Diplomacy

Royal Caribbean has more cruise ships in their fleet than any other cruise line and they will offer 12 unique, one-off cruises in 2026.

These 12 cruises will only be offered by Royal Caribbean once in 2026. Three of them are roundtrip cruises with the other nine being one-way.

From the Caribbean to Asia, here are 12 one-off cruises Royal Caribbean is offering next year.

Caribbean

March 1, 2026 on Odyssey of the Seas: The cruise ship will offer a 14-night roundtrip cruise from Cape Liberty, New Jersey to the Southern Caribbean. The sailing will visit St. Maarten, Antigua, Martinique, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

April 19, 2026 on Brilliance of the Seas: This is a seven-night cruise that starts in San Juan, Puerto Rico and ends in Miami, Florida. The ship will visit St. Maarten, St. Thomas, St. Kitts and Nassau.

April 20, 2026 on Radiance of the Seas: A five-night repositioning cruise, this one starts in Fort Lauderdale and visits St. Maarten and St. Thomas before ending in San Juan.

April 26, 2026 on Symphony of the Seas: This four-night roundtrip cruise from Miami visits Cozumel and has two sea days.

November 16, 2026 on Brilliance of the Seas: This six-night cruise from Miami will visit Labadee, St. Maarten and St. Thomas before ending in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Hawaii

May 1, 2026 on Anthem of the Seas: This eight-night cruise will spend a few days sailing in Hawaii before heading to Vancouver.

Panama Canal/Pacific

April 26, 2026 on Serenade of the Seas: This 10-day cruise through the Panama Canal starts in Panama and ends in Los Angeles. The cruise will visit Costa Rica and a few ports in Mexico before arriving in California.

May 5, 2026 on Serenade of the Seas: The cruise ship will reposition from Los Angeles to Vancouver for the Alaska season on this five-night voyage that visits Seattle and Victoria.

September 27, 2026 on Serenade of the Seas: The ship will sail a five-night cruise from Vancouver to San Diego with a stop in Astoria and San Francisco.

Asia/Australia

April 6, 2026 on Voyager of the Seas: This eight night roundtrip cruise from Brisbane, Australia visits Mystery Island, Vanuatu, Noumea and Port Villa.

April 17, 2026 on Ovation of the Seas: This is a 14-night cruise that starts in Singapore and ends in Tokyo. The cruise will visit Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taipei, South Korea, and several ports in Japan before ending in Tokyo.

May 1, 2026 on Ovation of the Seas: This is the longest sailing of the group at 15-days long. It starts in Tokyo and ends in Vancouver after visiting several ports in Japan.

All of the cruises listed in this article are open for bookings.

Port fees are a part of cruising.  The fees help pay for things like docking tolls, inspection costs, local taxes, pier facility usage, and line handling.  And in the last several months, a few cruise ports have announced an increase in their fee structure.

The demand for cruising continues to rise, and along with it a few fees that travelers need to know about. While no one loves paying more for port fees, these changes sometimes lead to better docking facilities and services to support local communities.

Let’s take a look at a few ports where fees are changing and why these adjustments are being made.

Boston

For cruise travelers setting sail from Boston, there’s a new fee of $3 per person coming in 2026.

Last year, Boston’s cruise port (Flynn Cruiseport Boston) welcomed nearly half a million passengers. And MassPort.com reports that they’re expecting over 140 cruise ships from 22 different lines between March and November alone this year.

With the increasing number of passengers, the port needs additional funding to manage the traffic. The Massachusetts Port Authority is planning a $105 million project that includes a new boarding bridge, a shore power electrical grid, and other renovations.

This $3 fee, recently approved by MassPort, will help fund these improvements. However, don’t get used to this fee staying at $3.  The fee is set to increase by $3 a year until 2030, when it reaches $15 per person.

On the positive side, the funds will help make the port the first in New England to offer shore-to-ship electricity.  So, ships will be able to turn off their engines in port.

St. Thomas

St. Thomas is getting ready for larger ships, and so the port fees are getting larger as well.  Making the announcement at the end of last year, St. Thomas is raising the port fee from $6.84 per passenger to $9.84.

