Posts in category: Diplomacy

Azamara Cruises has partnered with Starboard to launch the first-ever shopping rewards program on cruise ships that will allow guests to earn rewards through retail purchases on their cruise.

The Azamara Shopping Rewards is a first-of-its-kind rewards program that’s designed to enhance the guest experience on Azamara sailings.

The new program enables members to earn rewards each time they make an eligible retail purchase onboard an Azamara ship.

Members can then visit the Azamara Shopping Rewards Ecommerce Marketplace to redeem their reward points for merchandise such as wine and luggage, culinary experiences, concert tickets, and travel offerings such as flights and hotels.

The collaboration reflects a shared vision among Starboard, Azamara Cruises, and ONE to create a more personalized and rewarding retail journey that drives engagement and onboard spend, while connecting travelers to meaningful experiences both at sea and ashore.

ONE leverages proprietary technology to develop and implement unique sales, marketing, and service solutions that unlock incremental value for companies, while increasing customer engagement and loyalty.

Lisa Bauer, President and CEO of Starboard, gave the following statement:

“We’re thrilled to launch the industry’s first retail rewards program with Azamara Cruises as our initial partner. A wonderful complement to the company’s Azamara Circle loyalty program, Azamara Shopping Rewards transforms onboard purchases into meaningful lifestyle and travel rewards that keep guests connected to Azamara long after their cruise ends.”

Azamara Cruises is one of the world’s leading destination-focused cruise lines with four ships in its fleet.

Starboard is one of the world’s leading vacation brands and can be found on 14 different cruise lines and 87 ships.

Starboard partners with Blue Dream, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Resorts World Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Star Cruises, TUI Cruises and Virgin Voyages.

They are also dedicated Luxury Division partners with Azamara, Crystal, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, Silversea and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

Royal Caribbean celebrated a major ship construction milestone today when its next new mega ship, Hero of the Seas, floated for the first time.

The float-out for the fourth Icon class ship at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, keeps the ship on schedule for its August 2027 debut.

More than 90 million gallons of water filled the dry dock overnight as Hero of the Seas moved out of dry dock and into the outfitting pier.

Hero of the Seas is the next evolution of the revolutionary Icon Class lineup, combining Royal Caribbean signature favorites with new experiences designed for guests of all ages.

The cruise ship will be divided into eight neighborhoods, and the vessel will have nine swimming pools and 28 dining spots. Dining will include the brand-new Orleans Parrish Supper Club, and accommodations will range from inside cabins to the three-deck Ultimate Family Treehouse.

The cruise ship will have thrills for all ages that include Crown’s Edge, part skywalk, part zip line experience 154 feet above the ocean.

The ship will offer ways to kick back at the new Coconut Cove pool and adults-only The Hideaway. The vessel will also have an unmatched lineup of dining, bars, and entertainment; families of all kinds can make lifelong memories together while they cruise on the newest mega ship in the world.

Casimir Lindholm, CEO of Meyer Turku, gave the following statement about the float-out:

“Hero of the Seas is another important milestone in the long-standing partnership between Meyer Turku and Royal Caribbean. Building consecutive Icon Class ships has enabled continuous development of our expertise, production processes and energy-efficient shipbuilding solutions together with our partners and thousands of shipbuilding professionals involved in the project. We are proud to see Hero of the Seas move one step closer to delivery.”

Hero of the Seas will sail seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from PortMiami, the Cruise Capital of the World. Every sailing on the ship will visit the cruise line’s award-winning private island, Perfect Day CocoCay in The Bahamas.

Hero of the Seas will be the 31st ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet when the vessel enters service in August 2027.

For many of us regular cruisers, just taking the stairs to go up 5 decks on a cruise ship is cause for a chocolate melting cake celebration.

And for those who cruise just to relax and not do anything for a while, the gym and running track on board might seem like a waste of space.

But for one trail running enthusiast out of Scotland, a cruise offered the perfect opportunity to complete an impressive feat: to run a marathon every day on a week-long cruise.

