Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has unveiled the first renderings of its newest Super Ships debuting in 2027, the Audrey and Marlene, in a press release. “One-of-a-kind design has always been central to the Uniworld experience. With the S.S. Audrey and S.S. Marlene, we’re celebrating two women whose style defined an era,” said Ellen Bettridge, president...

MSC Group’s Cruise Division has acquired a production studio in Scotland which is set to become MSC Creative Studios. As a central hub for creative development, the new facility will support the growing entertainment and productions across MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys, MSC said in a press release. Steve Leatham, VP of entertainment for MSC...

Ambassador Cruise Line launched its 2028-29 season on March 12, 2026. According to a press release, this marks the earliest season launch since the Ambience’s inaugural sailing in 2022. There will be 35 sailings plus four Christmas Party dates aboard the Ambience and 39 itineraries aboard the Ambition. UK, Mediterranean, Nordics, Americas and Caribbean itineraries...

Marella Cruises has announced more headline acts including British singer-songwriters Pixie Lott and Lemar for its 30th birthday sailings in May, the company announced. “We’re excited to announce even more headline acts with British stars such as Pixie Lott and Lemar for both new and returning cruise customers,” said Chris Hackney, chief executive officer at...

Ocean Ventures Advisory has been formed to guide and consult on cruise ship building in Asia and is headed up by Trevor Young who most recently was vice president of newbuilding at MSC Group, overseeing the newbuild programs at MSC and Explora. Young said more cruise ship newbuilds in Asia are coming, and the industry...

Disney Cruise Line launched a new ad campaign named “Midnight Magic” on March 15. According to a press release, the ad, which debuted during the Academy Awards on ABC, shows how moments on a Disney vacation can become lifelong memories and family traditions. The video follows a father and son during a nighttime stroll on...

TUI Cruises’ newest ship, Mein Schiff Flow, completed its first extensive sea trials, technical and nautical sea tests, in the Mediterranean in February. Testing included engine performance, propulsion and maneuverability, as well as the ship’s key technical systems, the company said in a statement, which was accompanied by a video. Additionally, stabilizers, anchoring systems and...

Polar Latitudes Expeditions is launching new Fly & Cruise voyages to Antarctica starting in the 2027-28 season. The sailings will be operated by the Ocean Nova starting in January 2028 and will include charter flights between Punta Arenas in Chile and King George Island in Antarctica. According to the company’s Director of Product Development, Steffan...

While AIDA and Costa Cruises recently cancelled their sailings in the region, five brands are still planning to sail in the Arabian Gulf in 2026-27. Cruise Industry News looks at the current plans for all the brands that announced itineraries for the Middle East region during the upcoming winter season. MSC MSC is set to...

Seabourn has presented an optional pre-cruise land journey designed to extend guests’ exploration of Alaska in 2027 and 2028 called “The Denali Experience.” Designed to complement seven-day Inside Passage voyages, the land package pairs sightseeing with inland encounters that reveal Alaska beyond the coastline, the company said in a press release. It is an eight-day,...

P&O Cruises is changing the balance due date for new bookings for all cruises departing from December 1, 2026. According to a statement shared with travel agents, the company will now require guests to pay their balances 120 days before departure. The change is valid for bookings made after March 10, 2026, and does not...

Tauck has opened for booking three women-only departures in Europe this year. Each will operate as what the company calls a Small Group journey (20 and 24 guests) led by a female director, with sailings to Ireland, Italy and Portugal. According to a press release, the journeys are designed to foster connection, cultural immersion and...

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has sponsored the addition of a defibrillator at Liverpool’s Pier Head. The 24/7 public-access defibrillator was unveiled on March 12, with an essential CPR training session delivered to community stakeholders onboard the cruise line’s ship, the Bolette. The equipment has been funded in support of the Heart 2 Heart charity, helping...

AmaWaterways has introduced a new City Escapes program, offering extended time in Europe’s cities along the Seine, Rhine and Danube rivers in 2026 and expanding further in 2027. According to a press release, these departures are intentionally scheduled during quieter travel periods to allow guests to experience each destination with fewer crowds and more time...

Hapag-Lloyd has launched its 2026 Amazon season with the Hanseatic Spirit departing Belém this week on an 18-day upstream expedition along the river. The company has sailed this approximately 4,000 km (2,385 mi.) journey deep into the heart of the Amazon for nearly 30 years. Two voyages, one upstream and one downstream are offered each...

