Royal Caribbean passengers sailing from PortMiami may find themselves checking in somewhere unexpected: MSC Cruises’ Terminal AA.
New reporting indicates that some Royal Caribbean guests are again being directed to the MSC-operated facility while work affects normal Royal Caribbean terminal operations at the busy Miami cruise port.
For travelers, the change matters less because of the cruise itself and more because of the logistics on embarkation day. PortMiami has multiple large cruise terminals spread across the port, and arriving at the wrong one can mean extra driving, parking confusion and additional walking with luggage.
PortMiami officially lists Terminal AA at 2200 N. Cruise Blvd. The facility opened in 2025 as MSC Cruises’ new Miami terminal and covers roughly 490,000 square feet across four levels. According to the port, it can accommodate up to three ships and process up to 36,000 passengers in a single day.
Royal Caribbean’s familiar Terminal A, known as the “Crown of Miami,” is nearby at 2000 N. Cruise Blvd. It opened in 2018 and remains one of Royal Caribbean’s signature homeport facilities.
Royal Caribbean also advises passengers on its own Miami directions page to follow signage to the terminal assigned to their sailing, as terminal locations can change.
That advice is particularly important during temporary terminal swaps. Guests should rely on the terminal information shown in their current cruise documents, Royal Caribbean app notifications, and any pre-cruise email rather than assuming they will automatically use Terminal A.
Parking can also be different depending on the terminal assignment. PortMiami operates separate garages for Terminal AA and Terminal A, so drivers should confirm the correct garage before entering the port.
The temporary use of MSC’s terminal is not unprecedented. Freedom of the Seas has previously used Terminal AA when berth availability or Royal Caribbean terminal construction required ships to be repositioned within PortMiami.
What is not yet clear is how many upcoming Royal Caribbean sailings will be affected by the latest arrangement or how long the temporary terminal sharing will continue. Cruise Addicts is treating those details as developing until Royal Caribbean or PortMiami provides additional confirmation.
For passengers with an upcoming Miami departure, the simplest advice is to check the terminal listed in your cruise documents shortly before leaving for the port and follow current roadside signage once on Dodge Island.
With PortMiami handling millions of cruise passengers each year and several major terminal projects underway, occasional berth and terminal adjustments are likely to remain part of the embarkation-day picture.
The best part of being a travel writer is traveling—and because my favorite way to travel is by sea, I’ve been lucky enough to do plenty of it. But even after 15 cruises with Royal Caribbean, I’m still learning something new every time.
That’s one of the things I love most about cruising. No matter how many times you sail, every ship, every itinerary and every vacation brings a new experience.
On my latest Royal Caribbean cruise, aboard Oasis of the Seas, sailing from Port Liberty in New Jersey on August 2, 2026, I picked up eight cruise tips and tricks that I wish I’d known sooner.
Here’s what I learned:
1. A Royal Beach Club Cabana Makes Sense for a Large Group
Traveling with a large group? Do the math before automatically buying individual admission to Royal Caribbean’s Royal Beach Club Paradise Island.
Admission to the private beach club can range from about $99 to $234 per person, depending on the season and how far in advance you book. But for our group of 10, a private cabana cost $1,200—making it surprisingly competitive with individual tickets.
And the cabana came with plenty of perks: a swing, couches, chaises, a refrigerator, hors d’oeuvres, fresh fruit, healthy snacks, beer and soft drinks, plus an upscale menu. And oh, that view!
Best of all, we had our own server who took our orders and delivered everything. No waiting in line in the heat.
The takeaway: If you’re traveling with a group, compare the cost of individual admission with a cabana. The cabana may be a better value—and a lot more fun.
2. Don’t Rush Off the Ship When Everyone Else Does
With two mega-ships in Nassau, our group thought we had a brilliant plan: Get off Oasis of the Seas as early as possible to beat the crowds heading to the Royal Beach Club.
It didn’t work.
It took us about an hour to disembark and board one of the tenders. Then, while we sat waiting for our tender to leave the dock, we watched other passengers simply walk right up and board.
The takeaway: Sometimes the best cruise strategy is to wait. If you head for the gangway at noon instead of joining the initial rush, you may end up on the same shuttle as the people who spent an hour fighting their way into crowded elevators at 11 a.m.
3. Royal Caribbean Knows How to Handle Medical Emergencies
No one wants to think about a medical emergency on vacation, but cruise ships are equipped to respond when something goes wrong.
On our return to New Jersey, we experienced not one but two separate medical emergencies.
The ship increased speed to quickly reach Atlantic City, where a helicopter met us to transport the patients to a hospital.
It was a powerful reminder that cruise itineraries can change quickly when there is a medical emergency—and that cruise lines have procedures in place to get passengers the care they need.
The takeaway: Travel insurance and understanding your cruise line’s medical and emergency procedures are important, even if you never expect to need them.
