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Carnival Introduces Fleetwide Express Dining to Cut Dinner Times to Under an Hour

Carnival Cruise News

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Mar 10, 2026

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Carnival Introduces Fleetwide Express Dining to Cut Dinner Times to Under an Hour

Key Aspects:

Carnival Cruise Line is now rolling out a dinner Express Dining service across the fleet.
The program will be available onboard all Carnival ships by the end of May.
Express Dining menus are slightly abbreviated but do not sacrifice quality or deliciousness.

With so much to do onboard a cruise ship, guests are eager not to miss out on anything from activities to entertainment to delicious dining. When meals can take 90 minutes or longer, however, some cruise guests have found themselves forced to miss out on one thing or another.

Now, Carnival Cruise Line is working to remedy those schedule conflicts with the rollout of its new Express Dining option in the Main Dining Rooms.

Express Dining aims to offer the same delicious dining as the regular menu, but with “slightly abbreviated” options and in a shorter timeframe to suit today’s guests.

“Our guests continue to tell us they value greater flexibility in how they spend their time on board, and Express Dining was designed with that in mind,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

“Our pilot program generated positive feedback from our guests. With this in mind, we are excited to expand Express Dining to offer them the same high quality dishes and attentive service our dining rooms are known for, while giving guests the ability to use more of their time to enjoy all the other onboard fun.”

Express Dining is designed to offer the full, multi-course meal experience in under 60 minutes. This would give guests plenty of time to enjoy evening events, such as signature production shows, dance parties, photo sessions, live music, spa appointments, and more.

The program is already available on 15 ships and is now being rolled out across the entire Carnival fleet. Full implementation across all 29 ships is expected to be complete by the end of May.

In the meantime, guests aboard the following ships can already enjoy Express Dining:

Breeze
Celebration
Conquest
Dream
Firenze
Freedom
Glory
Horizon
Jubilee
Mardi Gras
Panorama
Radiance
Sunrise
Venezia
Vista

Guests interested in the Express Dining option can let their serving team know. If guests have Your Time Dining, they can opt in to the new program via the Hub App.

Cruise Hive has previously reported on the Family Express lunch Carnival Cruise Line has offered at the Lido Marketplace buffet. The lunch program was first offered onboard Carnival Vista.

Carnival Cruise Ship Dining Room (Photo Credit: Benson Truong / Shutterstock)

Following great success and popularity, the program was expanded fleetwide in September 2025, with guests eager to see the option during dinner hours. Now, the new Express Dining program does just that.

Of course, guests can still opt for the full dining experience if they prefer a more leisurely meal, as no one is being forced into the faster service. The option is strictly by guests’ choice, ensuring flexibility for their dining preferences and evening plans.

Some Limitations Still Apply to Express Dining

There are limitations to the new shorter meal service, however. The Express Dining option will have a less extensive menu than the full seating options, though Carnival Cruise Line has not yet offered any direct comparison between menus on the same night.

This is not unexpected, as some dishes require more intensive preparation that may not be possible for a shorter seating time.

All food is prepared-to-order, ensuring the freshest and most delicious dishes for guests to enjoy. By carefully curating the menu options for Express Dining, Carnival Cruise Line ensures guests still have the same quality cuisine no matter which dining option they select.

Top favorites such as filet mignon and grilled lamb chops will still be offered with Express Dining, along with other easy-to-plate, tried-and-true favorites for appetizers, entrees, and desserts. So long as the cruise line’s famous warm chocolate melting cake is still on the menu, I’m good!

The new program is also only available for parties of six or fewer guests. Larger groups cannot be accommodated in the shorter time frame, likely due to the complexity of ensuring multiple dishes with different preparation times are ready to serve simultaneously.

Special dietary requests, such as allergies, will still be accommodated with Express Dining, ensuring the program is available to all guests regardless of their dietary needs.