The increase in funding will be used to dredge Charlotte Amalie Harbor to depths of 40 feet so some of the mega ships of today will be able to use the port.

The fee would have been even higher but the U.S. Virgin Islands government chipped in $17 million to help with the project, as tourism is a vital part of the local economy.

Wharfage fees are also increasing: by $0.44 per person at the WICO dock starting January 1, 2025 (from $7.80 to $8.24), and at Crown Bay in St. John starting April 1, 2025. The wharfage fee increases will fund marine operations and dock maintenance.

Orkney Islands

After having over 210,00 cruise visitors in Orkney Islands last year, the Scottish cruise port is gearing up for another busy year in 2025.

To help offset the impact of all of the extra cruise traffic, the Orkney Islands Council is backing a proposal that will pass on a £5 levy onto cruise passengers.  So, this increase in cost to passengers isn’t quite official just yet.

Local leaders in Orkney are saying that local ferry users won’t be affected and that the levy aims to enhance both the visitor experience and the well-being of the island communities.

The proposal has been endorsed by the council and is waiting on further action from the Scottish government.

What About Cozumel?

In December of las year Cozumel, Mexico announced that a $42 cruise passenger tax was coming.  It was supposed to go into effect in January 2025.   

But that plan is now delayed until July 2025 in what is being called to be a temporary delay.  Critics of the plan highlight that the funds would not even go toward port facilities but instead would go toward the Mexican Army and other projects.

There haven’t been any recent official statements from the Mexican government clarifying whether the tax will definitely be implemented in July, if it might be changed, or if it could be scrapped altogether.

The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) warned about the plan saying, “While the proposed postponement provides a temporary reprieve, FCCA stresses that more comprehensive measures are required to address broader concerns about the tax’s devastating impact on cruise tourism, Mexico’s economy, and the livelihoods of its coastal communities.”

We’ll keep our ears to the ground on this one and let readers know about any updates.

A Norwegian cruise ship will host Wondery’s Exhibit C Presents: A True Crime Cruise in 2026 that will be hosted by America’s Most Wanted co-hosts, John and Callahan Walsh.

This four-day cruise will depart from Miami on January 26, 2026 on Norwegian Joy. It’s promising to be a first-of-its kind immersive mystery experience at sea.

Highlights of the cruise are:

• Murder mystery events
• Unprecedented access to favorite podcast hosts and renowned true crime experts
• Workshops with the experts
• Panel discussions
• Crime solving immersive theater
• Self-defense classes
• Historical True Crime pub crawl
• True Crime Trivia Nights
• Photograph sessions with podcast hosts

First round pre-sale signups for the cruise are now open through February 23, 2025 at www.exhibitcruise.com. The cruise will open for bookings to the public on March 5, 2025.

Guests will be able to choose from two different packages when booking. They start at $1,335 per person, based on double occupancy.  The top package is for those who book a cabin in The Haven and includes booking photo ops and meet & greets.

America’s Most Wanted co-hosts John and Callahan Walsh, RedHanded’s Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala, Scamfluencers’s Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi, Generation Why’s Aaron Habel and Justin Evans, Kill List’s Carl Miller, Hollywood & Crime host Tracy Pattin, and Law & Crime host Chris Stewart will be joined by body language expert Susan Constantine on the cruise.

Jill Tully, Head of Licensing, Wondery, gave the following statement:

“Wondery is always looking for new ways to deepen the fan experience, and we engage one of our largest fan communities, Exhibit C, with opportunities to go behind the “mic” and the story to connect with podcast hosts, podcasts and each other through this once-in-a-lifetime adventure at sea,.

“We’re delighted to collaborate with the team at Sixthman, as the leader in festivals and cruises, to create an unforgettable experience for the Exhibit C True Crime community.”

Jeff Cuellar, CEO of Sixthman, added:

“We are thrilled to kick off our collaboration with Wondery and Sixthman aboard Norwegian Joy with this one-of-a-kind immersive vacation for fans who live and breathe true crime.

“The True Crime community is so deeply engaged and enthusiastic about the stories that intrigue them, and we can’t wait to bring them a dedicated experience where they can connect with each other, share their theories, and dive deeper into the mysteries they love – all while kicking back and cruising the Caribbean!”