4. Don’t Like a Firm Cruise Ship Mattress? Just Ask
Yes, Royal Caribbean’s mattresses can be very firm. But if that’s not to your liking, look underneath the bed. You may find a mattress topper already there.
If not, just ask your room steward to bring you one. Or two.
(And, as I already knew, your stateroom attendant also can help with the bed configuration. The beds can be separated into two twin beds or pushed together into a queen-size bed. And if your friends and family are in the next room, he can remove the divider between the balconies so you can all sit outside together.)
The takeaway: Your room steward can often make small changes that make a big difference in your comfort. Just ask.
5. The Splash Zone at Aqua80 Is Exactly What It Sounds Like
New Royal Caribbean Cruise Tips I Learned on My 15th Sailing (Credit: Cheryl Rosen)
Want to experience Aqua80 from a completely different perspective? Sit in the front-row Splash Zone.
You will get wet. Very wet. But it’s also a lot of fun—and a completely different experience from watching the show from farther back or on a balcony.
Bring a towel and protect anything you don’t want soaked. And take my advice: duck during the finale.
6. Royal Caribbean’s Staff Can Work Magic—If You Ask
One thing that always impresses me about cruising is how accommodating the crew can be.
Our group of 10 arrived at Giovanni’s at 7:00 and asked it would be possible to make an 8:30 show. And Josue came to our rescue, served us family style. (In the end, I didn’t really think Cats was worth the rush. (But our 14-year-old granddaughter who wants to be a vet loved it.)
Our group of 10 arrived at Giovanni’s at 7 p.m., and said we were hoping to make an 8:30 show. Josue serving our meal family-style so we could get through dinner more quickly.
In the end, I didn’t think Cats was worth rushing for—but our 14-year-old granddaughter, who wants to be a veterinarian, absolutely loved it.
The takeaway: Don’t assume the answer is no. Just ask.
7. Find a New Excursion If You’ve Been There Before
Having sailed this itinerary many times, I’ve done every excursion I care to do in Port Canaveral. So this time, we decided to keep things inexpensive and easy.
We just took an Uber a mile down the road to the Holiday Inn Vacation Club.
For just $45 for the adults and $25 for under 18, we got access to a huge and uncrowded pool, a lazy river, an ocean beach, and—if Florida’s weather turned on us—an indoor movie theater.
The pool bar serves food and drinks, or you can opt for indoor seating to escape the bees.
The takeaway: If you’ve done the major Port Canaveral excursions already, consider a nearby resort day pass for an easy and affordable alternative.
8. Use the Free Porter Service When You Leave the Ship
Here’s one cruise tip I should have taken advantage of sooner: Use the porter service at the end of your cruise.
For the price of a tip, porters will take your luggage all the way from the terminal to your car in the parking lot and load it into your trunk.
MSC Cruises’ newest cruise ship is set to debut in just a few months. But due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and some scheduling shifts, MSC World Asia will be heading to a completely different region than originally planned for her second season.
MSC World Asia and MSC Meraviglia
The cruise line announced several major itinerary changes and updates today affecting both the Western Mediterranean and the Southern Caribbean for the Winter 2027/2028 season.
If you have an upcoming cruise booked on MSC World Europa, MSC World Asia, or MSC Meraviglia, here is everything you need to know about where these ships are actually heading.
MSC World Asia Heading to the Caribbean
When MSC World Asia debuts on December 4, 2026, her initial maiden season in the Western Mediterranean remains unchanged. But her follow-up season for Winter 2027/2028 will look very different than originally planned.
Because MSC World Europa is staying in Europe to cover Mediterranean itineraries, MSC is taking its brand-new 216,000 GT flagship and sending her across the Atlantic to take over the Southern Caribbean.
MSC World Asia will offer 7- and 14-night itineraries with embarkation ports in Fort-de-France (Martinique), Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), and Bridgetown (Barbados).
From there, the ship will call on the following ports: Saint Lucia, Grenada, St. Maarten, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
MSC World Europa Stays in Europe
Originally, MSC had planned to send MSC World Europa back to the Middle East for the Winter 2027/2028 season. But the cruise line isn’t taking any chances with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and instead of hoping things have settled down by then is being proactive in some early schedule changes.
Instead of moving across the globe, MSC World Europa will remain in the Western Mediterranean to offer week-long, seven-night cruises. So yes, as the name so fittingly suggests, MSC World Europa will stay in Europe, at least for now.
The ship will run round-trip sailings calling at ports like Barcelona (Spain), Marseille (France), Genoa (Italy), Civitavecchia (Italy), Messina (Italy) and Valletta (Malta).
MSC Meraviglia Stepping Aside in the South Caribbean
With MSC World Asia now heading to the Southern Caribbean in 2027, MSC Meraviglia’s itineraries are seeing a change as well. The ship which was originally scheduled to handle MSC’s Southern Caribbean routes during the Winter 2027/2028 season, will now be moving to a different part of the world.
