Passengers aboard Carnival Panorama are still on track to visit every scheduled destination on their 8-night Mexican Riviera cruise, just not in the original order.
Carnival Cruise Line announced it is altering the itinerary for the 4,008-guest ship that departed from Long Beach, California, on June 7, 2025.
The reason? The brand-new formation of Hurricane Barbara and two developing storm systems in the Pacific Ocean.
“In partnership with our fleet center in Miami, we are actively monitoring [then] Tropical Storm Barbara and another tropical system that have developed in the Pacific,”Captain Carlo Queirolo wrote in a letter to passengers aboard the 133,500-gross-ton ship.
“Given the track of both storms, we must modify our itinerary to remain a safe distance away,”he continued.
Despite the need to adjust course, the ship will maintain its original schedule to visit Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It will now be in reverse order.
Carnival Panorama will sail first to Cabo San Lucas instead of Puerto Vallarta, arriving on Monday, June 9. It will then journey to La Laz on June 10, Mazatlán on June 13, and Puerto Vallarta on June 14 before returning to Los Angeles on June 15, 2025, following two sea days.
“We will continue to monitor weather forecasts and provide updates,”said Captain Queirolo.
This marks the second weather-related adjustment for Carnival Cruise Line since the start of the Pacific hurricane season on May 15, 2025.
The cruise line’s Carnival Firenze, carrying up to 4,126 passengers, faced inclement weather during its late May sailing to Cabo San Lucas brought on by Tropical Storm Alvin.
Thankfully, the storm didn’t build enough strength to become a hurricane.
Pacific Coast Storms
Tropical Storm Barbara formed in the eastern Pacific on June 8, 2025, and became the first hurricane of the season at 8 a.m. MST on Monday, June 9, 2025.
Located about 155 miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, at press time, Hurricane Barbara is producing maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour and moving northwest at 10 miles per hour.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said it is possible the storm will strengthen today, “but a weakening trend is forecast to begin on Tuesday.”
“Gusty winds are likely along coastal areas of southwestern Mexico during the next day or so,” said NHC. “Swells generated by Barbara will affect portions of the coast of southwestern Mexico during the next few days.”
Hurricane Barbara
The swells could cause “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”
A second tropical storm, Cosme, has also developed nearby and is moving at 6 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour.
The NHC says there is a 60 percent likelihood of a third storm developing in the area by the end of the week.
The Baha Peninsula of Mexico is a popular cruise destination for several cruise lines operating out of California homeports.
Besides Carnival Panorama, Carnival Firenze will be in the region later in the week, as well as Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Mariner and Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas.
Cruise ships are faster than tropical storms and can position themselves safely out of harms’ way. Despite the strong start to the storm season, forecasters predict the Eastern Pacific will have a relatively quiet season.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) anticipates 1 to 4 tropical cyclones this season, which is a near- or below-normal year.
Don’t feel like lingering at the dinner table on your cruise? You’re not alone. And for that reason, Carnival Cruise Line is testing a new “Express Dining” option that could get passengers in and out of the dining room in under 45 minutes.
The new service is undergoing a test run only aboard the 3,934-passenger Carnival Vista and is designed for guests who want a faster-paced meal.
It’s an opt-in option available to passengers using the Your Time Dining plan and not part of specialty dining options aboard the ship.
Instead of a full menu, guests choose from a streamlined selection of starters, entrees, and desserts, all served quickly in a specific section of the Horizon dining room.
“This is only a test,”said Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald in his Monday social media post on June 9, 2025. “We are not announcing it; this is a Test with a capital T.”
That said, Heald admitted he’s already heard from guests who have had a chance to try it. Many enjoy it and wonder when it will be available on other ships.
Heald shared that the program was created in response to passenger feedback from cruisers who feel that dinner service in the main dining room takes too long.
One guest wrote in and said, “I don’t know of anyone in real life who wants to spend one-and-a-half hours in the dining room.”
The initiative may appeal to cruisers with busy evening schedules or families with young children. However, Heald also acknowledged some hesitation about the shift in dining.
“Personally, I think it’s a little sad that people don’t want to sit and talk with their family and friends. It’s part of tradition in cruising but I guess things change,” he said.
The cruise line will monitor how the test performs before deciding whether to roll it out on additional ships in the fleet.
How Express Dining Works
Passengers who select the Express Dining option will be seated in a specific area of the Horizon dining room on Carnival Vista, which is currently sailing 6- and 8-night itineraries to the Eastern and Southern Caribbean from its Port Canaveral, Florida, homeport.
Service is designed to be immediate and streamlined, with minimal wait times between courses, unlike the traditional dining, which includes “Showtime.”
