Diplomacy

Princess Cruises has revealed their 2027 cruises to Alaska that will open for bookings on August 12, 2025.

Princess Cruises will offer cruises to Alaska on eight ships in 2027 including a return of Star Princess to the 49th State. The cruise line also offers extended stays in Alaska at five wilderness lodges.

In total, Princess will sail 187 cruises to Alaska from the following five homeports:

• Seattle
• Vancouver
• Anchorage (Whittier)
• San Francisco
• Los Angeles

The cruises will take place on Star Princess, Coral Princess, Crown Princess, Discovery Princess, Emerald Princess, Island Princess, Royal Princess, and Ruby Princess.

The sailings will visit a total of 17 ports and offer four glacier viewing experiences. These include 85 calls to Glacier Bay National Park, more than any other cruise line.

Cruises from Seattle

Star Princess will sail weekly seven-day roundtrip voyages every Sunday.

Royal Princess will offer seven-day roundtrip sailings that include Glacier Bay National Park every Saturday.

Cruises from San Francisco

Ruby Princess will sail the 10-day Inside Passage itinerary from San Francisco with Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier.

Cruises from Vancouver, B.C.

Emerald Princess will offer a full season seven-day itinerary featuring Glacier Bay National Park or Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier.

Coral Princess, Crown Princess and Discovery Princess all sail six-, seven- eight-, and nine-day Inside Passage itineraries with Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier.

Coral Princess, Island Princess, Crown Princess and Discovery Princess will offer seven-day Voyage of the Glacier cruises that can be combined with extended stays to Denali National Park.

Los Angeles

Emerald Princess will sail two 16-day roundtrip Inside Passage voyages with Glacier Bay National Park.

Terry Thornton, Chief Commercial Officer, Princess Cruises, said the following about these new cruises:

“Few places captivate like Alaska – its beauty, its people and its sense of wonder. That’s why our team puts so much heart into every detail of our Alaska Season.

“For 2027, we’ve designed experiences to bring guests closer to the soul of the Great Land – closer to glaciers, closer to wildlife, and closer to local culture and communities both onboard and ashore – all in a way only Princess can deliver.

Princess Cruises is currently offering up to 40% off cruises with 3rd and 4th guests in a cabin sailing free on select voyages. If you book by August 18, 2025, you can receive a free cabin upgrade and deposits lowered to just $99 per person.

MSC Cruises has released new sailings to the Caribbean in 2026-2027 and the cruise line will have seven ships cruising in the region.

MSC Cruises is expanding their sailings to the Caribbean with more ships sailing to the world’s most popular cruise destination than ever before.

The cruises include year-round departures from Miami, Port Canaveral and Galveston.

Miami

MSC will have four ships offering cruises from Miami to the Caribbean for the 2026-2027 season.

MSC World America will continue to sail from Miami on seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

MSC Seaside will sail the shorter three- and four-night cruises to The Bahamas will all sailings visiting the cruise line’s private island, MSC Ocean Cay Marine Reserve.

MSC Meraviglia will offer six- and eight-night cruises to the Caribbean and The Bahamas.

MSC Poesia will sail a unique 19-day cruise through the Panama Canal to Miami on September 28, 2026. Once in Miami, the ship will sail longer 10- and 11-night cruises to the Caribbean.

Port Canaveral

MSC Grandiosa will offer seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean will all sailings visiting Ocean Cay.

MSC Seashore will offer shorter three- and four-night cruises to The Bahamas with visits to Nassau and Ocean Cay.

Galveston

MSC Seascape will sail week-long cruises to the Western Caribbean with port stops in Cozumel, Costa Maya and Roatan.

Lynn Torrent, President, MSC Cruises North America, gave the following statement about the cruise line’s deployment:

“More and more people are choosing to say ‘Let’s Holiday’ with MSC Cruises, whether they’re longtime cruisers or trying us out for the first time. Our commitment to the U.S. market and Miami is creating new options for our guests and generating exciting opportunities for our valued Travel Advisor partners.

“Deploying some of our newest and largest ships to an even wider variety of destinations gives vacationers more ways to enjoy our unique mix of European style and American comfort on everything from a quick weekend getaway to a once-in-a-lifetime voyage.”

Disney Cruise Line celebrated dual milestones this week on two future cruise ships that are currently under construction.

