Welcome to the latest must-read cruise news update from Cruise Hive! We’ve got the top news from all of the major cruise lines plus port of call developments.
In this week’s news recap, some of our coverage highlights include a Royal Caribbean ship delivering crucial relief supplies to Jamaica, Carnival Cruise Line rolling out a new breakfast option, and Norwegian Cruise Line reinstating its former Free at Sea bundled amenity promotion.
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Couple’s Lawsuit Charges Bedbug Infestation
In a case that could be described as having a major “ick factor,” two former guests on a Carnival Cruise Line ship are suing the brand for an alleged bedbug infestation aboard Carnival Horizon.
Catherine Shockley and William Maycock filed the lawsuit in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida on October 28, 2025. It states they were bitten by multiple bedbugs as they sailed on Carnival Horizon‘s February 15, 2025 cruise to the Southern Caribbean from Miami.
After experiencing bites and severe itching on their arms, legs, and faces, they inspected their bedding and allegedly found live bedbugs and evidence of bedbug eggs. The couple notified the crew but claimed no action was taken, and they were not moved to another stateroom.
They are seeking damages to cover medical costs and lost property, and for emotional distress and scarring.
The cruise line’s protocol for bedbug problems includes chemical treatments followed by inspections. Shockley and Maycock indicated that they saw crew members fumigate nearby staterooms, which could indicate that the cruise line knew of a bug infestation.
Betting on Bagels Aboard Carnival Panorama
Carnival Cruise Line is going big on bagels. The line’s new Bagels @ Sea breakfast offering is being tried out onboard one ship, the 4,000-guest Carnival Panorama.
Offered during breakfast hours in the space occupied by the Pizzeria del Capitano on Deck 10, the new menu offers multiple sandwiches on bagels.
These include Carnival Lox, featuring smoked salmon and cream cheese with capers, onion, fennel, and avocado, and Breakfast Club, a western omelet with sausage, bacon, cheddar cheese, chive cream cheese, and a special sauce.
Or, how about Powerhouse Protein, featuring pesto chicken and egg whites with spinach, avocado, tomato, and pepper jack cheese? And there’s more!
Guests can also mix and match items or just have a plain bagel with cream cheese if they wish. The best part is that the new breakfast offering is included in the cruise fare.
Carnival Cruise Line has not disclosed whether Bagels @ Sea will be expanded to other ships. Carnival Panorama is homeported at Long Beach, California.
Cruise Line Delivers Relief Supplies to Jamaica
Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas made an important port call to Falmouth, Jamaica, on November 4, 2025, when it delivered 120 pallets of relief supplies following the devastating Category 5 hurricane that hit the region two weeks ago.
Sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Tampa on November 2, 2025, the ship was to call at the port per her scheduled itinerary. But due to hurricane damage, no guests disembarked at Falmouth. Instead, supplies were unloaded, and the ship went on her way.
Supplies included bottled water, non-perishable foods, medical supplies, and other needed items — all part of a $1 million pledge the line has made to the island’s recovery.
Hurricane Melissa caused major infrastructure damage and flooding across Jamaica, and also impacted the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the Bahamas before heading out of the Caribbean. Jamaica was the hardest hit.
Other cruise lines have pledged donations to aid in the recovery efforts on the island, which is home to the busy cruise ports of Ocho Rios and Falmouth.
Carnival Cruise Line Unveils Turkey Day Menu
Those lucky cruisers who get to spend their Thanksgiving holiday onboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship will be able to indulge in all of the delights of a traditional turkey-day menu, and then some.
The cruise line disclosed its holiday menu, which, along with the usual Thanksgiving favorites, offers dishes for vegetarians as well as those who just want a nice, thick, juicy steak!
For the traditionalists, the ships’ main dining rooms will feature roasted turkey with all the fixins’, including stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green beans, gravy, and cranberry relish.
Beef lovers can order the blue cheese-crusted filet mignon with black truffle jus, mustard potatoes, and roasted vegetables, while vegetarians can go for salmon Wellington, baked in puff pastry with a spinach and tarragon cream sauce.
Let’s not forget about dessert! Guests can enjoy traditional dishes like pumpkin pie, cheesecake, or caramel apple cobbler, or select the ultimate in dessert comfort food — warm chocolate melting cake.
Guests who would rather dine in the Lido Marketplace buffet will not be disappointed, since turkey and the traditional side dishes will be available there, too.
Royal Caribbean Reveals 2027 Florida Deployments
Royal Caribbean will make its presence in Florida known in 2027 with the deployment of five ships to three of the Sunshine State’s ports in April of that year.
Port Canaveral will be homeport for three ships year-round, while PortMiami and Port Tampa Bay each host one ship. Between the various options, guests will choose from 2-night getaway cruises to weeklong and 8-night voyages.
All of the ships destined for the Florida ports are mega-ships, except for one — the 2,500-guest Radiance of the Seas. The smaller vessel will be based at Tampa, sailing 4- to 8-night voyages to the Western Caribbean.
The star of the show may well be the 5,600-guest Star of the Seas, the cruise line’s newest ship, which will be based at Port Canaveral and offer 7-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.
Other ships bound for the Central Florida port are Utopia of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, sailing 3- and 4-night cruises and 7-night voyages, respectively.
Based at PortMiami, Wonder of the Seas will sail 3- and 4-night getaways to the Bahamas.
Virtually all of the cruises will call at Royal Caribbean’s private island destinations, such as Perfect Day at CocoCay, as well as those not yet open but in the works.
These include Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, set to open in December 2025, and Royal Beach Club Cozumel, slated to debut in 2026.
NCL Brings Back Popular Free at Sea Promotion
Norwegian Cruise Line guests can say goodbye to More at Sea and hello to Free at Sea.
The line has relaunched its Free at Sea promotion after cancelling it a year ago and replacing it with More at Sea. Free at Sea was popular, and will likely be again, since it provides a bundled package of benefits that can reflect a value of about $2,000 on a 7-night cruise.
Perks are based on cruise length and include unlimited open bar, WiFi, three specialty dining meal credits, and $50 in shore excursion credits at every port (tours must be booked through the line).
The package is typically offered for the first two guests booked in a cabin, although on some sailings, it can include a third and fourth passenger sharing the stateroom. The Free at Sea package can also be personalized by removing parts of the promotion and reducing the cruise cost.
The Free at Sea plan announcement included Norwegian Cruise Line’s Black Friday deal, which offers a 50% discount on all voyages.
Cruise Guests Receive Warning Tied to Legionnaires
A safety warning about Legionnaires’ disease was sent to current and former guests of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic after it was learned that two past guests had contracted the illness.
Its November 4, 2025 alert explained that while it is unknown how or where the ill guests had contracted the disease, any current or former passengers should immediately contact medical professionals if they begin to experience symptoms of the disease.
These include fever, headache, coughing, muscle aches, and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is investigating the case.
The CDC says Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the Legionella bacteria, and emerges as pneumonia in infected victims. The bacteria does not spread person-to-person, but rather is found in water droplets from showers, misters, hot tubs, fountains, and other water sources.
In the past, there have been other suspected cases of Legionnaires’ disease impacting a cruise ship, although they are very rare.
More Cruise Headlines
Cruise Hive has plenty more stories you ought to know about. Check out our coverage on a Royal Caribbean ship hosting a motorcycle-themed cruise in 2026; Florida’s Port Canaveral marking a double-digit rise in cruise ship calls in 2025; and Holland America Line deploying two ships to South America in 2027-28.
Also, an email glitch frustrates some Virgin Voyages’ guests, and an MSC Cruises’ ship connects to shore power in New York for the first time.
