When Carnival Legend emerged from dry dock on Wednesday, May 20, there was something different about her. While Legend is currently the only ship in the fleet to sport the new look, it will slowly be introduced to the entire fleet… minus two ships.

‘From Sea to Shining Sea’

For years, Carnival has proudly promoted the fact that it is the No. 1 cruise line in the country. Now, just in time for Memorial Weekend and as America gears up to celebrate its 250th anniversary, Carnival is rolling out a new bow crest which features the iconic whale tail surrounded by the words “From Sea to Shining Sea.”

In the coming months and years, ships will receive the new look when they are sent into dry dock, with the Carnival Magic next in line for the miniature makeover. “With the debut of this new crest,” explained Christine Duffy, the line’s president, “we’re reinforcing what guests have long known: Carnival is proud to be America’s cruise line.”

She added that the new crest represents the line’s reach, “from the communities we visit to the memories we help create at sea.” 

Which Two Ships Won’t Get the New Crest

While Carnival is clearly proud of and excited about the new crest, two of the fleet’s ships will not be included in the rollout: Carnival Jubilee and the upcoming Carnival Tropicale — the latter of which will be introduced in 2028 — each will continue to display the Texas star on their bows, representing their ongoing homeporting in Galveston.

As part of the rollout, Carnival also unveiled a promo reel — which you can view above — focusing in part on the fact that they “welcome more active and retired military members for well-deserved [rest and recreation]”, adding that “no other cruise line sails more Americans.” 

In a stunning blow, Mexican authorities have put the kibosh on Royal Caribbean International’s plans to open a second private destination.

Why Perfect Day Mexico Was Shut Down

According to Reuters, the country’s Environment Minister, Alicia Barcena, said of the proposed park, “It is not going to be approved.” She also indicated that Royal Caribbean had taken steps to back away from the proposal, which would have seen the massive complex — including bars, restaurants and over 30 waterslides — open in the fall of 2027.

Various organizations had protested the project, citing concerns about damage to the environment as a whole and the surrounding reefs in particular. Indeed, Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, addressed those concerns earlier in the week during a press conference. While she did not shut down the proposal at that presser, her words certainly seemed a strong indicator of what would come next.

“We must not do anything that affects that area, which has a very important ecological balance, and is particularly important for the reefs,” she stated.

Why This Project Was Important to Royal

In recent years, private destinations such as Royal Caribbean International’s Perfect Day Cococay, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Great Stirrup Cay and Carnival Cruise Line’s Celebration Key have played an increasingly important role when it comes to the bottom line.

The logic behind this boom is simple: Why have guests spend their money in ports of call as opposed to at destinations owned and largely monetized by cruise lines themselves? And while these destinations often offer opportunities to enjoy a beach environment at no cost, each also offers opportunities to upgrade the experience… for a cost.

During Royal Caribbean International’s most recent earnings call, the company boasted of plans to expand it’s portfolio of private destinations from three to eight by the end of 2028 via its Royal Beach Club and Perfect Day collections.

This latest blow comes on the heels of geopolitical developments causing Royal, like other lines, to take a hit last quarter as itineraries visiting the West Coast of Mexico took a hit.

What Happens Next?

The move is not entirely surprising, given public opposition to the project. A Change.org petition calling for the project to be axed received over 4 million signatures, while various environmental groups — including Greenpeace — were extremely vocal about the potential damage the project could do were it permitted to move forward.

According to Reuters, Royal Caribbean said that it regretted but respected the decision by Mexico’s authorities. The company added that it hopes to work with Mexico in the future and plans to discuss options that will create jobs and environmental infrastructure.

Carnival Mardi Gras rescued nine people from a disabled boat off the coast of Florida on Saturday, stopping to render aid shortly after leaving port.

The cruise line confirmed all nine were brought safely aboard and later handed over to authorities in the Bahamas.

