Maryland’s Attorney General is pursuing legal action against Capital Jazz and its owner for failing to provide refunds to cruise guests.
The company allegedly owes at least $642,240 to cruisers from a cancelled music-themed SuperCruise in March.
Capital Jazz has also stopped paying the penalties from a 2025 legal settlement over earlier unpaid refunds.
Maryland’s Attorney General Anthony G. Brown is pursuing charges against Capital Jazz and its owner, Clifford Hunte. This should be music to the ears of guests who are awaiting refunds from the cancelled Capital Jazz SuperCruise that should have set sail in March of 2026.
The music-themed cruise was supposed to sail to the Caribbean from March 22-29 onboard MSC Divina, but MSC Cruises cancelled the private charter in November of 2025 after the event organizer failed to pay the cruise line timely.
By the time news of the cancellation made its way to guests approximately four months later, many passengers had already paid thousands of dollars to secure their bookings and to book flights and hotels near PortMiami.
Allegedly, the Maryland-based company continued to accept new bookings, along with deposits and payments, until the very last minute.
And now, Capital Jazz has failed to pay refunds totaling at least $642,240 to the 103 cruise guests who have come forward thus far. Maryland’s Consumer Protection Division believes that the total of refunds owed is likely much higher.
Based on double occupancy numbers, MSC Divina can hold 3,502 guests, and a significant portion of the Fantasia-class ship was likely booked by the time the cancellation was announced.
We filed charges against Capital Jazz after the company cancelled a 2026 SuperCruise and failed to issue refunds. According to the charges, more than 100 consumers are owed at least $642,000, and this follows an earlier case over similar conduct.
Guests who were booked on the private charter also reported that the event organizer stopped communicating with them after they were notified of the cancellation and failed to respond to inquiries about refunds.
MSC Cruises did give impacted guests the option to book directly with the cruise line for the same dates, as the 139,072-gross ton ship was placed back into normal operations for the originally chartered dates.
However, many passengers could not afford to rebook without first securing a refund, with some having spent upwards of $7,000 or even over $8,000 on their original booking.
Charges Filed Against Capital Jazz
The Maryland Consumer Protection Division believes that Capital Jazz and its owner (Hunte) violated the Consumer Protection Act by cancelling the themed cruise at the last minute and failing to pay refunds in a timely manner.
“We filed charges against Capital Jazz after the company cancelled a 2026 SuperCruise and failed to issue refunds. According to the charges, more than 100 consumers are owed at least $642,000, and this follows an earlier case over similar conduct,”Attorney General Brown posted on X.
“My Office will use every legal tool available to hold the company accountable for failing to meet its obligations to consumers,” he continued.
MSC Divina in Palermo, Italy (Photo Credit: BasPhoto / Shutterstock)
The Maryland-based company is scheduled to appear in front of the Office of Administrative Hearings to face the charges on July 21, 2026. The judge will decide the penalties and how to reimburse the impacted passengers.
In the meantime, cruisers who believe they are also entitled to a refund are encouraged to call the Attorney General’s Office in Maryland to make sure they are included in any potential repayment.
Not the First Offense
Believe it or not, this was the third Capital Jazz SuperCruise to be cancelled in five years. It’s also not the first time that the company has failed to uphold its financial obligations.
Cruise Hive learned that Capital Jazz was already under fire for failing to pay refunds from earlier cancellations, which resulted in a legal settlement in 2025.
Per the Attorney General’s Office, Capital Jazz has also stopped paying the penalties they owed from the 2025 case.
“Capital Jazz made a commitment to Maryland consumers and broke it, and then they brazenly did it again,”Attorney General Brown said in a press release.
The charges levied against Capital Jazz account for the company’s inability to adhere to the terms of the 2025 settlement, as well as its failure to provide timely refunds to the guests impacted in 2026.
Canada Place is celebrating 40 years of cruise operations in Vancouver.
About 1.4 million cruise passengers are expected in 2026.
The busiest day is expected on September 19, when nearly 20,000 passengers pass through the terminal.
Vancouver’s iconic Canada Place cruise terminal is celebrating 40 years of cruise operations, a milestone that arrives as the port prepares for one of its busiest seasons ever.
