Key Aspects: Celebrity Cruises has cancelled Celebrity Equinox’s August 12, 2027, sailing to host a private charter. Impacted passengers were given the option to switch to a different sailing or to receive a full refund. The cruise lines don’t favor charters because they are mean, but because they are a lucrative business opportunity. Just like passengers,
Key Aspects: Carnival Cruise Line has described the itinerary change process when hurricanes force ships to divert. Safety is always the first priority and any changes are made to keep guests, crew members, and ships safe. Many behind-the-scenes steps and scheduling changes are necessary when itinerary changes happen. With the Atlantic hurricane season now underway,
Key Aspects: A complete itinerary change has been announced for Norwegian Star‘s November 13, 2027 cruise. Instead of Atlantic and North African ports, the ship will be visiting France and Italy. Embarkation has also been shifted from Lisbon, Portugal to Tarragona, Spain, due to port availability. Itinerary can be a key factor in choosing a
Key Aspects: Carnival Panorama experienced a power outage early into its 8-night sailing to the Mexican Riviera. During the outage, some passengers were trapped in the onboard elevators. Thankfully, power has been restored, and crew members have rescued anyone who was stuck. Carnival Panorama is kicking off its 8-night voyage to the Mexican Riviera with
Key Aspects: Christine Duffy and John Heald have shared a new video answering key questions about the Carnival Rewards program. Milestone recognition, a Sail & Sign card redesign, and points vs. stars were discussed in the 7-minute chat. Guests were also reminded that they must opt in to the new program before it begins on
Key Aspects: A magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit the northwestern coast of Cuba on June 8, 2026. The shaking was felt at sea, in Florida’s major cruise ports, and parts of the Caribbean and Mexico. No significant damage has been reported as a result of the shaking, and cruise operations are continuing normally. The biggest earthquake
Many cruisers love visiting ports to enjoy different beach days, dining, shopping, and tour options. On my recent 4-night cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas, however, I got all of that (and more!) right on board and never left the ship. The cruise departed on June 1, 2026 for a typical “world’s biggest
Key Aspects: P&O Cruises’ newest ship is Arvia, which debuted in 2022. P&O Cruises’ oldest ship is Aurora, which debuted in 2000. Even P&O Cruises’ older ships have received substantial refits and refurbishments over the last five years, keeping the fleet up to date as much as possible. P&O Cruises is a British cruise line with a small fleet of seven ships. Arvia is the
Key Aspects: Zaandam has developed propulsion issues on her June 3 sailing that have required an extended stop in Juneau for repairs. The ship will miss both Skagway and Ketchikan, as well as scenic Glacier Bay cruising, to return to Vancouver on time. Guests are being offered compensation for the altered voyage, but it is
Key Aspects: A former guest of Jewel of the Seas tripped and fell due to a poorly parked mobility scooter in the casino. She is now suing Royal Caribbean for negligence because she believes the cruise line failed to provide safe conditions onboard. Royal Caribbean does enforce scooter policies regarding the size of the devices
Key Aspects: The corrective report for Carnival Breeze‘s recent 86-point CDC sanitation inspection has been submitted. Most issues were corrected immediately, though some require parts and maintenance that are now planned. Ultraviolet disinfection will not be added to the thalassotherapy pool, though that update may be made in the future. It can be jarring when
Key Aspects: Rough weather is slowing Liberty of the Seas’ return to Southampton, UK, which was scheduled for the morning of June 7. The Royal Caribbean ship will arrive roughly six hours late, delaying both debarkation and the next embarkation. Guests booked on the next voyage have been told to arrive at the cruise port
