Princess Cruises has unveiled its new “Love Line Premium Liquors” collection, developed in collaboration with celebrities Pitbull, Jason Aldean, and Romero Britto. The exclusive selection of wines and spirits is set to enhance the experience for guests sailing on the Love Boat ships, beginning with the new Sphere-class Sun Princess.
“The Love Line Collection is a natural extension of the elegance and sophistication found throughout our Princess ships and makes every sip a journey worth savoring,”said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises.
Sun Princess Cruise Ship
He went on to add that Princess Cruises is proud to introduce “an exceptional selection of spirits that reflect the diverse tastes and preferences of our guests.”
Currently offered on the 175,000-gross-ton Sun Princess, which debuted on February 28, 2024, the Love Line Premium Liquors collection is currently being rolled out across the entire fleet for their summer voyages.
Guests booked on a Princess Premier package, which includes premium drinks as well as two specialty meals per sailing, unlimited casual meals and desserts, fee-waived OceanNow delivery, unlimited room service delivery, reserved theater seating, fitness classes, and Wi-Fi, will have these premium spirits as part of their beverage collection.
Princess Collaborates with Pitbull, Romero Britto and Jason Aldean
The Love Line Collection includes the unique contributions of each celebrity partner, highlighting their individual tastes and styles. For instance, globally renowned Miami-based musician Pitbull, also known as Mr. 305, lent his hand to the creation of the Voli 305 Vodka.
Meant to embody the vibrant energy of Miami nightlife, the vodka is distilled in Miami and features regionally sourced Florida sweet corn to create a distinctive vodka with a smooth finish.
For an equally distinctive liquor, Brazilian artist Romero Britto, founder of the Happy Art Movement, teamed up with Venetian winemaker Villa Sandi to create Love Prosecco. The renowned prosecco maker has been creating Champagne-inspired sparkling wine since 1622.
Voli 305 Vodka by Pitbull
Britto’s Love Prosecco is noted for its refreshing taste with flavors of melon, lemon, mineral, and white peach. Britto also designed the bottle to mirror the unique artwork and design of the Love by Britto restaurant found on Princess Cruises, which showcases art meant to inspire fun, love, and optimism.
Love Prosecco will be a feature of the dining experience at Love by Britto on Sun Princess and will also be available across the Princess fleet.
Also, a part of the Love Line Collection is three wines created by legendary country singer Jason Aldean, along with his sister Kai Wicks and country artist Chuck Wicks. The Melorosa Sauvignon Blanc offers a crisp and dry wine, with hints of herbs and grasses, while the Melorosa Cabernet Sauvignon features rich dark fruit notes, with flavors of blueberry and blackberry, and hints of mocha and cedar.
Love Prosecco by Britto (Photo Courtesy: Princess Cruises)
The Love Line Collection also includes a Red Blend wine, with all three wines developed in California.
Sun Princess is currently sailing a 21-night Mediterranean voyage that launched in Barcelona, Spain, on May 11. The roundtrip cruise is visiting iconic ports, including Gibraltar; Marseille, France; Rome (Civitavecchia); Istanbul, Turkey; and Mykonos, Greece.
Princess Cruises, which is owned by Carnival Corporation, operates a fleet of 15 ships, all currently sailing. Caribbean Princess, Sky Princess, and Regal Princess are sailing in Europe, with roundtrip voyage from Southampton to Northern Europe, while Diamond Princess is homeported in Yokohama, Japan, for the summer.
Seven ships are in Alaska this summer, including Royal Princess, Grand Princess,Discovery Princess, Sapphire Princess, Crown Princess, Majestic Princess, and Ruby Princess, all of which began sailing from Vancouver earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Emerald Princess,Island Princess, and Enchanted Princess will spend the summer in the Caribbean, sailing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale.
Coral Princess, which will wrap up a world cruise in Sydney, Australia on August 19, will spend its summer months in Europe after it arrives in the Canary Islands on June 2.
Carnival Legend has left dry dock and is ready to welcome guests in Barcelona, Spain for her first post-renovation sailing, departing Thursday, May 30, 2024. The ship now boasts a range of upgrades and enhancements, including the rebranding of popular spaces and the addition of Carnival Cruise Line favorites.
One of the biggest additions to the 22-year-old ship is a new Heroes Tribute Bar & Lounge on Deck 2 (Promenade Deck), formerly the Dreamteam Sports Bar. This patriotically-themed venue is now available on 13 Carnival ships, having first debuted on Carnival Panorama in 2019. The lounge pays tribute to both active-duty military personnel and veterans of all service branches.
