Diplomacy

Just last month Cruise Fever reported that a new push was underway to bring a new cruise port to the Tampa Bay area that would take away the need to go under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. 

This new proposal would also allow larger ships that can’t fit under the bridge to be able to access the Tampa area and its 400,000 residents.

But recent developments in the Florida Senate could be halting those plans before they ever see the light of day.

In January 2026, Cruise terminal operator SSA Marine announced plans for a new terminal on the Gulf side of the Skyway Bridge.  This would allow larger ships, which can’t currently access the Tampa Bay port, to sail in and out of the Florida cruise port.

While some welcomed the idea of being able to sail mega ships out of the Tampa Bay area, not everyone was on board.   And now there is a legislative snag that could stop the project in its tracks.

Florida lawmakers are now moving to make sure the project never breaks ground.

A Unanimous Vote

According to news reports, on Wednesday, the Florida Senate passed SB 302 with a unanimous 38-0 vote.

While the bill is technically about coastal issues unrelated to the cruise industry, an important amendment added by State Senator Jim Boyd has basically turned it into a no-go for the new cruise port project.

The amendment gives new protections to the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, which is the environmentally sensitive area where SSA Marine hoped to build its deep-water terminal.

“No further dredging or filling of the submerged lands 71 of the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve shall be approved or 72 tolerated by the board,” the bill states, giving a few small exceptions afterward.

The “Dredging” Problem

For the new port to even have a chance, developers would need to dig a 4.5-mile long channel to depths of about 60 feet to accommodate the newest cruise ships.   At least, these were the numbers given by some environmental experts that have spoken at recent community rallies.

Senator Boyd’s amendment makes that digging almost impossible to permit.

“In an effort to protect the pristine coastal area of East Tampa Bay, which has small keys, little bays, and mangroves, this amendment restricts the dredging or filling of submerged lands within the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve,” Boyd stated during the session.

The Debate Goes On

The legislative vote comes after weeks of discussion in Manatee County. Some opposition movements have grown, even while some local residents have pushed for the project to continue.

A Change.org petition to “Stop the Skyway Cruise Port” has received over 19,000 signatures.

Some public meetings have become so heated that county officials reported staffers and their families have faced harassment.  This has led to some lawmakers calling for a “pause” on all port-related arguments.

What Now?

The project isn’t officially dead yet, but it’s not looking good so far. The bill now moves to the Florida House, where another bill (HB 1035) awaits.

If the House bill is anything like the Senate’s and the Governor signs it, the law would take effect on July 1, 2026.

For the developers at SSA Marine, who recently bought Rattlesnake Key for $18 million as a “buffer zone,” the project is on shaky ground.

When you think of the Orient Express, you probably think of luxury train cars, white-glove service, and the golden age of European travel.

But now, the travel company known for being the setting of Agatha Christie novels, is getting into the yacht business. In just four months, the Orient Express Corinthian will officially debut as the world’s largest sailing yacht.

High-Tech Sails and LNG Fuel

This isn’t your average yacht or sailing vessel.  It’s really a combination of both.

The Corinthian blends old-school style with some really impressive and new tech. It features a revolutionary “SolidSail” system with three massive, rigid sails.

The 328 ft. masts are roughly the height of a 30-story building, and each sail provides about 16,000 sq. ft. of surface area.

Unlike traditional fabric sails that flutter in the wind, these are made of foldable composite panels. When the ship is docked or the wind is too high, the sails actually fold up like an accordion to stay out of the way.

When they are deployed, they can power the ship entirely by wind if conditions are right.

When the wind isn’t enough, the yacht switches to a hybrid engine running on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). This combo makes it one of the cleanest luxury vessels on the water today.

Accommodations

At 721 feet long, this sailing yacht is huge by sailboat standards, but it’s designed to feel private. It has only 54 suites and accommodates just 110 guests, so you won’t be fighting for a spot by the pool.

