Carnival Cruise Line is celebrating Celebration Key’s first holiday season by decorating the entire new port.
The seasonal transformation includes themed trees, oversized gift boxes, sand sculptures, and Santa appearances to introduce Christmas programming.
Passengers visiting Celebration Key in December 2025 will find the festivities extend to Carnival Cruise Line ships, as well.
Cruises passengers stepping onto Celebration Key this month are finding something new waiting for them: The private destination owned by Carnival Cruise Line is bedecked for its first holiday season with holiday decorations lining the walkways, transforming into a tropical-themed North Pole of sorts, complete with Santa sightings.
The festive atmosphere stretches across the destination’s themed portals, with each district featuring its own decorative trees, wreaths, and garlands tailored to its setting.
For instance, Paradise Plaza, the destination’s arrival hub and central gathering area, showcases oversized wrapped boxes, while Lokono Cove, the port’s retail and dining district, is anchored by a 20-foot Celebration Key-themed tree.
Even the sand joins the celebration with Carnival introducing holiday-style sand sculptures, including an 8-foot-tall sand tree in Santa’s Village at Starfish Lagoon, the family-focused portal featuring kids’ activities and lagoon access.
Of course, Santa will be making an appearance in Starfish Lagoon, greeting families for photo sessions and giving kids a chance to let him know what they want for Christmas.
The Junkanoo parade, a Bahamian tradition that is a staple of the destination, is also getting seasonal updates to costumes and choreography, offering a holiday twist for passengers walking through the port.
Santa and his helpers at Celebration Key (Photo Credit: Carnival Cruise Line)
Passengers on Carnival Dream, Carnival Vista, Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Elation, Carnival Pride, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Freedom, and Carnival Glory are all getting a taste of Christmas on Celebration Key, with each ship sailing to the port in December 2025.
The ships are routinely sailing 3- to 7-night cruises that include stops at Celebration Key.
The cruise line says the debut marks the first of what could become a recurring seasonal experience.
Inside Celebration Key
Celebration Key officially opened on July 19, 2025, when Carnival Vista became the first ship to dock at the new port for nearly 5,000 guests. The opening marked the debut of Carnival Cruise Line’s first private destination designed exclusively for its own guests.
Located on the south side of Grand Bahama Island, roughly 20 miles east of Freeport, Celebration Key spans nearly 65 hectares and features a private white-sand beach, the two largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean, and five distinct portals, each offering different amenities and vibes.
The development includes the aforementioned themed areas Paradise Plaza, Starfish Lagoon, and Lokono Cove, along with the natural landscape of Nature’s Wild Life Preserve and the adults-only Calypso Lagoon, where bars, entertainment, and a quieter setting will get a dose of holiday spirit this season.
Guests can enjoy over 30 venues on the property, including a mix of quick-service and sit-down restaurants.
Carnival Corporation, which owns Carnival Cruise Line, will be sending other brands to the port, including Princess Cruises in 2027-2028.
There appears to be price and size changes for bottled water offered for sale on Carnival ships.
The changes are not yet consistent but could be the beginning of a fleetwide shift.
Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed that price changes are due to rising costs.
Many guests buy bottled water on a cruise ship for CPAP machines, preparing baby formula, taking along on shore tours, or just for personal preference and taste. With the popularity of the beverage, it’s not surprising that it can be a big money-maker for a cruise line.
But is Carnival Cruise Line taking its water pricing to extremes? Guests onboard different ships recently have reported that bottled water has changed from 1.5 liters to 1 liter, and it may even be more expensive.
It is confirmed that the taller 1.5-liter bottles are no longer available from Carnival’s website, where the listing for individual bottles of water is for a single large 1L bottle priced at $4.50.
Earlier this year, that same price was for a 1.5L bottle, which is no longer for sale on the cruise line’s websites.
Different ships, however, may be utilizing different water supplies. Guests on Carnival Firenze have noted the smaller bottles offered for $5, while other ships have the smaller bottles available for $4.50 or $4.75.
This represents a 30% decrease in size but no change in pricing. Other ships in the fleet, however, are still offering the larger bottles with prices ranging from $4.50 to $5.25.
