Disney Cruise Line’s October 7 reveal of Disney Believe has drawn criticism from fans disappointed by repeated onboard concepts.
Some fans are questioning the return of Frozen, Inside Out, Haunted Mansion, and Marvel experiences already featured elsewhere in the fleet.
Others have welcomed new additions, including the Encanto stage production and several newly themed lounges.
Disney Cruise Line’s latest ship reveal isn’t receiving quite the enthusiastic response the company may have hoped for. Following the recent unveiling event for Disney Believe, some longtime fans have taken to social media to express disappointment over the lack of unique experiences coming to the new vessel.
Cruise Hive reported on the announcements from the livestream event, hosted on October 7, 2026. The cruise line detailed many of the spaces and experiences coming to the fourth Wish Class ship when it debuts on December 18, 2027, from Fort Lauderdale.
Many Disney fans said they were underwhelmed by the announcements. A recurring complaint is that the company has recycled many of the features from previous Wish Class ships instead of creating new experiences.
Popular spaces, such as the Haunted Mansion Parlor, will return on the new ship. Others will be reimagined, such as the Inside Out-themed Joyful Sweets and another Frozen-themed restaurant, Oaken’s Table: A Frozen Family Feast.
Disney Treasure Haunted Mansion Parlor
While some of these spaces will have unique features, rather than being direct reproductions, fans still felt the changes did not go far enough. Many cited a desire for entirely new themes, rather than reused concepts.
“Anyone else a little disappointed in the believe announcements? Was hoping for something else other than the haunted mansion parlor again,”said one Reddit user.“Also another inside out sweets shop and frozen restaurant?”
“I personally am quite disappointed. I’m a person who actually enjoys the IP theming but they’re just re-hashing all their old stuff,”another Reddit user said.
The Haunted Mansion Parlor, inspired by the classic attraction at Disney theme parks, drew much of the criticism, with many having hoped for a more unique experience onboard. The spooky lounge first debuted on Disney Treasure and was subsequently replicated on Disney Destiny.
“I was really hoping they would do a Trader Sam’s/Enchanted Tiki Room bar in the place of Haunted Mansion,”one Redditor suggested.
Replicating concepts and venues across ships in a fleet is not unusual in the cruise industry. For some, however, the opportunity to experience entirely new settings is part of the appeal of sailing on a new vessel.
Worlds of Marvel Draws Heavy Criticism
One of the biggest disappointments to fans was the announced return of Worlds of Marvel. The superhero-themed restaurant has appeared on every Wish Class vessel so far.
The venue received generally positive reactions upon its debut on Disney Wish and has been reimagined on subsequent ships to feature new characters, such as Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy. Nevertheless, many fans feel that the experience has since worn out its welcome.
“Cannot believe four ships have that terrible world of marvel restaurant that has zero repeatability,”said one Reddit user.
Fans again expressed a desire for something new. Some guests even suggested alternative venue concepts they would have liked to see instead.
“Someone mentioned that they should do a Monsters Inc stand up comedy restaurant instead of worlds of marvel,”a Redditor said.“That would have been neat. Oh well.”
Despite previous variations in the experience across vessels, Worlds of Marvel will not be reimagined on Disney Believe. Instead, the Marvel Celebration of Heroes: Groot Remix, which previously featured on both Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny, will return.
Not Everything Was Disappointing
The ship is not devoid of original experiences, however. Brand new spaces, such as the Snow White-themed Wishing Well Lounge and the Little Mermaid-inspired Sea Notes piano lounge, are also coming aboard, which drew positive responses from even some disappointed fans.
Disney Believe Sea Notes
The most excitement came from the announcement of an Encanto stage production. Disney Believe will debut the first-ever stage adaptation of the 2021 film.
“This is exciting and new,”said one user on Facebook. “I’m looking forward to that experience!”
Despite these new features, many fans still felt that the complete package is too familiar. As the vessel is still under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard and over a year away from its debut, only time will tell if those disappointed guests can be won over.
General bookings for Disney Believe open on October 19, 2026, with Castaway Club members able to book from October 12. Whether the criticism will actually influence guests’ decisions to book the new ship remains to be seen.
Whether you are new to cruises or have set sail many times, you might be wondering, are cruises safe? After all, nobody wants to risk injury or worse while enjoying their vacation. This is why we have provided this in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at cruise ship safety.
As you will discover, all cruise lines have a moral and legal obligation to ensure the safety of all passengers they are responsible for. While there is no such thing as a completely risk-free form of travel, modern cruise ships are much safer than you may assume.
So, if you are ready to learn the truth about safety standards in the cruise industry, let’s dive in!
Given that cruise ships travel some of the roughest bodies of water on the planet, you may assume that they would be inherently dangerous. The truth is that modern cruise ships are statistically one of the safest forms of travel.