The first cruise ship to call at the terminal was Holland America Line’sNoordam on April 28, 1986. Since that first visit, more than 30 million cruise passengers have passed through the downtown Vancouver facility.
“Canada Place is without peer – for 40 years now our award-winning cruise terminal in picturesque downtown Vancouver has been a memorable part of countless cruise adventures to Alaska and beyond,” said Cliff Stewart, vice president of operations and supply chain at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
Stewart credits the “collaborative and pioneering spirit of so many” as the reason behind the cruise port’s 40 years of success.
The anniversary comes as the 2026 cruise season is expected to bring record passenger traffic, with port officials projecting more than 1.4 million passengers passing through the cruise terminal this year.
Port officials estimate each cruise ship visit contributes roughly $3 million to the local economy.
Alaska sailings have now returned to Vancouver, with ships scheduled to arrive nearly every day between early May and late September.During those peak months, passenger activity will surge with multiple ship arrivals and departures.
Port officials estimate that between 40,000 and 50,000 passengers will move through the terminal between Friday and Monday on most peak-season weekends. Some days will be particularly busy.
Canada Place is scheduled to host its first five-ship day since 2019 on July 25, 2026, bringing thousands of embarking and disembarking passengers through the facility at once.
Cruise Ships in Vancouver, British Columbia (Photo Credit: Macklin Holloway)
Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas, carrying up to 4,182 passengers; Princess Cruises’ Grand Princess, with up to 2,610 guests; and Holland America Line’s Koningsdam, carrying up to 2,650 passengers will be the biggest ships arriving that day.
The 930-passenger Viking Ocean Cruise’s Viking Orion and Hurtigruten Expeditions’ Roald Amundsen, with up to 490 guests, will also be on deck.
“With the cruise terminal on track to experience five of its top 10 busiest weekends ever this summer, we look forward to working with our cruise partners to ensure Canada Place and Vancouver continue to play their part delivering unforgettable moments for visitors,” said Stewart.
Busy Weekends Expected
Officials say traffic is expected to peak later in the season, with the weekend of September 18 – 21, 2026, projected to become the busiest weekend in Canada Place history with about 56,000 passengers expected to pass through the terminal.
That weekend will see Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Solstice, Seabourne’s Encore, Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam, and Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas along with Saturday’s four-ship arrival.
That day, September 19, 2026, will see nearly 20,000 passengers move through the facility in one day from Princess Cruises’ Discovery Princess and Grand Princess, Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Riviera, and Koningsdam. It will be the single busiest day of the season.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Encore will be the last ship of the 2026 season on October 13, 2026.
Carnival Corporation & plc is investigating a potential data breach of more than 8.7 million records.
Impacted records could be from any of the corporation’s cruise lines and may include both guest and corporate data.
The significance of the breach has not yet been confirmed and guests should be cautious about emails and personal data.
The extortion group ShinyHunters has listed Carnival Corporation & plc on a damaging portal, claiming to have stolen more than 8.7 million records that include personal data and internal corporate data.
While the leak has not been confirmed as legitimate, the threat is being taken seriously, and the corporation is investigating the potential breach.
According to CyberInsider, Carnival Corporation has not discussed what type of data has potentially been impacted, and it is not known if any customer data could be affected.
Cruise Hive reached out to Carnival for a reaction, and a spokesperson provided the following statement:
“After detecting unauthorized online activity involving a single user account, we acted quickly to shut it down and block any further unauthorized access and have notified law enforcement.
“Data privacy and protection are extremely important to Carnival Corporation and we’re working closely with trusted global security experts to be thoughtful and deliberate in our review of the data involved, recognizing that anonymous reports circulating online are not always accurate.
“If we determine personal information was affected, we will follow all disclosure requirements and communicate directly with any impacted individuals.“
Carnival Corporation has not provided any further information on the mechanism by which a breach may have occurred or whether or not any additional threats have been made by ShinyHunters. The initial “Pay or Leak” threat expired on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
At that time, the extortion group claimed the data would be released publicly if their demands were not met, potentially exposing millions of cruise guests and corporation employees to identity theft, bank account breaches, and other problems.
