Key Aspects: MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages are cruising to Alaska for the first time ever in 2026. On May 11, MSC Poesia made her debut in Seattle to officially begin her inaugural Alaska season. At the same time, Brilliant Lady made her inaugural call to Vancouver, which is another major port for Alaska itineraries.
Key Aspects: A reported gas leak near Southampton’s dock gates forced evacuations and major traffic disruptions at the cruise port. Two major cruise ships were in port and impacted by the disruptions. The leak turned out to be a false alarm but delayed Queen Anne and Costa Diadema. Thousands of cruise passengers heading to Southampton, UK, Monday, May
Key Aspects: Disney Adventure has returned to service and set sail on her May 11 sailing with guests happily onboard. This is great news following the abrupt cancellation of the ship’s May 7 cruise after guests had already embarked. Repairs and testing appears complete and there should be no further impact to future Disney Adventure
Key Aspects: Dover, UK, handled its first-ever four-ship cruise day on May 8, 2026. Celebrity Eclipse, Viking Sky, MS Fram, and Le Bellot all arrived simultaneously. The record-setting day comes as the port is expected to receive 115 calls from 22 cruise lines. Residents of Dover, England, woke to an unusual waterfront on May 8, 2026, when four
Key Aspects: An elderly woman died at Celebration Key after her mobility scooter tipped off the dock while she was riding it. The exact cause of death is not yet known but an autopsy and full investigation is underway. The woman was a guest aboard Carnival Celebration and the incident happened on the last full
Key Aspects: Guests booked on Norwegian Jade have been informed that laundry services are temporarily unavailable. This follows the ship’s 2-week dry dock and the installation of updated laundry equipment is not yet complete. The situation is temporary, but no date has been confirmed for guest laundry services to resume. Cruise guests don’t often think
Key Aspects: Vision of the Seas will be departing the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda an hour earlier than originally planned. The impacted sailing is the ship’s May 9, 2026 departure, a 5-night cruise from Baltimore. No technical difficulties are reported with the vessel, and the change is just to ensure an on-time return to
Key Aspects: Just over one year ago, mass layoffs at the CDC threw the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) a major curve ball. Despite the challenges, the VSP has come back stronger and is completing more cruise ship inspections than before. Gastrointestinal outbreaks onboard cruise ships are also trending down compared to last year. In April
It’s been a rough week of cruise news, with a major US airline shutting down just before summer, a deadly snorkeling incident on a private island, and Disney crew members hauled off in restraints in front of guests. Plus, a Bahamas alcohol ban is shaking up itineraries, more loyalty program drama at Carnival, a charter
Key Aspects: A Costa Cruises cruise director has been awarded €130,000 after failing to be rehired after 51 contracts with the line. An Italian labor court judged that the excessive use of fixed-term contracts is an abuse of the contract style. This judgment could have ramifications for crew members throughout the industry if hiring practices
Key Aspects: MSC Preziosa has cancelled an overnight stay in Hamburg with a sea day. The itinerary change for May 9, 2026, means guests will miss the annual Hafengeburtstag port festival. MSC Cruises offered 50 euros per person – up to 100 euros per cabin – as compensation for the adjustment. Passengers sailing aboard MSC Cruises’ MSC
Key Aspects: Vision of the Seas is dropping two ports and adding alternatives for her May 10, 2027 sailing. The 11-night cruise will now visit Samana Port and Perfect Day at CocoCay instead of St. Maarten and St. Thomas. No other ports on the Eastern Caribbean itinerary have been changed at this time. Many cruise