The current test menu includes a limited selection of three courses. For example, a recent menu offered appetizer choices of roasted duck rolls, shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, or tomato soup.
Entrée options included Szechuan shrimp, Cornish game hen, braised short rib, or sirloin steak. For dessert, guests could pick from cheesecake, a naval orange cake, or Carnival’s signature chocolate melting cake.
Unlike the typical multi-course dinner service that may stretch past 90 minutes, Express Dining is designed to be more efficient and is meant to wrap up in 45 minutes.
The program is not available fleetwide and is currently only offered to Your Time Dining guests. No reservations are required beyond the standard Your Time Dining procedure, but guests must request Express Dining at check-in to be seated in the correct station.
While Carnival Cruise Line hasn’t committed to bringing the Express Dining concept to additional ships, it is watching closely to see how guests respond.
If demand proves strong on the 133,500-gross-ton Carnival Vista, it may become a more permanent offering across the fleet.
Modern cruise ships are equipped with numerous pieces of safety equipment, including lifeboats and inflatable life rafts. While SOLAS and other safety regulations strictly control lifeboat capacities, the actual number of lifeboats on a cruise ship will not match the total number of passengers and crew members.
This guide will explain why lifeboats aren’t required for every person and what the lifeboats themselves are like.
Why Cruise Ships Don’t Need Lifeboats for Everyone
It’s a common misconception that cruise ships must have enough lifeboats for every person onboard.
In reality, international regulations, specifically the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, or SOLAS, mandate that all cruise ships carry lifeboats for at least 37.5% of the maximum number of passengers on each side of the vessel, which equals 75% of the total number of people on the ship (passengers and crew included) when factoring in both sides.
Lifeboats and Life rafts
The remaining 25% of the ship’s capacity is then met with inflatable life rafts, ensuring total coverage for all aboard. Most cruise ships reserve these inflatable life rafts for the crew, as they are more difficult to board, as well as less comfortable.
By carrying only enough hard-surface lifeboats for 75% of the ship’s maximum capacity, cruise ships can make more efficient use of space. This is simply because lifeboats take up a substantial amount of deck space, while inflatable life rafts can be stored in a far more compact and discreet way.
How Do Lifeboats and Inflatable Life Rafts Differ?
Both lifeboats and inflatable life rafts serve the same basic function, but lifeboats are more sophisticated. Where life rafts are inflatable and usually just powered with telescopic oars contained within them, lifeboats are made from rigid materials, like carbon fiber, and they are often motorized.
Lifeboats also need to be lowered from the sides of the cruise ship carrying them, while life rafts are usually stored in pressurized heavy-duty canisters that are automatically inflated and ejected from the sides of the ship when required.
Given that inflatable cruise ship life rafts are deployed quickly rather than slowly lowered with passengers inside, cruise ships are almost always outfitted with a complex marine evacuation system.
This system includes additional inflatable spiral slides or chutes that can be rapidly deployed to allow guests and crew to travel safely down to inflated life rafts in the water below.
How Many Lifeboats Are on a Cruise Ship?
Muster Drill on Carnival Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: PIXAS)
Since lifeboat regulations dictate that cruise ships only have to carry enough lifeboats to carry at least 75% of the ship’s passenger and crew capacity, the exact number of lifeboats on a cruise ship will vary drastically depending on the ship’s size and design.
Most large cruise ships will carry between 15 and 20 lifeboats in total, with that number evenly split between the ship’s sides. Again, these numbers will vary, as will the actual size and capacity of the lifeboats themselves.
For example, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas is equipped with 18 CRV55 catamaran lifeboats, each capable of carrying up to 370 people on two levels.
When first introduced, these werethe largest lifeboats in the world, weighing roughly 97,000 pounds each when fully loaded with equipment and passengers.
For comparison, a smaller cruise ship, like Carnival Elation, is only equipped with 14 lifeboats, each with a capacity of roughly 150 people. It may sound strange, but one of the largest cruise ships ever built, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, only carries 17 lifeboats, but each can safely carry up to 450 people.
In addition to carrying lifeboats that at least meet the legal minimum passenger capacity, cruise lines also conduct regular lifeboat drills and monthly lifeboat inspections to ensure that all safety equipment can be deployed efficiently and is maintained properly.
What Do Cruise Ship Lifeboats Look Like?
Video Footage By: Unimedien (YouTube)
Modern lifeboats are a far cry from the basic rowboats you have probably seen in movies like James Cameron’s Titanic. Instead, they are fully enclosed vessels constructed from durable materials, like fiberglass.
Most are yellow watercraft with white highlights, which helps them be spotted against a blue backdrop if they are ever deployed. Some are also orange, but yellow and white is definitely the more popular color scheme.
