It’s that time again, so let’s dive right into Cruise Hive’s exciting weekly news roundup. Highlights in this installment include coverage of Disney Cruise Line deploying Disney Wish to Europe for summer 2027, Carnival Cruise Line solving technology issues that impacted multiple ships, and Royal Caribbean adding smart glasses to its list of prohibited items.
Key Aspects: Strong winds will prevent MSC Splendida from docking in Marseille, France, on February 15. Instead, the MSC ship will spend the day in the nearby Villefranche-sur-Mer. It’s unclear what arrangements will be made for guests who were supposed to disembark or embark in Marseille at this time. MSC Splendida has been dealt another
Key Aspects: Star Voyager had to cancel its 2-night cruise due to technical difficulties. The news came after hundreds to thousands of guests had already spent hours waiting to board at the cruise terminal. StarDream Cruises is giving guests the option to reschedule for free or to receive a full refund. Thousands of cruisers will
Key Aspects: Norwegian Cruise Line has updated the dress code for the most elevated specialty restaurants in its fleet. Greater restrictions have now been placed on where guests can wear flip flops and shorts for dinner. Guests report inconsistent enforcement of dress codes on different ships, which is always a challenge for the crew. The
Key Aspects: Virgin Voyages reported its highest booking month in its history in January 2026. In 2025, the cruise line also saw bookings increase by nearly 20 percent year over year. The company’s gross ticket revenue also rose nearly 30 percent in 2025. Adults looking for a break from family-focused vacations are fueling new growth
Key Aspects: Ambience is removing Havana from her 40-night Caribbean itinerary due to a UK travel advisory update. The ship will instead replace the call with two new port visits, one to Guadeloupe and one to St. Kitts. The visit to Guadeloupe will include an impromptu meetup with another ship in the Ambassador Cruise Line
Key Aspects: The manufacturing is now complete for all 949 crew cabins destined for installation aboard Carnival Festivale. Construction of the pre-fab cabins took 25 weeks and work will now transition to guest staterooms. In total, Carnival Festivale will be home to 3,585 crew and guest staterooms. While her debut to welcome guests isn’t until
Key Aspects: A first-time cruiser’s suitcase went missing on embarkation day onboard Liberty of the Seas. Despite repeatedly visiting guest services for help, the passenger was never reunited with their belongings. The guest felt that Royal Caribbean didn’t do enough to help the situation and didn’t offer adequate compensation. One passenger was forced to endure
Key Aspects: Australian authorities inspected Carnival Encounter after a whistleblower turned over hundreds of crew complaints. After a thorough inspection, Carnival was cleared of any wrongdoing or misconduct toward crew members. The ship is now on its way to Singapore, where it will undergo routine maintenance in dry dock. After an unidentified crew member sounded
Key Aspects: Recent and current guests on Norwegian Encore are being alerted to two recent cases of Legionnaires’ disease. The illness was diagnosed from two guests who sailed in December 2025, but the exact sailing date has not been disclosed. All testing onboard Norwegian Encore has been negative and the CDC is monitoring ongoing precautionary
Key Aspects: MSC Cruises will feature live broadcasts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches on all ships. The tournament games are set for June 11 to July 19, 2026. The cruise line will show the matches in lounges and other public venues. Add MSC Cruises to the list of cruise lines that will offer
Key Aspects: Michael Bayley has announced Royal Caribbean’s third Chief Dog Officer’s name as Skipper. The female golden retriever puppy was born in early February 2026. Skipper will serve onboard Legend of the Seas and will join the vessel in Europe. As the debut of Legend of the Seas gets closer, crew rosters are undoubtedly
