Luxury Cruising Editorial

Carnival Cruise Line continues to release their ship deployment schedule for 2027-2028 and this latest rollout has two ships at a homeport they’ve never sailed from before.

Carnival Cruise Line will continue to have four cruise ships based in Galveston in 2027-2028 that includes Carnival Horizon and Carnival Spirit sailing from Texas for the first time.

The two ships will join Carnival Breeze and Carnival Jubilee offering a combination of four-day to extended Carnival Journeys sailings.

Carnival Spirit

Carnival Spirit will begin sailing from Galveston on October 11, 2027. The ship will sail four-, five- and six-day cruises to the Western Caribbean. The ship will visit Cozumel, Progresso and Belize on these shorter cruises.

The ship will also offer 11 longer 10-day cruises to the Caribbean and Panama, as well as to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

Carnival Horizon

Carnival Horizon will start sailing from Galveston on May 19, 2027. The ship will sail shorter four- and five-night cruises to the Western Caribbean.

These 70 new cruises will visit Cozumel and Progreso.

Carnival Breeze

Carnival Breeze will move to seven-night cruises in May 2027. The ship will offer both Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries that include calls at Celebration Key, Key West, Nassau, Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Belize and Isla Tropicale.

Special sailings include an eight-day Christmas cruise on December 18, 2027, a 14-day Eastern Caribbean Journeys voyage on October 16, 2027, and a 14-day Southern Caribbean Journeys cruise departing January 29, 2028

Carnival Jubilee

Carnival Cruise Line’s flagship, Carnival Jubilee, will sail a series of six- and eight-day cruises from Galveston to the Caribbean.

The six-day Western Caribbean itineraries will visit Cozumel and Isla Tropicale, while the eight-day Bahamas cruises will stop at Nassau, Celebration Key and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay.

Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, gave the following statement:

“Galveston is one of our most popular homeports, and this new deployment continues our commitment to our Texas guests and the community by adding more variety than ever.

“The four ships that will sail from Galveston in 2027/28 are each of their own unique class. That means guests will have more choices as they personalize their future cruise vacations and choose the fun that’s right for them from Galveston.”

At Cruise Fever, we’ve talked about the “hidden cost of cruising” for a while.  For years those advertised prices often looked too good to be true. 

That’s because sometimes they were, at least to the untrained eye and to those who’ve never cruised before.  Last year I wrote an article on whether or not cruise prices were too misleading.

Virgin Voyages is now leaning directly into that conversation with an article it just published titled “No Surprise Charges Here: A Transparent Look at Virgin Voyages Pricing.”

The article targets one of the cruise industry’s biggest frustrations: fares that start low but quickly snowball once gratuities, Wi-Fi, beverage packages, dining surcharges, and various other fees are factored in.

Virgin’s claim? When you book with them, the price you see is the true price of the vacation at sea.

Honest Pricing in an Upsell Culture

Cruisers are used to the upsell model. The $99-a-night deal transforms into a far more expensive cruise when you realize all the fine print of add-ons and service charges.

Virgin’s article compares it to buying a $10,000 car and later discovering the wheels and seatbelts are extra. This system, built on what’s known as “partitioned pricing,” has long been a way to entice travelers who often feel nickel-and-dimed once onboard.

Virgin’s “Always Included Luxury”

Virgin pivots from that traditional approach by bundling in nearly everything a passenger (Sailor) might need. As outlined in the article, their standard fare includes:

• All onboard dining, even at elevated specialty restaurants
• Gratuities
• Entertainment and shows
• Group fitness classes
• Non-alcoholic drinks, including specialty coffees and fresh juices
• Wi-Fi that “actually works”

This means travelers won’t be blindsided by dozens of hidden expenses. The model is what some call “bundled transparency” — a single honest fare that covers the real cost of the vacation.

A Side-by-Side Look

The article demonstrates how this works in practice. A mainstream seven-night Caribbean cruise might start at $700 per person but, after gratuities, beverage packages, Wi-Fi, and a few specialty dining reservations, grows to around $1,558. Virgin, by comparison, prices the same length of trip upfront at $1,400 per person — everything included, no surprises.