MSC has not yet officially announced where MSC Meraviglia will be redeployed for Winter 2027/2028. The cruise line noted that bookings for her original Caribbean sailings are being updated, and passengers will be contacted directly as new itinerary details are finalized.
What Happens to Impacted Bookings?
The schedule juggling of three major ships in the fleet directly impacts quite a few passengers already booked on those vessels.
According to a press release from the cruise line, MSC Cruises is reaching out to impacted guests and giving them these options:
MSC World Europa (Middle East Bookings): Passengers who were originally booked on MSC World Europa’s canceled Middle East sailings are being contacted directly. They can choose to move their reservation to another MSC sailing or request a full refund.
MSC World Asia (Med Bookings) & MSC Meraviglia (Caribbean Bookings): Guests who booked MSC World Asia’s second-year Mediterranean runs, or MSC Meraviglia’s Southern Caribbean sailings, will see their reservations automatically updated and “will be contacted directly about any individual changes”.
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Viking continues to grow as it exercises options for two more ocean cruise ships that will enter service in 2032.
Viking officially signed contracts with Fincantieri for two new ocean ships that will be built at the Ancona shipyard in Italy. This follows an announcement this past spring for two more expedition ships.
Fincantieri has built every ocean ship in Viking’s fleet. Photo: Cruise Fever
The two new ships will be 54,300 gross tons in size and carry 998 guests in 499 staterooms. They will be sister ships and nearly identical to the ships Viking currently has in its fleet.
Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Fincantieri, gave the following statement:
“Today’s agreement marks another milestone in our long-standing partnership with Viking and serves as a powerful testament to the excellence and industrial expertise of our Ancona shipyard. Over the years, Ancona has proven to be an indispensable production hub for our Group, delivering highly sophisticated cruise ships that set the benchmark for technology, luxury and efficiency.
Assigning these new builds to Ancona reinforces the strategic role of the site, supports high-value local employment and ensures long-term industrial continuity for our supply chain as we continue to shape the future of sustainable cruising.”
This latest order between Viking and Fincantieri brings the total number of ocean vessels between the two companies to 28 ships.
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The owners of a Titanic-themed attraction at a Hertfordshire farm have defended the ride after criticism that it makes light of one of the deadliest maritime disasters in history.
The ride at Graveley Fruit Farm, near Hitchin, is designed to resemble RMS Titanic and raises one end of the replica ship before customers slide downwards, recreating the steep angle associated with the liner’s sinking.
More than 1,500 people died after Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in April 1912.
Despite comments on social media describing the farm attraction as “disrespectful” and “odd”, manager Will Campbell-Gray said there had never been any intention to mock those who lost their lives.
“We’re keeping the memory of Titanic alive and we’re not making fun of the dead at all.”
The farm estimates around 500 people use the attraction each day.
Ride Was Renamed After Initial Complaints
The Titanic ride was built last year using materials already available around the farm, including hoops previously used for strawberry polytunnels and the trailer from an old tipper lorry.
Campbell-Gray said the possibility of attracting criticism had not been considered when the attraction was created.
“It never even crossed our minds that there would be any backlash.”
Following complaints online, the farm initially responded by having new signage produced and renaming the attraction The Big Tipper.
However, Campbell-Gray said the decision to remove the Titanic branding resulted in an even stronger reaction from some members of the public.
“My wife, who does the social media, got threats… death threats saying that we should change it back.
“So we actually thought long and hard and thought, actually, we’re not making fun of the dead or anything.
“Actually it’s a nice thing to be a memory of the Titanic and keep the Titanic memory alive.”
The original Titanic name was subsequently restored.
Campbell-Gray has also argued that the unusual attraction has an educational benefit, particularly for children with a strong interest in the history of the ship.
“We’ve had autistic children who are obsessed with Titanic… they love coming here and going on it because they know all the facts and all the figures,” he said.
He said those visits demonstrated that the attraction could encourage younger visitors to learn more about Titanic rather than simply treating the sinking as entertainment.
Titanic Remains One Of History’s Best-Known Maritime Disasters
RMS Titanic was one of the largest passenger ships of its era, measuring approximately 269 metres long, 28 metres wide and more than 53 metres tall.
The liner took around three years to build and cost approximately £1.5 million at the time, equivalent to roughly £170 million in today’s money.
Titanic departed Southampton on its maiden voyage to New York before striking an iceberg on 14th April 1912. The ship sank in the early hours of 15th April, killing more than 1,500 passengers and crew.
More than a century later, the disaster continues to attract enormous public interest through museums, exhibitions, films, documentaries and research into both the ship itself and the people who were on board.
Campbell-Gray maintains that the Graveley Fruit Farm attraction should be viewed in that spirit, rather than as an attempt to trivialise the deaths.
