Posts in category: Diplomacy

Carnival Cruise Line just announced a new program that will allow passenger to enjoy their entire meal in the main dining room in under an hour.

A huge part of the cruising experience is the food.  And cruise ships have more dining options than most first-time cruisers can even fathom.

But sometimes those main dining room experiences can take a while.  In fact, on more than one occasion I’ve missed the main show in the theater because dinner just took too long. 

Sure, sometimes a nice long dinner with friends and other travelers can be a very enjoyable experience.  But other times you just want amazing food in a reasonable amount of time.

I know I’m not alone in this. 

And that’s one reason Carnival Cruise Line just announced a new rollout called Express Dining.

It looks like the “Fun Ships” are finally offering a fun, fast alternative for those nights when you don’t want to dedicate your entire evening to a table in the Main Dining Room.

Here is what we know about this new program from today’s press release.

The 60-Minute Mission

This new dining program is all about pace. Express Dining is a new “fast track” option within the regular Main Dining Room service, specifically designed to get you from your appetizer to your dessert in under 60 minutes. 

At least, that’s the goal.

It’s the answer for those nights when the comedy show is in 45 minutes, the kids are starting to lose their minds, or when you just don’t feel like having an “experience”.  You just want a great meal.

You’ll still get great service and high-quality food, but the “dead time” between courses is cut down dramatically.

How It Works

This service is fully integrated into Carnival’s HUB App. When you’re ready to eat, you’ll check in via the app like you normally would. When you do, a new prompt will appear, asking if you want to opt-in to “Express Dining.”

It’s important to note this option is only for those using Your Time Dining.

If you have traditional, assigned seating (6 p.m. or 8:15 p.m.), you’ll probably stick with the standard pacing, though reports suggest staff will always try to expedite for guests who ask.

Table Sizes

The other caveat is table size.  Express Dining is limited to groups of six or fewer. If you have a massive table of 12, the logistics of a 60-minute service are still a bit too complicated for a program like this. 

But if you’re eating with that many people, you probably don’t want to rush it anyway.

Rollout Schedule

Carnival is rolling this out right now. As of this morning, March 10, the program is live on 15 ships, including the new Excel-class (Mardi Gras, Celebration, Jubilee) and other ships like Venezia and Firenze).

Here’s the full list of ships on which Express Dining is currently available:

Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Celebration, Mardi Gras, Carnival Venezia, Carnival Firenze, Carnival Panorama, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Vista, Carnival Breeze, Carnival Radiance, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Dream, Carnival Glory, Carnival Freedom

The rest of the fleet is expected to have the new service active by the end of May 2026.

It should be noted that Royal Caribbean has a similar program, although their approach is a little different and times aren’t quite as fast.

While Carnival has introduced a specific “Express” opt-in, Royal Caribbean chose to overhaul its entire Main Dining Room menu back in 2023 to streamline the experience for everyone. By reducing the number of nightly options and moving to themed menus, they aimed to shave about 15 minutes off the average dinner, targeting a consistent 75-minute service fleetwide.

Bottom Line

Carnival Cruise Line’s president, Christine Duffy, said the program will give guests more time to enjoy all the other onboard fun on Carnival ships.

“Our guests continue to tell us they value greater flexibility in how they spend their time on board, and Express Dining was designed with that in mind,” she stated.

This is a smart move that finally addresses one complaint about the Main Dining Room: “It just takes too long.”

I look forward to testing it out myself and see if that 60-minute goal is possible to achieve while still not feeling rushed.  It’s a careful balance and cruisers will be the judge.

Princess Cruises has just revealed an epic 49-port 2028 World Cruise on a 2,000-passenger ship.

The 115-day voyage onboard Coral Princess is scheduled to depart on January 3, 2028, offering roundtrip options from either Fort Lauderdale or Los Angeles.

The sailing covers about 36,000 nautical miles and crosses both the Equator and the International Date Line.

More Overnights and Late Stays

One of the common complaints of world cruising is the half-day stop that barely allows for a meal, let alone exploration.

This 2028 itinerary allows for more time to enjoy the ports of call through the “More Ashore” program.

