A Carnival guest was caught with illegal videos on his cellphone while disembarking from Mardi Gras.
The video depicts adults participating in sexual acts with dogs.
He was arrested days later on 15 different counts related to animal abuse.
One recent guest of Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras is beginning the new year behind bars.
A recent passenger, named Anthony Ridings, was stopped while going through the US Customs and Border Patrol process after disembarking from a recent Caribbean sailing.
Border control agents had suspicions that the passenger might have illegal videos of children on his cellphone.
But when agents searched his mobile device, they were surprised to find several videos showing adults engaging in bestiality with dogs, which is a form of animal abuse.
It’s unclear how authorities may have become aware of the possible crime, but cruise ships can often detect and flag illegal downloads while guests are using the onboard Wi-Fi.
“Ridings was stopped by our friends at Customs and Border Patrol regarding possible possession of child p— on his cellphone…” Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said in a Facebook post.
“However when Agents looked at the videos, they didn’t find videos of child p—, but instead downloaded videos of adults engaging in sexual activities with dogs,”Ivey continued.
Agent Josh Strait, who works with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit, responded to Port Canaveral to begin the investigation, where Ridings was also interviewed.
During the interview, Ridings allegedly stated that he had the videos to “shock” his friends.
An Arrest is Made
While it’s unclear which sailing Ridings had been a passenger of, he most likely disembarked Mardi Gras when she was last in Port Canaveral (Orlando) on December 27, 2025.
At this time, the Excel-class ship would have been disembarking one sailing and embarking on a new 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise.
Ridings was not arrested right away, but he was finally taken into custody on New Year’s Eve in Daytona Beach.
“Ridings was not taken into custody at the onset of the investigation as Agent Straight was having the cellphone examined by our Digital Forensics Unit for additional evidence of the criminal activity,”Ivey explained.
“Agent Strait subsequently wrote an arrest warrant, signed by the Honorable Judge Laura Moody, for 15 counts of Possession of Material Depicting Sexual Activities Involving Animals,” the Sheriff continued.
As of the time of publication, the cruiser is still in custody and is being held on a $300,000 bond.
Reactions to the Arrest
Cruise fans (and dog lovers) everywhere are rejoicing that this man is being held accountable for his alleged crimes. Many also expressed that they hoped the people in the videos would be caught soon, too.
Note that suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
“This world sure has a lot of sick people in it. Glad he’s in jail,” one person said.
“Another disgusting dirtbag off the streets. Thank you Sheriff. Hope the other people are found and sent to jail too for animal abuse among other things,” someone else chimed in.
Even Sheriff Ivey gave his two cents: “C’mon man, who in their right mind would want to look at or show his buddies that kind of disgusting, sick, vile, demented videos?”
Carnival Cruise Line has not commented publicly on this matter, but has always cooperated with law enforcement investigations in the past.
Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess and Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Allura will each return for later sailings.
As the world celebrated the start of 2026 with anticipation for what’s to come, Port St. Maarten in Philipsburg got a glimpse into its future with an unusually busy New Year’s Day.
On January 1, 2026, the Sun Princess from Princess Cruises and the Oceania Allura from Oceania Cruises arrived at the port for their maiden visits, marking a rare double inaugural day for the Caribbean destination.
“Starting the year 2026 with two inaugural calls is an extraordinary achievement for our tourism product,” said Port St. Maarten Group Management, adding that the visits will positively impact the island.
“Welcoming the Sun Princess and the Allura on the very first day of the year sends a clear signal to the world that St. Maarten remains at the forefront of the cruise industry,” the group continued.
The authority expressed its commitment to ensuring all passengers and crew members experienced unparalleled hospitality while extending plaques to the captains of each ship.
Sun Princess, Princess Cruises’ largest vessel, carried up to 4,300 passengers to shore when it arrived at 8 a.m. local time on its last call of its 7-night roundtrip holiday cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The celebrated arrival, however, is the only 2026 visit scheduled for the cruise line’s 177,882-gross-ton, LNG-powered ship. It will make a return in December 2027, when it finally adds the port as a frequent call during its winter 2027-2028 Caribbean sailings.
Meanwhile, Oceania Allura, the second ship in Oceania Cruises’ Allura-class that debuted in 2025, arrived an hour before Sun Princess on its own holiday voyage from Miami.