If customer data has been leaked, it could include details from any of the cruise brands in the Carnival family, including Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises, and more.
Types of information that might be included in such a breach could be anything from guest names and booking histories to credit card and banking information, current sailing reservations, addresses, emails, loyalty program accounts, passport data, birthdates, passwords, phone numbers, and more.
Internal data might include details on corporate discussions, payroll activities, employee information, and similar data.
Carnival Cruise Line and other lines are not without a variety of tech difficulties. Cruise Hive reported on widespread disruptions to Carnival’s online operations in February 2026, and earlier this month, an email glitch flooded some guests with dozens of identical cruise offer emails.
Neither of those previous events appears to be in any way related to a data breach of any sort.
Should Cruise Guests Be Concerned?
While any potential data breach is concerning, many experienced cruise guests are not taking this particular threat seriously.
In a Reddit discussion about the breach, commenters noted that data breaches occur frequently from a wide range of sources, and this is likely no different.
“Thanks to breaches like this my credit monitoring will be again extended for free. This should put the expiration out to 4/20/3272,”one person quipped.
“Can they release everything they have on casino deals? I want to see the formula for how they decide who gets which deals,”another asked.
Nevertheless, savvy guests who have sailed with any of the Carnival Corporation brands in the past will want to keep an eye on their sensitive data. This should include noting any suspicious activity on credit cards or digital accounts, as well as taking steps to protect their personal passwords.
This would not be the first time data from Carnival Cruise Line has been breached. In August 2020, a breach exposed a variety of personal data, though suspicious activity had been noted as early as May 2019. Eventually, the cruise line had to settle a $1.25 million dollar fine and take steps to strengthen its electronic security.
Should this most recent breach be found to be genuine, Carnival Corporation would likely reach out to potentially impacted guests with further information and any necessary next steps.
On-site Long Beach Cruise Terminal parking is $23 per day (subject to change).
The Long Beach Cruise Terminal has significant and ongoing capacity issues.
Lots of off-site parking options are available at nearby hotels.
There is parking available on site at the Long Beach Cruise Terminal, in a dedicated parking structure, but parking there does come with some issues.
The Long Beach Cruise Terminal is owned and operated by Carnival Corporation, and only Carnival Cruise Line ships sail from the terminal.
If you’ll be on one of the line’s upcoming cruises from this big, busy port, then you’re probably already wondering about parking, or maybe you’ve even heard some horror stories (of which there are plenty, some of which I can personally attest to) about the parking situation here.
Here’s everything you need to know and how to find the parking you need ahead of your cruise.
The Long Beach Cruise Terminal parking structure can hold 1,450 vehicles and the parking rate is $23 per day, though rates are subject to change. All spaces are priced the same. Payment is due in full when you leave, via cash or credit card.
If you need to park for a shorter length of time (which really wouldn’t make sense if you’re going on a cruise), the fees are $0 for the first 30 minutes, $4.00 for 30 to 60 minutes and $8 for 1 to 2 hours.
The garage’s height limit is 7 feet, so no oversized vehicles are allowed, including those that require more than one parking space, such as RVs.
View of Long Beach Cruise Terminal (Photo Credit: danielfelician)
As the parking structure is under the Carnival Cruise Line terminal’s umbrella, it receives the same security measures as the entire complex. Reviews show that there are very few worries about security among travelers and I myself have never felt it was a risk leaving my vehicle here.
However, do note that the top floor of the parking garage is uncovered, so if you’re worried about leaving your car exposed to the elements, you’ll especially want to try to get there early for a good spot, lower to the ground level.
Future plans exist to expand the parking garage, so that it can hold upwards of 2,000 vehicles at once, but nothing firm has been announced just yet.
How to Get to Long Beach Cruise Terminal Parking
The parking structure is located at the same address as the cruise terminal: 231 Windsor Way, Long Beach, CA 90802. (You actually can’t really even drive up to the terminal without passing the parking garage first.)
Los Angeles International Airport (Photo Credit: kingmondo)
Getting to the terminal from LAX, where many cruisers are flying in from, is relatively easy, too. Depending on your route, the journey is just around 22 to 26 miles.