New Legislation to Hinder Proposed Tampa Cruise Port is Approved

Port News

Catie Kovelman

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Mar 10, 2026

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New Legislation to Hinder Proposed Tampa Cruise Port is Approved

Key Aspects:

Florida has passed Senate Bill 302, which will hinder plans for a new cruise port in Tampa.
The new legislation protects the waters surrounding the proposed site, which could block necessary dredging and construction.
Public opposition also continues to grow, with a petition against the port nearing 20,000 signatures.

Another hurdle is blocking the proposed new cruise port in Tampa Bay, Florida, and may put a stop to the project before it even really begins.

Private developers have been considering building a new multi-berth port on the 328 acres of land known as the Knott-Cowen tract in Manatee County, which would enable larger mega-ships to operate out of Tampa for the first time ever.

These plans would also necessitate the purchase of Rattlesnake Key, which is a 710-acre island adjacent to the proposed site.

While a new port and larger ships would bring a great source of revenue to Tampa, Cruise Hive has seen plenty of opposition against this proposal due to environmental concerns.

A bill aimed at protecting the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, which surrounds the proposed site of the potential port, has officially been approved and would hinder the construction process if plans move ahead.

“It is one of the most pristine areas in our state, and we don’t need mega cruise ships in this area,” Republican Representative Will Robinson said in support of the legislation.

“Your bill will do a great-great deal to stop that from occurring in one of the most important environmental areas in our state…it’s a wonderful bill, and maybe one of the more important environmental bills that we vote on this session,” Robinson continued.

The bill passed with a unanimous vote of 109 to 0 on March 9, 2026. It will now go to the desk of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Assuming the governor signs off (as is expected), the bill will go into effect on July 1, 2026.

What the Legislation Does

The Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve is a 2,000 acre park that encompasses mangrove forests, freshwater and saltwater habitats, and mangrove forests. It also has a focus on marine protection and restoring natural tidal circulation.

In order to build a new cruise port and all the supporting infrastructure, a significant amount of dredging and digging would need to take place, which could harm marine wildlife and habitats. For context, cruise ships need at least 25 to 50 feet of water beneath them in order to dock safely.

The Knott Cowen tract of land is the site of a proposed cruise port near Tampa.

Under the newly approved Senate Bill 302, dredging is only permitted under very specific conditions, such as improving human health by getting rid of stagnant waters or promoting environmental restoration projects.

Any dredging that is completed must be done in a way that does not negatively impact the water quality or harm the marine habitats within the nature preserve.

Speaking to this, the bill calls upon the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish clear and specific statewide standards for coastal protection methods by 2027.

These restrictions won’t necessarily make it impossible for the new cruise port to get approved, but it will be significantly more difficult to adhere to the requirements.

Anti-Port Petition Nears 20,000 Signatures

It’s not just lawmakers who are against the new cruise port, but also general members of the public and the cruise community.

A Change.org position that is trying to stop the proposed cruise port has grown to 19,350 signatures as of March 9, 2026. When Cruise Hive first checked the petition in January, it had just surpassed 6,000 signatures.

In addition to the land in Manatee County, locals and lawmakers want Rattlesnake Key to remain undeveloped.

“The Rattlesnake Key should not be mitigation land. It should be preserved forever,” George Smith, a Manatee County resident, told ABC 7 News.

It’s unclear how the developers of the possible cruise port will proceed, given the growing opposition and the now-approved legislation.

When the bill was first proposed, a spokesperson for the landowners indicated that they were still in a research and fact-finding stage and would consider all factors when deciding if the project would go forward.

The developers have not commented publicly regarding their plans since the bill was approved, but Cruise Hive will share updates as they become available.

Princess Cruises Just Raised Its Service Charge and Here’s What’s Changing

Princess Cruises News

Melissa Mayntz

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Mar 9, 2026

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Princess Cruises Just Raised Its Service Charge and Here’s What’s Changing

Key Aspects:

Princess Cruises is raising onboard food and beverage service charges from 18% to 20%.
The change is being implemented fleetwide in early March 2026, though not on the same day for every ship.
The service charge increase follows the recent Medallion shipping increase as well.

