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

The Sandy Cay announcement adds to a larger MSC expansion in the Bahamas.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

The incident comes weeks after a man overboard alarm on a Royal Caribbean ship was found to have been a hoax by a group of teenagers.

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.

The company plans to present its plans in detail at the Juneau Chamber of Commerce luncheon next month.

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.

A passenger aboard the Celebrity Beyond has been arrested and charged with video voyeurism after crew members discovered a hidden camera in a public bathroom aboard the ship during a Caribbean sailing.

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

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.

According to CruiseMapper, the Celebrity Beyond‘s week-long itinerary included stops in the Dominican Republic, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and St. Kitts before returning to PortMiami on Easter Sunday.

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.