When you arrive at the terminal, if you’ve checked your luggage in advance, you can immediately pass it on to the porters, who can further direct you to the parking garage, if you still need assistance.
Parking Lot Overview
Long Beach Cruise Terminal Parking
Daily Rate
$23/day
Capacity
1,450 vehicles
Size Restrictions
7 foot height limit and no vehicles that require more than one parking space
Issues with Long Beach Cruise Terminal Parking
While the garage’s size restrictions can be a bit of an issue for some, there are several other problems with parking at the Long Beach Cruise Terminal.
No Reservations
Unlike some cruise ports that will allow you to reserve a parking spot at the terminal ahead of your embarkation date, that’s not the case at Long Beach.
It’s all first-come, first-served, so you’re going to have to get there fast and early if you want a good spot as close to the ground level as possible (but don’t get there too early; adhere to the arrival window listed on your ticket, so you actually have access to the terminal when you arrive).
Carnival Firenze in Long Beach, California
Not only does this “no reservations” issue play into capacity problems (which I’ll discuss below), but it also just makes the embarkation day more stressful. It gives many cruisers (myself included!) peace of mind knowing that you have your parking reservation sorted in advance.
The lack of reservations here is a con, in my opinion.
For example, in December 2025, Carnival Cruise Line literally issued a statement to guests that said, “The parking facility at the cruise terminal has very limited capacity. Please make plans to use alternate transportation that does not require parking.”
Carnival Firenze Cruise Ship Docked in Long Beach
A similar statement was issued in October 2025, and yet another statement was issued in September 2025… and on and on it goes throughout much of last year, stretching back all the way to 2022.
It’s expected that this issue will lessen once Carnival Firenze heads to the East Coast in 2027, but that’s still a long way off.
What Happens if the Parking Garage Fills Up?
If the parking structure fills up, then the terminal will reroute you to off site parking. In the past, cruisers have reported that they’ve been rerouted to parking at the Long Beach Convention Center, and then a shuttle was provided to take them from the convention center to the terminal (it’s only about a mile or so away).
Parking off site may come with other fees as well, though that’s not necessarily a negative. Some cruisers actually end up paying less for the off site parking (which is how it should be).
Long Beach Cruise Terminal (Photo Credit: Robert V Schwemmer)
It makes sense that the garage would fill up on occasion. When you have large ships that can hold thousands upon thousands of people, you’re going to need more than 1,450 parking spots every once in a while. Still, this fact does negatively impact the overall cruising experience.
Other Nearby Parking Options
Luckily, if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of even trying to park at the Carnival Cruise Line terminal, you have other, off site options. While they’re not nearly as close to the terminal as the official structure, they’re not too far away, could be cheaper, and might save you a headache.
Cruise Parking
Cruise Parking is a cruise parking booking platform that serves terminals around the country. When looking for Long Beach parking on the platform, make sure to search specifically for parking near the Carnival terminal not the Port of Long Beach, which is in a totally separate spot.
Cruise Parking offers several different options, as close as 2 miles to the terminal, with prices starting at around $10 per day. All available options are at nearby hotels that offer cruise parking. While none offer port shuttle service, other amenities are available, such as covered parking or valet service.
Park Whiz
Park Whiz isn’t cruise specific, but I’ve had great success using it to find easy, cheap parking while traveling. Pop in your desired address (remember, you want the Carnival Cruise Terminal at Long Beach, not the port) and then you’ll see a range of parking options, at hotels, in other garages, in outdoor lots, etc.
You can sort by options closest to the terminal or the cheapest, with options just a mile away from the terminal, and prices starting at under $10.
Hotel Park and Cruise Packages
Another option that a lot of cruisers prefer is booking a hotel park and cruise package. This way, you can arrive in Long Beach a day or two before your cruise, explore the sights (visiting the Cunard ship Queen Mary is a great pick!) and then leave your car at the hotel after you embark.
Photo Credit: trekandshoot
You get a stress-free embarkation day (I’ve said it many a time: You don’t want to arrive in your port destination on embarkation day. That’s a sure recipe for a rushed, stressful start to your cruise). You get a little time to enjoy a destination. Your know your car is safe and sound while you’re gone.
Here are a few hotels offering cruise packages.