As mentioned, they are motorized, with larger models equipped with powerful twin diesel engines that can propel the lifeboats to speeds as high as 6 knots. The lifeboats also feature windows, safety hatches, illuminated compasses, and searchlights, which help with navigation and visibility.
What Do They Look Like on the Inside?
Cruise Lifeboat Interior (Photo Credit: Ambiento)
Inside these lifeboats, you’ll find numerous rows of seating, which allow the small ships to maximize capacity. Larger lifeboats, like those found on Icon of the Seas, will even have two decks, allowing them to make even greater use of their size.
Since they are motorized, they also feature a steering area, which is located at the front of the lifeboat.
This area is occupied by trained members of the cruise ship’s crew, so the ship’s passengers simply have to sit in the main passenger area of the lifeboat when it is deployed. This is also where the lifeboat’s communication and navigation equipment can be found.
Some lifeboats also double as tender boats, ferrying passengers to shore during port of call visits. This allows the cruise ship to maximize deck space, as the lifeboats serve a dual purpose.
From my experience, lifeboat tenders offer a bit of a rougher ride, so you might want to bring some sort of motion sickness medication if you are sensitive to it.
With that said, they are fully enclosed, so you don’t have to worry about getting splashed, which is definitely a nice thing if you’re visiting a port on a cold or windy day!
What’s Inside a Lifeboat?
While the exact equipment a lifeboat carries will vary, depending on the size of the lifeboat and the cruise line that has outfitted it, most modern lifeboats are very well-equipped. Inside, you’ll find essential survival equipment for all passengers and crew members traveling inside it.
If the lifeboat was deployed during an evacuation procedure, it would contain the survival equipment the occupants would need until they were rescued by a larger vessel.
Again, the exact contents inside a lifeboat will vary, but most contain the following:
Enough life jackets for every person
Six 500ml water packets for each passenger
Food rations (usually high-calorie biscuits or bars stored in multi-pack boxes)
Fishing tackle and fishing line
Flashlights with an extra battery
First-aid kits (first aid supplies include seasickness tablets and seasickness bags)
Smoke signals, hand flares, and whistles
Oars and anchors in case the engines fail
Toilet facilities that consist of disposable bags and composting toilets
Thermal protective blankets and microfiber towels
Fire extinguishers
Extra equipment (a can opener, saw, rope, rolled-up rope ladder, illuminated compass)
For the most part, these supplies are stored beneath the passengers’ feet in the main area of the lifeboat. To access all of these supplies and pieces of safety equipment, the passengers would have to move around and lift large floorboards, so this is only done in real survival and evacuation scenarios rather than during basic drills.
How Safe Are They Really?
Carnival Dream Lifeboat Damage
The sinking of the Titanic triggered a complete overhaul of lifeboat and life raft requirements on passenger ships. In response to this tragedy and the fact that the famous ocean liner wasn’t carrying enough lifeboats, the International Maritime Organization established SOLAS in 1914, setting stringent safety regulations for all types of seafaring passenger vessels.
These safety requirements have been continuously enhanced and improved over the more than 100 years that have followed.
Even more modern incidents, like the Costa Concordia disaster in 2012, have led to improved safety standards, with all cruise lines now having to work with certified lifeboat technicians to ensure all maintenance and inspections are carried out by trained professionals.
Today, all cruise ships must undergo monthly inspections of their lifeboats and life rafts, not only to ensure they have a combined passenger capacity to carry every single person on the cruise ship, but also that they are well-maintained and safe to use.
Photo Credit: Zhukov Oleg / Shutterstock
Load tests using water weights are also conducted to simulate the full weight of passengers and ensure the lifeboats are buoyant and free from cracks, hatch leaks, and more.
Mandatory lifeboat drills must also be conducted to ensure the crew’s readiness during emergencies. Muster drills are also used to make it clear to passengers where to go in an emergency.
The actual design of the lifeboats has also been revolutionized, with bright color schemes ensuring they can be spotted by a rescue vessel and flame-retardant materials reducing the risk of fires.
They are also made from extremely durable materials that can withstand long-term exposure to rough seas. On top of all that, the lifeboats also carry essential supplies, including adequate fresh water pouches and food rations for all occupants.
Conclusion
Photo Credit: Vladimir Arndt / Shutterstock
Embarking on a cruise is one of my favorite things in the world. While it may not be the most exciting part of the trip, it is encouraging to know that the cruise lines and their highly trained crews have all the safety measures and equipment in place to ensure my trip will be perfectly safe, even in the extremely unlikely scenario where I need to board a lifeboat.