In 2025, a record 37.2 million people took a cruise worldwide, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). With this many people choosing to book a cruise vacation, you would expect travel-related injuries and fatalities to be relatively high, but that is not the case.
The odds of dying on a cruise ship are often estimated at around 1 in 6.25 million. For comparison, the National Safety Council (NSC) puts the lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle crash in the United States at 1 in 101.
Put simply, most cruise vacations are accident-free. Even among those injured on board a cruise ship, many incidents are coincidental, meaning the passenger suffered a health-related issue or an accident not directly related to the cruise ship itself.
Even the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reports that the number of accidents per million passengers on cruise ships is significantly lower than on other passenger vessels.
What Types of Incidents Can Occur on a Cruise Ship?
When it comes to passenger safety, there are four main categories that most cruise lines and safety regulators look at: overboard incidents, onboard fires, illness outbreaks, and large-scale ship disasters.
Passenger Overboard Incidents
All cruise lines do everything they can to limit the risk of passengers or crew members falling overboard. While man-overboard incidents are always a risk whenever a vessel leaves the harbor, they can be especially risky for cruise ships because of their massive scale, high passenger count, and the waters they traverse.
Photo Credit: @johnnytrupp (Twitter)
To reduce the chances of these incidents, most cruise ships are designed so that falling off the ship accidentally would be almost impossible. All open-air areas of the ships are protected with high railings and more sophisticated safety measures, like motion sensors and cameras that would detect any such incident.
Cruise ships are also incredibly stable compared to other vessels, which helps reduce the risk that a passenger could be tossed overboard due to the ship’s movement.
Fire-Related Safety Risks
Cruise ship designers and safety regulators are also incredibly mindful of fire risks. Not only are modern cruise ships designed so that any fire can be compartmentalized immediately, but they also have a variety of fire safety measures in place to deal with these types of incidents should they occur.
Carnival Freedom Fire
For every 2,800 passengers, an average cruise ship will be equipped with the following safety measures: five firefighting teams, 4,000 smoke detectors, 500 fire extinguishers, 16 miles worth of fire sprinkler system piping, and six miles of fire hose.
On top of all of these safety measures, furnishings and décor are made from non-flammable materials wherever possible, so even in the unlikely event that a fire does occur, it cannot spread easily.
Illness Outbreaks
Cruise lines also place a great deal of emphasis on preventing outbreaks of illnesses, both contagious and food-related. All cruise ships have extremely rigorous health protocols and sanitation measures to minimize the risk of sick passengers and crew members. Strict hygiene standards concerning food preparation and storage also reduce the risk of food-related illness.
Photo Credit: bear_productions / Shutterstock.com
All cruise ships are also equipped with effective medical resources, like licensed physicians and registered nurses, available at all hours. Full-sized cruise ships even have sophisticated medical facilities with lifesaving equipment, like X-ray machines, cardiac monitors, defibrillators, and more. All crew members are also given first aid training and public health and fire prevention training.
Cruise ship disasters, like a full or partial sinking, are extremely rare. These events almost always get global media attention, which only stresses how uncommon they actually are.
Serious incidents, like the capsizing of the Costa Concordia, can usually be boiled down to human error. The ships have incredibly sophisticated safety and navigation systems that help automate many actions.
Cruise Ship Tipped Over (Photo Credit: MZeta / Shutterstock)
In the extremely rare situation where an emergency has occurred, the entire crew is professionally drilled in how to react, and ships are equipped with lifeboats. Even passengers must complete mandatory muster drills and evacuation training sessions.
Mandatory Safety Regulations Cruise Ships Must Follow
To ensure the safety of passengers and crew, all cruise ships are subject to various safety regulations. These minimum safety requirements are incredibly stringent and heavily enforced, so all cruise ships adhere to impressive safety standards.
International Safety Standards
For starters, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a global authority that regulates safety standards throughout the entire industry.
All cruise lines must follow the standards outlined by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), which covers everything from ship construction and stability to the quantity and types of safety equipment that must be on board the ship. SOLAS is continuously updated to ensure that all ships feature the latest safety technology and follow the most up-to-date safety measures.
International Maritime Organization (IMO) (Photo Credit: cktravels)
Failure to live up to SOLAS mandates, including meeting lifeboat and lifevest requirements, can result in extremely heavy fines for the cruise line. Cruise ships are subject to evaluations from SOLAS representatives, so they are not examined internally. This means the evaluators are impartial and will not hesitate to penalize a cruise ship for any infraction.
Local Regulations
Cruise ships must also abide by their nation of origin’s local regulations and safety requirements. For example, all cruise ships operating in the United States must meet the U.S. Coast Guard’s strict safety regulations. Regular inspections ensure that all passenger vessels meet these stringent safety requirements.
Even foreign-owned and registered cruise ships operating in the United States would still have to abide by the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA), which has strict mandates regarding safety standards and lifesaving equipment that must be carried.
