Australian authorities inspected Carnival Encounter after a whistleblower turned over hundreds of crew complaints.
After a thorough inspection, Carnival was cleared of any wrongdoing or misconduct toward crew members.
The ship is now on its way to Singapore, where it will undergo routine maintenance in dry dock.
After an unidentified crew member sounded the alarm, Carnival Encounter received a surprise visit from officials from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) in Darwin, Australia, on February 9, 2026.
But after all the hullabaloo, Cruise Hive has learned that the inspection turned up absolutely no signs of labor deficiencies.
Per ABC News, Carnival said the AMSA “found no deficiencies during its inspection”, with “no follow-up action required.”
Carnival Cruise Line passed the inspection with flying colors and the Grand-class ship was allowed to continue operating normally.
What Were the Claims?
Cruise Hive previously reported that a whistleblower working onboard the 2,600-guest ship had contacted the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) to turn in hundreds of worker complaints dating back to mid-2025.
The allegations included complaints about low pay, contagious skin diseases being spread among the crew, being forced to work while sick, and not having access to safe drinking water.
However, the inspection did not discover any crew areas that were below the standard of living requirements for working and living at sea.
Inspectors thoroughly check that crew quarters are safe, clean, and habitable. The full check-list to verify this is long, but this refers to things like checking that spaces are clean, dry, insulated, and free of vermin.
There must also be at least one set of sanitary facilities for every eight crew members, which must offer sufficient toilets, wash basins, and showers with both hot and cold water.
Carnival Embraces Oversight
For Carnival’s part, the cruise line previously stated that it had nothing to hide.
Now that it has been cleared by the AMSA’s inspection, the company reiterated that it welcomes the oversight and feedback.
“We respect this process, and we hold our shipboard team members in the highest regard,”aCarnival spokesperson said in a statement to ABC.
“We welcome AMSA’s oversight as an important assurance mechanism for our crew and our operations,” they added.
Similar to how the US Coast Guard and the CDC might conduct inspections on cruise ships in the US, the AMSA can and does randomly conduct inspections on Australian-based cruise ships for a variety of reasons.
These surprise inspections can be triggered by complaints, as was the case this time, or simply be done based on routine risk-based targeting. Cruise ships are eligible for routine inspections every six months.
Sailing Toward Upgrades
Carnival Encounter only just joined the fleet in March of 2025 as part of Carnival Corporation’s decision to close its P&O Cruises Australia brand.
However, the 108,865-gross ton ship has actually been in operation since 2002. Her career started with Princess Cruises, where she stayed until she was transferred to P&O Cruises Australia in late 2021.
While the ship underwent a dry dock stint to be rebranded to fit in with the Carnival brand in 2025, she is still due for some extra maintenance and upgrades. She is now on her way to get the necessary work done. The vessel is currently en route to Singapore via a 13-night repositioning cruise, where she will arrive on February 16, 2026.
This is where she will spend about two weeks in dry dock undergoing technical work and routine maintenance. Onboard enhancements are often made during this time as well, although Carnival hasn’t confirmed the specifics yet.
On March 5, 2026, the refreshed Carnival Encounter will reenter service with a 15-night, one-way sailing from Singapore back to her homeport in Brisbane, Australia.
A first-time cruiser’s suitcase went missing on embarkation day onboard Liberty of the Seas.
Despite repeatedly visiting guest services for help, the passenger was never reunited with their belongings.
The guest felt that Royal Caribbean didn’t do enough to help the situation and didn’t offer adequate compensation.
One passenger was forced to endure their sailing and return home without something very important: their suitcase.
The guest boarded Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas on February 6, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a weekend cruise to Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas. However, their suitcase never made it to their stateroom, and neither did any of the belongings inside.
“My only luggage got either lost or stolen literally on the first day of boarding. I had all my belongings in this luggage and lost everything,”the first-time cruiser lamented on Reddit.
“I also had some significant cash as well in this bag,” they admitted.
The guest felt that their first cruise ever was ruined by the stress of not having access to their belongings and constantly going back and forth with guest services to try to find their bag, or at least replace the essentials.
But other than informing guest services and filling out the Lost and Found form online with Chargerback, there was not much the passenger could do other than cross their fingers.
How Did Royal Caribbean Respond?
Unfortunately, the guest was unsatisfied by how Royal Caribbean tried to help them resolve this situation.
First, the investigation into what happened was limited because the cameras in the corridor near the guest’s stateroom were allegedly out of order. This means that if another guest or crew member stole the bag in a crime of opportunity, the suspect wasn’t caught in the act on camera.