MSC Cruises’ newest mega cruise ship, MSC World America, successfully completed sea trials this week. The ship will make its debut in Miami in April and can carry almost 9,000 passengers and crew members.

MSC World America is the newest flagship from MSC Cruises, the third largest cruise line in the world. All new cruise ships are required to go through sea trials to make sure the vessel is seaworthy.

During the ship’s sea trials, everything was checked from the performance of the ship’s engines, maneuverability, fuel consumption, safety systems, speed and stopping distances.

Now that MSC World America has passed sea trials, the vessel will receive her finishing touches at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint Nazaire, France. MSC Cruises will officially take delivery of the ship on March 27. 

MSC World America will sail her maiden voyage from Miami, Florida on April 12, 2025, a seven-night cruise to the Caribbean.

The mega 216,638 gross ton cruise ship will use the new Terminal AA/AAA at PortMiami, the largest cruise terminal in the world.

MSC World America has 19 dining venues and 18 bars and lounges. The ship is divided up into seven districts with a little something for everyone.

Two new concepts will debut on the ship. The All-Stars Sports Bar will offer an authentic game-day atmosphere with all-American flair and bar games. The Loft is a multi-purpose venue for comedy, karaoke and more.

The ship has 2,614 cabins with a capacity of 6,762 passengers. It has 22 decks and more than 413,000 square feet of public space.

MSC World America will sail seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from the Cruise Capital of the World, PortMiami.  All cruises will also visit the cruise line’s private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.

The ship is powered by LNG and has an advanced wastewater treatment plant and a comprehensive on-board recycling management plant to minimize waste. This is all part of MSC Cruises’ sustainability goals.

MSC World America’s use of LNG enables a direct transition towards drop-in bio and synthetic renewable LNG fuels.

The vessel is also fitted with shore power connectivity, which allows the ship’s engines to be switched off while in port. This helps eliminate local emissions and improve local air quality and the new MSC Cruise Terminal is equipped with shore power capability.

MSC World America is the second ship in its class. MSC World Asia will enter service next year with a fourth, and currently unnamed ship, coming out in 2027.

MSC World America will be christened on April 9, 2025 and then sail a short three-day preview cruise for media and travel agents before the maiden voyage.

Five months from today, Carnival Cruise Line will open their newest cruise port in The Bahamas, Celebration Key.

Celebration Key is scheduled to open on July 19, 2025 and will be the newest destination for Carnival cruise ships.

20 Carnival cruise ships are scheduled to visit the new port on cruises that depart from 10 U.S. homeports.

Carnival’s president Christine Duffy and Carnival Corp’s CEO Josh Weinstein took a tour of the port that is under construction on Grand Bahama Island. You can watch a video of their visit here.

Celebration Key will have five portals, all offering something different for guests visiting the port. The centerpiece of the port will be the signature Suncastle.

The Suncastle stands 10-stories tall near Paradise Plaza, the first portal guests will encounter that serves as a gateway to the destination’s other areas. The Suncastle is also home to racing waterslides that are part of the portal geared toward families, Starfish Lagoon, along with endless other options for recreation and relaxation.

The destination’s adult-focused portal, Calypso Lagoon, features an adult-only area with a DJ island and a large swim-up bar.

Pearl Cove Beach Club is a private portal offering a premium adult-only experience with an infinity pool and beachfront cabanas.

The fifth portal, Lokono Cove, is an artisan retail village celebrating Bahamian culture through local art and handmade goods.

Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, gave the following statement:

“Celebration Key represents a new chapter for Carnival and its construction builds on our close partnership with The Bahamas, so seeing it transform from vision to reality is incredible.

“We broke ground on this site less than three years ago, and now in five short months we’ll see our first guests enjoy the many experiences we created just for them to celebrate and enjoy this gorgeous place on Grand Bahama.”

Carnival Corporation & plc’s Chief Executive Officer Josh Weinstein, added:

“This destination will serve as a tribute to the rich Bahamian culture and Grand Bahama’s natural environment. It’s clear Celebration Key will be a game-changer for our flagship brand and its loyal guests, with endless options for relaxation and recreation, but it’s also truly great to see firsthand how we’re implementing our company’s robust sustainability initiatives on land.”