This change comes as the red VIFP water bottle neck tags have been rolling out across the Carnival fleet, carefully noting which bottles are the “Refreshing Reward” for returning guests.
That loyalty gift is for all returning guests after their first sailing with Carnival, but there has been confusion in the past about whether the in-room bottles can be used for the free gift or if the bottles must be picked up from a bar or restaurant.
Carnival Cruise Line has placed several for-sale bottles in staterooms for many years as a convenience for thirsty guests. If travelers use those bottles, the cost is automatically added to the stateroom account.
The new red tags absolutely confirm which bottle is the free loyalty gift, and they are being delivered to guests’ staterooms without any pickup or requests necessary.
Have the Bottles and Prices Really Changed?
Because there is sufficient variation across different ships, it is possible that there haven’t been any permanent changes to the sizes of the bottled water onboard Carnival ships.
For example, there may have been a simple mixup with a supplier and the confusion and change in water bottles is just temporary. It’s perfectly understandable that if smaller bottles had been provided, the cruise line would rather fulfill orders with those smaller bottles rather than not have any bottled water available.
Carnival Cruise Line Defends Cost of Water (Photp Credits: Cruise Hive & Daniel Wright98)
It is also possible that this represents a true change in the supply and the size and cost of bottles onboard. Since these reports have only been made in the last few days, it would take time for supplies to be completely changed on 29 different ships.
Cruise Hive has reached out to Carnival Cruise Line for clarification and the cruise line confirmed that “the price adjustments reflect our higher costs for products and services.”
No mention was made of the different water bottle sizes, but time will tell if that becomes a consistent change.
Can You Get Free Water?
In addition to the 1.5L bottle given as a gift to returning cruisers (a gift which will be continued when the loyalty program switches to Carnival Rewards), there are other ways Carnival guests can get “free” water. Or at least, it’s included.
Bottled water is included with the Cheers! drink package as well as with the new Cheers! Zero Proof premium non-alcoholic beverage package, which also includes soda, juices, mocktails, smoothies, and more.
Guests can also get filtered water from the self-service drink stations at the Lido Marketplace buffet and filtered water is served in the Main Dining Room and specialty restaurants.
Of course, guests can always drink from the taps in their stateroom or refill their own water bottles from those taps as well.
The Minister of Justice in Philipsburg, St. Maarten has issued a new public-order to protect cruisers from being harassed by local vendors.
Vendors will now be fined $190 USD if they attempt to offer services without proper authorization.
The order will be in effect from December 1, 2025, until April 30, 2026, which coincides with the peak cruise season.
As many Caribbean destinations do, Philipsburg, St. Maarten’s economy relies heavily on tourism in order to stay afloat – much of which comes from the more than 1.5 million cruise guests that visit the port each year.
But in order to keep the cruise lines coming back, it’s important that passengers have a good experience while visiting St. Maarten’s capital.
Of course, being harassed and heckled at the cruise port by pushy vendors is not the key to a good time.
In light of recent events in which tourists have been approached in an aggressive or intimidating manner, the Minister of Justice has issued a Ministerial Decree establishing strict public-order controls at the island’s waterfront entry ports.
Any vendor who approaches guests, disturbs the peace, and/or attempts to offer services without proper authorization will be fined $190 USD.
Prohibited activities include renting cars and bicycles, offering tours or excursions without permits, providing services like hair braiding and massages, and persistently approaching visitors to solicit business.
This order is not meant to penalize lawful business operators who have the necessary permits, but rather to reinforce safe commercial activity within the tourist hubs.
With this in mind, the order will be in effect from December 1, 2025, until April 30, 2026, which covers the port’s busiest months.
Cruise Ships Docked in St. Maarten, in the Caribbean. Photo Credit: Dennis MacDonald)
During this time, Philipsburg will welcome dozens of ships every single week from brands like Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and more.
While in place, the public-order will protect the entrance of the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facilities and the access points to the Captain Hodge Wharf and the Walter Plantz Wharf on the Boardwalk.
Cruisers Celebrate the News
The public-order, which was announced on the Facebook page for the Government of Sint Maarten on December 4, was met with gratitude from the cruise community.
