Crystal has released the renderings of family and outdoor spaces debuting on the Crystal Grace, its newest ship set to enter operation in 2028. Currently under construction at Fincantieri, the ship is scheduled to embark on its eight-night inaugural voyage on June 11, 2028, from Civitavecchia (Rome) to Venice. “Crystal Grace represents the future of exceptional luxury travel while honoring the elements...
Carnival Cruise Line has announced that it made a surprise visit to children at the Queensland Children’s Hospital on Tuesday, July 14, with The Grinch and Cat in the Hat. The Dr. Seuss characters took time away from the Carnival Encounter to join the ship’s Cruise Director and Fun Squad at the Children’s Hospital Foundation...
MSC Cruises has announced the largest Venchi chocolate experience ever seen at sea aboard the MSC World Asia, its ship set to debut in the Mediterranean in December 2026. Seating for more than 60 guests, the 300-square-meter venue is designed as a multi-sensory destination, combining retail, café and gelateria into one space located in the ship’s Galleria district on deck 6,...
Tianjin Oriental’s Visio has completed two sailings from Qingdao International Cruise Homeport in July, extending the ship’s North China program, and marking Qingdao’s first large cruise homeport calls of the 2026 summer season. The rotation is a strategic shift for the company, which previously based the Visio solely in Tianjin. Qingdao now joins Tianjin and Dalian...
Aman is entering the cruise industry in 2027 with the debut of its first cruise ship, which is currently under construction at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Italy. Sailing for the Aman at Sea brand the Amangati will offer itineraries in the Mediterranean before repositioning to the Caribbean. First Cruise Date: May 7, 2027 Length:...
“We believe there is strong growth potential for cruise globally,” said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises. “So, we will continue to invest in new ships and infrastructure to support our growth as well as sustainability initiatives.” MSC Cruises sails 23 ships today, with another ship slated for delivery at the end of the year,...
Port Canaveral has unveiled additional details on two substantial capital improvement projects: a reimagined expansion of Cruise Terminal 5 that will double the facility’s size to 170,000 square feet, and the construction of a new 13-story parking garage adjacent to Cruise Terminal 6, which will add 3,700 parking spaces to the port’s existing capacity. “Every...
Holland America Line announced in a press release that the Zuiderdam will be the second of six ships to undergo its Evolution program, following the Oosterdam. The ship will feature refreshed accommodations enhancements, adding a reimagined Pinnacle Suite, two new Bridgeview Suites, 14 Vista Suites and 32 Solo Verandah staterooms. This forms part of the...
Silversea is launching golf-focused itineraries in 2027 and 2028 in partnership with PerryGolf. The cruise line’s golf packages will include access to courses and practice facilities, dining options, transfers and a one-day friendly tournament with awards at the end, among other things. Guests can bring their own golf clubs or rent them. Silversea noted that these initial voyages mark the beginning of a broader PerryGolf collection,...
Viking has announced two new river voyages for 2030 that will offer the opportunity to experience the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, which has been performed every 10 years for nearly 400 years. “Our guests are curious travelers who value meaningful cultural experiences and a deeper understanding of the places they visit,” said Leah Talactac,...
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and Eberjey have unveiled an exclusive pajama collection featuring a limited-edition print inspired by the sea, marking the company’s first-ever sleepwear collaboration and celebrating Eberjey’s 30th anniversary. “Travel has the unique ability to create moments of pause, reflection and connection, and those moments often become the memories that stay with us...
Saga has announced that its fourth river ship, the Spirit of the Lorelei, launching in July 2027, will spend her maiden season sailing the Rhine, Main and Danube. The company said in a blog that the newbuild’s design features rich, earthy colors. The inaugural voyage will pass the Lorelei Rock, the inspiration for the new...
Galveston Wharves Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees has announced that the mobility and economic impacts of a fifth cruise terminal at Pier 14 are being analyzed as the Port implements its updated 20-Year Strategic Master Plan. According to him, a recently completed traffic study for the proposed terminal showed minimal traffic impacts on Harborside Drive and other roadways used to access the port’s east...
A typhoon has caused the cancellation of a cruise that was set to take place onboard the Spectrum of the Seas starting on July 11, 2026. According to a statement issued by Royal Caribbean, the Far East sailing cannot go ahead due to impact related to the storm. Sailing from its homeport in Shanghai, China,...
