Janaína Torres, named World’s Best Female Chef in 2024, will serve as godmother of Celebrity Xcel.
The appointment marks the first time a Brazilian chef has held the role for a major cruise line.
The new ship will introduce The Bazaar, a three-deck venue blending local cuisine, crafts, cooking classes, and rotating cultural festivals tied to destinations.
Celebrity Cruises has tapped one of the world’s most celebrated chefs to serve as godmother of its newest ship, Celebrity Xcel.
Janaína Torres, co-owner of São Paulo’s acclaimed A Casa do Porco and winner of the 2024 World’s 50 Best Restaurants award for Best Female Chef in the World, will take on the honorary role during the vessel’s naming ceremony this November.
Torres is the first Brazilian chef to be named godmother of a major cruise line ship and will attend the christening in Fort Lauderdale on November 16, 2025.
Celebrity Cruises’ President Laura Hodges Bethge said the appointment reflects the company’s focus on food as a central part of its brand.
“We are honored for Chef Janaia Torres, a trailblazer in the culinary industry, to be godmother of Celebrity Xcel,” Bethge said.
“Janaína shares our commitment to celebrating and sharing global culture through elevated culinary experiences, connecting diners with culture through unique food experiences,” she added.
Torres is widely recognized for her innovative, no-waste approach to cuisine that highlights Brazilian heritage while making fine dining approachable.
Her influence extends globally through restaurants, cultural projects, and her leadership in bringing Latin American flavors to the world stage, earning Torres a coveted Michelin star.
Janaina Torres will be Celebrity Xcel’s godmother.
“I’ve always believed that fine dining should be accessible, not intimidating. Food brings us together, connecting us through new flavors, traditions, and shared memories,” said Torres. “I’m proud to partner with Celebrity Cruises to showcase our culture and cuisine on a global stage.”
Beyond her Michelin-recognized restaurant A Casa do Porco, Torres oversees multiple hospitality venues and recently launched A Brasileira, a project aimed at researching and promoting Brazilian culinary traditions.
Cultural Connections Aboard Xcel
Celebrity Xcel, part of the cruise line’s Edge-class series, will begin sailing November 2025 from Fort Lauderdale. Besides welcoming Torres’ culinary concepts, the vessel will also debut a new concept called The Bazaar.
The Bazaar will extend the cultural connection between ship and shore through local foods, entertainment, and activities. Spread across three decks, the venue will host rotating markets with regional crafts and tastings, destination-inspired cooking classes, and immersive festivals ranging from Caribbean-style carnivals to Mediterranean celebrations.
Guests of the ship will also be able to weigh in on programming through the Dream Makers platform, voting on themes, menus, and entertainment to shape the experience during their cruise.
Bazaar on Celebrity Xcel
Food will be central to The Bazaar, with Mosaic, an open-air specialty restaurant, serving dishes tied directly to the ports visited and a chef’s table offering multi-course tastings.
Spice, a more casual option, will rotate regional small plates included in the fare.
Beyond The Bazaar, Celebrity Xcel will feature more than 30 food and beverage venues. New to the ship will be Bora, an outdoor rooftop restaurant with sweeping ocean views. It will serve Mediterranean-influenced brunches by day and seafood-focused dinners at night, accompanied by live music.
Other returning favorites across the fleet include Fine Cut Steakhouse, Le Voyage, Raw on 5, Le Grand Bistro, and Le Petit Chef, along with main dining rooms such as Cosmopolitan and Normadie.
Celebrity Xcel’s inaugural season includes 7-night itineraries rotating through The Bahamas, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.
By summer 2026, the 3,260-passenger ship will reposition to Europe for its first Mediterranean season. There, Celebrity Xcel will offer 7- to 11-night sailings from Barcelona and Athens, including overnight stays in Madeira, Portugal.
A photo of a child standing on a table on their family’s private balcony is making the rounds on social media.
Other cruisers have reacted to the image with rage, shock, and anxiety.
There are no reports of the child being injured or falling overboard, but the dangerous behavior could have resulted in tragedy.
A family that has recently cruised was lucky enough to avoid a life threatening disaster, but has not managed to skirt the backlash on social media.
A photograph of a young child standing precariously on top of a table near the edge of their family’s private balcony, scantily clad in just underwear or a swimsuit, is going viral.
If the child had slipped, they were close enough to the railing to have gone overboard.
