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MSC Cruises has announced a second private island destination in the Bahamas.
The new island, called Sandy Cay, will be located adjacent to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and is set to open in 2028.
Sandy Cay will be available exclusively to MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys guests. The island takes its name from its aragonite sand beaches, which MSC describes as among the purest in the world.
The company is positioning Sandy Cay as a more secluded, lower-key experience compared to Ocean Cay, with a focus on natural surroundings and a quieter atmosphere.
The announcement puts a name to what MSC had previously referred to internally as “Little Cay” in earlier communications about its Bahamas expansion plans.
Ocean Cay upgrades also on the way
While Sandy Cay is still three years out, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve is getting a major upgrade closer to home.
MSC announced in January that the island will receive a range of new facilities due for completion in late 2027, along with a pier extension that will allow two ships to dock simultaneously.
New additions to Ocean Cay will include four additional dining venues, bringing the total to seven, a dedicated adults-only beach called Paradise Sands, an upgraded family beach area at Seakers Cove featuring a splash pad, ropes course and playground, additional cabanas, and a new marine conservation experience operated by the MSC Foundation.
Ocean Cay opened in late 2019 on a former industrial site and has become a regular stop on MSC’s Caribbean itineraries. The island currently features more than two miles of beachfront across eight beaches, seven bars, and a range of water activities.
MSC expanding its Bahamas presence on multiple fronts
Earlier this month, MSC also confirmed a deal with the Bahamas government for a new beach club at the Grand Lucayan Resort site in Grand Bahama, in addition to its previously announced $450 million investment to upgrade the Freeport cruise port facility.
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One of Alaska’s most popular cruise destinations is off-limits for the 2026 season, and the list of affected sailings keeps growing.
Tracy Arm Fjord, a narrow 30-mile passage in southeast Alaska known for its glaciers, waterfalls and wildlife, has been closed to cruise ship navigation following a massive landslide on August 10, 2025.
The slide originated above the South Sawyer Glacier near the head of the fjord, sending water surging more than a quarter mile up the opposite mountain wall. No ships were in the fjord at the time and no injuries were reported, though kayakers camped nearby lost gear to the rushing water.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the slide displaced as much as 100 million cubic meters of debris into the fjord and has warned that the area remains unstable.
Continued rockfall and smaller-scale slides from the exposed landslide scar are expected, with the potential to trigger future localized tsunamis.
163 Tracy Arm calls cancelled across five cruise lines
Seals on an iceberg in Tracy Arm Fjord (Photo courtesy of Nancy Schretter)
Here is where the cancellations stack up at the time of reporting. With MSC Cruises confirming this week that the MSC Poesia will skip all 20 of its planned Tracy Arm calls during its inaugural Alaska season, the total number of cancelled fjord visits for 2026 has reached at least 163 across five cruise lines and 11 ships.
Carnival Cruise Line has the highest number of cancellations with 53 calls cancelled across three ships: Carnival Spirit and Carnival Miracle, both sailing round-trip from Seattle with 21 calls each, and Carnival Luminosa operating from San Francisco with 11 calls.
Holland America Line follows with 46 cancelled calls across four ships. The Koningsdam, sailing round-trip from Vancouver, accounts for 24 of those, including two sailings that had Tracy Arm listed twice on the same itinerary. The Zaandam adds 19 Vancouver-based calls, while the Eurodam and Westerdam account for two and one call respectively.
Royal Caribbean has cancelled 31 confirmed calls, with the Serenade of the Seas dropping 16 calls from its Vancouver schedule and the Voyager of the Seas dropping 15 from Seattle.
Notably, the Royal Caribbean announcement covering those two ships did not address the Anthem of the Seas, which has 12 Tracy Arm calls on its Seattle schedule. Whether those sailings will also be affected has not been confirmed.
Virgin Voyages rounds out the list with 13 cancelled calls on the Brilliant Lady, sailing round-trip from Seattle.
Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier are the alternative
Dawes Glacier (Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises)
All cruise lines redirecting away from Tracy Arm are substituting scenic cruising at Endicott Arm, located roughly 20 miles south, with views of the actively calving Dawes Glacier.
Endicott Arm has served as an occasional backup to Tracy Arm in past seasons when ice conditions made the fjord unsafe.
The 2026 Alaska cruise season is set to begin April 21 in Ketchikan, with ships arriving in Juneau the following week.
