Luxury Cruising Editorial

Norwegian Cruise Line has confirmed a reversal of its controversial drink package policy for Great Stirrup Cay, while also announcing a temporary return to tender operations at the private island as construction work continues.

The cruise line has now extended its “Free at Sea” beverage package to include use on Great Stirrup Cay indefinitely, abandoning earlier plans that would have restricted its availability at the destination.

Travel agents were informed of the change, and the update has also been reflected on the company’s website, where the island is no longer listed as an exclusion for the package.

“The Free at Sea beverage package has been extended indefinitely for Great Stirrup Cay. So if you have the FAS drink package it will still work on GSC after March 31; you don’t need to upgrade to FAS+,” a travel agent shared on social media.

Guests who previously upgraded to the more expensive “Free at Sea Plus” package in order to retain drink benefits ashore can still cancel or downgrade, provided they are at least three days away from embarkation.

Why The Original Change Sparked Backlash

The now-scrapped policy would have removed access to standard onboard drink packages while visiting the island, replacing them with a yet-to-be-detailed, destination-specific offering.

In practice, guests were being encouraged to upgrade to the “Free at Sea Plus” package, priced at $49.99 per person, per day, in order to maintain drink privileges ashore.

This marked a notable increase from the standard “Free at Sea” rate of $28.50 per person, per day. Over the course of a seven-night cruise, that difference would total an additional $150.43 per guest.

The proposal drew widespread criticism from cruisers, prompting Norwegian Cruise Line to first delay its rollout from 1st March 2026 to 31st March 2026, before ultimately abandoning the change altogether.

While beverage packages remain optional, basic drinks such as water, lemonade, tea and coffee continue to be included in the cruise fare, with other options available for purchase individually.

Tendering To Resume During Pier Construction

In a separate update, the cruise line has confirmed that Great Stirrup Cay will temporarily return to tender operations starting in April.

Although a pier began welcoming ships in late 2025, it was only a temporary structure. Work is now set to begin on a permanent pier, requiring ships to anchor offshore while construction is completed.

“Many of you have used the pier built at GSC and noticed it was temporary. NCL will be working on the permanent pier, so tendering will return beginning in April,” the travel advisor’s update continued.

Tendering had previously been a point of frustration for some guests, as it can lead to delays and missed port calls in poor weather conditions.

The cruise line expects construction to be completed by July, in time for the anticipated debut of the new Great Tides Waterpark, which will feature 19 slides and form a major part of the island’s expanded attractions.

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Disney Cruise Line has unveiled Disney Believe as the name of its next newbuild, confirming the vessel will become the fourth ship in the line’s Wish class when it enters service in late 2027.

The new ship will continue Disney’s strategy of building large-scale family cruise ships centred on storytelling from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars.

According to Disney, the ship will carry a design theme built around promise and possibilities, giving it a distinct identity within the Wish class.

That continues the approach already used across its sister ships, with each vessel in the class given its own creative motif that influences onboard spaces, entertainment and décor. The Disney Wish is built around enchantment, Disney Treasure around adventure, and Disney Destiny around heroes and villains.

Disney said the new ship will bring stories about characters who believe in themselves and their dreams to life at sea, drawing inspiration from films including Encanto, Frozen, Snow White, Moana and The Little Mermaid.

While full venue and itinerary details have not yet been released, the ship is expected to follow the formula that has defined the Wish class, with immersive entertainment, themed dining and heavily story-driven public areas.

What Disney Has Revealed So Far

Disney Believe is expected to debut in late 2027, although the company has not yet confirmed its homeport, maiden season or booking timeline.

For now, Disney has focused on positioning the ship as the next step in its rapid cruise expansion, with more details expected in the coming months.

The ship will join a Wish-class line-up that has become central to Disney Cruise Line’s modern growth plans.

The class began with Disney Wish, followed by Disney Treasure, while Disney Destiny is also part of the same family of ships.

