Michael Heath has resigned as chief executive officer of Aurora Expeditions after four years leading the expedition cruise line, according to the company. “Aurora Expeditions confirms that CEO Michael Heath has made the decision to leave the business following a significant period of growth and transformation for the company,” the company said. “During his tenure,...

The Port of San Francisco recently marked the maiden calls of the Carnival Luminosa and Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady. Dominic Moreno, the acting maritime director for the port, exchanged plaques with the captains of both ships to commemorate the occasion and honor their arrival. “The Port of San Francisco continues to contribute to the economic...

Adora Magic City, China’s first domestically built large cruise ship, completed its 200th voyage on May 5, 2026, docking at the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal upon return. The vessel commenced revenue service on January 1, 2024, and has since carried more than 700,000 passengers. The Adora Magic City has operated primarily from its homeport of...

Two Carnival Cruise Line ships are undergoing drydocks at the same time in the Grand Bahama Shipyard: the Carnival Legend and the Carnival Magic. The vessels recently arrived at the facility in Freeport as part of Carnival Cruise Line’s routine maintenance schedule. More details are expected to be released as the ships finish their drydocks....

The Orient Express Corinthian showed off its tiltable sails system during a recent visit to the Port of Lisbon. Considered the world’s largest sailing cruise ship, the 15,000-ton vessel is equipped with three 1,500-square-meter rigs that rise over 100 meters above its top deck. Christened at the French port of St. Nazaire in late April,...

VidantaWorld Voyages today announced the 2027 deployment for its first ship, the VidantaWorld’s Elegant. According to a press release, the 216-passenger vessel will offer a series of itineraries in the Mediterranean that are highlighted by a special cruise focused on a total solar eclipse. VidantaWorld said that the Elegant will offer a vantage point at...

Viking reported strong advanced booking momentum for the 2027 cruise season during its first quarter 2026 earnings call on May 14. With the 2026 season already 92% sold, the company has shifted its commercial focus to 2027. As of May 3, the 2027 season was 38% booked, against a capacity base expected to grow 15%...

MSC Cruises recently revealed its plans for the 2028 summer season in North America and the Caribbean, which includes itineraries onboard seven ships. According to a press release, the deployment is highlighted by the first full year of service of the MSC World Atlantic. After entering service in late 2027, the new World-class ship will...

Viking Holdings today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Leah Talactac, President and Chief Financial Officer, as Chief Executive Officer. Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO, has been appointed as Executive Chairman and will continue to serve as Chairman of Viking’s Board of Directors, according to a press release. The company also announced that...

Virgin Voyages is advising guests of delayed disembarkation processes in Spain due to a recent change to EU border controls Virgin said that “things are not working smoothly for cruise lines’ entry into Spain” due to a new digital border control system called the Entry/Exit System (EES), which has been live since April 10, 2026....

Carnival Cruise Line is cancelling reservations that took advantage of “a random display of prices that were far below any reasonable promotional fare.” In a statement to affected guests, the company said that these bookings were made over the past weekend during a planned IT maintenance project. “We regret to inform you that we will...

The Hondius is expected to arrive in Rotterdam on Monday, May 18, with 27 people onboard, according to Oceanwide Expeditions. The vessel has 25 crew members and two medical staff from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment conducting medical monitoring during the voyage. None is displaying hantavirus symptoms. Upon arrival, crew...

Norwegian Cruise Line cancelled the cruise that was set to take place onboard the Norwegian Joy on April 12, 2027. According to a statement sent to booked guests, the sailing will no longer go ahead due to a full-ship charter. Sailing roundtrip from PortMiami, the vessel was set to offer a five-night cruise to the...

The Nippon Maru recently made its final call to the port of Yokohama before being withdrawn from service by Mitsui Ocean Cruises. Wrapping up a 36-year sailing career, the 600-passenger ship bid farewell to the Osanbashi Yokohama International Passenger Terminal on May 10, 2026. “We are truly honored that Yokohama was chosen as the location...

TUI Group’s cruise segment delivered strong first-half 2026 financial results, with underlying EBIT climbing 25.9 percent year-over-year to 163.5 million euros, even as the ongoing conflict in Iran weighed on operations and occupancy during the second quarter. The company operates the TUI Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Marella Cruises brands. Second-quarter underlying EBIT reached 80.3 million...

Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot recently completed a drydock at Damen Shipyard in Brest, France. According to the facility, the 2021-built vessel underwent a range of work including blasting and painting of the hull. Designed with a PC2 hull, the LNG-powered icebreaker saw the application of new hull coating, which is said to enable withstand regular...

The Hondius departed Granadilla, Tenerife, at 19:00 local time on May 11 and is now underway to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, with an expected arrival on the evening of May 17, according to Oceanwide Expeditions. The total number of individuals repatriated to their home countries and the Netherlands was 122, consisting of 35 crew and 87...

The Adora Mediterranea has entered a scheduled drydock at COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Zhoushan) Co., Ltd. for a 10-day maintenance and upgrade project. The vessel docked at the shipyard’s No. 2 drydock on Wednesday, May 7. Marine engineering firm Peak Ocean is overseeing the interior refurbishment work under a contract procured by Columbia Cruise Services on behalf...

The Caribbean continues to be the backbone of the cruise industry with 42 percent of the global cruise capacity deployed in 2026, up 12 percent from 2025, and with a record 16.5 million guests, according to the 2026 Cruise Industry News Annual Report This year, more than 200 ships from more than 40 cruise lines...