Scientists are continuing to study the causes of the landslide and monitoring for additional hazards in the broader Tracy Arm fjord network. Whether ships will be able to return in 2027 remains an open question.
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Norwegian Cruise Line has confirmed that a crew member went overboard from the Norwegian Viva on April 9, 2026, while the ship was sailing near Costa Maya, Mexico.
The incident occurred during a 7-night Western Caribbean voyage that departed Galveston, Texas on April 4.
Search and rescue operation launched and suspended
Once the incident was confirmed onboard, the vessel immediately notified the Mexican Rescue Coordination Centre. A coordinated search and rescue operation was launched but was ultimately unsuccessful. The search has since been suspended.
A passenger onboard told the Cruise News Today tipline, “Just received message over speaker the ship has turned around and is in a man overboard mission. Believed to be a crew member they are looking for. They are in communication with the Mexican authorities and other ships in the area.”
Norwegian Cruise Line issued the following statement:
On the afternoon of April 9, 2026, a crewmember went overboard near Costa Maya, Mexico. Upon confirming the incident, the vessel immediately informed the Mexican Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) and a coordinated search and rescue operation was initiated with no success.”
It went onto say, “The search and rescue operation has since been suspended. The family of the crewmember have been notified of the incident. The safety, security, and well-being of our crew is our highest priority. Our thoughts are with the crewmember’s family during this difficult time.”
Passengers reported the ship turning around near Cozumel
Marine tracking shows that the ship turned around Thursday evening just before 7:00 p.m. local time and conducted a search operation near Cozumel before continuing its voyage.
The Norwegian Viva resumed its scheduled itinerary and returned to its homeport of Galveston, Texas this morning. The Norwegian Viva carries approximately 1,388 crew members and can accommodate up to 3,215 passengers.
Norwegian Cruise Line has not released the identity or nationality of the crew member. No further details about the man overboard have been disclosed.
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What does it take to land in ‘cruise jail’? According to one TikTok user, acting in self-defense led to big problems and a very small stateroom. But while her side of the story has garnered well over a million views on the social media site, the comment sections have been rife with debate over whether the punishment fit the crime.
How She Landed in ‘Cruise Jail’
According to TikTok user @claudette.c, the trouble unfolded aboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas. As she tells it, a seating dispute led to her hand being smacked by a fellow passenger. In response, Claudette admits to punching the woman in the face. “I didn’t hit her hard,” she enthuses, “just hard enough to be like, b—-, don’t touch me!’
“I coulda hit her way harder,” she adds, “but I didn’t.”
This initial interaction later led to a confrontation allegedly involving Claudette’s aunt and the punched woman’s husband. After security intervened and interviews were conducted, Claudette says she was taken to her new quarters. There, she was watched over by a member of the ship’s crew at all times.
While allowed the occasional visitor, she was not permitted to leave. Therefore, all food and drinks were provided by room service. Claudette did, however, question why she was being kept under confinement given that the other party had opted not to press charges.
The Truth About Her Time in ‘Jail’
Because details matter, it’s important to note that the young woman in question, Claudette, was not actually thrown into the proverbial brig. While many ships do, in fact, have some form of jail, Claudette wound up in a stripped-down stateroom. Anything with which a person could hurt themselves had been removed, and she claimed one light had to remain on at all times.
Needless to say, her video generated not only a huge number of views but quite a few comments as well. Some suggested that the incident in question never actually took place, while others suggested she contact a lawyer in order to sue the cruise line.
Much of the debate in comments revolved around semantics and the use of the words “smack” versus “punch.” Claudette admits that “the only thing [security] cared about was the fact that I punched her in the face, because ‘punching’ is assault, ‘smacking’ is not.”
Should Passenger Be Banned?
In response to several queries from followers as to whether she’d been banned from Royal Caribbean, the TikToker claimed that she had not. She has also made repeated requests that the cruise line provide her with any and all CCTV footage from inside the theater, believing it ultimately will support any claim she makes, legal or otherwise.
“I was not the initiator, I did not start it,” she says, implying that the footage would show as much. However, “they said that the authorities have to request it.”