“I hate how Royal handled this situation and even head of security told me that the camera where our room was wasn’t working (Of course it wasn’t),” the guest said.
Another guest who was onboard at the same time did chime in to say that they received a letter asking if they had received luggage that didn’t belong to them, which suggests crew members did try to look for the missing suitcase.
“I was also on the Liberty this weekend. We got cards on our doors asking to look for luggage that wasn’t ours on Day 2. I’m wondering if that was your stuff they were looking for,” they wrote in a reply.
Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas (Photo Credit: Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock)
It’s unclear if that letter was related to the original poster’s predicament, or if additional guests were also dealing with missing luggage.
While porters and crew members work hard to prevent these unfortunate situations, every sailing comes with thousands of suitcases to organize and deliver, and Cruise Hive has seen this process go wrong in many ways over the years.
For example, Royal Caribbean’s sister brand, Celebrity Cruises, went viral in 2024 after crew members accidentally dropped a woman’s bag overboard and sailed away without it.
Limited Compensation Offered
According to the passenger, Royal Caribbean offered to reimburse up to $300 for the lost suitcase and the items inside, which they felt was too low.
“Long story short, we filled out paper work and they’re saying $300 USD is the most they can do,”the recent guest complained.
Unfortunately for them, Royal Caribbean limits its liability for lost or damaged luggage to a minimum of $300 per guest.
The only exception to this would be if guests purchased Royal Caribbean Travel Protection, which covers up to $1,500 for bags that are lost, stolen, or damaged.
If the guest has their own independent travel insurance plan, they can also submit a claim there for additional compensation.
Could the Luggage Still be Found?
Now that the voyage has ended, the chances of finding the missing suitcase are low. Liberty of the Seas has already completed another getaway cruise to the Bahamas that lasted from February 9-13, and is now on a Valentine’s Day sailing.
Even so, stranger things have happened, so this guest could still get lucky.
For example, Cruise Hive covered the story of a woman who forgot her own suitcase in PortMiami, and Royal Caribbean found the luggage and shipped it to her house.
Looking at Carnival Cruise Line, one family was reunited with their missing suitcase after it disappeared for weeks onboard Carnival Magic thanks to the tracking capabilities of a pair of Apple AirPods inside it.
If this guest’s luggage does miraculously surface, Royal Caribbean will likely mail it back to its owner as long as the passenger is willing to pay the shipping costs.
The manufacturing is now complete for all 949 crew cabins destined for installation aboard Carnival Festivale.
Construction of the pre-fab cabins took 25 weeks and work will now transition to guest staterooms.
In total, Carnival Festivale will be home to 3,585 crew and guest staterooms.
While her debut to welcome guests isn’t until May 2027, work is continuing on the construction of the fourth Excel Class ship for Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival Festivale.
An exciting milestone was reached this week as the crew cabins have now been finished, and Meyer Werft and EMS PreCab have shared rare insights into the construction process. EMS PreCab specializes in cabins for cruise ships.
“After 25 weeks, we at EMS PreCab have successfully completed the production of the 949 crew cabins for the Carnival Festivale,”the company shared on Facebook.
The cabins are now waiting in the warehouse before their installation aboard the cruise ship, which Cruise Hive has previously reported is under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. A look inside the crew cabins reveals ample storage, relaxing neutral wood color tones, and plenty of plugs in a charging station.
“We are very satisfied with the quality level of the Carnival series achieved so far,”said EMS PreCab.
An even more interesting look for cruise ship fans is the glimpse of the warehouse where the cabins are now awaiting installation aboard Carnival Festivale. Lengthy rows of cabins stacked three high nearly mimic how the halls of the ship will eventually come together.
The 182,800-gross-ton ship will eventually be home to more than 1,700 international crew members.
Passenger Cabins Up Next
But what about guest cabins? Now that the crew cabins have been completed, construction will begin on the guest staterooms.
“We are proud of our team, which has thus successfully completed the first major section of the project. With this conclusion, the serial production of the 2,636 passenger cabins begins seamlessly,”EMS PreCab confirmed.
While neither company has offered a detailed timeline for how and why different parts of a cruise ship are constructed in a particular order, it makes sense that crew cabins would be manufactured first.
Because crew cabins are on lower decks, they would naturally be installed in the hull of Carnival Festivale before any passenger staterooms are put in place.
