Cruise News Roundup: Princess Cruises Hikes, Fast Dining, Carnival Cancellations, and More
Get the inside scoop on cruise news with Cruise Hive’s weekly recap, your go-to source for industry developments across the globe. In our latest edition, top stories include Virgin Voyages deciding to relocate its New York homeport from Manhattan to Brooklyn; P&O Cruises increasing its final payment requirement to 120 days before departure; and Carnival Cruise Line unveiling an Express Dining option fleetwide.
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Cost to Ship Princess Medallions Rises Sharply
Shipping costs have risen everywhere, even at Princess Cruises, which has quietly raised the cost of shipping its Medallions to booked guests before embarkation day.
Medallions have been used by the line since 2017 as an alternative to the traditional plastic guest ID card. Like those cards, Medallions are presented by guests to buy goods onboard the ship, like drinks, and are used as identification when leaving and returning to the ship.
Guests hailing from the US, Puerto Rico, and Canada have the option of receiving their Medallions before leaving home, but now that convenience will cost more. For passengers in the US and Puerto Rico, the shipping cost has doubled, from $10 to $20. In Canada, the cost jumped from $15 to $25.
More than one Medallion can be included in an order, and guests are charged just once for a shipment of up to 4 Medallions. However, if guests on the same booking have different home addresses, each shipment incurs the charge.
Previously, guests who bought the line’s Plus or Premier inclusive packages did not pay for shipping, but under the new policy, which began on February 27, 2026, they are subject to the cost.
The option exists, of course, to simply pick up Medallions at the time of embarkation, and that alternative is free.
Entry Fee to Adult Show Revealed on Norwegian Luna
A risqué adult-only show aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Luna has an admission cost of $45 per person, a fee that has taken some booked guests by surprise.
Norwegian Luna, a 3,571-guest new-build currently sailing her inaugural transatlantic cruise, will arrive at her new homeport, PortMiami, on March 23, 2026.
Some guests booked to sail on the ship have discovered the $44.99 fee to attend “LunaTique: Pop Circus,” which is limited to guests 21 and older and is described as having mature themes.
However, there are some perks to paying the fee: Each guest receives four specialty cocktails (or mocktails) and a souvenir glass to take home. A $10 fee will be charged if guests cancel their reservations within two hours of showtime.
Other, free, entertainment options are featured aboard Norwegian Luna, including “ELTON: A Celebration of Elton John.” It’s a musical review of his greatest hits. And then there’s “HIKO: Innovation Meets Wonder,” a high-tech dance and acrobatic show — also included in passengers’ cruise fares.
Norwegian Luna is the line’s second Prima Plus-class ship, following Norwegian Aqua, which launched in March 2025.
Virgin Voyages Opts for Brooklyn Terminal Over Manhattan
Virgin Voyages is shifting Valiant Lady’s homeport from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal due to infrastructure issues that have affected Manhattan’s Pier 90.
The change is effective on April 6, 2026, and impacts all of the ship’s cruises in April, and then again in September and October. Valiant Lady, a 2,770-guest ship, is scheduled to operate Bermuda cruises in April before heading to Europe for the summer season.
Following her Europe deployment, Valiant Lady will return to the US — to the Brooklyn terminal, in September and October, for New England and Bermuda voyages. In late October, the ship will reposition to Puerto Rico for winter cruising in the Caribbean.
All told, 10 cruises from New York are affected, ranging from a 5-night Bermuda sailing in April to an 8-night fall foliage sailing in September, and the 12-night voyage to Puerto Rico in October.
Valiant Lady typically has been based at Pier 90, however, that facility is in disrepair, and a major redevelopment is planned. Currently, Pier 88 is the Manhattan terminal’s only operating berth for cruise ships.
P&O Cruises Tells Guests to Pay Up Sooner
P&O Cruises, the Carnival Corporation brand that caters to the UK market, changed its final payment requirement to 120 days before embarkation day.
The new policy is effective on new bookings made on and after March 10, 2026, for voyages departing on and after December 1, 2026.
Its previous policy required payment 90 days prior to departure, meaning that guests sailing after December 1 will have to fork over their final balance payment roughly a month earlier.
