Cruise Ship News

Seabourn Venture became the most southerly ship on the Antarctic Peninsula as she crossed the Antarctic Circle this week, reaching 70° South, the most southerly point in Seabourn and Carnival history.The vessel also achieved the first-ever Seabourn exploration of George VI Sound and toasted with Champagne on the ice at the most southerly point any Seabourn guest has ever reached.“Congratulations to Captain Simon Bishop and his team and Expedition Leader Luqui Bernacchi. This is a journey defined by exploration, milestones, and once-in-a-lifetime moments,” said Seabourn on social media.

The Panama Canal marked a significant milestone on Monday with the inaugural transit of the Neopanamax cruise ship, Disney Adventure, the largest passenger vessel by capacity and gross tonnage ever to transit the interoceanic waterway.The passage of the ship, 208,000 gross tons and with capacity for approximately 6,700 passengers, took place as part of her positioning voyage. The cruise ship measures 342 meters in length and 46.4 meters in beam.The Disney Adventure is one of five cruise ships completing their inaugural transits during the 2025–2026 cruise season…

On Monday, January 19, 2026, production of the fifth vessel in the Icon Class began at the Meyer Turku shipyard. The ceremonial event held in the steel hall was attended by representatives of the ship’s owner Royal Caribbean Group, the Meyer Turku organization, and the classification society.The traditional steel-cutting ceremony marked the start of more than two years of construction and outfitting work, involving thousands of professionals across different fields. Once completed…

ALMACO Group has announced the successful delivery of provision stores onboard Celebrity Cruises’ fifth Edge-class vessel, Celebrity Xcel, built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique. The project was delivered in October 2025 and marks another milestone in the ongoing collaboration between ALMACO Group, Celebrity Cruises, and Chantiers de l’Atlantique.The scope of ALMACO’s delivery included provision stores onboard the newbuild, ensuring optimal layout, functionality, and compliance with the highest standards of food safety and operational efficiency.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has detained the Australian flagged vessel Coral Adventurer, that grounded on December 27 off the coast in Papua New Guinea (PNG).The Coral Adventurer was carrying 80 passengers and 44 staff when it ran aground on a coral reef about 90 kilometers from Lae.No injuries have been reported, and the vessel has been refloated.AMSA detained the vessel based on the “reasonable suspicion that it is not seaworthy due to potential damage sustained…

Celebrity Edge made a debut visit to the port of Newcastle in Australia on December 13 with over 4,000 passengers on board.Port Authority of NSW CEO John McKenna said: “The passengers and crew aboard the 306-meter-long Celebrity Edge will make a significant contribution to the economy.“From wine tasting in the Hunter Valley to getting up close with Australian wildlife on the Central Coast and Port Stephens, and exploring Newcastle’s historic sites, this stopover showcases why the region is a must-visit on Australia’s cruise map.”

Wärtsilä Water & Waste, part of Wärtsilä, continues to deliver wastewater treatment performance in one of the world’s most closely monitored marine environments through their Hamworthy membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems, according to independent regulatory data from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).During the 2024 Alaska cruise season, fourteen vessels equipped with Wartsila's Hamworthy MBR systems achieved a 98.2% compliance rate under DEC’s public testing program.

American Cruise Lines has announced that the newest cruise ship in the country, American Pioneer, was christened in Key West, Florida on Monday, November 10. \American Pioneer is the 21st ship in the American Cruise Lines fleet. The inaugural cruise followed the company’s new 16-Day Grand Florida Coast & Keys itinerary, which explores both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida. American Pioneer was docked at Mallory Square for last week’s christening festivities. Key West is a regular 2-day stop on the new itinerary and offers 20 different shore excursions…

MSC Cruises utilized shore power in New York for the first time when MSC Meraviglia connected to shore power at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.The connection allowed MSC Meraviglia to switch off her engines to eliminate emissions locally, as part of the City’s and MSC Cruises’ commitment to improving local air quality while the ship is in port.MSC Cruises has fitted shore power capability as standard on all new ships since 2017 and is working to retrofit other vessels in its fleet.

Damen Shiprepair Brest has just marked the conclusion of its 50th cruise ship project since becoming part of the Damen Shipyards Group in 2012. The Brest yard, home to one of Europe’s largest docks and strategically located near the English Channel, is at the forefront of sustainable change delivering green refits for cruise ships. Through its work, the yard enables customers to benefit from enhanced efficiency, reduced emissions, and extended vessel lifespans.Recently, Damen…

Seatrium has secured a series of repair and upgrade contracts worth an aggregate of about S$170 million ($131 million). All works are slated for completion by the first quarter of 2026.Seatrium continues to reinforce Singapore’s status as a premier hub for cruise ship upgrades and retrofits. Leveraging its high-quality workmanship and engineering capabilities, the Group attracts a high proportion of repeat business and has been a trusted partner for various major global cruise ship operators.

