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Missing Passenger Search on Carnival Panorama Ends in Overboard

Melissa Mayntz
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Missing Passenger Search on Carnival Panorama Ends in Overboard

Key Aspects:

  • A male guest is confirmed to have jumped overboard from Carnival Panorama on the afternoon of Saturday, September 19, 2026.
  • The ship reversed course after the guest was reported missing and all guests were confined to staterooms while a full onboard search was underway.
  • Onboard CCTV footage confirmed the overboard and both the US Coast Guard and Mexican authorities were alerted to the incident.

It’s a sad afternoon onboard Carnival Panorama as a male guest has been confirmed overboard from the 133,500-gross-ton ship as she finishes the last full day of a 7-night sailing that departed Long Beach, California on Sunday, September 13, 2026.

A guest by the handle JRichShops onboard the ship reported on Reddit that announcements to locate a missing guest began at roughly 11 a.m. on Saturday morning, September 19, as the ship was at sea. Carnival Panorama had departed from her last port of call on the sailing, Puerto Vallarta, at 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 17.

The call for the missing guest was repeated several times throughout the morning and early afternoon. At approximately 3 p.m., the ship appeared to make a broad turn and begin heading south again, away from the northern route back to Long Beach.

Carnival Cruise Line confirmed the overboard with Cruise Hive:

“Carnival Cruise Line confirmed Saturday that a male guest aboard Carnival Panorama jumped overboard while the ship was sailing from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to Long Beach, California,” a spokesperson stated.

AIS tracking confirms the ship’s change of course roughly 190 miles south of Ensenada, 345 miles south-southeast of Long Beach.

At 3:30 p.m., an announcement was made over the ship’s public address system that there would be a shipwide search and all guests were asked to return to their staterooms. Security visited staterooms to scan guests’ ship identification cards, as is standard procedure for this type of search in an overboard situation.

An hour later, another announcement indicated the search was continuing and guests were to remain in their staterooms.

At 5 p.m., the ship’s captain and cruise director made announcements that the guest had been confirmed overboard following a review of onboard cameras, and that local authorities would continue the search and rescue operation. The family and traveling companions of the missing guest were notified and offered support from the care team.

Carnival Panorama at Long Beach
Carnival Panorama at Long Beach (Photo Credit: Ritu Manoj Jethani)

A Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson continued to state to Cruise Hive, “When notified of a missing guest, the ship’s team initiated search and investigation procedures, including reviewing CCTV footage and notifying the both the U.S. and Mexico Coast Guards. Carnival is providing support to the family who was traveling with the guest, and our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones.”

With the onboard search concluded, guests were free to leave their staterooms. The ship returned to her original course, heading back to Long Beach.

No further details about the guest or the circumstances of the overboard have been disclosed. Cruise Hive’s thoughts are with the family members, friends, and crew members impacted by this unfortunate incident.

Will the Next Cruise Be Impacted?

It is not known at this time if Carnival Panorama will now be delayed in her return to Long Beach given the distance that will need to be recovered for her to reach her homeport by 9 a.m. as planned.

After the conclusion of the search, the ship was moving at 21 knots (24 miles per hour) as she headed back to California, close to her top speed. This would be necessary for the ship to reach Long Beach on schedule, but any further deviation or speed changes for other reasons could cause a delay.

If necessary, embarkation for the next sailing could be pushed back to accommodate a later arrival, but Carnival Cruise Line has not confirmed any changes at this time and the statement did not mention any impact to the next cruise.

More From Cruise Hive

The ship’s next itinerary, departing on Sunday, September 20, 2026, is a 6-night Mexican Riviera sailing with visits to Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas.

Cruise Hive recently reported on a delay for Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas following a double medical evacuation. The significant delay means the ship is returning to Cape Liberty, New Jersey, eight hours later than scheduled. To accommodate that delay, the next sailing is embarking later in the evening and dropping a visit to Port Canaveral.

Carnival Panorama‘s delay for search operations was not nearly as lengthy and it is possible there may be no significant schedule changes, though the cruise line has not yet confirmed any details.

Cruise Ship Forced to Remain in Port as Typhoon Dujuan Bears Down

Melissa Mayntz
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Cruise Ship Forced to Remain in Port as Typhoon Dujuan Bears Down

Key Aspects:

  • Silver Moon will remain in Tokyo until September 21 instead of departing on September 19 as planned due to Typhoon Dujuan.
  • Because of the delay, the port visits to Osaka, Kochi, and Miyako, Iwate are also adjusted on the 14-night itinerary and the visit to Hiroshima is cancelled.
  • Typhoon Dujuan will be closest to Tokyo at roughly 2 a.m. on September 21 but will be well past the area by the time Silver Moon departs that night.

