Cruise News

MSC Cruises has made a big announcement regarding its onboard offerings, with a drinks package being dropped.

From 1st August 2025, the cruise line will no longer allow guests to book an Easy Plus Drinks Package.

There are still four other package options that guests can book – the Easy Package (Europe only), the Premium Extra Package, the Alcohol-Free Package and the Minors Package.

The change impacts all cruisers who booked from 1st August 2025 onwards. Any guests who have already booked an Easy Plus package prior to 31st July 2025 will have the package honoured, no matter their sailing date.

The Easy Plus package had already been removed from sailings in the Caribbean, North America and Pacific Ocean regions, along with the Easy package. Those changes were made in December 2024.

Easy Plus – What You Got

The Easy Plus Drinks Package has been a popular mid-tier option for cruisers seeking a balance between variety and value.

It included a broad selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages priced up to $10 (or the equivalent in other currencies), covering draught and bottled beers, wines by the glass, cocktails, soft drinks, specialty coffees, and more.

Guests also received a 10% discount on bottles of wine.

A standout feature of the Easy Plus package was its availability in specialty restaurants – something not offered with the lower-tier Easy Package.

This made it a go-to choice for guests who wanted to enjoy drinks in more venues across the ship, including the main dining room, buffet, bars, and à la carte restaurants.

While it wasn’t an all-inclusive package, Easy Plus was generally considered good value, especially when booked in advance at discounted rates.

Prices ranged from £47 to £57.50 per night on UK sailings, and they included gratuities – removing the need for additional service charges on drinks.

The package was already phased out from the North American market in late 2024, but had remained available for European and UK cruises – until now.

With its removal, guests looking for wider drink choices will now need to upgrade to the Premium Extra Package, or settle for the more limited selection in the Easy Package.

The shift may also complicate dining plans for those who frequently dine in specialty venues, as the Easy Package doesn’t cover drinks in those locations.

As ever, guests are advised to carefully consider whether a drinks package suits their habits – particularly as packages must be purchased for the full length of the cruise, and for every guest in a cabin, including children.

Other Package Options

With the Easy Plus Package being removed, guests will still have four drinks packages to choose from, each catering to different budgets and preferences:

Premium Extra Package

This is MSC’s top-tier drinks package, including all drinks priced up to $16 / €14 / £14. It features:

• Craft, draught and bottled beers
• Full range of wines and Champagne by the glass
• Premium brand spirits, cocktails, liqueurs, soft drinks and energy drinks
• Specialty coffees, hot teas, and hot chocolate
• 25% discount on wine and Champagne bottles purchased onboard
• Available in all bars (except the Starship Club), restaurants (including speciality venues), Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, and selected premium venues like the Raj Polo Tea Room and The Coffee Emporium.

Easy Package

A budget-friendly option, this package is only available in Europe and the Middle East with MSC, and includes:

• Heineken draught beer
• A limited selection of house wines, classic cocktails and mocktails
• House spirits, fruit juices, soft drinks, mineral water
• Classic hot drinks like espresso, cappuccino and tea

Drinks can be enjoyed in bars, the buffet, and the main dining room, but not in speciality restaurants or the Starship Club.

Alcohol-Free Package

Designed for adults who don’t drink alcohol, this package offers:

• Alcohol-free cocktails
• Sodas, fruit juices, flavoured water, energy drinks, mineral water
• Coffee drinks, hot teas, hot chocolate
• Soft-serve ice cream

Available throughout the ship, including Ocean Cay, but excludes speciality restaurants and the Starship Club.

Minors Package

Tailored for younger cruisers (ages 3 to 17 in Europe, 3 to 20 in North America and the Caribbean), this mirrors the Alcohol-Free Package and includes:

• Alcohol-free cocktails
• Sodas, juices, mineral and flavoured water
• Hot drinks and soft-serve ice cream

As with the Alcohol-Free Package, this can be used in most venues except speciality restaurants and the Starship Club.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

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Guests currently aboard Celebrity Ascent have been informed that their final port of call – Santorini, Greece – will now be three hours shorter than originally scheduled.

The change has come as local port authorities attempt to manage an extremely congested day of cruise traffic.

The Celebrity Cruises vessel is sailing a 7-night Mediterranean voyage from Barcelona to Athens, with Santorini set as the final stop on Friday, 8th August 2025.