Crew spots distress flag off Sebastian Inlet

Mardi Gras departed Port Canaveral at 3:30 p.m. on May 16 for a 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailing. At approximately 5:45 p.m., while 33.5 nautical miles southeast of Canaveral near Sebastian Inlet, crew members spotted a vessel displaying a distress flag and people waving for help.

The ship slowed and crew members boarded a small lifeboat to reach the disabled craft. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified.

All nine adults were brought aboard Mardi Gras, where they received food, water, and medical evaluation. The ship resumed speed at 6:18 p.m. and was making 16.8 knots by 7:29 p.m., bound for Nassau.

Carnival Mardi Gras came to the rescue of nine people aboard a distressed vessel on Saturday, off the coast of Sebastian Inlet, Florida. The ship’s crew spotted the vessel displaying a distress flag, notified the U.S. Coast Guard, and safely brought all nine adults aboard.

It went on to say, “They remained in the ship’s care until arrival in Nassau, Bahamas on Sunday afternoon where they disembarked the vessel with Bahamian authorities,” a Carnival spokesperson told Cruise Radio.

The disabled vessel was later retrieved by the U.S. Coast Guard. What caused the boat to malfunction, how long those aboard had been adrift, and where they were headed have not been disclosed.

Nine handed over to Bahamian authorities

Marine Traffic data shows Mardi Gras arrived in Nassau at 9:13 a.m. Sunday and was docked by 9:30 a.m., 47 minutes ahead of the scheduled 10:00 a.m. arrival.

The nine people were disembarked into the custody of Bahamian authorities, with one seen walking down the gangway in handcuffs.

There was no impact to the ship’s itinerary or its passengers, many of whom praised the crew for the rescue. Mardi Gras is scheduled to continue to Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos, and Celebration Key in the Bahamas before returning to Port Canaveral on May 23.

This is not the first such rescue by a Carnival ship this year. In April, Carnival Legend rescued a man and his cat from a disabled sailboat en route to Cozumel. Last year, Carnival Splendor diverted course to rescue four sailors and three dogs.

Few topics get cruise lovers as riled up as chair hogs. While some cruise lines have made minor efforts to curb the practice, a recently-resolved German court case could lead to big problems — and possibly solutions — if similar cases make their way onto the lido deck.

Why He Sued

As reported by the BBC, a German man claimed his family’s vacation at a Greek resort was negatively impacted by their inability to secure sun loungers due to other guests reserving them with towels and then disappearing for hours.

The unnamed man claimed in court documents that he and his family would arise as early as 6 a.m. yet find all the loungers reserved. And although there were signs prohibiting guests from using towels to reserve loungers, he said it was regularly ignored.

Ultimately, he received a portion of the amount he paid back. While the case was far more complicated than outlined here — involving not only the resort itself but a tour operator through whom he’d booked — it does raise points that will be familiar to most cruisers.

Can Cruise Lines Win This Battle?

While it would seem that chair hogs have existed since, if not the beginning of time, certainly the earliest days of cruising, some lines have made efforts to discourage offenders.

For example, several years ago Carnival put in place a plan — outlined here — they hoped might help solve the problem. Abandoned chairs are to receive stickers, as the website explains “indicating the time the sticker was placed and when personal items will be removed. If the chair remains unoccupied for 40 minutes, the contents are removed and held for the guest’s safekeeping.”

Similar programs have been implemented by other lines, including Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean. However, there’s one major problem… and it only seems to be getting worse. As one Redditor put it when the topic was discussed in a Royal Caribbean thread, “If there is no enforcement, people will continue to do it.”

Smaller Staffs, Shuffled Priorities

Therein, of course, lies the rub. Because while cruise lines might have the best of intentions where these and other policies are concerned, it’s no secret that most are also operating on tighter budgets.

In many cases, crews are stretched thin… something cruisers have most definitely noticed. That being the case, one has to wonder just how much enforcement of chair-hog related issues will be moving forward? While it seems unlikely that a “chair hog lawsuit” like the one filed against the Greek resort would prove successful — or even make it into a courtroom — stranger things have happened… especially on the high seas.

