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P&O Cruises’ Iona Undergoes Rescheduled Drydock

A large white P&O Cruises ship, possibly Iona, with multiple decks and orange lifeboats sails on calm blue water. The vessel features a glass-covered upper deck area and the “P&O Cruises” logo is visible on its side.

P&O Cruises’ Iona ship is now in drydock maintenance, several months later than originally planned. This is the first drydock work for the ship which launched in 2021. It is expected to receive routine maintenance and technical upgrades at the Damen Rotterdam shipyard. Iona’s drydock slot was originally scheduled for March 2025 but had to […]

Carnival Mardi Gras Returns to Service Following Dry Dock

The Carnival Mardi Gras, a large cruise ship, is docked at a port in the evening, brightly lit with multiple decks visible. City lights and buildings form the backdrop as the ship returns to service after dry dock.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras has returned to service after completing a month-long dry dock at Chantier Naval de Marseille in France. The first vessel of Carnival’s Excel-class finished its dry dock on October 16, 2025, and departed on a 15-day transatlantic cruise back to its homeport of Port Canaveral, Florida. The repositioning itinerary includes […]

Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth Arrives at PortMiami for Caribbean Season

The Queen Elizabeth, a large cruise ship, is docked at PortMiami with a city skyline and tall buildings in the background under a cloudy sky. The white vessel with black and red details is ready for the Caribbean Season, as smaller boats gather nearby.

Cunard’s recently refreshed Queen Elizabeth arrived at PortMiami for the first time, kicking off a season of Caribbean sailings ranging from nine to 21 nights. This marks the first occasion a Cunard Queen will homeport in Miami, expanding the line’s presence in the region with its signature White Star service. Liz Fettes, Senior Vice President […]

Norwegian Cruise Line Removes Daily Newsletter from Staterooms

A cruise ship labeled "Norwegian Aqua" sails the ocean; next to it is a close-up of the Norwegian Cruise Line’s daily newsletter, "Freestyle Daily," detailing onboard activities, dining options, and staterooms’ safety information.

Norwegian Cruise Line has discontinued the routine delivery of printed daily programs across its fleet, shifting instead to a digital format accessible via passengers’ smartphones and in-cabin interactive television systems. Passengers sailing on several NCL ships have reported that the traditional printed version of the Freestyle Daily, which outlines the next day’s scheduled activities and […]

Carnival Explains Traditional Muster Drill Ahead of Weekend Cruise

Carnival sunshine arrives in Norfolk

Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed that its upcoming sailing of Carnival Sunshine from Norfolk, Virginia, will feature a traditional in-person muster drill before departure. The eight-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary includes stops at Celebration Key, Princess Cays, and Grand Turk. Unlike the fleetwide use of the e-muster system, a streamlined digital safety briefing, the October 18 […]

Princess Cruises Updates Deposit Policy and Final Payment Deadlines

Two Princess Cruises ships, including Royal Princess, sail on calm water near a shoreline dotted with buildings. In the background, Mount Fuji rises under a pastel sky, highlighting the beauty of Asia sailings at sunrise or sunset.

Princess Cruises has announced a change to its deposit policy, making non-refundable deposits the default for new bookings starting October 15, 2025. Traditionally, Princess Cruises offered refundable deposits as the default option, automatically applied by the booking system even if passengers did not specifically select it. However, the cruise line’s latest policy states that deposits […]

Holland America Details 2027-2028 Asia Season Featuring New Asian Ports

A large Holland America cruise ship is docked near a green shoreline, with a city visible in the background and mountains across the water under a cloudy sky, showcasing the allure of Asia cruises and scenic Japan ports.

Holland America Line has announced its 2027–2028 Asia sailing season aboard the ms Noordam, which will include new ports in Japan and extended overnight stays across several destinations. The season runs from September 2027 to April 2028 and offers cruises ranging from 13 to 15 days. New Ports in Japan New ports in Japan introduced […]

European Port Imposes New Cruise Ship Restrictions for 2026

A coastal city reminiscent of Nice, France, boasts a marina with numerous boats and a large yacht, surrounded by red-roofed buildings. Hills lush with greenery rise in the background under a partly cloudy sky, free from large cruise ships due to a recent ban.

After months of uncertainty, there is now clarity on cruise ship restrictions being implemented at French Riviera ports. The prefect of the Ales-Maritimes, which has overall oversight of the region, has disclosed new region-wide rules for cruise ship traffic. Earlier this year, the mayor of Nice unilaterally issued a ban on large cruise ships, while […]

Sapphire Princess Returns From Drydock With New Specialty Dining Venues

Exterior view of Sapphire Princess

Princess Cruises’ Sapphire Princess has completed a two-week drydock in Portland, Oregon, and has returned with several enhancements, notably the addition of two specialty restaurants. The 115,875-ton ship carries 2,670 guests and now features Makoto Ocean and Crown Grill, set to open for guests on November 16, 2025. Two New Venues Makoto Ocean replaces the […]

Carnival Adds More Galveston Cruises, Solar Eclipse Sailing

A large cruise ship with multiple decks, the Carnival Miracle, sails on calm blue ocean waters. The ship features a distinctive red and blue funnel and proudly displays "Carnival" branding on its side. The sky is clear with a few scattered clouds.

Carnival Cruise Line has announced its next wave of itineraries for the 2027/28 season, featuring Caribbean sailings from multiple U.S. homeports and expanded European voyages. New Ship Deployment A new deployment is a special solar eclipse cruise departing July 29, 2027, aboard the Carnival Miracle. Carnival Miracle will kick off its 2027 season from Galveston, […]