“We’re keeping the memory of Titanic alive and we’re not making fun of the dead at all.”
For the second time this year, Princess Cruises is raising Medallion shipping fees that cruisers pay to receive them ahead of their cruise.
Star Princess at Port Everglades. Photo: Cruise Fever
Princess Cruises first raised Medallion shipping fees in March, when the price doubled for U.S residents and went up 67% for Canadians.
This latest increase, which went into effect today, was much smaller at just $2 each.
Starting today, August 20, 2026, the new Medallion shipping fees from Princess Cruises are as follows:
U.S. shipping fee: $22
Canada shipping fee: $27
The cruise line noted that all existing orders placed prior to August 20, 2026 will remain at the previous shipping fee. The updated fee only applies to new orders processed on or after August 20, 2026.
Ocean Medallions replace key cards on Princess cruise ships.
An order consists of one to four Medallions shipped under the same order number to the same address.
If guests within the same booking choose to ship Medallions to different addresses, or if orders are placed separately, shipping fees will apply per individual order.
Ocean Medallions replace traditional cruise key cards on Princess cruise ships. They allow cruisers to do everything from opening their cabin doors to ordering a drink at a bar.
Princess guests do have an option to get out of paying the shipping fee. They can choose to pick up their Medallion at the cruise terminal, instead of ordering it ahead of time, when they check in for their cruise on embarkation day.
Princess Cruises currently only ships Medallions to residents in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada.
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A Costa Cruises passenger who spent seven hours in Italian police custody after being mistaken for a wanted drug trafficking suspect is seeking compensation over the ordeal, which he says caused serious consequences for both himself and his family.
The 44-year-old passenger, identified by French media as Amir, was arrested during a Mediterranean cruise in March 2026 after authorities apparently connected his identity with that of a French-Tunisian man wanted under a European arrest warrant.
Amir, who lives in Toulouse, France, had departed Marseille on 1st March 2026 with his wife, three young children and 13 other relatives. The family had booked the cruise to celebrate a birthday.
The arrest took place in Palermo, Sicily, on 5th March, after the ship had arrived in the Italian port.
Although the ship has not been officially identified in reports about the case, itinerary information strongly indicates the family was travelling aboard Costa Smeralda. Cruise schedules show the Costa Cruises ship was sailing from Marseille during the relevant period and was in Palermo on 5th March.
The voyage had originally been scheduled to visit La Goulette in Tunisia, but strong winds reportedly forced that call to be abandoned before the ship continued towards Italy.
Passenger Held For Seven Hours
The case appears to have been triggered by similarities between Amir’s personal details and those of a man wanted in connection with drug trafficking offences.
Earlier reports said the wanted man shared Amir’s first name, surname and date of birth. However, Amir’s lawyer has subsequently disputed the extent of those similarities, saying other identifying information should have made clear that the passenger was not the suspect.
According to French newspaper La Dépêche du Midi, differences reportedly included the photograph, nationality and details surrounding the men’s births. Amir’s legal representatives argue that the information available before his arrest should have been sufficient to distinguish him from the wanted man.
Amir attempted to explain the mistake and produced identification documents, but communication was reportedly complicated by a language barrier.
His cabin was searched before he was subjected to an invasive body search and taken off the ship in handcuffs. He was escorted through the port in view of other passengers and crew before being taken to a police station.
French reports say he was warned during the process that he could potentially face 18 months in prison and a €1,800 fine.
It was only after fingerprints were taken that authorities established he was not the person named in the arrest warrant.
After around seven hours in custody, Amir was released and returned to the cruise ship in time to continue the voyage with his family.
While the legal mix-up had been resolved, Amir and his family say its effects continued long after he returned aboard.
Amir reportedly suffers from narcolepsy and says the stress aggravated his condition to such an extent that he required hospital treatment after returning to France.
His family has also linked the incident to a serious health emergency involving his father-in-law, who suffered a cardiac episode following the arrest. He was reportedly taken from the ship in a wheelchair and later admitted to a cardiology unit in Toulouse.
Costa Cruises Rejects Responsibility
Amir initially sought a full refund for the holiday as well as compensation for members of his family, according to La Dépêche du Midi.
He has since instructed Toulouse-based law firm Monferran et Associés as the dispute over responsibility continues.
His lawyer’s position is that the companies handling the booking possessed sufficient identification information about Amir to have prevented the confusion from escalating into an arrest.
Costa Cruises has disputed responsibility.
In a letter dated 8th April 2026, the cruise line said its crew had acted in accordance with instructions from the Italian authorities and rejected liability for what happened. French reporting also says the separate travel company Cruiseline had not responded to Amir’s claim by the time of the latest report.
Amir’s lawyer believes a compensation proposal could still be made before formal court proceedings become necessary.
The passenger is not pursuing a claim against the Italian authorities. His lawyer’s view is that officers acted on the information supplied to them rather than independently causing the mistaken identification.