Read Next: Should Carnival overturn their lifetime ban?

Two women who engaged in what’s been described as a slap-fest aboard the Carnival Spirit appeared in federal court this week. And while they were given an opportunity to, in essence, make the entire incident go away, they’ll still face a lifetime ban as well as the loss of their status in Carnival Cruise Line’s loyalty program.

How The Fight Started

The fact that both Tonya Nelson and Lisa Horace will lose their status with the line is somewhat ironic, given that their altercation involved a guest services line designated for those with Platinum or Diamond status.

According to various records, the dispute started when Nelson tried to alert Horace that she was in a line specifically meant for those who have achieved the highest level in Carnival’s VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) program.

Read More: Carnival issues important warning to loyalty club members

Things quickly escalated to the point that things became physical. Thanks to witness reports and surveillance footage confirming the incident — and the fact that it unfolded while the ship was in international waters as it headed back to Mobile, Alabama— Horace and Nelson wound up facing assault charges in federal court.

What Went Down In Court

According to reporting from Mobile’s local news outlets, both women apologized for being in court. The judge ultimately decided that if the two could avoid being arrested or coming into contact with one another for three weeks, the pending charges would be dismissed.

The women said they’d been banned from Carnival Cruise Line for life and lost their respective loyalty status. That said, Nelson’s lawyer, Buzz Jordan, told reporters he hoped that decision might be reversed. “Things happen sometimes on a crowded ship,” he said of his client’s behavior. “You know, we’ve got big crowds involved, so that’s how I think this happened.” 

French health authorities have cleared Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambition after briefly confining all guests and crew to the ship following a norovirus outbreak in Bordeaux.

Passengers were allowed to disembark and shore excursions resumed after testing confirmed the situation was under control.

The ship, on a 14-night sailing of Western France and Spain, departed Belfast on May 8 before continuing from Liverpool on May 9. Cases increased after passengers boarded in Liverpool, with symptoms peaking while the ship was docked in Brest.

The Ambition arrived in Bordeaux with 1,233 passengers, mostly from Britain and Ireland, and 514 crew. Testing confirmed the outbreak was a gastro-intestinal infection. Nearly 50 guests and at least one crew member reported symptoms.

Death Unrelated to Outbreak

A 92-year-old British passenger died during the voyage on May 10. Initial reports suggested a possible link to the illness, but health authorities confirmed the man suffered a heart attack and his death was unrelated to the gastrointestinal outbreak.

The cruise line stated the guest had not reported any symptoms related to the illness, and support is being provided to his friends and family.

Revised Itinerary

Asymptomatic passengers were cleared to disembark while those still symptomatic remained in isolation onboard.

Ambassador confirmed the Ambition stayed in Bordeaux overnight on May 14 before departing on a revised itinerary May 15, citing forecast rough weather in the Bay of Biscay as an additional factor.

Enhanced sanitation measures, medical monitoring, and isolation protocols remain in place for the remainder of the voyage.

The news comes after a norovirus outbreak was reported on Caribbean Princess earlier this week with over 100 people sick, that cruise ended in Florida on May 11.

Carnival Cruise Line has issued a statement cancelling reservations made by guests taking advantage of extremely low-priced rates published thanks to a glitch. But not everyone is happy about the company’s explanation or their response.

What Carnival Is Saying

In a note sent to an undisclosed number of passengers, Carnival explained that “following a planned IT maintenance project… some guests saw a random display of prices that were far below any reasonable promotional fare. The reservation you made was one of them.” 

As a result, the note continued, “We regret to inform you that we will not be able to honor your reservation request.” Instead, Carnival cancelled the reservations and issued refunds.

“As a gesture of our appreciation,” the note went on to say, “a non-transferable onboard credit of $100 per stateroom will be applied to your future booking if made by August 31, 2026.” 

‘Their Mistake Should Not Be Your Problem!’