The ship, which accommodates 1,200 passengers, was also enjoying its last call before returning to Florida. Its January 1 visit, however, will not be its last.
Cruise Ships Docked in St. Maarten, Caribbean (Photo Credit: Dennis MacDonald)
The 68,000-gross-ton ship is scheduled to return in early March on another Miami roundtrip journey and will begin a more consistent presence at Port St. Maarten from December 2026 through March 2027.
The inaugural calls follow an exciting December MSC Cruises’ MSC Grandiosa, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Xcel, and Marella Cruise’s Marella Discovery 2 all sailed in for the first time between December 1 and December 7, 2025.
Celebrity Xcel, which debuted in November, was also at port to celebrate the start of 2026, as was Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, which was introduced in August.
Poised for Growth
St. Maarten’s busy start to the New year follows a year of growth for the island nation known for its shared Dutch-French identity.
The port handled nearly 1 million cruise passengers through the first three quarters of 2025 alone, according to the island’s Department of Statistics.
In fact, cruise arrivals through the second quarter of 2025 climbed about 14 percent year over year, with nearly 820,000 cruise visitors arriving at the port from January through May.
Although final data for 2025 has yet to be tallied, Port St. Maarten had forecast reaching over 1.5 million passengers.
Princess Cruises will return to the island with its Majestic Princess on January 7, 2026, Enchanted Princess on January 10, and Grand Princess on January 13.
More cruise lines will be bringing guests to St. Maarten throughout the winter season, including P&O Cruises, TUI Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Cunard, AIDA and Virgin Voyages, among others.
Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam is searching for a guest overboard north of eastern Cuba.
The cruise line confirmed the overboard incident and that it appears to have been a deliberate act.
No details on the guest’s age, gender, or other identifying information has been released.
The new year is not starting as happily as possible aboard Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam, as a 77-year-old woman has gone overboard in the early hours of January 1, 2026.
A guest onboard the 99,863-gross-ton ship alerted Cruise Hive to the situation.
“Currently on the Nieuw Statendam. A guest has apparently gone overboard during the early hours of January 1st, 2026. The Captain has turned the ship around and is currently working with US Coast Guard assets to search our earlier track,”the guest wrote.
Satellite tracking confirms Nieuw Statendam did indeed reverse course and begin a zig-zag search pattern north of Baracoa, Cuba, back toward the Dominican Republic.
#HappeningNow@USCG crews are searching for a 77-year-old woman who went overboard the cruise ship Nieuw Statendam approx. 40 miles NE of Sabana, Cuba, Thursday.#USCG Cutter William Trump & Air Station Clearwater MH-60 crews are conducting searches. #SARpic.twitter.com/zHfu7lfMQH
— U.S. Coast Guard Southeast (@USCGSoutheast) January 1, 2026
Other guests have noted on social media that onboard announcements were made at roughly 4:30 p.m. and 8 a.m., first looking for a missing woman and later confirming she was no longer on the ship and that a search operation was underway.
The Pinnacle-class ship is having a day at sea on Thursday, January 1, as she sails from Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic to Key West, Florida, for the last port of call on the 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary.
Nieuw Statendam spent New Year’s Eve in Amber Cove and plans to visit Key West on January 2.
Depending on how long the search efforts continue before the cruise ship is released, the visit to Key West may need to be adjusted or cancelled. Nieuw Statendam is due to return to her homeport in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, January 3, for debarkation.
Cruise Line Confirms Overboard
Cruise Hive reached out to Holland America Line for confirmation of the incident and received the following statement:
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that while sailing in waters north of Cuba, a guest on Nieuw Statendam went overboard earlier today. The captain and crew initiated search and rescue procedures and are searching the area working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard which has deployed a cutter and helicopter to assist.”
Unfortunately, the sad incident appears to be a deliberate action on the guest’s part, as the cruise line reviewed security footage for the moment of the overboard.
Holland America Line Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: maristos)
“A review of closed-circuit cameras shows the guest alone on the ship’s third deck appearing to go overboard intentionally,”the statement said.
No further details about the guest have been released. This is standard procedure to protect the privacy of the individual as well as any possible traveling companies, family members, or friends, particularly while an active search is still underway.
Holland America Line’s family assistance team is offering support to the guest’s family.