NCL has policies in place that require all guests under the age of 18 to be in the same or adjoining staterooms as a parent or chaperone over the age of 21 to prevent this type of dangerous misbehavior from happening.
But in this case, the child is being supervised by an unidentified adult who appears to be taking her own picture instead of putting a stop to the stunt.
Understandably, the cruise community has responded to this photo with shock and outrage.
“ABSOLUTELY NOT! …I wouldn’t even let my 5 year old go near the balcony without me and never did I even raise her up to see over the railing and we had the solid white wall. It wasn’t glass like this. My anxiety could never,”one cruising parent reacted.
“Some folks shouldn’t have the responsibility of children. I wouldn’t let a child stand on any table,” another chimed in.
“Nobody falls off a cruise ship if things are done right. If you travel with children, keep an eye on them and teach them what not to do,” penned a third.
If your kid has an affinity for climbing, might we suggest the Splash Academy for Kids onboard NCL ships as a safer alternative. The kid’s club has an indoor jungle gym and obstacle course.
Risking an Overboard Situation
While the supervising adult likely thought their child was just being funny or cute, the picture-perfect moment could have ended very badly.
Because of the behavior, the child was at an increasedrisk of falling overboard. It’s unclear what deck their cabin was on, but depending on the height, the child’s injuries could be severe or fatal in a potential fall.
It does appear that the photo was taken while docked in a cruise port, which would make the odds of locating the child more likely if they had fallen. It was likely taken from another ship docked nearby.
Child Standing on a Table on the Edge of a Cruise Ship Balcony
However, only around 17-25% of people who go overboard at sea are rescued because a cruise ship can’t simply stop – and a lot can happen in the time it takes to turn around.
If crew members had spotted the act, the guests could have received anything from a warning to security confinement and removal of balcony access.
The security team can and will temporarily remove balcony door handles to render it unusable when necessary.
This picture also hits close to home because a climbing child sailing onboard Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Dream did fall overboard very recently on June 29, 2025.
Her 37-year-old father immediately jumped overboard to rescue his daughter, and the duo were successfully saved by the ship’s rescue craft about 20 minutes later – thankfully avoiding a tragedy.
Liberty of the Seas has had yet another change for the August 21 sailing and will not visit St. Maarten.
Guests have been given $150-400 (USD) of onboard credit as compensation, depending on stateroom type.
Of the ship’s original itinerary, only the visit to San Juan has remained the same through three different changes.
Guests aboard Liberty of the Seas aren’t too happy with their 9-night schedule. The ship’s plans have now changed three different times for two different reasons, the last change happening after guests were already onboard.
The ship’s original itinerary was a Bermuda and Eastern Caribbean sailing. Hurricane Erin made the visit to Bermuda impossible, and as the storm grew, Liberty of the Seas needed to remain in Bayonne, New Jersey, longer than expected.
This made it impossible for the ship to visit Philipsburg, St. Maarten. This meant another port was cancelled.
This means that of the ship’s original four ports, only one now remains intact: San Juan, Puerto Rico.
As published, the original itinerary was:
Thursday, August 21 – Depart Cape Liberty
Friday, August 22 – Day at Sea
Saturday, August 23 – Kings Wharf, Bermuda
Sunday, August 24 – Day at Sea
Monday, August 25 – Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Tuesday, August 26 – San Juan, Puerto Rico
Wednesday, August 27 – Labadee, Haiti
Thursday, August 28 – Day at Sea
Friday, August 29 – Day at Sea
Saturday, August 30 – Arrive Cape Liberty
Instead, Liberty of the Seas is now sailing a very much adapted schedule:
Thursday, August 21 – Embark Cape Liberty
Friday, August 22 – Depart Cape Liberty
Saturday, August 23 – Day at Sea
Sunday, August 24 – Day at Sea
Monday, August 25 – Day at Sea
Tuesday, August 26 – San Juan, Puerto Rico
Wednesday, August 27 – Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos
Thursday, August 28 – Day at Sea
Friday, August 29 – Day at Sea
Saturday, August 30 – Arrive Cape Liberty
Following the extended time in Cape Liberty and cancellation of St. Maarten, Royal Caribbean did provide onboard credit as an acknowledgement of guests’ disappointment.
Guests with interior or ocean view staterooms received $150 (USD), while those in balcony staterooms received $200. Suite guests were compensated with $400 in credit.