“Good call! I have never wanted to go on a cruise ship holiday because I have witnessed from the shore how cruise passengers get “attacked” by vendors the instant they step off the ship,” one person sounded off in the comments.
“Great news, these people what they do is scare the tourists, I understand they want to work and be nice, but definitely is not the way to market or promote a business,”another past visitor reacted.
Enhanced security measures have also been taken at other major cruise ports, such as Nassau in the Bahamas.
This is another location where locals can come off a bit too strong when trying to solicit business.
In 2023, the entire cruise port got new fencing and controlled entry/exit points for passengers, which was another welcomed change.
Only approved vendors are allowed to set up shop inside, which prevents unwanted interactions with the locals while guests are inside the port itself – and guests don’t necessarily have to leave the fenced area to have a good time.
The French Senate has approved a new per-person cruise ship tax.
If passed, cruise lines will have to pay €15 per person every time they visit a French port.
This would likely result in skipped port calls and/or an uptick in pricing for European sailings.
France is one step closer to implementing one of the most significant new taxes on cruise ships.
On Monday, December 1, 2025, the French Senate voted to approve an environmental tax of €15 ($18 USD) per cruise passenger that would be charged for every single port call in France.
This means that if a cruise ship stopped at two French ports, the per-person tax would be owed twice.
If passed into law, the tax is expected to generate approximately €75 million (around $87.4 million), which would be put toward protecting and enhancing France’s coastlines.
The thought process behind the tax is based on the “polluter pays” principle, meaning that the cruise lines are being held responsible for the cost of pollution and its prevention instead of those affected.
Per the senators who introduced the measure, “this tax, based on the ‘polluter pays’ principle, aims to offset the ‘particularly heavy externalities’ of international cruises on coastal and port areas.”
Senator Jean-Marc Délia, who is championing the tax, pointed out that cruise ships emit more than 7 million tons of carbon dioxide in Europe each year.
But on the other side of the coin, the cruise lines are making great strides to be more environmentally conscious and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
A Negative Impact on Cruising
The new tax is a huge blow to the cruise industry, as it would cost a fortune if implemented.
As an example, a moderately sized cruise ship with 2,000 passengers would have to shell out €30,000 (around $35,000 USD) for a single port call in France.
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has already spoken out against the tax as unfair.
“Cruise operations in Europe are already contributing substantially to national and EU climate funds,”CLIA said in a statement.
“Adding a €15 per passenger fee at every French port of call would layer a new charge on top…effectively taxing the same emissions twice without a clear environmental benefit,” CLIA continued.
“Any new levy should be fair, evidence-based and consistent across vessel types, without confusing cruise ships with other types of vessels.”
Carnival Mardi Gras completed dry dock in Marseille. (Photo Credit: Carnival Cruise Line)
If the tax is passed, passengers can expect to see an uptick in pricing for European sailings, especially if France is on the itinerary.
When new taxes are passed, it’s quite common for cruise lines to pass the expense onto passengers.
It’s also possible that the cruise lines would replace French port calls on already booked itineraries until they can start putting more of the financial burden onto guests.
Alternatively, the number of cruises to France may lessen, as the cruise lines could opt to sail to more cost-effective destinations – especially if demand decreases in response to higher pricing.
This is not only a disappointment to cruisers who dream of sailing to these destinations, but it could also have a negative impact on France’s economy.
What Happens Next?
Now that the Senate has approved the motion, the Assemblée nationale must consider the tax before it can be passed into law. A vote is expected to take place later in December.
That said, the measure will likely be subject to a fair amount of scrutiny and debate, and its final form could look a bit different when all is said and done.
For example, Amélie de Montchalin, Minister for Public Accounts, has already opposed the measure because the wording did not clearly differentiate between cruise ships and ferries.
But for now, the cruise community will simply have to wait and see how things play out.
Port Everglades set a new cruise-passenger record in Fiscal Year 2025, moving nearly 4.8 million guests.
The numbers represent a 16 percent jump from 2024 and enough to rank it as the world’s third busiest cruise homeport.
The port expects another rise in 2026 with 40 ships from nine cruise lines scheduled to sail.
If you sailed out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2025, you were part of a record-setting moment.
