Diplomacy

Villa Vie Residences, a cruise line that offers cabins you can buy and live in full-time, has announced that they will add a second cruise ship in 2029.

The cruise line’s second ship, Villa Vie Legacy, will give residents a premium option when they choose to live at sea. The ship is also expected to be 50% larger and have expanded dining, larger public spaces, enhanced wellness facilities, and additional luxury amenities.

The full ship will officially be unveiled during Odyssey’s Two-Year Sailaversary Celebration.

For guests who do not want to wait until 2029, Villa Vie Residences is adding the option for 24 buyers to purchase a cabin on their current ship, and then later transition to a comparable cabin on Legacy at no additional purchase price when the new ship launches.

This Legacy Bridge Program is available to the first 24 new ownership purchases completed on or before September 30, 2026. It includes:

• Immediate residency aboard Villa Vie Odyssey.
• The guaranteed right to transition to a comparable residence aboard Legacy when the vessel enters service in early 2029.
• No additional purchase price when making the transition.
• Odyssey maintenance rates honored aboard Legacy, despite Legacy’s anticipated higher maintenance pricing.

The cruise line’s first ship, Villa Vie Odyssey, currently has 85% of its cabins sold.

Villa Vie Residences also announced that all current and future owners participating in its Endless Horizons lifetime residency program will automatically receive permanent residency rights aboard Legacy.

The program was originally introduced at $349,999 and provides permanent residential cruising with a one-time purchase.

The residency rights of Endless Horizons will now extend across both cruise ships without any additional purchase price, upgrade fee, or transition cost. The cruise line believes that this will further enhance the long-term value of the program as they expand their fleet.

Mike Petterson, Founder of Villa Vie Residences, gave the following statement:

“When we launched Odyssey, we set out to prove that residential cruising wasn’t just possible—it was sustainable. Two years later, with Odyssey more than 85% sold, we’ve reached an exciting milestone. Legacy is the natural evolution of everything we’ve learned from our residents and operations around the world.”

Villa Vie Residences has a long-term goal to build a fleet of cruise ships that you can live on full-time as you travel the world.

Petterson added:

“Our objective isn’t simply to build another ship. It’s to build a fleet that gives residents more choice while rewarding those who believed in this vision early. Legacy is the first step in that future.”

The cruise line will reveal complete details, renderings, amenities, itineraries, and ownership opportunities for Legacy when the ship is unveiled during their Two-Year Sailaversary Celebration.

For more information on Villa Vie Residences, you can visit their website at VillaVieResidences.com. You can also see a complete list of all cruise lines that offer cabins that you can buy and live in full time here.

Want to know how you can get the best seats in a cruise ship theater without showing up an hour before the show begins? One cruise line is piloting a program that lets you do just that, but it will come with a cost.

If you have ever tried to find a decent seat in a cruise ship theater 10 minutes before showtime, you already know the drill. The best seats with the best views are covered with flip flops and hoodies, saving spots for friends who are still wrapping up dinner.

Despite rules saying you can’t actually save seats, we all know it happens anyway. And pre-showtime confrontations about seat saving happen just as much.

Sure, you can show up 45 minutes before the show begins, but that often feels like a waste of time when the night is young and there’s still a lot to enjoy on the ship.

Now, according to reports from a German website, one major European cruise brand is trying out a new way to deal with theater seat hogging while also generating a little extra revenue in the process.

TUI cruises is testing the process of charging passengers for the best seats in the house on one of their newer ships that accommodates 2,896 passengers at double capacity.

New Fee for Two Types of Prime Theater Seating

The German cruise line has quietly introduced a new seat-surcharge test on board Mein Schiff 7. Under the trial, guests can pay an additional 14.50 euros (around $16 USD) to reserve prime theater spots through two new booking packages: Showtime Front Row and Showtime Plus.

Here is how the options break down for cruisers looking for a guaranteed front-and-center view:

• Showtime Front Row: Secures middle seats directly in the front row of the main theater.
• Showtime Plus: Reserves prime seats slightly further back with clear line-of-sight views, plus a voucher for a glass of champagne or an exclusive signature cocktail.

For now, the surcharge is only being tested on Mein Schiff 7.

But if the pilot program proves to be popular among passengers and profitable for the cruise line, TUI Cruises could expand the paid seating model across its entire fleet.

What American Cruisers Should Know About TUI Cruises and Mein Schiff

While TUI Cruises isn’t a household name in North America, American cruisers might be surprised by how close to home the brand actually is.