An additional $25 was added to each total for any third, fourth, or fifth guests booked in the same stateroom.
Furthermore, any pre-booked tours arranged through Royal Caribbean for Bermuda or St. Maarten were automatically cancelled and refunded to guests’ onboard accounts.
Guests Reactions to So Many Changes
Many guests onboard Liberty of the Seas are understandably frustrated with the changes. While everyone understands the need for safety, the frustration stems from what seems to be poor timing.
The announcement of remaining at Cape Liberty was not made until the ship’s muster drill had been completed. At that time, there was no option for guests to consider cancelling for a refund.
Royal Caribbean did try to improve the situation with complimentary shuttles to Manhattan and Jersey City while the ship remained docked. This gave guests an opportunity for further exploration if they wished.
The cruise line does reserve the right to change or cancel ports as needed for poor weather. This is clearly outlined in Section 7(b) of the Cruise Ticket Contract.
“[Royal Caribbean] may for any reason at any time and without prior notice, cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing, port of call, or destination.”
Liberty of the Seas in Bermuda (Photo Credit: Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock)
This is a standard contract provision for all cruise lines. Weather is certainly outside the cruise line’s control, and safety is always the primary consideration.
Fortunately, many guests enjoying their much-adapted time aboard Liberty of the Seas are understanding.
“While I’m super disappointed, it’s still a vacation,”one guest said.“I’m just glad I’m off work for almost 2 weeks!”
“I’m here for the ship, if you cruise in August this is part of the chance you take,”another guest noted.
The busiest weeks of the Atlantic hurricane season are from mid-August through early October. The season’s peak activity is generally around September 10.
While Erin has been the first named storm of 2025, she has certainly made her mark on the cruising world with more than 20 ships impacted.
From the Caribbean to Bermuda to Europe, different cruise lines have all had to adjust their itineraries around the storm.
At this time, Erin has degraded to a post-tropical storm. Her remnants may still bring rough weather toward Iceland and the UK over the next few days.
For the moment, the rest of the Atlantic basin is relatively calm, but cruise lines will always be alert and watching for developing storms.
Some guests have received offers for the August 25 Utopia of the Seas cruise that include up to a full refund.
When offers are so good, are they really legit? This offer has been verified and is a real opportunity.
These types of rare offers are made when cruise ships may be overbooked, but are never guaranteed.
We’ve all seen the free cruise offers, just call to redeem, and other obvious scams. But what about when you get an email that seems too good to be true, but also seems to come directly from the cruise line?
This happened to guests booked on Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas for her August 25, 2025 departure. The impacted sailing is a 4-night Bahamas cruise to Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay.
A seemingly legitimate email had an outstanding offer (including the option for a free cruise!) that had many wondering if it was a scam.
“Ahead of our Utopia of the Seas, August 25, 2025, sailing, we are looking to see if you and your travel party have flexible travel arrangements,”the email began.
“If your plans are set in stone, please mark this email as ‘Read’, and gear up for your upcoming adventure – although, there are some pretty sweet options below.”
Those options are sweet indeed, which is where the too-good-to-be-true scam concern comes in.
First, guests could move to an ocean view stateroom and receive a 50% refund on their cruise fare. The second option was even better, to move to an interior stateroom with a full, 100% refund of the cruise fare.
Read that again – move to an ocean view or interior stateroom on the same sailing. You still get to take the cruise, but with a 50-100% refund. (Minus fees and such, of course.)
Guests would still be responsible for taxes and fees, as well as add-ons such as drink packages, internet access, or specialty dining.
This offer was sent to guests already booked in balcony rooms. Having that outstanding sea view and one’s own private deck space is immensely popular.
It’s not surprising that many guests initially felt the offer could be a scam and a way for phishing schemes to get booking numbers, credit card details, or other identifying information.
Several guests reached out to their travel agents or directly to Royal Caribbean’s customer service to verify the offer.
“It’s legit. I got one as well. I wouldn’t do interior but am considering forgoing my balcony. We aren’t going to be in the room enough to enjoy the balcony anyway,”one guest noted.
Royal Caribbean does make these offers when a specific sailing may be overbooked for a type of cabin. By enticing some guests to move to other cabin categories, the cruise line can more easily fill in “guarantee” rate cabins.
Utopia of the Seas Docked in CocoCay (Photo Credit: Justin Kozemchak)
While these offers may be extended to anyone with a qualifying balcony cabin, these are special circumstances and have very limited availability. Not everyone who agrees to the offer will be selected to receive it.
