After another busy week of cruise news, it’s time to recap the big developments you need to know about.
In this week’s update, we have coverage of a huge theft of cars from a UK cruise terminal parking venue, a Carnival Cruise Line guest who debarked at a Caribbean port and deliberately disappeared, and a Norwegian Cruise Line guest who got stuck in a waterslide tube.
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Disney Destiny Sails Complex Route on Ems River
Cruise ships move forward while sailing, sideways while docking, and even in circles if adrift, but backward?
Yes, they do, when they are navigating the complex River Ems, near the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
Cruise ships that are constructed at the shipyard, which is located 20 miles up the river from the turbulent North Sea, must undertake a complicated conveyance on the river when leaving the shipyard. It happened this week with Disney Cruise Line’s new Disney Destiny.
Apparently, sailing backward provides greater maneuverability and better sight lines for the captain or pilot in charge of navigation, and protects the ship’s propellers from the riverbed.
The 144,000-gross-ton Disney Destiny began her trip down the river just before noon on September 19, 2025 and arrived in Eemshaven, Netherlands, on September 21, 2025. The new-build will be officially handed over to the cruise line soon, although the exact date has not been announced.
Construction of the ship began in March 2024. Her maiden voyage is set for November 20, 2025, a 4-night Bahamas cruise roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, her US homeport.
Guest Debarks on Port Visit, Asks to Be Left Alone
A disappearance was reported by Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Horizon as the ship called at Kralendijk, Bonaire, during a Southern Caribbean voyage: A 47-year-old female guest failed to return to the ship by the all-aboard time.
As departure time approached, the ship issued several onboard announcements asking her to make herself known, and probably tried to contact her by email or text.
The case took a strange turn when the guest, Jessica Collins, texted one of the ship’s Care Team members with a message that said she is safe and does not want to be found or contacted.
She had debarked the ship on September 17, 2025 with all of her belongings — she had apparently boarded with just a backpack, and had left a thank-you note and a tip for her cabin steward.
Since the cruise line had reported her missing to Bonaire authorities, local officials began a search for the woman.
It is unknown why Collins left the ship, which had departed from PortMiami on the 8-night cruise.
Debarking from a cruise ship is not a sanctioned entry method for emigrating to Bonaire, or any destination. But perhaps that was not her motive.
Video of Waterslide Tube Mishap Goes Viral
Imagine getting stuck inside a waterslide tube, high above the open ocean. It happened to a female guest on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, and the mishap was caught on video and posted on social media.
It garnered more than 7 million views and close to 10,000 comments in just a few days, as scores of people watched the guest struggle after coming to a full standstill at a point in the Ocean Loops slide where the water level is very low.
The 13-second video shows the woman trying to move along inside the slide, which is positioned high above the ocean. She eventually manages to get past the low point and continue on her way.
It isn’t known which ship the guest was sailing on, although only three Norwegian ships have the slide — Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy, and Norwegian Encore. All three were sailing Alaska cruises around the time the video was posted on TikTok on September 19, 2025.
Some commenters indicated that they would have felt panic if they had experienced such an incident. Others said that being stuck in a slide over the ocean would cause them feelings of claustrophobia, breathing difficulties, and emotional distress.
Massive Car Theft Hits Southampton Cruise Parking Lot
Many cruisers choose voyages at ports they can drive to, thereby avoiding the inconvenience of air travel, and usually things work out just fine. But not always.
More than a dozen cruise passengers who recently sailed from Southampton, England, returned from their at-sea vacations to find their cars had been stolen from an indoor parking lot near the port’s cruise terminals.
The thefts of 17 cars apparently happened on September 9 and 10, 2025, impacting guests who had sailed on various cruise ships homeporting at Southampton.
The cars were parked in a locked warehouse, so it is unclear how thieves could have reached them. Local media reported that the facility is located on First Avenue in Millbrook and is operated by Southampton Cruise Parking Services.