“Our thoughts are with the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time,”the cruise line said to Cruise Hive.
Regardless of where, when, or how an overboard occurs, cruise ships will immediately commence search operations, using all available resources to attempt to locate a missing and presumed overboard guest or crew member.
This includes alerting the closest authorities to the situation and possibly calling on aid from any other ships nearby to search.
Once other assets are able to take over the search, the cruise ship will likely be released to continue on its itinerary. When this happens will depend on the search area to be covered, what assets are available, weather conditions, how long the search has been ongoing, and other factors.
Cruise Hive’s thoughts are with everyone aboard Nieuw Statendam at this troubling time, especially those family members and friends most directly affected as well as crew members who will wish they could have been of assistance to avoid such a tragic start to the new year.
There were a total of 22 outbreaks on cruise ships in 2025.
This is up from 18 outbreaks in 2024 and 14 outbreaks in 2023.
However, this is still just 22 sailings out of thousands, so cruisers shouldn’t be too concerned just yet.
The last thing anyone wants is to get sick during their cruise vacation or to come home with an illness.
But now that 2025 has officially come to a close, the data shows that the number of reported cruise ship outbreaks are on the rise compared to previous years.
For context, US-based cruise ships are required to report outbreaks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) once 3% of the passengers and crew onboard show gastrointestinal symptoms.
This year, a total of 22 outbreaks were reported and monitored by the VSP, which is up from 18 reported outbreaks in 2024 and 14 reported outbreaks in 2023.
Cruise Line
Cruise Ship
Sailing Dates
Causative Agent
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Eclipse
12/20/2025 – 12/28/2025
Unknown
Aida Cruises
AIDAdiva
11/10/2025 – 12/16/2025
Norovirus
Oceania Cruises
Oceania Insignia
10/16/2025 – 10/27/2025
Norovirus
Royal Caribbean
Serenade of the Seas
9/19/2025 – 10/2/2025
Norovirus
Royal Caribbean
Navigator of the Seas
7/4/2025 – 7/11/2025
Norovirus
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Seven Seas Explorer
4/26/2025 – 5/14/2025
Unknown
Holland America Line
Eurodam
4/12/2025-5/3/2025
Norovirus
Holland America Line
Zuiderdam
1/4/2025-5/9/2025
Unknown
Lindblad Expeditions
National Geographic Sea Lion
4/15/2025-4/29/2025
Unknown
Viking Expedition Operations
Viking Polaris
4/11/2025-4/23/2025
Norovirus
Seabourn Cruise Line
Seabourn Encore
3/16/2025-4/9/2025
Norovirus
Cunard Line
Queen Mary 2
3/8/2025-4/6/2025
Norovirus
Holland America Line
Rotterdam
3/7/2025-3/16/2025
Norovirus
Princess Cruises
Coral Princess
2/21/2025-3/9/2025
Norovirus
Holland America Line
Eurodam
2/19/2025-3/1/2025
Norovirus
Holland America Line
Rotterdam
2/2/2025-2/14/2025
Norovirus
Royal Caribbean
Radiance of the Seas
2/1/2025-2/8/2025
Norovirus
Princess Cruises
Coral Princess
1/20/2025-2/5/2025
Norovirus
Viking Ocean Cruises II Ltd.
Viking Mars
1/10/2025-1/24/2025
Norovirus
Holland America Line
Volendam
1/4/2025-1/25/2025
Norovirus
Silversea Cruises
Silver Ray
1/4/2025-1/20/2025
E. coli
Sea Cloud Cruises
Sea Cloud Spirit
1/4/2025-1/10/2025
Ciguatera (presumed)
Reports of illness have also trended higher throughout the year, with thenumber of outbreaks already reaching 18 – the total number for 2024 – by July 2025.
While it’s understandably unnerving to see the total number of outbreaks rise year-over-year, keep in mind that only 22 sailings out of thousands made the VSP’s list. From this perspective, the risk of getting sick is actually quite low.
Which Cruise Lines Were Most Impacted in 2025?
The year started with Sea Cloud Cruises’ Sea Cloud Spirit, Silversea Cruises’ Silver Ray, and Holland America Line’s Volendam experiencing simultaneous gastrointestinal outbreaks during their January 4, 2025, sailings.