Princess Cruises is quietly raising a non-refundable, non-optional service charge on frequent onboard purchases. This is not a change in the “crew appreciation” gratuities, but nevertheless is an extra charge guests will want to be aware of.

The service charge is now 20% that is “automatically added to optional purchases of drinks, dining room and specialty dining, private group functions, and other elected products, services or amenities provided to guests that are not included in the cruise fare,” according to the Princess Cruises website.

This is a food and beverage charge only and does not apply to retail purchases in the onboard shops. It is unclear whether the extra charge applies to bottles of alcohol purchased onboard to take home at the end of the cruise.

Guests onboard Princess Cruises ships have received letters in recent days noting the change, an increase from the previous 18% service charge.

The change is being made fleetwide as ships turn around to their next voyages. The charge is not increasing mid-sailing for guests already onboard, but it will no doubt be adjusted for the next cruise.

The website, however, is clear that if guests have pre-paid for such charges as part of an all-inclusive package, they will not be hit with any additional increase.

“No additional amount will be added to your onboard account for the Crew Appreciation or for those Service Charges covered by such package,” the website notes.

Cruise Hive previously reported about a similar increase from 18% to 20% for Carnival Cruise Line, which was implemented in December 2025.

Star Princess Open Deck (Photo Credit: Catie Kovelman / Cruise Hive)

Both Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line are owned by Carnival Corporation & plc, which also owns several other cruise lines. At the moment, the service charge for Holland America Line remains at 18% and just 15% on Cunard, but rates are subject to change at any time.

The increase in service charges for Princess Cruises comes at the same time the cruise line has increased the shipping charge for Medallions by $10 for each address.

It must be noted that service charges and gratuities are separate. While the daily “crew appreciation” gratuity on Princess Cruises can be adjusted at guests’ discretion, there is no flexibility with service charges and the fees are mandatory.

Cruise Planner: Cruise Drinks Package Calculator

The current gratuity rate aboard Princess ships is $18 per person, per day for most stateroom types; $19 per person, per day for mini suites, cabanas, and Reserve Collection staterooms; and $20 per person, per day for suites.

More Extra Charges on Other Cruise Lines

In addition to these changes, other cruise lines are likewise imposing more charges on guests.

For example, Norwegian Cruise Line has a $45 per person fee for an exclusive show onboard the new Norwegian Luna, while Royal Caribbean is now charging $5 for guests to get a cup for the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines with the all-inclusive drink packages (the cup is still included with the soda package).

It is not the overall use of fees that is upsetting many cruise guests, but rather the constant changing and quiet increases for more and more products and services.

“Seems every week there’s something lost, nothing gained and something costs more. By the time my cruise date appears it’s going to be unaffordable anyway,” one guest noted on Facebook.

It’s true that a 2% increase, even on a $15 drink, is just an extra thirty cents, but those small costs can add up quickly when they are applied to many different purchases onboard and further added to gratuities and other charges.

P&O Cruises Pushes Final Payment Deadline to 120 Days

P&O Cruises News

Lissa Poirot

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Mar 9, 2026

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P&O Cruises Pushes Final Payment Deadline to 120 Days

Key Aspects:

P&O Cruises will require the final payment 120 days before departure for new bookings.
The affected sailings begin December 1, 2026, and onward.
Existing reservations and bookings remain under the current 90-day payment policy.

Planning a cruise with P&O Cruises more than a year out will soon come with a new timeline for paying the bill.

The cruise line is giving itself an extra month to collect final payments on future voyages, introducing a new 120-day balance deadline for certain bookings.

The change will apply to new bookings made from March 10, 2026, for cruises sailing from December 1, 2026, onward.

“From tomorrow, 10 March, our balance due date will change to 120 days before departure on new bookings for all cruises sailing from 1 December 2026,” the cruise line shared with travel partners.

This change doesn’t affect existing bookings, however. Nor will passengers booking from March 10, 2026, for departures up to and including November 30, 2026.

“For your customers booked before 10 March, 2026, nothing will change. Their final balance will still be due 90 days before departure with current booking conditions,” said P&O Cruises.