The Cove Hotel
The Cove Hotel provides a park and cruise package that includes one night’s accommodation, free parking for up to seven nights while you’re on a cruise, and then transportation to and from the terminal.
Hotel Current
Hotel Current likewise offers a “Snooze & Cruise” package, which similarly gives you seven days of parking and shuttle service to the Long Beach cruise port.
The Queen Mary
Okay, this may be the coolest option of all (even if it’s not the most budget friendly). The Queen Mary literally has a Stay & Cruise package. You can stay onboard the Queen Mary the night before your cruise and enjoy extended parking while you’re gone. For an avid cruiser with a keen interest in cruising history, this is a truly can’t miss treat.
Hilton Long Beach
Hilton Long Beach provides a Park, Stay & Go package with parking for up to seven nights after your one night stay, and shuttle service to not just nearby cruise ports, but also the airport. Just be sure to call the hotel ahead of booking to confirm current cruise port shuttle service availability.
Hotel Maya
With rates starting at $229, Hotel Maya’s Carnival Bon Voyage package includes complimentary parking for seven nights and shuttle service to the terminal.
As you can see, there are plenty of hotel park and cruise options available throughout Long Beach, to help you get around the hassle of dealing with the terminal’s on-site parking options.
Disney Cruise Line has signed a new agreement with the Port of San Diego.
It will extend sailings from the city through at least 2031 and roughly double the number of Disney departures each year.
More than 1 million passengers are expected to pass through the port during the agreement.
Disney got its start in Southern California, so it makes sense that Disney Cruise Line keeps strengthening its presence along the state’s coastline.
The cruise line and the Port of San Diego announced a new agreement that keep Disney sailings operating from the city through at least 2031.
The deal is expected to roughly double the number of Disney cruises departing from San Diego each year, giving guests more chances to sail to destinations such as Catalina Island, Baja California, and ports along Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Disney Cruise Line has operated seasonal cruises from San Diego since 2012, typically offering short 3- to 7-night itineraries. The new agreement ensures those sailings will continue and increase in frequency in the coming years.
“San Diego has been an important part of our West Coast operations for more than a decade, and a place our guests love sailing from,” said Jose Fernandez, vice president of port strategy, development and operations at Disney Cruise Line.
He says the new agreement supports the company’s long-term growth while contributing to the region’s economy.
The agreement also gives Disney priority access to both the North and South berths at the B Street Cruise Terminal, the city’s main cruise facility along the downtown waterfront.
Port officials say the arrangement will help streamline ship scheduling and improve how embarkation days are handled as cruise traffic grows.
“We are grateful to continue our long-standing relationship with Disney Cruise,” said Ann Moore, chair of Port San Diego board of port commissioners. “This agreement supports a thriving cruise industry that injects millions into the region’s economy and welcomes thousands of visitors to our waterfront each year.”
Photo Credit: Steve Minkler
More than 1 million Disney passengers are expected to pass through the Port of San Diego during the length of the agreement.
According to port officials, it marks the first time in more than 20 years that a cruise line has offered a minimum annual passenger guarantee tied to the port.
Two Disney Ships Scheduled
The expansion will begin to take shape during the 2026-2027 cruise season, when two Disney Cruise Line ships are scheduled to operate from San Diego
Disney Magic will arrive in October 2026 and sail a series of short fall itineraries through November.
During its San Diego deployment, the ship will sail 3- to 7-night cruises to ports along Baja California and the Mexican Riviera. Stops will include Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas, along with sailings that visit Cataline Island just off the Southern California coast.
In late November, the ship will depart San Diego on a 14-night Panama Canal repositioning voyage that crosses Central America and ends in Galveston, Texas.
Meanwhile, Disney Wonder will maintain a longer presence in San Diego, homeporting there from October 2026 through April 2027 for the winter cruise season.
The ship will offer a mix of 4- to 5-night Baja itineraries as well as longer 7-night Mexican Riviera sailings.
Shorter cruises typically include ports such as Ensenada and Catalina Island, while the week-long voyages reach farther south to Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas.
The Port of San Diego says the expanded Disney presence comes as cruise activity along the waterfront continues to grow.