The final outbreak of the year unfolded onboard Celebrity Eclipse, during the Celebrity ship’s Christmas cruise that embarked on December 20, 2025. Over 100 people experienced gastrointestinal distress and the cause is still unknown.
Which Cruise Line Had the Most Outbreaks?
Throughout the year, Holland America Line suffered the most outbreaks, with the cruise line reporting gastrointestinal illness to the VSP six different times.
Holland America Ship (Photo Credit: Del Harper)
Eurodam and Rotterdam each experienced two outbreaks, while Volendam and Zuiderdam were each impacted once.
Princess Cruises, which is a sister-brand to Holland America, made the list twice, while brands like Royal Caribbean experienced three outbreaks on three different ships.
Which Cruise Lines Had No Outbreaks?
Brands like Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Disney Cruise Line are noticeably absent, which is a positive for these brands.
It will be interesting to see how these patterns change in the year, with all cruise lines of course taking steps to prevent and mitigate illness onboard.
Just because a brand had several outbreaks one year does not mean they will the next, or vice versa with cruise lines that reported no outbreaks.
What is Causing More Outbreaks?
Compared to 2024, the number of outbreaks in 2025 have increased by approximately 22% year-over-year. So, what is causing this rise in illness?
Some of this simply comes down to luck, such as an ill passenger ending up at the wrong place at the wrong time to facilitate the spread of the highly contagious norovirus, which is often the culprit.
CDC Facility (Photo Credit: Tada Images)
An ultra-contagious variant of norovirus, GII.17, has also been on the rise in the US, and easily spreads when people are in close quarters – such as winter holiday gatherings.
This spread can also occur from the natural closeness that comes with staying on a cruise ship, especially if guests have already picked up the bug elsewhere and didn’t realize they were bringing it onboard.
The popularity of cruising has also risen tremendously, with a record 37.7 million people cruisingin 2025, and more people onboard can mean greater risk.
It’s been a crazy year for cruise news, with outrageous stories ranging from luggage going on a wild cruise of its own to fights over the silliest things to massive post-cruise bills that could have been avoided. How many of these Top 10 stories do you remember from 2025?
Stolen Luggage Takes Cruises of Its Own
Following a February cruise on Carnival Magic, one family’s missing suitcase set sail on its own for several weeks. Thanks to Apple AirPods in the missing bag, they were able to track their belongings that remained on the ship long after their debarkation on February 16.
Lost Luggage on Carnival Magic (Photo Credits: Tammy Merritt & Deutschlandreform)
It was the AirPod’s serial number that finally helped crew members identify the missing luggage, which had been taken by another guest and claimed as their own. While the back-to-back-to-back thief was not identified, they did suffer the consequences and are now banned from all future Carnival sailings.
Roaming Charges Add Up Fast At Sea
Many guests budget carefully for a cruise vacation, even planning for some “extras” like souvenirs, fun in the casino, or a bigger-than-expected bar tab. But do you budget for a cell phone bill?
Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas (Photo Credit: denbaim)
One Royal Caribbean guest should have done exactly that, as they misunderstood that the onboard internet service did not include cellular network access. Instead, their cell phone spent the week-long cruise updating, accessing locations, and otherwise racking up $1,300 in roaming fees.
Unfortunately, the guest was on the hook for the bill, which was not from the cruise line but from their cell phone company. An easy solution for future cruises? Put your phone is in airplane mode as soon as you step onboard!
Cruise Passengers Fight Over Chicken Tenders
I love a good chicken tender as much as anyone, but I don’t think I love them enough to come to blows. For some guests onboard an unidentified Carnival ship, the late-night snack was worth fighting over with a brawl that included profanity, tackles, and even flying shoes.
Carnival Cruise Brawl (Credit: @mikeisterra)
It’s unclear exactly why chicken tenders sparked such violence. Perhaps one guest took the last tender, or another guest didn’t appreciate the available sauces, or maybe someone was just too chicken to admit they were a wee bit hangry. That’s no excuse, however, and the brawl’s participants were likely banned from the cruise line.
Mayor Faces Down Cruise Ship
Many cruise destinations are imposing restrictions on cruise ships, either capping numbers of guests permitted to visit, overall number of ships, or the gross tonnage of vessels allowed to anchor or dock. But what happens when a ship ignores restrictions?