TUI Cruises is a 50/50 joint venture between German travel company TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Group.

Because of that partnership, you will spot familiar design elements from Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean throughout their fleet. A few quick facts to know:

• Nearly All-Inclusive Base Fares: Unlike most mainstream U.S. cruise lines, TUI operates on an all-inclusive model. Fares automatically cover soft drinks, beer, wine, premium spirits, gratuities, and access to large Finnish-style spa saunas.
• German-First Experience: You don’t strictly need to speak German (the international crew typically speaks fluent English) but all announcements, menus, daily schedules, and theater shows are strictly in German.
• Olympic-Style Lap Pools: While most U.S. cruise ships feature small, crowded pools, Mein Schiff vessels are famous for featuring 82-foot-long outdoor swimming pools on almost every ship in their fleet.

How Cruise Line Theater Options Are Changing

Even in my last 17 years of cruising, I’ve seen a lot of changes in how cruise ships handle theater seating.

As cruise ships get bigger and carry more passengers, managing crowd control inside main venues has become a top priority.

Across mainstream lines, theater policies have adapted to prevent frustration and allow everyone a chance to enjoy the shows on their own schedule.

App-Based Pre-Cruise Reservations

Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Disney Cruise Line heavily rely on app-based reservation systems.

Cruisers are urged to lock in showtimes weeks or months before embarking. If you don’t reserve early, you are left waiting in the standby line 15 minutes before the show begins. In my experience, being in a standby line often still allows me to see a show, depending of course on its popularity.

To tackle the row-saving and no-show problem, cruise lines like Royal Caribbean enforce a strict 10-minute cutoff for reservation-based venues (including the Main Theater, AquaTheater, Studio B, and Two70).

Reserved ticket holders must be in their seats at least 10 minutes before showtime. Crew members are also authorized to remove personal items (like flip flops) being used to “save seats” for late-comers.

Will Paid Seating Become the New Normal?

In an industry where cruisers are already tired of being nickeled-and-dimed, time will tell if this method is successful or not. The truth is, if it’s worth it to you, you will want the option to have the best seat in the house for a few extra bucks.

Then again, if you’re the type of person that would rather get to the theater well in advance instead of forking over extra cash, this won’t sit well with you.. pun intended.

For TUI Cruises, charging 14.50 euros isn’t just about extra revenue. It also addresses a daily headache.

By allowing guests who value prime visibility to lock in seats ahead of time (complete with a beverage), it eliminates the need for passengers to line up an hour early just to avoid sitting behind a support pillar.

The vast majority of theater seats on Mein Schiff 7 remain completely free of charge on standard sailings.

But as cruise lines continue testing optional add-ons for VIP perks, it won’t be surprising if other major cruise brands keep a close eye on this trial to see if American cruisers are willing to pay for a front-row view.

A new luxury cruise ship, with cabins/suites that start at around $8,000 per night, reached a major construction milestone this week at a shipyard in Genoa, Italy.

Aman at Sea announced that their first ship, Amangati, was successfully floated out of the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa. Now that the exterior of the ship is complete, the ship will move to the outfitting quay in Genoa, where the interior of the ship will be completed.

Amangati is scheduled to enter service on May 7, 2027, and depart on an inaugural cruise from Palma de Mallorca, Spain to Nice, France.

The 23,000 gross-ton cruise ship will carry just 94 guests in 47 suites and have 207 crew members. All guests will have a dedicated suite host assigned to take care of them throughout the voyage.

Even though there will only be a maximum of 94 guests on the ship, Amangati will have four signature restaurants. They are Alira (Mediterranean), Akari (Japanese), Hiori (teppanyaki), and Aman Grill.

Social spaces on Amangati include The Jazz Club, Cigar Lounge, Alira Pool Bar, The Bar at Aman Grill, Selora and Cinema.

The ship will provide direct access to the ocean with the Marina on Deck 3. It will have two floating platforms and a curated fleet of water toys; Selora, the adjacent waterfront lounge.

Four limousine tenders and two open sport tenders will ferry guests to shore as the ship visits many spots that larger vessels are unable to go.

Amangati will also have two helipads, one Deck 6 forward and one on Deck 9 aft.

The Aman Spa will be one of the largest wellness centers in yachting at 8,000 square feet. It will have eight ocean-facing treatment rooms, each with a private terrace and whirlpool, plus a hammam, banya, fitness studio, yoga and meditation deck, beauty lounge and Medi Spa.