With state-of-the-art lifeboats capable of carrying at least 75% of the cruise ship’s maximum capacity, and quick-deploy life rafts able to carry any remaining passengers and crew, you can rest assured that your cruise vacation will be as safe as it is enjoyable!
Cruise travelers often plan their oceangoing getaways a year or more in advance, looking forward to their carefully chosen itineraries and highly anticipated ports of call.
It can be frustrating, then, when guests receive notifications just days before sailing that their cruise has been altered and port visits changed. That is just what is now happening to guests booked aboard Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas for her June 22, 2025 departure.
The impacted sailing is a 7-night Alaska Inside Passage itinerary roundtrip from Vancouver, British Columbia. While most of the cruise remains unchanged, the final port visit – Ketchikan, Alaska – as well as scenic cruising has been adjusted.
“To prevent any potential delays and ensure a timely arrival to Vancouver, British Columbia, we’ll sail directly to Vancouver instead of having a second scenic cruising day,”the email notification explains.
The final two days of the cruise were to have been scenic cruising, but now the ship will instead head directly to Vancouver.
Furthermore, the arrival and departure in Ketchikan, a lovely rustic port destination with a world famous lumberjack show many cruise guests enjoy, is now changed as well.
“We’ll now arrive at 11:30 a.m. and we’ll depart at 6:00 p.m.,”the email confirmed about Ketchikan.“Not to worry, you’ll still have plenty of time to explore everything this beautiful destination has to offer!”
The original schedule had Serenade of the Seas arriving in Ketchikan at 1 p.m. and leaving at 8 p.m. The adjusted schedule reduces the ship’s time in port by 30 minutes and could impact guests who might have arranged private tours for their visit.
Any pre-paid shore tours booked through Royal Caribbean are being adjusted automatically. If the tours cannot operate on the revised schedule, they will be cancelled and guests will receive a full refund for those excursions.
The rest of the weeklong itinerary, including calls to Sitka, Juneau, and Skagway, as well as scenic cruising in the iconic Tracy Arm Fjord, is not changed.
Other Departure Dates Impacted
Multiple sailings for Serenade of the Seas are similarly impacted. Guests booked on the ship’s June 8, 2025 and August 10, 2025 departures have received similar notices, though the time in Ketchikan will now be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for both voyages.
The September 7, 2025 itinerary will visit Ketchikan from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
It is possible that other sailings for the 90,090-gross ton, Radiance class vessel may be impacted as well. The ship is homeported from Vancouver for the Alaska season through mid-September, and any booked guests should stay in close contact with Royal Caribbean about potential schedule changes.
Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas (Photo Credit: Dennis MacDonald)
Royal Caribbean has not offered details about why the schedule for Serenade of the Seas is being impacted, though such small changes are not of great concern to most travelers.
It is possible that a busy cruise port, port operational needs such as construction or maintenance, or even tidal schedules could all be factors in these minor changes.
There is no indication whatsoever that there is any mechanical trouble with Serenade of the Seas. Ships that develop engine problems or other propulsion difficulties often have similar schedule changes, but that is not the case for these adjustments.
Radiance of the Seas – sister ship to Serenade of the Seas – is also homeporting from Vancouver this summer, offering alternating northbound and southbound voyages. No changes have been reported for this vessel, and no other Royal Caribbean ships are homeported from Vancouver for the 2025 Alaska season.
There was commotion in Souda-Chania, Crete (Greece), as a crew member found herself in a potentially life or death situation.
On the afternoon of June 3, 2025, while passengers were busy exploring the Mediterranean cruise port, a crew member went overboard in the Port of Souda under mysterious circumstances. But thankfully, she was quickly saved and is expected to be okay.
She has her fellow crew members to thank, as her colleagues acted quickly to follow the appropriate emergency protocols – including keeping the 30-year-old woman in sight, throwing her a life jacket, and contacting the local Coast Guard.
Meanwhile, the Hellenic Coast Guard urgently responded with multiple patrol units and a rescue boat – where they were able to locate the crew member and ensure she received a medical evaluation.
“The Chania Port Authority was informed of the fall of a woman into the sea, in the port of Souda. Immediately, LS-EL.AKT patrol vehicles went to the scene, while with the assistance of a launch and a cruise ship (C/Z), flagged in the Bahamas, from which a life jacket was thrown, the woman was retrieved conscious,” the Chania Port Authority said in a translated statement.
“She is a 30-year-old foreigner (Tunisian citizen) sailor (specialty of assistant), a crew member of the above C/Z. The 30-year-old, after examination by the C/Z’s doctor, was diagnosed as being in good health,” the statement continued.
In fact, it likely improved her odds that the fall took place in the cruise port – as it’s harder to rescue people while at sea because it takes time for the cruise ship to turn around and stop, by which pointthe currents could have carried the person to a new location.
