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Big Splash Sparks Overboard Scare on Carnival Radiance

Catie Kovelman
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Big Splash Sparks Overboard Scare on Carnival Radiance

Key Aspects:

  • Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Radiance launched search and rescue efforts following a suspected man overboard.
  • The ship returned to the scene of the splash off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico, to search for the possible victim.
  • But after searching and counting all passengers and crew onboard, the overboard was determined to be a false alarm.

On November 20, 2025, the alarm was sounded onboard Carnival Radiance due to a suspected man overboard while sailing off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico.

Passengers of the Carnival ship reported hearing a big splash, which some thought was made from another guest who had allegedly fallen into the Pacific Ocean while looking for dolphins.

“Onboard witnesses report the passenger was watching dolphins near the back of the boat when they went overboard,” one cruise fan shared.

In reality, it wasn’t actually a human that made the splash – but it took a little while for the crew members to realize this.

In the meantime, the approximately 1,108 crew members launched an urgent search and rescue operation.

@dizzeelizzee

Man Overboard 🛟 on Carnival 🛳️Radiance 11/20/25 #Cruise #manoverboard #why #mentalhealthmatters

♬ original sound – Erin Lizzee

The 101,509-gross ton vessel circled back to where the splash was seen to search for the possible victim. This is confirmed by cruise ship tracking data.

“It’s been an exciting day on the Carnival Radiance today. First there was a man overboard announcement. The ship turned around and we’ve been slowly cruising back over the area,” a current passenger said.

“There’s a person overboard on Carnival cruise (Radiance) coming back from Ensenada to Long Beach. They have circled back to look for the person,” another cruiser verified.

Read Also: What Happens If You Jump Off a Cruise Ship?

However, this victim was nonexistent as nobody even fell overboard in the first place.

A Scary False Alarm

As is the best case scenario in a man overboard incident, the scary situation was determined to be a false alarm and the Destiny-class ship is back to cruising normally.

Especially as the cruise line is still reeling following the recent death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner onboard Carnival Horizon, another tragedy at sea would be truly horrific.

@serenaaaavv

man fell overboard on the carnival radiance cruise… #overboard #carvival #cruise

♬ original sound – serena

During the search and rescue efforts, crew members sent guests to their cruise cabins, as is standard protocol.

The guests were confined to their staterooms for more than 40 minutes while designated crew members checked to make sure that every passenger and crew member was accounted for, which thankfully was the case here.

“The Carnival Radiance crew responded to a potential overboard alert off the coast north of Ensenada, Mexico when some guests reported hearing a splash in the water. The ship returned to the area where there was a potential sighting of an individual to conduct a rescue operation,” a Carnival spokesperson told Cruise Hive in a statement.

“In the meantime, the crew completed a full guest and crew headcount as is our standard safety protocol and all guests and crew have been accounted for,” they continued.

More likely than not, the splash that worried the guests was actually an accidental prank from a whale.

Carnival Radiance Cruise Ship
Carnival Radiance Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: jejim)

Mexico’s coast, and especially the Baja Peninsula where Ensenada is located, is known as a major whale watching destination.

Gray whales and humpbacks are commonly spotted during the winter months, with other species like blue whales and sperm whales occasionally making appearances.

“The splash could have very well been a whale but there is no way to confirm that. In any case, all on board are accounted for and the ship will resume its itinerary,” the spokesperson concluded.

And even though this situation ended as a false alarm, it’s always better to air on the side of caution and say something if you see (or hear) something.

In an actual emergency, promptly speaking up could save a life, and guests who make reports in good faith will never be penalized.

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Plus, all’s well that ends well. There is no impact to the 4-night Baja-bound sailing’s itinerary, which embarked in Long Beach, California, on November 17, 2025.

The 2,984-guest ship has already completed both of her scheduled port calls and is expected to return to Long Beach on time for disembarkation on November 21.

Carnival Pushes Back Launch of New Loyalty Rewards Program

Melissa Mayntz
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Carnival Pushes Back Launch of New Loyalty Rewards Program

Key Aspects:

  • Carnival Cruise Line has pushed the start date for the Carnival Rewards Program to September 1, 2026.
  • More details have been revealed about how stars and points are both earned and redeemed.
  • Loyalty stars must be re-earned every two years, but rewards points will never expire so long as guests either earn or redeem some points every three years.