Until now, final payment has typically been due 90 days before departure, but the earlier payment deadline helps the cruise line secure revenue earlier and reduce last-minute cancellations.

Moving the final payment window to 120 days also gives cruise operators additional time to resell cabins if guests cancel closer to sailing.

How Final Payment Timelines Vary

The new policy at P&O Cruises brings the line closer to payment structures already used by other brands within its parent company.

P&O Cruises is owned by Carnival Corporation, which manages Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Cunard Line, Seabourn, Costa Cruises, and AIDA Cruises.

Each brand sets its own payment policies, but several already require final payment earlier than the traditional 90-day window used by traditional cruise lines.

P&O Cruises Ship (Photo Credit: Darryl Brooks)

For example, Princess Cruises typically requires final payment 90 days before departure for most sailings, but longer voyages such as world cruise segments and itineraries of more than 14 days require payment at 120 days.

Holland America Line follows a similar structure, with many standard cruises due at 90 days but longer sailings and Grand Voyages requiring earlier payment.

Cunard and Seabourn, the company’s luxury and premium brands, frequently require final payment 120 days before sailing, with some longer itineraries requiring payment at 150 days before departure. Outside the Carnival portfolio, other major cruise lines have adopted similar timelines.

Royal Caribbean generally requires final payment 90 days before departure but shifted in 2023, as reported by Cruise Hive. The line requires 120 days for longer voyages, such as sailings lasting 15 nights or more.

It drops final payment deadlines to 75 days if the sailings are less than 5 nights.

Disney Cruise Line also commonly uses a 120-day final payment deadline for cruises longer than 5 nights, but uses a 90-day schedule for shorter sailings.

Meanwhile, Virgin Voyages adopted a 120-day payment schedule as its standard policy when it launched in 2021.

Norwegian Cruise Line also requires the final payment four months before sailing. According to the line’s payment schedule, balances are due 120 days before departure for cruises of any length.

Passengers booking December 2026 voyages with P&O Cruises will be the first to experience the new payment structure, with Arcadia, Ventura, Arvia, Azura, Iona, Aurora, and Britannia all offering sailings that month.

The ships predominantly sail from Southampton, UK, with fly-cruise offerings from the Canary Islands, Barbados, Antigua, and Malaga, Spain, in December 2026.

Port Canaveral Hits Major Construction Milestone on Massive New Parking Garage

Port News

Melissa Mayntz

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Mar 9, 2026

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Port Canaveral Hits Major Construction Milestone on Massive New Parking Garage

Key Aspects:

Port Canaveral has begun vertical construction on a new parking garage at Cruise Terminal 6.
The new garage will add more than 3,500 parking spaces to the busy homeport.
Estimated completion of the new garage is expected to be in fall 2026.

Every cruise guest who has driven to one of the world’s busiest cruise ports is familiar with how crazy it can be to find a parking space. Guests driving to Port Canaveral, however, will soon find some relief to the chaos.

A new 3,532-space, 13-story parking garage is currently under construction at Terminal 6, the northeastern cruise terminal used by multiple lines, including Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line. Guests from Terminal 5, home of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, will also use the parking garage.

Vertical construction on the new structure has begun with the lowering of a 600-square-foot, 36.7-ton pre-cast concrete wall section. Now that the first section is in place, the rest of the parking garage will continue to rise above the port.

“Port Canaveral is not only the world’s busiest cruise port, but also one of the nation’s most convenient and easily accessible. Our focus on customers is essential to delivering a high-quality guest experience,” said Captain John W. Murray, Port Canaveral CEO.

“This new parking garage is an investment in our commitment to making Port Canaveral the best it can be for our valued cruise partners and their guests.”

Construction of the new garage is part of the Port Canaveral Advantage improvement program. In addition to the garage, the nearly $1 billion plan includes further enhancements to the port, including an expansion of both Cruise Terminal 5 and Cruise Terminal 10.

Cruise Hive had already reported on other recent enhancements to Port Canaveral. For example, in December 2025 a new, ADA-compliant debarkation ramp opened in Cruise Terminal 6.