Guests aboard Silversea’s Silver Moon will not depart Tokyo on Saturday, September 19, 2026 as planned. Because Typhoon Dujuan is expected to impact the region in the next two days, Silversea has chosen to keep the ship in Tokyo until the weather clears, though guests have boarded the ship as planned.

“We would like to inform you of an adjustment to our itinerary,” the email sent to guests explains. “Considering the expected conditions in the region, we will extend our stay in Tokyo until September 21. Given Tokyo’s central location and its connectivity to destinations across Japan, this adjustment will provide flexibility as we continue to monitor conditions.”

Silver Moon was originally scheduled to depart Tokyo on a 14-night voyage around Japan at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 19. Now, the revised itinerary has the 596-guest ship remaining in the capital city until 9 p.m. on Monday, September 21 and other itinerary changes are necessary to accommodate the delay.

The visit to Osaka that was to have been an overnight call on September 21-22 will now be a full day visit from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 23. Similarly, the visit to Kochi that was scheduled for September 23 will now be on Thursday, September 24, though the time in port (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) will remain the same.

Hiroshima was to have been the third port visit on the itinerary but that stop has now been completely cancelled, and the final port on the itinerary, Miyako, Iwate has been extended by one hour and will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 1 rather than departing at 5 p.m. as originally scheduled.

The visits to Busan, South Korea (Saturday, September 26 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.), Kanazawa (Monday, September 28 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.), and Hakodate (Wednesday, September 30 from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.) are unchanged.

Tours through Silversea for the call to Hiroshima as well as the adjusted visit to Osaka have now been cancelled, though guests can rebook updated tours for Osaka. If guests had booked tours for the visit to Kochi, those will automatically be moved to the new visit date.

Silversea has not addressed any mention of compensation for the significant itinerary changes, though the number of nights guests will spend onboard the ship has not changed.

Typhoon Dujuan Update

According to Weather Underground, Typhoon (Tropical Cyclone) Dujuan is currently located approximately 525 miles south-southwest of Tokyo, moving northwest at nine miles per hour (mph). Winds are registering at 75 mph with some higher gusts recorded.

Typhoon Dujuan
Typhoon Dujuan (Credit: Japan Meteorological Agency)

The storm is expected to continue tracking north-northwest through Sunday, September 20, gradually turning east as it passes Japan on Monday, September 21. It will be closest to Tokyo at roughly 2 a.m. that morning, but is expected to remain well offshore from the capital city. Pacific-side offshore islands are warned of heavy rain, strong winds, and the potential for landslides and flooding.

Later on Monday and into Tuesday, the storm is expected to turn toward the east and begin weakening.

By the time Silver Moon departs Tokyo at 9 p.m. Monday, the storm’s center should be roughly 400 miles northeast of Tokyo and continuing to move east-northeast.

No other cruise ships are scheduled for Tokyo at the same time as Silver Moon, though Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Millennium is arriving in the city on Tuesday, September 22 at 8 a.m. By that time, the storm’s influence should be well past the Land of the Rising Sun.

Two Guests Rushed Ashore, Oasis of the Seas Delayed and Port Cancelled

Melissa Mayntz
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Two Guests Rushed Ashore, Oasis of the Seas Delayed and Port Cancelled

Key Aspects:

  • Oasis of the Seas will be delayed eight hours in her return to New Jersey on September 20, 2026 following emergency medical evacuations that required the ship to return to Nassau.
  • The delay is also causing embarkation for the ship’s next departure to be pushed back by 7-8 hours and the next visit to Port Canaveral is now cancelled.
  • Guests on the now-delayed cruise are receiving onboard credit as a gesture of goodwill for their understanding of the last-minute change.

Following two medical evacuations on her current sailing, Oasis of the Seas will now be delayed in her return to her Cape Liberty, New Jersey homeport on Sunday, September 20, 2026.

A letter has been delivered to guests onboard detailing the delay and when the ship is now expected to arrive.

“As previously announced by our Captain, our medical staff determined that two of our guests needed urgent medical attention. We successfully debarked our guests so they could receive additional medical care,” the letter explained.