While 2024 sawjust over 4 million passengers in a year that positioned Port Everglades as one of the busiest ports in the world, in Fiscal Year 2025 the South Florida port reported 4,773,873 cruise passengers, a 16 percent increase that secured its place.
The numbers mean Port Everglades is the third-busiest cruise homeport globally in 2025, trailing Port Miami and Port Canaveral, which each also bested their 2024 numbers and makes Florida’s Atlantic Coast the biggest cruise region, period.
Officials say the record aligns with a period of expansion as more cruise lines base ships in Fort Lauderdale. Established operators like Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, and Princess Cruises have added larger ships and increased frequency to the port in recent years.
“The trifecta of record-breaking accomplishments reflects the strength of our partnerships and the resilience of our business lines,” said Port Everglades CEO and Port Director Joseph Morris.
He added that the port’s diversified portfolio “positions us to adapt, compete, and lead as global and regional markets evolve.”
While Morris noted gains in all sectors at the port, cruising is getting much of the attention. Passenger demand is so strong that the port expects even higher numbers in 2026, with 40 ships from nine cruise lines plus a dairy ferry scheduled to sail.
Photo Credit: Broward County’s Port Everglades
Many of the ships sailing from Port Everglades are cruising shorter itineraries, which allow for frequent passenger turnover. Meanwhile, seasonal deployments are driving peak-period occupancy.
Port Everglades is also continuing its long-term Master/Vision Plan, which includes more than $3 billion in infrastructure, capacity, and efficiency investments that will continue to improve passenger flow, modernize terminals, and reach sustainability targets.
South Florida benefits heavily from the port’s contributions of $28.1 billion annually, supporting more than 204,000 jobs in the region.
What’s Ahead for 2026
Port Everglades’ upswing in cruise passengers will continue with the addition of several new ships that will join its homeport in the 2025-2026 season and beyond.
Among the arrivals? Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Xcel, which originally began service out of Fort Lauderdale on November 18, 2025, and sails to the Eastern and Western Caribbean carrying 3,260 passengers.
Disney Cruise Line’s new Disney Destiny also joined the lineup, debuting at port on November 20, 2025. The 4,000-guest vessel is offering 4- and 5-night voyages to the Bahamas and Western Caribbean.
The new 4,300-passenger Sphere-class Star Princess from Princess Cruises also started its inaugural season from Port Everglades on November 7, joining her sister ship, Sun Princess, also based at the port.
Royal Caribbean’s third Icon-class vessel, Legend of the Seas, which carries 5,610 passengers, will begin homeporting at Port Everglades in November 2026, bringing another mega-ship into its waters.
Guests sailing aboard AIDAdiva‘s New Year’s World Cruise that departed Hamburg, Germany on Monday, November 10, 2025 have an unwelcome stowaway: norovirus.
The outbreak has been reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as is required for any ship sailing to US ports regardless of where the cruise originated.
The current illness update from the ship indicates 95 of the 2,007 passengers onboard (4.8%) as well as 6 of the 640 crew members (.9%) have reported diarrhea and vomiting, the most common symptoms of norovirus.
Onboard testing has confirmed the causative agent as norovirus, one of the most common sources of gastrointestinal distress worldwide.
To date, there have been 16 confirmed norovirus outbreaks onboard cruise ships in 2025 that have been reported to the CDC. The most recent was aboard Oceania Insignia in late October.
In addition to testing to confirm norovirus, the diligent crew members onboard AIDAdiva have implemented enhanced cleaning and sanitation procedures to help minimize the spread of the illness.
Guests and crew members reporting symptoms are also being confined to their staterooms as part of the health and safety protocols.
It is important to note that despite the 101 cases so far reported onboard, there is no indication that all of those cases have been ongoing simultaneously. The CDC requires that outbreaks be reported only when total numbers of cases pass a threshold of 3% of either guests or crew members.
Because the percentages are cumulative, it isn’t unusual for longer sailings such as AIDAdiva‘s 133-night world itinerary to eventually see enough cases to warrant such a report.
Furthermore, these may not be the final totals that will be reported from the 69,200-gross-ton, Sphinx-class vessel. As the cruise continues, it wouldn’t be unheard of for more guests to contract the very contagious illness.