Photo Credit: Jim Lambert / Shutterstock
The same is true for cruise ships departing from other nations. Sometimes, a single cruise ship could be subject to local safety regulations. For example, Carnival Corporation & plc is a joint British and American company, meaning all of this significant cruise line’s ships must meet the strict safety standards of both the United States and the United Kingdom.
How Else Do Cruise Ships Keep Passengers Safe?
While mandatory safety regulations ensure all cruise ships meet specific passenger-safety standards, most cruise lines go above and beyond these mandates. This is because minimizing safety risks is in their best interest.
A major accident that results in injuries or fatalities can severely damage a cruise line’s reputation, and the ensuing legal actions could be financially ruinous. This is why you will find that most cruise lines voluntarily enact the following safety measures for all of their ships:
Advanced Safety Training for All Crew Members
All reputable cruise lines prioritize crew training and emergency readiness. All crew members undergo extensive safety training, including fire safety lessons, first aid certification training, and evacuation drills.
Cruise Ship in Port During Drill (Photo Credit: natatravel / Shutterstock)
Even crew members with service-related jobs take the same training exercises to ensure that they can effectively respond in the rare event of an emergency.
During a cruise and when the ship is in port, guests may come across a crew drill, including crew members donning their life jackets and heading to their crew muster station.
Well-Equipped and Fully Staffed Medical Facilities
As mentioned, cruise ships also feature fully staffed and equipped medical facilities. They can handle everything from minor slip-and-fall injuries to serious health issues. This ensures immediate and professional healthcare for all passengers, even if the ship is far from the nearest port.
In the rare event that a passenger needs specialized medical attention, cruise ships feature helicopter pads that can accommodate airlift medical evacuations.
Equipping Cruise Ships with Advanced Safety Technologies
Photo Credit: Dave R
Cruise lines also invest heavily in the latest safety technology for their ships. Sophisticated radar and weather detection systems help ships avoid rough waters and storms, while sonar systems and sensors help them avoid various obstacles.
Even if a ship is forced to navigate through adverse weather conditions, modern cruise ships are equipped with advanced stabilization systems that can minimize the impact of rough seas. Cruise ships are also outfitted with onboard motion sensors, smoke detectors, internal and external video monitoring systems, advanced communications systems, and more. These modern systems and precautions are designed with passenger safety in mind.
On top of that, many of these systems are automated, meaning that there is a reduced risk of human error that could lead to a safety issue.
What About Hurricanes?
Hurricane Erin August 20, 2025 (Photo Credit: NOAA)
While traveling to certain destinations is popular for families during the summer months, you may run the risk of encountering hurricane season.
Hurricanes have increased in frequency since the 1980s. This is the period in which high-quality satellite data has been available. Not only have they increased in frequency, but they have become more intense and longer in duration. Additionally, they are also beginning earlier in the season.
If you have booked a cruise and a hurricane is on the horizon, most cruise lines will cancel the trip. However, if you want to avoid this possibility, you can avoid Caribbean cruises from June to December.
If you want to travel to this area, choose a location in the southern Caribbean where hurricanes are statistically less severe.
Luckily, you will get a little bit of emergency training before your ship sets sail. All passenger ships are required to do what’s called a muster drill before embarking (though, now, a lot of ships do a more convenient, faster process called the e-muster process).
During this muster drill, passengers are briefed on basic safety information; during the e-muster, you get access to online safety content that’s available to watch.
On Carnival Cruise Line, for example, the current muster drill process requires that, during embarkation, you visit an assigned muster drill station (the location of which you can find on your boarding pass), check in with a team member there, and then watch a life jacket demonstration.
Every single passenger must check-in for this process before the ship is allowed to leave, but thanks to the upgraded processes, it only takes a few minutes.
Don’t take this demonstration lightly, though. Just as is the case when a flight attendant goes over the safety information before a flight, you never know when this demonstration could mean the difference between life and death.
Are There Any Unsafe Locations to Travel?
Photo Credit: Stanislav Samoylik / Shutterstock
When it comes to Balkan or Baltic cruises, the itinerary may be altered. Some trips are canceled because of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Many cruise lines are stopping in St. Petersburg during the summer but may not go further.
If you are wondering if it is safe to go on a cruise, it still depends. While cruise lines are diligent regarding the safety and health of their passengers, sometimes outbreaks do occur. The best thing that can be done in any situation is to have protocols in place to minimize exposure.
When you’re in your cabin, keep the door locked and, when you leave your cabin, make sure that the door closes and locks behind you. Don’t loudly advertise your cabin number to other cruisers and don’t answer the door without asking who’s there or looking through the peephole.
These are basic safety precautions you’d take when in your own home, so take them when you’re traveling as well. While you might want to think that the cruise ship is filled with fun-loving, well-meaning travelers just like you, remember that a cruise ship is like any small city, and every city has its mix of good and bad people.
