A massive leak aboard Allure of the Seas flooded a guest’s cabin during an Eastern Caribbean sailing.
A video of the incident was shared on social media, prompting shocked reactions.
The ship’s itinerary did not appear to be impacted and an affected guest was offered 50% off their next cruise as compensation.
A massive water leak gave guests an unexpected in-cabin water feature aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas. The 225,282 gross-ton vessel was sailing an eight-night Eastern Caribbean cruise that embarked from Fort Lauderdale on July 25, 2026.
Guests returned to their cabin on July 28, around 9 p.m., a few hours after the cruise left its first scheduled stop in Basseterre, St. Kitts. They were met with water pouring out of the stateroom ceiling, completely flooding the room.
Instagram user Dominic Arcangelo, who was staying in the cabin next door, shared a video of the incident. The video captures the frantic moments after the guests discovered the leak.
Allure of the Seas Flooded Cabin (Credit: @nothimbutdominic)
In the video, water can be seen completely filling the cabin and spilling over into the hall. A woman can be seen walking away from the cabin, talking to fellow passengers in the hall.
“I can’t get to the phone; it’s in there… I don’t know what to do,” the woman can be heard saying. “We just came to our room and found this.”
Arcangelo says that Royal Caribbean removed the water from his cabin, removed the damaged carpets, and replaced everything in the room. He was also offered 50% off his next cruise as compensation. It is unknown how the guests staying in the flooded room were compensated.
Allure of the Seas Flooded Cabin (Credit: @nothimbutdominic)
The ship’s itinerary does not appear to have been affected by this leak. Allure of the Seas stopped in Philipsburg, St. Maarten on July 29 and St. Thomas on July 30. She is scheduled to stop at Royal Caribbean’s private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, on August 1 before returning to Fort Lauderdale on August 2, 2026.
The Internet Reacts To The Leak
The video shared by Arcangelo has been viewed nearly 4 million times. It has been shared over 1,200 times and received nearly 6,000 comments so far. Comments on the video express shock and a widespread demand for additional compensation.
“There is nothing they could tell me. I need a full refund and I will have credits for the rest of my life, free cruise,” said one user.
“They should give u a 100% ur next cruise and a refund for this one,” said another. “RC be bugging. What abt ur damaged property?”
Not everyone felt the compensation was unreasonable, however. One user expressed that they’d gladly take the 50% discount offer.
“You get to enjoy rest of cruise and 50% off,” they said. “I’d take that. Let some water fall in my room. Lol.”
Arcangelo clarified that he was staying next door and did not know what happened to the guests staying in the flooded cabin. Royal Caribbean has not issued public comment on the incident.
Do We Know What Caused the Leak?
The cause of the leak has not been disclosed, though it appears consistent with a burst pipe. Cruise Hive reported when a similar leak, caused by a burst pipe, happened aboard Allure of the Seas in December 2024.
While that incident happened in a hallway on Deck 10 rather than in a cabin, it does demonstrate a history of water pipe issues on the ship. In that case, Royal Caribbean quickly contained the leak, got to work fixing the pipe, and moved affected guests to new staterooms.
Celebrity Cruises has increased gratuity rates beginning Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
The increase is $1.50 per person, per day across all stateroom types, from inside cabins to The Retreat.
Guests are frustrated at the last-second timing of the notification and overall rate increases.
Guests booked on upcoming sailings across the Celebrity Cruises fleet have been receiving notifications of a gratuity increase that has already begun as of Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
The gratuities adjustment notification clarifies how these charges are shared amongst the crew and what the increase will be.
“These gratuities are thoughtfully shared among our dining, bar and culinary teams, stateroom attendants, and the many crew members who help create the elevated experience you’ll enjoy onboard,”the email notes.“Beginning July 29, 2026, these gratuity charges will be updated.”
The increase applies to every type of stateroom onboard every Celebrity Cruises ship at the rate of an extra $1.50 per guest, per day regardless of stateroom type.
For inside, oceanview, and veranda staterooms, the gratuities have increased from $18 per guest, per day to $19.50 per guest, per day, while concierge and AquaClass staterooms are now $20.50 per guest, per day instead of the previous $19 rate.
Staterooms in The Retreat now have a gratuity rate of $24.50 per guest, per day. The previous rate was $23 per guest, per day.
Relatively, these increases are 8.3% for inside, oceanview, and veranda staterooms; 7.9% for concierge and AquaClass staterooms, and 6.5% for the Retreat.