The board of directors of the West Indian Company Limited has unanimously approved its fiscal year 2027 operating budget and reviewed strong cruise growth figures for the current year, the company said in a press release. WICO president and CEO Joseph Boschulte reported 302 cruise ship calls and 946,199 passengers through May 31 of fiscal...
Holland America Line is removing a visit to the Mexican Port of Loreto from Koningsdam’s November 28, 2026, departure. According to a notice sent to booked guests, the change is related to a government restriction on cruise ships. Part of a ten-night cruise to the Mexican Riviera, the visit to Loreto was scheduled to take...
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, AIDA Cruises has a very clear identity in the German-speaking market, according to Alexander Ewig, senior vice president of marketing and sales. “We are more than a product. AIDA is a feeling,” Ewig explained to Cruise Industry News, “and many people recognize it the moment they see the smiling lips on...
Huna Totem Corporation has dramatically scaled back its plans for a private cruise ship dock in downtown Juneau, citing tariffs, rising construction costs and a yearlong legal delay.
Rendering of the proposed buildout in Juneau
The project, known as Aak’w Landing, was originally set to include up to 50,000 square feet of multistory retail and commercial space with underground parking and extensive development on pilings over the water.
The revised plan cuts that down to about 18,000 square feet across single-story buildings, eliminates underground parking entirely, and pulls construction back from the shoreline.
Susan Bell, Huna Totem’s vice president of strategic initiatives, said the company is still aiming to deliver the same core guest experience despite the smaller footprint.
“We just scaled back to the property as it exists now and scaled the buildings down, and still feel it’s going to be an excellent guest experience and an excellent place for residents,” Bell said.
The project will still include a welcome center, retail space, waterfront dining and a cultural center, along with an extension of Juneau’s Seawalk. Bus staging parking stays the same, though general guest parking has been reduced. The 38 spaces planned still exceed the city’s minimum requirement of 20.
Why the cuts
Huna Totem says development costs climbed from about $150 million in 2023 to more than $250 million now.
The company points to four factors — a legal appeal of the project’s permit that delayed construction for about a year, time spent restarting public engagement once that appeal was resolved, tariffs that drove up the cost of steel and other materials, and a geotechnical analysis that found the original waterfront design too costly to build safely.
Because the changes are so drastic, the project has to go back through Juneau’s Planning Commission for a modified permit before construction can begin.
Huna Totem still hopes to open the dock in time for the 2028 cruise season, though Bell has acknowledged that the permitting process and materials sourcing could push that timeline back.
The company says its goal is to keep the project’s cost near the original $150 million estimate, despite the increases seen so far.
The dock is designed to handle one large cruise ship at a time, with a capacity of up to 4,500 passengers.
Supporters say it would let passengers walk straight into downtown Juneau instead of tendering in from ships anchored in Gastineau Channel, and would let vessels plug into shore power once it’s available.
A 35-year-old passenger from Spain was arrested and removed from Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady after the ship’s security team found cocaine and cannabis in his possession, and he was not permitted to rejoin the sailing.
Scarlet Lady (Photo courtesy of Virgin Voyages)
The arrest was reported July 13, 2026, during a stop in Souda, Crete, a port that wasn’t on the ship’s original schedule.
Scarlet Lady ended up there after both Turkey and Egypt denied the vessel entry earlier in the voyage, a charter run by Atlantis Events for a 10-night, 2,770-passenger LGBTQ+ sailing that departed Athens July 5 and is scheduled to end in Trieste, Italy, on July 15.
What happened onboard
According to Greek news outlets, the ship’s onboard security team discovered the drugs and immediately contacted the Chania Port Authority. When Scarlet Lady tied up at the pier, Hellenic Coast Guard officers boarded, searched the passenger and took him into custody.
A local prosecutor ordered his release shortly afterward. Greek law tends to treat minor possession for personal use leniently, often resulting in release or a suspended sentence rather than prosecution.
Release from custody didn’t mean a return to the ship. Virgin Voyages refused to let him back onboard for the remainder of the sailing.
The rules that applied
Some cruisers assume drug laws don’t apply once a ship is in international waters or registered under a foreign flag.
The moment a vessel enters a country’s territorial waters or ties up at a pier, everyone onboard is subject to that country’s laws, regardless of where the ship is registered or where the passenger is from.