Paul Manson took his first-ever cruise on the Princess Cruises ship Enchanted Princess. Rather than take it easy and use the cruise as an excuse to rest his body, he pushed it to the limits in some of the Mediterranean’s most popular cruise ports.

In total, Paul ran 299.5 kilometers, or about 186 miles during the cruise, with at least one full marathon taking place on the ship during a sea day that took 185 laps to complete.

For most of us, just running a marathon once is something to brag about, but for this runner, every single day of the cruise offered an opportunity to run those 26.2 miles.

Paul ran a full marathon in each port the ship stopped in, including Rome, Naples, Kotor, Corfu, Olympia, and Sicily.

He told The Independent that he tried to be one of the first to get off the ship when it arrived in port, often aiming to be off the ship by around 7:00AM if possible.

This obviously took a lot of preplanning. He said he used Google Maps and the Strave app to calculate his routes.

Even though Paul can typically complete a marathon in about three and a half hours, most of his marathon times during the cruise were around five to six hours.

Paul said his Rome marathon took the longest to complete because he was also trying to get video of the sites along the way as well.

“Rome has a lot of steps and had the most to see. It was really good to explore but took longer to run. There were, at least, lots of water fountains on my route,” Paul told The Independent.

These ports didn’t always offer the easiest routes for a marathon run though. Paul said that Kotor in Montenegro was one of the most challenging places.

“I had considered staying down in the bay of Kotor but getting a marathon distance would have been more challenging due to the space. It was more of a challenge to head up into the cliffs so I took a 1,350 metre climb to get to the highest viewpoint and then ran back down to the bay. The trail going up was great but it was hard to follow the small roads going down, especially in 40 degree heat”, Paul stated to the news outlet.

After a long day of running in port, Paul said that he enjoyed grabbing a beverage and just enjoying the infinity pool on Enchanted Princess. He would soak in the pool, enjoying the view of the port he had just been running around.

That one sea day on the ship where Paul ran a full marathon using the ship’s running track, made him a sort of celebrity on board. After all, it’s hard not to notice the same guy running by your lounger 185 times while you just enjoy the sea breeze.

Paul said that a lot of other cruise passengers came up to him afterward, even calling him the “marathon man”, according to The Independent.

When asked if he would take a cruise again, Paul said he absolutely would and that having a comfortable ship to enjoy after a long day of running was ideal for him.

One item that Paul made to pack was extra running shoes, three pairs to be exact. He said that the sweat build up after a long marathon would make them damp and using another pair to let that first pair dry out was the way to go.

The runner also found out something we at Cruise Fever have talked about before: how using a GPS watch while running laps on a moving cruise ship can really mess up the numbers.

When running with the ship it will look like you’re running at lightning speed, but on the return trip toward the aft of the ship, it might look like you’re not moving at all.

One of the biggest concerns for Paul was just making it back to the ship on time. This was especially true in Kotor where the ship had to use tenders to transport passengers back to the main vessel.

“I knew I had to make sure I was back for the last tender otherwise the ship would have left without me,” Paul stated.

Paul Manson runs an active Youtube channel called The Random Runner.

Just two days into an 8-night sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas, passengers on the 3,114-guest cruise ship were left in the dark.

For at least half an hour, cabins lost lighting, main dining rooms were dimly lit by auxiliary lighting, and passengers were told to steer clear of elevators, as technicians worked to restore power to the ship.

The 25-year-old ship had just left Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day CocoCay at 4:00 PM on Saturday, September 5.  Passengers were getting ready for dinner when the lights suddenly went out.

Some passengers posted details of the ordeal on Facebook and Reddit. One guest staying in an interior cabin said that “everything went pitch black”.

The captain of the ship announced on the PA system that the vessel had lost power and would keep everyone informed if the crew was not able to restore power shortly.

Guests described passengers walking around with their phone flashlights on, although emergency lighting was working in main public areas and hallways.

Despite the temporary disruption, shipboard engineering teams resolved the issue within about 30 minutes or less, restoring full power to cabins, galleys, and public venues.

