It’s time to get going with Cruise Hive’s weekly news recap that keeps you up to date on major industry developments as well as unique cruise stories from across the globe.
Today’s edition includes coverage of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings unveiling a loyalty-match program across its three brands, a cruiser having to pay a hefty fee for bringing a huge amount of cash into Canada, and a well-known Hollywood couple being chosen as godparents to Princess Cruises’ Star Princess.
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NCL Adds Fee for Ordering Multiple Entrees
Guests opting for a meal in the main dining rooms aboard Norwegian Cruise Line ships will have to fork over $5 for each additional entree they order.
The new charge, which was quietly added to menus recently, is likely intended to discourage food waste and to prevent “travel influencers” from ordering multiple entrees just to take photos of them.
There continues to be no charge for ordering one entree. Also, there is unlikely to be any additional charge if an entree is sent back to the kitchen, for instance, because it is overcooked or undercooked.
Other cruise lines also charge for multiple entrees. Carnival Cruise Line, for example, allows guests to order up to two entrees but then adds a $5 fee for each additional entree.
And most cruise lines will add an up-charge for premium items, such as lobster or caviar, served in complimentary main dining rooms. These charges are typically clearly shown on menus.
The policy change followed an earlier decision by Norwegian Cruise Line to begin charging a $10 per person fee to those who make a reservation in a specialty restaurant but then don’t show up.
Norwegian to Honor Loyalty Tiers Across Brands
Starting with cruises departing on and after October 15, 2025, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings will match guests’ loyalty tier status across its three cruise brands.
The new Loyalty Status Honoring Program matches status levels for members of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Latitudes Rewards, Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Club, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Society.
The three brands combined operate 34 ships, and the idea behind the loyalty match is to encourage guests to sail on more than one brand. Norwegian Cruise Line is considered a mass market brand, while Oceania is a premium line, and Regent offers an ultra-luxury experience.
The cross-brand loyalty matches are not automatic, as guests must request the match at least 10 days before each cruise. For each request, guests’ loyalty levels will be honored at each brand’s nearest corresponding tier.
The move follows a similar tactic by Royal Caribbean Group, which recently unveiled a loyalty match program for its three brands, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises.
Cruise Ship Rescues Refugees From Raft Near Cuba
Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas was sailing an alternative route between Mexico and Cuba due to poor weather in the Bahamas, and the revised itinerary proved to be a lucky break for a group of refugees stranded on a raft.
On September 28, 2025, the ship was sailing from Tampa to Mexico for port calls at Costa Maya and Cozumel when she encountered the unstable raft with eight or nine people onboard. It was just after sunset, and the refugees used lights to signal the cruise ship for assistance.
The 2,252-guest Enchantment of the Seas immediately launched a lifeboat and brought the refugees onboard, where they received medical care and food. Appropriate authorities were notified, including the Mexican Coast Guard.
It is not unusual for refugees to be located in boats and other watercraft in the waters near Cuba, and under maritime law, ships that come upon them are required to assist.
There was no effect on the cruise itinerary, and Enchantment of the Seas proceeded as planned. The original itinerary was to be a 5-night Bahamas and Perfect Day at CocoCay cruise, but storms swirling near the Bahamas in the western Atlantic caused the voyage to be altered.
Cruiser Makes Expensive Mistake in Canada
The failure by a cruise guest to disclose that he was carrying a large amount of cash into Canada left him $1,000 in the red.
That was the penalty the traveler paid for not declaring he was bringing about $23,000 into the country during his Canada/New England cruise aboard Princess Cruises’ Enchanted Princess.
The guest, who hailed from India and has not been identified, should have revealed the cash upon arrival at Saint John, New Brunswick, on September 3, 2025. Canada has no limit on the amount travelers can bring into the country — they simply have to declare anything over $10,000 Canadian.
The money was discovered by officials of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), who had boarded the ship as part of their routine customs process. Agents seized the funds, and the guest was required to pay the $1,000 fine in order to get the money back.