Virgin Voyages’ own prohibited items policy is unambiguous on this point. The list states that “all illegal drugs, non-prescribed controlled substances, medically prescribed marijuana or synthetic marijuana and CBD products, as well as certain uncontrolled substances wrongfully used to cause impairment” are banned onboard.
Part of a rough stretch for this charter
This is the third disruption in a little over a week for the same sailing.
Turkish authorities refused Scarlet Lady’s scheduled calls at Kuşadası and Istanbul, citing concerns about the passengers’ “moral values.”
A crew member aboard Regal Princess died after going overboard near Cancun, Mexico, Princess Cruises confirmed Monday, capping a five-hour search across two areas.
View of Regal Princess (Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises)
“Regal Princess is conducting man overboard right now,” a passenger wrote to Cruise Radio’s tip line early Monday. “We were woken up by captain’s all ship announcement. Crew member is missing. We are now have turned around and is sailing at 25 knots!”
Vessel data shows Regal Princess reversed course at 4:02 a.m., about 524 nautical miles from Port Everglades, then covered 30 nautical miles before reaching an initial search area at 5:39 a.m. local time.
A missed port
At 8:30 a.m., the passenger reported another bridge update.
Captain just made announcement: they’re continuing to search and have recalculated their best guess on location of missing crew member,” the passenger wrote. “Cozumel will be delayed by several hours and maybe cancelled altogether. Originally supposed to be docked already.”
The crew member was never found.
“They did not find crew member, search for many hours, lost Cozumel port today,” the passenger wrote, adding that the captain said the ship would make up the stop on the way back. “Captain did many updates to passengers throughout the day and was respectful to the crew and professional and kept us updated.”
Princess confirms the death
The rescue operation during the man overboard (Photo via Doug Sader)
Princess Cruises is deeply saddened to confirm the passing of a Princess crew member who has gone overboard today from Regal Princess. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the crew’s family and friends during this difficult time.
It went on to say, “Grief support services are being offered to guests and crew members affected by this event. Princess Cruises thanks the local maritime authorities and our colleagues from Carnival Jubilee who assisted in search and rescue efforts.
Regal Princess is due in Belize July 14 as planned. Cozumel will be made up July 16, and the ship remains on schedule to return to Fort Lauderdale July 18.
Tauck’s brand Roam by Tauck has partnered with Approach Guides to provide personalized, co-brandable marketing content for travel advisors. Introduced in August 2025, Roam by Tauck is designed specifically for travelers in their 40s and 50s. Thanks to this partnership, advisors can create and share co-branded marketing pages that showcase Roam by Tauck and its itineraries with one click, the cruise line said...
Holland America announced in a press release that pennies totaling $5,000 from six Holland America Line and six Princess Cruises ships sailing in Alaska have been donated to Scouting America Troop 4 and Troop 2004 during a community event in Ketchikan, Alaska, on Friday, July 10. The initiative gives new purpose to excess shipboard pennies,...
Aroya Cruises has launched a redesigned website to enhance the guest experience, offering guests the opportunity to plan, book, check in and access guest services and personalization. Linked with Aroya’s booking system, CRM and wider operational systems, the website supports a more consistent experience across every guest touchpoint, including web, mobile, kiosks and digital signage....
Emerald Cruises & Tours has unveiled two new 13-Day Seychelles & Indian Ocean Adventure sailings aboard the Emerald Kaia, launching exclusively for November 2026. According to Ken Muskat, president of Scenic Group USA & LATAM, luxury travelers are looking beyond the familiar and seeking destinations that remain authentic, remote and genuinely transformative. “The Seychelles represents...
Guangzhou Port Group and Nansha Cruise Homeport have kicked off preparations for the maiden call of the Adora Flora City. The ship, operated by Adora Cruises, is scheduled for delivery on November 6, 2026, at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, followed by her maiden voyage from Guangzhou Nansha International Cruise Homeport on November 22. The Flora City was at the...
Havila Voyages has appointed Aviareps as General Sales Agent for China, with immediate effect. The partnership is intended to strengthen the company’s position and visibility in this growing market. “We are pleased to appoint Aviareps as our General Sales Agent in China. Their strong market knowledge, established travel trade network and comprehensive sales and marketing...
Damen Shiprepair yard recently welcomed the AIDAmar for an unusual drydock, with guests still onboard the vessel. According to a social media update, the AIDA Cruises ship visited the Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam’s Botlek location for a out-of-water survey. Over 2,000 passengers were onboard during the project, which took place earlier this month at drydock number...