Additionally, close and lock your balcony door both when you’re asleep and when you’re leaving the cabin, especially if you’re in port. While it’s not easy (and certainly not safe for them), opportunistic folks can crawl into your cabin through the balcony.
Stay Safe at Night
Similarly, just like you would when visiting any tourist destination, when you’re on the cruise ship, avoid dark spots and shady corners. If something looks suspicious, don’t go check it out; instead, inform a crew member.
Especially at night, take a buddy with you, wherever you happen to go. The buddy system is just an easy safety precaution that can help keep you away from opportunistic individuals who are looking to get into some trouble.
Don’t Bring All Your Valuables
Cruise Passengers Going Back Onboard (Photo Credit: Chris Jenner)
When you travel anywhere in the world, cruise ship or not, it’s just a smart idea to not bring too many valuables. Even when you’re on a luxury cruise ship, flashing your jewels at the pool can make you a target for potential thieves.
So, leave the fancy stuff at home and, if you do bring any valuables, like jewelry, tech, etc., leave them in your stateroom safe any time you’re not with them.
You especially want to be aware of this tip when you’re visiting a port. In crowded tourist destinations like cruise ports, it can be extremely easy for pickpockets and similar thieves to swipe your wallet or purse while you’re completely unsuspecting.
In general, you also won’t need a ton of cash during a cruise, so don’t bring a lot with you. Keep some minimal cash for shore excursions (and even then, you might not need it) and put it in your safe otherwise.
Notice the Hazards in Your Surroundings
Wet Cruise Ship Deck (Photo Credit: Fsendek)
On that note, take a moment to look around you, wherever you are on your cruise ship, and really think about the potential hazards that exist in your near vicinity. Is the deck slippery due to recent bad weather or rain?
It’s not a good time to let the kids go running down the deck, trying to get to the pool. Have you had a few drinks? Even if you trust that you’re not completely inebriated, don’t lean over the railing or over the side of your balcony, to look at the water or the stars.
Final Wordson Cruise Safety
While it’s wise to be cautious when booking any vacation, you can rest assured that cruise vacations are incredibly safe. For cruise lines, passenger safety is always one of the top priorities.
Passenger safety not only protects a cruise line’s reputation and bottom line, but mandatory safety regulations and sophisticated safety technologies also ensure cruise ships are an incredibly safe way to travel. All crew members are highly trained to protect everyone on board.
Even when incidents have occurred in the past, the lessons learned help to spur innovation and safety standards so it never happens again. Even some of the most famous maritime disasters, like the sinking of the Titanic, revolutionized safety standards and regulations for all passenger vessels.
If you have any questions about safety standards, contact the cruise line you are traveling with. They will be happy to provide you with a detailed breakdown of their safety measures and the peace of mind you need to book a safe and enjoyable cruise vacation.
Carnival Freedom has finished her dry dock and will resume service with an 8-night Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona departing October 9, 2026.
During the 35-day refurbishment, the ship received her new funnel as well as a redesign of the casino, refreshed retail spaces, and the new bow crest.
Carnival Cruise Line has also opened the ship’s 2028-2029 sailings from Norfolk, Virginia, with 6- and 8-night cruises now available to book.
Carnival Freedom is ready to return to service complete with a new whale tail funnel and other updates and expansions. The 2,980-guest ship has been in dry dock at the Chantier Naval de Marseille shipyard in Marseille, France since September 1, 2026.
The most visible change to the ship during her 35-day dry dock is the replacement of her modified funnel with the classic Carnival “whale tail” design. The cruise line noted that the new funnel is lower, which will “allow access to additional ports.”
The onboard casino has also been redesigned, allowing the addition of more than 100 gaming machines, and the ship’s arcade and retail spaces were refreshed. The cruise line also noted that there have been accessibility improvements throughout the ship, which originally entered service in 2007.
Carnival Freedom Expanded Casino
AIS tracking confirms that Carnival Freedom has departed Marseille and is en route to Barcelona to welcome her first post-dry-dock guests.
Return to Florida Before Norfolk Move
While Carnival Cruise Line has not disclosed what “additional ports” may be part of Carnival Freedom‘s itineraries in the future, the ship will be returning to Port Canaveral for 4- and 5-night Bahamas itineraries through her May 3, 2027 departure.
Prior to leaving Europe, Carnival Freedom is sailing an 8-night Mediterranean cruise roundtrip from Barcelona, departing on Friday, October 9, 2026 and visiting Marseille, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples, and Malta.
On Saturday, October 17, the ship will leave Barcelona on the 13-night transatlantic voyage that will bring her back to the Sunshine State. On that crossing, Carnival Freedom will visit Alicante, Malaga, and Gibraltar before heading across the open ocean and stopping at Celebration Key before arriving in Florida on Friday, October 30.