Carnival Legend Heroes Bar
Red-white-and-blue décor is highlighted with authentic military momentos for an extra-special touch. On Carnival Legend, the boots of Deshauna Barber, godmother of Carnival Vista and a captain in the United States Army Reserve, have a special place of honor.
Other new venues now open on Carnival Legend are the Dreams Studio for professional portrait sessions, the Carnival Adventures desk to book amazing shore tours, an expanded casino, and a new miniature golf course.
The ship also now has a dedicated Chef’s Table space on Deck 1 (Riviera Deck), which was formerly the lower level of the Medusa’s Lair Dance Club. Part of that club space was renovated for the wildly popular Chef’s Table, while the rest was converted into additional staterooms, including accessible staterooms.
Several other spaces onboard have been rebranded and updated. The steakhouse has been refreshed to become Fahrenheit 555, and the spa is rebranded as the Cloud 9 Spa and Fitness Center – both popular and familiar brands across the Carnival fleet.
Retail shops have been refreshed, as well as youth spaces updated for both Circle C and Camp Ocean. Other public areas have been similarly refreshed with new flooring, upholstery, and lighting as needed, and the ship has undergone other technical behind-the-scenes updates, as well as hull cleaning and general maintenance.
Carnival Legend Spa Upgrade
Overall, the dry dock lasted a full month, as Carnival Legend first left service at the end of April. The work was completed in Marseille, France, and the ship is now better-than-new and ready to welcome eager travelers for truly legendary cruise vacations.
The 88,500-gross-ton, Spirit-class Carnival Legend can welcome 2,124 guests at double occupancy, and is also home to just over 900 international crew members.
Ready to Sail in Europe
Carnival Legend‘s first post-dry-dock sailing is an 8-night roundtrip cruise from Barcelona, with visits to Malta, Sicily, Naples, Rome, Livorno, and Toulon before returning to Barcelona on Friday, June 7. This is the ship’s only roundtrip offering from Barcelona, as her next sailing is a one-way repositioning to Dover, UK.
From Dover, Carnival Legend will offer 6 roundtrip cruises to outstanding destinations in Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany, depending on departure date. On August 18, the ship will then move to Rome to offer a further 6 departures for Mediterranean and Greek Isles ports of call.
Carnival Legend Dry Dock
On October 26, the refreshed ship will conclude her European season and leave Rome for a 15-night transatlantic cruise to her new homeport of Tampa, Florida. Along the way, Carnival Legend will visit Spain, Portugal, the Azores, and the Bahamas, before arriving in the Sunshine State on November 10.
From Tampa, the ship will offer a winter season of Caribbean itineraries, before moving to San Francisco to offer alternating Alaska and Mexico sailings for summer 2025. Following that season, Carnival Legend will be homeported in Galveston with a variety of Western Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean, and Panama Canal cruise options.
With so much diversity coming up in Carnival Legend‘s sailing schedule, guests will have many options to enjoy the refreshed ship no matter where they set sail.
In an industry first, Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of three major cruise brands, created a Loyalty Status Match program that allows guests to apply their existing loyalty club tier level — earned on any of the brands — to all three cruise lines.
The change takes effect on cruises departing on and after June 5, 2024 on bookings with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises.
Royal Caribbean Group announced the pioneering reward program on May 30, 2024 as part of an effort to enhance the guest experience for cruisers who are members of Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society, Celebrity Cruises’ Captain’s Club, and Silversea’s Venetian Society.
Royal Caribbean-Owned Cruise Ships
All three loyalty programs provide popular perks, free amenities, and service bonuses to frequent guests, such as early check-in, priority reservations for restaurants and entertainment, early booking access to new itineraries; private parties; and free laundry services, for example.
Frequent guests earn points for each night they sail, accumulating many points over time and attaining various benefit tier levels. Prior to the new match program, the points and/or tiers were not reciprocal between the brands.
“We strive to provide guests with experiences within our portfolio of brands that meet them for all of life’s moments. Each of our differentiated brands have passionate fans who take pride in the status they’ve achieved through repeat sailings,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group.
Loyalty Plans Operate on Point-Based Systems
Royal Caribbean Group’s various loyalty programs operate in similar ways, using a point system to indicate the level of benefits each line offers.
With Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Club, guests earn 1 point for each night they spend on one of the line’s ships and 2 points if they book a suite. The lowest level is Gold, for anyone who has sailed at least three nights.
On Silversea Cruises, the group’s luxury brand, the line’s Venetian Society has 5 milestone tiers, including 1 day; 100 days; 250 days; 350 days; and 500-plus days.
Venetian Society members who have sailed 100 days receive an invitation to a private onboard party for Venetian Society members, and free laundry service, for example, while those who have sailed 350 days receive a free 7-day voyage.