The ship has seven decks, and the top deck is home to the best suites. There are six suites on Deck 7, led by the aft-facing Agatha Christie suite. This suite gives you 2,422 square feet inside and another 1,938 square feet on the terrace. It comes with two bedrooms, a marble bath, a private fitness room and a terrace with its own jacuzzi.

The Zephyr penthouse suite, also on Deck 7, is even bigger. It offers 2,486 square feet of interior space and a 1,206-square-foot terrace.

World-Class Dining

The Orient Express Corinthian has five restaurants and eight bars, with menus designed by three-Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno.  Here are a few restaurants and bars on board.

• La Table de l’Orient Express: The main fine-dining spot.
• L’Écrin: A seafood place with international cuisine.
• Le Yacht Club: A pub-inspired bar and restaurant for watching sport events, playing darts, or just grabbing a crab sandwich.
• La Terrasse: An Art Deco and contemporary designed dining venue.
• Le Bar De La Bibliotheque: A quiet spot to read a book and grab an artisanal coffee or drink.
• Marina Bar: Located right at the water’s edge for the best views.

Check out this video preview by Popular Cruising to see what it will be like to be on board:

Amenities and Leisure

The ship is built to be a “floating sanctuary,” offering services you usually only find in a high-end city neighborhood. For example, there’s a barber shop, a hair salon, and even an on-board tailor if you need a suit adjusted.

The Guerlain Spa is the heart of the ship’s relaxation area. It features a tepidarium (a warm lounging room), a sauna, and a hammam.

If you want to stay active and love to swim, there is a 54-foot lap lane pool located right on the deck, plus a gym and yoga studio with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Other cool spots include:

• The Library: A quiet room with 1,500 books and its own bar.
• Entertainment: An Amphitheater Cabaret, a 24-seat private Cinema, and even a Recording Studio.

Itineraries

The Orient Express Corinthian will offer a wide variety of durations on its sailings, with trips lasting anywhere from 3 to 14 nights.

• The Mediterranean: The first season starts in June 2026. Routes include the French Riviera (Cannes, Monaco, Saint-Tropez), the Adriatic Coast (Venice, Dubrovnik), and Italian stops like Capri.
• The Caribbean: In the winter, the yacht heads to the West Indies. You can choose from the Lesser Antilles or stops in Saint Barts and Anguilla.
• Special Voyages: The yacht also does a 14-night Transatlantic crossing from Lisbon to Barbados and a specific route from Miami to Marigot.

Holland America Line announced a new 26-day Legendary Voyage that will depart from Vancouver on October 7, 2027.

This new “Inca Coast: Mexico & Latin America Legendary Voyage” will take place on Nieuw Amsterdam and travel from Vancouver to San Antonio (Santiago), Chili.

The ship will over night in Manta (Quito), Ecuador, and Callao (Lima), Peru and visit ports in California, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.

Guests will be able to experience several bucket list moments that include crossing the equator and visiting Machu Picchu.

Cruisers will trace the Pacific shoreline from North America into South America, pairing marquee city calls and beach days with deep-dive opportunities into ancient civilizations, rainforests and volcanic landscapes.

On board the ship, guests will enjoy enrichment programs, regional entertainment and dining options that reflect the flavors of the coast.

Paul Grigsby, Holland America Line’s vice president of itinerary planning and deployment, gave the following statement about this new cruise:

“We know our guests want experiences that allow them to connect deeply with the places they visit—through history, culture and wildlife. The Inca Coast is one of the most captivating regions on the planet, and we shaped this itinerary to offer guests a meaningful way to explore it.

“For centuries, sailors have traveled this storied coastline, and we’re proud to bring its beauty and heritage to our guests today. Whether they’re discovering Machu Picchu, venturing into the Costa Rican rainforest or relaxing on a beach day, this voyage offers an extraordinary immersion into the rich character of the Inca Coast.

Royal Caribbean’s next new cruise ship, Legend of the Seas, will have 28 dining options when the vessel debuts this July. This includes newly themed experiences and five new food stands in the AquaDome Market.