Carnival Freedom Departs Dry Dock
After her remaining Bahamas itineraries, the ship will leave Florida on Saturday, May 8, 2027 for a unique 15-night Southern Caribbean itinerary that will lead her to her new homeport in Norfolk, Virginia. From the Old Dominion State, Carnival Freedom will be offering 6- and 8-night sailings to the Bahamas, Bermuda, and Eastern Caribbean, depending on sailing date.
New 2028-2029 Itineraries Released
Just as the ship is preparing to return to service, Carnival Cruise Line has also released Carnival Freedom‘s new itineraries for her 2028-2029 season. The new sailings will continue to visit destinations in the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Eastern Caribbean, as well as Canada, from Norfolk.
Depending on the exact sailing and cruise length, Carnival Freedom will visit Celebration Key; RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay; Grand Turk; Amber Cove; Halifax; Sydney; Saint John; Charlottetown; San Juan; King’s Wharf, and other destinations.
Those 6- and 8-night sailings, with departure dates through March 31, 2029, are now available for booking.
As Tropical Storm Isaias gains strength over the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to become a Category 1 hurricane, Carnival Cruise Line has begun sending communications to warn guests.
The cruise line is currently monitoring the developing storm for six vessels across 12 sailings, including current sailings and upcoming departures. The cruise line has sent letters to guests onboard and text messages to those booked on the sailings.
Cruises that are under watch due to Tropical Storm Isaias:
Carnival Breeze: Oct 5 and Oct 10 sailings out of Galveston.
Carnival Dream: Oct 3 and Oct 10 sailings out of Galveston.
Carnival Jubilee: Oct 3 and Oct 11 sailings out of Galveston.
Carnival Liberty: Oct 4 and Oct 11 sailings out of New Orleans.
Carnival Valor: Oct 3 and Oct 8 sailings out of New Orleans.
Carnival Paradise: Oct 4 and Oct 8 sailings out of Tampa.
Carnival Valor is already at the end of its five-night western Caribbean cruise and is expected to return to New Orleans as normal on Thursday morning. How Valor handles its next voyage through the Gulf, departing October 8, will be one to watch, and it may be the first Carnival ship to have a confirmed itinerary change.
Tropical Storm Isaias
Guests booked on the October 10 Carnival Breeze sailing received a text stating, “At present, there are no changes to our plans.”
Captain Zvonko Anic, on the current October 3 Carnival Dream cruise, said in a letter sent to guests onboard on October 7, “In partnership with our Fleet Operations Center in Miami, we are actively monitoring Tropical Storm Isaias. Currently, there is no adjustment to our plans, but since forecasts can change, we will continue to monitor the weather and provide timely updates as we sail.“
According to the 7:00 PM CDT October 7 advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Isaias has maximum sustained winds of 65 MPH and is located 200 miles west-northwest of Progreso in Mexico. The storm is moving east-northeast at 8 MPH.
The current track does not have Isaias directly hitting any active cruise homeport. It’s currently tracked to hit just east of Mobile, Alabama, where no ships are departing until later in October. However, the track puts the storm straight through major cruise routes between the Eastern and Western Caribbean and major homeports in Galveston and New Orleans.
Disney Cruise Line revealed the homeport and new onboard experiences for Disney Believe during a livestream event on October 7, 2026.
The Wish Class vessel will debut from Port Everglades on December 18, 2027, before sailing regular 4- and 5-night Bahamas and Caribbean cruises.
New features will include the first-ever stage adaptation of Encanto, along with newly themed restaurants and lounges.
New details have been revealed for Disney Cruise Line’s fourth Wish Class ship. In a livestream event on October 7, 2026, Disney revealed new entertainment venues, restaurants, and a stage show, as well as the homeport and debut date for the upcoming Disney Believe.
When the cruise line first announcedDisney Believe earlier this year, it confirmed a 2027 debut. However, it did not reveal where the ship would be based or which itineraries it would operate.
Tracy Wilson, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Disney Cruise Line Operations, answered that question as she kicked off the event. The vessel’s maiden voyage will set sail on December 18, 2027, from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.
The ship will then sail regular 4- and 5-night itineraries from the Florida port, visiting the Bahamas and Caribbean. Bookings for Disney Believe will open on October 19, 2026.
Port Everglades is already an established homeport for Disney. The cruise line began year-round operations from Fort Lauderdale in November 2023, initially with Disney Dream, while fellow Wish Class ship Disney Destiny also sails from the Florida port.
The homeport announcement comes just one day after Disney confirmed the ship had reached another major milestone in its construction. Cruise Hive reported on October 6 that the ship’s keel was laid at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, with a commemorative Tinker Bell coin placed beneath the keel.
New Venues and Entertainment Revealed
Throughout the livestreamed event, Disney Cruise Line unveiled many of the onboard spaces coming to Disney Believe. These include returning favorites as well as brand new concepts.
“I hope you’re ready to explore unique venues, dazzling family entertainment, and world-class dining coming with the Disney Believe,”Tracy Wilson said during the event.
