During a celebration at the Port of Barcelona today, actress and performer Hannah Waddingham officially welcomed Sun Princess into the Princess Cruises fleet as the vessel’s godmother. The maritime tradition took place onboard the ship in the all-new Princess Arena and Waddingham, alongside the ship’s Captain Craig Street, joyously proclaimed, “I name this ship Sun Princess. May God bless her and all who sail on her.” She then released a celebratory bottle of champagne to smash against the ship, wishing good fortune to all who sail on her. (Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises)About The Godmothe ..read more

Royal Caribbean Group’s private island in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, welcomed its first guests from Celebrity Cruises this week. Visitors arrived aboard Celebrity Reflection on Monday, April 22nd and on Celebrity Beyond today, April 23rd. The private destination is used by sister brand Royal Caribbean International, and is part of Celebrity’s new short Caribbean itineraries. “Guest feedback inspired the new shorter Caribbean itineraries, designed to offer year-round opportunities to unwind with loved ones,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, President of Celebrity Cruises. “Introducing Perfe ..read more

MSC Group, MSC Foundation, and the charity Mercy Ships International have signed an agreement for the construction of a brand-new hospital ship that will deliver free surgery and training annually to thousands of people in Africa. On April 8th, chairman of MSC Group and MSC Foundation Captain Gianluigi Aponte, MSC Group President and member of the MSC Foundation Board Diego Aponte, and Mercy Ships Founder Don Stephens finalized an agreement to kickstart the new project with a donation from the MSC Foundation. (Photo courtesy of Mercy Ships) “I spent part of my childhood and early years in the ..read more

Norwegian Cruise Line and shipbuilder Fincantieri celebrated a major construction milestone for Norwegian Aqua today, as the ship was floated out from its dry dock at the shipyard in Marghera, Italy. The occasion marks the first time the vessel touched the water. The first in the Prima Plus class, today’s float out signifies the completion of the external work on the ship ahead of its April 2025 debut. To celebrate the milestone, two ceremonial coins were welded into Norwegian Aqua, a maritime tradition for good luck and safe passage for the ship. The ceremony was followed by a blessing by a l ..read more

American Cruise Lines is celebrating the opening of its biggest season on the United States’ Columbia and Snake Rivers. The line’s fleet on those rivers includes three modern riverboats and two classic paddlewheels. American Song, American Harmony, and American West have already begun their cruising season. Riverboats American Jazz and American Pride will begin cruising this week. American West (Photo via American Cruise Lines) American Cruise Lines offers Columbia and Snake Rivers voyages that are six to 16 days long. Cruises highlight adventures including guided tours through some of the cou ..read more

Royal Caribbean International marked the start of a new chapter today as it broke ground on Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, its new 17-acre property in Nassau, Bahamas. The start of construction was celebrated on location, as Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty and Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley were joined by The Bahamas’ Prime Minister Philip Davis and Deputy Prime Minister I. Chester Cooper to commemorate the major milestone. (Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean) About The Royal Caribbean Beach Club The first in what will become a collection ..read more

Cunard officially took delivery of the newest and fourth vessel in its current fleet on Friday, Queen Anne. A handover ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard in Venice, Italy, where the vessel was constructed. The event was attended by Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, as well as Italian Minister for Relations with Parliament, Luca Ciriani. Katie McAlister, President of Cunard; Paul Ludlow, President of Carnival UK; Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri; Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of the Fincantieri Merchant Ships Div ..read more

For many, food and dining are synonymous with cruising. We agree, after all, our brand is EAT Sleep Cruise. Of course, the new Carnival Jubilee cruise ship is home to several diverse dining experiences. The ship has one of the best selections of casual dining at sea. There is also the main dining room with a rotational, three-course menu. But something unique, at least among mainstream cruise lines, is Carnival Kitchen. We have been hesitant to try this up-charge experience in the past. But we gave one of the new classes a whirl on our last cruise. Find out if it is worth the money as we share ..read more

Princess Cruises Postpones Delivery of Star Princess Princess Cruises and ship builder Fincantieri announce the mutual decision to postpone the delivery of the next Sphere Class ship, Star Princess. The ship will now debut approximately two months later. Following a comprehensive review of the remaining construction milestones, both parties have elected to adjust the ship’s delivery date from July 29, 2025 to September 26, 2025. This change will result in the cancellation of the nine inaugural sailings. “Despite our collective dedication and relentless pursuit to deliver the ship in late July ..read more

Carnival Glory Returns to Service With Enhancements Following Dry Dock Carnival Glory returns to service with enhancements following a 21-day dry dock. The ship set sail from Barcelona on a 14-day Carnival Journeys transatlantic cruise to her new homeport of Port Canaveral, FL. While guests embarked, Captain Luca Cherchi was joined on board by Barcelona port officials for a plaque exchange that marked the ship’s special visit. Over the last three weeks, the ship received several updates, including a new casino layout and the addition of a non-smoking casino area. Additional ..read more