping up with the major cruise news headlines across the globe is easy with Cruise Hive’s weekly update, where we recap the big developments. Top stories in this edition include the delivery of Norwegian Cruise Line’s second Prima Plus-class ship, Norwegian Luna; the christening of Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Adventure in Singapore; and Royal Caribbean’s plan to control sargassum seaweed along Mexico’s Costa Maya region.
Get your daily cruise news fix by signing up for Cruise Hive’s Daily Update, delivered to your inbox each morning.
NCL Extends Drink Packages to Private Island
Norwegian Cruise Line reversed a new policy that would have invalidated the use of various drink packages on its private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay, effective March 1, 2026.
The line has now extended the use of the packages through March, while a new drink package designed specifically for Great Stirrup Cay is being created. In fact, the new drink plan was supposed to debut on January 1, 2026, but it has still not been revealed.
Norwegian’s decision to prevent the drink packages from being used in the private destination on March 1 drew the ire of many booked guests, who criticized the move. The extension allowing the plans to be valid through March didn’t satisfy all guests, particularly those who had bought the upgraded Free at Sea Plus plan.
It features top-shelf spirits, and premium wines and champagne, plus many other non-beverage benefits. It also costs more than Free at Sea and More at Sea packages, so some guests who purchased the upgraded plan are looking for a refund.
No details have emerged regarding the special drinks plan for Great Stirrup Cay.
Refit Adds More Staterooms, Venues to Celebrity Solstice
A slew of upgrades and the addition of 54 staterooms have debuted aboard Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Solstice as the 121,878-gross-ton vessel emerged from a dry dock renovation.
The refit is part of a $250 million enhancement of the line’s Solstice-class ships; Celebrity Solstice was the first in the class and entered service in 2008.
With the added staterooms, there are now 1,479 cabins on Celebrity Solstice. The ship formerly accommodated 2,852 guests in double occupancy.
During the refit, the vessel received several dining and lounge spaces. They include Trattoria Rossa, serving Italian dishes; Fine Cut Steakhouse; the Boulevard Lounge entertainment space and Boulevard Bar; and Sunset Park Cafe, a breakfast and lunch spot.
Among her new accommodation categories are the luxurious Panoramic Infinite Veranda Suite, Panoramic Ocean View Suite, and Deluxe Panoramic Ocean View. The ship’s AquaClass staterooms received updates, and the Retreat Lounge was refitted with high-end furnishings.
Celebrity Solstice departed on her first post-dry dock voyage on March 2, 2026, a 12-night cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong. Port calls are being made to Ko Samui and Bangkok, Thailand; and Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Halong Bay, Vietnam.
In April 2026, the ship will deploy to Vancouver, British Columbia, to begin a series of Alaska cruises through the summer.
Robert Downey Jr. Christens Disney Adventure
It was a star-studded christening ceremony for Disney Cruise Line’s new Disney Adventure in Singapore on March 4, 2026, as American actor and Disney Legend Robert Downey Jr. officially named the ship.
The 6,000-guest Disney Adventure, the largest in the Disney fleet, had arrived in her homeport a day earlier to a celebratory fireworks display and water cannon salute.
Downey, who has starred in several Disney movies, including as Iron Man in the films of the same name, entertained attendees along with international singers Dami Im and Jed Madela.
Disney characters were on hand, too, of course, as Captain Mickey Mouse and Captain Minnie Mouse delighted the audience.
Disney Adventure will be based in Singapore for the next five years, and is the cruise line’s first ship to specifically cater to the Asian market. The ship will sail 3- and 4-night cruises to nowhere from Singapore’s Marina Bay Cruise Centre.
The ship’s inaugural voyage is scheduled to depart on March 10, 2026.
Partially constructed when Disney Cruise Line bought it in November 2022, Disney Adventure was built to her new owner’s specifications, adding many of Disney’s signature spaces and services.
Formerly called Global Dream, the ship had been owned by Genting Cruise Lines, which went bankrupt in early 2022.
Royal Caribbean Takes On Sargassum Seaweed
In an effort to stem the growth of sargassum seaweed blooms, a brown algae that gives off a smelly hydrogen sulfide gas, Royal Caribbean will undertake a protection and removal plan in Mahahual, a coastal village in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.