While the ship’s 3,950 passengers will still be able to step ashore at the iconic Greek island, the all-aboard time has been moved forward to 5 pm, instead of the initially published 8 pm departure.

“Increased Traffic Conditions”

The change was confirmed in a notice delivered to guests onboard:

“Due to increased traffic conditions at the port in Santorini, Greece, local authorities have requested an adjustment to our departure schedule. As a result, our time in Santorini will be updated, with our new departure time now set for 5:00 PM.”

The cruise line added that the decision is beyond its control but stressed that passenger experience remains a top priority.

The reduction in time ashore comes at the height of Mediterranean cruise season, with Santorini’s tender port operating at near-capacity on the same day.

Alongside Celebrity Ascent, three other ships – Norwegian Viva, Voyager of the Seas, and Star Flyer – are all due to visit on 8th August.

It’s clear why Voyager of the Seas has been prioritised over Celebrity Ascent – the Royal Caribbean ship is scheduled to remain at the port overnight, so could hardly be sent away on the 8th to return again the next day.

But it’s less clear why Celebrity Ascent has been chosen to disembark earlier than the NCL or Star Clippers vessels.

As a tender-only destination, the process of getting people on and off the ship takes more time and coordination, particularly when multiple ships are in port simultaneously.

Safety regulations and navigational logistics often require staggered arrivals and departures.

Shore Excursions Automatically Adjusted

Celebrity Cruises has confirmed that all shore excursions booked through the line will be automatically adjusted to the new departure time.

If a tour cannot be modified to fit the updated schedule, it will be refunded in full to the guest’s onboard account.

Despite the shortened visit, passengers will still be required to pay the full Greek port tax introduced on 1st August 2025 – €20 (approx. £17 / $23.13 USD) per person for summer calls.

Tender Port Warning

At the time of letting guests know about the changes to the Santorini timings, Celebrity Cruises also used the opportunity to remind guests about safety when using tender boats.

Santorini is a tender port, meaning that cruise ships are unable to dock directly at a pier.

Instead, the vessel anchors offshore, and passengers are transported to and from the island by smaller boats – known as tenders. These tender boats are typically operated either by the cruise line or local port services and can vary in size and accessibility.

Tendering is a common practice at ports where the harbour is too shallow, too small, or simply too congested to accommodate large cruise ships.

Because guests must step from the main ship onto a smaller, often moving vessel, cruise lines issue specific warnings for those with mobility difficulties.

Accessing a tender can involve navigating gangways, steps, and sometimes uneven surfaces – all of which can pose challenges for those who rely on wheelchairs, walking aids, or who are unsteady on their feet.

In some cases, cruise lines may advise certain guests not to tender at all, depending on sea conditions and the specific design of the tender craft.

Celebrity Cruises has reiterated its commitment to the safety of all guests and crew during tender operations and encourages passengers to reach out to Guest Services if they have any questions or concerns regarding accessibility or suitability for tendering.

Itinerary Otherwise Unchanged

The 141,420-gross-ton Celebrity Ascent has already completed successful calls in Valletta (Malta), and is on track to visit both Mykonos and Kusadasi before arriving in Santorini.

No other itinerary changes have been announced.

While losing time in Santorini is no doubt a disappointment – especially as it’s the final port of a highly anticipated cruise – Celebrity Cruises has expressed its appreciation for guests’ understanding.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

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Two cruise ships – Regal Princess and Ambience – have been forced to make significant itinerary changes due to the powerful Storm Floris sweeping across northern Scotland and the Norwegian coast.

Both ships have cancelled or rearranged ports of call to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers and crew.

Regal Princess Skips Scotland as Storm Approaches

Princess Cruises’ Regal Princess is currently sailing a 12-night UK voyage roundtrip from Southampton, having departed on Friday, 1st August 2025.

While the Royal-class ship was able to visit Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands as planned, she was forced to cancel her scheduled calls to Invergordon on Monday, 4th August and Stornoway on Tuesday, 5th August.

“Storm Floris is approaching the north of Scotland bringing high winds and heavy seas along our scheduled route…

“As a result, and as the safety of our guests and crew is our highest priority, we have made the necessary decision to cancel our calls.”

Letter sent to guests

Instead, Regal Princess will spend Monday at sea and visit Greenock (Glasgow) a day earlier than originally planned, on Tuesday from 8 am to 7 pm.

The itinerary will also include a newly added call to Liverpool on Wednesday, 6th August. All previously booked shore excursions for the cancelled ports are being automatically refunded.