If guests do ask for the offer but aren’t selected, they simply remain in their originally booked stateroom at the original price (no refund, but no changes either).
Does This Happen Often?
These types of offers are not common, but they do happen occasionally. Just never on my bookings, apparently!
In May 2025, a similar offer was made for Allure of the Seas on a 7-night Mediterranean sailing. Guests were offered alternative dates and different ships with onboard credit, in addition to partial or full fare refunds.
Allure of the Seas has actually had several sailings with overbookings and very tempting offers.
Quantum of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and Rhapsody of the Seas have all had oversold sailings in recent years as well.
The exact offers made to guests depend on what alternatives the cruise line can arrange, how many cabins they may need to change, and how close the sailing date is.
Full or partial refunds, onboard credit, and future cruise credits are just some of the options Royal Caribbean may use to entice guests to make these last-minute changes.
Would you take advantage of such an offer? I certainly would!
Guests boarding Carnival Panorama on Sunday, August 24 must delay their cruise terminal arrival by 30 minutes.
The ship’s departure from Long Beach has not been changed and Carnival Panorama will still set sail at 4 p.m. for the 6-night cruise.
The cause of the change has not been disclosed but may be related to parking shortages impacting the same sailing.
When you’ve been looking forward to a cruise for weeks, months, or even years, embarkation can’t come soon enough. For some Carnival Panorama guests, however, their embarkation has to wait a little longer.
Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked on the Sunday, August 24, 2025 sailing to alert them that their embarkation is now delayed.
While the delay isn’t significant, just 30 minutes, it can put a damper on the first day of the 6-night Mexican Riviera cruise.
“Embarkation for your cruise has been revised. We must allow debarking guests to leave before we can accommodate your arrival,”the email notification advised.
Guests are now asked to arrive a half hour later than their original terminal arrival appointments. For example, guests who selected 12-12:30 p.m. should now arrive from 12:30-1 p.m. instead.
The cruise line is very clear that guests must follow the adjusted embarkation times.
“It is very important that you adhere to this revised plan,”the email explains.“Guests who arrive earlier than their newly assigned time will be asked to return later.”
On the revised schedule, the latest terminal arrival appointment is now 2:30-3 p.m. All guests must be onboard Carnival Panorama no later than 3:30 p.m. for the ship’s 4 p.m. departure.
There is no change to the ship’s itinerary. Carnival Panorama will still spend a double (overnight) call in Cabo San Lucas on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 26-27, followed by a visit to Ensenada on Friday, August 29.
Likewise, the ship’s return to Long Beach for debarkation on Saturday, August 30, is not impacted.
Fortunately, the delay is not for several hours and guests should have no difficulty with the adjustment.
Why Such a Slight Change?
Carnival Cruise Line has not indicated why there must be a 30-minute embarkation delay, other than to note that “we must allow debarking guests to leave before we can accommodate your arrival.”
There is no suggestion of any problem with Carnival Panorama and the ship is well within her operational guidelines.
It is possible that a higher than typical number of guests on the current sailing may require assistance or be using mobility scooters, which can slightly delay debarkation. This could create a backlog in the terminal that must be cleared before embarking guests can be processed.
Cruise terminal staffing or maintenance, upgrades, or local construction could also be contributing to the delay.
Guests on the August 24 departure have already been warned of parking difficulties and the need for offsite parking, which could also cause the embarkation delay.
This ship departure time shift has not changed, despite the slight embarkation delay.
To be clear, the cruise terminal arrival time for guests is now 30 minutes later than originally planned. Meanwhile, the ship’s departure from her Long Beach homeport is 30 minutes earlier than the original itinerary.
These two time shifts do not cancel each other out. Guests are getting onboard the Vista-class ship slightly later than planned, but they will still be setting sail earlier.
Carnival Conquest embarked on the first of four adults-only cruises that are targeting avid casino players on August 22, 2025.
Because of the high number of elite Diamond and Platinum guests onboard for this unique sailing, many of the usual perks offered to these guests are unavailable.
In this case, priority embarkation and disembarkation, early stateroom access, priority luggage delivery, and priority assistance from guest services will not be available.
Carnival Cruise Line is trying something new to celebrate its most VIP guests, but the special experience will not include some key loyalty perks for the voyage that just embarked on August 22, 2025.