Carnival Vista will be the first cruise ship to visit the port on July 19, 2025. The port will have a pier that can accommodate two ships per day and it will eventually be expanded so four Carnival ships can visit every day.

The Life Of A Cruise Ship Destination Speaker

And what do you do? That’s a question I am often asked when on land, and when I reply, the response “A what?” comes back. Let me tell you more about me, and answer the questions that I am often asked.

My name is Hazel, and I am a Destination Speaker.

My first career was in banking and after 20 years, I was disillusioned and needed a change. I had no idea what I would do next – but I already knew I loved travelling, and cruising was my ideal mode. A chance encounter with a Destination Speaker led to me asking “And how did you get a job like that?”

Having thought it through, it sounded like something that really appealed to me. I needed to have another job on land as well – I still need to pay my bills even when I am away!

What is a Destination Speaker?

A member of the Entertainment team who helps people make the most of their days ashore.

I must never forget that people are on holiday, so they do want to be entertained, but they also want to know more about the places being visited. There’s a fine balance there – entertainment doesn’t mean I have them laughing at a comedy routine – but equally it can’t be a dull and boring lecture. Public speaking skills are essential. Storytelling is a skill that can be honed.

What do you talk about?

I cover the geography and history to put the place in context, the key things to see and how to access them. I usually build the talk as a virtual journey around the port so that people can easily know how much they can achieve ashore, depending on their stamina and mobility.

Cruise ports vary greatly in size – and gradient. We can look at a map in our guidebook and every place is the same size (one page!) but, in reality, the scale can be very different – as can the gradient, maps in books are very FLAT!

So, my role is to make the port real, to enable good decisions to maximise the time ashore. I cover local transport, taxis and Sightseeing buses. Some cruise lines want me to talk about the Excursions on offer. Safety and money hints are also included.

Some guests do a lot of research before sailing and know exactly what they plan to do – but many people are too busy pre-holiday to spend the time researching and that’s why I am there. To focus their minds on what to see, reveal something new, and maybe bring a touch of realism.  Sometimes the thing they want to see can be many miles away, and not practical in a day visit.

Does the cruise line provide you with a script?

I think this is the most common preconception. Every talk I give has been hand crafted by me, alone. I spend about 100 hours writing each new talk – it will then be updated on future visits. In fact, I start updating it as we leave the port – adding the new photos and information I gleaned that day, whilst it’s all fresh in my mind. Before each cruise I check websites for every place and any current changes – are they closed for refurb? Did they increase their prices or change their opening hours? Has the bus route changed?

Do you just work for 45-minutes on a sea day?

My talks last 45-minutes on each place – I am available for questions afterwards one-to-one. I am happy to take questions whenever I am out and about on the ship and ashore. I take the view that if I am out of my stateroom, then I am on duty.

If people can’t find me, then a note dropped at Reception reaches me and I reply within one hour of receiving it. I often get letters via Reception where people want to tell me something – maybe a place I mentioned had a special connection for them – I love to hear these stories.

Tell me about your day at sea?

A typical sea day for me looks like waking at 8 to do a rehearsal in my cabin (the steward brings me coffee and food during this time which I consume as I work). Then I shower and dress before heading down to the Explore Ashore desk to make sure I have all the up -to-date information. Arrive in the theatre for 10 to set up and do a tech check – stand at the door to meet and greet – often a question from yesterday’s talk will arise, or one of the lovely stories of a previous visit or a personal connection.

Deliver my talk at 10.30 – set down my equipment and then handle questions – ready for a coffee now! After lunch, I go through tomorrow’s talk and handle any questions that have come through via Reception or my Facebook page.

What makes a good Destination Speaker?

You must love travel, places and people! You need to be willing to spend weeks working on talks for a cruise that lasts just a fraction of that time, and you must accept that a cruise can be withdrawn from you even though you have done the work.

Public speaking skills and confidence are vital. Research must be up to date and thorough.

You need a good camera and the ability to take suitable photographs. Understand how to use PowerPoint (or an equivalent programme) to construct a talk that flows and looks visually appealing, with photos that meet copyright laws.