“As a result, we’ll now be delayed in our return to Cape Liberty. We plan on arriving at approximately 2:00 pm, with debarkation starting around 2:30 pm. We appreciate your patience and understanding, knowing we’d do the same for you or a loved one in a similar situation.”

Oasis of the Seas was originally scheduled to arrive back to Cape Liberty at approximately 6 a.m. Sunday.

This eight-hour delay will have a knock-on effect for guests with flights to catch on Sunday, but Royal Caribbean is providing some assistance to help guests rearrange their plans.

First, each stateroom (not each guest) will have a voucher for 60 minutes of complimentary internet access available on the cruise line’s app to help them contact airlines, hotels, or friends and family members.

If guests had booked flights through the cruise line’s Flights by Royal team, those flights will automatically be adjusted to the new arrival time and guests will receive confirmation details by email.

Guests who have booked air travel independently will need to contact their airline directly, but the letter confirms that Royal Caribbean will reimburse change fees up to $200 (USD) for domestic flights and $400 for international flights, per person. Receipts and documentation must be submitted for review and reimbursement.

The nature of the medical emergencies has not been disclosed, though the captain’s announcement did indicate that one involved a critically-ill 7-year-old child. This required the ship to return to Nassau as that was the closest possible hospital, and while en route back to Nassau, another guest was reported critically ill.

Oasis of the Seas Letter
Oasis of the Seas Letter (Photo Credit: Susie Freckles)

There is no information about whether the illnesses are related or if the guests knew one another.

Both patients were debarked in Nassau but nothing further about their condition has been disclosed, as is standard procedure to protect the privacy of the guests as well as their friends, family members, and traveling companions.

Next Embarkation Delayed, Port Canaveral Cancelled

Naturally, Oasis of the Seas‘ late arrival back to Cape Liberty will mean the next embarkation is subsequently delayed. The ship’s September 20, 2026 sailing is also a 7-night Bahamas itinerary with visits planned to Port Canaveral, Perfect Day CocoCay, and Nassau.

Due to the delay, however, embarking guests have now been informed that their embarkation is pushed back to the evening and the port visit to Florida will not be possible.

Updated check-in windows for guests’ arrival to the cruise terminal are now 7-8 hours later than originally planned, and all guests must be checked in and onboard the ship no later than 9:30 p.m.

Instead of the visit to Port Canaveral that was planned for 12:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22, the ship will now spend that day at sea as she makes her way to the Bahamas.

Oasis of the Seas will also arrive slightly earlier than originally planned to what is now her first port of call, Perfect Day CocoCay. The ship was supposed to arrive at the private island destination at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 23, but will now arrive at 7:45 a.m. instead. The departure time of 5 p.m. is unchanged, and there are no further adjustments to the itinerary.

The notification of the itinerary change also confirmed that any pre-paid shore excursions booked through Royal Caribbean for Port Canaveral have already been cancelled and will be refunded as onboard credit to guests’ accounts. Any amount remaining after the sailing will be refunded to the card on file.

Royal Caribbean is also providing a non-refundable onboard credit to each stateroom for the last-minute change as a “gesture of goodwill” for guests’ understanding of the situation. Inside and oceanview staterooms will receive $100 (USD), balconies and Neighborhood staterooms will receive $150, and suites will receive $200.

If there are third and fourth guests booked into the same staterooms the onboard credit will be increased by $50 each for those additional guests.

Why the Delay Almost Two Days Early?

It may seem odd that this significant delay is already confirmed almost two full days before the ship will arrive back in New Jersey, but the distance Oasis of the Seas has covered on this itinerary is extreme.

While the trip to Florida and the Bahamas and the port visits were uneventful, AIS tracking confirms that Oasis of the Seas reversed course back to Nassau just as the vessel was east of Treasure Cay, roughly 120 miles northeast of Nassau.

As the captain announced over the ship’s public address system, the ship did not depart Nassau after the emergency medical evacuations until just before 1 p.m. on Friday, September 18.

“We are now heading full speed towards Bayonne,” the captain confirmed. “I have all available engines on full load [and] we’re doing about 20-20.5 knots [23.5 miles per hour].”

If Oasis of the Seas kept that speed for the entire trip from Nassau to Cape Liberty, without any adjustments for navigation, moving into New York Harbor, or docking procedures, she would still need more than 46 hours to complete the trip.

This calculation is consistent with the ship’s new arrival time estimate into Cape Liberty of 2 p.m. on Sunday.

