The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has opened bookings for 52 voyages in summer 2028 aboard Evrima and Ilma, with two new ports, Gijón and Portovenere, and sailings of four to nine nights across the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
Cunard’s Queen Anne Sets Sail for a 19-Night Greek Islands Cruise
Cunard’s Queen Anne has left Southampton on a 19-night Mediterranean and Greek Islands cruise, with an 82-night South America voyage planned for 2027.
Carnival Sunshine Skips Bimini After Nor’easter Delays Departure
Rough weather has pushed back Carnival Sunshine’s next sailing by a day, cutting Bimini from the itinerary and shortening the Bahamas cruise to five nights.
Celebrity Cruises Swaps Concierge Class Canapés for Free Room Service
Celebrity Cruises is ending the daily afternoon canapé delivery for Concierge Class guests, replacing it with waived room service fees and two bottles of water on embarkation day.
MSC’s Luxury Cruise Line Is Launching River Cruises
Explora Journeys, MSC’s luxury cruise line, has announced that it has signed a letter of intent to launch luxury river cruises, with sales opening next year.
Explora Journeys has signed a Letter of Intent with Dutch shipbuilder Den Breejen Shipyard to build the cruise line’s first river ships.
While the cruise line did not give many details, they did say that the cruises will take place on some of the most iconic rivers in Europe. They did not state how many river ships they plan to build.
These new cruises will open for bookings in 2027, with additional details like ship design, onboard experiences, and delivery schedules to be announced at a future date.
Explora Journeys currently has three ocean ships in service with an additional three under construction. Since debuting, they have sought to change the way people experience ocean travel through their Ocean State of Mind philosophy.
The cruise line now intends to bring that same approach to rivers in Europe.
They aren’t the only cruise line with plans to start offering river cruises in Europe. Celebrity Cruises will launch its first river ship, Celebrity Compass, in August 2027.
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Adults-Only Cruise Line Extends Loyalty Benefits & Brings Back Status Match
Virgin Voyages, the adults-only cruise line, has carried two million guests since debuting five years ago in the fall of 2021.
To celebrate, the cruise line is extending loyalty benefits and has brought back status matching through the end of next month.
Loyalty Benefits Extended
Virgin Voyages is extending loyalty benefits through December 31, 2028. The cruise line said that this gives its returning Sailors, what Virgin calls its guests, more time to enjoy the perks of being part of the Virgin Voyages Sailing Club.
This also gives new Virgin cruisers more time to build their loyalty status.
Status Matching
Virgin is also providing an extended status match on one new booking made between September 24, 2026, and October 31, 2026.
The cruise line will status match to cruise lines, airlines, and hotel loyalty programs. The cruise lines you can status match with are as follows:
- Azamara Cruises – Discoverer and above
- Carnival Cruise Line – Gold and above
- Celebrity Cruises – Select and above
- Disney Cruise Line – Platinum and above
- Holland America Line – 3 Star and above
- MSC Cruises – Blue Diamond and above
- Norwegian Cruise Line – Gold and above
- Oceania Cruises – Silver and above
- P&O Cruises – Atlantic and above
- Princess Cruises – Platinum and above
- Royal Caribbean – Platinum and above
- Windstar Cruises – Three Star and above
Once a status with another cruise line is verified, guests will receive a single-use access key granting them temporary access to Blue Extras Experience benefits.
Each access key may only be used once and cannot be replaced if lost, expired, or used in error. These benefits apply only once and only to the voyage in which the access key is redeemed. The benefits are not transferable, non-exchangeable, and have no cash value.
Blue Extras
- One (1) complimentary bag of laundry
- One (1) specialty coffee per day
- Invitation to an exclusive onboard cocktail event
- Dedicated Sailing Club Sailor Services support
This offer must be applied at the time of booking and can not be retroactively applied to an existing booking. When booking, the Sailor must enter the Access Key provided during checkout to receive the offer.
The offer can also be combined with Virgin’s current deal of 70% off the second guest in a cabin.
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Princess Cruises Adding Christmas Activities on Sailings Over the Holidays
Princess Cruises is adding Christmas activities for the entire family on sailings over the holidays that will range from tree-lighting ceremonies to holiday movies on the pool deck.
Princess cruise ships will come alive with the magic of the holidays on cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, and the Panama Canal.
Programming will vary by ship, but they will be decorated with sparkling trees, garland, twinkling lights, and festive floral arrangements.
The cruise line’s newer ships, Sphere and Royal class vessels, will feature a tree lighting ceremony with a full cast performance. The rest of the fleet will have a more intimate festive tree lighting featuring vocalists.