Previously, it was revealed that a statue of Moana would serve as the focal point for the ship’s Grand Hall. Now, further details have been unveiled, showing the character’s inspiration throughout the space, including a chandelier that incorporates the Heart of Te Fiti from the film.
The cruise line also showed renderings for new restaurants onboard. One such venue is Oaken’s Table: A Frozen Family Feast, which will feature food and live musical performances inspired by the Frozen films.
New clubs and lounges will debut onboard the ship. The Sea Notes piano lounge will offer an underwater experience for adults, inspired by The Little Mermaid, while the Gazelle club, an entertainment hub inspired by Zootopia, will offer a family-friendly space by day and an adults-only venue by night.
Disney Believe will also see new theatrical productions. Songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda revealed at the event that the first-ever live stage production of the 2021 film Encanto will debut on the ship.
Additional new spaces and venues inspired by Monsters, Inc., Inside Out, and more were also unveiled, such as the Wishing Well Lounge, inspired by Snow White. Some Wish Class favorites will return onboard the new ship, including the popular Haunted Mansion Parlor, which first debuted on Disney Treasure.
A cruise guest had to pay $1,100 in damages after breaking a car window on Bay Street in Nassau, Bahamas.
The guest had been blocking traffic for ATVs when a car attempted to pass, and the guest broke the car’s window.
Cruise lines require guests to comply with all local laws at the ports they visit, and guests are subject to fines or other penalties if they break those laws.
One cruise ship guest in Nassau recently learned just how expensive it can be to try to direct traffic when he wasn’t authorized to do so.
According to The Tribune, the guest was arrested for breaking a car window while he was attempting to block traffic on West Bay Street, the busy main street through downtown Nassau and a popular thoroughfare for tour groups, tourist shopping, and resident businesses.
Video of the incident shows the male guest in the middle of the street, blocking a vehicle and even putting his hands on the hood in order to wave a convoy of ATVs into the flow of traffic. The blocked vehicle slowly inches forward, and eventually the guest moves aside.
As the vehicle passes the guest, however, he punches the driver’s side window, breaking the glass. A retired police officer was nearby and witnessed the altercation, and called the police.
The guest, identified only as a “US tourist” and a “cruise ship passenger,” was arrested. Rather than face charges for his behavior, he was given the opportunity to pay the driver for the damage, a total of $1,100.
He did choose to pay to repair the damage, but reportedly had to ask his fellow cruise ship guests to donate to raise the cash, as he did not have the full amount available at the time. It is not known who contributed to the amount and whether they may have been the man’s family members, friends, or traveling companions.
The driver of the damaged vehicle, who declined to be named in media reports, noted that the guest had been yelling aggressively as he blocked traffic.
“I told the guy that if I had done what he did in his country I probably would have got shot,”the driver commented.
The incident took place at the corner of West Bay Street and Dorchester Street, roughly a half-mile from the Nassau Cruise Port, across the street from the Margaritaville Beach Resort.
It is unknown whether the ATV convoy was part of an excursion group directly from a cruise ship or an independent company, or if the involved guest was actually part of the ATV group or just trying to offer assistance in the congested traffic. ATV tours are common in Nassau and give visitors the opportunity to enjoy a unique sightseeing option when visiting the capital of the Bahamas.
No cruise line has released any official statement on the incident, and it is unknown what cruise line the man had sailed with to visit Nassau. Similarly, the exact date of the incident was not disclosed, though local media reported it on Monday, October 5, 2026.
Cruise Visitor and Car (Photo Credit: Eyewitness News)
On that day, Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas were both in port, along with MSC Cruises’ MSC Seashore. Ships from Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, and Norwegian Cruise Line had also visited Nassau over the previous weekend, but it is not clear which line or ship the guest may have been associated with.
Cruise Guests Are Subject to Local Laws
This is not the first time cruise guests have been arrested and fined while visiting Nassau.
Cruise Hive previously reported that six cruise guests were involved in a brawl at the cruise terminal on June 8, 2026, which continued at the police station and resulted in property damage and injuries to officers. Ultimately, those passengers were fined a combined total of more than $52,000.
Guests on cruise ships are always subject to local laws when visiting ports of call, regardless of their citizenship or status as cruise tourists.
According to Royal Caribbean’s Guest Health, Safety, and Conduct Policy, “guests are required to comply with all applicable laws of the various countries that they visit.”
Similarly, MSC Cruises’ Guest Conduct Policy states, “Guests are also expected to comply with applicable laws of the various countries their cruise visits.”
Most cruise lines have similar clauses in their codes of conduct or cruise ticket contracts.
P&O Cruises has unveiled its winter 2028/29 collection, featuring calls to 130 destinations worldwide between November 2028 and March 2029.
New offerings include expanded Canary Islands options, a longer Grand Tour sailing, and additional Mediterranean and Morocco itineraries.
