We’re here with another busy cruise news roundup, with some of the biggest stories that captured the industry from the past week.
Did you hear that Carnival Cruise Line will offer short getaway sailings on Mardi Gras? Which Royal Caribbean ship had to miss scenic cruising in Alaska due to a landslide?
And sadly, two cruise guests were swept away on a Greek Island. Along with an overboard situation from the Norwegian Star. We have all of that covered, and much more.
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Disney Cruise Line Pulling Out of Australia Market
Disney Cruise Line is giving a thumbs-down to cruising Down Under, at least for a while.
The brand’s 2,700-guest Disney Wonder began operating seasonal cruises in Australia and New Zealand in 2023. The cruise line announced that, following the upcoming 2025-26 season, it will not return to the destination for the 2026-27 season.
The cruise line gave no reason for the change, but said the region remains on the cruise line’s list of potential deployments in future years.
From October 2025 to February 2026, Disney Wonder will sail 3- to 5-night cruises roundtrip from Auckland, New Zealand, and Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, and a 10-night voyage between Auckland and Sydney.
The final roundtrip voyage is a 3-night sailing that departs from Sydney on January 30, 2026. The ship will sail a 15-night cruise from Sydney to Honolulu, Hawaii, on February 2, 2026.
Disney Wonder will then deploy to San Diego for a series of cruises to Catalina Island and Baja Mexico from March 2, 2026 to May 7, 2026, when she sails north to Vancouver, British Columbia. The ship will spend summer 2026 sailing 7-night Alaska cruises roundtrip from Vancouver.
Greek Tragedy Claims Lives of Two Cruise Guests
Gale force winds up to 50 mph caused a cruise guest to lose her balance and fall into the ocean at Sarakiniko Beach on the Greek island of Milos.
The 64-year-old woman was said to be taking a selfie at the time. Her 65-year-old husband attempted to reach her but also fell into the water.
The two, both Vietnam nationals who were sailing on Celestyal Journey’s 7-night Idyllic Greece cruise, tragically drowned.
The names of the drowning victims were not released, indeed, neither was the name of the ship they were sailing on. However, according to port data, the only cruise ship visiting Milos that day, August 8, 2025, was Celestyal Cruises’ Celestyal Journey, which is based in Athens and sails Greece and Turkey itineraries.
The section of Milos where the tragedy happened is known for its strong winds and rough water due to erosion and a lack of vegetation. The island was the final port call on the ship’s itinerary.
The recovery of the two victims was also challenging due to the conditions at the time. Several private boats were involved in locating the couple.
Guest in Waterslide Mishap Sues Royal Caribbean
A cruise guest who was injured when a section of the Frightening Bolt waterslide aboard Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas broke away is now suing the cruise line.
The guest, whose name has not been released, is represented by the Miami-based Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A., a law firm that specializes in maritime and cruise passenger injuries.
The incident happened on August 7, when a section of the slide’s acrylic glass fell off, sending water gushing onto occupied lounge chairs below.
None of those on the deck below were injured, but one man who was inside the slide when the break happened sustained lacerations to his legs and hands.
The full extent of his injuries is unknown. The ship’s medical crew responded to the scene and treated the injured guest. The law firm hasn’t yet detailed what its client will be seeking in terms of damages or compensation.
The cruise line has closed the waterslide until further notice, not just on Icon of the Seas, but also on sister ship Star of the Seas, and is in the process of investigating what caused the break.
Mardi Gras to Sail Shorter Itineraries in 2027
Are shorter cruise getaways the next big thing? Carnival Cruise Line seems to think so.
It has disclosed that the 5,282-guest Mardi Gras, the first of the line’s three existing Excel-class mega-ships, will begin sailing 4- and 5-night itineraries from Florida’s Port Canaveral starting in May 2027.
Up to now, all three Excel ships, Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee, have sailed only 7-night and longer voyages.
The debut of Mardi Gras’ shorter offerings will coincide with the launch of the fourth in the class, Carnival Festivale, in 2027. That ship also will be based at Port Canaveral.
The first of the short getaway voyages, a 5-night cruise, will depart on May 22, 2027 and call at Celebration Key, RelaxAway Half Moon Cay, and Nassau, all in the Bahamas.
The first 4-night sailing will depart on May 25, 2027 and visit Celebration Key and RelaxAway Half Moon Cay.
The short cruises are open for sale and are intended to give prospective guests more variety in their vacation-at-sea options.
Elderly Man Reported Overboard Off Newfoundland
Cruise guests sailing aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Star on a 14-night cruise from New York to Reykjavik, Iceland, were awakened by the urgent “Code Oscar” on the public address system.
It was early morning, around 5 a.m., on August 12, 2025, and a guest had apparently gone overboard as the ship sailed toward Nuuk, Greenland. The 2,300-guest ship turned around, lifeboats were lowered, and crew began their emergency maneuvers to locate the guest.
A 79-year-old man was recovered from the water, but the cruise line has not confirmed whether he survived the ordeal. It has said only that appropriate authorities were contacted and an investigation is under way.
The ship was sailing off Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, when the man went overboard. The ship had already called at Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia, and Corner Brook, Newfoundland before the incident.
Norwegian Star will make two port calls in Greenland and three in Iceland before arriving in Reykjavik.
Landslide Causes Ship to Miss Alaska’s Tracy Arm Fjord
At least one ship, Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas, had to skip the scenic cruising area of Tracy Arm Fjord on August 13, 2025 due to a landslide that caused a massive amount of debris to enter the water.
The event, which prompted a tsunami of 10- to 15-foot-high waves in the region, affected Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm on August 10, 2025. The two arms — prime scenic cruising grounds on Alaska voyages, are waterways into Holkham Bay.
The destinations are viewed by ship, as no shore excursions are offered at either arm. The cruise line informed guests that the US Coast Guard had deemed the area hazardous to navigate.
As a result, the ship continued on her itinerary to the next port call, Juneau, and thanks to an earlier arrival guests had several more hours to spend exploring the capital city.
Additional scheduled port calls to Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan are slated to proceed as planned. The 7-night cruise will end in Vancouver, British Columbia, on August 17.
First Cruises Aboard Carnival Festivale Open For Sale And New Details
Carnival Cruise Line fans can start booking vacations aboard Carnival Festivale, the line’s fourth ship in the Excel class, now that sales have opened for her first 50 or so itineraries. The cruise line also offered a peek into the ship’s massive waterpark.
The 5,300-guest ship, which accommodates 6,400 with all berths occupied, will sail her inaugural transatlantic voyage from Southampton, UK, to Port Canaveral on May 2, 2027.
From the Central Florida port, the ship’s first cruise, a 4-night Bahamas sailing, will depart on May 19, 2027. Calls will be made to Celebration Key and RelaxAway Half Moon Cay, both private island destinations.
Six- and 8-night Eastern and Southern Caribbean cruises will be featured after that, with every itinerary visiting Celebration Key, which opened in July 2025.
The ship will sport the biggest waterpark of any Carnival ship. At Carnival WaterWorks Ultra, guests can experience six waterslides, two raft slides, and two mini slides for children.
Carnival Festivale is under construction at a Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany,
More Cruise Headlines
Now that you’re updated on the big stories, check out even more coverage on Cruise Hive, including Margaritaville at Sea unveiling several Halloween-theme cruises, Princess Cruises’ new-build Star Princess completing her sea trials, and a new study revealing the world’s most stunning port calls.
Also, a Carnival Cruise Line ship receives a special, airborne farewell marking her last sailing from the UK Port of Dover, and an MSC Cruises’ ship will soon arrive at the Port of Galveston with new family entertainment options.