Here is a look at the rest of the special programming being added by Princess Cruises for sailings over the holidays.
Merry Moments & “Let it Snow” experiences will be offered on select ships, with snow in the Piazza and other festive surprises.
Holly Jolly Sweater Parties will showcase creative attire and dance to favorite holiday tunes featuring a holiday silent disco, candlelight concert, and festive singalongs.
A Festive Family Faire with arts and crafts will be offered for all ages, and a holiday family flair night where guests can wear their favorite festive pajamas and sweaters.
Guests will be able to make their own gingerbread houses with frosting and candy décor. A Storytime with Stanley will share imaginative tales that kids will love.
Piazza Magical Moments will take place on Star Princess and Sun Princess, with snow falling and whimsical moments displayed on the LED screen.
Favorite holiday movies will be shown on Movies Under the Stars and also in staterooms.
Special holiday menus will be offered that feature festive demos of turkey carving, holiday cookies, cocktails, and even hot chocolate stations.
And since it’s the holiday, religious observances will also be held.
Denise Saviss, Princess Cruises Vice President, Entertainment, said the following about the upcoming holidays on their ships:
“The magic of the holidays at sea begins the moment guests pack their bags. From tree lighting festivals to holiday music filling our decks, our sparkling ships and holiday festivities are rooted in tradition and filled with shared moments that sail home with our guests.”
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Current Itinerary Changes and Port Delays
As a strong nor’easter churns along the East Coast, at least a couple of cruise ships have already had to make some changes.
If you’re sailing out of New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, or Boston in the next few days, you’ll want to keep a close eye on your cruise line app and email.
What’s Going on with the Storm
This isn’t your typical fall hurricane. It’s a classic nor’easter that started gaining some strength off the Mid-Atlantic and is slowly moving north.
As of Thursday afternoon, it’s already causing coastal flooding, high surf (waves of 10–15 feet in spots), and gusty winds from North Carolina up through New Jersey and into New England.
Seas along the Eastern seaboard will stay rough for a while, which is exactly why cruise lines are doing what they can to keep itineraries on schedule but also keep passengers safe and comfortable.
Carnival Venezia Leaving Bermuda Early
Carnival’s Italian-themed ship has been dealing with the weather for a couple of days already.
On the sailing that was in Bermuda over the weekend, the captain of Carnival Venezia issued a letter on September 21 telling guests they would leave the island earlier than planned.
Instead of a later afternoon departure, the ship adjusted to arrive at 8:30 AM and sail away at 3:00 PM, with everyone required back on board by 2:30 PM.
That was obviously not a lot of time in port and cut into some excursion plans.
“We understand that leaving Bermuda earlier than planned is a bit disappointing, and we sincerely appreciate your understanding, but know you share our commitment to prioritizing safety,” the letter stated.
The return trip itself wasn’t exactly a smooth ride, though. Passengers reported breaking dishes in the dining room and some motion sickness as the ship slowed down and adjusted course for calmer waters.
Arrival in New York on September 24 was delayed until about 10:00 AM and the next sailing (the five-night Bermuda trip that was supposed to leave today) will also see a delayed departure that should be around 6:00 PM.
Carnival Venezia is scheduled to sail out of New York at least until October, offering 4- to 8-night cruises.
Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas Heads to Warmer Waters
This is the bigger itinerary change of the two.
Vision of the Seas was heading back to Baltimore when the weather forced a delay. Arrival time was pushed to around 2:00 PM on September 24 instead of the normal early morning.
And that delay ran into a delay for the next cruise as well.
The 9-night Canada & New England sailing that was supposed to leave Baltimore on September 24 has been completely changed.
Instead of Boston, Portland, Saint John, and Halifax, the ship is now heading south to Port Canaveral, Nassau, and Grand Bahama Island. That’s quite the climate change for this sailing as well, so hopefully guests will have the right outfits for the warmer weather.
Passengers will stay on the ship overnight in Baltimore and sail at 3:00 PM on Friday, September 25. Embarkation times were pushed back several hours as well.
Prepaid shore excursions for the original ports are being refunded as onboard credit.
Ships Worth Watching (No Confirmed Changes Yet)
A few other cruise ships could see some alterations as well, but nothing official has been announced as of late Thursday:
- Norwegian Breakaway and other Boston departures this weekend: possible timing or port adjustments could be announced.