Some reports have stated the power was only out for 15 minutes, but this is due to the captain coming onto the ship’s intercom to state that if power was not restored in 15 minutes, he would give another announcement.

While no reason has been given for the power outage on Adventure of the Seas, this is a very rare incident for even this length of time.

On top of that, cruise ships have backup systems to make sure that all necessary areas of the ship are functioning as normal. In this case, backup generators did their job.

Thankfully, the brief blackout has not altered the ship’s planned itinerary or schedule.

Adventure of the Seas is continuing its 8-night Southern Caribbean voyage with upcoming port calls at Cabo Rojo-Pedernales in the Dominican Republic on September 7, Oranjestad, Aruba on September 8, and Willemstad, Curaçao on September 9, before returning to Port Canaveral on September 12.

When you have almost 9,000 square feet to enjoy in your very own suite on a cruise ship, you might feel like it’s a waste to even leave.  Throw in your very own private gym to enjoy as well, and this little slice of heaven feels a lot more like home, a very luxurious home.

That home happens to be on board the upcoming ultra-luxury vessel Seven Seas Prestige, scheduled to debut in December 2026.

For the first time in a decade, Regent Seven Seas Cruises is debuting a brand-new ship class, and the highlights of the ship are already making headlines.

The entire ship is built with luxury in mind, but it’s the Skyview Regent Suite that takes it to a whole new level.

Private Gym Right Outside Your Bed

No waiting for treadmills, no packing a gym bag, and no taking the elevator to the ship’s main fitness deck. Inside the Skyview Regent Suite, guests get access to a dedicated 161-square-foot private fitness studio right inside their room.

Regent packed the space with high-end Technogym gear, including:

• Technogym Bike Personal Live: Designed by Antonio Citterio for smooth cycling with dynamic virtual classes you can take right from the suite.
• Kinesis Personal Vision: A sleek wall unit offering over 200 exercises using full-gravity movement technology.
• Technogym Bench: A compact training station stocked with accessories.
• Technogym Visio: A smart display system providing guided, on-demand workout guidance.

Another perk of staying in this exclusive suite is that passengers receive two complimentary Serene Spa & Wellness treatments every day. And these treatments can be enjoyed in the main spa or even right in the suite itself (see a theme here?).

Inside the Rest of the Suite

When you aren’t working out, the rest of the 8,794-square-foot Skyview Regent Suite feels like a two-story mansion more than anything else. Here are a few highlights around the rest of the spacious area:

• Huge Outdoor Terrace: Over 3,700 square feet of private wraparound balcony space offering 270-degree ocean views.
• Two Floors & Private Elevator: There’s a floating stone staircase plus a private in-suite elevator to move easily between levels.
• In-Suite Spa & Sauna: A marble master bath with a hand-carved soaking tub and a private sauna. The in-suite luxuries just never end.
• Master Suite Views: Waking up is easy with floor-to-ceiling ocean views directly from a handcrafted Italian bed.
• VIP Access & Butler Service: Includes a dedicated personal butler, private cars and drivers in port, and exclusive access to The Study, a secret 12-seat dining room on Deck 11.

Fares for the Skyview Regent Suite start at $25,000 USD per night.

Main Gym on Prestige

Just because you have your own gym in your suite on the ship doesn’t mean you can’t also enjoy the largest gym in Regent’s history with the 6,006 square feet Serene Spa & Wellness Fitness Center.

Outfitted wall-to-wall in Technogym’s Mediterranean-inspired Sand Stone Collection, it includes dedicated spaces for yoga, Pilates, spinning, and high-tech progress tracking through Mywellness by Technogym.

Thermal Suite & First-Ever Salt Room

The complimentary thermal suite introduces Regent’s inaugural salt room too, along with saunas, steam rooms, a snow room, an aroma room, heated loungers, and a hydrotherapy pool.

The Ship Itself

While this article focuses on the in-suite gym and highlights of the Skyview Regent Suite, we can’t ignore what the rest of the ship has to offer.