The wait isn’t quite over yet for the new Carnival Rewards program, as Carnival Cruise Line announced today that the start date of the program will now be September 1, 2026, rather than June 1, 2026 as previously planned.

While the program is still changing over to the new model, this does give loyal Carnival guests more time to up their status before the program begins.

“To give you extra time — and to let your Summer 2026 cruises count toward your final VIFP Club® status — we are moving the launch of Carnival Rewards to September 1, 2026,” an email sent to Carnival guests confirmed.

“All your cruise activity through August 31, 2026 will count toward your final VIFP status, which will become your starting status in Carnival Rewards.”

Many cruisers who have found themselves close to the next loyalty level have sought to “chase” that upgrade before the new program begins. This has been particularly true for high-level Platinum VIFP guests who are close to the Diamond tier.

That coveted Diamond tier will be the only lifetime status once the new program begins, a concession the cruise line announced in mid-September, two months after the program was first revealed.

With the extra time during the busy summer months to gain loyalty in the older VIFP program, more cruisers may be able to advance to the Diamond level before September 1.

In recent months, Carnival Cruise Line has been offering special bonuses on select sailings where travelers can earn twice or even three times the VIFP points, helping them raise their status even more quickly. It is possible that those offers will continue through the summer months to entice more guests to chase the next tier.

Two-Year Reward Cycle Confirmed

With the announcement of pushing back the start of the Carnival Rewards program, some new details have also been revealed.

The “status earning” period will be a two-year cycle, from January 1 through December 31. The very first status-earning period, however, will actually begin on August 31, 2026, and will continue through December 31, 2028.

In those 28 months, guests will be accruing status that will determine their loyalty level for the next period (January 1, 2029, through December 31, 2031).

Carnival guests will earn “stars” that count toward status based on their spending as follows:

  • 3 stars for every $1 spent on Carnival cruise fare
  • 3 stars for every $1 spent on onboard purchases during a Carnival cruise
  • 1 star for every casino point earned

If guests use the Carnival Rewards Mastercard, they will earn a 4 stars (instead of 3) for cruise fare and onboard purchases, though there is no change in casino point earnings.

Carnival Rewards Loyalty Program
Carnival Rewards Loyalty Program (Credits: Carnival & Melissa Mayntz)

Every two years, the total number of stars a guest has earned will determine their loyalty status for the next two-year cycle. Gold loyalty starts at 10,000 stars; Platinum at 50,000 stars, and Diamond at 100,000 stars.

Each level has different perks such as complimentary drinks, collectible pins, free wash and fold laundry, and priority boarding and debarkation.

Read Also: Which Cruise Lines Match Loyalty Programs?

The key difference between the Carnival Rewards program and the VIFP program is that one’s loyalty status must be re-earned with more stars every two years.

The exception is for Diamond-level guests, who will retain that status for life (hence the “chasing Diamond” frenzy in the months leading up to the changeover).

Use Points to Purchase Rewards

In addition to earning loyalty-status stars, Carnival guests will simultaneously earn “points” with every purchase in the same manner:

  • 3 points per $1 spent on cruise fare and onboard purchases
  • 1 point per casino point
  • Extra points when using the Carnival Rewards Mastercard on everyday purchases, including grocery stores, restaurants, etc.

Those points can then be redeemed for onboard rewards, such as drinks, specialty dining, spa treatments, photos, and shore excursions.

Carnival Cruise Line has not yet provided a complete list of what rewards cost how many points, but they have noted that 100 points will be worth roughly $1 in value. Those values, however, will vary based on demand.

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While a guest’s loyalty stars will expire and must be re-earned every two years, the reward points will never expire if guests either earn or redeem points at least once every three years.

This would permit guests to slowly accrue a great number of points – regardless of their star status – and redeem them for a fabulous vacation, no matter what their loyalty level.

Royal Caribbean’s Massive New Mega-Ship Fires Up Its First Engine

Lissa Poirot
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Royal Caribbean’s Massive New Mega-Ship Fires Up Its First Engine

Key Aspects:

  • Legend of the Seas’ first main engine was successfully started on November 19, 2025.
  • Each of the six Wärtsilä next-generation engines will be powered up and tested within the next week.
  • The engines are designed to reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions while capturing waste heat and recovering energy for reuse.