Don’t Cruise With Norovirus!
While it will be frustrating for travelers who are afflicted with the illness, norovirus generally resolves within a few days without extensive treatment.
Guests can protect themselves from the illness by washing their hands thoroughly in warm, soapy water after using the restroom and before meals. Avoiding common utensils and high-contact surfaces can also minimize the risk of exposure.
CDC Sign (Photo Credit: Tada Images)
AIDAdiva is the first ship from the Carnival-owned AIDA Cruises to report an outbreak to the CDC this year. Other norovirus outbreaks have been noted from Oceania Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Holland America Line, Viking Cruises, Seabourn, Cunard Line, and Princess Cruises.
Clearly, the illness is widespread and can be very common, no matter what the size of the ship or type of cruise line.
What’s Next for AIDAdiva
AIDAdiva has already completed the transatlantic portion of her world cruise and visited the top US ports of Boston, New York, Charleston, and Miami. The ship has also made her way through the Caribbean, and will transit through the Panama Canal.
The cruise will continue with more US calls in California and Hawaii before completing the transpacific route to visit South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka and more phenomenal ports.
The last leg of the global circumnavigation is moving up the west coast of Africa with visits to South Africa and Namibia en route to the Canary Islands and Portugal. AIDAdiva will return to Hamburg, Germany on March 23, 2026.
Following the world cruise, the ship will offer Scandinavian and Baltic Sea itineraries through the end of August.
It’s been another super-charged week in the cruise industry, and Cruise Hive has it all covered. This edition of our weekly recap includes stories about Port Canaveral edging out PortMiami as North America’s busiest cruise port, Carnival Cruise Line quietly raising some of its service charges, and Philadelphia partners with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to build a new cruise port and terminal.
Stay up to date on the major cruise news stories with Cruise Hive’s Daily Update, a must-read for industry insiders. Sign up here and have the news delivered to your inbox each morning.
Ship’s Crew Rescues Local Man From Martinique Harbor
Crew members on Princess Cruises’ Enchanted Princess rescued a man who had jumped into the water at the Martinique cruise port, but it turned out he wasn’t a guest sailing on the ship.
It was a local resident who, for reasons unknown, decided to cool off in the harbor where the 3,660-guest Enchanted Princess was docked for the day on November 29, 2025. In fact, he jumped in the water right in front of the 145,300-gross-ton ship.
The ship’s overboard alert was sounded, and crew members immediately came to the man’s rescue, bringing him to shore on one of Enchanted Princess’s rescue craft. It was around 10 a.m. when crew members completed the rescue, and local police placed the man in custody.
Enchanted Princess was sailing a 12-night Southern Caribbean voyage roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale. Her port call at Martinique was from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., giving guests plenty of time to enjoy the destination.
The man who jumped into the harbor apparently was not injured, but questions remain. Why did he do it, and how did he manage to enter the port’s secure area, evading several checkpoints?
Port security and operations staff will likely be investigating the incident.
Search Ends For Man Overboard in Canary Islands
Authorities have called off the search for an elderly guest who went overboard from Marella Cruises’ Marella Explorer 2 as she sailed near La Palma, Canary Islands.
The unidentified 76-year-old man was reported overboard from the 1,800-guest ship on November 27, 2025 and a search was immediately begun, involving the ship’s crew and the Salvamento Maritimo — the Spanish Coast Guard.
Marella Explorer 2 Cruise Overboard (Photo Credits: Liam Best & penofoto)
Other guests saw the man, said to be a British national, enter the water around 10 a.m. Two helicopters, a patrol boat, and other rescue aircraft searched for the man for two days before calling it off. Foul play is not suspected.
Guests aboard Marella Explorer 2 were enjoying a sea day when the tragic incident happened. The ship homeports in Tenerife and sails mostly 7-night itineraries to multiple Canary Islands destinations.
While active search efforts ended, maritime reports continued to alert local boats about the missing man, asking them to keep watch in the unlikely event the man survived longer than expected in the water.
Cruise Line Modifies Vacation Protection Plan
Several modifications were made to Carnival Cruise Line’s Vacation Protection Plan, effective with departures on and after December 1, 2025.