Originally, Carnival Conquest was supposed to be undergoing refurbishments in dry dock from August 22 to September 20, 2025.
While the Carnival Players Club is separate from the Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) program, there is understandably a lot of crossover here.
This means that many of the perks elite Diamond and Platinum VIFP members are accustomed to will not be available on the current 9-night Southern Caribbean cruise, which is sailing round trip out of Miami, Florida.
“Due to the high number of Diamond and Platinum guests joining us on this voyage, we will not be able to provide the following benefits,”the cruise line wrote in a letter.
The benefits that won’t be available include priority embarkation and disembarkation (including at ports of call), early stateroom access, priority luggage delivery, and priority line and phone assistance from the onboard guest services team.
Additionally, main dining room seating requests for Diamond level guests also cannot be guaranteed.
Carnival Conquest is operating three more of these unique sailings on August 31, September 12, and September 21, and it’s possible that these voyages may also miss out on some perks given the status of the passengers.
Although it has been met with a lot of criticism, this is an example of why Carnival is doing away with the current VIFP system.
Especially for the longer Carnival Journeys sailings, there have been multiple cases where there are too many elite loyalty members onboard – making it so that nobody can take advantage of the perks.
“These operational changes are consistent with other voyages where we have a very large number of Diamond and Platinum guests. We apologize for any disappointment and thank you for your understanding,” Carnival wrote.
Carnival Glory Cruise Ship int he Bahamas (Photo Credit: Dennis MacDonald)
The VIFP program will officially be replaced by Carnival Rewards on June 1, 2026, so guests still have just over a year to prepare for the change.
Under the new plan, guests will earn stars based on not only how often they cruise, but also how much money they spend onboard, casino play, and even non-cruise purchases made with the Carnival Rewards Mastercard.
The amount of “stars” earned will determine guests’ loyalty tiers, which will remain in place for two years. The “lifetime” status that guests earn under the current VIFP program is being eliminated.
“I really just want to reassure people that it is not our intention at all for people not to maintain their status, just lifetime status is not feasible given the number of people and the growth in the highest tiers,”Carnival President Christine Duffy clarified soon after Carnival Rewards was announced.
The “lifetime” status will phase out slowly, with all current VIFP members maintaining their status until May 31, 2028.
Top-tier Diamond members get an even longer buffer and will maintain their status until May 31, 2032.
Carnival cruise director MarQ Anthony has added a small twist to St. Jude fundraising efforts with a fun shirt size choice.
Cruise directors often go above and beyond to encourage donations for the fundraisers held on every sailing.
More than $33 million has already been raised for St. Jude through various events, with a goal of $50 million by 2030.
Carnival Cruise Line has been a charitable partner for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital since 2009. Enthusiasm for supporting the charity has only grown, and Carnival’s cruise directors are leading on-the-deck efforts to encourage bigger and crazier donations.
One of the fleet’s most popular cruise directors, Marq “MarQ” Anthony, recently went in the opposite direction, however. Instead of bigger, he went smaller.
For a shirt size, that is!
During the onboard “Groove for St. Jude” events held on every Carnival sailing, guests donate to the charity and receive a t-shirt for their participation. In general, larger shirt sizes are often the most popular.
Currently the cruise director for Carnival Vista, MarQ honored a challenge for the smallest possible shirts following a $2,000 guest donation, and even took photographic evidence to prove it.
“After making a donation of $2,000, we decided to take on the challenge to squeeze into the smallest shirts possible… How did we do?!”he asked.
Posing on the Lido Deck, MarQ and the guest are styling shirt sizes I probably haven’t worn since middle school, if I’m being generous (and those shirts certainly aren’t generous).
What is big about the photo, however, is the smiles and the fun, which is what Groove for St. Jude is all about. Not only is the event intended as a good time for guests, but it is also to bring smiles and fun to children battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
At St. Jude, no family is ever turned away due to financial considerations, and families never receive bills for treatment, travel, housing, or food.
The research hospital operates primarily through such generous donations, including through compassionate corporations like Carnival Cruise Line.
To help reach that goal, there are regular “big ticket” fundraisers. For example, a pair of custom cowboy boots was auctioned off for Carnival Jubilee‘s inauguration in Texas in February 2024, ultimately raising $50,000.