*According to the Virgin Voyages article:

Why Not Everything?

Virgin acknowledges some experiences do remain optional, like shore excursions and spa treatments. Their reasoning: not every traveler wants to do those activities, so it’s fairer to charge only those who choose them.

The key difference is that all essential onboard experiences are already wrapped into the advertised price.

Why This Resonates Now

For new travelers especially, transparent pricing removes the confusion and anxiety of budgeting for a cruise. There’s no sticker shock at the end of the trip.  And there are fewer pressures to upgrade constantly once onboard–a pet peeve of many.

As Virgin puts it, the result is more peace of mind and the ability to focus on the voyage itself — not the math behind it.

Virgin Voyages’ latest article brings attention to a topic we at Cruise Fever have been bringing up for years. In a world of “gotcha fees”, this attempt might make some take another look at the cruise line.

For some cruisers, the price additions to the listed cruise fare are not a big deal because it allows them to have a more ala cart experience and choose what to pay for and what to avoid.  But for those additional expenses that are practically required, it’s nice to at least see an attempt to make it all visible and transparent.

Read more: 8 Things I Skipped on My Cruise to Save Money

Royal Caribbean carries more guests each year than any other cruise line in the world. They currently have 29 ships in their fleet and number 30, Legend of the Seas, will join the fleet next year.

Here is a list of where every Royal Caribbean ship and will sail to and from in 2026, listed by ship class.

Icon Class

Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship, will sail from Port Canaveral on seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

Icon of the Seas will homeport in Miami offering week-long cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

Legend of the Seas, the cruise line’s next new cruise ship, will start off by sailing seven-night cruises from Barcelona and Rome in the summer before repositioning to Port Everglades for six- and eight-night cruises to the Caribbean.

Oasis Class

Allure of the Seas will sail from three homeports in 2026. The ship will start off by sailing six- and eight-night cruises to the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale. The ship will move to Galveston for a couple months before heading back to Port Everglades. In November, Allure of the Seas will sail from Miami on seven-night cruises to the Caribbean.

Harmony of the Seas will start off the year by sailing from Galveston before heading into dry dock. Once the vessel emerges from dry dock, it will sail a variety of six- to eight-night cruises from Barcelona and Rome. In the fall, the ship will head to Port Canaveral and sail four- and five-night cruises to The Bahamas.

Oasis of the Seas will sail six- and eight-night cruises to the Caribbean from Port Everglades. Summer the summer months, the ship will offer seven-night cruises to The Bahamas from Bayonne, New Jersey. In the fall, Oasis of the Seas will switch to three- and four-night cruises to The Bahamas from Ft. Lauderdale.

Symphony of the Seas will start 2026 by sailing week-long cruises from Miami to the Caribbean. In the spring, the ship will head to Galveston and sail six-, seven-, and eight-night cruises to the Western Caribbean.

Utopia of the Seas will sail three- and four-night cruises to The Bahamas from Port Canaveral.

Wonder of the Seas Will offer three- and four-night cruises to The Bahamas from Miami.

Quantum Class

Anthem of the Seas will start and end the year Down Under on three- to 12-night cruises from Sydney. During the summer months, the ship will head to Seattle for seven-night cruises to Alaska.

Odyssey of the Seas will sail from Bayonne and Rome in 2026. After seven-night cruises to The Bahamas, the ship will offer week-long cruises to the Greek Isles during the summer. In the fall, Odyssey of the Seas will resume seven-night cruises from Bayonne to The Bahamas.

Ovation of the Seas will offer three- and four-night cruises to Malaysia and Thailand from Singapore. During the summer, the ship will sail seven-night one-way cruises in Alaska from Vancouver and Seward. The vessel will end the year offering a combination of cruises to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles.

Quantum of the Seas will sail from Los Angeles on three- to seven-night cruises from Los Angeles. In the fall, the ship will head to Australia and sail three- to seven-night cruises to Australia and New Zealand.