First, the cruise line has changed insurance carriers and is now using United States Fire Insurance Company.
Previously, the plan provided a Medical Evacuation Benefit of $30,000 and a Repatriation of Remains Benefit of $30,000. Under the new plan, both are combined into a single benefit of $50,000.
It is not clear whether the $50,000 benefit can be used for either purpose. But if that is so, as one repeat cruiser who also is an insurance agent suggested, it’s good for guests, because those who use the evacuation benefit would not also need the repatriation benefit, and vice versa.
Repatriation refers to the removal of a dead body. So the benefit for either emergency could rise by $20,000.
Also, the Accident Medical Expense Benefit of $10,000 and the Sickness Medical Expense Benefit of $10,000 are now combined into one Accident and Sickness Medical Expense Benefit of $20,000.
Cruisers can buy the protection plan policy at rates starting at $49, depending on their total cruise fare and the length of the sailing.
Carnival Cruise Line Raises Some Service Fees
Experienced cruisers who sail with Carnival Cruise Line know that every time they buy a drink, whether they have a drinks package or not, an 18% gratuity is added onto the tab.
Well, no more. Now that the service charge has risen to 20%, meaning a $10 glass of wine will actually cost $12. Moreover, the higher fee also applies to specialty dining charges, in-stateroom decorations purchased for special events like birthdays, and gifts for staterooms such as toys and flowers.
The new policy was quietly added to the terms and conditions section of the line’s website and has already taken effect.
The higher service charge applies to all purchases of the Cheers!, Bottomless Bubbles, and the new Cheers! Zero Proof packages, as well as all drinks bought without a package.
For example, if two adults buy the Cheers! package, which costs $139.90 per day, the total package cost for a 7-night cruise comes to $979.30. The new 20% service fee would add $196 to the total cost — about $20 more than the 18% fee, which would add $176.
It won’t break the bank, but onboard costs do add up.
New Philadelphia Cruise Port In The Works
The US East Coast will soon have another cruise port to sail from: Philadelphia! The city, in partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line, has plans to build PhilaPort, a 16-acre port conveniently located next to Philadelphia International Airport.
The port, which is set to open in April 2026, held an official ground-breaking ceremony on December 1, 2025.
City officials also revealed a 7-year agreement with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings that enables its three brands — Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, to operate as the port’s only operator. The deal provides for an initial commitment of 41 sailings per year.
The 2,376-guest Norwegian Jewel will homeport at Philadelphia from April 16, 2026 to October 17, 2026, offering Bermuda cruises and Canada/New England voyages.
Under the plan, PhilaPort will handle the waterfront construction, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings will build the cruise terminal.
The new port will be open in time for the city’s celebrations in summer 2026, tied to the 250th anniversary of the 1776 founding of the US.
PortMiami Breaks All-Time Cruise Arrivals Record
It’s been another record-setting year for PortMiami, as cruise guest transits reached 8,564,225, a 4% increase compared to 2024.
It represents the highest passenger-arrival total in the port’s history, based on the fiscal year that ran from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025.
Miami is known as the Cruise Capital of the World, but it has lost ground this year to Port Canaveral, on Florida’s Space Coast (see next news brief below).
Cruise Ships Docked in PortMiami (Photo Credit: Felix Mizioznikov)
Still, PortMiami continues to be a global leader in the cruise industry, with virtually every cruise brand sailing from its docks.
Those deployments translate into around $61 billion in economic benefits to the region, supporting some 340,000 jobs related to cruising. And while cruise arrivals continue to increase, so does the port’s cargo business, port officials note.
PortMiami currently is home to popular ships such as Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jewel, and Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Conquest, among many others.
Port Canaveral Edges Out Miami in Guest Arrivals
Congratulations to Port Canaveral, the growing port in Central Florida that has surpassed PortMiami as the busiest cruise port in North America.
The numbers are in: Port Canaveral recorded 8.6 million cruise guest movements in 2025, inching past PortMiami’s 8.5 million (see news brief above).
Port Canaveral is home to some of the industry’s biggest ships, including Royal Caribbean’s 5,610-guest Star of the Seas and Disney Cruise Line’s 4,000-guest Disney Treasure.
