Diplomacy

Carnival Corporation reported third-quarter 2025 results this morning and it was described by CEO Josh Weinstein as “a phenomenal quarter delivering all-time high net income and our tenth consecutive quarter of record revenues.”

 The cruise company posted net income of $1.9 billion and revenues of $8.2 billion.

Key Financial Numbers

• Net income of $1.9 billion, or $1.33 diluted earnings per share, breaking previous records.
• Adjusted net income of $2.0 billion, or $1.43 adjusted EPS, surpassing June guidance by $182 million.
• Revenues reached $8.2 billion, representing the tenth consecutive quarter of record revenues.
• Adjusted return on invested capital reached 13%, the highest in nearly 20 years.
• Successful refinancing of $4.5 billion in debt and additional $0.7 billion prepaid.
• Bookings for 2026 track at record levels seen in 2025, with historically high prices.
• Fuel consumption per available lower berth day decreased 5.2%, improving efficiency.

Comments from the CEO

Weinstein mentioned, “Strong demand and onboard spending drove a 4.6% improvement in net yields (in constant currency), all achieved on a same-ship basis.” He also noted the successful opening of Celebration Key, Carnival’s exclusive private destination, which has been well received by passengers.

What’s Driving These Numbers?

Carnival’s results show that the popularity of cruising is only growing stronger.  The company has also been helped by adding the popular Excel-class in addition to the new private destination that has been getting a lot of media buzz since it recently opened.

Going Forward

With full-year 2025 adjusted net income guidance raised for the third time, Carnival expects nearly 55% growth year over year.

Q4 adjusted net income is forecast to rise more than 60% compared to the same period last year, showing that demand isn’t backing down and that people are still booking vacations well into 2026 and beyond.

MSC Cruises is giving an 17-year-old ship a massive makeover.  MSC Poesia was built in 2008 and was the very first MSC cruise ship I ever sailed on over 12 years ago.  It was a beautiful ship then but has been in need of some updates for a while now.

MSC has revealed that the 3,605-max capacity ship will soon debut the cruise line’s award-winning MSC Yacht Club, along with a host of new dining, wellness, and entertainment options.  Then the vessel will look forward to voyages in Alaska, the Caribbean, and beyond.

The ship is currently scheduled for a dry dock in February of 2026, and the enhancements should be done before the May 2026 season in Alaska.

MSC Yacht Club Coming to Poesia

For the first time on MSC Poesia, passengers will be able to experience the MSC Yacht Club, the cruise line’s exclusive, all-inclusive “ship-within-a-ship” concept. This private sanctuary offers:

• 63 new suites across five categories, including a lavish Royal Suite with a private whirlpool, expansive terrace, and panoramic ocean views.
• A dedicated private sundeck featuring cabanas, whirlpools, and a grill & bar.
• The Top Sail Lounge, a quiet deck retreat with floor-to-ceiling windows, live music, and premium drinks.
• An exclusive MSC Yacht Club Restaurant, with special menus and that extra special service.

Each suite includes marble-finished bathrooms, embroidered towels, a Nespresso machine, a complimentary minibar, and 24-hour butler and concierge service.

New and Upgraded Dining

MSC Poesia’s dining variety is getting an upgrade as well.  It will include brand-new specialty restaurants:

• Butcher’s Cut – a classic American-style steakhouse featuring premium cuts of beef.
• Kaito Sushi Bar – reimagined with refined Far East–inspired décor and an elevated sushi selection.
• All-Stars Sports Bar – a lively venue to watch games, enjoy snacks, and play bar-style games with friends.

Wellness and Fitness 

The ship’s wellness and fitness centers are also receiving a modernized facelift:

• MSC Aurea Spa – refreshed with an Ocean View Sauna, salt room, steam rooms, and an expanded relaxation space.
• MSC Gym Powered by Technogym– offering new state-of-the-art equipment, a yoga room, and ocean-facing exercise spaces. Active guests can also enjoy a jogging track, basketball court, and tennis courts.

Upcoming Itineraries

Following the upgrades, MSC Poesia will embark on some new itineraries as well, including its inaugural Alaska season in summer 2026.

Seven-night itineraries from Seattle will sail through the Inside Passage with stops in Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Tracy Arm, and Juneau.

Other highlights include:

• Winter 2026/2027 Caribbean & Central America cruises roundtrip from Miami, featuring ports in Jamaica, Colombia, Costa Rica, Aruba, Curaçao, and Belize.
• Panama Canal Grand Voyages sailing between Seattle and Miami.

After priority bookings sold out in just six minutes, bookings on Celebrity River Cruises open to the general public for the first time.

Seven-night cruises on Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker in 2027 are now open for bookings. These are the first two of 10 river ships from Celebrity Cruises.

Celebrity River Cruises has announced 33 seven-night cruises on the Rhine and Danube for 2027, their first year of offering river cruises.

The ships will have eight restaurants and bars with five different cabin options to choose from.

They will also feature revolutionary open decks and have the most useable outdoor space of any river ships in Europe.

There will be a top-deck bar and grille and the first ever cantilevered dining pods.

In the aft of the ship, there will be an infinity pool that will offer great views as you sail through Europe.

The following is included in all cruise fares on Celebrity River Cruises:

• All dining
• All drinks
• WiFi
• A shore excursion in every port

You can take a first look at these brand new ships from Celebrity River Cruises here.

Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises, said the following:

“We are thrilled to open remaining inventory on 2027 Celebrity River Cruises sailings, following Priority Booking Access selling out earlier this month in just six minutes.

“The response to the innovative design and unmatched experience Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker will deliver has been overwhelmingly positive. Guests are going to love sailing Europe’s Rhine and Danube rivers The Celebrity Way on our fleet of elevated, cutting-edge ships.”

Royal Caribbean has begun to release their opening cruise ship deployment schedule for cruises that will set sail in 2027-2028.

Royal Caribbean releases new cruises during the fall each year. They release them in waves based on where the cruise ships will be sailing to.

The first of these 2027-2028 sailings will be released the week of October 20, 2025. Here’s a look at when new Royal Caribbean cruises will be announced.

Royal Caribbean’s 2027-28 Opening Deployment Schedule

• Alaska – Week of October 20, 2025
• Europe – Week of October 27, 2025
• Seven-night and short Caribbean year-round cruises – Week of November 3, 2025
• Northeast, California and Texas – Week of November 10, 2025
• Seasonal Caribbean – Week of November 17, 2025
• Australia – TBD
• China – TBD
• Singapore – TBD

Cruise Fever will have all of these new cruises from Royal Caribbean when they are released by the cruise line.

Disney Cruise Line has made a last-minute itinerary change for the 4,000-passenger Disney Wish cruise ship.  The Wish-class vessel is scheduled to depart from Port Canaveral, and the change has been made to keep the guests and crew safe from an incoming storm.

The “Halloween on the High Seas” sailing on Disney Wish is being rerouted due to the developing tropical weather system, currently known as Invest 94L.

The system is forecasted to move into The Bahamas this weekend and is expected to bring tropical storm-force winds to the area.

Nassau Canceled, Castaway Cay Moved Up

The original three-night cruise was scheduled to visit Nassau, followed by a day at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. To avoid the bad weather, the cruise line has removed the Nassau stop entirely and moved the Castaway Cay visit up by one day.

Impacted passengers received notification from the cruise line just one day before their ship was set to leave port, giving the new schedule:

• Friday, Sept. 26 – Depart Port Canaveral (unchanged)
• Saturday, Sept. 27 – Visit Disney Castaway Cay (moved up from Sunday)
• Sunday, Sept. 28 – Day at Sea (replaces Castaway Cay visit)
• Monday, Sept. 29 – Return to Port Canaveral (unchanged)

The departure and return times to Port Canaveral remain unchanged.

What Guests Need to Know

• Refunds for Nassau: Any pre-booked excursions booked through the cruise line in Nassau will be automatically canceled and fully refunded to the guest’s onboard account.
• Castaway Cay Rescheduled: Reservations for excursions on Castaway Cay are being automatically adjusted from Sunday to the new Saturday port day.
• Fun Still Onboard:  Disney Wish is currently sailing with its “Halloween on the High Seas” theme, featuring special activities like trick-or-treating, costume parties, themed decor, and meet-and-greets with characters. The added “Day at Sea” on Sunday will allow guests more time to enjoy the ship.

Weather Outlook

According to the National Hurricane Center, Invest 94L has a high chance of strengthening into a tropical depression or storm in the next few days. Cruise lines are monitoring the system and adjusting routes as needed, so pay attention to your email and other forms of communication if you have a sailing in this region of the world this week or next.

Princess Cruises took delivery of their newest and second Sphere class cruise ship, Star Princess.

Star Princess is the 17th cruise ship in the cruise line’s fleet and the delivery ceremony took place at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

The Star Princess handover ceremony was attended by Gus Antorcha, President of Princess Cruises; Star Princess Captain Gennaro Arma; Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri; Biagio Mazzotta, President and Chairman of Fincantieri; Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of the Fincantieri Merchant Ships Division; Cristiano Bazzara, Director of the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, and local government officials.

Gus Antorcha, Princess Cruises President, gave the following statement:

“Today is a proud moment for Princess as we welcome the new Star Princess to our incredible fleet. This remarkable vessel is a testament to the innovation and craftsmanship of our long-standing partners at Fincantieri, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to the shipbuilding team for bringing our newest ship to life.”

Star Princess will sail its inaugural cruise on October 4, 2025, an 11-day sailing to the Western Mediterranean from Barcelona.

After a short series of cruise in Europe, Star Princess will reposition to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in early November. Once in Florida, the ship will sail to the Caribbean for the winter 2025-2026 season.

In the spring of 2026, Star Princess will head to Seattle and offer cruises to Alaska.

Disney Cruise Line’s next new cruise ship, Disney Destiny, left the shipyard last night after two years of construction.

Disney Destiny departed from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany for its conveyance, the process of transporting a ship to the open ocean for the first time.

The cruise ship will sail down 20 miles of the Ems River. Once the journey is complete, Disney Destiny will undergo sea trials out of Eemshaven, Netherlands.

Sea trials are a series of tests to make sure the ship is seaworthy ahead of its two-week Transatlantic cruise.

Finishing touches will also be completed ahead of the ship’s debut in exactly two months.

Disney Destiny will debut on November 20, 2025. The ship will homeport in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida sailing four- and five-night cruises to The Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Disney Destiny will be the 3rd Wish class ship from Disney Cruise Line, currently the largest class in their fleet.