Jonathan Wilson, President and CEO of Aman at Sea, gave the following statement:

“Today is a defining moment in the story of Aman at Sea. To see Amangati painted, afloat and taking shape for the first time is to see years of design, craftsmanship and vision meeting the water together. We are grateful to the T. Mariotti shipyard, Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design, and to every hand that has brought Amangati to this milestone. Every step from here brings us closer to welcoming our first guests aboard next May.”

Amangati will spend its inaugural season sailing in the Mediterranean on cruises that range from five- to eight-nights in length. The voyages will visit ports in the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean seas.

Select voyages will align with cultural moments and provide exclusive access to the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix.

In the fall of 2027, the ship will head to the Caribbean for the first time, and those cruises are now open for bookings.

For more information on this first ship from Aman at Sea, you can visit their website or contact your preferred travel professional.

Alaska cruises are more popular than ever.  Over 1.7 million cruise passengers visit the 49^th state every year, and 66% of all visitors to Alaska arrive by cruise ship.

With the region’s growing popularity, Disney Cruise Line just made a move to solidify their spot for one of the only privately owned cruise destination in Alaska. And it’s a very big deal.

A True Raw Alaskan Wilderness

As major ports like Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway get increasingly crowded with multiple cruise ships on any given day, finding a port that offers a genuine escape into raw Alaskan wilderness is becoming something cruise guests want even more.

That is what makes Icy Strait Point so special, and why Disney Cruise Line just made a huge long-term investment to keep it on their schedules.

Disney has officially signed a new 15-year berthing agreement with the Huna Totem Corporation. It basically means they just secured preferred weekly access to Icy Strait Point through the year 2041.

By locking in guaranteed access through 2041, the cruise line is ensuring its families can continue enjoying one of Alaska’s most authentic, uncrowded destinations for years to come.

What Makes Icy Strait Point Unique?

Unlike some of the heavily commercialized cruise hubs, Icy Strait Point is 100% Alaska Native-owned and operated by the Huna Totem Corporation.

It’s located in Hoonah, Alaska, and the port limits the number of ships visiting at one time to make sure the region preserves that authentic experience.

After all, it’s a serene environment centered around Tlingit culture, forest trails, and all kinds of local wildlife. It is also very important for the economy of the Hoonah community.

Howard Sherman, President of Huna Totem Tourism Group, pointed out how meaningful Disney’s continued commitment is for the region:

“Disney Cruise Line has been an important part of the Icy Strait Point story for nearly a decade, and we’re grateful to build on that relationship through this agreement. Each Disney Cruise Line visit helps support local jobs, businesses and economic opportunity in Hoonah while creating meaningful connections between guests and the people who call this place home.”

What This 15-Year Deal Means for Cruisers

For anyone planning a future Disney cruise to Alaska, this agreement means a few things:

1. Long-Term Commitment to Alaska

In 2026, Disney doubled its presence in the region by deploying two ships: Disney Magic and Disney Wonder. Securing preferred access for the next 15 years sends a clear signal that Alaska will remain a huge part of the cruise line’s future plans.

Jose Fernandez, Vice President of Port Strategy, Development & Operations for Disney Cruise Line, stated:

“Icy Strait Point has been a valued part of our Alaska itineraries for nearly a decade, offering Disney Cruise Line guests an opportunity to experience the natural beauty, wildlife and rich cultural heritage of Hoonah and the broader Southeast Alaska region. This agreement will help ensure our guests can continue to enjoy the unique experiences that have made Icy Strait Point a fan-favorite destination.”

2. Hassle-Free Docking

With preferred docking rights locked in, Disney ships get primary positioning at either Wilderness Landing or Ocean Landing. Cruisers can walk straight off the ship without the stress of tendering.  That’s a big deal.

Free transportation also links the two landing areas, making the entire destination easy to navigate.

3. Direct Access to Bucket-List Wildlife and Adventure

Icy Strait Point offers wilderness adventures starting right at the pier:

• Point Adolphus Whale Watching: Located right near a famous feeding ground, making it one of Alaska’s best spots to see humpback whales.
• Chichagof Island Bear Tours: Excursions into Spasski River Valley, home to one of the world’s densest brown bear populations.
• The ZipRider: A 1,320-foot vertical drop on one of the world’s largest ziplines, reaching speeds over 60 mph.
• Authentic Native Culture: Cultural performances, local artisan shops, and rich historical exhibits in a restored 1912 salmon cannery.