Cruise Ships at Port Canaveral (Photo Credit: Santiago Castillo Chomel)
Other cruise lines with a presence at Port Canaveral include Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Celebrity Cruises.
The port’s 2025 numbers show a very respectable 13% increase over 2024’s totals, when it received 7.6 million passengers.
Port Canaveral is a homeport for 18 of the industry’s most popular ships, but it is also a major port of call, since the theme parks of Orlando are less than an hour’s drive away.
More Cruise Headlines
Let’s keep going with more news! Cruise Hive has full coverage of Carnival Cruise Line’s Celebration Key all spruced up for the holidays, MSC Cruises revealing more details about the upcoming MSC World Asia, and Virgin Voyages rolling out a 30-day season pass to Alaska.
Norwegian Cruise Line has adjusted more than two dozen Pride of America Hawaii cruises.
Port visits are all preserved, but in a different order and with different visit times.
These adjustments impact sailings from October 2026 through March 2027.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s 80,439-gross-ton Pride of America is well known as the only major cruise ship to offer 7-night inter-island Hawaii cruises, roundtrip from Honolulu.
The iconic itinerary hits all the high points among the major islands, including Kona, Hilo, Maui, and Kauai, giving guests amazing opportunities to immerse themselves in the beauty and culture of the Aloha State.
More than two dozen itineraries through the winter months of 2026 and 2027, however, have been dramatically adjusted. Guests need to be aware of the changes to plan their time in port accordingly.
Norwegian Cruise Line reached out to travel agents and booked guests to alert them to the changes, which will begin with Pride of America‘s October 3, 2026 sailing and continue through the March 27, 2027 departure.
“While we’re always working to bring your dream vacation to life, sometimes a small course correction helps us deliver an even better experience,”the email explains.
The good news is that no ports of call are cancelled on the Hawaiian itineraries, they’re just rearranged. This is being done to offer a “more seamless, immersive journey from port to port.”
“You’ll still enjoy each of the amazing destinations you’ve been looking forward to on your itinerary, just in a refreshed sequence,”the email confirmed.
The itinerary changes are as follows:
Saturday – Depart Honolulu at 5 p.m.
Sunday – Arrive in Kahului (Maui) at 8 a.m. for an overnight visit (previously Kona)
Monday – Depart Kahului at 6 p.m. (previously Hilo)
Tuesday – Hilo from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (previously Maui arrival)
Wednesday – Kona from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (previously Maui Departure)
Thursday – Arrive in Nawiliwili (Kauai) at 8 a.m. for an overnight visit (previously arriving at 9 a.m.)
Friday – Depart Nawiliwili at 2 p.m.
Saturday – Arrive in Honolulu at 7 a.m. for debarkation
The refreshed itinerary does give guests an extra hour in Maui, an extra 30 minutes in Kona, and an extra hour in Kauai to enjoy.
The time in Hilo remains the same, but is shifted an hour later to be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. instead of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. as previously planned.
Similarly, the departure and arrival times to Honolulu are unchanged, so no embarkation or debarkation times will be impacted.
Guests Should Check Tours
If guests have already pre-booked any tours through Norwegian Cruise Line for their Hawaii cruise, those tours will be adjusted accordingly to suit the new itinerary.
Pride of America Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Jose Gil)
Guests who have arranged independent tours, including rental cars or shuttle drivers, will need to contact their tour operators to confirm rescheduling and availability.
Fortunately, because these changes do not take effect for ten months, guests have plenty of time to make such adjustments without difficulty.
Cruising to Hawaii
Pride of America offers the most immersive itineraries around the Hawaiian islands. While other cruise lines do offer Hawaii cruises, those sailings typically depart from West Coast homeports and include 4-5 days at sea just to reach Hawaii.
After visiting the islands, the ships then need to return to their homeports, meaning another 4-5 days at sea, along with a port visit in either Canada or Mexico to satisfy US regulations.
This means a much longer (and potentially more expensive) cruise, which may not be possible or desirable for all cruise travelers.
Pride of America, however, has special licensing to homeport from Hawaii and enjoy her sailings without a visit to a foreign port.