Carnival Festivale
Furthermore, crew cabins are far more likely to be uniform with fewer variations in layout and size. Guest staterooms, on the other hand, range from interior rooms to oceanviews to balconies to suites, with different sizes and interior features to consider.
This would make the guest staterooms somewhat more complex to manufacture. Starting with crew cabins would permit extra time for any redesign needs of guest staterooms before they are built.
According to Carnival’s website, Carnival Festivale will feature the most updated and innovative staterooms, including the popular Havana staterooms and suites with their island vibes as well as the Cloud 9 options that include exclusive spa amenities.
It is also likely that the new ship will feature more connected staterooms than ever before, an upgrade that Cruise Hive reported was made to the first Excel Class ship, Mardi Gras, during her fall 2025 dry dock.
The ship’s capacity is likely similar to her Excel Class sisters: 5,228 at double occupancy, and up to 6,631 guests if all berths are filled.
Carnival Festivale is scheduled to welcome her first guests on May 19, 2027 with a 4-night Bahamas cruise from Port Canaveral, visiting both Celebration Key and Half Moon Cay.
The ship will remain homeported from the Space Coast at least through April 2028 offering 6- and 8-night Eastern Caribbean and Southern Caribbean itineraries.
Depending on the sailing date and cruise length, port visits also include Amber Cove, San Juan, St. Maarten, Bonaire, Aruba, Curacao, and St. Thomas.
Bookings are now open for Carnival Festivale‘s inaugural season, and guests can be sure all crew and guest staterooms will be installed well ahead of her debut!
Ambience is removing Havana from her 40-night Caribbean itinerary due to a UK travel advisory update.
The ship will instead replace the call with two new port visits, one to Guadeloupe and one to St. Kitts.
The visit to Guadeloupe will include an impromptu meetup with another ship in the Ambassador Cruise Line fleet.
Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience will not be visiting Cuba on her current itinerary, the 40-night “Jewels of the Caribbean Sea” sailing that departed Tilbury, UK on Friday, January 30, 2026.
The news comes as the British ship has already reached the Caribbean, just days after the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issued an advisory against all but essential travel to Cuba.
“We can confirm that Ambience will no longer proceed with its scheduled call to Havana, Cuba, on Monday 16 February 2026 during the 40-night Jewels of the Caribbean Sea itinerary,”the cruise line posted on social media.“The safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew is always our primary consideration.”
The warning was updated on Wednesday, February 11, just five days before the cruise ship was to have called on the capital of Cuba for a full-day visit from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The FCDO’s advisory is based on unreliable infrastructure and resources in Cuba that have resulted in extensive power outages and erosion of emergency services.
“These conditions significantly affect the ability of visitors to access reliable transport, medical care, communications, and basic services,”the advisory explains.
UK Cuba Travel Map Advisory
This could present difficulties should guests have any emergency while visiting Havana, as well as affect how the ship may be supplied in port. Power outages in Havana occur on a near daily basis, occasionally lasting 12 hours or longer.
The US Department of State has a “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution” advisory for Cuba, citing both crime and unreliable electrical power as significant concerns. US law continues to prohibit tourist travel to Cuba.
Cruise Hive has previously noted the impact such travel advisories have on ship itineraries, such as calls to Labadee, Haiti being cancelled, or what guests should be aware of when visiting destinations in Mexico under elevated warning levels.
New Port Visits Added
Because Ambience will no longer be visiting Cuba, Ambassador Cruise Line has managed to add two new port visits to the ship’s immersive Caribbean itinerary. Now, Ambience will be visiting Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe on Saturday, February 14, followed by Basseterre, St. Kitts on Sunday, February 15.
As a special note, while the 70,285-gross-ton ship is in Guadeloupe for her unexpected Valentine’s Day visit, she will be joining another ship in the Ambassador Cruise Line fleet, Renaissance. Fleet meetup opportunities are always a unique and memorable occasion for guests.
Ambience Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Vytautas Kielaitis)
“We will be trying to get the ships photographed together,”the cruise line said.“We love a ship meet up!”
Without the call to Havana, on Monday, February 16, Ambience will spend the day at sea instead. This means that the following day, Tuesday, February 17, will also be a day at sea before the ship’s next port visit to Grand Cayman on Wednesday.
For the remaining three weeks of the cruise, Ambience has a wide range of stunning Caribbean ports to visit, including destinations in Jamaica, Martinique, Barbados, St. Lucia, and the Grenadines.
“The rest of the schedule will continue as planned,” the cruise line confirmed.
