We’re again with one other version of Cruise Hive’s weekly Cruise Information Replace, a must-read for business watchers. High tales on this recap embody Carnival Cruise Line’s plans to create a non-public vacation spot in Ensenada, Mexico; Royal Caribbean dealing with a lawsuit after the loss of life of a visitor who grew to become intoxicated; and the way a number of containers of bananas prevented a cruise ship from leaving Southampton.
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Cruise Line Revises Island Visits on Hawaii Voyages
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Satisfaction of America is the one cruise ship that provides weeklong inter-island sailings in Hawaii, all roundtrip from Honolulu.
Beginning in October 2026 and persevering with by means of March 2027, the road has altered the order of port calls the two,200-guest ship will make.
None are cancelled, and the cruise line has famous that the modifications will present a extra immersive journey. In three ports, visitors can have extra time to spend exploring on land.
The revised order of visits supplies an additional hour in Maui and Kauai, and an additional half-hour in Kona.
Satisfaction of America’s itinerary throughout these months can be: Honolulu, Maui, Hilo, Kona, Kauai, Honolulu. The ship will in a single day in Maui and Kauai.
Greater than two dozen cruises are impacted through the October to March timeframe. Excursions booked by means of Norwegian Cruise Line can be mechanically adjusted to replicate the brand new schedule.
Cargo Incident Delays Cruise Ship’s Departure
This story is admittedly bananas!
P&O Cruises’ 5,200-guest Iona was attributable to depart from Southampton, UK, on the night of December 6, 2025, on a 14-night Spain, Portugal, and Canary Islands cruise.
However her schedule went haywire after some 16 containers of fruit, largely bananas, fell off the Baltic Klipper cargo ship, which was crusing close to the Isle of Wight, some 20 miles away. The accident pressured the cruise ship to stay in Southampton harbor.
The delay changed into a 24-hour ordeal, as visitors waited for authorities to retrieve the containers. It was a security concern, for the reason that 184,089-gross-ton ship may have collided with the containers or hampered the work of these attempting to clear the waterway.
The containers had been carrying bananas, plantains, and avocados, and several other others had been empty, Coast Guard officers stated.
Lastly, on the night of December 7, 2025, the ship was in a position to depart on her voyage. No modifications to her itinerary had been anticipated, since her first port name, at Funchal, Portugal, was not scheduled till December 10, 2025, enabling the ship to make up for among the misplaced time.
Iona will make a number of calls within the Canary Islands, adopted by Cadiz, Spain, and Lisbon, earlier than returning to Southampton on December 20, 2025.
Carnival Cruise Line Unveils Ensenada Bay Village
Carnival Cruise Line is seeking to Ensenada, on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, as the location of a brand new non-public vacation spot its cruise ships will start visiting a number of years from now.
The road revealed its plans for the $26 million Ensenada Bay Village – Treasures of Baja, described as a resort and leisure house with an journey park, an adult-only seaside and different points of interest.
Cruise line president Christine Duffy was readily available to make the announcement in Ensenada as Carnival Panorama referred to as on the vacation spot. The ship sails 6- and 8-night Mexican Riviera cruises from her Los Angeles homeport.
Ensenada is often included on itineraries that additionally go to Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, La Paz, and Cabo San Lucas.
Carnival Legend can also be scheduled to sail Mexico cruises from Los Angeles in 2027 and 2028.
Renderings of the deliberate village present it would characteristic 18th-century Mexican and Californian structure, whereas the journey park will provide actions resembling zip traces, boat rides, river excursions, and many extra.
A agency opening date was not introduced.
Royal Caribbean Hit With Wrongful Dying Swimsuit
Royal Caribbean is being focused in a wrongful loss of life lawsuit that claims it enabled a visitor to drink 33 alcoholic drinks in a number of hours’ time onboard Navigator of the Seas, an motion that allegedly contributed to the person’s loss of life.
The case unfolded in the beginning of a 3-night cruise from Los Angeles in December 2024, when the visitor, Michael Virgil, 35, was over-served and have become intoxicated, the go well with states.
It expenses that an altercation between Virgil and the ship’s safety staff members led to his loss of life.