Nice Mayor Angry With Royal Caribbean Ship (Credit: France3)
In Nice, France, the mayor was not so “nice” when Voyager of the Seas visited in July, just three days after the new restrictions were activated. When the ship anchored, the mayor took a police boat out to confront the cruise ship’s captain, claiming prosecution would follow if the ship did not depart.
While Voyager of the Seas did remain for the port visit, such unfriendly behavior and stricter enforcement of cruise ship limits might cause itinerary adjustments in the future.
Fast Fight Leads to Homeport Return
Wonder of the Seas did not have a wonderful start to her September 15, 2025 departure when an onboard fight resulted in such severe injuries that the Oasis-class ship had to return to PortMiami to debark two injured guests.
Wonder of the Seas in PortMiami, Florida
Local authorities were notified but it is unclear if charges were filed for the incident, and undoubtedly, Royal Caribbean would have investigated the altercation thoroughly and imposed consequences of its own. This could mean both guests may be banned from future sailings or could have to pay fines.
Guest Tumbles Over Edge of Infinity Pool
Falling overboard from a cruise ship is often tragic, but for one guest on Icon of the Seas, an overboard from the aft Hideaway Pool on Deck 15 was more comical and confusing than devastating.
Icon of the Seas The Hideaway Pool Fall
A viral video showed the incident in July, including the guest bizarrely slapping their own behind before tumbling over a glass railing and out of sight. Fortunately, another glass safety barrier and a narrow walkway prevented what would otherwise have been a disastrous outcome.
It isn’t clear what precipitated the guest’s fall, but hopefully, they learned not to repeat such silly behavior.
Passengers Throwing Chairs on Carnival Sunrise (Credit: Priscilla Nivia Delgado)
What started the fight near the ship’s pizzeria was never confirmed, but fights of any kind are a violation of the cruise line’s code of conduct and result in swift and harsh penalties.
The involved guests were confined to their staterooms with security guards keeping watch and are not welcome to return to any Carnival ship in the future.
Perfect Day Turns Perfectly Ugly With Pool Brawl
Perfect Day at CocoCay can be a fantastic destination, but some guests from Utopia of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas had a less than perfect day with a massive fight in the Oasis Lagoon, the destination’s large freshwater pool.
Passengers Brawl at CocoCay Lagoon (Credit: @salt.sky.travel)
Multiple adults were involved with punches, angry splashes, profanity, pushing, and other physical manifestations of what should have been a fun visit to the private destination. Even the pool in the lagoon had to be temporarily closed!
Crew Member Goes Overboard Following Stabbing Incident
It is unknown what precipitated the attack, but the male crew member leapt overboard shortly afterward and did not survive. The female crew member was treated and expected to recover from the incident.
Though the attack did not appear random and no guests were involved, it is certainly a disturbing situation that such violence can occur even behind the scenes.
Dozens of Guests Involved in Cruise Terminal Brawl
The end of a cruise can be sad for sure, but worth fighting over? For at least two dozen people debarking Carnival Jubilee in Galveston on April 26, apparently something triggered enough high emotions to start a massive brawl.
Galveston Cruise Terminal Brawl
The next-level debarkation chaos happened in the terminal’s luggage pickup area, and Carnival Cruise Line later confirmed that 24 guests were added to the line’s infamous “do not sail” list. Furthermore, the Port of Galveston Police Department was also likely involved, which could add even more charges to those involved.
What crazy cruise stories will set sail in 2026? Stay tuned to Cruise Hive for all the latest every day, bringing you the top cruise headlines, itinerary changes, announcements, and much more!
A Carnival guest feels their New Year’s cruise is ruined because of a cookie confiscation.
The guest was bringing homemade cookies to share, but Carnival does not permit homemade treats to be brought onboard.
Instead, John Heald will see that there are cookies at the meeting where the guest had hoped to share the treats.
From special dinners to festive drinks to decadent treats, food is an important part of the holiday season for many people. But would missing out on a treat spoil a New Year celebration? For one Carnival cruise guest, the answer seems to be yes.
The guest took the time to prepare a special homemade treat, only to have it confiscated at the cruise terminal for embarkation. Frustrated at the action, they reached out to Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald.