Another notable fundraiser was when Carnival Cruise Line’s president, Christine Duffy, took on the challenge to skydive over Tampa Bay in October 2024. More than $85,000 was raised for that special event.
Some sentimental events have also encouraged fundraising. When Carnival Ecstasy retired in October 2023, onboard memorabilia was auctioned and raised more than $39,000.
To date, Carnival has already raised $33 million toward the overall $50 million donation goal.
Cruise Directors’ Best St. Jude Fundraisers
While headline-grabbing fundraisers can raise big bucks, it is the cruise line’s individual cruise directors who are truly making outstanding efforts to increase contributions to St. Jude.
Different cruise directors have taken extra special steps for their own Groove for St. Jude fundraisers, and guests step in to help beyond just their own donations.
On the August 8, 2025 Carnival Jubilee sailing, the combination of a donated John Heald-shaped duck and a Jubilee sea turtle, along with dozens of participating guests, raised more than $10,000.
Alex Siegler Shaves Chest for Charity (Credit: Alex Siegler)
Many guests also donate blinged-out ducks, custom tumblers, and other unique souvenirs to encourage even higher fundraising totals. Whether the items are accepted is often at the discretion of the cruise director.
Few cruise directors have gone so far as Alex Siegler aboard Carnival Spirit, however.
Three months later, Siegler upped his dedication to supporting St. Jude by offering to wax his chest hair if guests raised $10,000. As before, the goal wasn’t quite reached, but because the $8,000 total was still so outstanding, he went through with the painful promise.
Have you joined in St. Jude fundraisers onboard? What unique twists have you seen? Share your experiences on the Cruise Hive boards!
With fast-moving news across the cruise industry, it’s important to stay well informed, and a great way to do that is right here with Cruise Hive’s weekly recap.
Some of the stories we’re highlighting in this edition include Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas officially entering service, a dry dock delay forcing Carnival Cruise Line to nix four cruises, and the president of a major cruise brand surprising the industry by stepping down from his post.
Get the big cruise news stories delivered to your inbox each day by signing up for Cruise Hive’s Daily Update — it’s a don’t-miss opportunity!
Two Drownings Reported at Carnival’s Celebration Key
Carnival Cruise Line’s Celebration Key, the private destination on Grand Bahama Island that opened just weeks ago, was the scene of not one but two tragic deaths on Friday, August 15, 2025.
Two guests, both elderly Americans, both drowned, one in a lagoon and one in the ocean. The cruise line confirmed that lifeguards and medical personnel responded to two separate incidents and that neither of the guests survived their ordeal.
While details are scarce and the identities of the guests unknown, it was determined that a 79-year-old man died while snorkeling off the beach while a 74-year-old woman drowned in one of the destination’s lagoons — either the Starfish Lagoon or the adult-only Oasis Lagoon.
Carnival’s Mardi Gras and Carnival Elation were calling at the destination on August 15, 2025, and the cruise line confirmed that one guest had been sailing on each vessel. It did not state which guest was on which ship.
Carnival Elation is homeported in Jacksonville, Florida, while Mardi Gras is based at Port Canaveral.
Star of the Seas Enters Service With Preview Cruise
Star of the Seas Departing Port Canaveral (Photo Credit: Melissa Mayntz / Cruise Hive)
Royal Caribbean’s new Star of the Seas departed on the first of four preview voyages on August 16, 2025.
It was a gala “sailabration” event at Port Canaveral, the 5,600-guest ship’s homeport, as hundreds of onlookers helped mark the occasion.
Officials from the port and the cruise line attended the launch, along with a DJ who entertained the crowds. Food trucks were on hand and children enjoyed a bubble machine as the second ship in the Icon class headed out to sea.
The 248,700-gross-ton ship called at Perfect Day at CocoCay and had two days at sea before returning to the port on August 20, 2025 — the day of her naming ceremony.
The ship’s honorary godmother, astronaut Kellie Gerardi, christened the vessel, standing in at the last minute for music icon Diana Ross, who had agreed to serve as godmother but cancelled unexpectedly.
The 5,600-guest ship will sail her first revenue cruise, a 7-night Western Caribbean voyage, on August 31, 2025. Star of the Seas will sail alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral.
Dry Dock Delay Prompts Cancellation of Four Voyages
Carnival Cruise Line has cancelled four Bahamas cruises slated to operate aboard Carnival Conquest in February 2026 due to a change in the ship’s dry dock schedule.