• Overnight Stays: The ship will remain docked overnight in Cape Town, South Africa, and Auckland, New Zealand.  This allows for two full days of exploration at each destination.
• Late-Night Stays: There are 10 scheduled departures late into the evening, including stops in Barcelona, Sydney, Casablanca, and Honolulu.
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites: The itinerary is specifically designed to hit 39 UNESCO sites, ranging from the Adriatic of Dubrovnik to the volcanoes of Hawaii.

A New Stop for the History Books

One of the most unique details in this world cruise itinerary is the maiden call to Mossel Bay, South Africa.

While many cruises stop in the region for wildlife, Mossel Bay offers a lot for history lovers to enjoy as well.  This destination is home to huge caves containing archaeological evidence of modern human behavior dating back thousands of years.

This world cruise is also introducing formal safari shore excursions at South African preserves like Aquila and Pumba, where travelers can see lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhinoceroses.

The Itinerary Basics

Coral Princess, with a 2,000-double guest capacity, is right in the middle ground between mega-ships and smaller luxury vessels.

This size allows it to go through the Panama Canal while still not feeling “oversized” for such a long voyage.  The ship was built in 2002 and is about 91,627 gross tons in size.

• Timeline: 115 days total, with flexible segments available ranging from 20 to 100 days.
• Ports and Places: 49 ports across 24 countries and 5 continents.
• Major Regions: The route passes through the Panama Canal, moves through the South Pacific to Australia and New Zealand, crosses the Indian Ocean to Africa, and finishes with a Mediterranean and Atlantic crossing.
• Booking Incentives: Captain’s Circle members are eligible for up to $3,000 in onboard credit per stateroom.

You can check out this cruise here on the official Princess Cruises website.

A dedicated World Cruise 2028 Facebook Group has already been started so future passengers can connect nearly two years before the voyage begins.

According to the page, “This private group is designed to bring together the tight-knit community of world (cruise) travelers, made up of those that have traveled on past Princess World Cruises, those that are currently cruising, or will cruise soon, and those that are interested in booking a future World Cruise.”

While some shudder at the thought of even leaving the house without a phone full of apps for every whim and fancy, one cruiser decided to try taking a cruise without using the cruise line’s app.

Every major cruise line has an app. Who doesn’t nowadays? And it’s typically recommended that you download the app before the cruise.

The app will allow you to do everything from booking a reservation to seeing what’s happening all around the ship, on top of a hundred other things.

But in an age where technology and screens rule our every waking minute, some travelers prefer to truly get away from it all when on vacation. There’s a growing trend of desiring to set sail on a cruise without having to rely on a smartphone to have a good experience.

But is it possible? Can you even function on a ship without using the ship’s app? One cruiser decided to try it out.

They then shared expected and unexpected issues that came up on the 5-night sailing.

Health Questionnaire

For many, the app is needed even weeks before boarding with digital check-ins and health questionnaires.

One Redditor decided to bypass the phone entirely when sailing on a Royal Caribbean cruise on Enchantment of the Seas.

By using a desktop computer to check in and printing out physical luggage tags and boarding passes, they said the process was a “total non-issue” in the social media post.

Even the mandatory health questionnaire, which many assume is tied to the app, was a breeze.

“The questionnaire took maybe 10 seconds with our check-in attendant,” the cruiser noted.

Interestingly, they observed that even those who completed it on the app were often asked the same questions by staff anyway, making the app on this point somewhat redundant.

The Return of the Paper Compass

Many cruise lines have discontinued the use of those paper daily schedules and refer passengers to their app.  But you can still request them from guest services.

This cruiser relied on the paper version of Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Compass to see what was going on.

The Reddit user said that the physical copy actually enhanced their vacation vibe.

“It became a cute little routine,” they shared. “We would pick up a paper copy at guest services while we grabbed coffee, go to breakfast together, and each use colored pens to star the activities we wanted to do.”

And apparently, this traveler was not alone in this thought.  A few other comments to the post stated that they agreed that the paper version is often more useful.

 Another traveler pointed out that when walking around the ship, they didn’t “have to worry about damage or loss like I would with a phone/wallet.”

Reservations

When it came to managing daily things like dining and spending, the digital “requirement” proved to be more of a suggestion.

“We just visited the host stand if we needed to make a change or request something,” the cruise passenger explained, stating that they never encountered a problem with manual reservations.