“I’ve had my themed homemade chocolate chip cookies confiscated and taken by the Carnival security at the terminal in Galveston. I bring these on the ship to surprise members of our Friends of Bill W group meetings,”the guest explained.
“Why is this not allowed in my carry on? Have the Carnival police not get anything better to do. This really sucks. Happy New Year to me! Not!!!”
While the guest did not reveal the ship they were sailing on or the exact date of the confiscation, they did indicate the holiday nature of the cruise with the “Happy New Year” comment.
Four Carnival cruise ships are currently sailing New Year voyages from Galveston:
Carnival Breeze – 5-night Western Caribbean sailing to Cozumel and Progreso that departed on Monday, December 29
Carnival Jubilee – 7-night Western Caribbean route to Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan that left on Saturday, December 27
Carnival Dream – 8-night Bahamas cruise to Key West, Celebration Key, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau that set sail on Saturday, December 27
Carnival Legend – 10-night Western Caribbean sailing to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman that left on Friday, December 26
While Heald is sorry that the guest’s thoughtful treats have been confiscated, he did promise to double-check on home baked goods. Previously, he has confirmed that such items cannot be given to crew members, but he was going to verify whether they are permitted onboard at all.
“I have said very clearly that home baked goods like cookies cannot be given to the crew. But I will have to take a look with the beards about if these should have been taken [by port security], or not,”he said.
Carnival Cruise Ships in Galveston, Texas (Photo Credit: NAN728)
Heald does note that he will make arrangements for cookies to be served at the Friends of Bill W meeting onboard, so those guests joining the meeting will still have delicious treats, even if they aren’t homemade.
Interestingly, this is not the first holiday treat complaint Heald has answered this year.
Earlier in December, another guest sailing aboard Carnival Venezia was upset at the absence of eggnog. Guests can bring their own small bottles of a favorite non-alcoholic beverage onboard if they wish, but no homemade eggnog would be permitted.
Guests Agree With Confiscation
While homemade treats may be a mainstay of holiday celebrations and can be a thoughtful gift to share, many other cruise guests note that the policy not to permit them onboard is a sound one.
“Sadly in the times we live in, I can’t imagine taking homemade baked goods from a stranger regardless of how good a person you may be. It’s just a fact of the times,”one guest commented.
“That would seem like a big liability – a stranger making cookies and serving to other guests. Who knows what went in them,”another commenter agreed.
Other guests do acknowledge the kindness of the gesture, but also fear allergies, food sensitivities, and other issues that could make homemade treats problematic.
It would also be possible for a less scrupulous guest to bake cookies with ingredients such as CBD that are not permitted onboard, and it would be impossible for the cruise line to tell without significant testing.
Furthermore, even if a guest claims the homemade treats will not be given to the crew or may only be for personal consumption, that cannot be guaranteed. Instead, the cruise line errs on the side of safety and its stated policies.
Prohibited Items Policy Is Clear – No Homemade Treats Allowed
“Due to concerns for food safety and contamination prevention, any food items brought on board must be pre-packaged and unopened. Homemade items or pre-cooked foods are not allowed.”
Guests can, of course, bring their favorite snacks onboard if the items are sealed in the original factory packaging. It may not be the same as homemade treats, but it can still be a kind gesture that others will appreciate.
Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas was voted Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship.
It was the third year in a row that a Royal Caribbean new-build was chosen for the honor.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Luna came in second place.
For the third consecutive year, a Royal Caribbean new-build was named Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship in the Cruise Hive Awards.
Legend of the Seas, the line’s third Icon-class ship that will enter service in July 2026, has won the title in the 2025 competition with 35.3% of the total vote. The ship is under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland.
Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship for 2026
Sister ship, and first in the class, Icon of the Seas, won the title in 2023 ahead of her 2024 launch, and Star of the Seas, second in the class, took it in 2024, in advance of her debut in 2025.
The Icon-class ships have been wildly popular with cruisers, thanks in part to their enormous size — they weigh in at 250,800 gross tons and have capacity for 7,000 guests — as well as innovative public spaces and amenities.
Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship of 2025 (Data: Cruise Hive)
When she debuts in July 2026, Legend of the Seas will feature the well-received Surfside neighborhood designed especially for family fun, and the Category 6 Waterpark, the cruise industry’s largest waterpark at sea.