A Mediterranean cruise chartered by Atlantis Events was denied port entry twice in the same week, first in Turkey and then in Egypt, forcing organizers to rework the itinerary on a single 10-night sailing aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady.
(Photo courtesy of Virgin Voyages)
Turkey cancels two port calls
The Athens to Venice cruise, chartered by US-based Atlantis Events, departed July 5 with stops originally planned in Kusadası and Istanbul. Turkish authorities canceled both calls, saying the charter did not meet the country’s moral standards, according to CNN.
Aydın province, home to the Kusadası port, said there was “absolutely no possibility of the group in question visiting our province for an event of this nature,” adding that the charter was “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.”
Rich Campbell, president and CEO of Atlantis Events, called the decision “pretty stunning” and said the company had made repeated attempts to get Turkish authorities to reverse course. “It’s very concerning to me when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not,” he told CNN.
Campbell told USA Today the ship posed no different a presence in port than any other vessel. “It’s not like we’re not a gay pride rally, we’re not a march, we’re not an organization, we’re not a political statement in any way,” he said, adding that the cruise had been advertised a year in advance.
Atlantis has chartered cruises to Istanbul and Kusadası 13 times over the past 25 years without incident, according to Campbell.
Roughly 1,100 of the ship’s approximately 1,900 passengers are from the United States, with the rest coming from the UK, Canada, Australia and elsewhere, per CNN.
In place of the Turkey stops, Atlantis added calls in Alexandria, Egypt, and Crete, Greece.
Egypt pulls the plug hours before arrival
Days later, Egyptian authorities denied the ship entry to Alexandria, just hours before it was due to dock, according to USA Today.
“We were given full approval to arrive in Egypt and just four hours before we picked up the pilot and customs officers, we were told that the ship would not be allowed to enter the harbor,” Campbell said. “No explanation was given for this decision and we are very disappointed.”
Campbell said Atlantis has brought chartered cruises to Egypt at least five times without incident. “Last year we brought 2,500 guests to Alexandria and the year before 1,200, both without incident,” he said. Egyptian port authorities have not publicly stated a reason for the denial.
What’s next
With Alexandria off the itinerary, the ship is now scheduled to call at Kotor, Montenegro.
Virgin Voyages said it was “incredibly disappointed” by both denials and is working to ensure guests still have a strong trip. Atlantis Events said it hopes the situation is isolated and that both countries will welcome all guests without conditions in the future.
StarCruises has announced that the Star Voyager will return to Hong Kong for a fall season sailing from September 30 to November 13, 2026. Coinciding with the region’s peak travel period, the cruise line will offer two-, three- and five-night cruises sailing from Ocean Terminal, located in central Hong Kong. To celebrate the occasion, StarCruises is offering 30 percent off on bookings made on or...
Nicko Cruises has partnered with the online platform Meet5 to make it easier for cruise guests to connect with fellow travelers. Meet5 members can discover selected Nicko Cruises itineraries in the app, sign up for a trip through the platform, make connections and arrange to meet before departure, according to a statement. Onboard, Meet5 members...
Tourism officials celebrated the 2025-26 cruise season in the Seychelles with a closing ceremony at the Port of Victoria in late June. According to the Seychelles Tourism Department, the destination saw a successful season with over 40 cruise ship calls. The figure represented a significant increase compared to 2024-25, when the Seychelles welcomed just six...
AIDA is hosting Rostock Seawolves basketball camps for children on two cruises this summer. The camps will return for another edition this year, coming to the AIDAnova voyage August 1-8, 2026, and the AIDAmar sailing August 13-18, 2026. Children aged 10-14 will be able to learn about techniques and tactics from Rostock Seawolves coach Domenik Reinboth and BBL professional DeAndre Lansdowne. “Basketball thrives on emotion, community and enthusiasm – it is precisely this energy that we will bring onboard our ships in the summer of...
Seabourn has announced the “Exploration Awaits Event,” offering savings of up to 15 percent, along with a reduced deposit of up to 15 percent on select worldwide itineraries through the end of 2026 and into early 2029. The event applies to ocean voyages and expedition itineraries exploring regions from Antarctica and the Caribbean to Japan,...
Semester at Sea recently opened applications for its Fall 2027 World Voyage, which will take place onboard the World Odyssey. According to an update shared by the company, the 104-day itinerary will sail to four continents and two oceans starting on September 9, 2027. Departing from Ijmuiden in the Netherlands, the 140th voyage will be...