Celebrity Cruises does give guests the option to review and adjust gratuities at their discretion. This may be done onboard the ship at the Guest Relations desk, but cannot be done after a sailing has ended.
Guests Unhappy With Timing
Gratuity increases do happen regularly, but Celebrity Cruises guests are particularly unhappy with the timing of this increase.
The notification explicitly gave guests the option to prepay at the previous lower gratuity rate if they pre-paid for gratuities before setting sail.
“If you’d like, you’re welcome to prepay these discretionary gratuities at the current rate prior to your sailing,”the email explained, giving instructions for how to do so through the cruise line’s website.
“Otherwise, they will be conveniently applied to your onboard account daily at the new rate starting July 29, 2026.”
For many guests, however, the problem is that they received the email notification on the very same day of the increase. This means if guests try to login to prepay before an upcoming sailing, the “current rate” may already be the increased rate.
“Leaving in a week with a family of five. So we effectively just got a last minute price increase of $52.50,”one poster on Reddit described.“Feels like kind of a cheap move for a ‘premium’ cruise line.”
Are Gratuities Getting Too High?
With gratuity rates creeping higher, many guests are talking about removing gratuities altogether. This stems from frustration with increased rates, no changes in overall service, and uncertainty about exactly how much of each guest’s individual gratuities actually go to the crew members who serve them.
“Transparency is needed. Celebrity needs to make a statement about where the money goes. Is it extra for the staff or is it just part of payroll?”another poster commented.
Instead, more guests are choosing to remove automatic gratuities and offer tips in cash to those crew members who provide exceptional service.
For comparison, just five years ago Celebrity Cruises’ gratuities were $15.50 per person, per day for standard staterooms, $16 for concierge and AquaClass, and $19 for The Retreat.
With the latest increase, the lowest categories of staterooms now pay more in gratuities than the most elite staterooms paid in late 2021.
At the new pricing, Celebrity Cruises’ gratuities are slightly above the rates of other major cruise lines but remain below the highest rates, which Cruise Hive reported in February 2026 as Margaritaville at Sea.
All lines do increase their gratuity rates periodically. Time will tell which lines will follow Celebrity Cruises’ latest increase with higher gratuity rates of their own.
A Georgia man was arrested in Port Canaveral Monday after allegedly assaulting children aboard a Carnival ship.
The man supposedly struck children who were playing tag in the halls of the ship.
He was subsequently brought up on charges of felony child abuse and simple assault.
A 44-year-old man was arrested in Port Canaveral Monday, July 27, 2026 after allegedly striking children playing aboard Carnival Glory. Cruise Hive has learned from court records that the alleged incident occurred the day before the arrest on July 26. The 110,000 gross-ton ship was sailing a three-night, round-trip Bahamas itinerary.
This sailing embarked from Port Canaveral on July 24, 2026. It then stopped at Carnival’s private destination, Celebration Key, on July 25, followed by a sea day on July 26 before returning to Port Canaveral early on July 27.
In the lead-up to the incident, a group of kids was playing a game of tag, running through the hallways of the ship. According to WESH 2 News, 44-year-old Georgia resident David Crosby II was running down the hall with the kids when he suddenly stopped.
He then turned and struck two of the children, one in the face and another in the stomach. One child sustained a bloody lip and head pain from the incident. The second child suffered stomach pains. A recording of the incident was reportedly captured on the ship’s security cameras.
Carnival Cruise Line heavily markets itself as a family-friendly cruise line. When sailing on Carnival ships, adults should expect to encounter children playing. For those who don’t want to deal with children onboard, Carnival does offer occasional adults-only sailings. Other cruise lines, like Virgin Voyages, specialize in adults-only cruises.
Carnival Cruise Line states to Cruise Hive:
“Our security team responded immediately to an incident involving an intoxicated guest aboard Carnival Glory on July 26. The guest was confined to his cabin for the remainder of the voyage, referred to local law enforcement upon arrival in Port Canaveral, assessed a code of conduct violation fee, and placed on our Do Not Sail list. We have zero tolerance for this type of behavior.“
Violence is not tolerated onboard any cruise line, however. Carnival Cruise Line, in particular, enforces a strict guest conduct policy, with consequences up to a permanent ban from its ships.
Carnival Glory (Photo Credit: Dennis MacDonald / Shutterstock)
“Disruptive behavior is not tolerated and any guest whose conduct affects the comfort, enjoyment, safety or well-being of other guests or crew will be disembarked at their own expense and banned from sailing on Carnival in the future.” Carnival’s safety policy reads.