Celebrity Cruises’ Captain’s Club also has 5 tiers: Classic (2 to 149 points), Select (150 to 299 points), Elite (300 to 749 points), Elite Plus (750 to 2,999 points), and Zenith (3,000-plus points). With this brand, points are based on stateroom category.
Inside and ocean view cabins earn 2 points per night of sailing, up to 8 points for Sky Suite bookings, 18 points for Edge Villa, Penthouse, and Reflection suites, and at the top end, 24 points for guests staying in an Iconic Suite.
After enrolling in the new program, guests will be eligible to take advantage of point-for-point matches among the three brands, allowing them to receive all onboard perks tied to their tier status.
Cruisers who are already signed up for more than one of the group’s loyalty programs will automatically be matched to the status level they are entitled to.
Royal Caribbean Group’s three brands operate a total of 66 ships on global itineraries. The group also owns a 50% stake in a joint venture that operates TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. The shared loyalty program does not apply to those cruise lines.
Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to guests booked on two upcoming sailings of Carnival Splendor with notification of dramatic itinerary changes.
One cruise is having all ports of call changed and adding extra sea days where replacements aren’t possible, and the second sailing is only keeping a single port of call from the original itinerary.
The impacted sailings are the June 11 and June 24 sailings, both departing from Sydney, Australia. These are South Pacific itineraries and both had scheduled visits to Noumea, New Caledonia, which is currently experiencing significant unrest, protests, and even rioting over controversial election reform laws.
Carnival Splendor In Vanuatu (Photo Credit: A.Flassig)
Due to the violence, the island’s international airport has been closed, a nationwide curfew is in effect, and a state of emergency has been declared. The Australian government is urging travelers to “reconsider your need to travel” to New Caledonia, while the US Department of State likewise lists New Caledonia as a Level 3 travel advisory, “Reconsider Travel.”
Carnival Cruise Line has opted to avoid all ports of call in New Caledonia for Carnival Splendor‘s two upcoming cruises, which means multiple ports missed for eager guests.
“As a result of civil unrest in Noumea, it is necessary to revise our itinerary,”the notification emails read.“Everyone’s safety is our priority, and we really have no choice other than to make these changes. We know you were looking forward to the original itinerary we had planned and share your disappointment for this unexpected change.”
The June 11 sailing is a 9-night cruise that had planned to visit Noumea for two stops, which would have given travelers extra time to enjoy the capital city of New Caledonia. Also on the itinerary was Mystery Island in Vanuatu as well as a stop at Lifou Island, New Caledonia.
Now, that cruise will not be able to visit any of the original four planned ports. Instead, the ship will visit Vila, Vanuatu on Saturday, June 15 and Santo, Vanuatu on Sunday, June 16. All the rest of the days will be days at sea.
The June 24 cruise is a 10-night sailing that had likewise planned two stops in Noumea as well as Mystery Island and Lifou Island. That voyage will still be visiting Mystery Island on Friday, June 28 (instead of Saturday, June 29 as originally scheduled), but the other port calls have been dropped. Instead, guests will visit Vila on Saturday, June 29 and Santo on Sunday, June 30. All other days are sea days.
Any shore tours purchased through Carnival Cruise Line for the now-cancelled ports will be automatically refunded back to the original form of payment. New ports will have tour options available for purchase online or while onboard from the Carnival Adventures desk, portside on Deck 3 in the Splendor Lobby.
Carnival Cruise Line is also permitting guests to cancel their cruise altogether without fees or penalties if they prefer, and they will receive a 100% future cruise credit. All pre-purchased items – drink packages, spa treatments, specialty dining, etc. – would be fully refunded.
The 113,573-gross-ton Carnival Splendor can welcome 3,012 passengers, and is also home to just over 1,100 international crew members.
Will More Cruises Be Impacted?
At this time, only the two sailings – June 11 and June 24 – are impacted by these changes. Because Carnival Splendor is homeported year-round from Sydney, however, it is possible that additional South Pacific sailings may be similarly adjusted.
Whether or not more cruises have visits to New Caledonia removed will depend on if the violence subsides and the destination is deemed safe for tourists once more. Guests booked on upcoming sailings should stay in close contact with Carnival Cruise Line in case of further updates or itinerary changes.
Cruise lines always keep the safety of guests and crew members as the first priority, and it is not unheard of for port visits to be cancelled due to local instability.
Similarly, many cruise lines have adjusted itineraries through the Red Sea due to widespread regional violence that makes sailing through the Suez Canal inadvisable at this time. This caused Virgin Voyages to cancel the entire Australia season for Resilient Lady, as there is no practical way for the ship to reach the region with the Red Sea not a safe option.