The final port visit before the ship turns back toward the UK is scheduled to be Basseterre, St. Kitts on Saturday, February 28. Since Ambience will now be visiting that port two weeks earlier, it is unclear whether that visit may be cancelled or swapped for a different destination.
If it stays on the itinerary, guests will have the unique opportunity of visiting St. Kitts twice, enjoying a second chance to try another shore excursion or visit a favorite spot on the beautiful island.
Virgin Voyages reported its highest booking month in its history in January 2026.
In 2025, the cruise line also saw bookings increase by nearly 20 percent year over year.
The company’s gross ticket revenue also rose nearly 30 percent in 2025.
Adults looking for a break from family-focused vacations are fueling new growth at sea, according to Virgin Voyages, the brainchild of Sir Richard Branson.
Virgin Voyages said it’s posting its strongest mid-Wave season performance yet, with the Miami-area-based cruise line marking its highest booking month it its 5-year history.
The results come as industry analysts project the adult-only travel market will grow from $9.2 billion in 2024 to $18.1 billion by 2033, with Cruise Hive reporting a number of cruise lines adding adult-only voyages and spaces into their operations to keep up with the demand.
But Virgin Voyages has a leg up, operating as one of the few cruise lines solely for adults. No passengers under the age of 18 can sail with the cruise operator, which added its fourth ship to its fleet, Brilliant Lady, in 2025.
“We didn’t approach kid-free travel as a short-term trend,” said Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages. “We built Virgin Voyages around it from day one.”
Saverimuttu says more adults are looking for space to truly switch off and reconnect and credits the innovative cruise line’s transformation of adult-only travel “from a niche idea into something people actively seek out.”
“That’s why we’re growing faster than the industry, and why our repeat rates are at record levels,” he added.
Virgin Voyages Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Martin Augustus)
The company said longer itineraries are outperforming forecasts, particularly in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Northern Europe. Alaska bookings are up by triple digits, and ships are currently sailing at full commercial loads, according to the company.
Growth Outpaces Competitors
Virgin Voyages isn’t just resting on a strong Wave season. It closed 2025 with its strongest year-over-year performance since its launch. The cruise line said gross ticket revenue increased nearly 30 percent in 2025, while bookings rose almost 20 percent year-over-year.
According to analytics firm Similarweb, website traffic to Virgin Voyages increased 98 percent year-over-year in January, while the average competitive growth was about 10 percent during the same period.
“We’re not slowing down,” said Saverimuttu. “Kid-free travel is not a niche category. It’s a movement. And we are now the go-to brand for anyone traveling without kids.”
Virgin Voyages launched in 2021 with just a single ship, the Scarlet Lady, which sailed from Miami. It was followed by Valiant Lady in 2022 and Resilient Lady in 2023, and completed its planned quartet of “ladies” with the arrival of Brilliant Lady bringing the fleet capacity to roughly 11,000 berths.
That ship, which launched with inaugural sailings from New York City and Miami, is part of the same 2,700-passenger class as its sisters with more than 20 dining venues included in the base fare, and no traditional main dining room or buffet.
Cabins feature the line’s signature configuration, including mood lighting features, convertible terrace hammocks, and RockStar suites with expanded outdoor space.
Since its debut, competitors have been expanding adults-only cruises, including Carnival Cruise Line, which announced in December 2025 that it will add two kid-free transatlantic voyages and a Mediterranean itinerary to its 2026 lineup.
Oceania Cruises, operated by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, announced in January 2026 that it is repositioning the entire fleet into an adults-only brand, with all bookings made after January 7 to be for passengers 18 years and up.
Beyond Virgin Voyages and Oceania Cruises, Viking Cruises is also kid-free. P&O Cruises’Aurora and Arcadia ships also offered adults-only sailings, but the cruise line decided it would open the vessels to families beginning in December 2026.
Cruise lines like Norwegian and Royal Caribbean feature adults-only retreats onboard, such as the Spice H20 on Norwegian Cruise Line and Solarium on Royal Caribbean.
The shift reflects the broader trend and cruise lines are carving out more space for guests seeking time away without a family-focused atmosphere.
Norwegian Cruise Line has updated the dress code for the most elevated specialty restaurants in its fleet.
Greater restrictions have now been placed on where guests can wear flip flops and shorts for dinner.
Guests report inconsistent enforcement of dress codes on different ships, which is always a challenge for the crew.
The dining room dress code onboard cruise ships is constantly under scrutiny, as some guests prefer a more formal atmosphere for elevated restaurant experiences, while other travelers prefer more casual vacation vibes.