Crosby’s Arrest and Charges Following the Incident
After the ship docked in Port Canaveral, Crosby was promptly arrested by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. He did not indicate any motive for his actions. Crosby told officials that he was heavily intoxicated at the time, and has no memory of the incident.
It is worth noting, however, that his arrest affidavit indicates that he was not suspected of being under the influence of alcohol. According to Brevard County Sheriff’s booking details, Crosby was released on a $20,000 bond on July 28.
He awaits his first day in court on August 25, 2026. He faces one charge of felony child abuse without great bodily harm and one charge of simple assault. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
After the arrest, Carnival Glory departed Port Canaveral on a four-night, round-trip Bahamas cruise. This sailing is scheduled to stop in Nassau and Celebration Key before returning to Port Canaveral on July 31.
Crew members are performing important maintenance on Oasis of the Seas’ plumbing system.
While the repairs are completed, the toilets onboard will be unusable.
Work is being completed in two-hour increments, with the majority of the maintenance being finished while the ship is docked in Nassau.
If the up to 5,602 guests currently onboard Oasis of the Seas have to go to the bathroom, they better be prepared to hold it.
On Wednesday, July 29, 2026, crew members were forced to take the ship’s vacuum system offline to complete important plumbing repairs. The vacuum system is needed to flush waste, meaning that the toilets onboard are temporarily unusable.
“To ensure our plumbing system continues to operate at the highest standard, our team will be performing essential maintenance that requires temporarily shutting off the ship’s vacuum system,” Royal Caribbean wrote in a letter to passengers, which was shared on Facebook.
“This work is scheduled to take place on July 29, from 10:00 am to Noon and 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. During this time, toilets will not be operational,” the cruise line continued.
The work is being completed in two hour increments, with an hour break in between to allow guests to relieve themselves. All toilets should be functional again by 3:00 p.m. assuming there are no delays or complications.
On the bright side, the Oasis-class flagshipwill remain docked in Nassau, Bahamas, while the majority of the work is completed and there are plenty of working bathrooms on shore. The ship will be in the capital of the Bahamas from 10:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. EDT.
The current sailing embarked in Cape Liberty, New Jersey, on July 26 and already visited Port Canaveral, Florida, on July 28. One more port call is scheduled in CocoCay on July 30 before the ship returns to New Jersey on August 2.
Are Plumbing Issues Common?
Plumbing issues are not necessarily a daily occurrence onboard Oasis of the Seas, but isolated malfunctions like slow drains and temporary vacuum clogs do happen occasionally.
Though this has not been specifically confirmed by the cruise line, one passenger said that the 226,838-gross ton ship experienced a similar plumbing issue last week.
Cabin Toilet on a Cruise (Photo Credit: Solarisys)
This would have been during the previous sailing, which was a 7-night Eastern Caribbean voyage that embarked on July 19.
“Last week Oasis of the Seas experienced an emergency shut down of all water resulting in not just water but no operating toilets for several hours. Today they appear to still have issues with that same problem,”the cruiser wrote.
Another passenger also noticed issues onboard the 2009-launched ship during their sailing in November of 2025.
“Someone posted in here last week about the plumbing backups and shutoffs and got absolutely destroyed for daring to mention that the ship was having plumbing issues. They were right,” the guest shared on Facebook.
“Not sure what the issue is, but there’s been issues all week on some floors and in public bathrooms. The promenade smells like a port-o-potty at the moment. Won’t stop me from coming back on her but it’s clearly a problem,” they observed.
Royal Caribbean works hard to maintain its ships, but sometimes things inevitably go wrong with thousands of people onboard at all times.
In some situations, guests are actually responsible for causing plumbing issues by putting things down the toilets that don’t belong there.
For example, Cruise Hive reported that one guest’s mistake shut down the flushing systemonboard MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia in March.
Carnival has also had to remind guests on more than one occasion that only the toilet paperprovided by the cruise line should be flushed. Even different brands of toilet paper or wet wipes could spell disaster.
Popular cruise director Todd Evans has announced his departure from Carnival Cruise Line after 16 years.
Evans was scheduled to arrive on Carnival Sunshine for a new contract in October, but that assignment has been removed.
No reason for the departure has been confirmed, but Evans intends to continue an entertainment career.