The specific vessel the crew member fell from has not been confirmed, but according to cruise tracking data, the only cruise ship in port during the incident was Costa Cruises’ Costa Deliziosa.
The cruise ship is a more medium-sized vesselwith a capacity for 934 crew members and 2,826 passengers.
She is currently operating 7 and 14-night sailings simultaneously to cruise ports throughout Greece, Italy, and Croatia.
How Common is Falling Overboard?
Thankfully, man-overboard situations are not common – so the typical employee or cruise guests likely has nothing to worry about in this regard.
Cruise ships are designed with safety features in place– such as high railings – to make it difficult to go overboard unless someone was behaving recklessly or sadly attempting to jump.
At this time, it’s not clear why the unidentified crew member went overboard in Crete, but an investigation is already underway to determine what may have led to the fall.
According to data from Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), only 212 people went overboard between 2009 to 2019 – which is a small number considering millions of crew members and guests take to the high seas each year.
Costa Deliziosa Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Mario Hagen)
But unfortunately, only 48 of those people, which translates to just over 28%, were rescued successfully.
Between strong currents, the time it takes for a cruise ship to turn around and return to the location of the splash, weather conditions, and injuries from the fall, these events are unfortunately often fatal.
And contrary to one incorrect myth, spending more time on a cruise ship – as crew members do – does not significantly increase their likelihood of finding themselves in the sea.
The most recent man-overboard incident involving a crew member was just under a year ago in August of 2024, in which a Carnival Dream employee fell overboardabout 82 nautical miles northeast of Rio Lagartos, Mexico, and was sadly never found.
Before that, a crew member went overboard from AIDA Cruises’ AIDAperla on October 22, 2023, while sailing in the unforgiving English Channel.
Given the frigid water temperatures, they were also presumed lost at sea after a host of search and rescue teams were not able to locate the worker.
Table seating at Carnival Cruise Line’s Lido Marketplace can be a nightmare with crowds, saved tables, long lines, and more. But would a table flag system help alleviate some of these common issues?
One guest suggested the use of colored flags to Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, as a way to indicate open seats and a willingness to welcome new table companions.
“Can you have a flag system for lido tables. A green flag if you would like to invite other people to sit with you and a red flag if you do not want that,”the guest explained.
While Heald did not respond to the suggestion directly, he did include it in his daily poll for his more than 615,000 followers. The suggestion did not get the response the original poster may have been expecting, however.
More than 51,000 votes were cast in the June 6, 2025 poll, with just 2% – approximately 1,035 votes – agreeing that this would be a good idea.
At the same time, 27% of voters – roughly 14,000 votes – do not agree that it is a good idea. This is where my vote goes, honestly, as our family prefers to dine independently at the Lido Marketplace.
If we want to meet others, the Main Dining Room at an assigned dining time with a shared table is a much nicer experience.
The intention behind such a system is admirable, as using a flag could show others that seats are available. For example, if a couple found an empty table with four seats, they could use a green flag to indicate that the remaining two seats are still open for other guests.
This could help alleviate some of the long lines and crowds at the Lido Marketplace. This would be particularly true for the wildly hectic embarkation lunch or breakfast on port days, when the venue can be remarkably crowded and seats difficult to find.
Interestingly, additional votes were very evenly matched between those guests who would use the green flag to invite others and those who would use the red flag so no one would sit with them.
Both options garnered 7% of votes – approximately 3,600 each.
How Else Could Lido Marketplace Use Seat Indicators?
If the flags were used in another way, they might get more universal acceptance and widespread use.
Red and green flags could be used as signals to the dining servers whether or not tables need to be cleared. A red flag could be a great way to indicate if diners are simply grabbing drinks, going back for a second course, or picking out their dessert and aren’t quite finished with their meal.
Carnival Cruise Line Lido Buffet
Similarly, the green flag would then indicate that the party has finished their meal and departed, and the table might be able to be cleared more quickly so others can use it.
Many commenters noted that they’d welcome such a “I’m done, thanks!” system, especially if they happen to be solo cruisers or dining alone.
Carnival crew members can be so efficient that one’s dinner might be taken away if you leave a plate unattended to go get a glass of lemonade or to nick that favorite dessert. During busy times, other diners might already have taken over the table before you can return.
Many people do note that a flag system might be confusing for some, and likely wouldn’t always be used as intended or even used at all.
Others liken such a flag system to speed dating and find it unnecessary. There are plenty of other easy ways to meet people on a Carnival cruise, such as joining in activities or visiting the numerous bars onboard to have a drink and a chat with a new friend.