Asked if the other person involved in the altercation was similarly confined, Claudette claimed that her family saw the other woman at various spots around the ship. “My family saw her in the casino,” she says. “My family saw her at dinner.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, the 30-year-old indicated that despite not having been banned, she would not be returning anytime soon. “It wasn’t even all that,” she snarked. “Ship looked like it was built in 2001 and hasn’t been updated since.” (For the record, Libery of the Seas joined the fleet in 2007 and is slated for a refurb, ironically enough, following her current 16-night transatlantic.)
Claudette did give a shout-out to the crew. “The staff was really nice,” she concluded, ”minus the captain. He’s the one who said I had to stay in my room.”
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A fifth cruise ship dock for downtown Juneau, Alaska is quietly moving forward. According to Huna Totem Corp., the Alaska Native corporation overseeing it, work will start on the development next year.
Dock will be ready for 2028 Alaska season
The Juneau Assembly signed a tidelands lease for the development last week. Susan Bell with Huna Totem Corp. confirmed work on the project will start in summer 2027, to make it ready for the 2028 Alaska cruise season.
“There’s still a lot of detailed engineering and design that needs to happen, and we needed to be sure that we do this sequentially,” she said. “Signing the lease allows us to have confidence in moving forward with securing steel, securing the float that is needed for the dock.”
The new dock will be one element in a larger waterfront development called Aak’w Landing, which has an overall budget of about $150 million.
Approved in principle by the Juneau planning commission back in 2023, it will feature a culture and science center, underground parking and various dining and retail concessions. It will also include a boardwalk and green space for events and outdoor concerts, according to the company’s latest renderings, along with Alaska Native art educational resources.
There is strong local support for the development, although general public sentiment remains mixed over the impacts of added cruise ship capacity.
Huna Totem says the project would disperse cruise passenger traffic in the downtown Juneau area and help reduce road congestion, but opponents contend it could actually make congestion worse.
Huna Totem is committed to giving the public a voice to raise any concerns, Bell added. “This was built on years of input, and I think Huna Totem will continue making sure that we’re continuing that dialog and getting people’s input,” she said.
MSC Cruises is doubling down on the Bahamas with plans for its first dedicated beach club. The cruise line confirmed a deal with the Bahamas government for part of the site of the iconic Grand Lucayan Resort in Grand Bahama.
MSC aims to develop the 20-acre site which is currently The Reef Village area. Neither the cruise line nor local officials have disclosed what amenities the MSC Beach Club will feature. It will be available to MSC and Explora Journeys guests.
“This agreement represents a defining moment for Grand Bahama and the future of our island,” said Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis. The redevelopment of the Grand Lucayan Resort has long been a national priority, and this step forward speaks to our commitment to restoring Grand Bahama as a leading tourism destination.
Two cruise beach club facilities being developed at the Grand Lucayan Resort
It won’t be the only beach club destination for cruisers at the site. Alongside MSC Beach Club, Ancient Waters Cruise Resort will be locally operated and accessible to various other cruise lines’ passengers.
The 56-acre beachfront Grand Lucayan Resort and 160-acre Reef Golf Course is now owned by Concord Wilshire Capital, which is overseeing a huge resort redevelopment.
“Together, the MSC Beach Club and the Ancient Waters Cruise Resort are projected to welcome more than one million guests annually,” Concord Wilshire President Nate Sirang said. “Combined with the activation of the Mega Marina and Casino Resort, this development will generate substantial economic activity.”
MSC’s new beach club plans are in addition to its already announced $450 million investment to upgrade the Freeport, Grand Bahama cruise port facility. The goal is to expand ship capacity and improve guest services.
Additionally, further upgrades are coming to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve which will add more recreational activities, restaurants, bars and cabanas, as well as an exclusive adult-only retreat area.
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Cruise ships and food go together like chicken and waffles. Which, as it happens, is exactly what’s featured on a new menu being tested aboard a few Carnival Cruise Line ships.
(Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line)
While some say the offerings remind them of another venue found on the high seas, most are ready to line up and get their fill. But will the venue prove popular enough to go the distance… by which we mean be rolled out across the fleet?
What’s On the New Carnival Menu
While word of the new venue has been circulating on message boards and in Facebook groups for a while now, it was John Heald who made things official.
Taking to his popular Facebook page, Carnival’s Brand Ambassador said that the line had been “testing some new food options” on various ships.