It should be noted that cruise lines are able to change itineraries for such reasons with no obligation to provide compensation to guests. Most lines, however, will offer some remuneration for dramatic alterations as a gesture of goodwill for guests’ disappointment.
MSC Cruises is growing rapidly and expanding its presence into the US, and now it seems the popular European cruise line may also be expanding its fleet according to gross tonnage. The cruise line is reportedly in talks with Meyer Turku about new construction projects that could be in excess of 200,000 gross tons.
Any new large ships for MSC Cruises would be several years or even up to a decade away, depending on the terms of agreements, design processes, shipyard scheduling, labor availability, financing arrangements, and more.
According to Shipping Italy, MSC Cruises currently has “well-established discussions” with Meyer Turku, the first time the cruise line has explored such projects with the Meyer Werft group. Previously, MSC Cruises has worked with Fincantieri and Chantiers de l’Atlantique for their new vessel construction.
MSC World Europa Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Wayleebird)
It is possible that the change in shipyard considerations may not be due to size at all, but rather could be a scheduling issue. With cruising popularity sailing far past pre-pandemic levels, many cruise lines have new vessels already under construction or on order.
Fincantieri is currently building vessels for Virgin Voyages, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Princess Cruises. Meanwhile, Chantiers de l’Atlantique is building ships for Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, among others.
MSC Cruises’ MSC World America coming in 2025 and the third as-yet-unnamed World-class ship with delivery scheduled for 2027 are also contracted to Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
If MSC Cruises is interested in bigger-than-ever ships, only a few shipyards in Europe are capable of that type of construction. This further narrows the selection of where such ships could be built, which could add more time to any construction schedule as shipbuilder calendars are already quite tightly booked.
How Big Could the New Ships Be?
While no firm numbers have been released about what size of project MSC Cruises may be considering, current speculation is that the new vessels would be in excess of 200,000 gross tons. Exact numbers are often hard to confirm until construction on a new vessel is nearly complete, particularly for premier projects or first-in-class designs.
It is possible that the project could eclipse the current largest ships in the world – Royal Caribbean International’s Icon class. Icon of the Seas debuted in January 2024, and the second ship in the class, Star of the Seas, is scheduled to set sail in August 2025. The Icon-class ships measure 248,663 gross tons and can welcome 5,610 guests at double occupancy (7,600 passengers if fully booked!).
MSC World Europa Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Solarisys)
MSC Cruises is already well represented for large cruise ships, claiming 8 of the top 25 slots in the world according to gross tonnage. MSC World Europa is the cruise line’s largest ship at 215,863 gross tons, the seventh largest active ship in the world – behind Icon of the Seas and every Oasis-class ship, all in the Royal Caribbean fleet.
MSC Euribia ranks at #12 (184,011 gross tons), followed by MSC Grandiosa and MSC Virtuosa tied at the #17 spot (181,541 gross tons). MSC Meraviglia and MSC Bellissima both come in at #21 (171,598 gross tons), and MSC Seashore and MSC Seascape also rank in the top 25, coming in at #23 (169,400 gross tons).
Bigger ships offer new and unique features for guests to enjoy, as well as more innovation and distinction. From thrill rides to transformative spaces to technological wonders, bigger ships have a lot of bells and whistles that aren’t possible on smaller ships.
Undoubtedly, MSC Cruises may have spectacular things in mind as new and larger ships are considered, but only time will tell what will be possible and when such new ships may come to be.
Considering booking a luxury cruise with one of the world’s ultra-luxury cruise lines, like Regent Seven Sea or Seabourn? Or maybe you’re just planning to book a luxurious suite with one of the more budget-friendly cruise lines out there, like Celebrity Cruises or Norwegian Cruise Line.
Whatever the case, if you’re booking any cruise experience that could be described as “luxury,” it’s likely you’ll enjoy one key and amazing amenity: butler service.
Cruise ship butlers and their services differ from cruise line to cruise line, but their goal is always the same — to ensure you have the most enjoyable experience possible, with everything you could need for a superb sailing.
If you’ve never enjoyed butler service on a ship or at a hotel, though, you might not realize all that a butler can do for you. They’re not just hanging around to take your coat, ferry your luggage and open the door.
One of the first things that your cruise ship butler will likely do is meet you upon check-in and then whisk you away to your suite. Along the way, they’ll point out things of interest, ask you questions about your journey thus far, and more or less make sure your trip starts out on the right foot.
Sometimes, they might greet you with a welcome drink as well, so you can sip away while they ensure your suitcase will make it to the right suite.
Once you arrive at the suite, the butler will show you around and point out special amenities, show you how to work any tech features in the room, etc.