The B Street Cruise Terminal, located downtown near the Embarcadero, has two berths capable of handling large cruise ships and regularly hosts seasonal deployments from several major cruise lines, including Holland America Line and Royal Caribbean.
Carnival Venezia will not be visiting Grand Turk as planned on her next two Eastern Caribbean sailings.
The port has been dropped from the April 26 and May 3 departures, but Amber Cove has been added instead.
Guests are receiving $50 per stateroom as compensation for the unexpected change.
Guests setting sail on Carnival Venezia on her next two Port Canaveral departures, April 26 and May 3, will not be visiting Grand Turk as originally scheduled.
Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to booked guests with an update on the itinerary, as well as compensation for the last-minute change.
“We have made an adjustment to your itinerary – replaced Grand Turk with a visit to Amber Cove and modified port times for San Juan,”the email explained.
Grand Turk was to have been the first port visit on both 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailings, following a first full day at sea. Amber Cove is roughly 110 miles south-southeast of Grand Turk but offers a variety of great activities, including a pool with a swim-up bar, panoramic views from the Sky Bar, shopping, and a variety of water excursions and other shore tours.
Tours that had already been booked through Carnival Cruise Line for Grand Turk will be automatically cancelled and refunded. Due to the last-minute nature of the change for the April 26 sailing, that refund will be in onboard credit for guests to enjoy during their cruise.
Carnival also explains that tour refunds for the May 3 voyage, however, will be refunded back to the original form of payment. Processing times may vary for different financial institutions.
The cruise line is also giving each stateroom onboard Carnival Venezia a $50 onboard credit as compensation for the unexpected and last-minute change.
Exact port time changes for each sailing’s visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico, have not been clarified, but guests will get updated itinerary schedules in the Carnival Hub app.
The last port call for each cruise, a visit to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, has not been changed. Similarly, there are no adjustments for the ship’s departure from Port Canaveral, nor the return to the Sunshine State at the end of the cruise.
Carnival Venezia Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Sumerdita_Dphots)
At this time, there are no announcements for changes to other upcoming Eastern Caribbean itineraries. Carnival Venezia offers both Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings, though her last Eastern Caribbean itinerary from Port Canaveral for the season is May 10, 2026. For the moment, that last sailing still includes a visit to Grand Turk.
On May 17, the Vista-class ship will depart for an 11-night, one-way trip to New York. She will spend the summer offering a mix of Canada, Bermuda, Bahamas, and Eastern Caribbean sailings from 4-9 nights before returning to Port Canaveral in October.
Why Is Grand Turk Cancelled?
No reason is given for dropping Grand Turk from the two consecutive itineraries. The port can be difficult to dock at in poor weather, which could be a factor for the itinerary change.
Cruise lines do adjust port schedules for a variety of reasons, including port operations, dock maintenance and repairs, and berth availability.
When Carnival Venezia was to have been visiting Grand Turk on April 28, Carnival Celebration is also scheduled to be in port. Likewise, on May 5, both Carnival Venezia and her Excel-class sister are also scheduled.
On the ship’s last visit to Grand Turk for the season on May 12, however, Carnival Venezia is sailing solo as the only ship scheduled.
Carnival Venezia can welcome 4,208 guests at double occupancy or up to 5,260 travelers when fully booked with all berths filled. In comparison, Carnival Celebration can host 5,374 guests at double occupancy or as many as 6,500 guests when fully booked.
Together, the two ships could bring more than 11,000 travelers to Grand Turk on a single day. The entire population of Cockburn Town, where the cruise terminal is located, is just under 4,000 residents.
Adjusting so just one ship is visiting at a time ensures a more pleasant and exclusive experience for guests, without sold-out tours and uncomfortable crowds.
Carnival has announced that the fifth Excel-class ship will be homeported from Texas when she sets sail in 2028.
Carnival Tropicale will join Carnival Jubilee, bringing two of the line’s newest and largest ships to Galveston year-round.
Itinerary details have not yet been released, but should be announced later this year.
Everything is bigger in Texas, including Carnival cruise ships! And that includes the upcoming Carnival Tropicale, the fifth of the cruise line’s Excel-class vessels, which will be homeported from Galveston when she debuts in 2028.
