It’s easy to keep up with all the big cruise news stories of the week. Just check out Cruise Hive’s recap of the major developments.
Among our top stories in this week’s edition: MSC Cruises ditches winter voyages from New York in 2026-27, a power loss leaves a ship drifting in the Ionian Sea, and a big brawl breaks out at Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay.
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Power Loss Causes Ship to Drift in the Ionian Sea
A power outage aboard Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Constellation impacted hotel operations for about two hours on August 3, 2025, as the ship sailed from Kotor, Montenegro, to Messina, Sicily.
The power loss also affected the ship’s speed, which was reduced to practically nothing — maybe 2 knots, when she would normally travel at a rate of about 24 knots. The loss of propulsion caused the ship to temporarily drift in the Ionian Sea.
Celebrity Constellation, which launched in 2002, had departed Ravenna, Italy, on July 28, 2025 and was sailing an 11-night cruise to Rome. During the power loss, guests reported there was no air conditioning, no working toilets, and no hot foods for dinner that night.
The cruise line offered no reason for the outage on the 2,184-guest ship. Celebrity Constellation was due to conclude her sailing on August 8, 2025 in Rome, and cruise tracking showed the ship in Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, on that date.
Thankfully, the situation was remedied fairly quickly, never rising to the level of the so-called Poop Cruise aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Triumph in 2013, when a major power loss kept toilets out of order for several days.
Cruise Line Nixes Exemptions on Beverage Plan
There will be no more exemptions from Royal Caribbean’s no-sharing policy when it comes to the line’s deluxe drink package.
The cruise line requires that if one person in a stateroom buys the drink package, everyone staying in the same cabin must do so as well. This is to avoid having guests share the package. However, exemptions were being made.
For instance, if one person bought the plan, another would make a special request, asking to be allowed to buy the non-alcoholic Royal Refreshment package, or just a soda package instead.
That arrangement would be a money saver for guests, since the deluxe beverage package can cost up to $115 per person, per day, while the Refreshment package tops out at $45 and the soda plan at $20.
The cruise line would often agree to the exemption, but no more. Starting on August 1, 2025, the line is no longer granting such requests, which had increased over time, Royal Caribbean said.
Guests Alerted to New Jet Ski Rule in Bahamas
Teenagers under 18 years old can no longer drive the jet skis at Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay private island destination in the Bahamas, thanks to a law newly enacted by the Bahamian government.
Previously, the minimum age to drive the Wave Jets at CocoCay was 16, but no more. The younger guests can ride as a passenger on jet skis, they just cannot be the driver under the new rule. The minimum age for riding on a jet ski is 10.
Jet ski excursions are a popular activity for guests whose ships call at the private destination.
The change in the law came to light recently, when guests booked on the cruise line’s “Wave Jet Driver and Passenger” excursion were notified of the new age rule.
Bahamian officials began reviewing their water sports regulations after several tourists were injured and one died as a result of a jet ski accident.
The new law applies to all cruise lines that operate private island retreats in the Bahamas.
Brand Ambassador Aims to Settle “Buttergate”
Social media posts have created yet another controversy about cruise ship dining, this time about whether Carnival Cruise Line serves butter or margarine in its main dining rooms.
One perturbed guest put the question to Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald, who fields a lot of interesting questions and comments on his popular Facebook page.
Since the pats of butter (presumably) are wrapped in unlabeled foil, it’s hard to know what the substance actually is. Some guests commented that the cruise line is looking to save money and has downgraded from butter to margarine.
But Heald says no, that is not the case — it absolutely is real butter being served. Those who want margarine can request it, he noted.
Heald also asked that guests help spread the word, in an effort to dispel the margarine rumor. Butter has come up before on Heald’s social media page. One guest had complained that the butter he was served was too cold and firm, and should have been softened. It’s always something.
MSC Cruises Chooses Miami Over New York in 2026-27
MSC Cruises is bidding farewell to the Big Apple for the winter 2026-27 season with the deployment of MSC Meraviglia to PortMiami.
The 4,400-guest ship will sail 6- and 8-night Caribbean and Bahamas cruises, although itineraries have not yet been revealed. In fact, the cruise line hasn’t officially confirmed the repositioning, but booked guests have begun receiving notices with rebooking options.
The line detailed several choices. Guests can cancel and receive a full refund, or a future cruise credit in the amount paid for the original booking. The new booking would have to be made within one year.
For those who wish to rebook on an MSC Meraviglia cruise from PortMiami, they can choose a specific 6- or 8-night voyage in the same stateroom category and for the same month as their original cruise.
The 8-night option comes with one extra free night and a $50 per person onboard credit, while the 6-night cruise offers a $100 per person onboard credit.
Finally, guests can choose a 7-night voyage from Miami, Port Canaveral, or Galveston.
Two More Ships Will Offer Popular Vibe Beach Club
Vibe Beach Club, Norwegian Cruise Line’s exclusive adult-only retreat, is being added to two more ships, Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Pearl, when the ships enter dry-dock in fall 2025.
Just nine of the cruise line’s 20 ships have the club, so the addition of two more vessels is big news. The beach club offers an exclusive adult-only experience with hot tubs, lounge chairs, seven private cabanas, a pool, a full-service bar, and personalized services.
The venue will be located on a Deck 14 sundeck area on both ships. The vibe at the beach club is designed to be quiet and serene, and comes with luxury amenities such as chilled towels and fresh fruit on skewers.
The work will be completed during Norwegian Jewel’s dry-dock, from September 25 to October 15, 2025, while Norwegian Pearl’s is set for November 3 to 23, 2025.
The adult retreat is limited to guests age 18 and older, and those who wish to partake in the luxury treatment must buy a day pass, which varies depending on cruise length.
Bad Behavior Goes on Display at CocoCay
What could there possibly be to fight about if you’re enjoying the Oasis Lagoon at Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay, perhaps sitting at the swim-up bar under sunny skies?
Some people apparently found a reason, and their actions led to a full-blown brawl in the freshwater pool. Two ships were calling at the private retreat that day, Utopia of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas. Both ships were sailing 3-night getaway cruises from Port Canaveral and Fort Lauderdale, respectively.
The altercations were, of course, filmed and posted on social media, and the video shows pushing, shoving, name-calling, and other angry exchanges between a large group of people.
The physical attacks appeared to leave hair and blood in the water, so the facility was immediately shut down to be cleaned.
Royal Caribbean has not commented on the incident, but could take action against those responsible since its Guest Conduct Policy states that verbally abusive or offensive language directed toward anyone is not permitted.
More Cruise Headlines
There’s no point stopping now! Read on for more important cruise news stories from us!
This past week, we’ve also covered malfunctioning indoor sprinklers that rained down on Wonder of the Seas’ guests, part of a waterslide breaking apart on Icon of the Seas, and a Virgin Voyages ship making the cruise line’s first call in Iceland.
Also, there’s a glacial lake outburst expected to cause major flooding in Juneau, Alaska, and steel has been cut for a new Disney Cruise Line ship at a German shipyard.