Unpack Your Bags
Once at your suite, the butler can unpack your bags for you (if you so wish). They’ll tidily put away your toiletries and hang up your evening wear, ensuring that every piece of clothing is ready when you are.
Photo By: Melissa Mayntz
Did you notice that, as your butler was unpacking, you left some important accessory, clothing item or cosmetic at home? Tell your butler. They can likely find you a suitable replacement, elsewhere on the ship.
Specially Outfit Your Suite
Once you’ve arrived in your suite, if you find it nearly perfect, but only nearly, let your butler know. They can tweak the suite’s furnishings and even décor, to ensure that every element is just to your liking.
Towel Animals in Cruise Ship Cabin (Photo Credit: EWY Media / Shutterstock)
For example, don’t prefer the pillows on the bed? They’ll get you some new ones, as is the case with Cunard Line, where butlers will allow you to choose your pillows from a nine-option pillow menu. Need to get some work done during your stay? Ask for a desk.
Arrange Your Reservations
While, often, the concierge is your go-to professional for securing reservations at this or that restaurant aboard the cruise ship, or for snagging reservations to a show, in some cases, the butler may assist with this as well. They’ll help you get seats at all the specialty restaurants, book your spa treatments and more.
Serve Your Meals
This is not your average room service experience. Suite passengers can simply ask their butler for meals, snacks and drinks, and then your butler will ensure that your food is served as elegantly as if you were dining in the cruise ship’s finest restaurant. Whether it’s setting out breakfast in bed or setting out a late-night snack on the veranda, they have you covered.
Photo Credit: CathyRL / Shutterstock
Even better, on many cruise lines, including Azamara Club Cruises and Celebrity Cruises, when you do order a meal to your suite, it likely won’t just come, all at once, on a bunch of cloche-covered trays. Instead, if it’s a multi-course meal, your butler will serve you each course individually, so each course remains hot until you’re ready to enjoy it.
Serve Your Bottle of Wine (and other drinks)
Don’t struggle with a corkscrew as you attempt to open that bottle of wine you purchased in the duty-free shop. Your butler can help. They’ll not only open, present and pour your wine. They’ll also make recommendations as to what to pair the wine with, or other bottles you might enjoy.
Not really a wine drinker? If you’d prefer some other beverage, like a cocktail, your butler can prepare it on the spot. Some cruises even offer in-suite afternoon tea, which your butler can serve, alongside small snacks (as is the case on Celebrity). The point is, if you’re thirsty at all, or peckish for a snack, your butler can likely help.
Plan a Special Occasion
If you want to make your cruise a little extra-special, such as by popping the question to your partner or throwing a little impromptu cocktail party in your suite, your butler can help.
Just let them know what exactly you have in mind, and they’ll do their best to accommodate any special requests for any special occasion, from anniversaries to birthdays.
As an example, one cruiser on Celebrity said their butler helped set up a sail away party in their cabin, as well as a birthday party. The butler decorated and brought a cake.
Keep Your Suite Stocked
There’s nothing more annoying than running out of those much-needed items in your suite, mid-cruise (think your favorite drinks and snacks in the mini bar or, worse yet, toilet paper in the restroom).
Your butler will keep your suite stocked with all the necessary items without you even needing to think about it. It’s just one of the many unspoken, somewhat unseen tasks they complete that make your trip all the more enjoyable.
Royal Family Suite with Balcony
In fact, some butlers will even go out of their way to pay attention to the items you use in your suite, and then adjust their offerings accordingly.
For example, one cruiser who recounted their experience with Norwegian’s butlers, on Reddit, said that they only ate red and blue gummy bears out of a bag of gummy bears and, so, moving forward, the butler removed all the other gummy bears, so that they only served the cruiser their favorite red and blue gummies.
Plan Your Schedule
From restaurant reservations to special occasions, to on-shore excursions, your butler can help you keep your entire cruise itinerary straight.
From reminding you of your plans for the day as they serve you coffee on your balcony, to contacting the right crew members to make it all happen, they’ll take care of all the planning, so you can focus on having fun.
Do Your Laundry
Getting ready for dinner and realized that your dress shirt is a bit wrinkly? Spilled a bit of wine on your favorite dress? Call your butler.
They can whisk your items away for dry-cleaning, pressing and all the rest, so your items look good as new, the next time you’re ready to wear them. They’ll even shine your shoes!
Provide Insider Knowledge of the Ship
Sometimes, you just want to know if a certain restaurant is really worth the hype, or if a particular shore excursion will be crowded, or maybe the best time to go to the pool. Whatever the case, a butler can answer all of your questions. Consider them your insider expert to all things cruising. No question is too weird.