With Alaska only becoming more popular, securing a spot like this is great news for Disney Cruise Line fans. For at least the next 15 years, Disney’s passengers won’t miss out on one of Alaska’s most peaceful and wilderness-rich regions that is accessible by cruise ship.

Explora Journeys, an all-inclusive luxury cruise line, took delivery of the third cruise ship to enter their fleet, EXPLORA III. The ceremony was held at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, Italy.

The ceremony was attended by attended by Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group; Anna Nash, President of Explora Journeys; Biagio Mazzotta, President of Fincantieri, Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Fincantieri; and Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of Fincantieri’s Merchant Ships Division, together with Italian civic and government authorities including Silvia Salis, Mayor of Genoa, and Marco Bucci, President of the Liguria Region.

EXPLORA III is a sister ship to EXPLORA I & II, and the first in the fleet to be powered by LNG.

The cruise ship will sail a five-night preview cruise, and then sail to Barcelona for the official naming ceremony that will take place on August 1, 2026.

On August 3, 2026, EXPLORA III will depart Barcelona on her seven-night Maiden Journey to Lisbon, launching an inaugural season spanning Northern Europe, Iceland, Greenland and North America.

In 2027, the cruise ship will offer cruises to Alaska when the cruise line sails to the 49th state for the first time.

Anna Nash, President of Explora Journeys, gave the following statement:

“Today marks another proud milestone for Explora Journeys as we officially welcome EXPLORA III into our growing fleet. With every new ship, we have the opportunity to listen, learn and refine, building on what our guests value most while remaining true to the vision that defines our brand.

“EXPLORA III represents the next step in our journey as we continue to redefine ocean travel through thoughtful innovation, exceptional design and the intuitive hospitality that sits at the heart of the Explora Journeys experience. As a privately owned, family-led business with deep maritime heritage, we remain committed to investing for the long term, always with our guests at the center of every decision.”

Explora Journeys has more cruise cruise ships, EXPLORA IV, V, and VI, under construction. IV will debut in 2027 and V and VI in 2028.

Some upcoming guests on Carnival Cruise Line’s 5,374-passenger Carnival Jubilee are receiving notifications about some “operational changes” in late 2027.

Basically, nine cruises are being canceled, but not entirely.  

Here’s the interesting part. Now that we have the wording of the messages received from impacted guests, it’s looking more and more like these canceled cruises have made room for adults-only SEA cruises (SEA stands for Sailing Exclusively for Adults).

Ever since Carnival quietly introduced adults-only sailings as invitation-only casino charters on smaller or repositioning ships, rumors have been kicked around about whether they would ramp up the program.

We’ve wondered if they would include their newest ships. After all, it is still very much a family-oriented cruise line, and kids are a big part of that (obviously).  

Also, keep in mind that word of these Jubilee sailings being turned into SEA voyages has not been officially confirmed by the cruise line. Not yet anyway.

But the wording of the letters sent to impacted guests sure make it look that way.

What the Official Notice Says

According to an official letter issued to booked cruisers on July 22, 2026, Carnival explicitly confirmed the age-restriction change for some September 2027 sailings:

“We have made operational changes to your voyage – the sailing will now be exclusively for guests 21 years and older. We recognize this cruise may no longer meet your vacation needs, particularly if you were planning to travel with guests under the age of 21 years, and we sincerely apologize for any disappointment this may cause.”

While Carnival has not yet issued an official public confirmation that these specific Jubilee sailings will be part of the SEA program, the age-restriction language matches exactly how the line has communicated prior adult-only conversions.

So, there’s that.

A quick check of the Carnival Jubilee schedule on Cruise Mapper shows a gap on the calendar between August 7, 2027, and October 2, 2027 as well.

Carnival’s website also has September 2027 greyed out for Carnival Jubilee, and the sailings are not listed on their travel agent site, GoCCL.com.

Passengers Discuss the Change Online

In a Facebook group dedicated to a September 4, 2027, sailing, a group admin posted asking if fellow cruisers had received notice that Carnival “changed this cruise to a 21 and up cruise.”

A few booked passengers chimed in under the post to confirm they received the exact same notice. While travelers without kids didn’t mind the shift, it did create a dilemma for families traveling with younger guests.

One passenger noted that while their own cabin was over 21, the family they booked alongside had four travelers under the age limit who can no longer attend.