CBSA posted the action on social media, with a cautionary warning to others that such sums of cash must be disclosed upon entry into Canada.
The US has the same disclosure limit, of $10,000 USD. There was no indication that the cruise guest ran into similar trouble in any US port during his sailing.
Hollywood Celebrity Couple to Name Star Princess
A-list Hollywood celebrity Matthew McConaughey is known for his superb acting talent and his philanthropy toward children’s health and education programs, and he will soon add another achievement as godparent, with his wife Camila, to Princess Cruises’ new Star Princess.
The cruise line chose the couple for their “signature warmth and spirit.” They are also the founders of their own company, Pantalones Organic Tequila, which is part of Princess’ Love Line Premium Liquors collection, sold on the line’s ships.
The christening ceremony is set for November 6, 2025 at Port Everglades, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the new-build’s US homeport. More details about the festive event are yet to come.
The 4,300-guest ship, second in the line’s Sphere class after Sun Princess, will make her debut in Barcelona on October 4, 2025, when she sails her inaugural cruise from the Spanish city.
The ship will sail a second cruise from Barcelona before operating her transatlantic crossing to Florida. After the christening event, the ship will sail a 3-night cruise to Princess Cays, Bahamas, and then begin operating 7- and 14-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings through mid-April 2026.
Star Princess will deploy to Seattle in April 2026 and sail Alaska cruises during the summer season.
Norwegian Cruise Line Announces a Big Homeport Swap
The Norwegian Cruise Line ships now homeporting in Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida — Norwegian Gem and Norwegian Dawn, respectively, are swapping deployments starting in November 2026.
It means that Norwegian Dawn will sail from Jacksonville, on the East Coast, and Norwegian Gem will operate from Tampa, on the Gulf Coast. There is not much difference between the two ships except that Norwegian Dawn is slightly smaller in terms of double occupancy capacity.
The cruise line has not disclosed a reason for the swapped deployments.
All previously published cruises on both ships, from November 2026 to spring 2027, are cancelled, and booked guests have been notified. New itineraries are expected soon.
The line also revealed that, due to port availability, several sailings in late 2026 aboard Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Joy also are being cancelled.
In 2026, Norwegian Getaway’s November 16, 20, and 25, and December 14 and 18 cruises are cancelled, as are Norwegian Joy’s December 18, 21, 24, and 28 voyages.
Guests on the cancelled sailings are being offered future cruise credits, as the line hopes to garner as many rebookings as possible.
Shutdown Has Limited Effect on Cruise Vacationers
Travelers preparing for their cruise vacations can expect little impact on their plans resulting from the US government shutdown, since federal airport and cruise port employees continue to work, albeit on an unpaid basis.
This includes TSA agents, FAA staff, including air traffic controllers, and Customs and Border Control agents, who are all considered essential workers and must report to their posts as scheduled.
The government shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, forced the closure of some federally operated attractions, such as national parks and museums, frequently visited on port calls. This will affect some shore excursions, including, for example, to the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John.
The biggest challenge for cruisers is likely coming from possible delays in airport security lines and customs processing at air and cruise ports. With hiring and training programs paused, staffing shortages could affect some operations.
Cruisers should continue to arrive at their departure airport two hours ahead of domestic flights and three hours for international flights. However, to avoid any serious delay, it’s always a good idea for cruisers to arrive in their departure port city the day before their ship sails.
More Cruise Headlines
Here are even more top stories from Cruise Hive in the past week: Carnival Cruise Line will move Carnival Venezia from New York to Miami in 2027; the dreaded norovirus stomach bug impacted a Royal Caribbean cruise sailing from San Diego; and a storm with high winds caused an MSC Cruises’ ship to ditch a port call in Norway.
Also, Royal Caribbean unveiled the Bahamian-vibe tender boats it will use to transport guests to its new beach club in Nassau, and Marella Cruises has lost out on a plan to have two new-builds join its fleet.