First Giant Section of Disney’s Newest Cruise Ship Floated Out

Melissa Mayntz
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First Giant Section of Disney’s Newest Cruise Ship Floated Out

Key Aspects:

  • The first of three gigablocks of Disney Believe has been floated out at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
  • This gigablock comprises the central portion of the ship, including the Grand Hall space, and the forward gigablock will be assembled next.
  • Disney Believe is scheduled for delivery to Disney Cruise Line in 2027, but no exact date, homeport, or itineraries have been announced.

You’d better believe it, the upcoming Disney Believe is already taking shape as the first of her three gigablocks has been finished and floated out at the Meyer Werft shipyard, where the Wish-class vessel is under construction in Papenburg, Germany.

Cruise Hive previously reported on the ship’s steel cutting in August 2025, which is when the materials for the gigablocks first began to be prepped and assembled.

Now, the first gigablock is complete. This forms the midship of Disney Believe, including the Grand Hall and adjacent spaces.

Disney Cruise Line announced in August 2026 that the ship’s bronze Grand Hall statue would be the adventurous heroine-princess Moana, striking a confident pose and with her sidekicks Pua and Heihei at her side.

Renderings of the Grand Hall also show extensive Polynesian influences in the architecture and decor, as well as a water pattern in the carpeting and wave details on the walls.

Each individual gigablock can weigh over 31,000 tons and is complete with walls, plumbing, and wiring. Other details, such as finishing touches like painting, carpeting, and artwork, are not installed at this stage.

Photos shared by Disney Cruise Line on Facebook clearly show that the ship’s lifeboat davits are already in place, but no lifeboats are present yet. An interior photo of the Grand Hall space shows the rough structure of where the different decks are, including what will become the balcony of the space where princesses often greet guests, especially at embarkation.

Once all three are ready, the next step will be for the gigablocks to be welded together, a precise operation to ensure all joints and connections are properly aligned and secure.

The next gigablock for Disney Believe will be the ship’s forward section. That space includes the main show theater and various lounges. The aft gigablock will be the last assembled, including two of the main themed restaurants for the ship’s rotational dining.

Disney Believe Gigablock at Meyer Werft
Disney Believe Gigablock at Meyer Werft

Disney Cruise Line has not yet announced what the dining restaurants will be onboard Disney Believe. All three of her sister Wish-class ships include Worlds of Marvel and 1923.

The third rotational restaurant on each ship offers a unique themed experience associated with some of the most popular Disney movies: Arendelle (“Frozen” – Disney Wish), Plaza de Coco (“Coco” – Disney Treasure), and Pride Lands (“Lion King” – Disney Destiny).

Block Cruise Ship Assembly

Modern mega-ship construction is a puzzle-like process. Individual blocks are built as sections, and those sections are brought together to assemble the vessel.

Read Also: How Long Does It Take to Build a Cruise Ship?

This permits different crews to be working independently on different sections of the ship simultaneously, coordinating effort and expertise for the most efficient construction process.

As blocks are finished, they are connected in sections and the ship takes physical shape. While individual ships have unique construction plans, block sizes, shapes, and the order of assembly can vary.

Now that Disney Believe‘s first gigablock is floating, excitement will continue to grow for the fourth Wish-class ship. Delivery of the vessel is expected in 2027, at which time Disney Cruise Line will take possession of the ship.

No official debut date has been announced for the ship but Disney Cruise Line updated its fleet expansion timeline in August 2026, which now shows Disney Believe‘s launch to be “late calendar 2027.” No homeport or itineraries have been confirmed, but those details should be released in the months to come as the ship continues to come together.

Cunard Ship Delayed in Seattle for More Than 24 Hours on Final Alaska Cruise

Calvin Musquez
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Cunard Ship Delayed in Seattle for More Than 24 Hours on Final Alaska Cruise

Key Aspects:

  • Queen Elizabeth has been delayed by more than 24 hours in Seattle while essential routine maintenance is completed.
  • The Cunard ship is now scheduled to depart at 5:00 p.m. on September 18, a day later than originally planned.
  • Cunard has warned that the delay could impact the ship’s final Alaska itinerary of the 2026 season.

Guests aboard Queen Elizabeth’s final Alaska voyage of 2026 are spending an unexpected extra day in Seattle. The 2,081-passenger Cunard ship was originally scheduled to depart from the Washington port at 4:30 p.m. on September 17, but essential maintenance delayed the departure by more than 24 hours. 