The dispute therefore centres on whether more could have been done before the arrest to verify Amir’s identity and establish that he was not the person sought under the European arrest warrant.
Costa Cruises does have a formal complaints process for passengers, while its terms and conditions set out procedures for escalating complaints that are not answered within specified periods.
For Amir and his family, however, the claim goes considerably further than dissatisfaction with the cruise itself. They are seeking recognition and compensation for an incident that transformed a family celebration into several hours of detention and, they say, had lasting repercussions after the holiday was over.
Royal Caribbean passengers looking at drinks packages are usually presented with a fairly simple choice: stick to non-alcoholic drinks, or pay for an unlimited package that includes alcohol.
But there is another Royal Caribbean drinks package sitting between those two options, and plenty of cruisers may still not know it exists.
The Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package combines Royal Caribbean’s standard Refreshment Package with a fixed allowance of 10 alcoholic drinks to use during the cruise.
Rather than providing unlimited alcohol every day, passengers receive the full selection of drinks covered by the Refreshment Package throughout their sailing, plus 10 alcoholic beverages in total.
It potentially makes the package an attractive middle ground for guests who enjoy cocktails, beer or wine but know they will not drink enough to justify paying for Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package.
The option first began attracting attention in 2025, but it remains considerably less well known than Royal Caribbean’s three main drinks packages. It also does not appear as a standard package on every sailing.
How The Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package Works
At its core is Royal Caribbean’s Refreshment Package, which provides unlimited non-alcoholic drinks for the duration of the cruise.
Royal Caribbean currently lists fountain soft drinks, non-alcoholic cocktails, Johnny Rockets milkshakes, bottled still and sparkling water, premium coffees and teas and freshly squeezed juices among the drinks included.
The cruise line’s latest package material also includes canned soft drinks, non-alcoholic beer and wine, although some non-alcoholic products are restricted to guests who meet the applicable drinking-age requirement. Licensed Starbucks locations are excluded.
On top of those unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, passengers buying the Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package receive 10 alcoholic beverages.
Importantly, that means 10 drinks for the entire cruise, not 10 alcoholic drinks every day.
Royal Caribbean described the option when it first appeared as “this is the package for ultimate flexibility”.
That distinction becomes especially important on longer cruises. A passenger on a 14-night sailing, for example, could use the included alcoholic drinks whenever they wanted rather than feeling the need to order several every day to get value from an unlimited package.
It could also suit cruisers who mainly drink coffee, bottled water, soft drinks and mocktails during the day, but still want the occasional alcoholic drink with dinner or during an evening in one of the ship’s bars.
Prices are dynamic and can change considerably between ships, departure dates and Cruise Planner sales.
When the package first appeared in 2025, prices of around $36.99 per person, per day were reported. Current 2026 package listings continue to show it, but at varying prices. Examples have included around $38 per day on a 10-night Independence of the Seas sailing and around $41 per day on some other voyages. This example is even higher:
That makes checking the numbers particularly important.
Passengers should compare the difference between the regular Refreshment Package and Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package rather than simply comparing it with the more expensive Deluxe Beverage Package.
If the upgrade costs substantially more over a long itinerary, buying 10 alcoholic drinks individually could potentially work out cheaper. Conversely, a good Cruise Planner discount could make the combined package more appealing.
There has also been one notable change since the package first started appearing.
From 15th March 2026, Royal Caribbean stopped including a Coca-Cola Freestyle Cup with its Refreshment and Deluxe Beverage Packages. Guests wanting to use Coca-Cola Freestyle machines with those packages can instead buy an RFID-enabled cup onboard for $4.99. The Classic Soda Package continues to include the cup.
That means older descriptions of the Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package which say that Coca-Cola Freestyle access is automatically included may now be out of date.
It Isn’t Just Appearing On Extremely Long Cruises
When the Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package first emerged, reports largely came from passengers booked on longer itineraries such as transatlantic cruises, Panama Canal voyages and sailings lasting considerably more than a week.
That led to the assumption that Royal Caribbean had introduced it specifically for longer cruises, where the cost of an unlimited alcohol package can become particularly high.
More recent evidence suggests the picture is no longer quite that simple.
The package has appeared in 2026 listings for seven-night Royal Caribbean cruises as well as longer itineraries. One recent listing for a seven-night Rhapsody of the Seas sailing showed the Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package alongside the regular Refreshment Package, while another seven-night Brilliance of the Seas voyage also listed the option.
It therefore appears that availability is sailing-specific rather than being determined solely by cruise length.
Passengers should not assume they will be able to buy it simply because they are taking a long cruise, or assume it will be unavailable because they are sailing for only seven nights. The simplest way to know is to check the beverage section of Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner for the individual booking.
There is another important consideration for passengers sharing a cabin.