Muster Drill

The user forgot to bring this up in the original post but responded to a question about it in the comments.  For digital muster drills the crew member at your muster station just scans your phone and you’re pretty much good to go.

In this case, the Redditor said that they “chatted with the onboard person at our station and watched the briefing on the TV in the room. Pretty easy.”

Navigating a Few Issues

Of course, going low-tech isn’t without its “kerfuffles” as the passenger stated.  The primary issue for this cruiser was internet access. While you don’t technically need the app to use the ship’s Wi-Fi, the initial setup can be tricky.

In this case, the cruiser relied on a friend’s app to access a pin code for the connection.  So, this wasn’t entirely app-free from that standpoint.

When asked why the user even used the internet if they wanted to disconnect, they responded that the roommate purchased it and offered to add it to the other phone as a secondary device.

Why Bother?

Some comments pointed out a problem with the attempt to avoid use of the app.

One stated that ignoring the app is simply “making your life and vacation more difficult.” Others pointed out that the app is the first place to see real-time schedule changes or cancelations.

However, the app-free traveler explained that the goal wasn’t just convenience.  It was really all about a mental break.

“In my normal life I use my smartphone a lot… I wanted to leave my phone in my room most of the time, have a more low-tech experience.”

So, Is the App Really Necessary?

The consensus from this 5-night experiment on Enchantment of the Seas?

Sure, you can absolutely function without the app, provided you’re willing do a few other things manually or in person.

While some users called the experiment “ridiculous,” others found it refreshing: “I haven’t sailed in many years and have been wondering how much I can get away with just leaving my phone in the room,” one user stated.

The choice to disconnect still exists.  It just requires more work.

Bottom Line

The Reddit post racked up over 60 comments and there was quite a bit of pushback from regular cruisers who said the app was more about convenience and that it didn’t make sense to avoid it altogether.

One comment even stated, “Um… okay. Cool. I see you like making things hard on yourself for no reason. Not really something I’d brag about but you do you, boo.”

Cruise lines really are trying to make your vacation a better and more relaxing experience, and for some, the app is the only way to go.

But the cruiser pointed out a great thought in a comment that I wanted to reiterate here:

“For some people, that [cruising without the app] may be more stressful. That’s okay! Everyone vacations differently!”

That’s what I love about cruising the most.  Everyone on board can have a unique experience and yet still have an amazing vacation.

A cruise line is switching to a new pricing structure for U.S. cruisers that will take effect on March 9, 2026.

Scenic Group, owner of Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Cruises & Tours, is introducing a simplified four-tier fare structure that they say will bring transparency, flexibility and strategic value.

The four fare options will be Full Fare, Select Fare, Preferred Fare, and Preferred+ Fare. Here is a look at each of these fares that will start on March 9, 2026.

Full Fare

Full fare is designed for cruisers who value flexibility. This fare will also be available and includes stand brand inclusions and standard payment timelines.

Select Fare

The Select Fare incentivizes early planning and will be available up until 120 days prior to departure. It will include standard brand inclusions and up to a 15% savings on cruises. It will also have an adjusted payment timeline.

Preferred Fare

Like Select Fare, Preferred Fare will also only be available up until 120 days prior to departure. This fare emphasizes enhanced value and includes everything that Select Fare also but will many extras.

The extras include free or reduced airfare for river cruises, air credit to book air through Scenic Group for yacht sailings, and an accelerated payment timeline.

Preferred+ Fare

Scenic’s new Preferred+ Fare offers the greatest value out of all four tiers. It includes everything that the Preferred Fare offers plus an additional $500 in savings.

Full payment is due at booking and this non-refundable fare is available up until 120 days prior to departure.

The cruise line said that this updated U.S. pricing model allows them to simplify promotional messaging around extensions and add-ons and focus on value perception and generous inclusions.  

Ken Muskat, President, Scenic Group USA & LATAM, gave the following statement:

“This pricing evolution reflects the next chapter of Scenic Group’s growth in the United States. We are strengthening clarity in our pricing while maintaining the generous inclusions and elevated experiences that define our brands.

“This structure gives our travel advisor partners greater confidence and provides our guests with transparent, flexible options tailored to their travel planning style.”

Royal Caribbean was the big winner in this year’s 2026 Member Choice Awards by Cruiseline.com, the 11th year the awards have been recognized.