The 3,000-guest ship, based at PortMiami, was set to enter dry dock in January 2026, but the move was postponed one month, forcing the cancellation of two 3-night and two 4-night cruises. The affected sailings were due to depart on February 6 and 13, 2026, and February 9 and 16, 2026, respectively.
No reason was given for the change, but the line is offering compensation for guests’ disappointment.
Those who rebook on a comparable cruise will receive up to $100 in onboard credits if they make their new reservation by September 1, 2025. Full refunds are being offered to those who choose not to rebook.
Carnival Cruise Line will reimburse guests for non-refundable airfares and airline change fees, up to $200, if the guests provide proper documentation.
Carnival Conquest, which entered service in 2002, was last dry-docked in 2022. The ship’s 2026 dry dock had already been rescheduled once, before this latest change.
Residential Cruise Brand Sets New Rates Based on Age
Golden Passport for Unlimited Cruises
In an industry first, a residential cruise brand is offering accommodation rates based on the ages of guests.
Villa Vie Residences unveiled a new lifetime cabin rental option called Golden Passport, with costs tied to eight specific age ranges. The older a guest is the less he or she will pay for the privilege of sailing continuous world voyages aboard Villa Vie Odyssey.
The lowest cost, $99,999 per person, applies to guests aged 90 and older who choose the least expensive stateroom category, which is a porthole cabin on Deck 2. Rates for oceanview cabins on higher decks cost more.
The residential cruise brand is currently operating its first 3.5-year world voyage aboard Villa Vie Odyssey, which is a 32-year-old ship that most recently sailed under the name Braemar for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.
Under the new age-tiered rate plan, the cost of the porthole cabin rises as guests’ ages decrease. For instance, guests aged 55 to 59 pay $299,999 per person, falling to $129,999 for those aged 85 to 89.
In the oceanview category, guests aged 55 to 59 pay $399,999 per person, while a guest over age 90 would pay $199,999, for example.
Golden Passport is one of several lifetime, seasonal, and try-before-you-buy plans offered by the cruise line.
Norwegian Cruise Line President Unexpectedly Steps Down
David Herrera Exits Norwegian Cruise Line
It isn’t everyday that a cruise line president steps down after serving in the post for just over two years — it takes longer than that just to build a cruise ship — but that’s what has unfolded at Norwegian Cruise Line.
Effective on August 20, 2025, David J. Herrera is out as president and Harry Sommer, former president and now CEO and president of parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is in, at least on an interim basis.
Herrera was a dedicated member of the leadership team, Sommer said in a statement, but an executive search team is already on the case to find a replacement.
Herrera, in fact, had been employed by Norwegian since 2012 and held several top posts in finance and strategy for both the brand and the parent company.
The change in leadership comes as the launch of Norwegian Luna nears and as the company’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay, is poised for a major expansion — both happening in 2026.
Will a new president be onboard by then? Keep checking Cruise Hive to find out!
Crew Member Overboard Sun Princess
Sun Princess Overboard (Credits: GEORGE STAMATIS & sw0wse)
Tragedy struck Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess on August 20, 2025, when a crew member went overboard from the 4,300-passenger ship as it sailed toward Istanbul.
Although the ship began search operations and coordinated with local maritime officials, the crew member was not located.
No information about the crew member was released, but the cruise line’s family assistance team is providing support to family members.
Sun Princess, a Sphere-class ship that launched in 2024, is operating a 14-night Mediterranean with Greek Isles, France & Turkey cruise that departed Barcelona on August 9, 2025 and will conclude in Athens on August 23, 2025.
During the search, local officials asked that Sun Princess remain anchored off Tekrdag, a city in northwest Turkey about 90 miles from Istanbul, while the investigation continued.
That delay forced the cancellation of the ship’s port call to Mykonos, set for noon to 9 p.m. on August 22, 2025, and altered her port call arrival and departure times in Istanbul on August 21, 2025.
Before the overboard emergency, the ship had already called at Gibraltar, UK, Marseille, France, Genoa, La Spezia, Rome, and Naples, Italy, and Chania, Crete.
Storm Rocks Carnival Panorama on Mexican Riviera
Carnival Panorama Hit By Bad Weather (Credits: @queens_roost & Ritu Manoj Jethani)
The Gulf of California conjures images of clear blue skies against deep blue ocean, but the region can surprise with sudden and violent storms.
