TUI Cruises cancels Arabian Gulf sailings for Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5 after airspace closures and a drone strike near Abu Dhabi leave thousands of passengers stranded. Dense fog in Jacksonville delays Carnival Elation boarding by three hours on a routine Bahamas turnaround. And Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings charters the Seven Seas Navigator to become Avora Lumina, a floating residential ship launching a three-year world voyage in 2028.
Hong Kong health authorities investigate a norovirus outbreak aboard Holland America's Westerdam after 76 passengers and crew fall ill during an Asia sailing. Carnival Sunshine is delayed departing Norfolk after an overnight power outage leaves passengers in the dark. And HX Expeditions announces two new Alaska Inside Passage cruises for 2026, offering expedition-style small-ship access to remote Alaskan waterways.
MSC Cruises cancels all remaining Euribia Arabian Gulf winter sailings due to regional instability, stranding booked passengers and keeping the ship docked in Dubai. Norwegian Cruise Line extends drink package access to Great Stirrup Cay through March 2026, reversing an earlier policy that frustrated passengers. And the Blue Dream Melody cruise ship is detained in a Chinese port over an unpaid $599,000 fuel bill, leaving passengers and crew in limbo.
Royal Caribbean becomes the first major cruise line to restrict smart glasses like Apple Vision Pro and Meta Ray-Bans in pools, spas, and changing areas, setting a new privacy standard at sea. Norwegian Cruise Line takes delivery of the Norwegian Luna, their newest Prima Plus class ship featuring 19 restaurants and a go-kart track. And StarCruises expands its Star Voyager 2026 sailing schedule from Hong Kong with new routes across Asia.
Aroya Cruises cancels all remaining 2026 Arabian Gulf sailings as regional conflict forces passengers to disembark in Dubai. The Port of Vancouver forecasts a record cruise season with nearly 360 ship calls, 1.4 million passengers, and Disney homeporting for the first time. And Liverpool Cruise Port partners with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines on a year-long community program balancing cruise growth with local engagement.
The Regal Princess crew rescues four people from a sinking rowboat near Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, showing how cruise ships serve as lifelines at sea. Disney Adventure is officially christened in Singapore as the world's largest cruise ship at 208,000 gross tons, with Robert Downey Jr. as godparent. And Seabourn Encore announces its Alaska debut with an expedition team bringing Ventures by Seabourn kayaking and Zodiac excursions to the Inside Passage.
Winter Storm Hernando delays cruise departures from New York and New Jersey as heavy snow and hazardous seas force itinerary changes across multiple lines. A plane crash closes Bangor International Airport, disrupting fly-cruise connections in Maine. And Ambassador Cruise Line announces its first Portsmouth sailings, offering no-fly cruising from southern England.
Major cruise lines pull out of Puerto Vallarta after Jalisco violence forces emergency reroutes, PortMiami braces for record gridlock as up to eight ships dock simultaneously amid ongoing construction, and Princess Cruises smashes the Guinness World Record by serving 3,410 margaritas in eight hours aboard the Regal Princess.
City Cruises is shutting down its Baltimore Inner Harbor dinner and sightseeing cruises in April 2026, relocating operations to Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Holland America's Noordam celebrates 20 years of service and gears up for a return to Alaska from Seattle this summer, including a 28-day Arctic Circle voyage. And on the other side of the world, Holland America's Volendam made a rare call at Pitcairn Island, welcoming 28 of the remote community's 38 residents aboard during its 133-day Grand World Voyage.
A deadly fire aboard the World Legacy near Singapore claims a crew member's life and forces the evacuation of 271 passengers, Carnival Celebration diverts to rescue five people from a distressed boat near Cozumel, and Carnival Conquest returns to Miami with fresh upgrades after a 12-day dry dock overhaul.