Photo Credit: ShaunWilkinson / Shutterstock
As they get to know your tastes and preferences, they’ll even be able to provide personalized recommendations and tips, elevating your cruising experience further.
Draw You a Bath
If you fancy a bubble bath after a long day of off-ship exploring and shore excursions, your butler can draw you one. In some cases, the butler may even be able to fine-tune the bath to your needs, with a bath menu, as is the case on Norwegian, if you have a Haven spa cabin, which comes with a selection of products and drinks on its specialty bath menu.
Handle Dietary Needs
Do you have allergies or food sensitivities that you take seriously? If so, you’ve probably already attempted to let the cruise line know, ahead of your trip, but tell your butler as well.
They’ll go the extra mile to communicate with the ship’s culinary teams to ensure that not a single potentially irritating or even dangerous food makes its way to your plate or into your suite.
One cruiser with a butler on Norwegian says they went so far as to request that their butler not bring any snacks into their room that had even come into contact with any surfaces that had been used to cut or clean raw mushrooms, as they had an allergy.
Even if you don’t have an allergy or similar serious dietary need, if you just have certain preferences (like, say, you hate onions and you never want them to appear in your meals), then your butler may be able to talk to the culinary team and let them know, as is the case on Silversea Cruises.
In some instances, the butler can request the culinary team even prepare you a totally off-menu meal, just because you don’t like what’s being offered on the regular menu.
Print Your Local Newspaper
Do you have a strict morning schedule that includes reading your local newspaper? If so, you might want to sail on MSC Cruises, where butlers who serve MSC Yacht Club passengers will happily print out your favorite source of news, so you can enjoy it as you sip on your butler-provided coffee.
Escort You Around the Ship
If you’re on a rather large ship and aren’t quite sure where you’re going, your butler won’t just tell you how to get there — they’ll actually show you. Ask for them to escort you to an event or a particular restaurant and they’ll get you there on time, with ease.
Find Your Way Around a Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: vbertiany / Shutterstock)
Arrange Exclusive Experiences
A butler can help arrange a ton of exclusive experiences that you wouldn’t be able to arrange on your own. For example, stories from cruisers abound of butlers who’ve been able to bend the rules a bit and get non-suite guests into suite-only restaurants, just because they were the suite guests’ friends, or butlers who’ve arranged for special shore excursions, like exclusive tours and meet-and-greats with famous faces.
Be Available to You 24/7
While your butler will perform most of their services from within your suite, that doesn’t mean you have to wait until your butler checks in, in order to ask a question or request a service.
Cruise Ship Butler (Photo Credit: alexkich)
On many cruise lines, including Norwegian, butlers carry pagers or phones on them at all times (yes, even at night), so you can always reach out, any time you need even the tiniest thing.
Be Available to You Whenever, Wherever
In addition to being available to you 24/7, your butler will also be available to you wherever you might be on the ship. Decide that you really need some sparkling wine as you sit in one of the ship’s hot tubs? Or really need some canapes as you sit on the sun deck? Your butler can help.
Pack Your Bags
At the very end of your cruise, your butler will pack up your bags and get you ready to head back to shore. You’ll very likely wish that you could take your cruise ship butler with you, but don’t worry — you can always come back and see them again, during your next luxurious cruise.
Cruise travelers will have more options than ever before, with MSC Cruises dramatically expanding its offerings from US homeports for the winter 2025-2026 season.
Already the top cruise line throughout Europe, MSC Cruises is bringing more ships to the US and offering a wide variety of departures, itineraries, and sailing regions for eager travelers to explore.
In total, seven MSC Cruises ships will be setting sail from four different US homeports – Miami, Port Canaveral, New York, and Galveston. All the sailings are now available for booking, and are sure to sell out fast with eager travelers excited about new options and experiences.
MSC Seaside in Port Canaveral (Photo Courtesy: Port Canaveral)
“The Winter 2025-2026 season will mark our largest presence in the U.S. to date, with seven ships sailing from U.S. homeports,” confirmed Rubén A. Rodríguez, President of MSC Cruises USA.“We are delighted to provide our guests more choices than ever before when it comes to embarkation ports, ships, itineraries and destinations, making it easy to find the perfect cruise.”
One of the most exciting options is MSC Grandiosa debuting from Port Canaveral, the first time one of the cruise line’s ginormous Meraviglia-plus class ships has been homeported in the US. The 181,541-gross-ton ship will offer 7-night sailings, alternating between Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
MSC Grandiosa can welcome 4,842 guests at double occupancy, or up to 6,334 travelers when fully booked. Guests will enjoy the top destinations on the ship’s itineraries, including Nassau, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and Belize.