If you’ve been watching the rise of Royal Caribbean’s next big ship, there’s some movement happening deep inside the hull. Shipbuilder Meyer Turku just shared that Legend of the Seas has powered up its very first main engine.

As the shipbuilder works to bring the 248,663-gross-ton vessel to life, the first of the ship’s six Wärtilä next-generation engines was started for the first time on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.

The new engines use a two-stage turbocharging system that’s designed to reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions compared to the previous generation of marine engines.

Together, the six engines will deliver more than 85 megawatts of power once all are online.

Meyer Turku noted that the engines do more than propel the ship. Waste heat from the cooling water and motor oil will be captured and reused in onboard systems such as the laundry, cutting down on the amount of additional fuel needed to power day-to-day functions.

The shipyard shared the news in a social media post, stating, “Legend has a total of six main engines, all of which will be running early next year. Legend runs on Wäetsilä’s next-generation, two-stage turbocharged engines. The combined power of all six engines reaches over 85 megawatts.”

Legend of the Seas first engine roars to life
Legend of the Seas’ first engine roars to life (Photo Credit: Meyer Turku)

For now, the first engine start provides a visible sign of progress on a ship that has spent months in dry dock as its steel, cabins, and interior blocks have come together. 

Read Also: Royal Caribbean Ships By Age: Newest to Oldest

With the construction schedule moving into a more technical phase, Meyer Turku says all engines should be operational early in the new year, a key requirement before trials begin.

Legend of the Seas Coming Along

Legend of the Seas, the third Icon Class vessel in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, has moved quickly through several major construction phases since work began at Meyer Turku.

Having learned from the construction of Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, the build officially started on January 12, 2024, when the first steel plate was cut.

AquaDome Installation on Legend of the Seas at Meyer Turku
AquaDome Installation on Legend of the Seas at Meyer Turku

After months of block production and early assembly, the ship reached its next major milestone with the keel-laying on October 7, 2024. Between late 2024 and mid-2025, crews at Meyer Turku continued to assemble the hull, with mechanical outfitting continuing throughout early 2025.

As anticipation builds with every new milestone, including the August 29, 2025 float out, Royal Caribbean fans cannot wait for Legend of the Seas to welcome its 5,600 guests. 

With the vessel now powered by its first running engines, the shipyard will move into propulsion and navigation testing, with sea trials expected to take place in the Baltic Sea in early 2026.

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Once trials are complete, the ship will be handed over to Royal Caribbean in mid-2026. Legend of the Seas is scheduled to begin its inaugural sailing on July 11, 2026, weeks earlier than originally scheduled.

That sailing will kick off the ship’s Mediterranean season before it repositions to Fort Lauderdale in October 2026 for a winter in the Caribbean.

Princess Cruises Retires its Standard Vacation Protection

Lissa Poirot
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Princess Cruises Retires its Standard Vacation Protection

Key Aspects:

  • Princess Cruises will retire its Standard Princess Vacation Protection plan on December 9, 2025.
  • Platinum PVP will be the only trip-protection option available for all new bookings.
  • The removal of Standard PVP also ends the loyalty perk and coincides with a rebranding of the At-Ease Waiver as Cancellation Protection.

Passengers booking future Princess Cruises sailings will see fewer insurance choices at the end of 2025. The cruise line is overhauling its travel-protection offerings beginning December 9, 2025, and retiring its Standard Princess Vacation Protection (PVP) plan.

This means passengers making new reservations on or after that date will only be able to purchase Platinum PVP, the higher-tier version that will become Princess’ single coverage option going forward.

The cost of Platinum PVP varies according to fare and has historically been more expensive than Standard PVP. A 2024-2026 North American General Policies listed Standard PVP at 9 percent of the cruise cost with Platinum PVP at 12 percent.

Platinum PVP combines two components, an insurance policy underwritten by an outside insurer and a Princess-issued cancellation waiver.

The insurance portion typically covers trip interruption, trip delay, lost or delayed baggage, medical expenses, and emergency evacuation when incidents occur during a cruise.

The waiver portion gives travelers the option to cancel for non-covered reasons and still receive a refund from Princess Cruises, minus the cost of the program.