There seems to be a shuffle amongst Carnival Cruise Line’s cruise directors, as another popular CD has abruptly announced his departure. Todd Evans, better known as “T-O-Double-D on the M-I-C” to his fans, made the announcement through his social media pages.
“16 years. Countless memories. Beautiful friendships that became family. And the incredible privilege of entertaining the world at sea,”he prefaced the announcement made on July 22.“Today, it’s officially time to hang up my anchor.”
The New York native thanks guests, friends, and colleagues for the wonderful time he had with Carnival Cruise Line, and notes that he still intends to have an entertainment career, something he has dreamt of his whole life.
“It’s simply time for the next chapter and to step up to the next level,”he explained.“Stay tuned… big things are coming!”
While Evans does not go into detail about what his next adventure may be, he does mention event planning as a possible new business venture.
There are also no details about what may have precipitated Evans’ departure from Carnival Cruise Line. His most recent contract was as the cruise director for Carnival Freedom from November 8, 2025 through March 14, 2026.
He was also scheduled to serve as CD onboard Carnival Sunshine from October 31, 2026 through January 9, 2027. That assignment has now been removed and Alex Siegler will be onboard Carnival Sunshine for part of that period instead. The rest of the assignment has not yet been filled.
Todd Evans
Evans joined Carnival Cruise Line in October 2009 and has served as a CD for several years. During that time, he has led the fun onboard Carnival Freedom for multiple contracts, as well as other ships.
Earlier in his Carnival career, Evans was a singer and Playlist Performer for the cruise line, bringing his unique energy and talents to outstanding performances.
Cruise Directors Leave for Different Reasons
Working onboard a cruise ship is a demanding career choice, filled with long days (and nights), fast-paced schedules, and months at sea away from family members and friends.
Different cruise directors have departed the line for various reasons as their lives take different paths. Not all partings are necessarily amicable, however.
Earlier this month, Cruise Hive reported that popular CD Gabby Gamboa was leaving the line shortly before her newest contract was scheduled to begin. As with Evans, Gamboa did not give any details as to why her tenure with the cruise line ended, but she did mention that giving her heart and soul was “not enough” as it related to her departure.
Cruise lines (or any major company, for that matter) do not generally remark on the departures of different employees, so it is not unusual that there are no formal statements about various cruise directors’ end of contracts or when contracts are not renewed.
Guest feedback, onboard participation, regular evaluations, job performance, and other details are all likely factors in how a cruise line determines which cruise directors are continued in future contracts, as well as what ship assignments they may receive.
Carnival has added customizable nacho bowls as a late afternoon snack option from BlueIguana Cantina.
The new complimentary snack is now available on six ships and is being rolled out fleetwide.
Nacho bowls join an impressive lineup of Carnival snack and complimentary dining options already onboard.
There are many snack options available on Carnival cruise ships, from ice cream to burgers to pizza. For guests who want a bit of a crunch, however, a new snack option being introduced is sure to be a hit: nacho bowls.
Now available from the BlueIguana Cantina on select ships, the customizable bowls are offered as a free snack during the late afternoon.
The snack is described by onboard signage as “a crave worthy nacho bowl” featuring “bold flavors and fun bites, made for cruising.”
Guests select from chili con carne, chicken tinga, or refried beans as a base and top the chips with pico de gallo, cheddar and jack cheese, crema fresca, or cheese sauce as they prefer.
Jalapeno pepper icons indicate that the chili con carne, chicken tinga, and pico de gallo options all have a bit of heat, giving guests a good spice level. The other options are more mild but still packed with flavor.
The nacho bowls are available from 3-6 p.m. on sea days and 4-6 p.m. on port days. There is no charge for the snack bowls.
Which Ships Already Have Nacho Bowls?
Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, confirmed the snack’s availability onboard Carnival Vista this week. Heald is currently onboard the ship as part of his new effort to reconnect with more guests and more ships after stepping back somewhat from digital duties and his social media presence.
In addition to Carnival Vista sailing from Port Canaveral, the nacho bowls can be found on Carnival Conquest from Miami, Carnival Paradise from Tampa, Carnival Firenze and Carnival Panorama from Long Beach, and Carnival Dream from Galveston.
“More to come and I will let you know as we add this to more ships,”Heald said.
There are no dates announced for when the snack may be rolled out to other ships. The BlueIguana Cantina is found on all ships except Carnival Firenze, Carnival Luminosa, Carnival Splendor, Carnival Venezia, Carnival Adventure, and Carnival Encounter.