A second ship, MSC Seashore, will also be homeported from Port Canaveral, offering 3- and 4-night cruises to Nassau and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the cruise line’s award-winning private island destination.
Slightly smaller than her fleetmate, the 170-412-gross-ton, Seaside EVO-class ship can host 4,540 guests at double occupancy, or as many as 5,877 passengers when fully booked.
Also of special note for the 2025-2026 winter season is the debut of MSC Cruises from Galveston with MSC Seascape offering 7-night Western Caribbean itineraries that will call on Roatan in Honduras as well as Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico. MSC Seascape is a sister ship to MSC Seashore and will offer a brand new cruise opportunity from the Lone Star State.
Meanwhile, MSC Meraviglia will offer 7-night Florida and Bahamas itineraries from New York, visiting Nassau and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. Lead ship in the Meraviglia class, the 171,598-gross-ton ship can entertain 4,428 guests at double occupancy, or up to 5,642 travelers when fully booked with all berths filled.
Finally, multiple ships will be offering diverse itineraries from PortMiami, ranging from 3-11 nights long. MSC Seaside will offer 3-, 4-, and 7-night sailings, while MSC Divina will offer longer options of 7-, 10-, and 11-nights, including Southern Caribbean explorations to the famed ABC Islands – Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. Between the two ships, guests will also visit Mexico, Grand Cayman, Colombia, Panama, and more.
Altogether, these diverse offerings from MSC Cruises are sure to enchant cruise travelers, especially those looking for new experiences.
“We look forward to introducing MSC Grandiosa to Port Canaveral, launching MSC Seascape from Galveston and offering a new world of cruising aboard MSC World America for our guests embarking in Miami,”said Rodríguez. “Combining world-class entertainment, dining and amenities onboard with the fantastic updates coming to Ocean Cay makes for an incredibly exciting future, which is perfect for everyone from first-time cruisers to our most devoted fans.”
Biggest in the Fleet
Of special note from South Florida is the debut of MSC World America in April of 2025. The 215,863-gross-ton ship – sister ship to MSC World Europa – will bring outstanding experiences to travelers, including the all-new Cliffhanger over-water swing thrill ride along with themed districts, decadent dining, world-class entertainment, and much more.
MSC World America will be homeported from Miami year-round, offering alternating 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings. The largest ship in the MSC Cruises fleet, she can welcome 6,762 travelers at each sailing, and is also home to more than 2,100 crew members.
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An attempt to stop Bar Harbor, Maine’s partial passenger limits has been denied by Maine’s federal court.
The ban ordinance, initially approved by the Town Council on November 8, 2022, placed a 1,000 daily cap on cruise passenger arrivals for the 2024 cruise season. The ordinance was immediately challenged by the Association to Protect and Preserve Local Livelihoods (APPLL) in December 2022.
After a lengthy court battle, which has cost the Town Council more than $300,000 in legal fees, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, led by Judge Lance Walker, upheld the Town’s legislative measures on February 29, 2024. However, the APPLL is appealing the decision and had asked the federal court for a temporary halt on cruise limits until the appeal is heard.
However, the injunction request was denied by the First Circuit Court of Appeals on May 27, 20 days since the start of Bar Harbor’s summer cruise season.
Cruise Ship Visitors in Bar Harbor (Photo Credit: New England Photo)
The decision by the court’s three judges read, “Appellants’ joint motion for injunction pending appeal is denied without prejudice for noncompliance with Fed. R. App. P. 8(a), especially considering the 60-plus days that passed between entry of the challenged order and the filing of the instant motion.”
This means if the APPLL and other opponents of the passenger ban want to file an injunction, they must do so at the district court level.
Although the district court ruled in favor of the daily cap ahead of the season’s start, Bar Harbor’s Town Council has been delaying implementation of the ordinance due to the litigation and has not imposed restrictions. This allowed Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Gem to kick off the season on May 2 carrying up to 2,394 passengers without any changes.
“While the appeal by APPLL, though disappointing, was not unexpected, [the] unwarranted and spurious action only serves to demonstrate that neither side in this issue has the best interests of the people of the Town of Bar Harbor at heart,”said Val Peacock, council chair.
Peacock continued,“We will defend against both litigious parties vigorously as we work to implement the ordinance and continue to engage in dialogue with the community on ways to chart the proper course on this issue.”
The Town of Bar Harbor is holding a public hearing on the ordinance on June 18 alone.
Implications for the 2024 Cruise Season
Although Bar Harbor has not yet instituted the ordinance, several cruise lines altered itineraries to avoid the picturesque coastal town that serves as a gateway to Arcadia National Park.