Disney’s next new cruise ship, Disney Destiny, touched water for the first time when the vessel was floated out of dry dock at the Meyer Werft Shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

The Disney Destiny left the hall for the first time on Saturday, August 9, floating out of Meyer Werft Shipyard and into the harbor.

Hero Minnie greeted the heroes and villains-themed ship as it inched aft-first out of the yard, led by Spider-Man and his Spider Bots on the stern.

Float out marks a significant milestone in the construction process and time-honored maritime tradition, meaning the ship is one step closer to setting sail for the first time.

Disney Destiny will be the third Wish class cruise ship from Disney.

Disney also celebrated the start of construction on their fourth, and currently unnamed, Wish class vessel when the first piece of steel was cut.

Joe Schott, president of Disney Signature Experiences, joined Philip Gennotte from Walt Disney Imagineering, Bernd Eikens from Meyer Werft and Cruise Director Carly Scott to cut the first piece of steel for the next addition to the Disney Cruise Line fleet. With the help of special guest Captain Mickey Mouse, sparks flew within the yard’s laser cutting room, revealing the shape of a Disney cruise ship.

Steel cutting is a revered maritime tradition dating back hundreds of years, meaning the construction process is underway for the ship that is expected to debut in 2027.

Like its sister ships the Disney Wish, Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny, the ship will be approximately 144,000 gross tons, accommodate 4,000 guests and be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

This is the first of four new ships recently announced by Disney Cruise Line. The cruise line has plans to launch a new class of ships in 2029 that will be smaller than the Wish class.

A waterslide in the world’s largest waterpark on a cruise ship has been shut down after a major malfunction. 

On August 7, 2025, a clear portion of a water slide shattered while a passenger was on it, causing injuries and leading to an immediate investigation.

It all happened on “The Frightening Bolt” waterslide, a major feature of the ship’s Category 6 Waterpark. The slide is famous for having the biggest drop at sea, at 46 feet tall, and for its trapdoor launch, which terrifies cruisers as the floor drops out beneath them.

But in this incident, the waterslide was frightening in other ways after a giant hole in the bottom of a slopped section started circulating online.

According to some social media reports, as an adult male guest was riding the slide, a clear acrylic panel broke, causing water to gush onto the deck below.

Passengers on the deck were soaked, but the biggest worries were for the person who had slid down the slide. Video of the incident quickly spread, showing panicked reactions from other passengers.

The unnamed guest suffered “skin laceration injuries from his legs to his hands,” but fortunately, did not fall through the unexpected hole.

Royal Caribbean provided the passenger with medical care and is being treated for his injuries.  The water slide and the surrounding area on Deck 15 have been closed for a full investigation.

The news quickly spread to online communities like Reddit.  Several comments provided details from passengers who were on the ship.

One user, who claimed to have a son on board, wrote, “My son is on the ship and watched the whole thing. It was an adult and he did not fall through the glass thank god. He was cut up very bad and taken away. Someone before him was also cut coming down but didn’t have a chance to relay that info back up before the next person came down.”

Other comments from passengers expressed similar concerns for the injured man.

A different user who was on the ship tried to clarify earlier reports and rumors that were spreading about the incident saying, “It wasn’t a kid. It was an adult and his son was suppose to go right after. We were suppose to go right after the kid.”

So, how did this happen?  After incidents like this many start playing the guessing game, but until the investigation is complete we will have to wait for confirmation.

Users online speculated about a number of possibilities, from a manufacturing or material defect to the effects of constant use and environmental factors. One user noted the location of the break, saying, “Just the location of the hole is a strange place for it to fail.”

Another user, responding to a theory about a passenger causing the damage, stated, “Don’t matter if they took a hammer and banged on it. It shouldn’t fail.”

When it comes to offering cruises to Alaska, no other cruise line has been doing it longer than Holland America Line.  In fact, in just a couple years Holland America will be celebrating 80 years of sailing to the 49^th U.S. state.

Today, the cruise line announced it will be offering more than 100 Alaskan cruises from April to September 2027.  Six ships will be deployed to the popular cruise destination with sailings from 7 to 28 days in duration.

To mark the 80th anniversary season, Holland America is offering various itineraries for cruisers to experience Alaska’s glaciers and wildlife.

Guests can choose cruises that sail roundtrip from either Seattle, Washington, or Vancouver, British Columbia. There will also be one-way voyages between Vancouver and Whittier, Alaska.