You’ve come to the right place to keep up with all of the big cruise news stories of the week. Highlights of Cruise Hive’s latest recap include coverage of high winds impacting ships from Sicily to Alaska, a fire onboard an MSC Cruises ship, and Diana Ross being named godmother of Star of the Seas.
Make sure you stay well informed by signing up for Cruise Hive’s Daily Update, so the big cruise stories are delivered right to your inbox.
Windy Weather Causes Mishaps on Three Ships
MSC Seascape Breaks From Moorings (Credit: Fit_Indication5709)
Erratic weather seems to be impacting cruise ships quite a bit lately. On three separate occasions on three ships, high winds caused the vessels’ gangways to collapse after their mooring lines snapped.
The most serious incident happened on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic while the ship was docked in Catania, Sicily, on May 30, 2025. Strong winds caused the ship to move, breaking mooring lines and sending the gangway tumbling down — along with one female passenger who was on the gangway and fell into the water.
Her husband jumped in after her and the two were quickly rescued and taken to a local hospital. No serious injuries were reported. Wind gusts at the time were recorded at about 57 MPH.
The incident caused delays in passengers returning to the ship from shore excursions.
On the same day, Holland America Line’s Westerdam was calling at Ketchikan, Alaska, when high winds — with gusts reported up to 70 MPH, snapped the mooring lines and caused the gangway to become separated from the pier. No one was injured.
Finally, on May 31, 2025, MSC Cruises’ MSC Seascape was calling at the line’s private island MSC Ocean Cay when winds caused the ship to break from its mooring lines. Reports indicated that the gangway fell into the water but again, there were no reported injuries.
Carnival’s Preemptive Strike Against Unwelcome Behavior
Now that the busy summer season is (almost) officially here, families and groups of friends traveling together will climb aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Fun Ships by the thousands, but the line has an important message for all guests via its “Have Fun. Be Safe” set of guidelines.
Guests embarking ships on June 1, 2025, received a letter from the line, reminding them of specific rules designed to keep all passengers safe.
Among them is the curfew that applies to all guests under age 17: They must vacate all public areas by 1 a.m. unless they have an adult over age 21 with them.
Noise is another area of concern for the line. In an effort to keep the noise down in stateroom corridors, guests were told there is no shouting allowed, nor is running along corridors.
Speakers and radios are banned, and anyone listening to music on personal devices must use earphones. The cruise line also warned guests not to attempt to bring illegal narcotics onboard, and reminded them that smoking and vaping are allowed only in designated outdoor areas.
Violations of the cruise line’s policies will be met with severe penalties, which can include fines and forced debarkation from the ship.
Lucrative Deals From Oversold Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship
Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas (Photo Credit: SNEHIT PHOTO)
Another overbooked Royal Caribbean voyage, this time affecting Adventure of the Seas’ 6-night Western Caribbean cruise departing Port Canaveral on June 7, 2025, has led to some very lucrative offers to guests willing to ditch the sailing.
Guests were invited to swap the cruise with another select voyage — the line offered four choices, and enjoy a 50% refund of the fare they paid plus a $300 onboard credit.
Another option allows booked guests to cancel, then receive a full refund and a 100% Future Cruise Credit of the amount they paid for the overbooked cruise. The credit can be applied to another sailing that departs on or before June 7, 2026.
Guests who cannot change their travel plans can hold onto their booking, since these generous offers typically result in easing the situation.
There have been several instances in recent weeks of ships being overbooked, including on Allure of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, and Liberty of the Seas. In such cases, the cruise line offers enticing deals and perks in a bid to tempt cruisers onto another ship.
Carnival Cruise Line has prohibited hand-held fans from being brought into nightclubs and other indoor dance venues onboard its ships. It’s part of the line’s “Have Fun. Be Safe” rules, but some guests were puzzled by the policy.
They turned to brand ambassador John Heald’s Facebook page, where he answered guest questions and clarified policy. People wanted to know what kind of fan was banned — was the line referring to hand-held electric fans that are held close to your face on hot days, for instance?
No, Heald said. The line is not allowing so-called clack fans — the old-fashioned folded fans one might see in a movie about Victorian England. The reason behind the rule is related to a popular new dance, the “Boots on the Ground” line dance that is all the rage in nightclubs and dance clubs these days.
Some of the dance moves call for snapping a fan open and closed in time with the music. It’s quite a lively little dance, and if you haven’t seen it yet, take a look online. You definitely will not see this dance in a movie about Victorian England.
Fire, Power Outage Impacts MSC Orchestra Itinerary
MSC Orchestra Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Gabriel S Fernandes)
MSC Cruises’ MSC Orchestralost power and was adrift for several hours in the Mediterranean after an engine room fire affected the ship’s electrical switchboard.