Interestingly, while the Mexican-themed venue is not found on Carnival Firenze, Heald has listed the former Costa Cruises ship as already featuring the nacho bowls. It is likely the snack is offered from a different venue onboard that unique vessel, and it may be offered onboard other ships at alternative locations as well.
Carnival Cruise Nacho Bowl
BlueIguana Cantina is open for breakfast generally from 7 a.m. or 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., and for lunch from 12-2:30 p.m. Hours can vary depending on port and sea days.
Because the nacho bowls are being offered in the later afternoon hours, this snack provides a bridge between when many lunch venues close but before dinner options become available.
Carnival Offering More Dining Diversity All Day Long
The introduction of the nacho bowls comes as part of a concerted effort by Carnival Cruise Line to offer more diverse options throughout the day, from breakfast to late-night snacks.
Cruise Hive has previously reported on the wildly successful introduction of the free Bagels at Sea in late 2025, with selections ranging from classic bagels and toppings to a protein-packed sandwich, a sweet rainbow treat, and a western club-style bagel sandwich.
In late 2024, the cruise line also introduced a new late-night snack offering at the buffet, with rotating selections of pizza, soup, chicken tenders, sandwiches, cookies, and more.
All these options are free, as is room service (breakfast only, other times have a service charge), ice cream, pizza, burgers, Shaq’s Big Chicken (on select ships), and regular mealtimes in the Lido Marketplace buffet and main dining restaurants. Guests certainly will not go hungry!
Hours after departing from Port Canaveral, Disney Wish returned to its homeport to disembark a guest in crisis.
Another guest, who experienced cardiac symptoms, had to be rescued by the US Coast Guard the following day.
The Disney ship was forced to skip its visit to Nassau on July 28, but is still expected to make its call to Castaway Cay on July 29.
Medical emergencies sometimes occur when cruise guests least expect them, even while sailing onboard the most magical ships at sea.
Cruise Hive has learned that Disney Wish has experienced two medical emergencies in two days, the second of which required an urgent rescue from the US Coast Guard.
The Wish-class flagship embarked on a 4-night sailing in Port Canaveral, Florida, on July 27, 2026.
That evening, everything appeared to be smooth sailing as the 144,000-gross ton ship began to make its way to Nassau, Bahamas. This was the scheduled port call for July 28, 2026.
But according to current passengers, the first medical emergency occurred during the early dinner seating. The Disney ship was forced to return to Port Canaveral just hours after departing as a result.
“On this boat right now. They did a few Bright Star calls on the PA during first seating dinner. They then announced we’d be heading back to port due to an emergency and would not have enough time to stop at Nassau, so our trip is now two sea days + Castaway Cay,” one current guest said on Reddit.
For context, “Bright Star” (or “Operation Bright Star”) is the code name used to alert the onboard medical staff to a severe or life-threatening emergency without alarming other passengers.
“When we got back to port the individual was transferred into an ambulance. We’re now hanging out right off the shore of FL,”the guest continued.
Because of the diversion, the cruise line decided to skip the visit to Nassau and head straight to its second and final port call, Castaway Cay. The cruise ship is expected to arrive at Disney’s original private island on July 29.
A Coast Guard Rescue on Disney Wish
In a stroke of bad luck, another guest experienced a medical emergency on July 28, just one day after embarkation and less than 24 hours after the first evacuation.
“As an update, there’s been a 2nd injury/emergency. Instead of returning to port again, a boat is going to come evac them,”the cruise guestwrotein a Reddit update.
Second Disney Wish Evac (Photos Credit: U.S. Coast Guard Southeast)
In this case, a 53-year-old male passenger was exhibiting cardiac symptoms. The onboard medical team decided that the passenger needed to be urgently evacuated and sent to a hospital.
This time, the US Coast Guard met Disney Wish at sea so that the DCL ship didn’t need to make a second unplanned stop in Florida.
“A Coast Guard Station Lake Worth Inlet boat crew medically evacuated a 53-year-old man suffering cardiac symptoms aboard a cruise ship approximately 3 miles off Lake Worth Inlet on Tuesday. The boat crew transferred the man to EMS for further care,”US Coast Guard Southeast posted on Facebook.
The rescue occurred while the 4,000-guest ship was approximately 3 miles away from the Lake Worth Inlet, which is an artificial cut in Palm Beach County, Florida, that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Lake Worth Lagoon.