Options for Impacted Passengers

For cruise travelers holding reservations on the impacted sailings, Carnival gave guests a few options:

• Remaining on the Cruise: Guests who meet the 21-and-older requirement can stay on the sailing with no action required. However, Carnival warned that “reservations containing name placeholders (i.e., ‘TBA – To Be Added’), or missing dates of birth must be updated by August 5, 2026, to avoid cancellation.”
• Switching Sailings: Passengers choosing to rebook will have their rates protected on a comparable sailing within similar accommodations. Carnival is also adding a perk, stating that “a $100.00 per stateroom) onboard credit will be applied to your Sail & Sign account for the new sailing.”
• Canceling or Removing Underage Travelers: Families traveling with anyone under 21 must contact Carnival or their travel advisor by August 5, 2026, to alter or cancel their booking. The letter notes: “Cancellations made by August 5, 2026, will receive a full refund of the cruise fare, including any pre-purchased items, even for reservations made with non-refundable deposits.”

Nine More Jubilee Sailings Canceled

The guest advisory comes right on the heels of coverage from Cruise Spotlight, which reported that Carnival canceled nine other 2027 Carnival Jubilee sailings completely.

In an email sent to impacted guests by Colleen Oliverio, Carnival’s Vice President of Guest Services, the following Jubilee departure dates were removed from the booking engine:

• August 15, 2027
• August 21, 2027
• August 29, 2027
• September 12, 2027
• September 18, 2027
• September 26, 2027
• November 27, 2027
• December 5, 2027
• December 11, 2027

While Carnival hasn’t publicly detailed why those specific nine dates were canceled, it could be tied to a need to change the ship’s route or duration.

Standard Jubilee sailings out of Galveston are typically 6- and 8-day Western Caribbean runs.  SEA sailings often feature unique or longer itineraries that require wiping existing bookings off the schedule rather than transferring them automatically.

What Is a SEA Cruise?

Carnival’s SEA program stands for Sailings Exclusively for Adults.

It started as invite-only casino charters. SEA sailings feature specialized entertainment, higher-stakes casino play, and themed parties. And of course, all with no kids on the ship.

Other Adult-Only Sailings with Carnival

Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald recently took to Facebook to announce that the cruise line is expanding access to these adult-only sailings.

He announced that the cruise line is opening up several 2026 SEA sailings aboard Carnival Firenze out of Long Beach for general booking made available up until July 31st.

These are the sailings Heald announced are now SEA cruises:

• 10/12/2026 – 7 day cruise to Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, Ensenada,
• 10/19/2026 – 14 day cruise -Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Acapulco, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta, Ensenada,
• 11/02/2026 – 11 day cruise – Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, Ensenada,
• 11/13/2026 – 7 day cruise – La Paz, Cabo San Lucas, Ensenada, Long Beach

Using facial recognition, photo IDs, and RFID-encoded boarding passes, cruise passengers at the Cruise Center Hamburg-Steinwerder were able to test out a new pilot program using digital self check-in for the first time.

A 3,300-passenger ship just got back to Germany from an 11-day sailing to Norway, and the next group of passengers is getting to test out the new pilot program.

Guests sailing on AIDAprima were able to use 20 digital terminals to try out the new process today (July 23), although a check-in counter was still accessible.

How It All Works

Airports have already been doing this for a while now, so most travelers are somewhat familiar with the concept of using a digital display to check in.

But for cruise ships, there’s a little more involved.

The check-in terminals scanned the guests’ photo IDs and used facial recognition tech to make sure a live photo of the guests and their ID photos matched. The photo taken at the digital terminals will then be used for the duration of the sailing.

Boarding passes were equipped with RFID technology and were used for payment onboard in addition to access to cabins. During this check-in process, that payment functionality was also set up.

AIDA Cruises said in a press release that they developed this system together with Lufthansa Industry Solutions, and it took two years to get it the way they wanted. A few tweaks had to be made in adapting the made-for-airport solution to do everything a cruise terminal needed it to do.

What’s the Benefit?

Mainly, shorter lines. It also means that you don’t need as many staff working at the terminal to check everyone in. With 20 digital terminals being used at the same time, it speeds up the entire process and gets cruisers onto the ship faster.

And of course, for those who still want to deal with a person at the counter, that option isn’t going away. Some guests have questions and would rather deal with a person, and AIDA Cruises said that optionality is important.

As this is still a pilot program, we expect to see some adjustments before entire fleets are relying on this kind of check-in process, and the cruise line is sure to be watching passenger feedback closely.

AIDAprima is scheduled to depart the Hamburg cruise port today on a 10-night roundtrip sailing to Norway.