- New York and Cape Liberty sailings on Viking Mars, Crystal Symphony, Norwegian Escape, Valiant Lady, Queen Mary 2, and Independence of the Seas: these Canada/New England or Bermuda itineraries could see changes if the storm lingers or tracks closer to the coast.
Cruise lines usually wait until the last possible moment before locking in changes, so these could stay on schedule or get adjusted tomorrow or Saturday.
If you’re booked on any East Coast sailing in the next week, check your cruise line’s app and email frequently.
Weather is unpredictable, which is why a meteorologist can still have a job with a 55% accuracy rating, right?
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Luxury Cruise Line Confirms Plans To Enter River Cruising With New Luxury Ships
Explora Journeys has confirmed plans to expand into river cruising, two months after reports first emerged that MSC Group was considering entering the European river cruise market through its luxury brand.
The company announced on 24th September 2026 that it had signed a Letter of Intent with Dutch shipbuilder Den Breejen Shipyard for the construction of its first luxury river ships.
The agreement marks the clearest step yet towards Explora Journeys moving beyond ocean cruising, although significant details about the new operation have not yet been disclosed.
Explora Journeys has not revealed how many river ships it intends to build, when the first vessel will enter service or which European waterways will feature in its initial programme. The company has, however, confirmed that sales are planned to open in 2027.
The announcement follows reports in July that MSC Group was evaluating a potential move into European river cruising through Explora Journeys. At the time, there had been no official confirmation from the company and no shipbuilding agreement had been announced.
That position has now changed substantially, with the Letter of Intent confirming that Explora Journeys is actively pursuing the development of a river fleet.
New Ships Planned With Dutch Shipbuilder
Explora Journeys has selected Den Breejen Shipyard for the proposed new vessels. The Dutch shipbuilder, based in Hardinxveld-Giessendam, has previous experience constructing river cruise ships for operators including Scenic, Emerald and Avalon Waterways.
The company has not yet released specifications for the Explora vessels, leaving their size, passenger capacity, accommodation and onboard facilities unknown.
There is also no confirmed delivery timetable. Explora Journeys said further information covering ship design, onboard experiences, delivery schedules and the first itineraries would be announced at a later date.
The line has indicated that the ships will operate on some of Europe’s best-known rivers, but has not named individual waterways or destinations.
Explora Journeys intends to bring elements of the luxury positioning it has established at sea to its river operation. The Geneva-based company is part of the privately owned MSC Group and began ocean operations in 2023.
Its ocean fleet has expanded to three ships following the arrival of EXPLORA III in 2026. EXPLORA I and EXPLORA II entered service in 2023 and 2024 respectively, while three further ocean ships are due to expand the fleet through 2028.
EXPLORA IV is scheduled to follow in early 2027, with EXPLORA V and EXPLORA VI subsequently joining the fleet.
The river project will therefore develop alongside a continuing expansion of the company’s ocean operation rather than replacing or slowing its existing fleet plans.
More Ocean Cruise Brands Move Onto Europe’s Rivers
Explora Journeys’ announcement comes during a period of growing interest in river cruising from companies traditionally associated with large ocean ships.
Celebrity Cruises is preparing to launch Celebrity River Cruises in August 2027, with the Danube and Rhine among its initial destinations. Celebrity’s river cruises for 2027 and 2028 are already on sale.
Celebrity has also substantially increased the scale of its plans since its river operation was first announced. The cruise line now says it has 20 river ships on order, with the first two scheduled for delivery in 2027 and the remainder expected to arrive by 2031.
Explora Journeys has not yet indicated whether its own plans will eventually reach a comparable scale.
The decision to sign a Letter of Intent nevertheless moves the project beyond the evaluation stage reported earlier in 2026 and establishes a shipbuilding partner for the proposed fleet.
For now, several of the most important details remain outstanding, including the number of ships covered by the plans and when passengers will first be able to sail aboard them.
More information is expected ahead of the planned opening of sales in 2027.
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Explora Journeys Is Heading To The Rivers With An Entirely New Luxury Fleet
Explora Journeys has signed a Letter of Intent with Dutch shipbuilder Den Breejen Shipyard for the construction of its first luxury river ships, marking the brand’s planned entry into river cruising.
Since launching, Explora Journeys has sought to change the way people experience ocean travel through its Ocean State of Mind philosophy — combining the freedom and discovery of traveling by sea with the elegance and refinement of European hospitality and design. The brand now intends to bring that same approach to Europe’s most iconic rivers.
Further details regarding ship design, onboard experiences, delivery schedules and initial itineraries will be announced in due course with sales planned to open in 2027.