When it comes to Carnival Cruise Line’s next class of ship, the company is leaning heavily into the theory that bigger is better. After all, the newly-announced Carnival Destiny will carry nearly 1,500 more passengers than the biggest ship in their current fleet. Read on to see the other ways in which Carnival expects the first of her class to be a game changer.
How Big Will Carnival Destiny Be?
In announcing the new Ace class of ships, Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy shared that the first of three — Carnival Destiny — would debut in 2029. Her as-yet-unnamed sister ships are expected to enter service in 2031 and 2033.
So just how big will the ship be? Destiny will weigh in at around 230,000 gross tons and carry an estimated 8,000 passengers. For comparison, the biggest ships currently sailing for Carnival are the Jubilee and Celebration, each of which come in at around 180,000 gross tons and carry 6,600 guests at maximum capacity.
What Does ‘More Sea to See’ Mean?
Even as the ship’s construction was getting under way, Duffy rolled out the Ace class ship’s motto: “More Sea to See.” In explaining the catchphrase, Duffy said the new class was “designed to change how guests will experience the sea while on their cruise.”
Carnival Destiny stats via Carnival Cruise Line
In essence, this means that Destiny will offer more access to the ocean than any other ship in Carnival’s fleet. How will this be accomplished? By featuring everything from a re-imagined lanai deck to what the exec said was “the most balcony cabins with ocean views at sea.”
If that phrasing seems unusual, it is clearly designed that way. Why? Keep in mind that many modern ships, including Royal Caribbean’s Oasis and Icon class, have balconies which overlook the center of the ship as opposed to the ocean. Translation: While those ships may have more total balconies, Carnival Destiny will have the largest number of, as they said “balcony cabins with ocean views.”
Duffy emphasized that the new concepts would “create ocean views from more places on board, bringing the ocean into constant view and redefining how guests will connect with the sea.”
Carnival Destiny’s Other Big Offerings
While details were few, it was also announced that Destiny would be introducing new concepts at every turn. “More than 70 percent of our dining, entertainment and signature guest experience will be delivered brand new.”
Already, Carnival is in the process of making major changes where dining is concerned. A new menu is being rolled out across the entire fleet, and the upcoming Carnival Festivale and Carnival Tropicale will feature four new-to-Carnival dining venues.
What’s unclear at this point is whether these new venues are included in the plans for Carnival Destiny.
Where Will Carnival Destiny Sail To?
Welcome to Relax Away, Half Moon Cay (Photo by Doug Parker/Cruise Radio)
One thing Carnival did not mention with regards to Destiny’s future is exactly where the ship will be homeported. They did, however, reveal that the ship will be visiting Carnival’s Paradise Collection offerings in the Bahamas and Caribbean.
No word as of yet when bookings for the new ship will go on sale.
Aurora Expeditions’ Douglas Mawson made its inaugural call at Port of Bastia in Corsica, France, on July 8. This is the maiden season for the ship that was launched late last year. Captain Andrey Gilevskiy and his crew were welcomed at the port by the harbor master and the President of the Maritime Pilots. This was followed by a traditional plaque exchange, MedCruise said in a...
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has launched its Complimentary Land Offer, available for new bookings made by August 31. Thanks to the promo, pre- or post-cruise hotel stays will be included in select 2027 sailings at no additional cost, the company said in a press release. The deal can be used for the following itineraries: Portugal, Spain & the Douro River Valley Slovenia, Venice...
Atlas Ocean Voyages has added six departures to its fly-cruise Antarctica expeditions in 2027-28. The cruise line’s 2027-28 season has been expanded with departures across two styles, the Drake Express Expedition and the Drake Fly & Sail Expedition. The company said in a press release that its Fly the Drake Expeditions mean more time exploring Antarctica for travelers as less time is spent crossing the Drake Passage. ...
After revealing the name and initial details of the new Carnival Destiny, Carnival Cruise Line will announce more about the new ship later this year. According to the company’s President Christine Duffy, a further announcement is scheduled for this November. As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, the first Ace-class vessel will carry the name...
Ponant Explorations has announced that it is offering more than 150 departures across the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Atlantic Islands from October 2027 through November 2028, which are now available for booking. The collection features more than 80 Mediterranean sailings, voyages through Northern Europe and the British Isles, and Atlantic island Itineraries, including Cape...