Princess Cruises’ cancellation waiver has its own pricing structure, which is separate from the insurance policy. The waiver costs 10 percent of the net cruise fare for trips up to $5,000 per person and 8 percent for cruise fares above that amount, and these rates remain in place under the updated program.

Worth Reading: Princess Cruises Withdraws Planned Visits to Historic US Town

Princess Cruises said the move is intended to reduce confusion about available coverage.

“Starting December 9, 2025, we’re making enhancements to our Princess Vacation Protection Programs,” said the cruise line. “These changes are designed to simplify choices and expand coverage where it matters most.”

Sky Princess
Sky Princess (Photo Credit: Mateus Andre)

Passengers who already have bookings will retain access to both Standard and Platinum PVP until the final payment deadline, and the same applies to anyone who books before December 9, 2025.

Any passenger who has already purchased protection on an earlier booking will keep their exact plan with no changes. Those protections remain “grandfathered” regardless of when the sailing takes place.

Loyalty Perk Ends Too

Getting rid of Standard PVP also triggers the end of a long-running loyalty perk for frequent Princess Cruises guests. Under the current system, Ruby, Platinum, and Elite Captain’s Circle members can purchase Platinum PVP for the price of Standard PVP.

Because Standard PVP will no longer be offered for new bookings made on or after December 9, this discount will no longer apply for future reservations. The benefit continues only for bookings created before the transition date where Standard PVP remains available.

Another change taking effect that day is the renaming of the At-Ease Waiver. After December 9, it will be known as Cancellation Protection, though its function remains the same.

The program allows guests to receive a refund, minus the cost of the protection, if they cancel at least 72 hours before the first part of their Princess-arranged trip.

This may be a Princess EZair flight, a hotel included in a Cruise Plus package, or a cruisetour segment rather than the cruise embarkation itself.

The process for adding Cancellation Protection stays consistent with existing rules and it must be purchased before final payment.

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If a booking is made after the final payment window has passed, the protection must be added immediately at the time of booking.

Cancellation Protection will be available for passengers around the world except for those in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Those will continue using existing region-specific structures.

Pier Runner Shows No Shame Reboarding Cruise Ship in Mexico

Catie Kovelman
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Pier Runner Shows No Shame Reboarding Cruise Ship in Mexico

Key Aspects:

  • A cruise guest was approximately 20 minutes late returning to her ship in Ensenada, Mexico.
  • Instead of showing remorse for her tardiness, she gave onlookers the middle finger.
  • She’s now been slammed on social media, with many saying she should have been barred from boarding because of her rudeness.

While there are many key etiquette rules that cruise guests can (and often do) break, one of the biggest sins in cruising is pier running.

If you haven’t heard of pier runners before, these are the cruise guests who return to their ship at the very last minute or even after the “all aboard” time at the end of a port call.

Punctual cruise guests often get a kick out of heckling pier runners for their tardiness, who are often already in a panic in their rush back to the ship.

But if one recent Carnival guest felt any remorse for her tardiness while returning late to her cruise ship in Ensenada, Mexico, she certainly didn’t show it.

Passengers onboard captured a video of an unidentified woman who arrived late to the ship slowly walking to the gangway and rudely flipping off the guests watching from the decks and their private balconies.

“This lady was the last to board in Ensenada and spent even more time flipping everyone off,” the recent guest posted on Reddit.

They went on to say that two other guests had also arrived at the last minute shortly before the final woman, but shouted their apologies and were forgiven with applause.

“This last one was just trashy. At least we were entertained,” the guest continued.

Another guest who witnessed the stunt made an appearance in the comments section and confirmed that the woman arrived approximately 20 minutes late and she wasn’t alone.

Late Cruise Passengers in Ensenada
Late Cruise Passengers in Ensenada (Credit: OpinionatedMinion)

“I was here booing them…It was a group of 4, the first two ran so we started cheering them and these two (her man isn’t in this video) were flipping us off and getting booed. Think it was about 20 minutes past the time we were supposed to depart,” the fellow passenger shared.

Read Also: Top 6 Videos Of Cruise Passengers Missing The Ship

It’s not confirmed which Carnival ship this spectacle unfolded on, but judging by the Redditor’s description of the itinerary, it was most likely Carnival Firenze.