Norwegian Cruise Line has recently adjusted the dress code for select specialty dining restaurants to aim more for a formal atmosphere, and some very popular casual wear is no longer permitted in certain venues.
“Flip flops and shorts are not permitted for dinner at Palomar, Onda, Cagney’s, Le Bistro and Haven,”the signs read.
Respectively, these restaurants offer unique and exclusive experiences, from the Mediterranean-inspired seafood of Palomar to the modernized Italian flair of Onda. Cagney’s is the classic American-style steakhouse, while Le Bistro offers luxury French cuisine.
New Dress Code Sign (Credit: Sara Johnson Kelley)
The Haven Restaurant is exclusively on vessels that offer the ship-in-a-ship experience of The Haven with its private spaces, and is only available to guests booked in The Haven staterooms.
The different restaurants are found throughout the NCL fleet as follows:
Palomar – Breakaway, Aqua, Viva, Prima, Luna, Bliss, and Encore
Onda by Scarpetta – Aqua, Viva, Prima, Luna, Spirit, and Encore
As these five restaurants are the most exclusive onboard, the expectation for slightly better attire is not unreasonable. Previously, the only specialty restaurant with such a restrictive dress code was Le Bistro.
For example, the Freestyle Daily newsletter distributed onboard has dress code notes on its daily dining list. Onboard Norwegian Aqua in the last few months, those notes have included the following:
“Le Bistro does not permit t-shorts or shorts of any kind.”
Until recently, there has been no mention of restrictions on flip flops or shorts for other specialty restaurants, though some newsletters have specified that “short shorts” are not permitted and there are language variations from ship to ship.
French Le Bistro on Norwegian Aqua (Photo Credit: Paul Bartlett / Cruise Hive)
The signs, as well as the daily newsletters, also remind guests that certain types of attire are not permitted in either the Main Dining Rooms or any of the specialty restaurants onboard.
“Tank tops, hoodies, robes, jeans with holes or excessively revealing tears, and caps/hats are not permitted” is the standard guideline.
While these updates may be a surprise to some, Cruise Hive has noted changing attire guidelines and similar debates on different cruise lines in recent years, particularly with respect to formal night and what clothing should be permitted in dining rooms and restaurants on that more elevated evening.
Guest Reactions Support Better Attire (and Better Enforcement)
Despite the fact that many guests have strong opinions on what constitutes appropriate attire for different dining rooms and restaurants, most NCL guests appear supportive of the latest update.
In particular, the idea that not everyone has the same idea of what suitable clothing should be has many agreeing with the new, more restrictive language.
“To me these are more upscale dining environments and some of these people push the limits on acceptable attire,”one guest noted.
“I’m glad they try to maintain dignity, class, and respect in the nicer venues,”another commented.
Unfortunately, enforcement appears to be less than consistent on different ships, which can be the cause of frustration for many guests who do prefer the higher standards in the more exclusive restaurants.
It can be challenging for crew members to confront guests about attire, particularly when some travelers may be quick to withhold gratuities or make complaints if they feel personally attacked about their fashion choices.
Changing trends, personal preferences, and even the amount of space available in luggage all play a part in determining an individual’s attire for different dining experiences.
Star Voyager was supposed to embark on a quick getaway cruise in Hong Kong, China, on February 13, 2026, but StarDream Cruises had to cancel the entire sailing due to unexpected technical difficulties.
“We sincerely regret to inform you that due to a technical issue, today’s Star Voyager is not able to set sail,” StarDream Cruises wrote in a letter.
“We understand today’s cancellation will affect your travel plans and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused,” the Asia-based cruise line continued.
The specific issue that led to the cancellation has not been released publicly at this time.
The 2-night sailing would have cruised to Xiamen, China. The 2,395-guest ship was then due to return to Hong Kong on February 15 for disembarkation.
Guest Angered by Late Notice
While a cruise cancellation is always disappointing, impacted passengers were especially frustrated because of how late they received the news.
By the time the unfortunate update came, hundreds to thousands of passengers had already been waiting to board for hours at the terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Cruise Hive learned that the announcement was made at around 9 p.m. on embarkation day, well after guests should have been onboard and enjoying their vacations. A letter confirming the cancellation was then issued at 11:45 p.m.
Many guests were frustrated by the long wait, especially with the end result being a cancellation, and felt that the situation was handled poorly.