At this time, there have been no reported changes to the upcoming visit to Castaway Cayas a result of the second rescue.
However, Disney Cruise Line has not commented publicly on this situation. Cruise Hive will issue an update if additional information comes to light.
It is one of the largest cruise ships in the world and part of the Icon Class.
The ship has more than 40 restaurants, bars, and lounges across eight neighborhoods, plus seven pools and nearly 30 types of cabins and suites.
Royal Caribbean brings larger-than-life adventures to avid cruisers yet again, with another massive cruise ship that crams as much fun into one floating vessel as humanly possible. After much anticipation, the latest Icon-class ship has launched.
If you’ve never traveled on an Icon-class ship before, and are wondering if these ships live up to the hype, let me assure you: They most certainly do. I’ve found these ships are exactly as advertised: jaw-droppingly huge, endlessly entertaining, and exactly where you want to be.
So how big are we talking? Let’s get into the specifics regarding how impressive Legend of the Seas’ size really is.
How Big is Legend of the Seas?
Technically, Legend of the Seas is now the biggest cruise ship in the entire world. Yes, many rank it next to its sister ships, Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas.
However, while all three of these ships have about the same gross tonnage, this third Icon-class ship is just a tiny bit longer than its sisters. Therefore, we have a new biggest ship in the world on our hands. Fun fact: It’s also the largest ship to debut in Europe ever.
Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas (Photo Credit: Jouni Niskakoski)
The Gross Tonnage
Built at Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, Legend of the Seas’ size in gross tonnage is 248,663 GT.
If you’re not very familiar with the ins and outs of cruise ships, you may not be familiar with this measurement. Essentially, gross tonnage reflects the ship’s internal volume, rather than its weight.
If you’re looking at lists of the biggest cruise ships in the world, you’ll find that this is the measurement most broadly used to rank ships by size.
The Stats: Length, Width, and Height
Legend of the Seas measures in at 1,196 feet long, or 364 meters. That’s more than three times the length of a football field. It will take you at least five minutes to walk the length of the ship, if you’re walking at an average pace with absolutely no stops.
If you were to prop the ship upright, it would be taller than landmarks such as the Gateway Arch, the Space Needle and the Washington Monument. And I’m not talking by a little. The ship would be about double the height of each of these landmarks, when balanced on its end.
Legend of the Seas Facts and Stats
Meanwhile, the ship is 219 feet wide, or 66 meters. The ship’s draft is 29 feet, or 9 meters.
What is draft, you ask? The draft is the vertical distance between the ship’s lowest point and the waterline. Draft is important to know because it affects the ship’s performance, including stability, speed and maneuverability. It also influences which ports the ship can visit.
The ship is 20 decks high, with 18 being open to the public.
It’s difficult to find an exact measurement in terms of how tall the ship is in feet or meters, but it’s safe to assume that this third ship in the Icon class is about the same as the others, so around 248 feet or 75.6 meters. This makes the ship, just as it is, floating in the water, about four times taller than the Great Sphinx of Giza.
Passenger and Crew Capacity Onboard
At double occupancy, this massive ship can hold 5,610 guests. Double occupancy assumes, of course, that not every single bed in every single cabin will be taken up. If that were to be the case, though, and the ship was completely sold out, the ship would hold around 7,600 passengers, on top of its 2,350 crew members.
Add it all together and you have a ship that can hold just about 10,000 people. For reference, some states allow populations to incorporate as a city with just 5,000 residents. So, when someone refers to the ship as a floating city, that’s quite an accurate assessment!
I know, I know. When any travel or cruise writer like myself says “something for everyone,” you might tend to roll your eyes. Can a ship truly offer something for everyone? Really?
In this case, I’ll guarantee it. I’ve never been on a ship where there was so much that I wanted to do, at any given time.
Think of the ship as a Caribbean beach resort, party city, amusement park and relaxing retreat, all wrapped up into one. Meanwhile, it doesn’t really feel that crowded, like you might expect. You’ll find 40-plus restaurants, bars and lounges.
View of Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas (Photo Credit: Jouni Niskakoski)
Then, there are seven pools and whirlpools. There’s the most expansive pool at sea, the Royal Bay pool, measuring in at 5,813 square feet. There are also two infinity-edge pools and an adults-only swim-up bar.
As for entertainment, you’ll choose between visiting the theater for an iteration of Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”; the AquaTheater for aerialists’ death-defying feats and a 55-foot waterfall; and Absolute Zero, the largest ice arena at sea.