The Venice-class ship disembarked a 5-day sailing to the Mexican Riviera in Long Beach, California, on November 18, 2025.

This now-completed sailing included a call to Ensenada on November 17.

Pier Running is Rude & Risky

All I can say is that this pier runner was acting awfully entitled after inconveniencing the thousands of other guests and crew members onboard and putting her own cruise vacation at risk.

Others on Reddit were even harsher than me, and suggested that the woman shouldn’t have even been welcomed back onboard after her rude gesture.

Worth Reading: Pier Runner Pauses for Selfie After Missing Cruise Ship

“I wonder if she is drunk? If I was security I would be kicking her off the ship for doing that and making the ship wait on her. I swear people are entitled when it comes to cruises,” one commenter wrote.

“The way I would have raced her to put the ramp up,” another joked.

Carnival does have a Code of Conduct policy that guests are required to follow, which can result in a $500 fine or other penalties if broken, but it’s unclear if any punishments were levied in response to the offensive gesture.

And in reality, this woman is simply lucky to have not missed her cruise ship.

With rare exceptions, cruise ships will not wait for latecomers because it is inconsiderate to the thousands of other timely guests onboard and they often have to adhere to strict schedules to keep the itinerary on track.

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Additionally, staying late in port can also result in additional fees for the cruise line.

If latecomers do miss their ship, they are typically not compensated for any lost cruising time and are responsible for handling their own travel arrangements to reunite with the ship or make their way home.

Carnival Tests New Back-to-Back Procedure Not All Guests Like

Melissa Mayntz
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Carnival Tests New Back-to-Back Procedure Not All Guests Like

Key Aspects:

  • Carnival Cruise Line is streamlining back-to-back cruise procedures with facial recognition technology.
  • The new process is being tested onboard Carnival Conquest and Carnival Magic, but may be introduced fleetwide.
  • Not all guests are happy with the change, but they can opt out of the technology use if preferred.

A back-to-back cruise can be a great way to enjoy a longer cruise vacation without traveling between homeports, but guests sailing more than one voyage in a row still need to complete the appropriate paperwork.

This includes customs and immigration paperwork, which is typically taken care of through passport checks and inspections in between cruises. Carnival Cruise Line is now testing how to make this process faster and smoother for their back-to-back guests.

Standard procedure on Carnival ships is that back-to-back guests need to debark their ship, speak with appropriate agents in the cruise terminal and present their identification, then reboard the ship.

Now, the cruise line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, has announced a new procedure is being put in place onboard two ships to smooth out the back-to-back process.

“Here on the Carnival Magic and Carnival Conquest we are testing something for our back to back cruisers. Working with United States Customs and Border Protection we been able to have the inspectors come onto the ship rather than these back to back guests have to walk into the terminal,” he explained.

“On board guests will use the facial recognition scanners or have a manual check with the officers and that’s it, all done.”

This will greatly speed up the procedure for back-to-back guests to switch between ships, causing less interruption to their cruise experience and letting them get back to the fun right away for their next sailing.

Read Also: Do I Need a Passport to Go on a Cruise? – Full Guide

Heald notes this new procedure is just in a test phase but may yet be rolled out to other homeports.

Carnival Magic is currently homeported from Miami, offering 6-8-night Eastern and Southern Caribbean voyages. Carnival Conquest is also homeported from Miami, but offers primarily 3-4 night Bahamas itineraries.

On both ships, eager cruisers can combine the alternating itineraries for outstanding back-to-back voyages.

Not All Guests Are Happy With the Change

Within minutes of Heald’s announcement, however, at least one unhappy guest reached out to note they would prefer not to consent to the use of facial recognition technology.

“I read about the B2Bs having facial recognition on board. I am on the Conquest. Do I have the right to not use the facial recognition,” the guest asked. “It is a 4th amendment right not to. This is a breach of the US Data Laws and Protection. Why does Carnival need this?”

Heald’s initial announcement did say that “guests will use the facial recognition scanners or have a manual check with the officers.” This seems to indicate that travelers will be able to choose if they’d rather not use facial recognition for their customs clearance.

Carnival Cruise Ships in Miami, Florida
Carnival Cruise Ships in Miami, Florida (Photo Credit: Grindstone Media Group)

When the technology was first introduced to the Port of Jacksonville in 2023, US Customs and Border Protection verified that guests can choose not to use it.