“I was only given a bottle of water,” one man told the South China Morning Post. “Of course, there were issues with how this was handled. I was standing until my legs were sore.”
“I booked the Palace Suite, which allows us to board the ship first. However, we were forced to squeeze together at the waiting area like refugees,” another passenger complained.
To help ease the wait, crew members did hand out water bottles. Dinner vouchers valued at HK$200 (About $25 USD) were distributed later in the evening.
Options for Compensation
While this change certainly threw a wrench into guests’ travel plans, StarDream Cruises isn’t simply leaving its guests high and dry. Instead, there are two ways they can receive compensation.
First, guests can reschedule and transfer their booking to any other 2- or 3-night sailing onboard Star Voyager that sets sail on or before August 30, 2026.
Rescheduling will be free of charge, even if the replacement sailing is priced more highly, and guests will also receive a HK$200 onboard credit per cabin as a gesture of goodwill.
This is in addition to a credit of HK$200 per guest and HK$500 for transportation costs that had previously been offered to guests for the inconvenience.
Alternatively, guests can cancel their booking outright and receive a full refund, along with the HK$200 per guest and HK$500 for transportation costs.
And if these guests do decide to give the 2025-launched cruise line another chance, they can enjoy a 50% discount on any new booking for a 2- or 3-night sailing onboard Star Voyager that embarks on or before August 30, 2026.
Are More Sailings Impacted?
At this time, Cruise Hive has not learned of any impact to subsequent sailings for the 77,441-gross ton ship.
Per cruise tracking data, Star Voyager is supposed to embark on a 3-night sailing to Sanya, China, on February 15. This will then be followed by another 2-night cruise to Xiamen on February 18 if everything goes to plan.
As it’s not clear what actually went wrong, it’s hard to gauge how long repairs will take and if more cruise cancellations will be necessary.
Especially for guests booked on the next couple of sailings, it will be important to keep an eye out for possible updates from the cruise line.
Strong winds will prevent MSC Splendida from docking in Marseille, France, on February 15.
Instead, the MSC ship will spend the day in the nearby Villefranche-sur-Mer.
It’s unclear what arrangements will be made for guests who were supposed to disembark or embark in Marseille at this time.
MSC Splendida has been dealt another rough blow by Mother Nature. The MSC ship, which is operating several 7-night Mediterranean itineraries simultaneously, has been no stranger to port cancellations due to inclement weather this winter.
Now the same thing is happening again, but this time the vessel is blocked from visiting Marseille, France, on February 15, 2026.
Weather authorities are predicting winds of over 50 knots (about 57 miles per hour) for that Sunday, which makes docking too dangerous. In reality, any time winds reach 30 to 40 knots, entering a cruise port edges into dicey territory.
“Forecasts indicate bad weather around Marseille for Sunday, with wind gusts up to 50 knots, which could compromise the ability to enter the port,”MSC Cruises said in a letter to current guests.
“Your safety and comfort are our highest priority, therefore we have made the difficult decision to cancel the scheduled port call,” the cruise line continued.
In strong winds, there is a higher risk of collision with other ships or port infrastructure, as well as a heightened chance of mooring failures. It’s simply not worth taking the chance.
Replacement Port Added for MSC Splendida
Though it won’t be in Marseille, guests will still get the French experience on February 15 with a visit to Villefranche-sur-Mer, which has been added to the itinerary as a last-minute replacement.
The port, which is positioned between Nice and Monaco, is positioned in a way that shields it from the worst of the expected winds.
“We are pleased to confirm that we will instead call at Villefranche-sur-Mer, which offers more favorable conditions and is sheltered from the incoming weather system,”the cruise line confirmed.
MSC Cruises is offering a curated selection of tours and activities to help guests experience the port, which can already be booked at the shore excursions desk onboard or on the MSC for Me App.
Any shore excursions that were booked for Marseille will automatically be cancelled and refunded as a credit to guests’ onboard accounts, and this credit can be used to book new shore excursions.
Impact to Embarkation and Disembarkation
As another hiccup to consider, Marseille is one MSC Splendida’s homeports in the Mediterranean. In addition to Marseille, guests come and go in Genoa, Naples, and Palermo in Italy and in Barcelona, Spain.
Of course, February 15 was meant to be the end of the voyage for some guests and a new batch of guests was supposed to join the ship.
While MSC Cruises has not yet confirmed how it will handle the disruption to travel plans for these guests, the cruise line will most likely plan to shuttle impacted guests between Marseille and Villefranche-sur-Mer. The destinations are only about 130 miles apart, and it takes less than three hours to drive between them.