And that’s just the start. You’ll also find 46 musicians and comedians hard at work across this ship.
Organization With Neighborhoods
As is the case with all of Royal Caribbean’s ships, Legend of the Seas is broken down into neighborhoods. The Icon Class introduced a few new neighborhoods to the cruise line, and today you’ll find eight across the Icon-class ships’ decks. All of them feature either some kind of first-at-sea element or an element that’s notable due to its size.
Chill Island
Chill Island
Chill Island stretches out over Decks 15 and 17 and includes four of the ship’s seven pools, as well as the buffet and a few other restaurants. The views aren’t half-bad either.
Surfside
Surfside
Surfside is a family-focused neighborhood that first premiered on Icon of the Seas. I really love that now there’s a whole portion of the ship dedicated to families with younger kids. It benefits both the families who want kid-focused amenities and fun, as well as adults who would rather avoid having children running underfoot.
In addition to splash areas, the arcade and carousel, there are also a few dining options here.
The Hideaway
In contrast, The Hideaway is the adults-only neighborhood on the ship. If that name sounds familiar, it may be because Royal Caribbean has an adults-only beach on its private island in the Bahamas, also called The Hideaway, which opened in 2024.
On the ship’s aft, The Hideaway neighborhood features a suspended infinity pool, a favorite feature of mine, a bar and other spots to kick back and enjoy the view and some music.
AquaDome
AquaDome
On Decks 14 and 15, the AquaDome sits on the opposite end of Legend of the Seas and provides 220-degree ocean views, entertainment in the evening, food stands in the AquaDome market, and more.
Thrill Island
This is the amusement park-style portion of the ship. On Decks 15 and 17, you’ll find the largest waterpark at sea, called Category 6, mini golf, rock climbing, a surfing simulator and Crown’s Edge, an attraction that’s basically a skywalk and ropes course that takes you out over the edge of the ship.
As much as I’m a fan of shiny, new attractions on cruise ships, Crown’s Edge was a hard no from me.
Central Park
Central Park
One of my favorite neighborhoods on any Royal Caribbean ship, Central Park is a lush oasis across Deck 8. A garden-set destination, it’s decked out with 33,000 total plants, inclusive of four living plant walls. Plus, I love the walk-up window for sushi, Izumi in the Park, and the walk-up bar for Champagne, Bubbles.
The Royal Promenade
This eye-catching dining, drinking and mingling hub connects you to restaurants, bars and lounges, the theater and shopping. With so much to do over the neighborhood’s two decks, chances are likely that you’ll end up spending a lot of time here.
Easily one of the first things you’ll see? The Pearl, the world’s largest kinetic art sculpture that sits right in the center of it all.
The Suite Neighborhood
Lastly, there is the Suite Neighborhood, which is exactly what it sounds like: home to the ship’s suites and a variety of venues and spaces that are only accessible to suite guests.
Accommodations
And that gets us into staterooms! There are a whopping 29 types of accommodations aboard Legend of the Seas. Many of these are the same you’ll find on Icon of the Seas, but no less impressive.
A lot of the accommodations options are quite large, and can easily fit four or more cruisers.
Ultimate Family Townhouse
The Ultimate Family Townhouse is one of the highlights, fitting eight cruisers across an expanse of 1,772 square feet. That’s literally larger than a lot of cruisers’ houses. It features its own in-suite slide, wrap-around terrace, three full bathrooms, a cinema, dining room and kitchenette, across three levels.
If you don’t need quite that much space, maybe opt for the Family Infinite Ocean View Balcony room, which has a bunk space, split bathroom and gorgeous views. It can sleep up to six guests.
Final Thoughts
I’ve loved the Icon Class ever since Icon of the Seas’ debut and Legend of the Seas is no exception to the rule. I can’t wait until 2027, when the next ship in the class, Hero of the Seas debuts, to see how Royal Caribbean will just continue to impress me.
If you want to experience a larger-than-life ship where you really don’t even need to step off in port in order to have a great time, this ship is sure to delight you.
Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas
That said, that does relate to one small caveat that I’d be remiss not to mention. This ship’s initial itineraries include Rome and Barcelona. Some worry that the busy European itineraries won’t allow for cruisers to balance fun and relaxation on the ship with exploring in port.
As such, if you look at the first itineraries and have those same fears, and want to experience the ship to the fullest without worrying about in-port fun, wait to cruise until the ship repositions to Fort Lauderdale.