The altercation, which was filmed by one other visitor, reveals Virgil being subdued by safety workers. He was later given a sedative by the ship’s medical workers, an motion that the lawsuit says additionally contributed to his loss of life.
Virgil’s fiancée, Connie Aguilar, filed the go well with. She was onboard the ship with Virgil and their 7-year-old son.
Virgil apparently began to drink alcoholic drinks whereas ready for his or her stateroom to grow to be obtainable. The interplay with safety workers started when the visitor couldn’t find his cabin and have become offended.
Politics Immediate Ship to Drop Japan Port Calls
It appears politics is interfering with a cruise ship’s itineraries in East Asia.
Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas is cancelling calls to Japan on a number of itineraries deliberate for winter and spring cruises in 2026.
The ship relies in Shanghai, China, caters to the Chinese language market, and sails voyages that characteristic a number of Japanese locations.
However attributable to latest statements that Japan’s prime minister made in reference to Taiwan, China has suggested its residents to keep away from journey to Japan. That prompted Royal Caribbean to drop port calls resembling Okinawa, changing them with visits to Jeju and Busan, South Korea.
The 4,246-guest ship will sail roundtrip from Shanghai between January 28, 2026 and November 1, 2026. Cruises affected by the change in Japan visits embody these departing on February 1, 14, 18, and 27; March 8; and April 14.
Extra departures are more likely to be impacted as properly. Different locations in Japan that Spectrum of the Seas is scheduled to go to embody Kumamoto, Kagoshima, and Nagasaki.
Visitor Throws a Punch at Ship’s Crew Member
Skilled cruisers understand how onerous a ship’s crew members work, from cabin stewards to cruise administrators and everybody in between, so it’s notably regrettable when one in every of them is badly handled.
That’s what occurred onboard Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas just lately, when an argument between a visitor and a crew member, who seemed to be a lifeguard, ended when the visitor punched the workers member and knocked him down.
The altercation occurred after the visitor started arguing with the guard. The scene was captured on video and posted on social media.
After throwing his punch, the visitor was wrestled to the bottom by a second crew member. The visitor then acquired up, made an obscene gesture, and walked away, however was adopted by different crew members.
It isn’t clear what in the end occurred to the visitor, however the cruise line has a strict coverage in opposition to any kind of violent conduct.
The ship was crusing a 7-night Jap Caribbean cruise that departed from PortMiami on December 6, 2025.
Cruise Line Reveals 2027-28 Caribbean Voyages
Royal Caribbean has disclosed its 2027-28 ship deployments within the Caribbean, providing departures from 5 US ports, plus San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cartagena, Colombia, and Colon, Panama.
Ships will sail from all three Florida ports. Journey of the Seas will deploy to Port Canaveral, whereas Freedom of the Seas and Independence of the Seas will homeport at Miami.
Ships crusing from Port Everglades will embody Attract of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, and Explorer of the Seas. Different US departure ports are Tampa and New Orleans.
Itineraries will characteristic the cruise line’s non-public vacation spot — Excellent Day at CocoCay, Royal Seaside Membership Paradise Island, Royal Seaside Membership Cozumel, and Excellent Day Mexico.
The announcement additionally discloses plans for the road’s new-build, Legend of the Seas, which is because of enter service in summer season 2026. Following the ship’s debut within the Mediterranean, she can be based mostly at Port Everglades beginning in November 2026 and stay within the Caribbean into 2028.
Legend of the Seas, an Icon-class ship that accommodates 5,610 visitors, will function 6- and 8-night itineraries to Southern and Western Caribbean locations.
Extra Cruise Headlines
Need much more information? In fact you do! So let’s preserve going with extra protection about Virgin Voyages launching a brand new loyalty match program, gross sales opening for MSC Cruises’ new-build MSC World Atlantic, and Norwegian Cruise Line getting a brand new president.
Additionally, it’s time as soon as once more to solid your votes within the annual Cruise Hive Awards, and hey, what are the rising cruise journey tendencies for 2026? Click on right here to seek out out.
Cruise Information Replace: Icon Passenger, Delays, Ports Dropped, and Extra
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