Royal Caribbean’s 2,514-passenger Vision of the Seas and 4,960-passenger Liberty of the Seas, and Celebrity Cruises’ 2,850-passenger Celebrity Eclipse, for example, are each calling on Portland, Maine, this summer, avoiding Bar Harbor due to the ordinance.
Said Royal Caribbean in a statement, “We remained hopeful that the situation would be clarified in enough time for us to add Bar Harbor back into our itineraries. Unfortunately, these changes came many months too late, and we will be continuing with our published itineraries that do not include the destination.”
Photo Credit: Darryl Brooks / Shutterstock
Royal Caribbean ships will be calling on Portland 25 times between August 25 and October 27, costing Bar Harbor more than 83,000 passengers, not including crew, which are in the thousands per ship.
The APPLL says the ordinance is “an unconstitutional and unwarranted law that will effectively destroy an important source of municipal and business revenue by creating a bar to passengers and crew being able to disembark at Bar Harbor.”
If the Town Council begins to impose the partial ban, currently scheduled large cruise ships will have to limit the number of passengers allowed to disembark, including Holland America’s 1,432-passenger, 647-crew member ms Voldendam, arriving five times in June.
Tyler Wenrich, a Virginia resident, was released from a Turks and Caicos jail after serving three weeks in jail for possession of ammunition, avoiding the island nation’s mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years in prison.
Wenrich, who was traveling with his family on a Royal Caribbean cruise at the time of his arrest, was released following the arrival of a U.S. Congressional delegation that included Virginia Congressman Bob Good advocating for Wenrich and four additional Americans held in Turks & Caicos due to its stringent laws.
Congressman Good said the group“advocated for the release of 5 Americans, including Tyler Wenrich of the 5th District, who face 12 years in prison for accidental, non-threatening offenses.”
US Congressional delegation at the Governor’s Office
Senator Mullin praised the Turks and Caicos government for releasing Wenrich with time served and a fine, saying, “This is welcome news, and another step in the right direction.” The governor went on to say he encourages the government to “address the unintended consequences of their law to prevent this from happening again.”
Wenrich, a Richmond, Virginia EMT and father of an 18-month-old, was arrested on April 20, 2024, when security personnel found two bullets in his luggage during a routine inspection at a checkpoint in Grand Turk. Despite his claims of being unaware of the ammunition in his bag, he was charged and detained.
Wenrich, who was sailing on a Royal Caribbean cruise for a bachelor party, pleaded guilty of two counts of possession of ammunition for two 9mm rounds and was given a three-week jail sentence on May 28, which covered the amount of time he was already detained, allowing for his release.
Tyler Wenrich
Turks and Caicos Justice Davidson Baptiste was lenient on his sentencing, citing “exceptional circumstances.” He stated, “that enforcing the mandatory minimum would have been arbitrary and disproportionate, and would not serve the public interest.”
Wenrich also received a $9,000 fine, which must be paid before he can return to Virginia. ABC News reported that Wenrich’s wife was in Turks and Caicos for the sentencing and that the two plan to return to the U.S. on May 30.
Strict Turks and Caicos Ammo Laws
The Royal Caribbean passenger’s arrest drew national attention to the strict regulations regarding firearms and ammunition in the Turks and Caicos Islands with the Governor of Turks and Caicos, Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, and Premier Charles Washington Misick emphasizing the importance of upholding local laws when traveling.
Michael Lee Evans of Texas, Sharitta Grier of Florida, Bryan Hagerich of Pennsylvania, and Ryan Tyler Watson of Oklahoma were also previously arrested for having ammunition in their luggage, not flagged by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) before leaving the U.S. to visit Turks and Caicos. The TSA permits unloaded firearms and ammunition in checked luggage.
Grand Turk Cruise Center Terminal (Photo Credit: Ihor Koptilin)
The full delegation meeting with the government of the Caribbean nation made up of 40 islands included Senator John Fetterman and Congressman Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania, Oklahoma Congressman Josh Brecheen and Senator Markwayne Mullin, and Texas Congressman Michael Cloud, Florida Secretary of State Cory Bird, U.S. State Department’s Angela Kerwin, and Jason Crosby of the U.S. Embassy Nassau Chargé d’Affairs.
The Turks and Caicos Islands’ Governor’s Office, which met with the delegation, said it “cannot intervene on ongoing legal cases before the courts,” but did add, “the sentencing judge does have the discretion, under the law, to impose a custodial sentence and a fine that are fair and just in the circumstances of each case rather than impose the mandatory minimum.”
Wenrich’s arrest underscores the importance of travelers knowing the contents of their luggage and understand the rules and laws of countries on cruise itineraries.