Needless to say, reaction from across social media was quick and harsh. “They advertised a price and you made a purchase,” commented one person on Facebook. “Their mistake should not be your problem.” 

Unfortunately, this is not the first time a glitch has led to low prices which ultimately were not honored. For example, in January of 2020, Carnival Cruise Line’s website accidentally posted casino rates as if they were available to any booking passenger. Soon after, the mistake was discovered and booked cruisers had their sailings cancelled.

And in August of 2023, Carnival’s computer system accidentally began offering an incredibly discounted beverage package, those who jumped at the offer soon received notice that the line would not, in fact, be honoring the quoted price.

On the other hand, when Royal Caribbean’s system made a similar mistake — charing $18 per person per day for the drink package as opposed to the then-standard $55 — they ultimately honored the price. This came after significant public outcry which led to to them eat the loss rather than face mounting bad publicity.

Always Read Your Cruise Contract!

Of course, there’s a significant difference between a mistakenly-priced drink package and the cost of a full-blown cruise.

While many on social media believe the Carnival low price glitch should be honored, the cruise contract makes clear that is not likely to happen.

Specifically, the contract — found in its entirety here — reads as follows:

 In the event that a cruise fare listed, quoted or advertised through any website, Carnival sales person, travel agent or any other source is booked but is incorrect due to an electronic error, typographical error, human error or any other error causing the fare to be listed, quoted or advertised for an amount not intended by Carnival, Carnival reserves the right to correct the erroneous fare by requesting the Guest to pay the correct fare intended (and associated fees, expenses and taxes), or by canceling the cruise in exchange for a full refund, but in no event shall Carnival be obligated to honor any such booking resulting from the error.

Read Next: How Carnival cruisers can avoid losing their status

An 88-year-old woman has died while her ship was docked at Carnival’s private destination Celebration Key. The guest was sailing aboard the Carnival Celebration cruise ship when the incident occurred Saturday, the last full day of the cruise before returning to PortMiami.

Scooter fell off pier at Celebration Key

“A female guest using a mobility scooter drove off the pier at Celebration Key and fell into the water while Carnival Celebration was in port. Carnival teams responded, successfully retrieving her from the water. Despite resuscitation efforts, she did not survive,” the cruise line said.

A witness said the woman may have had a heart attack and banged her head before falling into the water, though that has not been confirmed. Separately, investigators believe she may have hit her head on the ship during the fall. Royal Bahamas Police took custody of the body and an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.

A diver later recovered the scooter from the water. A second ship, the Carnival Glory, was also docked at Celebration Key when the incident occurred.

“She banged her head pretty bad, and then her husband tried to do what he could, and he ended up hurting himself as well,” said ship guest Edward Egersheim, who witnessed the incident.

Third death at Celebration Key since opening

This is the third guest death at Celebration Key since the $600 million private destination opened in July 2025.

Two American guests in their 70s drowned in separate incidents in August 2025, less than three hours apart. One was sailing on Carnival Mardi Gras and the other on Carnival Elation. One died while snorkeling at the beach and the other in a lagoon pool.

Passengers stuck for days on the virus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius have started landing back in their home countries.

Guests disembarked in Tenerife under tight health restrictions and boarded government-organized repatriation flights home.

Last evacuation flights to depart Monday

Flights have landed in France, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK with American and Canadian nationals arriving home Sunday. Additional flights are expected to depart from Tenerife on Monday.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said one of the five French passengers on an evacuation flight displayed symptoms of hantavirus. All five were placed into strict isolation upon landing.

The World Health Organization recommended a 42-day quarantine for all ship guests. “Our recommendation is daily health checks, at home or in a specialized facility. It’s up to countries to develop their policies but our recommendations are very clear,” said the WHO’s acting director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, Maria Van Kerkhove.

Ship guests will self-isolate for several weeks

Countries have set their own quarantine and self-isolating rules. Spain will keep its citizens in hospital for the full 42 days, while French guests will be monitored in hospital for the first 72 hours and then permitted to self-isolate at home for 45 more days.