A guest on Reddit shared that, shortly after boarding, they were greeted with a note saying the departure had been pushed to 9:00 p.m. for essential maintenance. The captain later announced that the maintenance had pushed departure even further to 5:00 p.m. the following day, September 18. A subsequent letter confirmed the delay.

“Following the Captain’s announcement this evening, we are writing to inform you of our delayed departure from Seattle,” the letter read. “To allow for on-going essential routine maintenance to be completed, we will need to remain in Port until 17:00 tomorrow, Friday, September 18.”

To accommodate the arrival of another ship at Pier 91, Queen Elizabeth moved to an alternate location at 9:00 p.m. The letter to guests indicated that the ship would leave the port at that time and return at 7:30 a.m. the following morning.

However, guests commenting on the Reddit post said that the ship instead slowly moved to another berth, rather than leaving the port. The letter did not specify the ship that necessitated the relocation, but the Port of Seattle’s 2026 schedule lists Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas at Pier 91 on September 18.

“QE was to move to another berth at 9 pm to make way for an arriving ship. We moved very slowly a few feet, but then stopped,” one guest said.

“We are in a different berth now. The captain said our original berth was needed for a larger vessel,” commented another guest. “A Royal Caribbean ship is in our original spot and we moved one berth to the west.”

Guests were confined to the ship overnight, but were allowed ashore during the extra day in Seattle. However, the letter advised all guests to return to the ship by 4:00 p.m. ahead of the 5:00 p.m. departure.

The cruise line also clarified that they would still be running a full program of events onboard while the ship remained docked in Seattle. Cunard did not identify what maintenance was being performed, nor why it caused such a delay.

Final Alaska Cruise of the Season

The timing is notable, as the delayed sailing is Queen Elizabeth’s final Alaska cruise of the 2026 season. Cruise Hive previously reported that Cunard scheduled 15 roundtrip Alaska cruises from Seattle aboard the ship during the 2026 season, ranging from 7 to 12 nights.

This final 7-night cruise is scheduled to visit Ketchikan, Juneau, and Victoria, with scenic cruising at Endicott Arm before returning to Seattle on September 24. Ketchikan is the first scheduled port call, with Queen Elizabeth due to arrive there on the morning of September 19.

The sailing can also be booked as the first segment of a longer 28-night voyage from Seattle to Miami. Those guests are scheduled to return to Seattle on September 24 before continuing south along the Pacific Coast and eventually passing through the Panama Canal.

More From Cruise Hive

September 18 was originally scheduled as a sea day en route to Ketchikan. While no delay to the Ketchikan call has been announced, the removal of a full day of sailing makes a cancelled or shortened call likely.

Cunard has explicitly warned guests that they anticipate additional impact to the voyage and will try to limit changes to the ports of call. Guests will receive another update on September 18 once it has more information about any changes to the remainder of the voyage.

Whittier Cruise Ship Dock Declared Total Loss Following Fire

Melissa Mayntz
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Whittier Cruise Ship Dock Declared Total Loss Following Fire

Key Aspects:

  • The Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office has determined the Whittier dock, damaged by fire on Monday, September 14, 2026, is a total loss.
  • The dock is part of the $80 million Chugach Glacier Gateway Cruise Terminal project that first welcomed ships in September 2024.
  • There have not yet been any changes to ship schedules for the remainder of the 2026 season or the 2027 season, though ships will likely use Cruise Terminal 1.

It’s a harsh blow for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and guests sailing to Whittier, Alaska as the dock for the Chugach Glacier Gateway Cruise Terminal has been declared a “total loss” following the fire on Monday, September 14, 2026.

According to Anchorage Daily News, officials with the Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office made the determination on Wednesday, September 16, two days after the hours-long blaze.

Cruise Hive previously reported on the fire, which was first noticed shortly before 11 a.m. on Monday but which the US Coast Guard determined was not fully extinguished until 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

The Anchorage Fire Department (AFD) stated on Facebook on Tuesday, September 15 that there was no working hydrant near the dock and both an engine and two tenders were used to fight the blaze.

Whittier Fire & EMS, Girdwood Fire and Rescue, and other local emergency services all responded to the emergency.

The fire was reported at the dock where Klondike Express, a local tour boat operated by Phillips Cruises & Tours that offered day cruises through Prince William Sound, was moored. There were no passengers aboard at the time, but the boat did sustain significant damage. There were no injuries reported related to the fire.