What is even more exciting for Carnival fans in the Lone Star State is that this will bring a second Excel-class ship to Texas, as Carnival Jubilee is already homeported from Galveston and there are no current plans to change her deployment.
“Carnival Tropicale joining our Galveston lineup is a celebration of both our history and our future in Texas,”said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
“For more than 25 years, Texas has been at the heart of Carnival’s growth, and this new Excel-class ship ensures we continue to deliver unforgettable experiences for our guests in and around the state.”
Exact itineraries for the new vessel have not yet been announced, but she is likely to offer Western Caribbean and Bahamas voyages, similar to Carnival Jubilee‘s schedule. Bookings will open later in 2026, but no date for reservations has been confirmed.
The cruise line did note that both ships will sail from Galveston year-round.
It is also possible that one of the ships may begin offering shorter getaways, giving cruisers from Texas even more options aboard the largest vessels in the Carnival fleet.
Carnival Tropicale
As part of her connection to her homeport, Carnival Tropicale will also sport the Star of Texas on her bow. Carnival Jubilee was the first to debut that emblem in honor of Carnival Cruise Line’s commitment to Texas.
The new ship will also be the first to have the “Sunsation Point” zone onboard, the home of the multi-level Carnival WaterWorks Ultra. Additional features and amenities onboard are sure to be revealed in the coming months.
Carnival Tropicale is currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
Carnival Cruise Line in Texas
Named after the MS Tropicale that was the first-ever new-build ship for the cruise line and served from 1982-2001, Carnival Tropicale is destined to be part of Carnival’s ongoing commitment to Texas.
At the moment, Carnival Cruise Line homeports four ships from Galveston: Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Breeze, Carnival Dream, and Carnival Legend.
When Carnival Tropicale debuts, it is possible that Breeze, Dream, or Legend may relocate to a different homeport, or else the new ship will be the fifth Fun Ship to be sailing from the Lone Star state at once.
“Carnival’s continued investment in the Port of Galveston is a big reason why we’re the cruise port of choice for a growing number of Americans and why we’re setting new growth records year over year,”said Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO.
The cruise line first began sailing from Galveston in 2000 with the original Celebration. With the addition of the 6,600-guest-capacity Carnival Tropicale to the Texas lineup, the cruise line will undoubtedly reach even higher milestones in the years to come.
Two upcoming Rhapsody of the Seas sailings are adding La Romana as an extra port visit.
The April 25 and May 2, 2026 cruises are the impacted sailing dates.
No ports are cancelled on either itinerary, and both are now packed with ports and zero days at sea.
How many sea days is the right balance among port visits for a 7-night itinerary? Cruisers may be divided on the issue, but one thing is certain: guests setting sail on Rhapsody of the Seas on Saturday, April 25 or Saturday, May 2, 2026 had better enjoy port visits.
The Southern Caribbean sailings were already packed with ports when they were originally planned, with just one day at sea.
Now, Royal Caribbean has reached out to booked guests to notify them of an itinerary change that adds another port visit, without removing any of the originally scheduled stops.
For the April 25 sailing, several of the visits are changed to different days to accommodate the addition.
“Your visit to Tortola, British Virgin Islands has been moved to Day 7, with arrival and departure times remaining exactly as originally planned,”the notification explained.“We’re also pleased to add a visit to La Romana, Dominican Republic on Day 2.”
La Romana is on the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic and is known for stunning snorkeling and pristine beaches that are more exclusive and private than busier port destinations.
Rhapsody of the Seas will enjoy the visit to La Romana from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, the very first full day of the sailing.
That day was to have been the visit to Tortola, which is now moved to Friday, May 1, but still remains from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Originally, Friday was to have been the only day at sea on the sailing.
In order to sail between ports, the visit to Philipsburg, St. Maarten, has also been slightly adjusted. Originally, the ship was to have been in port from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, April 27. The 78,900-gross ton, Vision-class ship will still visit Philipsburg that day, but now from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. instead.
Lifeboats on Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas (Photo Credit: marsilioaguiar)
This is the same amount of time to enjoy St. Maarten, just shifted slightly later in the day.