Another option for very exotic Hawaii sailings is transpacific sailings as ships reposition to and from Asia or Australia in spring and fall. These one-way cruises can last as much as a month and are truly epic, once-in-a-lifetime journeys.
Rhapsody, Enchantment, and Grandeur of the Seas are all delayed due to fog in Tampa Bay.
The delays are at least 8 hours long for the fog to clear and the ships to reach their terminals.
Guests will be notified if there is any need for itinerary changes due to the delays.
Cruising from Port Tampa Bay can be a challenge in the winter months when cold northern air meets the warm waters of the bay and dense fog forms overnight.
Guests aboard three Royal Caribbean ships have gotten the full force of that winter fog on Saturday morning, December 6. Their vessels were unable to enter Tampa Bay until the afternoon, hours after they should already have arrived at the cruise terminals.
Rhapsody of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, and Grandeur of the Seas have all been impacted by the dense fog and instead of docking in the early morning hours as planned, will not be docking until late afternoon.
“All Cruise Ships are delayed from entering port today due to fog in the bay,”Port Tampa Bay confirmed with a fog delay alert.
Guests were advised to reach out to Royal Caribbean directly for updates on arrival times, including the pushed back embarkation for the next sailings.
The cruise line did notify guests throughout Saturday morning to keep them apprised of the situation and advise them of changes to embarkation.
“Due to dense fog earlier today, our ship was delayed returning to Port Tampa Bay. As a result, the terminal will not be open for embarkation, and we will need to push back our boarding,”the final update sent to Rhapsody of the Seas’ guests explained.
All cruise terminal arrival times for Rhapsody of the Seas have been delayed by eight hours. This means guests who originally selected to arrive at the terminal at 11 a.m. must now arrive at 7 p.m. The last arrival time will now be 9:30 p.m.
Rhapsody of the Seas was the first of the cruise ships to enter Tampa Bay once the port was reopened, but guests for Enchantment of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas also received similar notifications with adjusted arrival times.
Will the Next Cruises Be Impacted?
There is no confirmation of whether or not the next sailings for the trio of ships may be impacted by the significant delay.
Rhapsody of the Seas is returning from a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise and is due to start another 7-night itinerary with calls to Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Belize.
Enchantment of the Seas is finishing a 5-night sailing that visited two ports in Mexico, and will be starting another 5-night cruise, also visiting Costa Maya and Cozumel.
Grandeur of the Seas is at the end of a 7-night cruise and will be starting another weeklong sailing, with calls to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and Costa Maya.
Enchantment of the Seas in Tampa, Florida (Photo Credit: Dennis MacDonald)
Fortunately, all three ships have a full day at sea planned for Sunday, December 7, during which it should be possible for them to make up for the delay. If there needs to be any changes to any of the three itineraries, guests will be notified as soon as the alterations are confirmed.
At 73,800 (Grandeur), 78,900 (Rhapsody), and 82,900 (Enchantment) gross tons each, the three vessels are among the smallest in Royal Caribbean’s fleet.
Likewise, having entered service in 1996 (Grandeur) and 1997 (Rhapsody and Enchantment), they are also the three oldest ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet.
Including both debarking and embarking cruise guests, as many as 15,000 cruise guests may now be scrambling with the changes for this one busy turnaround day.
Why So Long a Delay?
Port Tampa Bay is unique in that the cruise terminals are located at the north end of the bay. This is approximately 30 miles from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and a total of nearly 40 miles from the mouth of Tampa Bay.
Even on a clear, unobstructed day, it takes cruise ships 2.5-3 hours to fully transit Tampa Bay. This must be done carefully due to extensive marine traffic, proper bridge clearance, and other safety factors.
It is not uncommon for the port to be completely closed when dense fog blankets the area. This would apply to all marine traffic, not just cruise ships.
Furthermore, when multiple vessels are impacted, delays can be even more severe as an extra precaution for each ship’s maneuverability and pilot availability to guide ships to the dock.
Savvy cruise guests know how uncertain it can be to schedule post-cruise travel too early in the day in case one’s ship is delayed returning to the homeport, or if there is traffic congestion or other problems that prevent a smooth, on-time debarkation.
For winter sailings out of Tampa, however, the wisest guests plan flights for the following day, just in case there might be an extensive delay.