Fincantieri and Princess Cruises celebrated the delivery of Star Princess, the second LNG-powered (liquefied natural gas) cruise ship in Princess Cruises’ Sphere Class, at the Monfalcone shipyard.The ceremony was attended by Gus Antorcha, President of Princess Cruises, Mauro Bordin, President of the Regional Council of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Ester Fedullo, Prefect of the Province of Gorizia, Luca Fasan, Mayor of the Municipality of Monfalcone, Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Fincantieri…

On Monday, September 8, 2025, Meyer Turku Shipyard celebrated the keel laying of the fourth cruise ship in the Icon Class. The ship, built for Royal Caribbean and known by its working name Icon 4, has thus progressed to the hull assembly phase. The traditional ceremony held at the bottom of the building dock included a symbolic ceremony in which representatives of the customer, the classification society and the shipyard placed coins under the first steel block to bring good luck and protection to the ship.

Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas, which is being built at the Meyer Turku shipyard, floated out during a ceremony on Friday, August 29, 2025. The traditional float out ceremony included speeches by representatives of the shipyard and the vacation company, a salute fired by a gun salute group, and a playful competition to open the water valves of the construction basin. During the weekend following the ceremony, the ship was moved to the outfitting dock, where finishing work will continue for just under a year.At 365 meters long…

MOL Cruises has named its new cruise ship, scheduled to enter service in late 2026, the Mitsui Ocean Sakura.The vessel will enter service as a Japanese-flagged ship in late 2026, offering a wide range of itineraries centered on short- to medium-term cruises departing from and arriving at various ports in Japan.With a gross tonnage of approximately 32,000 tons and a length of less than 200 meters, the new cruise ship can call at ports in various regions, from remote islands in…

The “Viking Mira," a new cruise ship under construction for Viking, was launched at the Ancona shipyard. The ship is scheduled to debut in spring 2026, offering itineraries in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.The ceremony, which marks the ship’s transition to the final outfitting phase, was attended by Gilberto Tobaldi, Director of the Ancona Shipyard, and Gastone Lazzari, New Building Site Team Manager for Viking.With a gross tonnage of approximately 54,300 tons, “Viking Mira” will feature 499 staterooms and accommodate up to 998 passengers on board.

The port of Barcelona, Europe's busiest for cruise ships, will scale back its passenger terminal capacity by 2030 as the city tries to put the brakes on surging arrivals and address concerns about overtourism.The city hall and port authority agreed on Thursday to reduce the number of terminals to five from seven, lowering the port's capacity for simultaneously handling cruise ship passengers to 31,000 from 37,000 by the end of the decade.Barcelona recorded a 21% increase in cruise…

Fincantieri and Oceania Cruises, a brand of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., celebrated the delivery of Oceania Allura at the Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa. The vessel is the latest cruise ship to join the shipowner’s fleet, sister ship to Oceania Vista, which was handed over by the same yard in 2023.The ceremony was attended by Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of the Fincantieri Merchant Ships Division, Harry Sommer, President & CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Meyer Turku has today handed over the Star of the Seas to Royal Caribbean. Star of the Seas is the second Icon class ship built at the Meyer Turku shipyard. Star of the Seas will leave the shipyard in mid-July and will later in the summer start sailing on the Caribbean from its home port in Port Canaveral.Star of the Seas' eight different neighbourhoods include the largest water park in the seas, the Central Park with live plants, the AquaTheatre with water acrobatics and around 40 different places to eat.

A new informational video launched by Arctic Council’s Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response Working Group (EPPR) in collaboration with the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) aims to improve passenger safety during maritime emergencies in the Arctic.The video covers essential topics such as actions to take upon hearing the alarm, what to expect in lifeboats or life rafts, procedures for transferring to a rescue vessel, and what happens after being rescued.Funded by the Norwegian Coastal Administration…

American Cruise Lines announced their biggest season of New England cruises—featuring nine itineraries and five small ships, including the newest cruise ship in the country, American Patriot.American Patriot is the flagship in the company’s new Patriot Class series. The 130-passenger ship passed Sea Trials and will embark on its first cruise this week, sailing June 21 roundtrip from Boston. Guests will enjoy one of the Line’s premiere New England itineraries, a 15-Day Grand New England cruise…

AS Tallink Grupp has signed a charter agreement with Algeria’s state-owned company Madar Maritime Company for the cruise ship Romantika.Romantika will be chartered along with its technical crew for nine months starting Saturday, May 31. The agreement includes an option to extend the charter for two additional periods of six months each.Romantika has previously operated in the Baltic Sea on routes to Helsinki, Stockholm, and Riga. Built in Finland in 2002, it was the first ferry commissioned by Tallink and the first built specifically for an Estonian shipping company.A few weeks ago…

HX Expeditions has launched an excursion program in Arctic Canada developed in partnership with Inuit Elders, local residents and community-born staff.It marks the first time a global cruise company has introduced a community-led program of this scale in the region. Launching in summer 2025, the community-led excursions will be offered on HX’s 25-day Northwest Passage sailings: westbound from Greenland to Alaska aboard MS Fridtjof Nansen, HX’s newest hybrid-powered vessel, and eastbound from Alaska to Greenland aboard MS Roald Amundsen…