The UK Met Office issued strong wind warnings for the region, noting that gusts of up to 80 to 90 mph could batter coastal areas of Scotland. Tendering or docking in such conditions would have posed significant safety risks.

Ambience Diverts from Norway’s West Coast

Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience, meanwhile, is contending with the same storm system from across the North Sea.

The 70,285-gross-ton vessel departed Tilbury on Sunday, 3rd August on a 7-night Norwegian Fjords sailing.

To avoid the worst of Storm Floris, Ambience has replaced her scheduled call to Sandnes on 5th August with an earlier stop in Bergen – an area currently under a lower-tier yellow wind warning.

In addition, her visit to Alesund on 7th August will be extended, while calls to Haugesund and Stavanger have been cancelled altogether due to berth unavailability and safety concerns.

The revised itinerary now includes:

• 3 August – Depart Tilbury
• 4 August – Day at Sea
• 5 August – Bergen (formerly Sandnes)
• 6 August – Geiranger
• 7 August – Alesund (time extended)
• 8 August – Day at Sea (formerly Bergen)
• 9 August – Day at Sea
• 10 August – Return to Tilbury

Weather Warnings Across Both Regions

As Storm Floris moves eastward, the Met Office continues to monitor impacts across the UK.

Wind warnings remain in effect for parts of Scotland, including the Orkney and Shetland Islands, while the Norwegian Meteorological Institute has issued orange and yellow alerts for the west coast of Norway, including Stavanger and surrounding areas.

Wind gusts in Norway could reach 78 mph (35 m/s), especially in exposed coastal areas during the early hours of Tuesday, 5th August.

Cruise ships like Ambience and Regal Princess are well equipped to adjust to such conditions.

“While we may still experience some rough seas, this will enable us to proceed ahead of Storm Floris and shelter in the Firth of Clyde and the Irish Sea,” Princess Cruises noted in its letter to guests.

While some guests may feel disappointed by the missed ports, cruise lines continue to stress that guest safety is paramount. These types of itinerary adjustments are not uncommon during storm season, whether in the North Sea, the Caribbean, or the Pacific.

Both Princess Cruises and Ambassador Cruise Line have promised to keep guests informed of any further changes.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

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Guests aboard Celebrity Constellation faced an unexpected ordeal on Saturday, 2nd August 2025, after the cruise ship experienced a significant technical malfunction, leaving it without power and adrift off the coast of southern Italy.

The incident occurred during an 11-night one-way sailing from Ravenna to Rome, which departed on Monday, 28th July.

After visiting ports in Croatia and Montenegro, the ship was due to enjoy a sea day en route to Messina, Sicily, where arrival was scheduled for Sunday morning at 8 am.

Instead, satellite tracking showed the Millennium-class vessel drifting at just 1–2 knots (approximately 1.1–2.3 mph) for more than two hours, well below cruising speed and far too slow to maintain the planned itinerary, had the issues continued.

At the time, the ship was roughly 25 miles east-southeast of Crotone, in the Ionian Sea.

Two Hours Without Power

Guests onboard reported a complete loss of power: no lights, no air conditioning, toilets not functioning, and only cold food available for dinner.

“One hour in and it’s HOT,” one passenger noted, referencing the warm August temperatures in the region.

Conditions inside staterooms and other interior spaces quickly became uncomfortable due to the lack of ventilation.

Some guests likened the experience to the infamous “poop cruise” incident involving Carnival Triumph in 2013, which was later featured in a Netflix documentary.

However, unlike that situation, power on Celebrity Constellation was restored after roughly two hours, and no reports of escalating sanitation issues have surfaced.

According to unverified reports on Reddit, guests onboard were offered a free drink and 24 hours of free WiFi access as an apology for the inconvenience.

The ship was able to accelerate once power was restored, and it made it to Messina for its next scheduled port visit on 3rd August 2025.

Summer of Power Problems for Celebrity Cruises

The Celebrity Constellation blackout comes just weeks after a separate technical issue disrupted operations aboard Celebrity Beyond, the line’s flagship Edge-class vessel.

On 13th July 2025, Celebrity Beyond suffered a propulsion system failure during a Caribbean cruise, delaying its return to Miami and ultimately forcing the cancellation of the following voyage, scheduled to depart 20th July. The ship was diverted to Freeport, Bahamas, for emergency repairs.

While it resumed service on 27th July, the vessel has not returned to full operational speed.