Cruise Hive will continue to monitor the situation and will share any operational updates as they become available.
It’s that time again, so let’s dive right into Cruise Hive’s exciting weekly news roundup. Highlights in this installment include coverage of Disney Cruise Line deploying Disney Wish to Europe for summer 2027, Carnival Cruise Line solving technology issues that impacted multiple ships, and Royal Caribbean adding smart glasses to its list of prohibited items.
Get your daily cruise news fix by signing up for Cruise Hive’s Daily Update, delivered to your inbox each morning.
Tech Glitches Resolved Aboard Carnival Ships
The troublesome technology glitches that impacted multiple Carnival Cruise Line ships have been resolved, and the line’s president, Christine Duffy, has issued a letter of apology to affected guests.
The disruptions happened on February 8 and 9, 2026, when tech problems caused embarkation and debarkation delays for Carnival Liberty, Carnival Breeze, Carnival Glory, and Carnival Freedom. Other impacts from the systemwide failure then spread to more vessels in the fleet.
Some of the issues included the lack of WiFi and the inability of guests to use their onboard accounts to buy amenities and services. It meant, for instance, that guests had to pay cash at the casino rather than use their Sail and Sign accounts.
Duffy said passengers who had purchased internet packages and were unable to use them would be refunded. She confirmed that all technology issues have been resolved and all ships’ operations are back to normal.
The February 9 boarding delays for Carnival Breeze, sailing from Galveston, and Carnival Glory and Carnival Freedom, both departing from Port Canaveral, stemmed from crew members having to manually collect and record guests’ ship IDs rather than quickly scanning them at the gangway.
This resulted in a two-hour embarkation delay for passengers eager to begin their vacations at sea. A similar scenario had played out aboard Carnival Liberty on February 8, as the ship was due to depart New Orleans.
Onboard Auction Left These Cruise Guests Frustrated
Buying a piece of high-end sports memorabilia on a cruise ship turned out to be a frustrating experience for one couple sailing with Royal Caribbean.
A couple from Brisbane, Australia, bid on and won a signed Muhammad Ali glove that was being auctioned by Park West Gallery, the art vendor the cruise line uses to hold art and memorabilia sales and auctions.
They paid $5,000 AUD (around $3,500 USD) with the understanding that the item would be shipped to them. It is not known which ship the couple was sailing on.
Cruise Ship Art Auction Item (Credit: A Current Affair)
Ten weeks later, the glove arrived, but it looked different from the one they had seen on the ship. Checking the item’s serial number confirmed it was not the same glove they had bought.
Disappointed, the guests complained and were told that the items shown onboard cruise ships are display pieces, and that the Park West Gallery contract stipulates that it may substitute items.
In this case, the gallery vendor, which operates auctions onboard many major cruise lines, agreed to provide the guests with the exact item they saw on their ship. It is unclear whether the couple agreed to the solution, as the entire episode was a major disappointment.
Disney Wish Is Bound For Europe in Summer 2027
Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wish is headed to Europe for summer 2027, offering 3- to 10-night itineraries from multiple home ports.
The repositioning from Port Canaveral begins with a 13-night transatlantic cruise on April 25, 2027, calling at Barcelona, Madeira, Gibraltar, and Cartagena. The ship will then sail unique itineraries from Southampton, Barcelona, and Civitavecchia (Rome).
Port calls will bring guests to diverse destinations, from Belfast, Ireland, to Santorini, Greece, and many hot spots in between, including Lisbon, Liverpool, Naples, and Dubrovnik, to name a few.
Disney Wish Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Dennis MacDonald)
Disney Cruise Line’s announcement about Disney Wish was part of a larger fleet repositioning planned for 2027.
Two ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, will deploy to Vancouver, British Columbia, for Alaska voyages, sailing 7-night cruises to popular ports such as Skagway, Sitka, Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, and Juneau.
Disney Magic and Disney Wonder are currently based at Galveston and San Diego, respectively.
Disney Destiny, meanwhile, will remain at Port Everglades, sailing 3- to 5-night Caribbean cruises, while Disney Adventure continues her deployment in Singapore.
No Fault Found After Inspection of Carnival Encounter
Carnival Cruise Line received some good news after a series of crew complaints was filed against one of its ships.
It turns out that a surprise inspection of Carnival Encounter by Australian authorities has found no negative issues related to the crew’s standard of living.