Screenshot
It was only a few short weeks ago that Heald excitedly revealed that practically every aspect of onboard dining was being looked at. “We’ll find out what you like and perhaps what you want to see changed,” he said in one of his daily videos, “but it is going to be a very, very big year for food.”
This week, he highlighted one of the options being tested. Chicken & Waffles & Waves is currently being tested on several of the fleet’s ships, including the Carnival Liberty.
When Heald posted the new Carnival menu, seen below, and asked his followers if there was “something there that you would order at lunchtime,” the response was overwhelmingly positive.
‘I’ll Take One of Everything’
As you might expect, the comment section was filled with people who may have struggled to type while fighting off unexpected cravings. “Be very afraid,” warned commenter Erick Smith.
“If I find brisket, I’ll be standing there like I’m at the blackjack table [saying] hit me, hit me, hit me, double down!”
Others noticed that the menu bears more than a passing resemblance to another venue featured on some Carnival ships. “Reminds me a lot of Big Chicken,” said several, referring to the venue spearheaded by the line’s CFO (Chief Fun Officer), Shaquille O’Neal.”
Still others poked gentle fun at the menu’s typos (including misspellings), asking if those were kinks yet to be worked out before it could be rolled out across the fleet.
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Carnival Pride returned to Baltimore on April 9 after a 22-day dry dock in Freeport, Grand Bahama, resuming the year-round service Baltimore cruisers have loved for nearly 16 years.
The ship first arrived in the city in April 2009 as Baltimore’s first year-round cruise ship, briefly relocated to Tampa in late 2014, and has called Baltimore home again since March 2015.
How the ship has changed over the years
The largest transformation came in 2015, when Carnival Pride received the Fun Ship 2.0 upgrade. That overhaul added Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, WaterWorks, RedFrog Pub, and several other venues that are now staples across the Carnival fleet.
In 2019, the ship returned to the Grand Bahama shipyard for a refresh that brought new carpeting and tiling throughout public areas, a renovated and relocated arcade, and the addition of The Cove, a dedicated lounge space for teens.
The most recent major overhaul came in 2023, when the Pride spent nearly a month at the Navantia Shipyard in Cadiz, Spain.
That dry dock brought the most visible changes yet, including new livery, the Heroes Tribute Bar and Lounge, a venue honoring U.S. military service members that had already appeared on several other ships in the fleet.
David’s Steakhouse was rebranded as Fahrenheit 555, and in the process, the ship said goodbye to its longtime replica of Michelangelo’s statue of David, which had occupied the space since the ship’s debut in 2002.
The 2023 dry dock also added the Carnival Adventures shop, Dreams Photo Studio, an upgraded Cloud 9 Spa, Starlink internet, and a full repaint in Carnival’s red, white, and blue hull livery.
What’s new from the 2026 dry dock
The latest shipyard visit was more modest by comparison. The casino underwent a full refurbishment, with updated décor throughout the gaming floor, and the Effy Jewelry boutique in the retail area was refreshed.
With dry dock complete, Carnival Pride resumes its year-round Baltimore schedule, offering seven-day cruises to The Bahamas and Bermuda, along with select Carnival Journeys sailings to more far-flung destinations.
Itineraries also include stops at Celebration Key, Carnival’s newest private destination on Grand Bahama, which opened in July 2025.
Baltimore cruisers have more to look forward to beyond the Pride’s return. Starting in November 2027, Carnival Miracle will join Pride in Baltimore, marking the first time two Carnival ships will homeport simultaneously in the city.
The cruise ship of the future might sound more like a library than an engine room.
No rumble underfoot. No funnel overhead. No exhaust cutting across the view from your deck chair. German shipbuilder Meyer Werft unveiled a concept this week for a cruise ship that runs entirely on batteries and says it could carry nearly 2,000 passengers by 2031.
Called Project Vision, the concept was announced at Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami. The ship would measure 275 meters (about 900 feet) long, carry 1,856 passengers, and weigh in at around 82,000 gross tons, comparable in size to ships sailed by Norwegian Cruise Line and Holland America today.
What would be different onboard
Because the ship runs entirely on batteries, there are no main engines and no exhaust to manage. That eliminates the funnel that typically dominates a ship’s upper deck and the internal exhaust shaft that cuts through the interior.
Meyer Werft says that frees up prime sun deck real estate for unobstructed views that passengers rarely get on modern-day cruise ships.