Parking at Port Canaveral

Once the new garage is complete, the port will offer nearly 17,500 parking spaces. This includes spaces in eight different garages as well as surface lots at different cruise terminals.

An exact date for the garage’s completion has not been announced. It is expected to open to cruise passengers this fall, ahead of the busy holiday cruise season.

The cost for parking in the new garage has not been announced. Port Canaveral raised its parking rates in October 2025, the first rate increase since 2017. Parking now costs $20 per day plus tax, and guests must pay for both embarkation and debarkation days. The same rate will likely apply to the new garage.

Approximately 80 percent of guests sailing from Port Canaveral drive to the cruise port, while the remaining 20% arrive via shuttles, ride shares, or drop-offs.

The new garage will span more than 1.2 million square feet and will feature eight extra-large elevators that can accommodate multiple passengers and their luggage. Two-lane vehicle ramps will ensure smooth traffic flow through the structure.

Furthermore, the new garage will also be connected to the west garage at Cruise Terminal 6 by both vehicle bridges and a pedestrian bridge. This will provide guests easy access to Cruise Terminal 5 as well.

At the moment, Port Canaveral – which has won the honor of “Best US Cruise Homeport” for six consecutive years in the Cruise Hive Awards – is home to 18 cruise ships from seven different lines. Some of the world’s newest and biggest ships set sail from the Space Coast, including Star of the Seas, Disney Wish, Norwegian Prima, and Mardi Gras.

More than 1,000 sailings per year depart from Port Canaveral, ranging from weekend getaways to week-long vacations to longer, more immersive itineraries.

Royal Caribbean Guest Asks Thousands to Change Clothes for Granddaughter’s Wedding

Royal Caribbean News

Melissa Mayntz

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Mar 9, 2026

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Royal Caribbean Guest Asks Thousands to Change Clothes for Granddaughter’s Wedding

Key Aspects:

One guest wants thousands of cruisers to change White Night because of her granddaughter’s wedding.
She is not getting the response she might have hoped for and could have sabotaged her own intent.
Cruise ship entitlement requests can quickly get out of control with unreasonable demands.

All cruise guests are familiar with onboard entitlement, from the infamous chair hogs to saving seats for theater shows to chaotic buffet lines. While cruise lines do try to minimize poor behavior, there are times when a guest’s entitlement is so far overboard it’s simply astonishing.

Guests who will board Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas are in for a dose of such entitlement for the ship’s March 21, 2026 departure from Fort Lauderdale, an 8-night Southern Caribbean itinerary to Aruba, Curacao, and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

On that particular cruise, one pair of guests will be enjoying a very special day as they get married. On such a happy occasion, every bride wants to feel special, but just how special is reasonable on a cruise?

The bride’s grandmother, who will be sailing with the family to celebrate the union, has a flagrantly ridiculous request for everyone aboard.

“Hey fellow cruisers! Just a heads up about Day 3 of the cruise,” the grandmother said in a conversation now posted on Reddit’s Entitled Reviews. “It’s my granddaughter’s wedding day AND it’s scheduled as a ‘White Night’ theme for dinner.”

Royal Caribbean’s White Night is a popular party theme when guests are encouraged to wear white if they wish, though it’s not a strict dress code requirement. Some guests do indeed go all out with brilliant white attire, while others wear whatever they wish.

This grandmother, however, has other ideas on how the evening theme will affect her granddaughter’s wedding day.

“We’re worried this might take away from the special day, so if you’re planning to rock the white outfit, maybe save it for another night?” she requested. “Let’s make this wedding celebration unforgettable!”

She’s right about one thing – the wedding is already unforgettable with the grandmother’s request that the ship’s up to 6,699 guests change their attire plans for someone they’ve never met, for a wedding they’re not invited to attend.

The grandmother seems to have also reached out to Royal Caribbean to request a change to White Night, because she elaborates that the cruise line “is now aware of this conflict and will consider it for future cruises.”