“U.S. travelers and select foreign nationals may opt out of the facial biometric process and can request a manual document check from a CBP Officer, consistent with existing requirements for admission into the United States,” they stated.

Heald does respond to the guest’s concern, noting that not all guests will be using the facial recognition even on back-to-back sailings.

“This facial recognition technology to clear USCBP is only for those guests that have a passport,” he said.

As to the amendment rights and data laws and protections, guests could consult a legal expert for those concerns. The Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution, however, only discusses against “unreasonable searches and seizures” but has no bearing on identification processes.

Nevertheless, Heald suggests “you should discuss this with the USCBP inspector who I am sure will help you accordingly.”

Does Facial Recognition Really Help Cruisers?

As facial recognition scanners have been added to different cruise homeports, both the cruise check-in and debarkation processes have been greatly sped up.

It might take 20-40 minutes to check in for a cruise, even with priority line access. Similarly, debarking and passing through customs after a cruise might take 15-20 minutes. Now, the scanners take just seconds to verify guests’ identities and keep the line moving.

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This new process will undoubtedly be welcomed by most back-to-back cruisers, giving them even more time to enjoy their vacations without interruption.

Carnival Sunshine Heads to Texas as Spirit Sails Tampa in 2027 Shakeup

Melissa Mayntz
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Carnival Sunshine Heads to Texas as Spirit Sails Tampa in 2027 Shakeup

Key Aspects:

  • Carnival Cruise Line has changed deployments and will now bring Carnival Sunshine to Texas in 2027.
  • Carnival Spirit will now be homeporting from Tampa in 2027 with Western Caribbean sailings from 6-8 nights.
  • This ends rumors that Carnival Sunshine might be retired after leaving Norfolk in 2027.

Just weeks after announcing where Carnival Spirit would bring the fun in 2027 and 2028, Carnival Cruise Line has now revised those deployment plans and is sending the ship to Tampa instead of Galveston.

At the same time, the fate of Carnival Sunshine has been announced and the popular vessel will be moving to Texas after finishing her time in Norfolk.

“We’re excited to introduce Carnival Sunshine to Galveston for the first time and bring Carnival Spirit to Tampa,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “This move allows us to serve more guests in Galveston where we continue to see strong demand and introduce new, longer Caribbean itineraries for guests sailing from Tampa.”

Carnival Spirit Moving to Tampa

In early September 2025, Carnival announced that Carnival Spirit would sail from the Lone Star State for the first time ever, offering sailings from 4-10 nights. This deployment was to have begun in October 2027, after the ship’s season in Alaska.

While Carnival Spirit will still sail in the Last Frontier in the summer of 2027, she will now be going to Tampa after the Alaska season ends.

From the Sunshine State, Carnival Spirit will offer 6-, 7-, and 8-night sailings to top Western Caribbean destinations, including Belize, Roatan, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and Mexico.

The ship will also offer several highly coveted 8-night Panama Canal sailings, and on January 30, 2028, she will set sail on a 13-night Carnival Journeys cruise to Grand Cayman, Panama, Aruba, Curacao, and Jamaica.

Carnival Sunshine in Texas

Cruising in Texas will be a little bit brighter with Carnival Sunshine now planned to homeport from the Lone Star State beginning in late 2027.

This keeps four Carnival cruise ships sailing from Galveston as planned, but brings even more guest capacity to the rapidly growing homeport.

For comparison, Carnival Spirit can welcome just 2,124 guests, while Carnival Sunshine is larger and can welcome 3,002 guests.

Carnival Sunshine in Norfolk
Carnival Sunshine in Norfolk (Photo Credit: Eli Wilson / Shutterstock)

From Texas, Carnival Sunshine will offer the 4-10 night itineraries previously planned for Carnival Spirit, plus eight new itineraries for even more cruising fun.

The 10-night sailings are expected to be especially popular with visits to Cozumel, Roatan, Jamaica, Belize, Panama, Costa Rica, and other destinations, depending on sailing date.

This will be a great relief for fans of Carnival Sunshine, now one of the oldest ships in the Carnival fleet. Some speculation had been growing that the ship might be retired after her time in Norfolk, as she would be the same age as Carnival Ecstasy was when that Fantasy-class ship was retired in 2022.