Holland America Line’s Volendam sailed from Boston in late June for a 28-night cruise to Canada, Iceland and Greenland. As part of the company’s Legendary Voyages program, the month-long itinerary includes visits to 15 ports of call in the three regions. Highlights of the cruise include stops in lesser-visited ports, such as Heimaey in the...
Ambassador Cruises has announced that, after winning the Ambassador PEEL Playwriting Challenge 2025 last December, “Venison” by Huw Turnbull made its debut onboard the Ambition during its two-week “Delights of Western France & Spain Explorer” sailing in May 2026. The company said in a statement that the Ambassador PEEL Playwriting Challenge 2025 is an annual...
Windstar Cruises has announced “More Reasons to Say Yes”, a limited-time offer that is available on new bookings made between July 1 and November 17, 2026. According to the company, the promotion includes a complimentary all-inclusive upgrade worth more than $1,300 for two guests on a seven-night voyage, a reduced $300-per-stateroom deposit, and additional loyalty...
Egyptian authorities denied the entry of the Scarlet Lady into its waters for a planned call at Alexandria on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. Currently chartered to Atlantis Events, the Virgin Voyages vessel is on an LGBTQ+ voyage in the Eastern Mediterranean. “We’re incredibly disappointed to share that the Scarlet Lady has just been denied entry...
When it comes to seeking out information on their upcoming voyages, cruisers have a whole lot of options. Most are literally at their fingertips, given the vast amount of information that can be found on the internet. For many, Facebook has — for all its flaws — become a forum on which they can not only plan their trips but compare notes on everything from pricing to dinner plans.
How to Find Your Facebook Cruise Group
For nearly every sailing of a mainstream cruise line, you can pretty easily find a Facebook group. We’re not talking about pages devoted to a line or a ship, but rather to each individual sailing. Doing so is as simple as typing in a few words.
Generally speaking, you can find your sailing by typing in the name of the ship and the embarkation date. (For example, Norwegian Aqua August 29 2026.) In some cases, it takes a bit of experimentation. For example, this particular sailing could have been listed on Facebook as NCL Aqua and the date might show as 8/28. But with that basic information, you’ll be able to find and join the Facebook cruise group you’re looking for.
And that, friends, is where the fun — or trouble, depending on one’s perspective — begins!
Why Join a Facebook Cruise Group?
It’s safe to say that millions of people cruise every single year without bothering to find — let alone join — a corresponding Facebook group. So why might you consider doing so?
For many, Facebook groups provide an opportunity to extend their pre-cruise excitement. They get to chat with other people who will be on the same sailing. But it can also be a fantastic research tool, especially for those who are either first-time cruisers or perhaps trying a line which they’re not familiar with.
In nearly every case, there will be people in (or even monitoring) the group who have experience which might prove useful. It’s a great place to ask for everything from restaurant recommendations to disembarkation-day tips.
(Photo via Virgin Voyages)
Facebook cruise groups are also a fantastic way to make plans with others. Often, someone will be organizing a slot pull, pub crawl or other socially-oriented event. Others might post messages hoping to connect with other solo cruisers.
When it comes to Facebook cruise groups, you never know what you’ll find. Of course, this can also lead to problems.
The Downside of Facebook Cruise Groups
Not everyone has great experiences in these types of groups, it’s worth noting. One very important factor which can influence every aspect of your Facebook group experience is the administrator or moderator who happen to be running the page. While most provide an environment in which people are excited to meet new people and have a good time, others assume what can only be called a more dictatorial stance.
The more controlling a moderator, the less fun a group is likely to be. While a good moderator will keep an eye out for scammers and spammers, making sure both get blocked, some take their duties a little too seriously.
It’s also important to be wary of exactly what you share in a Facebook group or on social media as a whole. Back in 2024, we reported on a woman who learned this lesson the hard way: After posting a photo which included her booking number, someone used that info to cancel her $12,000 sailing!
How to Get the Most Out of a Facebook Cruise Group
If you decide that you’re interested in joining a group, we have a few tips that might help you get the most out of the experience… and avoid some of the pitfalls!
• Join Quietly: Before you start sharing information or getting too friendly with complete strangers, get a feel for the vibe of the group. Make sure it’s right for you! If not, you can always exit just as quietly as you entered.
• Avoid Troublemakers: If someone is stirring up drama, do not engage. You might, however, check out their profile in order to make sure you steer clear of them once on board!