The Bride During Cruise Wedding (Photo Credit: Severina Chavez Lynch)

Of course, that is the type of response a cruise line might give to any request to make the guest feel heard. It is unlikely there will be any future consideration of changing activity lineups to accommodate individual guests.

Royal Caribbean does offer three different wedding packages, including at at sea option, one for embarkation day so non-sailing guests can participate, and one for up to 10 guests onboard. Each package also has customizable options, but none include dress code changes for the entire ship.

In this situation, it is not clear which wedding package is planned other than it will not be on embarkation day.

How Do Other Guests Feel About Changing White Night for a Wedding?

The grandmother is not getting the enthusiastic response she might have wanted, with guests willing to change their attire plans to accommodate a stranger’s wedding day.

In fact, she could have actually sabotaged her own good intentions as many guests are noting they might do just the opposite.

“I would go out of my way to buy a bunch of cheap used wedding dresses that everyone in my group could wear that day/night,” one guest noted. “P.S. My group is all guys.”

That would make for amazing wedding photos, and it would definitely be unforgettable.

Other guests pointed out that crew members occasionally wear white, would that be problematic for the wedding as well? What about guests going to and from the spa in white robes, would that be inconsiderate?

It should be noted that there is no response from the bride herself, only the grandmother’s concerns. The bride may not even be aware of the conversation or that her grandmother made such an entitled request to Royal Caribbean.

Cruise Hive has regularly reported on such crazy entitlement, such as one Carnival guest who wanted all hand dryers removed from the public restrooms on their ship because of a child’s noise sensitivity, and another who expects free umbrellas when its rainy in ports of call.

All cruise lines do try to accommodate reasonable requests as much as possible. What unreasonable requests have you heard of? Share your cruise entitlement stories on the Cruise Hive boards!

Yet Another Carnival Cruise Drops Loyalty Perks, But What’s Left?

Carnival Cruise News

Melissa Mayntz

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Mar 8, 2026

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Key Aspects:

Platinum VIFP benefits have been removed from Carnival Miracle‘s March 14, 2026 sailing.
Guests will no longer get several priority benefits, but the perks seem to be preserved for Diamond level guests.
Carnival Cruise Line’s VIFP program will end on August 31, 2026 and Carnival Rewards begins September 1.

Just a few days before sailing, guests eager to board Carnival Miracle for an 8-night Caribbean and Panama voyage have learned that some of the most popular loyalty perks will not be available.

The impacted cruise is the ship’s March 14, 2026 departure from Tampa, with visits to Costa Rica, Panama, and Grand Cayman.

Cruise Hive has frequently reported on the loss of certain Diamond and Platinum perks from Carnival Cruise Line’s VIFP program. This often happens on longer Carnival Journeys cruises that attract more experienced guests, but can happen on any sailing.

On this particular voyage, it appears that only the Platinum perks are impacted.

“Due to the high number of Platinum guests joining us on this voyage, we will not be able to provide the following benefits,” the letter confirmed.

On the list is the highly sought after priority embarkation and debarkation, early stateroom access to drop off luggage, and priority luggage delivery on embarkation day. None of those benefits will be permitted on this sailing.

The letter also notes that the cruise line “may not be able” to offer the priority Guest Services access, either in person on Deck 2 or via telephone.

“These operational changes are consistent with other voyages where we have a very large number of Platinum guests,” the letter explained. “We apologize for any disappointment and thank you for your understanding.”

It does seem that any Diamond level cruisers onboard this particular sailing will still have those benefits.

To achieve the Platinum level in the VIFP club, guests need to have sailed with Carnival Cruise Line for at least 75 nights. To reach Diamond level, guests must have sailed with the line for a minimum of 200 nights.

Carnival Miracle Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Ritu Manoj Jethani / Shutterstock)

Carnival Cruise Line has been heavily promoting 2x and 3x VIFP point offers for select bookings to help guests achieve higher levels before the program ends. This has led to many cruisers “chasing Diamond” in an attempt to reach that coveted level before August 31, when the new Carnival Rewards program will begin.