Royal Caribbean says guests purchasing an alcoholic beverage package must purchase one for all guests of legal drinking age in the same stateroom. Non-alcoholic packages can otherwise be purchased individually.
Because the Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package contains alcohol, passengers should check the purchase requirements displayed for their particular reservation before deciding whether the numbers work for everyone travelling in the cabin.
For some cruisers, Royal Caribbean’s Deluxe Beverage Package will still be the obvious choice, particularly those expecting to drink cocktails, wine or beer regularly throughout the holiday.
For others, the normal Refreshment Package and a handful of individually purchased alcoholic drinks could work out cheaper.
But for passengers who sit somewhere between those two groups, the little-known Refreshment + 10 Drinks Package offers an option many Royal Caribbean guests might not even realise they have.
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I have spent nearly three decades litigating against the world’s largest cruise lines. In that time, I have sat across from families who booked what was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime and came home carrying something no parent should ever have to carry. So when I read the recent string of arrests tied to cruises sailing out of Florida, I did not see isolated headlines. I saw a pattern that parents deserve to understand before they ever step on the gangway.
This is not written to scare you off cruising. My own view is that most families sail and return with nothing but good memories. But a handful of recent cases show exactly how predators operate at sea, and once you understand the playbook, you can take a few simple steps that meaningfully lower the risk to your children.
The cases that should be on every parent’s radar
The threat aboard a cruise ship is not one thing. It comes in a few distinct forms.
Crew members hiding cameras in cabins and bathrooms. In August 2024, a Royal Caribbean stateroom attendant named Arvin Joseph Mirasol was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to producing child pornography. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Mirasol had been placing hidden cameras inside passenger cabins on the Symphony of the Seas since December 2023. A guest discovered a camera concealed under the bathroom sink and reported it to ship security. Investigators later identified children in the footage, ranging in age from 2 to 17 years old. Prosecutors said Mirasol would enter cabins while guests were showering and hide under their beds to record them.
Sit with that for a moment. A crew member with a key to the room, someone the family never thought twice about, gained access and did the unthinkable.
Passengers hiding cameras in public restrooms. The crew is not the only concern. In 2023, the FBI arrested Jeremy Froias after he allegedly placed a hidden Wi-Fi camera in a public bathroom on the top deck of the Harmony of the Seas, tucked between a surf simulator and a bar. As CBS News reported, another passenger spotted the camera and alerted the crew. In the short window it was running, the device captured more than 150 people, including at least 40 minors, some appearing to be as young as 4 or 5. Froias was charged with video voyeurism and attempted possession of child exploitation material.
The trusted adult sharing your child’s cabin. This next one is the case I wish every parent would read twice. In April 2026, according to FOX10 News, an Ohio man named Kevin Six was arrested after he allegedly set his phone inside a backpack to secretly record a 15-year-old boy in their shared cabin’s bathroom. Six was described in the affidavit as a “friend” of the teen. The boy noticed the phone’s camera pointing toward the shower, checked the device, found the video, and told his grandmother, who told him to report it to security. Six was held until the ship docked at Port Everglades.
CruiseInjury.law
Offenders who sail among families and get caught at port. Finally, there are the passengers who bring their crimes aboard with them. In late July 2026, Local 10 News reported that customs officers pulled a passenger named Steve Lawson aside for a secondary inspection after he disembarked the Norwegian Getaway at PortMiami. Investigators said they found more than a dozen child sexual abuse videos on his phone, and that he admitted buying them with cryptocurrency while the ship was docked in the Bahamas. Days later, Local 10 reported that a second passenger from that same sailing, Michael William Simmons, was also arrested, accused of possessing such material and of having recorded children years earlier. Both men face pending charges.
I include these last two not because a parent could have spotted either man on the ship, but to make a point I make in court all the time. The people who commit these crimes look ordinary. One was a father of seven who photographed weddings for a living. Predictability is a myth while vigilance is not.
What parents should do when they go on a cruise with young children
Here is the part I care about most. None of this is complicated, and none of it takes much time. Every step below comes straight from how the cases above actually happened, and I would follow all of them if I were sailing with my own children tomorrow.
1. Have the safety talk before you board. Before the trip, sit your kids down and keep it calm and age-appropriate. Tell them plainly that no one should photograph or record them, especially in a bathroom or while they are changing, and that no adult should ever ask them to keep a secret from you. Let them know that if anything feels wrong, they should come to you right away and they will never be in trouble for it. The 15-year-old in the Kevin Six case protected himself precisely because he knew to speak up. That instinct is something you build before you ever leave the dock.
2. Debrief with your kids every day. Use a meal, breakfast or dinner, to bring everyone back together and actually talk. Ask what they did during the day’s shipboard activities, who they spent time with, and how it went. Make this a normal, expected part of the trip, not an interrogation. When checking in becomes routine, kids tell you things they might otherwise shrug off, and you catch small concerns before they become big ones.