Existing bookings are not affected, nor are bookings made after March 10 if the cruise departure date is prior to December 1. P&O Cruises offered no reason for the change, but it is likely that the line is looking to lower the number of last-minute cancellations while posting more revenue on its books sooner.
The 120-day rule is not uncommon among the Carnival brands, although it has been mostly applied to luxury brands such as Cunard and Seabourn, which both require final payment at that time. Some of their longer voyages demand full payment even earlier, at 150 days prior to departure.
But other premium lines, including Princess Cruises and Holland America Line, implement the 90-day rule, with the exception of world cruise segments and lengthy itineraries, which follow the 120-day requirement.
Princess Cruises Hikes Service Fee Charge to 20%
The service charge applied to food-and-beverage purchases onboard Princess Cruises’ ships is on the rise, from 18% to 20%, and is taking effect almost immediately fleetwide.
Princess Cruises will implement the higher fee as each ship begins a new voyage in March 2026, meaning that guests sailing mid-cruise are not subject to the increase.
The new 20% charge applies to purchases of drinks, cover charges for specialty dining, and other services and amenities. As is the case currently, the fee is automatically added to such purchases and is nonrefundable.
Guests who have pre-paid for an all-inclusive package will not be impacted by the new fee. Also, the charge does not affect crew gratuities at all.
Sister brand Carnival Cruise Line implemented the same service fee hike from 18% to 20% in December 2025. Both lines are Carnival Corporation brands.
However, other Carnival-owned lines have lower service charges. Holland America Line maintains an 18% fee, at the moment, and Cunard, a luxury brand, charges just 15%. Rates are subject to change at any time.
Carnival Cruise Line Rolls Out Express Dining
Some cruisers embrace an unhurried and leisurely dinner, while others prefer to order, eat, and move onto the next activity. It’s for those folks that Carnival Cruise Line has introduced Express Dining.
Designed to provide a complete, multi-course experience within an hour, Express Dining offers guests a less comprehensive menu, but one that still features high-quality choices.
According to cruise line president Christine Duffy, a recent pilot program was a hit with guests, so the brand is rolling out the option fleetwide by the end of May 2026.
It enables guests to enjoy their dinner and not have to rush to evening performances and other events. Express Dining is already offered on 15 ships, including Mardi Gras, Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Firenze, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Breeze, among others.
Passengers who wish to participate in Express Dining can simply tell their servers in the dining room or, if they have signed up for Your Time Dining, guests can select the option through Carnival’s Hub App.
A Slew of Carnival Firenze Voyages Are Cancelled
Guests booked to sail aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Firenze on 11 getaway voyages from Long Beach, California, in the fall of 2026 got some bad news: Their cruise is cancelled.
Without offering a reason for the change, the cruise line has nixed the sailings — five 3-night and six 4-night Baja Mexico cruises departing between October 12 and November 16.
Carnival Firenze, accommodating 4,126 guests, sails to Ensenada on the shorter itinerary and adds Catalina Island on the longer cruises.
Passengers are invited to rebook another sailing, and those who wish to do so must contact Carnival Cruise Line no later than March 25, 2026. They can apply their cruise fare to a new reservation and receive a $50 onboard credit per person.
Guests who do not rebook will have their reservations automatically cancelled after March 25, and receive a refund of their cruise fare and any pre-paid packages.
Carnival Firenze began sailing from Long Beach in April 2024. The ship is one of the line’s two Carnival Fun Italian Style ships transferred from sister brand Costa Cruises. The other vessel is Carnival Venezia, based in Port Canaveral.
More Cruise Headlines
Let’s keep going with even more news from Cruise Hive, including Princess Cruises rolling out its 2028 world cruise aboard Coral Princess; Florida lawmakers taking action to prevent development of a larger cruise port in Tampa; and an overboard scare on an MSC Cruises’ ship turning out to be a false alarm.
Also, Port Canaveral makes headway on the construction of a huge parking garage for cruise guests, and the first passenger reviews of Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Adventure indicate a few frustrations with the ship.
Cruise News Roundup: Princess Cruises Hikes, Fast Dining, Carnival Cancellations, and More