Arcadia’s final winter season with P&O Cruises will feature an enhanced World Cruise before the ship transfers to Holland America Line in 2029.
P&O Cruises is expanding its winter holiday collection for the 2028/29 season, with calls at 130 destinations across five ships in its fleet. Itineraries on Azura, Aurora, Britannia, Ventura and a special farewell season for Arcadia will sail between November 2028 and March 2029.
The program will open for general bookings on October 21, 2026 and offer a combination of Southampton departures and fly-cruise sailings. It will feature visits to the Canary Islands, Mediterranean, Caribbean, and longer North and South America voyages.
For the 2026/27 winter collection, the cruise line visited 102 destinations. The 130 destinations in 2028/29 mark a roughly 27% increase in destinations in two years.
Azura will add Gran Canaria departures to its Canary Islands fly-cruise program and introduce dual turnaround options. The 3,100-passenger ship will also make additional calls in Morocco, with more visits to Agadir.
Meanwhile, the 1,874-guest Aurora will expand its USA and Caribbean Grand Tour. The 75-night voyage will now combine North and South America, including overnight stays in Rio de Janeiro and Santos (for São Paulo).
In addition to the November to March collection, P&O has extended Europe fly-cruises by two weeks into October. Mediterranean itineraries will be offered, with calls in Dubrovnik and Split, as well as Rome from Civitavecchia and Livorno for Florence and Pisa.
P&O Britannia Cruise Ship in Curacao (Photo Credit: Wangkun Jia)
P&O also highlighted two Atlantic Islands itineraries aboard Britannia. These include an 18-night voyage visiting Morocco and Cape Verde and a 14-night sailing, which features overnight stays in Madeira and Morocco.
The 3,078-guest Ventura will also sail a 21-night Mediterranean cruise in February 2029. P&O did not provide further details about the sailing in its announcement, though a 21-night February 2027 sailing from Southampton features calls in Spain, Tunisia, Malta, Greece, and Italy.
Arcadia Gets a Special Farewell Season
One ship’s 2028/29 deployment will carry particular significance. The newly announced collection will represent Arcadia’s final winter season with P&O Cruises.
Cruise Hive recently reported on the transfer, which will see Arcadia move to Holland America Line in 2029. Additionally, Cunard’s Queen Anne will be transferred to P&O Cruises the same year.
For this farewell winter season, the 2,094-passenger vessel will include an enhanced World Cruise featuring calls in Nosy Be in Madagascar, Hiroshima, Mahé, Kochi (Japan), Osaka, Puerto Princesa, and Huatulco. This itinerary will also include calls in Maputo and Puerto Vallarta, ports that P&O has not visited in over 20 years.
Additionally, Arcadia will include a special call in Madeira on New Year’s Eve. Madeira is famous for its New Year’s fireworks show, an eight-minute pyrotechnics display illuminating Funchal and the surrounding bay.
Following this winter season, Arcadia will continue sailing with P&O Cruises through August 2029. The ship will then undergo an extensive transformation through the Holland America Evolution program before joining its new cruise line.
P&O Cruises’ Arcadia will transfer to Holland America Line in 2029, expanding the cruise line’s fleet from 11 to 12 ships.
The transfer is part of a wider Carnival Corporation fleet reshuffle that will also see Cunard’s Queen Anne move to P&O Cruises in 2029.
Both vessels are set to undergo refurbishments before sailing under their new brands.
Carnival Corporation is mixing things up a bit with a shuffle of two cruise ships between three of its cruise brands. Firstly, Holland America Line’s fleet is expanding from 11 to 12 ships. The 83,781-gross-ton Arcadia will be transferred to the cruise line from P&O Cruises in 2029.
Secondly, Cunard’s Queen Anne will also see a transfer to P&O Cruises in 2029, complete with an extensive redesign.
Arcadia’s transfer can be seen in some ways as the ship finally coming home. The Vista Class ship was originally ordered by Holland America Line in 2000. Arcadia shares its Vista Class platform with other Holland America Line ships. These include Oosterdam, Noordam, Westerdam, and Zuiderdam.
Plans changed, however, and it was reassigned to Cunard Line, where it was meant to debut as Queen Victoria. Before launch, the vessel was reassigned once again, this time to P&O Cruises, which has operated Arcadia since 2005.
This transfer will finally bring the vessel into service with Holland America Line nearly three decades after it was originally ordered for the cruise line. The addition will also give the cruise line capacity for more than 2,000 additional guests and greater flexibility in deploying its fleet.
Holland America describes the transfer as an extension of its Evolution program. Cruise Hive reported on this $500 million multi-year fleet investment when it was first announced in April 2026.
“As a Vista Class ship, she is a natural fit and an exciting extension of Holland America Evolution, the largest guest experience transformation in our 153-year history,”said Beth Bodensteiner, president of Holland America Line.
