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Nine tourists have been left on a remote island in Africa, after their cruise ship left them behind.

Seven Americans and two Australians were on a private shore excursion on Sao Tome and Principe when their return to Norwegian Dawn was delayed. Eight guests were on one delayed tour, while another had visited a local hospital after a separate excursion.

The tour operator for the delayed excursion apparently called the cruise ship to inform the captain of the delay, but when the guests waited for a tender to get them back to the ship, one wasn’t sent.

The coast guard on the island tried to help the passengers, but the ship refused them permission to board, and sailed away leaving the passengers behind.

Two of the passengers have been speaking to news outlets and have reported that, in the group, there are several older passengers, one of whom has a heart condition. There is also a paraplegic guest and a pregnant woman.

On the afternoon of March 27, 2024, while the ship was in Sao Tome and Principe, an African island nation, eight guests who were on the island on their own or with a private tour missed the last tender back to the vessel, therefore not meeting the all aboard time of 3 p.m. local time.

While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily communication and posted just before exiting the vessel.

Guests are responsible for any necessary travel costs to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call. When the guests did not return to the vessel at the all-aboard time, their passports were delivered to the local port agents to retrieve when they returned to the port.

Our team has been working closely with the local authorities to understand the requirements and necessary visas needed if the guests were to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call. We are in communication with the guests and providing additional information as it becomes available.”

Norwegian Cruise Line Statement

The passengers are now trying to negotiate a return to the ship – with the help of the US Embassy they flew to Gambia on Sunday, but they were waiting for confirmation from NCL that they would be allowed back onboard.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

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Norwegian Cruise Line has made two announcements this week that could be extremely frustrating to guests, with a number of cruises cancelled and one cruise badly affected by upgrade works.

The first announcement was a significant redeployment of the cruise line’s ships for 2025, which will impact cruises on seven ships.

These include Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Star, Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Viva.

Select cruises for each of these ships have now been cancelled, with various reasons given – some are due to the continuing issues in the Red Sea, some are full ship charters, and some are due to the cruise line wanting to send more of the fleet to the Panama Canal.

Guests who were booked on these cruises will now receive a full refund along with a 10% Future Cruise Credit to apply to any other cruise with NCL before 31st December 2025.

The full list of cancellations are:

• Norwegian Epic – 1st November and 11th November 2025 sailings
• Norwegian Jade – 20th February, 4th March, 13th March and 24th March 2025 sailings
• Norwegian Pearl – 19th April, 5th May, 16th May, 27th May, 5th June and 15 October 2025 sailings
• Norwegian Sky – all sailings between 19th April and 5th June 2025
• Norwegian Spirit – 1st January 2025 sailing
• Norwegian Star – 17th May, 29th May and 9th June 2025 sailings
• Norwegian Viva – 18th May, 27th May, 20th September and 29th September 2025 sailings

If that wasn’t frustrating enough for NCL guests, another announcement could be extremely disappointing for guests on the Norwegian Viva’s transatlantic cruise set to depart on 7th April 2024.

While that cruise is going ahead, the cruise line has written to guests to let them know that several areas of the ship will be closed during the cruise, as they are being upgraded.

While most of the enhancements have not been disclosed, the cruise line has announced that the Speedway Bar will be converted to Entourage, a hangout space for teenagers.

Other closed areas of the ship include part of Galaxy’s Pavilion (the TV gaming space), the Tee-Time minigolf course, The Wave (a popular water slide) and some other gaming spaces.

The cruise line did say that, if any of the areas could reopen during the cruise, they would and announcements would be made onboard.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

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Carnival Corporation has announced that it has placed an order for another Excel-class ship for the Carnival Cruise Line fleet, due to set sail in 2028.

The ship will be the fifth Excel-class ship sailing for the Carnival brand and the 11th built by the corporation overall.

She will be capable of carrying over 6,400 guests and 1,800 crew like her sisters, and she will also be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), the cleaner fuel type that the rest of the Excel-class ships are currently using.