Legend of the Seas will be Royal Caribbean’s third Icon class ship, the largest class of cruise ships ever built. The ship will feature 24 global cuisines in newly themed restaurants and familiar favorites that Royal Caribbean cruisers know and love.

Here is a look at all of the different dining options, complimentary and those with a surcharge, that will be on Legend of the Seas.

Savor the Show

Two immersive dining options will have a new theme on the ship. The Hollywood Supper Club will be a multi-course tribute to the golden age of Hollywood. You will celebrate the golden age of the silver screen where each immersive, innovative course is served with grand, striking cocktails.

The Royal Railway: Legend Station is a five-course culinary quest along the ancient Silk Routes. You will follow Marco Polo’s journey from China to Italy.

Guests will travel through China and indulge in mouthwatering Pork and Shrimp Siu Mai garnished with delicate caviar. After feasting on succulent lamb chops in Turkey, the will enjoy awe-inspiring explorations through India, Persia, and Italy. It will be an adventure for all ages, and all appetites.

The popular Izumi Hibachi & Sushi is back for lunch and dinner.

Complimentary Options

There will be numerous complimentary dining options on Legend of the Seas.

For quick bites, there will be Park Cafe, El Loco Fresh, Surfside Bites, Basecamp, and the AquaDome Market with the following six food stands serving up flavors from around the world. The first five are new concepts from Royal Caribbean.

• *Seoulmate – Korean rice bowls
• *Cajun Kitchen – New Orleans gumbo
• *Adobo – Street tacos
• *La Espanola – Spanish-style bites
• *Simply Pressed – Smoothies and juices
• Creme de la Crepe – French style crepes

*New dining concept

The Pearl Cafe will be open 24/7 offering salads, sandwiches, sweet treats, coffee and more.

Sorrento’s, Royal Caribbean’s pizza joint, will be open from lunch until late at night.

For sit-down meals, The Surfside Eatery, Windjammer, and main dining room will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

And of course, Sprinkles will have endless soft serve ice cream.

Extra-Charge Eateries

Izumi in the Park is an all-day window for fresh sushi and Japanese street food to-go located in Central Park.

Trellis Bar is an upscale American bites and sips in the heart of Central Park.

Pier 7 will serve Californian costal cuisine with an all day brunch. Kids will eat free here with paying adults.

Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade will be open for lunch and dinner offering American bar bites.

Specialty Restaurants

Chops Grille, Royal Caribbean’s signature steakhouse, will be open for lunch and dinner.

Celebration Table is an exclusive VIP experience with family-style pre-fixe menus.

Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar will server classic Italian favorites.

Hooked Seafood is Royal Caribbean’s New England-style seafood restaurant.

Dining for Suites

Guest staying in suites have the option of exclusive dining at two venues. Coastal Kitchen is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and serves California-Mediterranean fusion cuisine.

The Grove is open for lunch and dinner offering Mediterranean mezes.

Sweet Treats

For guests who need to feed with sweet tooth, the ship will have Desserted, Starbucks, and Sugar Beach,

Desserted offers gourmet milkshakes with towering toppings. Sugar Beach has candies, chocolate, cotton candy, and more. Starbucks serves specialty coffees, pastries, and more.

Legend of the Seas will debut on July 4, 2026, a seven-night cruises from Rome to Spain, Italy, and France. After a few months of offering cruises in Europe, the ship will head to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for six- and eight-night cruises to the Caribbean for the winter 2026-2027 season.

All cruises from Florida will visit the cruise line’s award winning private island in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Breaking your hip in the middle of a cruise is not the kind of memory you want to create on a vacation at sea, but after having to be medically removed from Carnival Miracle, one man thanked the cruise line for how they handled the whole situation.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador often shares insights and tidbits about the cruise line, answering questions and snide remarks from thousands of Carnival fans.

Today, John Heald took to Facebook to share what he called his “post of the day”.  He posted a screenshot of a message from recent cruiser whose wife broke her hip while on a sailing to Aruba.

‘Such an Angel of a Woman’

The message came from Jim Fyffe, who was with his wife in the middle of a sailing on a Carnival Journeys cruise to Aruba when the accident happened.

