Top Stories

The Zuiderdam is sailing from Port Everglades on Saturday for Holland America Line’s 2025 Grand World Voyage.According to Holland America Line, the 124-night itinerary is highlighted by bucket-list destinations, including Machu Picchu, Easter Island and the Great Barrier Reef. The full itinerary includes ports in 34 different countries.The cruise also features six overnight stays across the globe, including extended visits to Tahiti, Sydney, Cape Town and Barcelona.After departing from Port Everglades, the Zuiderdam heads south for visits to destinations in the Caribbean before crossing the Panama Canal.The 2,000-guest ship then heads to South America and the South Pacific,[...]

A range of new cruise ships will enter service in 2025:Mein Schiff RelaxCruise Line: TUI CruisesCapacity: 4,000Tonnage: 161,000Shipyard: FincantieriInaugural Cruise: March 16, 2025Built by the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, the LNG-powered vessel is the first in a new series of vessels by TUI. Following the Mein Schiff 7, which entered service for TUI Cruises earlier in 2024, the Mein Schiff Relax is scheduled to debut in Spring 2025.World AmericaCruise Line: MSC CruisesCapacity: 5,400Tonnage: 205,700Shipyard: ChantiersInaugural Cruise: April 12, 2025The liquefied natural gas-powered ship will be officially named in Miami on April 9, 2025, representing a significant evolution[...]

As the new year begins, Cruise Industry News looks at the trends for the global industry in 2025 and beyond.Focus on Bottom LineCarnival Corporation is coming off a record financial performance in 2024 and has big expectations for 2025.The same can be said for the other two major cruise companies that are public, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.Full ships, a strong value proposition and focusing on the North American consumer is said to be driving the financial performance.New Brands Joining the Industry New brands continue to join the growing industry. Aroya Cruises started up for[...]

Royal Caribbean International is set to take delivery of four newbuilds through 2028.Here are the details of the company’s newbuild schedule, according to the latest Cruise Industry News Global Cruise Ship Index.Star of the SeasDebut Date: August 2025Capacity: 5,610 guestsTonnage: 250,800Shipyard: Meyer Turku (Finland)Status: Under constructionFollowing the Icon of the Seas, the Star of the Seas will become the second ship in Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class when it debuts in August 2025.Set to offer cruises departing from Port Canaveral during its maiden season, the LNG-powered ship is currently under construction at the Meyer Turku Shipyard in Finland.Icon IIIDebut Date: 2026Capacity: 5,610[...]

2024 was a strong year for the drydock and secondhand ship market, which led to a number of ships debuting for new operators.These are some of the key conversion jobs that took place during the year:Celestyal DiscoveryFormer: AIDAauraCapacity: 1,270 guestsYear built: 2003Previous operator: AIDA CruisesNew operator: Celestyal CruisesDebut: March 2024After being sold by Carnival Corporation in late 2023, the former AIDAaura underwent a conversion project before debuting for Celestyal Cruises.Previously operated by AIDA Cruises, the 2003-built vessel saw a complete transformation for its new market.Carnival FirenzeFormer: Costa FirenzeCapacity: 4,232 guestsYear built: 2020Previous operator: Costa CruisesNew operator: Carnival Cruise[...]

Explora Journeys recently revealed the maiden season of the new Explora III.Set to debut in August 2026, the luxury ship will offer cruises to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and North America.Cruise Industry News takes a closer look at the deployment, which features a series of seven- to 11-night itineraries.Maiden VoyageDate: August 3, 2026Length: 7 nightsHomeports: Barcelona (Spain) to Lisbon (Portugal)Itinerary: Ibiza, Puerto Banús and Cádiz (Spain); Tangier (Morocco); and Portimão (Portugal)After being delivered by the Fincantieri shipyard, the Explora III is set to offer a seven-night cruise in the Western Mediterranean and the Iberian Peninsula.Sailing from Barcelona to[...]