That was the case on August 20, 2025, when Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Panorama ran into such a storm during her 8-night Mexican Riviera itinerary that departed from Long Beach, California.
The 4,000-guest ship was sailing between Mazatlan and La Paz, Mexico, when the storm hit, causing damage in several areas and some flooding on the vessel.
It was around 8:15 p.m. when a gust of wind estimated at 60 mph caused the ship to list for about 30 seconds, guests wrote on social media.
Video posted by guests showed broken glass, flooding, and water leaks, and various other types of damage. There were no major injuries reported, although several passengers sought assistance from the ship’s medical team.
There were two passengers scheduled to be transported to a local hospital in the next port of call of La Paz on August 21, 2025.
The ship’s itinerary was not impacted. Carnival Panorama is slated to return as planned to Long Beach on August 24, 2025.
More Cruise Headlines
And there is more! Cruise Hive has plenty more news stories you should know about, such as Celebrity River Cruises offering Priority Booking Access for its first set of river cruises in Europe, Florida’s Port Canaveral mulling a big hike in parking fees, and Virgin Voyages making its app available for both iPhones and Androids.
Disney Fantasy is the latest ship to change its itinerary ahead of Hurricane Erin, cancelling a call in Spain and substituting a visit to Belgium instead.
While Hurricane Erin has weakened significantly, her huge size could still have impacts on cruise ships for several more days in the northern Atlantic.
A total of 22 ships have now had itinerary changes for this first official hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season.
Yet another cruise ship has now altered its itinerary to avoid Hurricane Erin. This time, however, the change is not in the Eastern Caribbean, the Bahamas, or Bermuda. Instead, it’s in Spain.
As Hurricane Erin has moved through the eastern Atlantic, she has forced itinerary changes for more than 20 cruise ships. Disney Fantasy is the latest to be impacted, as the ship’s August 25 voyage will not be able to set sail as planned.
The 130,000-gross-ton ship is currently homeported from Southampton, UK. Her August 25 departure was to have been a 4-night sailing to Spain with a visit to Bilbao on Wednesday, August 27.
The storm’s current track, however, will undoubtedly bring very rough water, strong winds, and high swells to the Bay of Biscay between northern Spain and southwestern France.
Disney Cruise Line has reached out to booked guests to notify them of the necessary change. Instead of visiting Spain, Disney Fantasy will now head for Belgium with a port stop in Zeebrugge.
The ship’s departure from Southampton, her days at sea, and her return to the UK are unchanged. Only her direction of travel and the port visit have been changed.
While this may certainly be disappointing to booked guests who were eagerly anticipating la magia instead of magie (magic in Spanish and Dutch in case you’re wondering), safety is always the foremost concern.
The Bay of Biscay may be especially vulnerable to very strong effects from Hurricane Erin. There is no land mass to protect the bay from incoming poor weather.
Furthermore, Hurricane Erin will be closest to Disney Fantasy‘s route on Monday and Tuesday, just when the ship would be sailing by and most impacted by strong wind and waves.
Guests who have pre-paid for Disney Port Adventures in Bilbao will have those tours automatically cancelled and refunded. Tours for Zeebrugge will be available to book onboard either by visiting the Port Adventures Desk or through the Navigator app.
Hurricane Erin – Still a Possible Threat to Cruises
Hurricane Erin has significantly weakened from her height as a Category 5 storm. As of the Friday morning update from the National Hurricane Center, the maximum sustained winds are now 90 miles per hour, making her a Category 1 storm.
Erin’s size, however, remains impressive with hurricane-strength winds extending 140 miles from the center. Tropical-storm-strength winds extend out for 435 miles.
This means the storm’s full diameter is now more than 850 miles, and strong winds are possible even outside those official distances.
In comparison, Bilbao and Southampton are only 525 miles apart as the wind blows. Even if Erin is several hundred miles away from the cruise ship’s route, the waters are still likely to be less-than-magical.
Disney Fantasy is now the second Disney ship and twenty-second ship overall to be impacted by this first official hurricane of the 2025 season.
Disney Fantasy’s change is more than a week later and over 4,000 miles away. With the size and strength of Hurricane Erin, this may not be the last itinerary change to report either.
Additional cruises sailing near Greenland, Iceland, the UK, and the west coasts of France and Spain may still see impact from the storm in the coming days.
Any travelers with cruises in those regions over the next week should stay alert to possible changes to their itineraries.