The aqua park, rather than sitting exposed on an upper deck, would be fully enclosed at the stern and usable year-round regardless of weather.
And with no combustion engines running beneath your feet, passengers would experience significantly less noise and vibration throughout the ship.
Can it actually work?
The battery system would be supplied by Corvus Energy, a Norwegian company that has already equipped more than half of the world’s hybrid and fully electric seagoing vessels. Meyer Werft says the technology exists today, not in some distant future.
A fully charged ship could cover popular European itineraries such as Barcelona to Civitavecchia, the port for Rome. For longer crossings, including transatlantic voyages, the design can be built as a hybrid with small backup generators.
By 2030, roughly 100 European ports are expected to have the shoreside charging infrastructure needed to support electric cruise ships.
Meyer Werft isn’t the only one working on this
Norwegian coastal line Hurtigruten has its own zero-emission ship project, called Sea Zero, targeting a 2030 launch.
That vessel would cut energy consumption by 40 to 50% compared to today’s ships, running primarily on a 60 megawatt-hour battery system Electrive charged at ports along the Norwegian coast.
The design also incorporates three retractable, autonomous wing rigs that combine solar panels and wind sails, with Hurtigruten reaching 164 feet tall when fully extended.
The key difference is scale. The Hurtigruten concept is built for 500 passengers along a fixed coastal route, Robb Report not open-ocean cruising. Meyer Werft’s Vision targets the mainstream cruise market at more than four times that passenger capacity.
Still a concept
No cruise line has placed an order. Meyer Werft presents a new concept at Seatrade each year, and Project Vision joins a growing list of industry proposals for cleaner ships.
If a cruise line signs on this year, Meyer Werft says the first ship could be delivered in 2031.
Whether that happens remains to be seen, but the shipyard is making the case that the technology to build it already exists.
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Aerial view of Celebrity Beyond (Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises)
Robert Qi Peng, of Charlotte, North Carolina, is accused of concealing a pen fitted with a tiny video camera in a unisex bathroom.
Staff discovered the device hidden beneath discarded hand towels while cleaning the restroom, and the ship’s chief security officer then notified the FBI.
After docking at Crown Bay, St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands on April 1, FBI and Port Authority agents reviewed the pen camera’s memory card. The footage allegedly showed Peng positioning the device to record the toilet area.
Footage captured multiple passengers, including a child
(Screengrab via BHphotovideo)
The approximately 90-minute recording reportedly captured nine passengers using the bathroom.
When questioned by the FBI, Peng allegedly admitted to placing the camera and told investigators he had begun secretly recording as the ship left Miami.
Video found on his laptop showed multiple guests using the toilet, including at least one child. He also reportedly told investigators he possessed several other micro cameras.
Peng was removed from the ship, which continued the voyage without him. He appeared in U.S. District Court on April 2, where U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Alan Teague released him on a $1,000 bond.
As conditions of his release, Peng was ordered not to use any hidden recording devices and to continue seeking employment.
He faces one count of unlawful video voyeurism. If found guilty, he could face up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
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Passengers aboard Sun Princess lost their port day in Corsica, France, on Tuesday after a fishermen’s strike shut down every commercial port on the island, making it impossible for the ship to dock.
(Photo via Robert Nadel)
A guest on Sun Princess emailed our Cruise News Today tip line to report the situation as it unfolded. The passenger said the ship was scheduled to dock in Ajaccio by 8 a.m. but was still sitting idle nearly two hours later.
The captain later announced that negotiations with the striking fishermen had broken down, and that if the ship attempted to dock, the fishermen would block it inside the port, preventing the ship from leaving.
“The small boats are the local fishermen who are blocking the area where we would need to dock,” the passenger wrote. “Corsica has been canceled.”
Island-wide shutdown
(Photo via Robert Nadel)
The blockade is not isolated to Ajaccio. French fishermen launched a coordinated action beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday, positioning their boats across the entrances to all six of Corsica’s commercial ports: Ajaccio, Bastia, Bonifacio, Porto-Vecchio, Propriano, and Ile-Rousse.
Ferries and cargo vessels were also prevented from entering or departing.
The fishermen are protesting a sharp rise in fuel costs they say is threatening the viability of their operations. The French government announced in late March a partial fuel rebate for fishing vessels, but fishermen rejected that as insufficient and launched what French media are describing as an unlimited strike.
