Holland America Line is about to invest over $500 million in a new program they’re calling the most ambitious guest experience update in the company’s 153 year history. When all is said and done, older ships in the fleet will seem new again as a result of bow-to-stern renovations.

Good News for Solo Travelers

The changes will be implemented over the next few years, with the Oosterdam being the first to undergo the transformative (and appropriately named) Evolution program.

In the coming years, each of the remaining Vista-class ships (Zuiderdam, Westerdam and Noordam) as well as the two comprising the Signature-class (Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam) will get their turn in the Evolution spotlight.

But first, debuting in the fall of 2027, the updated Oosterdam will feature new stateroom categories as well as the addition of perhaps the line’s most popular venue, the Grand Dutch Cafe. (This particular spot was previously only available on Holland America’s Pinnacle-class ships.)

One of the biggest change being made is the addition of 30 staterooms specifically designed for solo travelers. Better still, these won’t be small, featureless interior staterooms but cabins offering private balconies and full amenities.

In all, over 70 staterooms will be added to the ship, although Holland America makes it clear that they will be preserving the “room at the rail” aspect that allows guests to soak in the environments through which the ships sail.

Bookings aboard the newly-refurbished ship will go on sale May 6.

Rooms With a (Killer) View

Also new to the ship will be two Bridgeview Suites, offering panoramic windows, a wraparound balcony and, thanks to their location at the front of the ship, what might be called a captain’s-eye view!

Elsewhere, Oosterdam will feature a 1,550 square-foot reimagined Pinnacle Suite, making it the most expansive one ever featured on a Vista-class ship.

Speaking of first-in-their-class, Oosterdam will also debut 24 Vista Suites, long among the most popular for those sailing on Pinnacle-class ships.

More Changes Ahead

One major addition coming to ships under the Evolution program? The addition of the previously-mentioned Grand Dutch Cafe. This European style spot, rooted in the line’s Dutch heritage, will welcome guests on Deck 3, just off the atrium.

Declaring that the line is “just getting started,” Holland America Line president Beth Bodensteiner offered an enthusiastic tease of what’s yet to be revealed. “Over the coming months, we’ll be unveiling several more exciting additions to Oosterdam as well as the other five ships that are part of this evolution.”

The company will also be investing in various ways to improve the energy efficiency of ships. This will involve an emphasis on smarter power management and making performance changes aimed at reducing energy demand and decreasing their overall carbon footprint in the future.

More details about not only Oosterdam’s renovations (and future itineraries) will be shared at hollandamerica.com/evolution, which will also offer real-time updates as plans are revealed.

Read Next: How a Holland America World Cruise changed me

Four months after the tragic death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner aboard the Carnival Horizon, her 16-year-old stepbrother has officially been charged with murder in the first degree and aggravated sexual assault.

Teen To Be Charged As An Adult

In a release regarding the development, the Department of Justice laid out their case that “while the ship was in international waters en route to Miami, T.H. allegedly sexually assaulted an intentionally killed Kepner.

The Miami-Date Medical Examiner’s Office later determined the cause of death to be mechanical asphyxiation.” The full name of the young man has not been revealed in court documents due to his status as a minor.

Speaking for the court of the Southern District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said, “A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging serious offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a vessel in international waters.

We will present the evidence in court and pursue this case with profesionalism and care. As in every case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” 

Although originally charged as a juvenile back in February, the young man will be tried as an adult according to the Department of Justice.

Kepner was found beneath her stateroom’s bed during a family sailing aboard the Carnival Cruise ship last November. Among those on the trip were her father and stepmother, as well as her paternal grandparents. Even as suspicions swirled around Anna’s stepbrother, her grandparents maintained that the young woman was close to her step-siblings.

“It’s all family,” said grandfather Jeffrey Kepner to news outlets. “It’s a blended family, yes, but that’s not how our family is. Our dynamic is we’re all just family.” 

Now, that family will face the prospect of Anna’s killer spending the rest of his life behind bars if convicted and given the maximum sentence.

In a letter sent to passengers and travel partners, MSC Cruises revealed that they will be hiking gratuity rates on two popular types of cruises.

While they offered a way for booked guests to avoid paying the higher rate, there is a ticking clock attached to the deal.