• Proceed With Caution: Remember, as more and more people join the group, you can’t be 100 percent sure with whom you’re interacting. Bad eggs have been known to infiltrate sailings they won’t actually be on for nefarious purposes ranging from sneaking into your direct messages to try and sell you something to tracking who’ll be out of town, leaving their home vacant and vulnerable!
• Be Active As You’re Comfortable With: Some people do little more than lurk, rarely posting or responding, while others dive in to organize events and chat with anyone and everyone. There is no right or wrong approach, it’s all about what you’re looking to get out of the group.
• Know When to Exit: When the cruise is over, connect with the people you’d like to keep in touch with… and then exit the group. We tend to find the exit shortly after boarding. Why? If there’s one thing we know, it’s that people love to post complaints. We’d just as soon not hear other people’s woes, especially about a trip we’re enjoying!
Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas arrived in Seward, Alaska, on June 19 with a dead fin whale draped across its bow.
A necropsy found the whale, a pregnant 61-foot female, had blunt force trauma consistent with a vessel strike, according to NOAA Fisheries Alaska.
She was freshly dead and in good health beforehand, so she wasn’t already sick or injured. An official cause of death is still pending further lab testing.
Fin whales are endangered, and vessel strikes are a leading cause of large whale deaths worldwide.
Royal Caribbean acknowledged the strike in a statement, saying it was “deeply saddened” and is cooperating with NOAA’s investigation.
The speed question
The Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental advocacy group, analyzed the ship’s AIS tracking data and estimates Ovation of the Seas was traveling 15 to 20 knots through waters where whales gather.
That’s the group’s own estimate, not a confirmed NOAA finding, and AIS data can contain gaps.
The group cites a 2007 peer-reviewed study showing every 1-knot speed increase raises the odds of a fatal whale strike by about 1.5 times.
Under that study’s model, the odds a struck whale dies rise from about 21% at 8.6 knots to roughly 79% at 15 knots.
The Center sent Royal Caribbean a letter on June 24 urging a voluntary 10-knot speed limit in whale habitat.
The company hasn’t responded to the speed reduction request, though it did separately address the while strike itself.
Why it’s getting attention now
The strike happened days after Seward’s new $137 million cruise terminal, now the largest in Alaska, officially opened on June 10 with Ovation of the Seas as its first homeported ship.
Royal Caribbean has committed to bringing at least 140,000 passengers through Seward each season, meaning more ship traffic through the area going forward.
There’s currently no mandatory speed limit for cruise ships in most Alaska waters.
Glacier Bay National Park has one, and voluntary 10-knot slowdowns off California cut whale strikes roughly in half in 2021, according to NOAA.
For passengers, nothing changes right now since no mandatory rule is in place, but if ships are required to reduce speeds, it could impact itineraries.
Vancouver’s Canada Place cruise terminal is heading into its busiest stretch ever.
(Photo courtesy of Cruise Radio)
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority expects around 290,000 passengers to pass through in July, the highest single-month total on record, with August running close behind.
For the full 2026 season, the port is projecting roughly 1.4 million passenger visits and 360 ship calls, about 30% more traffic than in 2019.
That growth comes from Vancouver’s role as a full-service homeport for Alaska sailings. Passengers embark and disembark here, and ships provision between cruises, which means each visit brings real money into the local economy.
According to the 2025 Cruise Passenger Survey from the Pacific Rim Cruise Association, cruise visitors now spend an average of $1,144 locally on hotels, restaurants, shopping and tours, and more than three-quarters of travelers are spending time in Vancouver before or after their cruise, up from 70% in 2023.
Why boarding hasn’t turned into a bottleneck
A surge like this could easily mean longer lines at the terminal, but Vancouver has spent the past two summers preparing for this.
In June 2024, Canada Place became the first cruise terminal in North America to use facial recognition for embarkation rather than disembarkation.
The port authority has said the system can process around 1,000 passengers per hour during those peak windows, while supporting up to three vessels boarding simultaneously.
What it means for passengers this summer
With July and August set to be the two busiest months in the cruise terminal’s history, and FIFA World Cup 2026 events adding extra congestion to downtown Vancouver, the faster boarding process is likely to matter more than usual.
Passengers sailing from Canada Place this summer should still budget extra time for downtown traffic and crowds getting to the terminal, even if the boarding line itself moves faster than in past years.
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