Norwegian Jade was also nearby but moved quickly away from the dock to stay safely away from the blaze. There was no damage to the cruise ship, and her embarkation that day was moved to Cruise Terminal 1, roughly 1.5 miles away.

The Chugach Glacier Gateway Cruise Terminal first welcomed ships in September 2024. A joint project between Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and the Huna Totem Corporation, the $80 million terminal includes the double berth dock as well as the terminal facility.

At this time, Huna Totem Corporation is still assessing the extent of the dock damage and no further information is available about any rebuilding plans or future operations for the facility.

The Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office is still investigating the cause of the fire, which Austin McDaniel, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety, confirmed has not yet been determined.

U.S. Coast Guard Responds to Whittier Cruise Port Fire
U.S. Coast Guard Responds to Whittier Cruise Port Fire (Credit: USCG Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic)

US Coast Guard teams from Sector Western Alaska and US Arctic are also conducting pollution assessments and a marine casualty investigation to determine if there is any contamination as a result of the fire. No significant pollution has yet been noted and a “small sheen” first noted immediately after the fire has already dissipated.

What Will This Mean for Future Cruises?

While the 2026 Alaska season is drawing to a close with just a few ship visits remaining on Whittier’s schedule this year, it is not yet known what impact the fire may have on the 2027 season.

The new terminal offered first right of scheduling for ships in the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings family: Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, with ships from other lines such as Princess Cruises and Holland America Line utilizing Cruise Terminal 1 but also able to use the new dock as needed.

It is likely that all ships will use Cruise Terminal 1 until repairs can be made, but no cruise lines have made any announcements about terminal changes or itinerary updates for the 2027 season as yet.

More From Cruise Hive

The first call to Whittier in 2027 is to be Coral Princess on Tuesday, May 4, while the first vessels from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings are planned to be Oceania Riviera on Sunday, May 9, Norwegian Jade on Monday, May 17, and Seven Seas Explorer on Wednesday, May 19.

Seven Seas Explorer is also the last planned call for the 2026 season, arriving in Whittier on Monday, October 5. With no other ships planned that day, the 750-guest ship will most likely use Cruise Terminal 1 without difficulty.

Norwegian Joy Docks Late in Sitka With Dead Whale on Its Bow

Melissa Mayntz
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Norwegian Joy Docks Late in Sitka With Dead Whale on Its Bow

Key Aspects:

  • Norwegian Joy had a deceased fin whale on its bulbous bow as the ship approached Sitka on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
  • The ship’s docking was delayed and the whale carcass will now be assessed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
  • To compensate for the later arrival, guests on Reddit report that Norwegian Joy remained in Sitka an hour later than originally planned, but no other itinerary changes are confirmed.

It was a sad day aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Joy arriving in Sitka, Alaska on Thursday, September 17, 2026 when a dead fin whale was discovered on the ship’s bow.

According to My Northwest / KIRO Newsradio, the ship was briefly delayed in order to remove the cetacean. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has its Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network team assessing the whale and determining what additional steps may be necessary.

“We are deeply saddened by this situation, and we are cooperating with the appropriate authorities and any relevant scientific and wildlife experts as part of the assessment process,” Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement.

“This is a sobering reminder of the importance of ongoing collaboration among the maritime, scientific and conservation communities. We remain committed to operating responsibly, complying with applicable laws and regulations and supporting efforts that contribute to the long-term health of marine life.”

Norwegian Joy had departed Seattle on Friday, September 11, 2026 for a 10-night roundtrip sailing, the ship’s next-to-last Alaskan itinerary of the season. Sitka is the ship’s fourth port of call visit, following Ketchikan on Sunday, September 13; Juneau on Tuesday, September 15; and Icy Strait Point on Wednesday, September 16.

The ship also spent time in Glacier Bay for scenic cruising on Monday, September 14.

It is not known where Norwegian Joy may have impacted the whale, or if the whale was already deceased at the time it got caught on the ship’s bulbous bow, the protrusion just below the waterline that helps improve a ship’s fuel efficiency.

Guests onboard the ship have shared the situation on Reddit, including how it impacted the ship’s visit time in Sitka.

Originally, the 3,802-guest ship was scheduled to be in port from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. The Reddit poster Alternative-Hat-9627 noted that the ship did not begin docking until roughly 10 a.m., but that an extra hour was added to the visit to make up for some of the lost time.

Photos posted to the Reddit thread by different users show the whale being towed away from the ship. The whale is belly up and appears to have a wound near its tail.