Seven Seas Prestige is engineered with a really incredible guest-to-space ratio, coming in at 77,000 gross tons while accommodating just 822 guests across 411 all-balcony suites. This ship is about 40% larger than previous Regent vessels but only holds about 10% more guests. Regent really wanted to offer more space for each passenger on these luxurious sailings.

Beyond the fitness and spa amenities, the ship introduces a few other notable features:

• New Eating Spots: 11 total dining venues, including Azure (a new Mediterranean mezze-style concept) alongside fan favorites like Prime 7, Chartreuse, and Pacific Rim, and Compass Rose.
• Solara Sports Deck: An open-air top deck built for pickleball, golf practice, and outdoor exercise.
• Public Spaces: Public spaces like the art-infused Galileo’s Bar and the light-filled Starlight Atrium, and even the Constellation Theater for professional productions will all be available on the new ship.
• 12 Suite Categories: Even if you aren’t staying in the flagship Skyview Regent Suite, all accommodations feature private balconies. Options range from entry-level suites to brand-new categories like the two-story Grand Loft Suites, inspired by Lower Manhattan residences with floor-to-ceiling double-height windows.

The ship’s inaugural season kicks off December 13, 2026, with a 14-night transatlantic crossing from Barcelona to Miami, followed by sailings across the Caribbean, the Panama Canal, and Western Europe.

Norwegian Cruise Line has reached out to recent guests to inform them that they are working closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The reason? Three passengers who sailed aboard Norwegian Prima earlier this summer (May and July) were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, although the source of the exposure hasn’t yet been determined.

Here’s why the ship’s hot tubs are out of service, and how this news dropped after the ship scored an almost-perfect health rating with the CDC in June.

Three Passengers Contract Disease

Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria. People get it by inhaling tiny droplets of mist or steam that carry the bacteria.

And since warm water environments are the ideal breeding ground for Legionella, public hot tubs and spa whirlpools are usually the first places health officials check.

According to NCL, three passengers who traveled on Norwegian Prima during May and July 2026 were diagnosed after returning home.

The hard part of narrowing down how people get the disease is the fact that it can take up to two weeks for a person to show symptoms.

There still isn’t solid evidence showing that these three passengers came into contact with the bacteria on the ship.

Hot Tubs Shutdown

NCL clarified that the exact source of exposure has not been discovered just yet. It is still possible the cruise passengers came into contact with the bacteria somewhere else before or after their cruise.

So, the fact that the hot tubs are closed is only a precaution and not an indicator that the disease has been linked to them.

The notification sent to guests said:

“As a precaution, all public hot tubs and private balcony heated whirlpools will remain closed and will reopen only after sampling has been completed and any necessary remediation measures have been carried out in accordance with CDC guidelines.”

Norwegian Cruise Line swabbed and tested water sources throughout the 3,200-passenger ship, including showers, faucets, and other areas involving water.

The good news is that every single water test result returned so far has come back negative for Legionella.

The hot tubs will remain closed until more testing and cleaning procedures fully wrap up.

A Near-Perfect CDC Score in June

Just as news of this CDC investigation began making rounds, health inspection records show that Norwegian Prima earned a 99 out of 100 on its official CDC Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) inspection.

The surprise inspection took place on June 3, 2026 which was right in the middle of the timeframe when the three affected passengers sailed.

These inspections always include water tests, including hot tubs and other areas of the ship, but it can take a specialized lab test to find microscopic bacteria hiding in certain areas.

If you are sailing on Norwegian Prima soon, there is no need to panic. The vessel is operating normally, all dining and entertainment options are open, and routine water tests have come back clear.

The main inconvenience for now will simply be missing out on hot tub access while the CDC and NCL finish their investigation process.

Also important to note, most people exposed to Legionella do not get sick, and those who do typically recover well with standard antibiotics when treated early.

Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to impacted guests about a September 9, 2026 sailing on Carnival Splendor.  The Australian-based cruise ship will not be able to make its scheduled stop in Cairns due to “current channel depths”.

Carnival Splendor is currently running regular cruises out of Sydney, Australia and will remain in the South Pacific well into 2028.