Disney Believe will therefore arrive as the fourth vessel in that series and one of several ships being added as Disney pushes towards a much larger global fleet.

Part Of Disney’s Wider Cruise Expansion

The announcement comes as Disney Cruise Line continues one of the biggest fleet expansion programmes in its history.

Disney said in 2024 that the business was on track to grow to 13 ships by 2031, with additional vessels scheduled to arrive between 2027 and 2031. That expansion includes Disney Believe, Disney Adventure in Singapore, and a new class of smaller ships due later in the decade.

That wider build-out underlines how important cruising has become to Disney’s experiences division.

By the time Disney Believe debuts, it is expected to be part of a fleet serving a broader range of international markets than ever before, as the cruise line looks beyond its traditional North American base and adds new capacity across several regions.

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Celestyal Cruises has cancelled a series of late March sailings as ongoing instability in the Middle East continues to disrupt the line’s transition to its Mediterranean summer season.

The cruise line confirmed on 17th March 2026 that two voyages aboard Celestyal Discovery will no longer go ahead. The affected departures include a three-night cruise scheduled for 27th March and a four-night sailing due to leave on 30th March from Athens, both of which were set to visit ports in the Greek Islands and Turkey.

The cancellations follow similar action taken for Celestyal Journey, which recently saw its 20th March and 23rd March sailings withdrawn as well.

Both ships have been operating winter itineraries in the Arabian Gulf, but delays in leaving the region have forced a knock-on impact to the start of their European deployment.

In a statement shared via social media, the cruise line said: “As the conflict in the Middle East continues, and in close coordination with the relevant authorities, we have had to delay the repositioning of Celestyal Discovery ahead of the start of her Mediterranean program.”

Winter Season Disrupted In The Arabian Gulf

During the 2025 to 2026 winter season, Celestyal Discovery had been based in Abu Dhabi, operating a mix of three, four and seven-night cruises around the Arabian Gulf. These itineraries included calls to destinations such as Doha in Qatar, Khasab in Oman and several ports across the United Arab Emirates.

However, escalating tensions across the region have led to widespread disruption. The ship remains in Dubai, with safety concerns affecting cruise operations across multiple lines.

Celestyal Cruises confirmed that all passengers currently travelling in the region have now disembarked safely. This includes guests from Celestyal Journey, which is currently remaining in Doha until it is deemed safe to resume its planned schedule.

The company is now working to finalise arrangements to reposition both vessels back to the Mediterranean in time for the core summer cruise season.

What This Means For Affected Guests

Passengers booked on the cancelled sailings are being offered either a full refund or a future cruise credit. The cruise line has advised customers to contact their original booking provider to discuss the next steps and available options.

The timing of the cancellations presents challenges for travellers, particularly as the Mediterranean season is just beginning and alternative sailings may be limited at short notice.

Looking ahead, Celestyal Discovery is scheduled to operate a series of short Greek Islands cruises throughout April and into mid-May. These itineraries will depart from Piraeus, calling at destinations including Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes and Santorini, along with Kusadasi in Turkey.

Meanwhile, Celestyal Journey is expected to offer longer voyages ranging from seven to 14 nights, with itineraries extending into the Adriatic and including ports in Croatia, Montenegro and Italy.

Wider Impact Of Middle East Conflict On Cruise Industry

The disruption stems from rapidly escalating tensions in the Middle East following airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Iran in late February and early March 2026. Iran’s response included threats to maritime activity, raising safety concerns across key shipping routes.

In addition, missile and drone attacks have affected multiple countries in the Gulf region, including major cruise hubs such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

These developments have forced several cruise lines to cancel sailings, alter itineraries or withdraw ships from the region altogether, highlighting the ongoing vulnerability of cruise operations to geopolitical events.

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Holland America Line has confirmed that it will no longer send cruise ships into Tracy Arm Fjord during its 2026 Alaska season, citing ongoing safety concerns following a significant landslide in the area.