A free shuttle service to and from the cruise terminal is offered to guests who leave their cars at the indoor lot, which is claimed to have 24-hour surveillance and security with CCTV.
Among the ships based at Southampton whose passengers might have been impacted were Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas, Cunard’s Queen Anne and Queen Mary 2, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Fantasy, and Princess Cruises’ Regal Princess.
Royal Caribbean Confirms Plans to Build ‘Icon 5’
There will be yet another Icon-class ship coming to Royal Caribbean in 2028 — temporarily named Icon 5, now that the cruise line has confirmed an order for the ship.
The confirmation was part of an extension of the cruise line’s partnership with the Meyer Turku shipyard. The line already has an option for Icon 6, and the extension adds an option for Icon 7. It means that the Finnish shipyard now has contractual agreements with Royal Caribbean through 2036.
The cruise line introduced the popular Icon class with the 248,663-gross-ton Icon of the Seas in 2024. Star of the Seas debuted in August 2025, and Legend of the Seas is due to launch in summer 2026.
Also on the roster is Icon 4, slated to enter service in 2027. The mega-ships accommodate 5,600 guests in double occupancy and 7,600 with all berths occupied. Counting crew, the ships can sail with nearly 10,000 people onboard.
New ships are not the only additions coming to Royal Caribbean in the next few years. The Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, in the Bahamas, is scheduled to open in December 2025, a beach club is scheduled to open in Cozumel, Mexico, in 2026, and Perfect Day Mexico is slated to open in 2027.
Speed Problem Delays Ship’s Return to Big Apple
Cruise ships typically return to their homeports at the end of a voyage first thing in the morning, but that wasn’t the case for Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Escape, thanks to a technical problem that reduced the ship’s speed.
The 4,200-guest ship began a 5-night Bermuda cruise from New York on September 19, 2025 and was due back to port by 7 a.m. on September 24, 2025. However, the propulsion problem forced the ship to sail more slowly, arriving at about 2 p.m. that afternoon.
The vessel was sailing at about 16 knots. Her top speed is around 23 knots.
It caused some problems. First, debarking guests with early flights had to be rebooked. Those who booked air with the cruise line had arrangements automatically updated, and the line provided up to $300 (USD) in reimbursement for any non-refundable or not-covered airline change or cancellation fees for those who booked air independently.
Also, the delayed debark process meant that guests on the ship’s next sailing experienced a delayed embarkation. Normally, guests can begin embarking around noon, but guests on the September 24, 2025 cruise were not able to board the ship until between 4 and 8 p.m.
The cruise line has not indicated what caused the speed issue.
Prank Ducks’ Free Drink Offer Is One Big Joke
We’ve heard of Mallard ducks, baby ducks, and even dead ducks, and now there’s something new — prank ducks.
They’ve been found on Carnival Cruise Line ships. First, for those who don’t know, cruise ducks are a bit of onboard fun for some guests on various cruise lines. People hide them for others to find, and it’s all in good fun.
But now, someone is hiding prank ducks that come with a tag that states: “Congratulations! You have found one of our ducks! 1 free drink redeemable at the casino bar! Thank you for sailing with Carnival!”
Carnival Cruise Line has not hidden any of the prank ducks, and the free drink is not a valid offer.
Cruise line brand ambassador John Heald addressed the issue on his popular Facebook page, asking whoever is responsible for the duck prank to stop.
Heald noted that it puts the ships’ bartenders and servers in a negative situation when they have to deny guests the free drink and explain that they are the victims of a joke.
More Cruise Headlines
Did you know that Virgin Voyages unveiled a new cruise fare structure, or that Celebrity River Cruises opened all of its inventory for sale on two new river ships? These and other articles are found on Cruise Hive, your go-to source for cruise news.
Other stories you’ll want to read include coverage of Princess Cruises taking delivery of Star Princess, Royal Caribbean moving its ships out of the way of developing storms, and an MSC Cruises’ ship soon to be upgraded to offer the line’s MSC Yacht Club.