He described the injury as a “terrible moment” but gave the crew credit for making it “so much easier.” 

He wrote:

“Unfortunately we had to be medically removed from the Miracle in the middle of our Journey cruise… My wife fell and broke her hip. Shaola was cleaning in the area and was there to help and comfort my wife. Such an angel of a woman! … Inna from guest services took our passports, filled out all the immigration paperwork needed, and arranged the flight out of Aruba. Ivana noticed my wife was not with me for dinner and had food sent down… A terrible moment, but made so much easier with the very caring Carnival Family onboard!”

Insurance and Passports

In the post, Jim pointed out that two decisions saved the situation from turning into an even worse nightmare during their “medical removal” from the ship.

“Thank goodness we have passports and took out the insurance through Carnival,” Jim wrote.

For most closed-loop cruises out of the U.S. a passport is not mandatory.  You just need to bring a birth certificate and a government issued photo ID.

But this story shows why it’s still best to get a passport and bring it anyway. 

Besides the hassle of trying to keep your birth certificate in good shape as you board the ship, if you don’t bring a passport and you are injured overseas it’s a huge logistical and expensive challenge to get back home.

On top of that, this couple bought cruise travel insurance.   The biggest reason to get this coverage is for medical situations just like this.  The post didn’t make clear if a medical evacuation via helicopter was necessary, but that kind of thing alone can cost upwards of $20,000 to $50,000 and beyond.

No one “plans” to get hurt or become badly ill on a cruise, so having some insurance in place ahead of time can let you rest easy (at least financially) if something happens.

At the end of the post Jim gave a “shout out” to the medical team and everyone else working “behind the scene.”  He also said that the “very caring Carnival Family” made everything much easier.

MSC Cruises has been matching the rewards programs of other cruise lines for years. It’s helped to bring over some new cruisers to the company, allowing them to enjoy some of the same perks they had elsewhere.

But now the cruise line has announced a partnership up with Wynn Las Vegas, giving more benefits to Wynn Rewards users.

According to today’s announcement, MSC Cruises is now the exclusive benefit partner for the resort and gaming company’s tiered loyalty program.

Tiered Benefits and “Yacht Club” Access

According to information on the Wynn Rewards Tier Benefits webpage, some of the benefits break down as follows:

• Platinum: Eligible for one annual complimentary cruise of up to 10 nights in an Oceanview Stateroom, plus $100 in onboard casino credit.
• Black: Eligible for one annual complimentary cruise of up to 10 nights in an Aurea Suite, plus $200 in onboard casino credit.
• Red: While not eligible for a “free” fare, entry-level members receive preferred pricing of a 30% discount on most sailings.

For top-tier guests, one of the big perks is the luxury experience of the MSC Yacht Club.

As mentioned in the announcement from MSC Cruises, this “ship-within-a-ship” concept is designed to deliver “privacy, personalized service, and elevated luxury unmatched at sea.” MSC Yacht Club features 24-hour butler service and private lounges.

Commitment to North America

MSC Cruises is the fastest growing cruise line in the world, and this partnership is just more proof that the cruise line is not slowing down. 

Today’s press release also mentions the cruise line’s commitment to growth in North America as a greater attempt is being made to broaden the brand and provide easier access to onboard new cruisers.

MSC also said the following regarding the collaboration:

“With significant investments across the region, including new ships, expanded itineraries, and state-of-the-art infrastructure, MSC Cruises continues to build momentum through innovation, growth, and premium partnerships.”

With the cruise line opening a new North American headquarters in PortMiami and expanding its homeports to include Galveston and Port Canaveral, this partnership just drives home what the company is trying to do: grow.

And the partnership with Wynn is a move to try to capture a demographic already used to fine-dining and gaming, so the hope is that loyal cruisers come from this.

Remember, even if you don’t stay at a Wynn’s resort on a regular basis you can still save up to 30% on an MSC cruise.  You just need to join the Wynn Rewards program.