Passengers booked on affected sailings are now being notified that scheduled scenic cruising through the narrow fjord, located southeast of Juneau, will be replaced with visits to nearby Endicott Arm instead.

The cruise line said in a message to guests: “Due to unstable ice and geological conditions [sic] currently preclude vessels from entering Tracy Arm Fjord; all 2026 departures will explore Endicott Arm instead.”

Safety Concerns Follow Major Landslide

The decision follows a dramatic landslide in August 2025 near South Sawyer Glacier, one of the twin glaciers typically viewed during Tracy Arm sailings.

The event saw millions of cubic feet of rock and debris collapse into the fjord, triggering what researchers described as a localised tsunami within the confined waterway.

Since then, scientists from the US Geological Survey have continued to monitor the area, warning that shifting terrain remains a concern.

As glaciers in the region retreat, the surrounding rock faces are becoming increasingly unstable, raising the likelihood of further landslides. These ongoing geological risks have prompted Holland America Line to remove Tracy Arm from all 2026 itineraries as a precaution.

Endicott Arm To Replace Scheduled Visits

Under the revised plans, all affected sailings will now cruise through Endicott Arm, a neighbouring fjord within the same wilderness region of southeast Alaska.

The first impacted voyage had been scheduled for 4th May 2026 aboard Koningsdam on a 7-night Alaska Inside Passage sailing from Vancouver, with Noordam due to follow on 6th May from Seattle.

Zaandam and Eurodam were also set to include Tracy Arm visits later in May, before continuing calls through the summer season.

Instead, each ship will now spend its scenic cruising day in Endicott Arm, with the experience expected to last around eight and a half hours. The fjord is home to Dawes Glacier, an active tidewater glacier known for frequent calving, sending large chunks of ice into the water below.

Holland America Line has updated the name of the itinerary to reflect the change, now marketed as Tracy Arm Fjord or Endicott Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer.

While Tracy Arm has long been considered a highlight of Alaska cruises due to its steep granite cliffs and floating icebergs, Endicott Arm offers a very similar landscape. Both fjords branch off Holkham Bay and share many of the same dramatic features.

Early reaction from past cruisers suggests that travellers may still enjoy a comparable experience, with many noting that Endicott Arm delivers equally impressive glacier views.

The cruise line said that the adjustment has been made with passenger and crew safety as the top priority, as monitoring of conditions in Tracy Arm continues.

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A 64-year-old British passenger has been medically evacuated from Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas after suffering a serious health emergency while the ship was at sea in the Caribbean.

The incident unfolded on 9th March during a seven-night Eastern Caribbean sailing that had departed from Port Canaveral in Florida.

The vessel was approximately 200 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, when the situation was reported to authorities.

The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that it received notification of the emergency and deployed an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen to assist.

Helicopter Crew Carries Out Complex Rescue

Upon reaching the cruise ship, the Coast Guard aircrew conducted a hoisting operation to lift the passenger safely from the deck.

Such rescues are considered highly technical, particularly when carried out far offshore and in open sea conditions.

Following the successful extraction, the passenger was transported to Centro Médico Hospital in Puerto Rico for further treatment.

Lt. Nicholas Forsythe, co-pilot for the mission, highlighted the teamwork involved in the operation:

“This was a great example of the professionalism of all of the Coast Guard units, medical professionals, and the crew of Star of the Seas. The coordinated efforts ensured the individual was able to safely reach the higher level of care he required.”

Voyage Continues As Scheduled

The medical evacuation took place mid-voyage, with the ship continuing its itinerary after the rescue. The seven-day round-trip cruise returned to Port Canaveral on 15th March 2026.

Medical evacuations by helicopter are not uncommon in the cruise industry, particularly on longer itineraries where ships may be far from the nearest port.

Cruise lines work closely with coast guards and emergency responders to ensure passengers can receive urgent care when needed.

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