Spectrum of the Seas will offer cruises from both Hong Kong and Shanghai in 2026. The four- to five-night cruises will visit Japan.

Freedom Class

Freedom of the Seas will spend the entire year sailing from Miami on four- and five-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

Independence of the Seas will start off in Miami offering seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. In the summer, the ship will head to Bayonne for four-, five- and nine-night cruises to Bermuda, Canada and the Caribbean. The ship will head back to Miami for the winter Caribbean season and resume week-long cruises.

Liberty of the Seas will offer three- and four-night cruises to The Bahamas before going into dry dock. After dry dock is complete, the ship will sail five- to nine-night cruises from Southampton to the Norwegian Fjords, Spain and Northern Europe. The ship will end the year in Galveston offering four- and five-night cruises to the Western Caribbean.

Voyager Class

Adventure of the Seas will sail most of the year from Port Canaveral on six- and eight-night cruises to the Caribbean. The ship will reposition to Port Everglades late in the year for six- and eight-night cruises to the Western and Southern Caribbean.

Explorer of the Seas will sail four- and five-night cruises to The Bahamas and Caribbean from Port Canaveral. The ship will then sail from Ravenna, Italy on week-long cruises to the Adriatic and Croatia. Explorer of the Seas will end the year back at Port Canaveral on four- and five-night sailings.

Mariner of the Seas will spend most of the year offering four- and five-night cruises to the Western Caribbean from Galveston. Late in the year, the ship will move to New Orleans for week-long cruises to the Western Caribbean.

Navigator of the Seas will offer three- to seven-night cruises from Los Angeles to Mexico. In the fall, the ship will move to Singapore for short cruises to Malaysia and Thailand.

Voyager of the Seas will start of year sailing from Brisbane before heading to Seattle for week-long cruises to Alaska. In the fall, the ship will offer three- to eight-night cruises from Los Angeles to Mexico.

Radiance Class

Brilliance of the Seas will start and end the year offering week-long cruises to the Southern Caribbean from San Juan, Puerto Rico. During the summer months, the ship will sail from multiple ports in Europe on seven-night cruises in the Mediterranean.

Jewel of the Seas will also start the year by sailing week-long cruises to the Southern Caribbean from San Juan. In the spring the ship will head to Port Everglades for short cruises to The Bahamas. Jewel of the Seas will end of the year sailing four- and five-night cruises from Tampa.

Radiance of the Seas will sail short cruises to The Bahamas from Port Everglades. In the spring, the vessel will head to San Juan and spend the remainder of 2026 offering seven-night cruises to the Southern Caribbean.

Serenade of the Seas will start the year in South and Central America before heading to Vancouver for the Alaska season. In the the fall, the ship will being three- to seven-night cruises to Mexico from California.

Vision Class

Enchantment of the Seas will spend the entire year sailing from Tampa and will offer four-, five- and seven-night cruises to the Caribbean.

Grandeur of the Seas will start off by offering seven-night cruises to the Western Caribbean from Tampa. In the spring, the ship begin to offering seven-night Caribbean cruises from Cartagena and Panama.

Rhapsody of the Seas will spend the entire year sailing four- to eight-night cruises to the Caribbean from Tampa.

Vision of the Seas will spend the first three quarters of the year sailing five-, eight-, nine-and 12-night cruises to The Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada and the Caribbean.

Ships Visiting CocoCay

The following 18 Royal Caribbean cruise ships are scheduled to visit the cruise line’s private island in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, in 2026.

• Icon of the Seas
• Star of the Seas
• Legend of the Seas
• Allure of the Seas
• Harmony of the Seas
• Oasis of the Seas
• Symphony of the Seas
• Utopia of the Seas
• Wonder of the Seas
• Odyssey of the Seas
• Freedom of the Seas
• Independence of the Seas
• Liberty of the Seas
• Adventure of the Seas
• Explorer of the Seas
• Jewel of the Seas
• Radiance of the Seas
• Vision of the Seas

Carnival Cruise Line Ambassador John Heald fields all kinds of questions and comments through his Facebook page.  Today, he recently shared a story that highlights some of the expectations of passengers, even in the middle of an emergency situation.