The action is part of a boycott involving fishermen across France’s Mediterranean coast, including the Occitanie and PACA regions.
What this means for passengers
(Photo via Princess Cruises)
Corsica was a newly added port for Sun Princess. Princess Cruises added Ajaccio to its seven-day Western Mediterranean itineraries starting with the April 4 departure, replacing Gibraltar on 16 sailings running through next October.
For passengers on this sailing, it was the only scheduled stop in France.
Passengers who booked Princess-sold shore excursions for Corsica will receive automatic refunds.
It is unclear how long the blockade will continue. French authorities have not announced intervention plans, and the fishermen’s union has indicated they will not lift the blockade until the government meets their demands.
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Thirty passengers were safely evacuated after a small cruise ship ran aground on a reef in Fiji over the weekend.
The MV Fiji Princess, operated by Blue Lagoon Cruises, grounded near Monuriki Island on Saturday. The island is best known as the filming location for the 2000 Tom Hanks film “Cast Away.”
What caused the grounding
Blue Lagoon Cruises said in a statement that conditions were calm when the ship anchored in the area. A sudden squall then caused the anchor to drag, pushing the 182-foot vessel onto a nearby reef. No passengers were injured.
A ferry was brought alongside at first light Sunday, and all 30 passengers disembarked with their luggage and belongings. They were taken to Denarau Island.
Fuel removed, crew transferred
The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji said in a statement on Monday that approximately 23,000 liters of fuel had been successfully removed from the vessel, reducing the risk of pollution to the surrounding marine environment. Oil spill response booms remain on site as a precaution.
The crew of the Fiji Princess was subsequently transferred to the line’s sister vessel, Cougar, and departed the area bound for Port Denarau.
A salvage operator from Australia has been on scene since Sunday. Further recovery efforts are on hold pending improved weather and sea conditions.
Investigation underway
Blue Lagoon Cruises said the investigation is in its early stages. The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji did not respond to a media request for comment at the time of the initial report but issued its own update Monday confirming the fuel transfer had been completed.
A similar situation happened in December 2024 when a tender boat carrying about 30 passengers from Crown Princess ran aground near Australia’s Kangaroo Island after experiencing engine trouble.
Unlike the Fiji Princess, the vessel was a small tender boat rather than a full cruise ship, and no reef was involved.
All 30 passengers made it safely to shore, wading through thigh-high water before continuing with their excursions.
Holland America Line has increased both its daily gratuity rate and its onboard service charge.
The daily crew appreciation fee is now $18 per person, per day for guests in standard cabins, up from $17. Suite guests will pay $20 per day, up from $19. Holland America last adjusted these rates in February 2024.
The one dollar increase breaks down to be a 5.9% increase for standard cabins ($17 to $18) and a 5.3% increase for suites ($19 to $20).
Service Charge Also Increases
In addition to the increasing the daily gratuity that is automatically charged, Holland America raised its service charge on onboard purchases from 18 to 20 percent. That charge applies automatically to beverages, specialty dining cover charges, a la carte menu items, bar retail purchases, and spa and salon services.
The move mirrors what Carnival and Princess have recently done. Princess Cruises raised its service charge from 18 to 20 percent earlier this year, and Carnival made the same move.
No doubt aware that this type of change is never well received by the cruising public, Holland America opted not to make a formal announcement or send a press release. Rather, word began spreading amongst cruisers after they noticed an update to the line’s website outlining the changes.
How the Daily Gratuity Works
The daily fee is automatically added to each guest’s onboard account and pooled with charges from across the fleet.
The cruise line’s website says, “Crew Appreciation is Holland America Line’s approach to gratuities, designed to recognize the many team members who support your journey, including those you see every day and those working behind the scenes.”
Guests can request an adjustment at Guest Services before their account is finalized prior to disembarkation.
How Holland America’s Rate Compares
For context, Princess Cruises currently charges $18 per day for standard cabins and $20 for suites, putting it on par with Holland America’s new rates.
Celebrity Cruises charges $18 per day for most cabin categories, rising to $19 for Concierge Class and AquaClass, and $23 for The Retreat suites. Carnival Cruise Line’s updated rates also took effect April 2.
For a seven-night cruise, two guests in a standard cabin will now pay $252 in crew appreciation charges, up from $238 at the previous rate.
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