Bookings for both Carnival Spirit and Carnival Sunshine are now open and sure to be selling fast as eager cruisers take advantage of these new deployment plans.

What About Norfolk?

Carnival Cruise Line has already announced that Carnival Freedom will be moving to Norfolk, Virginia, in May 2027, following a special 15-night, one-way Carnival Journeys cruise from Port Canaveral.

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That unique sailing, departing Florida on May 8, 2027, will be visiting Aruba, Curacao, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas before arriving in the Old Dominion state on May 23.

This shakeup of deployment plans will bring more choices to the homeports Carnival guests love and gives travelers even more options for their future Fun Ship vacations.

Navigator of the Seas Waterslides Closed Amid Fleet-Wide Safety Fix

Catie Kovelman
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Navigator of the Seas Waterslides Closed Amid Fleet-Wide Safety Fix

Key Aspects:

  • Navigator of the Seas’ two waterslides will be out of service until just before Christmas due to maintenance.
  • This is part of a fleet-wide inspection and replacement process that has begun after a waterslide shattered onboard Icon of the Seas earlier this year.

Some recent guests of Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas have sounded the alarm after realizing that both waterslides onboard are currently out of commission – but this is for a very good reason.

The cruise line is replacing the clear acrylic panels on The Blaster and Riptide waterslides with new fiberglass tubing for safety reasons.

This follows a shocking incident in August, during which an acrylic glass panel onboard Icon of the Seas’ Frightening Bolt waterslide shattered while a passenger was riding it.

This prompted Royal Caribbean to close, inspect, and replace the tubing on the slides for both of the Icon-class ships.

Now, this is carrying over to inspections of the slides featured onboard the other ships in the fleet out of an abundance of caution.

“It’s those acrylic tube parts that are cracking on us. So we just said, you know what? Enough’s enough,” Captain James explained while addressing guests of Navigator of the Seas.

“And we had them checked out by engineers as well, and they said, like, you’ve got to take them out of service,” he continued.

He also mentioned that other ships were having problems, but many already had spare parts onboard, unlike Navigator of the Seas. His speech was posted on TikTok by a travel professional who goes by @traveling balloonguy2 on the platform.

He went on to explain that the engineering team has had to refabricate the parts and will soon replace the acrylic with safer and more durable fiberglass pieces.

@travelingballoonguy2

Navigator of the Seas Slide Update #royalcaribbean #captainjames #navigatoroftheseas #brokenslide #constructionzine

♬ original sound – 🎈Travelingballoonguy-Agent🛳️

Guests React to Slide Closures

The 3,368-guest Navigator of the Seas is currently homeporting in Los Angeles, California, and operating sailings to Mexico.

Even as we approach the cooler winter months, the weather is still warm enough for water-filled fun.

Understandably, some passengers have been disappointed to find that both slides are temporarily out of order upon embarking without receiving prior notice.

“So no waterslides for us I guess. Would have been nice to know what we were in for a month ago when they knew. But it’s ok, as compensation, they allowed us to make a formal complaint,” one recent guest complained on Reddit.

Out of Action Water Slide on Navigator of the Seas
Out of Action Water Slide on Navigator of the Seas (Photo Credit: Armour3d)

That said, Royal Caribbean is allowed to close off sections of the ship or specific attractions without prior notice for a variety of causes, and especially for safety-related reasons.

But thankfully, the slides won’t be out of order for too long.

Captain James said the installation of the new parts is expected to begin for the Riptide mat racer slide on December 1, 2025, and all of the maintenance should be done for both slides by December 22.

He also stated that the process is taking longer for the Voyager-class ship than it has for other Royal Caribbean ships because the new parts had to be custom-made.

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“It’s taking time because every section is like a custom section. There were other ships that had problems with theirs, but it’s just, in the whole fabrication process there were actually spare parts lying around,” Captain James explained.

“Ours had to be kind of done from new with the moulds and everything, and that’s why it’s dragging,” the master of the ship added.

In the meantime, guests looking for water-filled fun can still experience the pool and pool deck, as well as the Flowrider Surf Simulator.