Whale Being Pulled Away
Whale Being Pulled Away (Photo Credit: Foreign_Chipmunk_306)

It is standard procedure in these cases for authorities to conduct a necropsy on the whale to determine the cause of death.

Norwegian Joy is still scheduled to visit Skagway on Friday, September 18 and Victoria, British Columbia on Sunday, September 20 before returning to Seattle for debarkation on Monday, September 21. At this time, there is no confirmation of any further itinerary adjustment for the ship.

Not the First Whale Strike in 2026

Sadly, this incident with Norwegian Joy is not the first whale strike by a cruise ship in 2026.

Cruise Hive previously reported that on Friday, June 19, Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas arrived in Seward, Alaska with a dead fin whale on its bulbous bow.

In that incident, the ship docked with the whale still on the bow, but the carcass was covered with a tarp until it could be removed and towed to a nearby protected lagoon for examination. It was later determined the whale had been pregnant at the time it died.

Several days later, the Center for Biological Diversity submitted a letter to Royal Caribbean Group executives urging slower speeds in known whale habitat areas. The cruise company has not publicly responded.

Additional whale incidents have been noted with other cruise lines as well. In May 2024, MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia arrived in New York with a whale on its bow, while in 2016, Holland America Line’s Zaandam hit a young male fin whale near Seward.

Carnival Jubilee to Sail Shorter Caribbean Cruises From Texas

Calvin Musquez
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Carnival Jubilee to Sail Shorter Caribbean Cruises From Texas

Key Aspects:

  • Carnival Jubilee will begin regularly sailing 4- and 5-night cruises from Galveston as part of Carnival’s newly opened 2028-29 Texas schedule.
  • These shorter cruises mark a major shift for Carnival’s newest and largest ship, which has primarily operated weeklong voyages from Galveston.
  • The move follows a wider trend of cruise lines deploying newer mega-ships on shorter itineraries, including Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas and Carnival’s own Mardi Gras.

Carnival Cruise Line’s newest and largest ship will soon be available for shorter getaways. The cruise line announced that Carnival Jubilee is set to begin regularly sailing 4- and 5-night cruises from Galveston in 2028.

Bookings for 2028-29 sailings from the Texas port were opened by Carnival on September 17, 2026. As part of this season, the cruise line has introduced two new shorter itinerary options for the 5,362-passenger Excel-class ship. 

The ship will operate 4-night Western Caribbean sailings, visiting Cozumel, Mexico and featuring two sea days. The cruise line currently has 20 departure dates between April 27, 2028 and April 26, 2029 available for booking.

Meanwhile, 5-night Western Caribbean voyages will call at Cozumel and Progreso. Currently, 42 of these 5-night sailings are available for booking, with departure dates between April 17, 2028 and April 30, 2029.

Longer sailings on Jubilee aren’t going away entirely, but they will be greatly reduced. One 6-night sailing has also been made available, leaving Galveston on October 29, 2028. This sailing visits Cozumel and Isla Tropicale, Carnival’s private destination in Roatan (formerly Mahogany Bay), before returning to Galveston on November 4, 2028.

Two longer 8-night sailings have also hit the market. The first, departing April 1, 2028, visits Celebration Key, RelaxAway Half Moon Cay, and Nassau. The second, departing April 9, 2028, visits Cozumel, Isla Tropicale, and Montego Bay. There were no 7-night sailings in the released schedule.

Carnival Jubilee Cruise Ship
Carnival Jubilee Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: EWY Media)

Carnival Jubilee is Carnival’s newest ship and the third vessel in the Excel Class, following Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration. The 183,521-gross-ton ship has homeported in Galveston since it debuted in December 2023.

These new itineraries come just days after Carnival opened bookings for its upcoming fifth Excel-class ship, Carnival Tropicale, which will also homeport in Galveston. When the ship debuts in 2028, it will sail similar 4- to 8-night itineraries from the Texas port, visiting the Bahamas, Caribbean, and Mexico.

Mega-Ships Moving Toward Shorter Getaways

Carnival Jubilee won’t be the first Excel-class vessel to move into the short-cruise market, as Cruise Hive has previously reported. In August 2025, the cruise line announced that the 180,800-gross-ton Mardi Gras would begin 4- and 5-night cruises from Port Canaveral in May 2027.

At the time, Carnival noted that Mardi Gras was the largest ship in its fleet to sail short cruises. That distinction will pass to Carnival Jubilee when its shorter itineraries begin in 2028.

