Cruise news — page 4

The latest cruise news: new ships and refits, loyalty program changes, itinerary updates, deals, and the stories behind your next sailing.

Latest story October 22, 2026

253 stories

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October 2026

Cruise lines
From Tilbury to Bremerhaven: How Ambassador Is Becoming a Truly European Cruise Line
Ambassador bought Oceania's Sirena for a new German brand and renamed its French arm. By 2028 the British line sails for three markets in three languages.
Oct 16, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Cruise lines
Ambassador Cruise Line Just Had Its Biggest Launch Day Ever, and Repeat Guests Drove It
Launch-day revenue for the 2026-27 season rose 59% and more than half the bookings came from past guests. Here is what the no-fly British line is doing right.
Oct 16, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Ships
Official MSC World Atlantic specifications and interactive deck plan
MSC World Atlantic
Oct 16, 2026By MSC Cruises
Ships
Official MSC World Asia specifications and interactive deck plan
MSC World Asia
Oct 16, 2026By MSC Cruises
Cruise lines
Princess Plus to Premier: a seven-night couple needs to justify a $490 upgrade
At Princess's current advertised pre-cruise rates, the gap between Plus and Premier is $35 per person per day. For two guests on a seven-night sailing, that is $490. I would start with that total before deciding that the higher package is only a small daily step up.
Oct 16, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Ships
Beachcomber is a new Margaritaville ship, not a newly built ship: what to check
Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber will be new to the line, but the ship itself began life as Costa Fortuna. I would use that distinction to ask better booking questions, rather than assume either that a refit fixes everything or that an older hull cannot offer a good holiday.
Oct 16, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Ports
After Carnival Spirit’s delay, rethink the flight you book after a cruise
The recent Carnival Spirit delay is a useful reminder that a ship's scheduled return is not the time you will be standing at an airport gate. I would build the flight home around the cruise line's guidance and the full transfer, with extra margin where the cost of…
Oct 16, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Itineraries
Celestyal Discovery in winter: plan a city cruise, not a summer beach week
Celestyal Discovery's winter western Mediterranean program makes most sense to me as a trip for cities, food and time ashore. I would pack and plan for that experience rather than expect a summer beach holiday at a lower price.
Oct 16, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Cruise lines
Windstar or a larger Caribbean ship: compare the port day before the fare
A small ship and a large resort-style ship can sell the same region while offering very different holidays. I would compare the port days and onboard routine before deciding whether Windstar's higher fare is worth paying.
Oct 16, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Itineraries
Swan Hellenic SETI cruises: book for the science, then check the night-sky conditions
A scientist sailing with an expedition cruise can be a compelling reason to choose a departure. I would book Swan Hellenic's SETI series for the talks and conversations, then treat any stargazing as dependent on the route and conditions.
Oct 16, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Itineraries
Ponant Antarctica: choose the route before comparing the cabin price
Antarctica is not one interchangeable cruise itinerary. Ponant's new 2028–29 program makes that clear: a ten-night peninsula trip, a Weddell Sea voyage and a longer Ross Sea expedition ask different things of your time and travel budget.
Oct 16, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Ports
A short Victoria cruise call: choose one outing and protect the return time
A short stop in Victoria is best treated as one good outing, not a race through every attraction. I would decide what matters most, check when it is open and build the return to the ship before adding anything else.
Oct 16, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Cruise loyalty
Carnival Rewards Points, Stars and sailing milestones: keep three separate totals
Carnival's new rewards program has three different measures: points you can redeem, Stars that track status, and sailing days for milestones. I would keep all three visible rather than treat a single large balance as proof of every benefit.
Oct 16, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Cruise loyalty
Royal Caribbean Points Choice or status match: decide which problem you need to solve
Status matching and moving earned cruise points solve different problems. I would use a match to understand the benefits available on the next sailing, then consider Points Choice when deciding where to build long-term progress. Treating them as the same feature can…
Oct 16, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Cruise loyalty
Royal Caribbean's Points Choice: file the request within 14 days, and you can only move points once
Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Silversea guests can send a cruise's points to a sister program. The deadline and the one-time rule are easy to miss.
Oct 15, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Cruise loyalty
Carnival Rewards card issuances jumped more than 300% after launch. Here is what the card earns
Carnival's new spend-based loyalty program started September 1. The co-branded card can speed up status, but only if your Carnival spending justifies it.
Oct 15, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Ports
Victoria passes one million cruise passengers in a season for the first time, with a record 332 calls
The British Columbia capital marked the milestone with Norwegian Encore. The season ends October 18, and Norwegian returns in 2027 with three ships.
Oct 15, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Ports
Galveston approves a lease for an LNG plant that could fuel ships at the port from late 2028
Power LNG plans a Pelican Island plant making about 400,000 gallons a day, with a pier and fuel barges to serve ships in the Galveston and Houston area.
Oct 15, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Itineraries
Ponant opens its 2028-29 Antarctic season: 12 routes, nearly 30 departures, from $15,450
Trips run 10 to 59 nights, including Weddell Sea and Ross Sea expeditions and a 59-night Le Commandant Charcot voyage that stops in Hobart.
Oct 15, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Itineraries
Swan Hellenic names the SETI scientists sailing on its six 2027 space-themed expedition cruises
From the Solomon Islands to Svalbard and Antarctica, each 2027 Explore Space at Sea cruise carries one SETI Institute scientist as a guest speaker.
Oct 15, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Cruise lines
Windstar says it has raised Caribbean prices this winter while others face pressure to cut
The small-ship line credits harbors big ships cannot reach. It is adding winter Mediterranean and Canary Islands cruises, but not short US cruises.
Oct 15, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Cruise lines
Celestyal heads west this winter with 13 shows and Spanish, Portuguese and Moroccan menus
Celestyal Discovery's first Western Mediterranean season brings new shows, regional dishes and port talks on Spain, Portugal and Morocco routes.
Oct 15, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Ships
Carnival Spirit returned to Seattle a day late after repairs, and its canal cruise dropped Cabo
A problem at sea cut a 15-night Hawaii cruise short by a day. Guests get a pro-rated refund and $250 in onboard credit per cabin.
Oct 15, 2026By Patrick Karsh
Ships
Margaritaville's Beachcomber reaches Belfast for its refit before a January 2027 debut in Miami
The former Costa Fortuna is in Belfast for new venues and updated cabins. It sails from PortMiami in January 2027, then moves to Galveston.
Oct 15, 2026By Patrick Karsh