Like her sister ships, Legend of the Seas will offer AquaDome, a huge glass and steel structure that features a waterfall, along with dining venues and the AquaTheater, where synchronized swimming, diving shows, and acrobatic performances are held.
Legend of the Seas will wow guests with 28 dining options, including some new venues such as Royal Railway, a multi-course meal served in the setting of a simulated train journey in Asia and Europe, and the Hollywoodland Supper Club, a themed experience evoking the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Legend of the Seas Render
When she debuts in summer 2026, Legend of the Seas will sail her 7-night inaugural cruise on July 11 roundtrip from Rome with port calls at Naples, Italy; Barcelona and Palma De Mallorca, Spain; and Marseille, France.
The ship will sail 7-night Western Mediterranean voyages through mid-October before repositioning to Fort Lauderdale, where she will sail 6- and 8-night Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean cruises.
Norwegian Luna Ranks Second in Awards Listing
Nine cruise ships due to launch in 2026 were included in the Most Anticipated category.
While Legend of the Seas earned a commanding 35% of the total votes in the 2025 Cruise Hive Awards, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Luna came in at a respectable second place with just shy of 20% — 19.4% to be exact.
When she debuts on March 10, 2026 in Rome, the 3,550-guest ship will become the newest Prima Plus-class ship in the fleet. Her maiden voyage will bring the ship to PortMiami, arriving on March 23, 2026 to begin a series of Caribbean and Bahamas cruises.
Norwegian Luna Render
Disney Cruise Line’s 6,700-guest Disney Adventure garnered 16.5% of the vote to come in third. The ship, the largest in the fleet, will cater to the Asia market and be based in Singapore when she debuts on March 5, 2026.
MSC Cruises’ MSC World Asia received 12.8% of the vote for Most Anticipated New Cruise Ship. Due to launch in December 2026, the 6,758-guest ship will sail in the Mediterranean.
The remaining five ships in the category included Explora Journeys’ Explora III, which tied with Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Prestige at 4.1%; Viking’s Viking Mira, 4%; Viking’s Viking Libra, 2.6%; and TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff Flow, 1.1%
Voting in the 2025 Cruise Hive Awards opened on October 14, 2025 and closed on December 19, 2025. Readers were invited to vote for their favorite ships and amenities in a total of eight categories. No spam votes, or other suspicious votes of any kind were counted.
Norwegian Breakaway has updated its planned visit to Puerto Plata on New Year’s Day.
The ship will arrive and depart one hour early to accommodate rough weather on its return to New York.
As this is the final port call on the itinerary, no other destinations have been impacted.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Breakaway is starting the new year with an itinerary change.
The planned visit to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, on January 1, 2026, has been adjusted due to developing weather conditions in the ship’s route back to Manhattan, New York.
“We would like to inform you of an amended schedule for our call to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic,”the cruise line wrote in a letter to the up to 3,903 guests onboard.
“Due to expected weather conditions and strong currents on our return to New York, the vessel must adjust the speed to ensure a safe and timely arrival. To accommodate this, we have modified the schedule and adjusted the time in port accordingly,” the update continued.
This is the final port call of a 12-night holiday cruise to the Caribbean, which embarked in New York on December 23, 2025.
Though an itinerary change isn’t the most ideal way to end a cruise (or begin a new year), this also means that the other ports on the itinerary won’t be impacted by this adjustment.
During this voyage, the 145,655-gross ton vessel also called to Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Basseterre, St. Kitts; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
What Actually Changed?
Rather than cancelling the visit to Puerto Plata or changing the date of the visit, Norwegian Cruise Line has simply adjusted the time in port.
The change is so minor, that it likely won’t even have much of an impact (if any) on many pre-booked tours or shore excursions.
Originally, the Breakaway-class vessel was scheduled to be in the port from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. local time. With the change, she will arrive an hour early at 6:30 a.m. and leave an hour early at 2 p.m.
Norwegian Breakaway Docked in Manhattan (Photo Credit: EWY Media)
The following two days will be sea days, allowing the ship to make her way back to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal to disembark on the morning of January 4, 2026.
The distance from Puerto Plata to Manhattan is somewhere between 1,400 and 1,600 nautical miles, depending on the route the captain decides to take.
How Bad is the Weather?
While phrases like “weather conditions and strong currents” can sound scary to novice cruisers, rest assured that modern cruise ships are well equipped to handle rough seas.