The ship was sailing a 7-night cruise roundtrip from Sardinia when the fire broke out on June 2, 2025, the second day of the sailing. The ship had called at Rome and was on its way to Genoa when the blaze erupted.
Guests posted on social media that the fire was quickly put out, but the ship was left without power as it drifted near Corsica. Some said that crew members emerged from the impacted area of the ship with blackened faces, but no injuries were reported.
The 3,200-guest MSC Orchestra eventually regained power and arrived in Genoa, where she was set to overnight while repairs were made. The ship was scheduled to embark guests in Genoa, and at the next port call, Marseille on June 4, 2025, but those embarkations were cancelled.
In fact, the ship’s scheduled call to Marseille was cancelled, so it was not clear whether any of the remaining itinerary will go forward.
Cunard Begins Charging For Some Room Service Orders
(Photo Credit: BAZA Production)
Guests booking Cunard’s lowest-priced accommodation categories, Britannia and Britannia Club, are now being charged for items ordered from the room service menu after 10 a.m.
Prices range from $2.50 to $6.50, depending on the items ordered from the ships’ Day Menu or Late-Night Menu. Breakfasts ordered before 10 a.m. remain included in the cruise fare.
Also, a cover charge will be incurred by guests ordering brunch and afternoon tea items via room service. Previously, all room service orders were covered by the cruise fare.
None of the new fees apply to the two higher-level accommodations categories — Princess Grill and Queens Grill.
Each of the accommodation categories has designated main dining rooms, and in the dining room for Britannia and Britannia Club guests, all meals are complimentary, as is the buffet area.
Cunard operates four ships: Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria, and its newest, Queen Anne.
Diana Ross Will Christen New Icon-Class Ship
Diana Ross, Star of the Seas Godmother
With just over two months to go before Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas enters service, we now know who will be godmother to the Icon-class ship — superstar Diana Ross.
The line announced that the award-winning singer and lead vocalist for The Supremes back in the 1960s will name its new-build, the second in the popular Icon class, in August 2025.
Star of the Seas, with a capacity for 5,600 guests, will be based at Port Canaveral after making her way across the Atlantic Ocean from her shipyard in Finland.
The date of the christening has not been confirmed but is likely to be on or around August 31, 2025, the departure date of the ship’s inaugural voyage to the Western Caribbean. Four preview cruises are set to begin on August 16, 2025.
Star of the Seas follows the first vessel in the class, Icon of the Seas, which debuted in 2024.
Following her maiden voyage from Port Canaveral Star of the Seas will offer Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises, all calling at Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
More Cruise Headlines
Don’t stop now! Cruise Hive has plenty more stories you won’t want to miss, including Oceania Cruises revealing its new Sonata class, Celebrity Cruises announcing its 2026 Presidents Cruise, and Holland America Line adding a third ship to Northern Europe in 2027.
Also, check out the news about Cunard unveiling nearly 200 new voyages, and the Port of Los Angeles welcomes its first Quantum-class ship.
On June 6, 2025, just a week into a 113-day world cruise, Crown Princess experienced some less-than-ideal weather off the southern coast of Australia.
While en route from Sydney to Adelaide, the ship was already encountering rough seas when sailing near the border of Victoria and South Australia.
Unexpectedly, the wind shifted from 45 knots on one side of the ship to 50 knots on the other, causing it to list 7°.
Captain Christopher Lye shared an announcement on the public PA system to all guests onboard shortly after the tilting had concluded.
“Apologies for the inconvenience, it is Captain speaking from the bridge,”Lye said.“As you may have felt, we encountered a strong change and sudden shift of the wind.”
He went on to share that the increasing wind on one side of the ship was the reason it began to list.
“We listed approximately 6° to 7°, which is not unusual,”explained Lye, who has been working on ships for over 46 years.
“We are now turning the ship around to make sure we are ok with our sailing onboard,” the Captain noted at the end of the announcement.
The turn was executed off the coast of Nora Creina, Australia — and the ship resumed sailing towards Adelaide shortly after, where it will arrive on June 7, 2025.
Unfortunately, even though the tilt was not more than 7°, it did its fair share of damage and caused multiple onboard cancellations.
As a result of the tilting on June 6, 2025, in the onboard shops, purses and other items, such as bottles, were thrown to the floor, and several glass displays shattered as well.
Crown Princess Shop During Rough Weather (Credit: Gill Carragher)
Beyond that, most of the activities had to be cancelled or closed due to safety concerns. This included all shops, theater performances, the silent disco, all band performances, and even the use of the casino.
However, the bars did remain open, so at the very least, guests could try to take the edge off by enjoying a cocktail.