3. Teach them which questions are red flags. Kids do not always know when an adult has crossed a line, so give them a short list of warning signs. If any adult, crew or passenger, asks where their cabin is, who they are traveling with, or where their parents are right now, that is a red flag, and they should walk away and find you immediately. Predators gather that information to figure out whether a child is easy to isolate. A child who knows those specific questions are off-limits is far harder to target.
4. Never separate from your minor child in public areas. A cruise ship feels safe, and that feeling is exactly the problem. Stay with your younger children as you move around the ship, and keep your eyes open even when you are relaxed and enjoying yourself. You can have a wonderful time and still keep your child within sight. Safety comes first, every hour of every day of the trip.
5. Walk your kids to the bathroom. For younger children, do not send them off to a pool deck or public restroom alone. Go with them, matching parent to child, dad with your son and mom with your daughter. Remember that the hidden camera in the Harmony of the Seas case was in a public deck bathroom, and the one in the Symphony of the Seas case was in a cabin bathroom. A restroom is not a safe place to let a child wander off on their own.
6. Set a nightly curfew for teens. Kids in the 14-18 range want independence, and a cruise can give them a healthy amount of it. But set a firm curfew and hold to it. Everyone knows what time they need to be back, and there is no negotiating it after the fact. A clear boundary removes the gray area that older kids and predators both exploit.
7. Make teens travel in groups, never alone. Require your teenagers to move around the ship as a group rather than splitting off one by one. Every kid should have a working phone, and every phone should have your number, the other parents’ numbers, and everyone else’s in the group saved before the ship leaves port. There is real safety in numbers, and a child who is never alone is far harder to approach.
8. Require voice check-ins, not texts. Have your kids check in on a set schedule, every 60 to 90 minutes, and require that the check-in be a phone call, not a text. You want to hear your child’s actual voice and ask them where they are. A text tells you nothing about who is holding the phone or whether your child is genuinely okay. Hearing them say it, and hearing how they say it, tells you everything a text cannot.
9. Use real-time location tracking like Princess Medallion and Disney. This is the tip most parents have never heard, and it is worth choosing a cruise line over. Princess Cruises gives every guest a free wearable device called the Medallion, and through the OceanCompass feature in the Princess app, you can add everyone in your party and see exactly where each person is on the ship in real time, either on your phone or on the touchscreen portals placed throughout the ship. Because the ship’s sensors read the Medallion, the location is precise down to the deck and the venue, so you always know whether your teenager is really at the pool or three decks away at the arcade. Disney Cruise Line offers its own wearable and app technology in the same spirit, so if you are weighing lines, this feature alone may tip you toward Princess or Disney. If you sail a line that does not offer it, ask before you book whether they have a comparable option.
You can also add a layer of your own with a phone app. Apple’s Find My app, built into every iPhone, lets family members share their location with each other, and Life360 does the same across both iPhone and Android. The one catch at sea is connectivity: these apps only update when the phones are online, so you would need to buy the ship’s internet package for each child’s phone, and even then, the positions they show are rougher than the cruise line’s own sensor system. Used as a backup, though, they are a simple way to keep tabs on your kids the same way you already do at home.
10. Keep young kids in your stateroom whenever possible. Whenever you can, have your young children sleep in your own stateroom. If your booking makes that impossible and the kids are in a connecting or separate room, treat that room with extra caution and check on it often. The fewer hours a young child spends in a space you are not in, the better.
11. Never let a child share a cabin overnight with a non-guardian. This is the uncomfortable one, and it is also the most important. Never let your child sleep in a cabin alone with an adult who is not a parent or legal guardian, no matter how much you trust that person. The Six case involved a man the teen considered a friend. If your child is traveling with a coach, a family friend, or a relative’s partner, arrange the sleeping situation so that a child is never alone overnight with a non-guardian. Full stop.
12. Vet the kids’ club staff before you sail. Before you hand your child to the youth program, ask questions and expect real answers. Find out the staff-to-child ratio, how many counselors are on shift at a time, and their names, and take a look at who these people are when you drop your child off. A well-run program will welcome the questions. Hesitation or vague answers tell you something too.
13. Nail down the pickup and one-on-one rules. Get the specifics in writing or straight from the staff. How do they verify who is allowed to pick up your child? Are children ever permitted to leave the club on their own? And most importantly, is your child ever alone one-on-one with a single staff member, including for bathroom trips? Know the answer to that last question before you leave your child in anyone’s care.
14. Learn to spot grooming behavior. Grooming has a pattern, and once you know it, you can see it. Be alert to any adult, whether crew or a fellow passenger, who gives your child unusual amounts of attention, offers gifts, or repeatedly tries to get your child alone or away from you. Trust your gut. If an adult shows interest in your child, you are allowed to shut it down without apology.