The unusual story unfolded on February 9, 2026, when officials from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority boarded the ship during a port call in Darwin, Australia. Their inspection was prompted by a whistleblower complaint that included charges by many crew members who cited long work hours, low hourly pay, cramped living spaces, and the lack of free drinking water.
Carnival Cruise Ship in Australia (Photo Credit: Elias Bitar)
However, later that day, local media reported the findings of the inspection, which revealed no deficiencies regarding the crew’s standard of living and accommodation areas.
Carnival Encounter is the former Pacific Encounter, which had been operated by P&O Cruises Australia before the brand was absorbed by Carnival Cruise Line in 2025. The ship sails Australia and Southeast Asia itineraries.
Carnival Cruise Line from the outset welcomed the onboard review, saying the maritime authority routinely inspects cruise ships.
Guest Injured on FlowRider Sues Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean is facing a lawsuit from a former guest who was injured on the FlowRider Surf Simulator aboard Adventure of the Seas.
The incident happened on February 3, 2025, when guest Jason Keller fell, fractured his neck, and sustained other injuries.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed on February 9, 2026, Keller had multiple strokes as a result of the fall and experienced weakness on his left side as a result. The lawsuit charges that the onboard medical staff misdiagnosed his injury and, as a result, it worsened. Keller is seeking compensation for medical expenses and lost income.
Royal Caribbean FlowRider (Photo Credit: Solarisys)
The line’s surf simulator is a 40-foot-long water ride in which 30,000 gallons of water are unleashed for the purpose of surfing or boogie boarding.
Royal Caribbean’s website cautions that the FlowRider is an extreme sport and a high-risk activity. It warns that using the simulator may result in serious injury to the body.
The popular attraction is offered on many Royal Caribbean ships. Some ships have two FlowRiders to accommodate guest demand.
No More Smart Glasses on Royal Caribbean Ships
Smart glasses, trendy wearable device that can record video and audio, among other tasks, are now banned by Royal Caribbean. Those who attempt to bring a pair aboard one of the line’s ships will have it confiscated.
One other cruise line, MSC Cruises, also prohibits the item on its ships. No formal announcement has been made by Royal Caribbean, but smart glasses have been added to its prohibited items list.
Also, the app contains a notification to guests confirming that any ship’s chief security officer and captain are authorized to confiscate smart glasses.
Royal Caribbean and Smart Glasses (Credits: Habanero Pixel & Melissa Mayntz)
The objections to smart glasses include the ability of wearers to record or videotape others without them knowing. They could be used, for instance, in ship spas, medical centers, or locker rooms, or in public areas where children congregate.
Smart glasses are internet-connected, or AI-enabled eyewear that have cameras and speakers. While most users enjoy the high-tech gadget in innocent ways, smart glasses can also be used for nefarious purposes.
Royal Caribbean suggested that anyone attempting to bring prescription smart glasses onboard one of its ships should have a spare pair of regular glasses on hand, in the event the smart glasses are confiscated.
Guest Jumps From Ship While Docked at Italian Port
A man jumped to his death from a Costa Cruises’ ship while it was docked at the Port of Civitavecchia, near Rome, on February 6, 2026.
In what Italian authorities described as a deliberate act, the passenger, an unidentified German national, leaped from Costa Smeralda as the ship was calling at the port and embarking and disembarking guests.
The 20-deck ship accommodates 5,224 guests; it is unknown which deck the man was on when he jumped, but he fell onto the port’s concrete pier. First responders, who were already at the pier assisting with a separate medical emergency, saw the guest plummet from the ship.
Costa Smeralda Cruise Ship (Photo Credit: Solarisys)
They attempted to render aid, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene, having fallen an estimated 98 feet.
Costa Cruises issued a statement in which it said support was being offered to the man’s family. The line confirmed that the guest had voluntarily jumped onto the quayside.
The ship remained in port until about 8:30 p.m., while officials conducted their investigation, then continued on her itinerary to Savona and Palermo, Italy; Marseille, France; Barcelona; and La Goulette, Tunisia.
More Cruise Headlines
Let’s keep going with even more cruise news! Cruise Hive has many more important stories from this week, including a harbor pilot falling into the water as he was trying to board a Princess Cruises’ ship; Carnival Cruise Line delaying embarkation of Carnival Pride due to weather; and MSC Cruises touting its spring break and Easter holiday voyages.
Also, MSC Cruises will broadcast all 2026 FIFA World Cup matches this summer, and Royal Caribbean names its Chief Dog Officer for new-build Legend of the Seas.