The program initially included upgrades for six vessels: Oosterdam, Zuiderdam, Westerdam, Noordam, Nieuw Amsterdam, and Eurodam. The investment will add venues, restaurants, staterooms and some Pinnacle Class features to the ships.
Arcadia will undergo an extensive transformation under the Evolution program ahead of the transfer. Holland America has not detailed which of the previously announced Evolution upgrades will be introduced onboard.
Queen Anne Moving to P&O Cruises
Meanwhile, P&O Cruises will fill the space in its fleet left by Arcadia with Cunard’s Queen Anne. Carnival Corporation & plc has announced that the 113,000-gross-ton ship will be transferred to P&O in 2029.
Queen Annefirst entered service with Cunard Line in 2024. A Pinnacle Class vessel, Queen Anne shares its platform with Holland America Line’s Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, and Rotterdam.
The 3,000-guest ship will remain with Cunard Line through its 2028/29 World Voyage, beginning in January 2029. Afterward, it will undergo an extensive reimagining and be renamed, entering P&O Cruises service in May 2029.
After this move, Cunard will be left with a three-ship fleet, including Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth. Carnival UK, P&0 Cruises, and Cunard president Paul Ludlow says this collection of ships represents a more unified fleet identity.
“Each [ship] has a deeply established identity and embodies the timeless style, heritage and sense of occasion that guests around the world most closely associate with Cunard,” said Ludlow.
Queen Anne will participate in Cunard’s Four Queens celebration in Liverpool in May 2028 before its final World Voyage. The event will mark the first time all four Cunard Queens have gathered together in one place.
Guests with existing bookings will not see their scheduled cruises affected by the fleet reshuffle. All currently published voyages for both Arcadia and Queen Anne before their respective transfers are set to operate as planned.
Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed which ships in the fleet currently have non-smoking casino sections or annexes.
A total of 14 ships have non-smoking casino options, though some guests feel the spaces are still too small.
It is possible that upcoming new ships will have non-smoking casino sections, but Carnival Cruise Line has not yet confirmed that feature.
With more and more guests avoiding spaces where smoking is common, Carnival Cruise Line continues to invest in non-smoking casino annexes or completely separate non-smoking casino locations. Guests are always interested in which ships have this feature, and the cruise line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, has confirmed which Carnival ships have non-smoking casino options.
The list Heald shared, along with the current homeports of each vessel, is as follows:
Carnival Breeze (Galveston)
Carnival Celebration (Miami)
Carnival Conquest (Miami)
Carnival Dream (Galveston; New Orleans beginning in May 2027)
Carnival Firenze (Long Beach; Miami beginning in February 2027; New York beginning in May 2027; Port Canaveral from November 2027)
Carnival Glory (Port Canaveral)
Carnival Jubilee (Galveston)
Carnival Magic (Miami)
Carnival Panorama (Long Beach)
Carnival Venezia (Port Canaveral; Miami beginning in May 2027)
Carnival Vista (Port Canaveral)
Mardi Gras (Port Canaveral)
Heald also noted that “any ship sailing from Australia will have non-smoking casinos,” which adds Carnival Adventure (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide), Carnival Encounter (Brisbane), and Carnival Luminosa (Brisbane through early April 2027) to the list of ships with these facilities.
It is unclear whether Carnival Luminosa will retain her non-smoking casino when she returns to the West Coast in April 2027 to offer sailings from San Francisco for the summer, before she returns to Australia in November 2027.
With a total of 15 ships confirmed to have non-smoking casino annexes or separate non-smoking sections onboard, half the Carnival fleet now offers these facilities.
Some guests, however, do note that separate spaces are not always adequate for the number of guests who want to use them.
Carnival Glory Non-Smoking Casino
“Unfortunately, the non-smoking casinos are too small. I can’t get a machine, so I end up in the non-smoking portion of the smoking casino, which is still very smokey,”one guest responded to Heald’s post.
Heald did not indicate if there are active plans to add more non-smoking options to additional ships as they go through dry dock updates, but he did say he would let guests know if more ships added non-smoking casinos.
Will New Build Ships Have Non-Smoking Casinos?
Because Carnival Cruise Line’s three most recent new build ships, the Excel-class sisters Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee, all have non-smoking parts to their casino facilities, it is reasonable to believe that the fourth and fifth Excel-class ships, Carnival Festivale and Carnival Tropicale, may also have at least some non-smoking casino space.
It is not known whether the first of the new, larger Project Ace ships, Carnival Destiny, will have a non-smoking casino section or any sort of completely separate non-smoking casino venue.
No significant casino details have yet been released on Carnival Destiny. The ship’s name announcement was made when her first steel was cut on July 10, 2026. Carnival Destiny is expected to debut in 2029 and at an estimated 230,000 gross tons (plenty of room for a non-smoking casino section!), will be the largest ship ever built for Carnival Cruise Line.