The six Holland America Line ships sailing to Alaska for the 2027 season are:

• Eurodam
• Koningsdam
• Nieuw Amsterdam
• Noordam
• Westerdam
• Zaandam

New and Returning Itineraries

For the 2027 season, Holland America is introducing a new 8-day “Alaska Inside Passage” cruise that sails roundtrip from Vancouver.

This trip includes a visit to Glacier Bay and stops in ports like Skagway, Ketchikan, and Juneau, with a late-night departure from the capital city.

The popular 28-day “Legendary Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice” cruise will also make a comeback, offering extra time during the summer solstice.

Land and Sea Experiences

Holland America is also improving its Cruisetours, which combine a cruise with a multi-day land journey.

The 2026 “Ultimate Alaska & Denali” Cruisetours will now include a dedicated Tour Director, a two-night stay at the Holland America Denali Lodge, and a complimentary visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

The 2027 Cruisetours will be available to book later this fall.

Every Alaska cruise is guaranteed to include a visit to an iconic glacier. During the scenic cruising of Glacier Bay, a National Park Ranger will be on board to talk with guests.

Booking Deals

The cruise line will also have a wildlife expert on each ship to help guests spot animals and know what kind of animals to even look for in certain areas. It also announced it will continue its Global Fresh Fish Program, serving locally sourced seafood to passengers within 48 hours of it being caught. 

For a limited time, those who book 2027 cruises with the Have It All package will get extra perks, including free prepaid crew appreciation and upgrades to the Elite Beverage Package and Premium Wi-Fi.

Members of the Mariner Society loyalty program can also receive up to a $400 onboard credit as an early booking bonus.

These cruises are currently available for booking on Holland America’s website here (non-affiliated link)

Scoring an 81 in Chemistry class in high school might be a passing grade, but in the world of CDC cruise ship inspections, it’s low enough to earn a failing grade.

For the residents of the Odyssey, the promise was simple: a three-and-a-half-year journey around the world on a ship they could call home. But a recent failed health inspection by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the latest in a series of setbacks for the vessel and its operator, Villa Vie Residences.

This story is more than just a bad score; it’s a look at the challenges of converting an older ship into a full-time home for 900+ residents.

The Failed Inspection and its Findings

On July 9, 2025, the Odyssey was inspected by the CDC and received a score of 81, the lowest inspection score of the year so far.

A passing grade is 86 and a few ships this year barely scrapped by. The inspection report revealed numerous issues, with the most serious concerns centered on the ship’s potable water system.

Read more: 15 cruise ships that scored a perfect 100 this year so far

The report indicated that during water bunkering operations, chlorine levels in the drinking water were consistently below the required minimum and that no corrective action was taken. A major safety hazard was also identified: a drain line from the water purification system was hard-piped to a gray water tank, creating a risk of cross-contamination.

Other issues were found throughout the ship, including:

• Food Safety and Equipment: Inspectors found a greasy waffle iron stored with clean items, along with several refrigerators and other food-holding units that were out of service.  One note stated that some food was held at unsafe temperatures (like cream at 56°F).
• General Maintenance: Problems with poor deck conditions, dusty overhead areas, and standing water were noted. Even the swimming pools were cited for not having proper safety signs and depth markers.
• Pest Control: The presence of fruit flies in a pantry pointed to a pest control problem.

The Ship’s Troubled Past

The Odyssey is not a new ship, and it hasn’t been smooth sailing for a while. It’s a 30-year-old vessel that has sailed under different names and owners, most recently as the MS Braemar. Villa Vie Residences purchased it in late 2023 with the goal of converting it into a residential cruise ship.

This conversion process, however, had its bumps along the way.

The ship’s maiden voyage, which was supposed to start in May 2024, was delayed multiple times due to technical issues, including problems with the rudder stocks.

The company’s founder, Mikael Petterson, has openly discussed the difficulties of reactivating a 30-year-old ship that had been sitting around for several years.

So, What’s Next?

The Odyssey is now out of U.S. waters, so a re-inspection won’t happen until it returns to a U.S. port.

However, the company is required to fix all the problems found in the report. Petterson has pointed out that many of the issues are a result of the ship’s age and design, as it wasn’t built to today’s U.S. public health standards.

He has also noted that the ship has passed other health inspections since leaving Europe. The company states it is taking the feedback seriously and is confident a future inspection will result in a passing score.