You need to be politically correct in your language so as not to offend any guests. Whilst I think humour is important, it must never be inappropriate.

Want to know more?

I do a daily Facebook post – usually short and sweet to give a flavour of each day so why not give me Follow? (www.facebook.com/hazeljgriffiths)

I’m always happy to help people pre-cruise, even if I’m not on their cruise.

I have done over 70 cruises this way which equates to more than 560 talks given – to a total audience of more than 100,000.

I haven’t been everywhere yet – but I am working on it!

Royal Caribbean is bringing back the name, Legend of the Seas, for their third Icon class cruise ship that will debut in July 2026.

Legend of the Seas will be one of the top three largest cruise ships ever built and will make its debut in the Mediterranean in July 2026. The ship will sail week-long cruises to the Western Mediterranean from Barcelona before moving to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in November 2026.

Once the ship is in South Florida, it will sail six-day cruises to the Western Caribbean and eight-night cruises to the Southern Caribbean. Legend of the Seas will also visit Royal Caribbean’s private island in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Destinations in the Caribbean that the cruise ship will stop at include Aruba, Jamaica and Curacao.

Legend of the Seas is promising to be the best of every vacation, all on one ship.

The cruise line’s Crown & Anchor Society loyalty members can book cruises on Legend of the Seas ahead of the officially opening on Thursday, February 20, 2025.

Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International, gave the following statement:

“On the heels of celebrating one year of the record-breaking Icon Class and the memories made by vacationers of all ages on Icon, we are thrilled to announce the name of Royal Caribbean’s third Icon Class vacation.

Legend of the Seas is the next bold step in this exciting era of vacations and the continuation of the Icon Class legacy, and we look forward to bringing the revolutionary lineup of experiences to more families and adventurers across Europe, the Caribbean and beyond.”

The name Legend of the Seas was first used by Royal Caribbean on their first Vision class ship. It was most traveled cruise ship in Royal Caribbean’s history before leaving the fleet in 2017 after 22 years with the cruise line.

The new Legend of the Seas is currently under construction at a shipyard in Turku, Finland. It will be a sister ship to Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, the largest class of ships in the world.

Highlights on the ship will include Crown’s Edge, Category 6, Royal Bay, Swim & Tonic, Hideaway and Surfside.

The cruise ship will be powered by LNG, have waste heat recovery systems, and shore power. Royal Caribbean Group has a goal to introduce a net-zero ship by 2035.

Royal Caribbean said that they will announce more details on this new ship in the near future.

A nearly 60-year-old dock in Seward, Alaska is one step closer to a complete overhaul, thanks to a newly approved funding plan.

On February 17, the Alaska House passed House Bill 65 which paves the way for a $135 million upgrade to the cruise passenger dock, which is very much in need of a facelift.

Built back in 1966, the Seward dock is well past its prime, and a new facility is needed to handle the growing cruise population that visits the port every year. 

With about 190,000 cruise visitors coming to Seward annually, the town of just over 2,000 sees a major change in population during the cruse season.

This new dock could be a game-changer. It’ll be big enough and modern enough to welcome larger cruise ships, bringing more visitors and revenue to the region.  The newer facility will also enable passengers to disembark more efficiently.

So, who’s paying for all this?

The project is being funded through a public-private partnership between the Alaska Railroad Corporation and Royal Caribbean Group. Royal Caribbean has committed to a 30-year lease, and the revenue generated from the dock’s operation will cover the cost of the bonds used for construction. This means the project will not draw on state general funds.

Representative Frank Tomaszewski, a strong advocate for the project, expressed his enthusiasm for the new dock, noting its potential to further boost Alaska’s tourism industry.

“This is a win-win,” he stated. “It’s good for Seward, it’s good for Alaska, and it’s good for anyone who wants to experience the beauty of our state.”

Construction is anticipated to begin soon, with the new dock expected to be operational in the near future.

Carnival Luminosa will be the first cruise ship to visit Seward this April, and May will see five other cruise lines pull into port with Viking Venus, Grand Princess, Silver Nova, Celebrity Summit, Radiance of the Seas, and Viking Orion calling on Seward.