Visits to ports like Airlie Beach, Willis Island, Moreton Island, and even occasional stops in New Zealand are all offered by the 3,000-passenger ship. Cairns, Australia is a big part of that schedule as well, with Carnival visiting the Queensland port a few times a month.

But a recent notification from the cruise line shows some safety issues with the port that make docking there off limits for now.

In a letter sent to affected passengers, Carnival stated:

“We have made an adjustment to the itinerary for your Carnival Splendor cruise, departing 9 September 2026. The Port of Cairns has advised that current channel depths have reduced and are now too shallow to allow for the safe passage of our ship to Cairns Cruise Terminal, and the issue will not be fixed before our planned visit.”

Because of the shallow depths in the channel at Cairns, the ship is going to anchor at Yorkeys Knob instead, which is about 9 miles away.

From there, a water shuttle will take passengers on shore so they can still visit the originally planned port.

So, the biggest change will just be some extra time in getting to local excursions and tours.

This September 9, 2026 sailing is a 9-day cruise that is also scheduled to visit Airlie Beach and Willis Island. Because of the extra time at Yorkeys Knob, these two port days will be swapped.

The letter stated that “pre-purchased shore excursions will be adjusted based on these changes.”

The channel at the Port of Cairns has always been somewhat narrow and shallow, too shallow for larger cruise ships. So, why can’t Splendor dock at Cairns now when it has before?

It’s most likely due to the simple fact that sea floors shift, and some sediment build-up could have raised the sea floor too much for safe passage. Heavy rains can also impact this, in addition to pauses in dredging.

Splendor has a draft of about 27 feet. This is the distance from the surface of the water to the bottom of the keel. But to safely navigate a channel or body of water, the ship needs more like 32 feet.  Apparently for now, there just isn’t enough space for the ship to operate safely

Margaritaville at Sea has added more benefits for guests who play in the casino on its cruise ships. Margaritaville at Sea Casino Players Club will offer guests more than ever before starting on October 1, 2026.

The cruise line is building on the four-tier Casino Players Club that was introduced last year. They offer four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

Margaritaville at Sea also offers status matching through its Casino Offer Match Program. This makes it easier for established casino players to get perks right from the start.

Qualified players can submit an existing casino offer from another cruise line or land-based casino for consideration, allowing Margaritaville at Sea to recognize their established casino value from the start rather than requiring them to begin from scratch.

The new benefits for casino players on Margaritaville at Sea include:

• Personalized Stateroom Welcome Gift: Gold and Platinum members receive a special welcome amenity upon arrival.
• Complimentary Wi-Fi: Gold members receive a Basic Wi-Fi package, while Platinum members receive a Premium Wi-Fi package.
• Personal VIP Host Service: Platinum members receive dedicated host service for a more personalized onboard experience.
• Annual Platinum Players Dinner and Event: An exclusive annual experience created specifically for Platinum members.
• Sail with Friends: Platinum members can receive an additional oceanview stateroom for two guests, extending the getaway to friends or family.
• Complimentary Laundry Service: Platinum members receive complimentary laundry service during their sailing.
• Complimentary Room Service: Platinum members receive complimentary room service during their sailing.

Members begin at Bronze upon joining, with Silver achieved at 1,000 cumulative tier points, Gold at 7,500 and Platinum at 15,000.

As players progress, benefits expand beyond casino perks to include onboard credits, complimentary packages, and special experiences.

Among the existing benefits, Silver, Gold, and Platinum members can receive up to $100 per sailing in spa, shore excursion, or arcade credits to experience onboard activities or simple relaxation.

In addition, complimentary fares are available for the player and up to three guests. As guests move up the tier rankings, they can receive free beverage packages, dining packages, VIP perks, and more.

David Gromak, Vice President and Head of Gaming at Margaritaville at Sea, gave the following statement:

“Whether someone has been playing with us for years or is considering Margaritaville at Sea for the first time, we want them to feel recognized and rewarded. Our Casino Offer Match program gives established players an easy way to experience Margaritaville at Sea for the first time, while these new benefits give our most loyal players even more value throughout their vacation, both inside and outside the casino.”