The village, near the Costa Maya cruise port about 120 miles south of Cozumel, is where the cruise line’s Perfect Day Mexico is being built. The mitigation program is being created with input from residents, environmentalists, and government officials, including the Mexican Navy.
While sargassum blooms are a turn-off to tourists, they can also cause fish kills and damage to the marine ecosystem. Protection efforts will include a netting system to control the spread of the seaweed and a skimming procedure that can stop the blooms from reaching beaches.
A collection process, also in the works, would gather and compost the seaweed for other uses.
Royal Caribbean has committed to the mitigation program not just in the vicinity of its planned Perfect Day destination, but up and down the southern coastal region of Quintana Roo.
Perfect Day Mexico is due to open in the fall of 2027.
Norovirus Sickens 76 on Holland America Ship
The norovirus stomach bug reared its ugly head again, this time aboard Holland America Line’s Westerdam as she sailed a 28-night voyage in Asia.
With a capacity for 1,964 guests in double occupancy, the ship reported that 76 cases of the bug were confirmed. These included 65 guests and 11 crew members. The outbreak happened during a cruise that sailed roundtrip from Tokyo on February 15, 2026.
During a port call in Hong Kong on March 1, representatives from the Hong Kong Department of Health investigated the outbreak, bringing local health officials onboard the ship.
Passengers suffering from the virus included those between the ages of 24 and 92. Thirty-eight men and 38 women were impacted by the bug, which typically causes vomiting, diarrhea, and fever.
While in Hong Kong, health officials established a medical station in the cruise terminal where guest health assessments were made. Meanwhile, the ship was cleaned and disinfected.
The virus spreads mostly through contaminated surfaces and food. Additional port calls in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan are scheduled before the ship returns to Tokyo on March 15.
A Not-So-Fabulous Night on Costa Favolosa
It was a rocky night for guests sailing aboard Costa Cruises’ Costa Favolosa on February 18, 2026, thanks to rough seas caused by an extratropical cyclone off the coast of Brazil.
The 3,780-guest ship was sailing an 8-night voyage between Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. When the storm hit, the 113,216-gross-ton Costa Favolosa was sailing from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Balneario Camboriu, Brazil.
Passenger videos from around 10:30 p.m. show guests dealing with the tilting ship, as plates and glasses in the main dining venues were smashed to the ground. Some guests were clearly panicking as the storm raged and winds reached 60 miles per hour.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, and the ship’s structural integrity remained sound. Costa Cruises initiated safety protocols, which likely included closing outdoor decks, draining pools, and removing or tying down loose items outdoors.
Costa Favolosa’s itinerary was not affected, and the cruise continued on schedule as the storm passed.
Shipyard Officially Hands Over Norwegian Luna
Italy’s Fincantieri shipyard has formally delivered Norwegian Luna to Norwegian Cruise Line. The 3,565-guest ship is the second in the line’s Prima Plus Class, following the 2025 debut of Norwegian Aqua.
Norwegian Luna’s handover ceremony was held in Marghera, Italy, on March 5, 2026, five days before her inaugural transatlantic voyage from Rome on March 10, 2026. The 156,000-gross-ton ship will arrive at PortMiami on March 23, and be christened there on March 27.
Roughly 10% larger than the line’s Prima-class ships, Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, the Prima Plus vessel measures 1,053 feet long and has 1,809 staterooms.
According to Fincantieri, some 3,000 shipyard workers were involved in the ship’s construction.
Following her naming ceremony, Norwegian Luna will sail 3- and 4-night Bahamas cruises and 7-night Caribbean voyages. A sample 7-night sailing visits destinations such as Roatan, Honduras; Harvest Caye, Belize; and Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.
In April 2027, the ship will reposition to New York for a series of Bermuda cruises before returning to Miami in October 2027.
More Cruise Headlines
Get even more cruise news by checking out additional stories in Cruise Hive, including Avora Residences announcing a long-term charter of a Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ ship; Princess Cruises adding another Southern Caribbean homeport; and strong winds causing a Costa Cruises’ ship to miss a port call in Tunisia.
Also, Carnival Corporation brands mark 20 years of sailing to Grand Turk, and dense fog at a Florida port delays the arrival of a Carnival Cruise Line ship.
Cruise News Roundup: New Cruise Ships, Passengers Get Sick, and More