The story, as told by Heald during a video post, began with a guest needing urgent medical attention that could not be provided on the ship. The captain made the decision to return the ship to PortMiami, arriving late, “around 11:30, midnight, somewhere around then.”

This early return affected the ship’s onboard shops and casino. As Heald explained, “That of course meant that they had to close the shops and the casino early.”

According to Heald, the guest was outraged, expressing “demands for compensation” and complaining that they “weren’t even able to get off the ship in Miami because customs hadn’t cleared the ship.”

However, perhaps this passenger didn’t realize that that closing of the casino was not just a whimsical crew decision.  This was part of maritime laws and regulations.

Cruise ship casinos and gift shops operate under a specific legal framework that requires them to be closed while in port.  This is because when a ship is in a country’s territorial waters—typically within 12 nautical miles of the coastline—it must abide by that country’s laws, including those on gambling and retail.

Heald, in his response to the guest’s complaint, had to “really, really hold myself back.”

He then explained the situation clearly, saying, “We’re not allowed to open the casino. We have to close the gift shops when we’re back into Florida waters legally.”

He also noted that the ship couldn’t be cleared by U.S. Customs and Border Protection until the proper time and that compensation would not be given.

The process of a ship being cleared by customs is not so quick and easy. After returning to a U.S. port, the ship’s crew submits manifests and other required documentation to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Heald estimated that the cruise passenger had missed out on “approximately four to five hours less time that she had to use the gift shops and the casino.”

He ended the video with a powerful and pointed question: “Is four or five hours time in the casino and spending money in the gift shop, is that too big a price to pay to save a human life?”

The guest, according to Heald, “didn’t like that answer very much” and stated she would never cruise with Carnival again because of the lack of compensation and Heald’s response.

Heald then asked, “Do you really want to cruise with someone whose value of human life is based on whether she gets a couple of hours extra in the casino?”

The World, Residences at Sea, which is the largest privately owned residential mega yacht on the planet, received a multi-million dollar renovation.

The World is one of just a few cruise ships that you can buy a cabin and live in. During a recent six-week dry dock in Spain, workers completed over 200 projects on the ship making it better than ever.

The enhancements include not only public and private spaces, but also energy efficiency improvements that include the ability to hook up to shore power.

Private and Public Spaces

Pool Deck & Grill Renovation: This outdoor lounge has been redesigned and acoustically upgraded with new seating, a canopy inspired by nautical sails, and gourmet cooking facilities.

Spa & Wellness Additions: A new Cold Plunge now complements the sauna and steam room, completing the thermal circuit. Treatment rooms now feature heated floors, and salon areas were refreshed.

Golf Facility Upgrades: A newly contoured putting green and state-of-the-art golf simulator with PGA Tour course play will bring championship-level recreation to sea.

Expanded Zodiac Fleet: A new 10-seat Zodiac Pro 850 will enhance exploration of remote coastal and wildlife destinations.

Residence Refurbishments: Approximately 50 private Residences received upgrades ranging from new flooring and cabinetry to completely refreshed kitchens and bathrooms.

Sustainability Enhancements

Newly Engineered Bulbous Bow: Optimized for fuel efficiency at the ship’s operating speed, this new bulbous bow will reduce hull resistance by up to 10% and improving ice navigation.

Silicone Underwater Paint: Eco-friendly coating will reduce drag and deters marine growth.

High-Efficiency HVAC: New chillers and fan coil units will help decrease energy use and boost onboard comfort.

Expanded IT Infrastructure: Upgraded Starlink, IPTV, and Wi-Fi systems now offer faster, more resilient digital connectivity—including shoreside coverage in remote areas.

Jessica Hoppe, President & CEO of The World, gave the following statement:

“From reducing our environmental impact through shore power to elevating Resident life through modernized amenities, this achievement belongs to our entire community.

“Our Residents have once again shown that they are deeply invested in the Ship’s future—and in the future of responsible global travel.”

Even though The World was launched in 2002, the ship only has a fatigue age of 5.6 years, outperforming industry standards.