15. Sweep every stateroom for hidden cameras. When you first board, take five minutes in every room your kids will use and look for anything that does not belong. Check under and around the sink and vanity, above the door frame, inside smoke detectors and air vents, and in alarm clocks, TV consoles, USB chargers, and decorative items. Turn off the lights and slowly scan the room with your phone flashlight, watching for the glint of a lens or a tiny indicator light in the dark. The cameras in these cases were found by ordinary people who simply noticed something out of place. If you find anything, leave it where it is and call ship security.
If something happens on board
If you believe your child has been recorded, photographed, touched, or approached inappropriately, what you do in the first few hours matters enormously. Act quickly and deliberately.
Report it to ship security immediately and ask for a written report. Do not let the conversation happen only verbally. You want a documented record that you notified the crew, including the date, time, and the names of the officers you spoke with.
Preserve everything. If a device, photo, or video is involved, do not delete anything, and do not let anyone else handle or wipe it more than absolutely necessary. Take your own photos and videos of anything relevant, including the scene, any suspicious device, and its location, before it can be moved or lost.
Get names, and get them fast. Write down the names and contact information of every security officer, every crew member involved, and every witness, not just the staff. If other children were affected, get their names and the names and contact information of their parents when they are not part of your own family. These witnesses can scatter the moment the ship docks, making them difficult to track down later.
Talk to your kids right away, while it is fresh. A child’s memory of what happened fades within a week or two, and details that seem obvious now can blur quickly. Gently ask them to tell you what happened, who was involved, and where, and write down what they say in their own words as close to the event as possible.
Get medical care if there was any physical contact, and insist on proper documentation.
Finally, do not sign anything the cruise line puts in front of you before you speak with a lawyer, and do not confront a suspected offender on your own. Because these crimes usually fall under federal jurisdiction, report to the FBI or Homeland Security Investigations once the ship reaches a U.S. port. HSI operates a tip line at 1-866-347-2423. A maritime attorney can help you preserve evidence, protect your child’s rights, and hold the cruise line accountable for whatever failure allowed this to happen.
Scolaro Law is a Miami-based personal injury and maritime firm that represents passengers and crew members in cruise ship sexual abuse, sexual assault, and rape cases. Because these lawsuits are almost always filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, our location in the heart of the cruise industry lets us move quickly to preserve evidence and hold cruise lines accountable. We have spent more than 25 years litigating against every major cruise line, and we handle each case with discretion and compassion.
If you’re planning on taking a cruise with Viking next year, you might want to lock in those dates pretty soon.
The luxury cruise operator just reported its second-quarter earnings on August 19, 2026, and not only did the company beat Wall Street’s expectations, but they also announced that 53% of capacity for 2027 is already booked.
Viking Sky (Cruise Fever)
Viking has been a public company now for a little over two years, starting on May 1, 2024. Even at that time the cruise line couldn’t build ships fast enough. The fan base is so strong that these ships fill up just as fast as the company can crank them out.
There are 90 river ships, 13 ocean vessels, and 2 expedition ships in the fleet. And despite Viking’s constant building of new ships, the company has managed to fill them up at a remarkable pace.
The cruise line plans to increase its operating capacity by 15% in 2027 by building more river and ocean vessels.
But still, demand seems to be outpacing supply.
Advance ticket sales for the 2027 season have already reached $4.7 billion, which is a 21% jump compared to the same point during the prior booking cycle.
With 2027 over halfway booked already, 2026 capacity is pretty much gone.
According to the earnings report, for the current 2026 travel season, Viking is sitting at 96% capacity sold.
What Is Driving the Rapid Sell-Outs?
After sailing with Viking several times, I can tell you that the product is not only top-notch, but it’s also very predictable.
And that’s a good thing. Consistency is a theme with Viking, and it keeps customers coming back. You always know what to expect, and no matter which ship you sail on, it’s a very similar experience (apart from the destinations of course).
Here are a few factors helping Viking fill all of these ships.
Strong Loyalty Base: Roughly half of Viking guests are repeat customers. These experienced travelers know that popular itineraries and the best stateroom locations book up years in advance, so they reserve early. It’s kind of a FOMO thing perhaps.
High-Demand for Off-Ship Products: Apart from traditional river and ocean cruises, land extension packages (such as pre- and post-cruise stays) continue to grow in popularity, with about 40% of guests adding them to their trips.
Sustained Pricing Power: Travelers are willing to pay a premium for guaranteed spots. Advance booking rates per passenger for 2027 are up 10% year-over-year.
Total revenue climbed 16.5% year-over-year to $2.19 billion, easily beating Wall Street’s expectations.
Net income hit $587.7 million, while adjusted earnings per share jumped over 32% to $1.31.
Adjusted EBITDA also went up 18.2% to $748.4 million. With $4 billion in cash on hand and net leverage sitting at a healthy 1.2x, the company is rolling into the second half of 2026 with some serious strength behind it.
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