Celebrity Cruises has since confirmed that Beyond is now sailing under “reduced sailing speed” as a precaution, resulting in itinerary changes for at least eight 7-night cruises between August and October 2025.

Adjustments include earlier departure times, altered port calls, and occasional port swaps – though the number of destinations visited remains largely intact.

No onboard service issues have been reported, and the ship remains fully seaworthy. However, a complete return to normal cruising speed may not occur until the vessel’s next scheduled dry dock in November 2026 – unless an earlier session is arranged.

As Celebrity works to maintain guest satisfaction amid these mechanical setbacks, the back-to-back disruptions aboard Beyond and Constellation may raise broader concerns about the fleet’s resilience during peak travel season.

Cause of the Malfunction Still Unknown

At the time of writing, the cruise line has not released an official statement regarding the nature of the technical failure.

Power losses of this type are sometimes linked to electrical faults or engine room incidents, but no confirmation has been given.

Engineering teams onboard would have initiated emergency repair protocols to restore power and assess the root cause.

Celebrity Cruises would also have remained in close communication with local maritime authorities throughout the situation.

About the Ship

Celebrity Constellation, launched in 2002, is one of the older ships in the Celebrity Cruises fleet.

Weighing in at 90,940 gross tons, she can accommodate 2,184 guests and approximately 1,000 crew members.

Guests booked on upcoming Celebrity Constellation voyages may wish to keep an eye out for official updates from Celebrity Cruises should any long-term mechanical issues arise from this incident.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

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Guests booked on upcoming Royal Caribbean cruises will no longer be visiting the line’s private destination in Labadee, Haiti, as the company has extended its cancellation of all calls through…

Guests booked on upcoming Royal Caribbean cruises will no longer be visiting the line’s private destination in Labadee, Haiti, as the company has extended its cancellation of all calls through 31st October 2025.

The decision comes amid ongoing gang violence and civil unrest in Haiti, with Royal Caribbean citing guest and crew safety as the top priority.

“We have been monitoring the evolving situation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and out of an abundance of caution, we’re cancelling our visits to Labadee through October 31st,”

Royal Caribbean statement

Though no incidents have occurred directly in Labadee, the move reflects broader concerns about national instability and the limitations of emergency services throughout the country.

23 Sailings Affected Across Five Ships

The cancellations apply to five Royal Caribbean ships and impact 23 sailings between August and October 2025. These include:

Adventure of the Seas

• August 16, 30
• September 13, 27
• October 11, 25

Freedom of the Seas

• August 22, 28
• September 11, 25
• October 4, 9, 18, 23

Icon of the Seas

Oasis of the Seas

• August 17
• September 7, 14
• October 5, 12, 26

Radiance of the Seas

These cruises, mostly 4- to 7-night Caribbean itineraries, will see Labadee either replaced with alternate destinations or swapped for a day at sea depending on the sailing’s route, port availability, and ship logistics.

What Replaces Labadee?

While itinerary changes vary by sailing, Royal Caribbean is shifting port calls to destinations such as:

• Nassau, Bahamas
• Grand Turk
• Costa Maya, Mexico
• Grand Cayman

In some cases, the days of port visits may also be adjusted to accommodate travel distances and berth slots.

Guests who pre-booked shore excursions in Labadee will receive automatic refunds. Similarly, tours in other ports will be rescheduled as needed, and new excursion options for replacement ports will be available online and onboard.

Future of Labadee Sailings Remains Uncertain

Royal Caribbean has not yet made a final decision on November 2025 and beyond, but future Labadee calls are still listed on upcoming itineraries.

The cruise line will continue to evaluate the situation in Haiti, and more cancellations could occur if conditions do not improve.

This isn’t the first time the cruise line has had to pause visits to Labadee. Earlier in May 2025, calls were suspended through the summer months due to similar safety concerns.

The US State Department currently maintains a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory for Haiti, citing kidnapping, violent crime, civil unrest, and limited access to emergency services.

Safety First – Despite the Disappointment

Labadee has long been a popular stop for Royal Caribbean guests, offering exclusive beach access, water sports, zip-lining, and local cultural experiences.

However, guest and crew safety remains the top priority, and Royal Caribbean’s proactive approach ensures voyages continue smoothly and securely.

The cruise line has expressed its commitment to resuming operations in Labadee when safe to do so, but until the region stabilises, passengers can expect adjusted itineraries and updated alternatives.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

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