TUI Cruises has completed the evacuation of approximately 2,500 guests from Mein Schiff 5 in Doha, Qatar, following the outbreak of conflict in the region on February 28, according to a report from Schiffe und Kreuzfarhten Mein Schiff 5 and its sister ship, Mein Schiff 4, became stranded in the Persian Gulf after strikes on...

The Costa Toscana is currently cruising in the Western Mediterranean after undergoing a drydock at the Chantier Naval de Marseille shipyard in France earlier this year. As part of the ship’s regular maintenance schedule, the two-week project was completed in mid-February. In addition to routine work, the drydock included technical updates and class inspections. The...

Celebrity River Cruises has unveiled a destination discovery program featuring four experience categories designed to connect travelers to European culture, the company announced. Available across all 2027 and 2028 Celebrity River Cruises itineraries and pre- and post-cruise stays in Prague, Budapest and Amsterdam, the program includes the Storyteller Series, Skillmaster Series, Keys to the City...

Virgin Voyages is launching what it describes as its boldest culinary venture yet – an Indian restaurant at sea. Named Ariya, the restaurant will open in May exclusively aboard the Valiant Lady following her drydock, the company said in a press release. “Ariya is the next chapter in our food and beverage collection that we’ve...

The Silver Spirit will get a series of upgrades during its upcoming drydock, which is set to take place between mid-March and early May. According to a press release, the 2009-built vessel will see major enhancements, including new dining venues, reimagined public areas and upgraded staterooms. Silversea said that the refurbishment will be similar to...

HX Expeditions has announced a major expansion of its travel advisor program for 2026. In a press release, the company said that this includes doubling its Americas support team, launching its 10-city North American roadshow and rolling out a new booking platform. “The travel advisor community is absolutely central to our continued growth. In 2026,...

Cruise Industry News highlights some of the key transactions and developments that occurred within the secondhand cruise ship market between February and the first weeks of March 2026. Lumina (ex-Seven Seas Navigator) Company: Avora Residences Capacity: 490 guests Tonnage: 28,550 Year built: 1999 Move: To sail for Avora as part of a charter agreement Date:...

Carnival Cruise Line is cancelling 11 cruises onboard the Carnival Firenze that were set to take place between October 12 and November 16, 2026. According to a statement shared with booked guests, the cancellations are related to a redeployment effort. “We have made some changes to the itinerary plans for the Carnival Firenze and, unfortunately,...

AIDA Cruises will not offer any cruises in the Middle East during the winter of 2026/27 as the situation in the region remains uncertain and cannot be reliably predicted for the foreseeable future, the company said in a press release. Consequently, the planned repositioning cruises of AIDAprima around Africa have also been cancelled. The company...

Celebrity Cruises opened bookings for more than 50 Galápagos expeditions aboard the Celebrity Flora in 2028, the company announced in a press release. The 100-passenger vessel will offer seven-, 10-, 11- and 16 night all-inclusive itineraries exploring the archipelago. Extended experiences include opportunities to explore Quito, Ecuador, as well as Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley and...

Costa has announced deployment updates for the 2026-27 season, as the Costa Smeralda will not be sailing in the Middle East and instead be positioned in the Canary Islands and will be operating a brand-new seven-day itinerary between the Canaries and Madeira. With Costa Smeralda operating this program, Costa will significantly increase guest capacity  in...

Nicko Cruises is reportedly adjusting the itinerary of the current world cruise onboard the Vasco da Gama due to the recent conflicts in the Middle East. According to a report by Schiff un Kreuzfahrten, two segments of the 175-night voyage were affected, including the current one, which sailed from Indonesia in late February and was...

Coral Expeditions has added cruisePAL’s central reservation system (CRS) and customer relationship management (CRM) module to its portfolio. This is seen as a milestone since the two have collaborated since 2006, cruisePAL said in a statement. “We are proud that our long-standing collaboration continues to thrive. Over the years, we have been privileged to support...

Viking has taken delivery of the Viking Eldir, its newest Longship, the company said in a statement. The delivery ceremony took place when the new ship was presented at Meyer’s Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock-Warnemünde, Germany, where it was built. Featuring 95 staterooms, the 190-guest ship was built specifically to navigate the Rhine, Main and...