If guests are Diamond on that date, they will retain their Diamond status level for life, rather than needing to re-earn benefits in every two-year period.

This convoluted switchover and the enticement of “forever Diamond” may very well be contributing to the much higher number of Platinum guests onboard Carnival Miracle for this cruise, as well as on other cruises where benefits must be removed due to overwhelming VIFP numbers.

The 85,942-gross-ton Carnival Miracle can welcome 2,124 guests at double occupancy or up to 2,680 guests when fully booked.

What Platinum Benefits Remain?

While certain benefits are removed from the sailing, there are still perks that all Platinum guests will be able to enjoy onboard Carnival Miracle.

On Reddit, many guests impacted by the change on this or similar sailings are noting they’ll still have a good time with great benefits.

“I got the same letter [for a different cruise], but I still got to use the priority security line, free laundry perk, platinum diamond party, the free gift, my bottle of water and a plate of delicious cookies,” one guest described.

Other benefits that should still be available to Platinum guests for this sailing include a free drink, their collectible VIFP pin, priority reservations for spa treatments, and priority reservations at both the Main Dining Room as well as specialty restaurants.

The changeover from the VIFP program to Carnival Rewards has been a controversial one, and Carnival Cruise Line is still refining details about the new program and what it will offer.

Virgin Voyages Relocates New York Operations to Brooklyn

Virgin Voyages News

Catie Kovelman

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Mar 8, 2026

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Virgin Voyages Relocates New York Operations to Brooklyn

Key Aspects:

Virgin Voyages will be operating its 2026 New York sailings out of Brooklyn instead of Manhattan.
Manhattan’s Pier 90 is currently closed to cruise ships due to infrastructure upgrades, creating capacity limitations in the port.
Valiant Lady’s April, September, and October itineraries will be affected by this change.

Virgin Voyages’ cruises out of the Big Apple will look a little different for the remainder of the cruise line’s time in New York.

As of April 6, 2026, the adults-only cruise line will operate all New York sailings out of the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal instead of the usual Manhattan Cruise Terminal.

“We wanted to share an important update about your upcoming voyage,” Virgin Voyages wrote in an email to impacted guests, which was obtained by Cruise Hive.

“Beginning April 6, 2026, all Virgin Voyages sailings from New York City will now depart from: Brooklyn Cruise Terminal,” the letter stated.

The New York cruise ports are only about 8 miles apart from each other. However, it’s important that cruise guests proceed to the correct port to avoid potential delays or being denied boarding due to tardiness.

Which Sailings are Impacted?

Valiant Lady will visit New York in April 2026, September 2026, and October 2026 before Virgin Voyages says goodbye to New York – at least for the time being. These final itineraries will all embark and disembark in Brooklyn.

Impacted Sailings in April 2026:

5-night Sailing: The Big Apple to Bermuda – April 6, 2026
5-night Sailing: Virgin Voyages Comedy Fest New York – April 11, 2026
9-night Sailing: Bermuda Beauty to East Coast Elegance – April 16, 2026
14-night Sailing: New York Transatlantic Crossing to Spain – April 25, 2026

Impacted Sailings in September 2026:

8-night Sailing: Fall Foliage in Canada & New England – September 19, 2026
5-night Sailing: The Big Apple to Bermuda – September 27, 2026

Impacted Sailings in October 2026:

5-night Sailing: The Big Apple to Bermuda – October 2, 2026
6-night Sailing: New York to Bermuda (& Back) – October 7, 2026
6-night Sailing: New York to Bermuda (& Back) – October 13, 2026
12-night Sailing: NY to San Juan: Bermuda & Caribbean – October 19, 2026

Cruise Piers in Manhattan, New York (Photo Credit: jiri.george)

After the 2,770-guest ship departs from New York on October 19, 2026, the cruise line has no ships deployed to New York on any of its released itineraries through the fall of 2027.

In Valiant Lady’s case, the ship will spend the winter in San Juan, Puerto Rico, before being deployed to Miami, Florida, in April of 2027.