Weather reports for June 6 and June 7 included multiple wind warnings, including gale warnings in Investigator Strait, Adelaide Metropolitan Waters, and Gulf St Vincent — all of which are on Crown Princess’ path to Adelaide.
The vessel is currently sailing a 113-day World Cruise, which started out of Auckland, New Zealand on May 31, 2025. This is just one segment of that huge voyage, and the cruise line has, so far, not announced any delay with its arrival at Adelaide, Australia on June 7.
Does Tilting Cause Damage?
While most modern cruise ships will always do their best to take routes that will be the most comfortable for guests, they do not have full control over Mother Nature.
Sudden wind shifts, like what happened on the 113,561 gross-ton Crown Princess, are not unheard of.
In fact, Crown Princess has only been at its new homeport in Sydney since October of 2024, but has already had a tilting incident in the time since then.
Crown Princess in Vancouver (Photo Credit: Lenic)
On February 24, 2025, while entering Milford Sound in New Zealand, the ship listed 14°, causing 13 people and three crew to sustain minor injuries.
It was also an occurrence of unexpected wind, which is not unusual in Milford Sound — but it was extreme enough to cause the ship to tilt.
This ship also tilted just a month after launching in 2006, but that incident was due to human error, which is usually unheard of.
That being said, most tilting accidents happen at sea and as a result of unpredictable weather, like what happened on June 6 and February 24, 2025.
At the end of the day, listing is extremely uncommon, as stabilizers help to reduce up to 90% of tilting. What happened on Crown Princess was unfortunate, but there have been no reported injuries so far.
Do not stress too much — chances are, most cruisers will never experience this!
While it is inevitable that cruises will be affected by hurricanes every year, Carnival Cruise Line is offering great insights about how ships are kept safe and informed when storms are brewing.
Meteorologist Amy Sweezey, weather contributor to Carnival Cruise Line, shared details of how the cruise line coordinates with different experts and the latest updates to ensure ships remain safe in any type of foul weather, even if it may not be an official hurricane.
“The best thing about cruising during hurricane season is that your cruise vacation is a resort that floats,”said Sweezey.“That allows captains to sail into the safest water.”
All cruisers who have sailed during hurricane season are familiar with how itinerary changes may be handled when a storm threatens. This might include port cancellations, alternative port visits, or even complete itinerary reversals – changing from Eastern Caribbean to Western Caribbean, for example – to avoid dangerous regions.
“Carnival teams are working 24/7 both at the Fleet Operations Center in Miami and also across the fleet – they are all coordinating with each other,”Sweezey noted.
“If an itinerary does need to change because of weather, whether it’s a hurricane or any other sort of weather event, that information would be communicated immediately to you, the guest.”
Guests onboard would be alerted to changes via public address announcements from the ship’s captain and cruise director. Letters might also be delivered to guests’ staterooms confirming changes and explaining other safety measures.
For guests who have not yet embarked on cruises likely to be impacted by storm-related changes, Carnival Cruise Line would send email updates and text alerts for any confirmed changes.
Travelers should note that even though storm tracking might begin a week or two before a hurricane officially strengthens or directly impacts cruise ships, Carnival and other cruise lines strive to keep their scheduled sailing routes and itineraries.
This means that changes might seem last minute, but this is also the safest course of action. Because storms can intensify rapidly or may change direction unexpectedly, changes that are made too early could actually put cruise ships into more dangerous positions.
How Carnival Ships Prepare for Hurricane Season
Sweezey also notes that every Carnival cruise ship undergoes thorough inspections ahead of hurricane season to ensure that all safety systems are functioning properly.
“Each ship undergoes a very strict inspection by the US Coast Guard and is equipped with the latest technology, along of course with officers and crew who undergo comprehensive emergency training just for hurricanes,”she explained.
The technology onboard each ship is updated during dry dock renovations, ensuring that the very latest state-of-the-art equipment is available onboard.
Carnival’s Fleet Operations Center, Miami
This can include radar and other weather tracking technology, communications equipment to stay in contact with the Fleet Operations Center, and safety features onboard in case the ship encounters rough weather.
At the Fleet Operations Center, which Carnival Cruise Line unveiled in 2018 as the largest and most technologically advanced facility of its kind in the cruise industry, round-the-clock monitoring of weather is just one step the cruise line takes to keep everyone safe.
Data analysis, ship logistics, environmental compliance, and other factors are all combined for the most updated and thorough decision making.
“The FOC brings together real-time information for decision making. Integrated shoreside teams support our shipboard officers to act quickly and decisively while significantly increasing the operational efficiency of our ships,”said Gus Antorcha, Carnival Cruise Line’s chief operating officer when the center opened.
Have you had a cruise impacted by a hurricane? Share your experiences and tips on the Cruise Hive boards!