Which Daily Gratuity Is Going Up

In the letter, MSC said that the rate would impact guests booked on Caribbean and Alaskan sailings. They also said the new per person, per day rate would go into effect as of May 11, 2026.

As of that date, guests booked in standard staterooms will see the daily gratuity (or, as MSC calls it, “Hotel Service Charge”) rise from $16 to $17 per person per day.

Meanwhile, those booked into the Yacht Club — aka MSC’s ship-within-a-ship area — will pay a whopping $3 more per person, per day, with their price jumping from $20 to $23.

“The Hotel Service Charge helps us maintain the highest quality standards of service by supporting the dedicated crew members who work to enhance your onboard experience,” read the letter.

Pay Now, Save Later

MSC did offer booked guests a chance to avoid paying the increased rate. “We are happy to honor the current Hotel Service Charge rate for guests who have already paid, as well as those who choose to prepay before the policy change [goes into effect] on May 11.”

There’s been no word as to why Caribbean and Alaska sailings were targeted in particular — aside, perhaps, from their popularity. It’s also unclear whether this change eventually will be implemented across the fleet’s other itineraries.

“We have a Yacht Club experience coming up,” said one MSC cruiser who reached out to our tip line. “And honestly, as if that wasn’t expensive enough already, now there’s another increase to contend with. When will it end?” 

Similar stories are unfolding across many cruise lines. In February, Carnival Cruise Line announced they would be increasing their daily gratuities at the beginning of April. In that case, rates went from $17 to $18 per person per day for standard staterooms, and from $18 to $19 for suite guests.

This still falls well below the rates charged by Margaritaville at Sea, which in February hiked their rates to $22 per person, per day for standard rooms and $25 per person per day for suites.

Read Next: Details on MSC’s next private destination

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.”

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.

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.

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.

Read Next: Shaq’s Big Chicken Review

If you’re a cruise enthusiast who spends any time at all “doomscrolling” Instagram, you’ve no doubt come across the video. You know, the one showing a simulation of “what happens if you fall off a cruise ship.” But let’s talk about what that video gets wrong… and what it doesn’t tell you.

Fear Factor

Created and shared by an Instagram account called AxiomPixels, the video starts by showing a person standing at a ridiculously low railing and going overboard. “What happens if you fall from a cruise ship and no one sees you?” the voiceover and accompanying graphic ask.

The reel — which has been viewed over 5 million times and can be found here — goes on to describe this truly terrifying scenario and what would likely happen next. It talks about the force with which your body would hit the water and that “within 10 minutes, the glowing ship is just a speck of light on the horizon.” 

‘It’s A Terrifying Reality’ 

The short clip goes on to ask how long the viewer thinks they’d be able to tread water in the dark, especially as the freezing water “instantly saps your body heat.” While no potential survival tips are included, the video does end by dubbing the situation “a terrifying reality” adding, “In fact: Over 30 people go overboard on cruise ships every single year, and most are never found.” 

Perhaps they should preface that last number by “almost fact” given that the true number of annual man overboards is more in the 20-25 range. According to an industry report, there were 19 “man overboard” incidents.

READ MORE: All of 2024’s Man Overboard Incidents

According to a report from CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association), 218 passengers and crew were reported as having gone overboard. Of those, 48 percent were successfully recovered.

What That Cruise Ship Viral Video Omits

What’s important to note — and not mentioned in the fear-inspiring video — is that approximately 37 million people from all around the world cruised in 2025. It’s projected that in 2026, a record-breaking 21 million Americans will board ships.

If 30 people out of 37 million were to falloverboard, that words out to somewhere in the vicinity of 0.000086%. Call us crazy, but those are pretty good odds.

The other thing not mentioned in the viral video is that, simply put, people do not “fall off” cruise ships, at least not without a bit of effort. The fast majority of those who do are either taking a purposeful action or doing something that that goes against both the rules and common sense. Alcohol also plays a role in many incidents, with people who’ve had too much to drink making foolish decisions or taking deliberate actions.

Ultimately, like so many videos which go viral, there’s more to the story than meets the eye, let alone can be explained in so short a format.

Read Next: What happens when someone goes overboard?