Any shore tours for the impacted ports will be automatically rescheduled if they were booked through the cruise line. If guests have arranged independent tours, they will need to contact their tour operators for adjustments or cancellations as needed.
The changes to the May 2 departure are less extensive. For that cruise, which is already visiting Tortola, St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Kitts, and St. Croix, La Romana was added on Friday, May 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. instead of the original day at sea.
No other adjustments have been made to the May 2 sailing at this time.
How Many Ports Are Too Many?
Guests are somewhat divided on the change and whether or not a port visit every single day of the sailing is a good schedule.
“Looks like it’s going to be an amazing cruise,”one commenter said.“I’ve never sailed out of [Puerto Rico] and the itineraries that sail out of there always look great.”
Other guests would prefer at least one sea day to break up a packed itinerary and allow for a slower, more relaxed pace. It’s true that guests could remain onboard the ship while in port when many of their fellow travelers are off the ship, but there are typically fewer options on sea days, such as the casino being closed due to port regulations.
Rhapsody of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s older, smaller ships and does not have nearly the features and amenities that the Oasis class or Icon class ships can boast. It makes sense that a port-heavy itinerary would be the perfect option for such a ship.
Norwegian Cruise Line announced temporary disembarkation instructions for Philadelphia.
Passengers cannot arrange rideshare, taxi, or private pickup directly at the pier.
Guests are transported by shuttle buses to either Philadelphia International Airport or the nearby Clarion Hotel.
Passengers returning to Philadelphia on Norwegian Jewel are discovering that leaving the ship will involve almost as many steps as boarding it did.
After the first cruise to depart Philadelphia in 15 years experienced major embarkation delays on April 16, 2026, Norwegian Cruise Line has issued updated disembarkation instructions for passengers.
With the port’s new terminal still under construction, the cruise line is relying on nearby staging areas and shuttle transportation to manage both embarkation and disembarkation.
In a notice distributed to passengers on April 21, 2026, the cruise line explained that guests were not allowed to arrange their own transportation directly from the pier when the ship arrived back in port on April 23.
“For everyone’s safety and to maintain smooth operations at PhilaPort, guests will not be permitted to arrange independent transportation directly from the pier,” the notice stated.
Instead, passengers were routed through shuttle transfers to either Philadelphia International Airport or the Clarion Hotel near the airport, where many guests parked their vehicles before boarding the cruise.
The revised process is intended to keep traffic moving smoothly while the city completes construction of the new cruise terminal and additional passengers arrive to embark on Norwegian Jewel’s second voyage to Bermuda and Charleston, South Carolina, later the same day.
PhilaPort Cruise Terminal (Credit: PhilaPort)
The letter to guests also acknowledged the unusual process as part of the port’s early return to cruise operations.
“For these initial sailings, disembarkation, like embarkation, will take place via a nearby facility,” the noticed explained.“This approach requires a few additional steps, and we appreciate your patience as we guide you through the process.”
Temporary Disembarkation Process
Norwegian Cruise Line’s notice outlines a multi-step process for passengers leaving the ship once it arrives at the Philadelphia pier.
After clearing the vessel, passengers who opted not to carry off their luggage must collect their bags at the pier before proceeding to the designated transportation area.
From there, guests are directed to one of two shuttle options, depending on how they arrived at the port.
Passengers without vehicles parked at the Clarion Hotel will be transported directly from the cruise pier to Philadelphia International Airport’s Terminal C departures area.
The airport location was chosen because it provides convenient access to rideshare pickup areas, taxis, and nearby rail connections.
The cruise line noted that this transfer will be provided on a complimentary basis, and any previously purchased transportation arranged through the cruise line will automatically be refunded.
Guests who parked vehicles at the Clarion Hotel before boarding will instead be transported back to the hotel so they can retrieve their cars.
Under the temporary system, rideshare vehicles and taxis are not allowed to pick up passengers directly at the cruise pier. Passengers needing those services must arrange pickups from the airport instead.
Privately arranged motorcoaches also cannot collect passengers at the port terminal. Groups using charter buses may meet passengers only after they arrive at the airport following disembarkation.
Of course, passengers took to social media to share the experience after returning from their 7-night voyage, saying the process was “super quick and easy” and “really not bad.”