Disney Cruise Line Now Restricting Very Popular Packing Item

Melissa Mayntz
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Disney Cruise Line Now Restricting Very Popular Packing Item

Key Aspects:

  • More hair dryers are being confiscated aboard Disney ships, perhaps due to voltage and wattage restrictions.
  • One travel agent has shared her hilarious experience with “Hair Jail” aboard Disney Destiny to caution others.
  • Guests on any cruise line should always check the prohibited items list to be sure what they pack is permitted.

Many cruise guests want to look their best onboard, whether glamming up for a formal night, enjoying the elevated experience of specialty dining, or just making sure they can look great in every selfie throughout their oceangoing getaway.

For many travelers, that includes specialized hair care with the appropriate styling tools. Disney Cruise Line, however, has now tightened restrictions for one very popular styling appliance: hair dryers.

One recent guest aboard the new Disney Destiny discovered this restriction the hard way, when her Gamma hair dryer was confiscated at embarkation.

Beci Mahnken shared her story on Facebook as a heads-up to other Disney cruisers so they don’t have the same awkward and embarrassing “walk of shame” to collect a confiscated item at the end of the sailing.

“My trusty blow dryer – the one I’ve used for years – it probably has Pearl status on its own – got itself confiscated on the Disney Destiny,” she described. “Yup. When I opened my bag, I got a little note: ‘Welcome aboard – we took your blow dryer!'”

The note Mahnken received included a receipt for her hair dryer, noting that it was confiscated by security and that she’d be able to pick it up in the cruise terminal in Port Everglades at the end of the sailing.

Received Ticket on Disney Destiny
Received Ticket on Disney Destiny (Photo Credit: Beci Mahnken)

True to Disney style, the note was exceedingly polite and still wished that she would “Have a magical day!” following the surprise confiscation.

Mahnken was aboard the ship’s November 10, 2025 sailing, a 3-night preview sailing for travel agents and similar industry personnel.

Why the Sudden Change in Hair Dryer Policies?

So how could such an experienced traveler, who has extensive firsthand knowledge of Disney Cruise Line, accidentally bring a prohibited item to Disney Destiny?

The policy change may be a recent one, as Mahnken claims to have brought the exact-same hair dryer with her enough to have “Pearl status of its own.”

Pearl is the highest level of Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club loyalty program. To reach that level, guests must have sailed with the premium cruise line at least 25 times. (Lucky hair dryer!)

The Pearl tier was only introduced in May 2023, as the cruise line celebrated its 25th birthday.

Mahnken speculates that the new restriction may be due to safety concerns with LNG fuel. This may not necessarily be true, however, since both Disney Wish and Disney Treasure are also LNG-powered and debuted in 2022 and 2024, respectively.

Disney Destiny, River Ems
Disney Destiny, River Ems

She notes that hers was not the only hair dryer to end up in “Hair Jail” on the cruise.

“At the end of the cruise, cue the walk of shame to the confiscated items desk in the port,” she described. “My Gamma dryer was lounging with at least 30 Dysons — all sitting there like they were on a luxury spa retreat, probably swapping blow-dryer gossip and judging the multiple steamers hanging out too.”

Read Also: What Can You Not Bring on a Cruise?

Fortunately, Mahnken took her finger-wagging confiscation with good humor and only seeks to ensure other travelers understand the policy and pack along the appropriate hair appliances for their own sailings.

What Hair Dryers Are Available for Guests to Use?

Disney Cruise Line’s prohibited items list does note that hair dryers are permitted, but only within specified operating parameters.

“Hairdryers must be 220V/2000 watts max or 110V/1500 watts max,” the list explains.

It’s unclear whether the policy has been recently updated or perhaps enforcement is becoming more consistent.

All staterooms on all Disney cruise ships are equipped with hair dryers, though they may not be guests’ preferred brand and may not have the styling attachments guests need.

Common complaints with cruise ship hair dryers are that they are often not as powerful or don’t heat up as strongly as other models. This can certainly be a concern for anyone with very thick, coarse, or challenging hair, as it can make drying one’s hair a much slower process.

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Some hair dryers are permanently attached to a specific outlet, which can make styling more of a challenge, as guests cannot move around as much as they like while using the dryer.

Most cruise lines do permit guests to pack along hair dryers, but do not have specific restrictions on models or ratings. Cruise lines do reserve the right to inspect such hair appliances, however, and anything deemed a potential safety risk will be confiscated.

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