Norwegian Breakaway launched in 2013, but was just refurbished in dry dock earlier this year – meaning all her stabilization and navigational systems should be fine-tuned and in great shape.
The cruise lines often avoid rougher conditions out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the comfort and enjoyment of all onboard, rather than concern that there is a significant risk to the vessel or its passengers.
In this case, the poor weather will be at sea while the ship is sailing from Puerto Plata to Manhattan.
During the visit on January 1, Puerto Plata is actually supposed to be quite pleasant. The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, highs near 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and rain showers starting later in the afternoon.
On January 4, cruise guests can expect to disembark on a chilly, but sunny, day. The high will be 33 degrees Fahrenheit, but no rain or snow is expected.
For both ports, winds will be low at an expected 5 to 10 miles per hour, which is nothing a cruise ship of this size can’t handle.
104 cases of gastrointestinal illness were reported aboard Celebrity Eclipse’s Christmas sailing.
Vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps were the most common symptoms, but no causative agent has been confirmed.
Enhanced cleaning, isolating ill individuals, and other measures were immediately implemented.
A Christmas cruise can be an amazing getaway not only to enjoy all the amenities and relaxation of a typical cruise, but also to experience the magic of the holiday season in a unique and memorable way without all the seasonal stress.
For many guests aboard Celebrity Eclipse‘s Christmas Day cruise, however, the voyage has been memorable for all the wrong reasons. No one likes to be sick over vacation, and to be sick with a stomach bug on a holiday sailing is even worse.
The illness outbreak has been reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as it involved enough guests and crew members to cross the 3% mandatory reporting threshold.
A total of 95 guests out of the 3,042 onboard, along with 9 crew members of the 1,235 on the team, reported vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps during the ship’s December 20, 2025, sailing. This represents 3.1% of guests and just .7% of crew members reporting symptoms.
The 8-night cruise departed Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, December 20, for the Eastern Caribbean itinerary with visits to Antigua, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
The outbreak was reported to the CDC when the ship returned to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, December 28. No delays have been noted, and the 121,900-gross-ton, Solstice-class ship has already departed on her next sailing.
To be clear, the number of cases reported to the CDC is for the entire voyage. It is possible different guests were sick on different days, not necessarily that all 104 reported cases were at the same time.
Onboard Response to Celebrity Eclipse Outbreak
Once the illness was reported, crew members on Celebrity Eclipse immediately implemented various measures to minimize any further spread or ongoing contamination. This included:
Increased cleaning and disinfection, particularly for public areas
Collecting samples for testing to find a causative agent
Isolating any guests or crew members reporting related symptoms
While the exact causative agent for this particular outbreak has not yet been identified, most bacteria or viruses that cause these gastrointestinal symptoms are spread through direct contact and contaminated surfaces.
Photo Credit: Katherine Welles / Shutterstock.com
Enhanced cleaning protocols can be very effective at controlling outbreaks of norovirus and similar illnesses. Guests can protect themselves by thoroughly washing their hands after using the restroom and before eating, and trying to avoid excessive touching of high-contact surfaces such as railings, door handles, buffet serving utensils, and elevator buttons.
Previous Outbreaks This Year
The current outbreak aboard Celebrity Eclipse is the first reported outbreak for a Celebrity Cruises ship in 2025, but the twenty-second outbreak across all cruise lines.
Most have been norovirus, though several outbreaks did not have a causative agent confirmed. One outbreak was determined to be E. coli, while another was confirmed as ciguatera.
The most recent previous outbreak was aboard AIDAdiva, with 114 guests and crew members succumbing to norovirus in late November and early December.
While there is a misconception that cruise ships can be floating petri dishes, the fact that hundreds of cruises have set sail in 2025 without any significant outbreaks disproves that idea.
Furthermore, outbreaks can occur on ships from any line and vessels of any size. Throughout 2025, vessels from luxury lines like Silversea, Oceania Cruises, and Sea Cloud Cruises have had outbreaks, as have major mass-market lines like Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, and Holland America Line.
Before this outbreak on Celebrity Eclipse, the most recent Celebrity Cruises outbreak reported to the CDC was aboard Celebrity Summit in May 2024, when 78 guests and crew members were impacted by norovirus.