All 17 Americans who sailed on the ship were flown to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for an initial health assessment.

After evaluation, passengers without confirmed infection are expected to transition to home-based monitoring, with local health departments checking in daily for up to 42 days.

“This is not Covid. We don’t want to cause a public panic over this,” said acting U.S. CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya. “We don’t want to treat it like COVID. We want to treat it with the hantavirus protocols that were successful in containing outbreaks in the past.”

The hantavirus, which has claimed three lives with another six cases under medical evaluation, was first reported to the WHO in early May and is generally transmitted through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine or saliva. Spanish health officials said no rodents were discovered on the ship.

Health officials now suspect the Dutch couple who died may have contracted hantavirus during a birdwatching trip through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay before the cruise departed Ushuaia, as the route included stops in areas where the rodent species known to carry the virus is present.

A small polar expedition ship carrying roughly 147 passengers and crew is expected to dock in Tenerife, Spain in the early hours of Sunday, May 10, following a hantavirus outbreak that has killed three people and triggered an international public health response with over a dozen countries.

The MV Hondius is not a mainstream cruise ship. Operated by Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, the 170-passenger vessel specializes in remote polar voyages to Antarctica, the Arctic, and isolated South Atlantic islands.

The ship departed the southern tip of Argentina on April 1 on its Atlantic Odyssey voyage, carrying passengers from 23 countries.

Here is how the outbreak unfolded:

April 1: The Hondius departs Ushuaia, Argentina, beginning a transatlantic expedition voyage.

April 6: A 70-year-old male passenger falls ill with fever, headache, and gastrointestinal symptoms.

April 11: The passenger dies on board. The cause of death is not yet identified as hantavirus.

April 24: The passenger’s body is removed from the ship during a stop at Saint Helena, a remote British territory in the South Atlantic. His 69-year-old wife, also a passenger, leaves the ship and boards a flight to Johannesburg. She dies on April 26.

Test results on May 4 confirm she was infected with hantavirus. On the same day, more than two dozen other passengers disembark at Saint Helena without contact tracing, dispersing to at least 12 countries.

April 27: A second ill passenger is medically evacuated from Ascension Island to South Africa. Test results on May 2 confirm hantavirus infection. The passenger remains hospitalized in an intensive care unit.

May 2: A German woman who had shown symptoms since April 28 dies on board the ship. Hantavirus is officially confirmed in a ship passenger for the first time.

May 3: The Hondius arrives in Cape Verde. The World Health Organization confirms it is responding to a suspected hantavirus outbreak. Three additional passengers on board are reported ill.

May 6: After Cape Verde is deemed unable to handle the scale of evacuation needed, the ship departs for Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands.

May 9 (current): The Hondius is en route to Tenerife, where it is expected to dock Sunday. Spain has built an isolated staging area at Granadilla Port. Passengers will be transported in guarded, cordoned-off vehicles directly to repatriation flights.

The U.S. is sending a government medical flight to bring home 17 Americans still on board; they will be quarantined at the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

The U.K. is also chartering a plane for its roughly two dozen nationals on board. As of Friday, no one remaining on the ship is reported to have active symptoms.

CDC Moves to Level 3

The CDC has activated its Emergency Operations Center at Level 3, the lowest of three activation levels, to monitor the situation.

The WHO has assessed the public health risk as low, and a flight attendant who briefly came into contact with an infected passenger tested negative for the virus.

Health officials in at least five U.S. states and two New Jersey residents are being monitored as a precaution; none have shown symptoms.

Hantavirus is primarily transmitted through contact with infected rodent droppings, not through casual person-to-person contact. Health officials believe the initial exposure likely occurred on land in South America before the voyage began.

Editor’s Note: This article is being updated as new information becomes available.

Carnival Cruise Line’s reservation system went offline Friday night for planned maintenance, leaving guests unable to book cruises, manage existing reservations, or complete pre-cruise purchases until Saturday afternoon.