Cruiseline.com has the world’s largest database of verified cruise reviews. Since their parent company, World Travel Holdings, owns several of the largest online travel agencies, their reviews are by community members who they know have sailed on the ship they are reviewing.

Royal Caribbean was the big winner this year by being named the Best Mainstream Cruise Line, Best Cruise Line for Service, and the Best Cruise Line for Activities and Entertainment.

In addition, the top seven, and eight out of 10, Best Overall Cruise Ships were all from Royal Caribbean. They were:

1. Utopia of the Seas
2. Wonder of the Seas
3. Star of the Seas
4. Oasis of the Seas
5. Mariner of the Seas
6. Symphony of the Seas
7. Icon of the Seas

Star of the Seas was named the Best New Cruise Ship of 2026 with Utopia of the Seas being named Best Cruise Ship for Food and Dining, Best Cruise Ship for Staterooms, and Best Cruise Ship for Service. Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, earned the title of Best Cruise Ship for Activities and Entertainment.

Recognition is based on reviews submitted to Cruiseline.com by community members who sailed and reviewed cruises between January and December 2025.

These honors provide valuable insights into the performance of cruise lines and ships, while also recognizing the contributions of community members who shared their reviews over the past year.

Cruiseline.com’s verified reviews are genuine reviews by real people. They cover every aspect of the cruise from dining to ports to entertainment.

It is done through a partnership with major cruise agencies. Cruiseline.com then gathers the real reviews from actual cruisers who have sailed on the ships they are reviewing, and uses the data to determine the best cruise lines and ships of the year.

Jamie Cash, Chief Operating Officer of Cruiseline.com, gave the following statement about these awards:

“We congratulate all the cruise lines, ships, and ports recognized in the 2026 Cruiseline.com Member Choice Awards. These awards would not be possible without the support of our community members who took the time to share their cruise experiences and insights with us over the past year.

“A special congratulations to Royal Caribbean, Viking Ocean Cruises, Crystal, and AmaWaterways for their remarkable performance in this year’s rankings, as well as to the other top cruise lines, ships, and destinations for earning exceptional recognitions from our members.”

Norwegian Cruise Line announced that Norwegian Luna, the cruise line’s second Prima Plus class ship, officially entered their fleet earlier today.

Norwegian Cruise Line took delivery of Norwegian Luna at the Marghera Shipyard of Fincantieri. The ship is the 21st in NCL’s fleet and comes in at 156,000 gross tons in size.

The 3,565 passenger cruise ship has 1,809 cabins, 17 dining options, and 18 bars and lounges.

The ship is designed for both families and travelers looking for elevated experiences as it offers an impressive variety of activities and choices.

Families will find no shortage of fun, with a wide range of innovative attractions designed for all ages. Highlights include the Aqua Slidecoaster, a thrilling hybrid between a waterslide and rollercoaster.

The all-new Luna Midway offers an outdoor amusement‑park‑style area featuring carnival‑inspired games, and the debuting Moon Climber challenges kids and adults alike with a multi‑level obstacle course.

Interactive play spaces include The Luna Game Zone, offering everything from retro arcade favorites to cutting‑edge virtual reality experiences.

Sports and social play come together at the Glow Court, a high‑tech complex with an interactive LED floor that transforms from an energetic play space during the day into a lively club at night.

Meanwhile, adults seeking more relaxed escapes can unwind at the award-winning Mandara Spa, known for its world‑class wellness offerings, or retreat to the adults‑only Vibe Beach Club.

Marc Kazlauskas, president of Norwegian Cruise Line, gave the following statement about this new ship:

“We are thrilled to welcome Norwegian Luna to our fleet and to welcome our first guests aboard next week. As our newest ship, Norwegian Luna is a powerful reflection of NCL’s ‘It’s Different Out Here’ brand ethos. She delivers freedom, flexibility and thoughtfully curated experiences, allowing guests to enjoy their vacation exactly how they want, with ease.

“This ship represents the continued evolution of our vision and the incredible work behind an award-winning class of ships. We are deeply appreciative of the world-class architects and designers, as well as our talented partners at Fincantieri who brought Norwegian Luna to life. We’re proud to continue this strong partnership as we look ahead to building more exceptional NCL vessels together over the next decade.”