Other cruise lines have also been moving larger mega-ships into the short-cruise market. Royal Caribbean introduced the 236,473-gross-ton Utopia of the Seas in 2024 specifically with this market in mind.

The massive Oasis Class ship operates 3- and 4-night sailings from Port Canaveral, marketed around quick weekend getaways. Short cruises then expanded to other ships in the fleet for the 2026-27 season, including Utopia’s Oasis Class sisters, Wonder of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, and Oasis of the Seas. 

The addition of Carnival Jubilee continues this broad shift toward offering some of the industry’s largest ships on shorter itineraries. With both Mardi Gras and Jubilee moving into the market, Carnival is following Royal Caribbean’s lead in making its newest generation of mega-ships available on shorter getaways.

Norwegian Cruise Line Guest’s Risky Climb for a Selfie

Melissa Mayntz
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Norwegian Cruise Line Guest’s Risky Climb for a Selfie

Key Aspects:

  • A video posted to social media shows a guest climbing over a balcony railing and walking along an overhang onboard Norwegian Getaway.
  • The guest appeared to pause at several points to pose for selfies and take other photos while in the restricted space.
  • The video was posted on September 3, 2026 and was filmed in Nassau, Bahamas, but the actual date of the incident is unclear.

A video circulating through social media has shown a guest onboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Getaway engaging in risky, prohibited behavior, all for the sake of a few selfies.

The video was posted by @rudyhdez1962 and shows the ship docked in Nassau, Bahamas. The guest climbs over a balcony on Deck 9 onto a structural overhang that protects Deck 8 at the aft of the ship. That space is restricted and is not a public area or promenade.

The guest then walks along that overhang, where there are no barriers or safety rails, and appears to pause several times to take photos with a cell phone camera. At one point, they prop their camera against the ship’s hull to kneel for a pose several feet away, closer to the edge of the overhang.

Norwegian Getaway Guest Selfie
Norwegian Getaway Guest Selfie (Credit: rudyhdez1962)

At the end of the video, the guest then climbs back over the stateroom balcony.

The video was posted on Thursday, September 3, 2026 to Instagram and has also been posted to other social media platforms, though it is unclear when the video may actually have been taken. Norwegian Getaway was in Nassau on September 3 but the video could have been filmed earlier, as the 3,962-guest ship visits the Bahamian capital on every sailing.

Norwegian Getaway Guest Selfie
Norwegian Getaway Guest Selfie (Credit: rudyhdez1962)

Furthermore, the video’s YouTube post includes the hashtag #msc in the caption, and the full Spanish-to-English translation of that caption reads “Passenger on an MSC cruise ship jumps into a restricted and very DANGEROUS area to take photos.”

The ship in question is clearly Norwegian Getaway, as the name is seen on the vessel’s hull. The hull art visible in the video also matches Norwegian Getaway. The vessel is homeported from PortMiami and offers 3- and 4-night Bahamas cruises.

From the angle of the video and the foreground of another ship in the frame, it is clearly taken from onboard an adjacent cruise ship that is sharing dock space with Norwegian Getaway. That ship is not named, but on September 3, Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas were also in Nassau, along with Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Liberty, if the video was posted the day it was filmed.

Consequences for Risky Behavior

There is no mention of whether the guest’s excursion over the railing was reported to security onboard Norwegian Getaway. While the video evidence is clear, there is no easy way for guests on one cruise ship to report incidents to another vessel.

Nevertheless, if the behavior was reported, the guest could be in for some severe consequences. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Guest Ticket Contract, section 5(b), clearly stipulates that the cruise line may do the following if a guest “may endanger themselves” or exhibit “inappropriate behavior” in any way:

  • Refuse or revoke passage
  • Confine to a stateroom
  • Remove from the vessel

This type of risky behavior can often result in lifetime cruise line bans, and if the guest damaged any part of the ship, such as denting or scratching the overhang they walked on, they would be liable for those damages as well as a $500 administration fee (listed in the contract, Section 5(h)).

Cruise Hive has reported on such risky actions from multiple cruise lines. In October 2025, for example, video posted online showed teens walking on balcony railings aboard what is presumed to be a Royal Caribbean ship, and in July 2023, young guests were sitting on balcony railings onboard another Royal Caribbean ship.

Norwegian Cruise Line has not commented publicly on this Norwegian Getaway incident.

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