The outage began at 9 p.m. ET on May 8 and is expected to last until 3 p.m. ET on May 9, a window of roughly 18 hours.

What guests cannot do during the outage

According to Carnival’s website, the following features are unavailable while maintenance is underway: logging into your account, creating or managing bookings, checking in online, and making pre-cruise purchases such as shore excursions and specialty dining.

Calling the cruise line also will not help. Carnival’s customer service representatives are subject to the same system limitations and will be unable to make or update reservations on behalf of guests during the outage.

Travel advisors are also affected. The GoCCL Dashboard, used by travel professionals to access booking information and claim bookings in Carnival’s agent rewards program, will be unavailable as well.

Carnival said the rest of carnival.com remains accessible, so guests can still browse itineraries, ships, and destinations in the meantime.

One thing guests can do: enroll in Carnival Rewards

While the booking system is down, guests can still opt into Carnival’s new Rewards program, which launches September 1, 2026, and replaces the current VIFP loyalty program.

That matters because VIFP members must opt in before the new program launches to carry over their existing status. Carnival has made clear that status will not transfer automatically. Members who do not enroll by August 31, 2026, risk losing their accumulated loyalty standing.

Enrollment is done through a personalized link sent to VIFP members via email and takes only a few seconds to complete.

This outage is a planned maintenance event, unlike the widespread IT failure Carnival experienced in early 2026 that delayed multiple ships and disrupted onboard systems across the fleet.

Carnival said it expects all systems to be fully restored by Saturday afternoon, May 9.

Thousands of cruisers have been left disappointed after their long weekend cruise aboard Disney Adventure from Singapore was belatedly canceled.

Guests were on the ship and scheduled to depart from Singapore’s Marina Bay Cruise Centre on May 7.

Ship canceled one day after scheduled departure without leaving port

The ship remained overnight at the cruise terminal while a team of technicians tried to fix a mechanical issue. That proved unsuccessful and guests were officially told Friday afternoon that the four-night sailing was canceled.

We apologize to our guests and are working with them directly to provide support for their travel needs,” Disney Cruise Line said.

“We are truly sorry that we are unable to proceed with your Disney Adventure experience. We fully understand how upsetting and disappointing this news is.”

Generous compensation offered

The cruise line said all guests will be fully refunded their cruise fare and any unused prepaid packages. Additionally, they are entitled to a 50% future cruise credit.

Guests also get a complimentary one-night hotel stay in Singapore including transfer, plus up to US$500 per stateroom to cover any other associated costs. Guests who flew into Singapore for their cruise will also get flight change fees covered by the cruise line.

The cruise line hasn’t disclosed what the specific mechanical issue was. As of Friday, Disney said the next scheduled sailing on May 11 is expected to proceed as planned.

Guests took to social media to vent their frustrations, although many also praised the generous compensation the cruise line is offering.

Disney Adventure is the line’s newest and largest ship, which debuted in March 2026. It measures approximately 208,000 gross tons and can accommodate around 6,700 guests. It is the first Disney ship based in Asia and currently sails short cruises to nowhere with no port calls.

The ship is set to homeport in the Lion City for at least the next five years.

More than 100 passengers have fallen ill on a Princess Cruises ship during an outbreak that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed as norovirus.

The outbreak has sickened 102 passengers as well as 13 crew members, bringing the total to 115 across the ship.

The main symptoms are diarrhea and vomiting aboard the Caribbean Princess. The ship is carrying 3,116 guests and 1,131 crew members.

The CDC was informed about the outbreak on May 7 when the number of cases surpassed the 3% reporting threshold. The ship’s current voyage in the Caribbean is set to conclude in Port Canaveral on May 11.

The ship departed on April 28 from Fort Lauderdale. The 13-night sailing is calling at Princess Cays, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, St. Maarten, San Juan, Amber Cove (Dominican Republic), and Nassau. It is continuing its itinerary as planned.