Virgin Voyages has announced six new sailings for its first-ever Scandinavia and Baltics season.
The 110,000 gross-ton Valiant Lady will sail from Amsterdam, a new homeport for the cruise line.
The cruise line is also expanding its popular Summer Season Pass to include the new itineraries.
Virgin Voyages is heading north with six new sailings beginning in summer 2028. The adults-only cruise line announced on Tuesday its first-ever Scandinavia and Baltics season aboard Valiant Lady.
The 110,000 gross-ton vessel, which just completed a two-week dry dock renovation, will sail from Amsterdam on four separate seven- to 12-night itineraries. Amsterdam is also a brand new homeport for the cruise line.
The first sailing of this new season is a twelve-night Scandinavia and Stockholm itinerary from July 19, 2028 through July 31, 2028. This sailing will depart from Amsterdam and visit Oslo, Copenhagen, Gdańsk, Stockholm, Berlin, and Aarhus.
Next up is a seven-night Norwegian Fjords itinerary from July 31 to August 7, 2028. Sailing again from Amsterdam, this itinerary will visit Molde, Nordfjordeid, Flåm, and Bergen.
After that, the cruise line will offer a seven-night Scandinavia and Hamburg itinerary from August 7 through August 14, 2028. This sailing will visit Oslo, Copenhagen, and Hamburg from Amsterdam.
Last, but not least, is an eleven-night Arctic Circle and Norwegian Fjords sailing from Amsterdam August 14 through August 25, 2028. This voyage will visit Tromsø, Honningsvåg, Trondheim, Åndalsnes, and Olden. This final sailing will be capped off with a marquee Arctic Circle crossing where guests can experience the 24-hour sun with a midnight sun deck party.
“Northern Europe felt like the right next step,” said Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages.“We’ve built these voyages around the kinds of experiences that make people fall in love with a destination, from the fjords and Baltic capitals to sailing beneath the midnight sun.”
Bookending these new itineraries are two ten-night repositioning cruises. The first heads to the new homeport of Amsterdam from Barcelona on July 9, 2028. This cruise stops in Casablanca, Lisbon, La Coruña, and Cherbourg.
The second crossing, following the new northern itineraries, departs from Amsterdam on August 25, 2028. This sailing hits all the same stops in reverse, but swaps Casablanca for a closing call in Tangier.
Virgin Continues Growing and Expanding Their Offerings
These sailings represent a collection of firsts for the cruise line. Oslo, Copenhagen, Gdańsk, Stockholm, Berlin, Aarhus, Molde, Nordfjordeid, Flåm, Tromsø, Honningsvåg, Trondheim, Åndalsnes, Olden, and Cherbourg are all brand new ports for Virgin Voyages.
Bookings for these new cruises open August 14, 2026. Virgin Voyages expects suites and balcony cabins on the 2,770-passenger-capacity Valiant Lady to sell out quickly. Virgin Voyages has grown in popularity in recent years. Earlier this year, Cruise Hive reported on the highest booking month in the cruise line’s history.
This popularity and growth are further exemplified by the debut of its fourth ship, Brilliant Lady, in 2025. Signifying another first for the cruise line, the 110,00 gross ton ship embarked on its first-ever Alaska season in May 2026. These new northern sailings mark another significant expansion for Virgin Voyages.
Virgin Voyages’ Summer Pass Expands To Northern Itineraries
With these brand new itineraries, Virgin Voyages has also renewed its popular Summer Season Pass for 2028 to include the new voyages. The pass, first introduced in 2024, saw high demand shortly after launch. It has since become a popular way for cruisers to experience the brand’s Mediterranean itineraries.
Now, the cruise line has expanded this pass to include the new Scandinavian itineraries. The pass allows guests to experience all four new itineraries back-to-back for one price. For the 2026 season, the Summer Season Pass prices ranged from $26,000 up to $38,000 depending on the time window.
Pricing for the 2028 season has not been announced yet, but will be on August 14, when the new itineraries officially open for booking. Summer Season Pass holders booking the new northern itineraries will receive a number of additional benefits.
Benefits Summer Season Pass holders can expect include a Central Sea Terrace cabin, priority boarding, upgraded WiFi, complimentary excursions, and a welcome package from Virgin Voyages.
While these passes come with a hefty price tag, many cruisers feel the benefits and value are worth it. The pass has completely sold out in previous years for the cruise line’s Mediterranean seasons.