Why Did the Ports Switch?

Pier 90 at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal is the main berth used by Virgin Voyages, and it is currently addressing infrastructure issues that have made the berth unable to accommodate cruise ships for the time being.

Pier 92 has also been closed for years due to structural issues, meaning Pier 88 is Manhattan’s only functional berth at the moment.

Pier 88 is also booked up with scheduled calls from brands like Norwegian Cruise Line, Viking Cruises, Holland America Line, and Carnival Cruise Line, and cannot accommodate Virgin Voyages at this time.

Pier 90 will be receiving significant updates as part of a major redevelopment plan that was announced at the end of 2025, but it’s not clear when it will be back in service at this time.

The Manhattan Cruise Terminal (MCT) Master Plan is meant to be a multi-year, phased project that will allow the cruise port to function on at least a limited capacity while upgrades are being made.

Another Cruise Line Ends Middle Eastern Season Early As Tensions Rise

Cruise News

Catie Kovelman

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Mar 8, 2026

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Another Cruise Line Ends Middle Eastern Season Early As Tensions Rise

Key Aspects:

AROYA Cruises has officially cancelled all future sailings in the Persian Gulf for the remainder of the current season.
All guests have been able to safely disembark from the brand’s only ship, Aroya, in Dubai.
However, the 3,362-guest vessel will remain in Dubai until further notice.

Another cruise line has scrapped its season in the Middle East as the region becomes more of a war zone every day.

AROYA Cruises, which is a young cruise line based in Saudi Arabia, officially cancelled the remainder of its cruises based out of the Persian Gulf (also known as the Arabian Gulf) for the remainder of the 2026 season.

The 2023-launched brand currently operates one ship, Aroya, that was supposed to be operating 3- to 7-night itineraries out of Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, and Dammam through May of 2026.

“Due to ongoing regional operational considerations and in coordination with the relevant maritime and national authorities, AROYA Cruises will not proceed with the remaining sailings scheduled in the Arabian Gulf for the current season,” AROYA Cruises told Cruise Hive in a statement.

“The safety, security, and comfort of our guests and crew remain our highest priority and continue to guide every operational decision we make,” the statement continued.

This is in line with actions taken by the more mainstream cruise lines in the region. For example, MSC Cruises also ended its Middle Eastern season early.

Similarly, TUI Cruises and Celestyal Cruises have suspended operations for its ships in the region, and are working on flying stranded passengers home.

AROYA Passengers Safely Disembarked

According to cruise tracking data, the 3,362-guest Aroya is currently docked in Dubai – along with MSC Euribia and Celestyal Discovery.

As of the time of publication, the port area in Dubai is considered secure and is operating with enhanced security procedures. These conditions allowed all guests onboard Aroya to safely disembark on March 7, 2026.

“All guests were safely disembarked in Dubai on 7 March, with the safety, security, and wellbeing of our guests and crew guiding this process,” the cruise line confirmed.

“We are supporting our guests as they arrange their onward travel and providing guidance and assistance throughout this process,” the brand added.

The specifics of the support available has not been clarified, but it seems guests are in charge of making their own arrangements. This is different from brands like MSC Cruises and TUI Cruises, which are booking flights on behalf of their guests.

What’s Next For Aroya?

For now, the 151,000-gross ton ship will remain docked in Dubai until it is safe to sail away from the Middle Eastern destination.

It’s not yet safe to traverse the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which is dangerously close to Iran and provides the only access to the open ocean.

Starting on May 14, 2026, the ship is supposed to operate a short series of 3- to 8-night sailings from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and it’s unclear at this time if these will be possible.

The destination is in western Saudi Arabia and not in the Persian Gulf, but may still be too close to the conflict for comfort.

The ship will next proceed to Istanbul, Turkey, where it will homeport from June 6, 2026, until September 12, 2026. During this time, the ship is slated to operate 7-night itineraries to destinations throughout Turkey and Egypt.

This is still a developing situation and Cruise Hive will continue monitoring for itinerary and operational changes in the coming weeks to months.