Enhanced shipwide cleaning undertaken

Under CDC monitoring protocols, the cruise line conducted enhanced cleaning and disinfection across the ship and isolated ill passengers and crew.

“We confirm that a limited number of individuals reported mild gastrointestinal illness during the April 28 Caribbean Princess voyage from Port Everglades. We quickly disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage,” it said.

“Upon arrival to Port Canaveral on May 11, Caribbean Princess will undergo comprehensive cleaning and disinfection before departing for her next voyage.”

Fourth outbreak of 2026

It marks the fourth gastrointestinal illness outbreak reported by the CDC this year, and the second involving a Princess Cruises ship.

This is significantly fewer compared to the same period in 2025. However, cruise ship outbreaks have come under intense scrutiny in recent days due to the deadly Hantavirus outbreak aboard a small expedition cruise ship in the Atlantic.

Three people have died and health officials say there are five additional cases. The stricken MV Hondius is expected to dock in Tenerife, Canary Islands this weekend.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says 28 cruise ship crew members were detained during an enforcement operation at the Port of San Diego last month, including some employees from Disney Cruise Line ships.

According to CBP, 27 of the 28 individuals were allegedly involved in the receipt, possession, transportation, distribution, or viewing of child sexual abuse material.

Authorities said the crew members’ visas were revoked and they are being returned to their home countries. No criminal charges have been publicly announced.

The operation took place between April 23 and April 27, according to federal authorities.

CBP said 26 of the detained workers were from the Philippines, while the others were from Portugal and Indonesia.

Disney Cruise Line Responds to Crew Member Detentions

Disney Cruise Line confirmed that some of its crew members were involved in the operation.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior and fully cooperated with law enforcement,” the company said in a statement. “While the majority of these individuals were not from our cruise line, those who were are no longer with the company.”

Video recorded by passengers aboard Disney Magic showed federal agents escorting several crew members off the ship with zip-tie restraints during the operation.

Immigrant rights group Unión del Barrio criticized the detentions and called for more information from federal authorities. Group leader Benjamin Prado said the organization was waiting for official statements from ICE and CBP rather than relying solely on media reports.

The organization also claimed that crew members from a Holland America Line ship were detained during the operation, though the cruise line has not publicly confirmed the reports.

The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles also issued a statement expressing concern over the detention of Filipino nationals while acknowledging the authority of U.S. officials to vet individuals entering the country through ports of entry.

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It’s safe to say that Carnival Cruise Line caused a bit of a stir last year upon announcing major changes to their loyalty program.

Now comes word that unless cruisers take one very important step, they’ll lose their status entirely.

How to Avoid Losing Your Status

As of September 1, Carnival will be retiring its much-loved Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) program. At that time, the line will be switching to the new Carnival Rewards program.

The new system involves earning stars in order to boost one’s status. Unlike under the previous program, the earned status is no longer a permanent, protected level. Instead, it must be re-earned every two years.

While that has led to confusion among some longtime loyalists and anger among others, there seems to be no way to stop this in-motion train. (Carnival has made tweaks since the original announcement and may well make more in the months between now and September.)

Most assumed their loyalty status would automatically transfer to the new program. But as it turns out, it isn’t quite as simple as that.

“Due to privacy laws,” reads a warning from Carnival, “your current status progress and benefits from the VIFP Club program will carry over only by opting in and enrolling in Carnival Rewards prior to when the new program launches September 1, 2026.” 

The Biggest Change

Under the former VIFP Program, the easiest and most popular way to earn points was by simply booking a cruise. Points were earned for each day spent on a Carnival ship. The new Rewards program, however, has shifted to a money-spent system.

Not coincidentally, the line has been heavily promoting the Carnival World Mastercard to earn points and boost status.

And it’s worth noting that the line says those who already have the card will have their earned Fun Points balance converted to Carnival Rewards Points when the new program launches in September.

For complete information on everything related to the new program, head to CarnivalRewards.com.