There are currently three Excel-class ships sailing for Carnival – Mardi Gras (2021), Carnival Celebration (2022) and Carnival Jubilee (2023). A fourth has already been confirmed and will arrive one year earlier than the newest-announced vessel, in spring 2027.

Carnival’s Excel-class fleet will soon be a quintet of these very popular ships that provide outstanding guest amenities and tremendous operating efficiencies. Since the introduction of Mardi Gras in 2021 and the subsequent expansion with Carnival Celebration in 2022 and Carnival Jubilee in 2023, these Excel-class ships are driving excitement, demand, and strong guest satisfaction ratings.

Christine Duffy, Carnival Cruise Line president

Neither the fourth or fifth ships have had their names revealed yet, with details like that typically being announced between 18 months and 3 years before the ships are completed.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

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I love a new cruise ship – there’s always something to get excited about. Even if it’s a sister ship to one that’s already sailing, there are normally a few new features, or at least the chance to experience that class of ship in some new destinations.

And in 2025, we’re hardly getting shortchanged – there’s an impressive 15 new cruise ships due to launch that year, although one of them is a little different from anything I’ve heard of before.

Let’s take a look at all 15 cruise ships that are due to launch in 2025, though be aware, delays aren’t uncommon and some of these could slip into 2026.

1. Mein Schiff Relax

• Cruise line: TUI Cruises
• Gross Tonnage: 160,000
• Capacity: 3,894
• Expected delivery: March 2025

Mein Schiff Relax is scheduled to be the eighth ship in the TUI Cruises fleet, primarily aimed at the German cruise market (though it’s far from exclusive and anyone’s welcome to book).

She’ll be quite distinct from the seven ships that have come before her, as she’ll be the first in the new InTUItion class.

Apart from being almost 50% bigger, she’ll have new features to look forward to, including single occupancy cabins for the first time on a TUI ship, and the beautiful Freedom Suite – a two-storey option that sleeps up to six guests.

She’ll also be the first TUI ship to be powered by LNG, a cleaner fuel type. She’s due to be joined by a sister ship in 2026.

2. MSC World America

• Cruise line: MSC Cruises
• Gross Tonnage: 215,863
• Capacity: 6,762
• Expected delivery: April 2025

The second World Class ship to launch for MSC Cruises, MSC World America will join MSC World Europa as the largest ships in the fleet.

She’ll also be the biggest MSC Cruises ship to sail around the Caribbean, offering cruises to the eastern and western sides of the region from Miami, including visits to MSC’s private island Ocean Cay Marine Reserve.

She’ll continue the trend of recent MSC ships to blend innovative tech with sleek, modern design. There’ll be more than 30 bars, lounges and restaurants where guests can unwind, along with a host of leisure facilities including the MSC SportPlex with rollerskate arena, and plenty of live entertainment in the theatres and lounges, along with pop-up experiences all over the ship.

3. Norwegian Aqua

• Cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line
• Gross Tonnage: 156,000
• Capacity: 3,550
• Expected delivery: April 2025

Norwegian Cruise Line is set to introduce a new sub-class of ship with Norwegian Aqua. She’ll be the first Prima Plus ship, taking the design of the existing Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Aqua and expanding upon it.

Norwegian Aqua won’t be the biggest ship in the fleet – the Breakaway Plus subclass keeps that title – but she will offer a huge range of exciting features.

Chief among those will be the Aqua Slidecoaster, the world’s first combination rollercoaster and waterslide (not just at sea, but anywhere in the world!).

Guests can also look forward to relaxing in the sumptuous Infinity Beach area, bracing the glass-floored Oceanwalk, and the most luxurious Haven accommodations yet.

Norwegian Aqua will offer sailings from New York, Port Canaveral and Miami, with itineraries including calls at NCL’s private resort Great Stirrup Cay.

4. Allura

• Cruise line: Oceania Cruises
• Gross Tonnage: 68,000
• Capacity: 1,200
• Expected delivery: May 2025

Typically, when a cruise line names a class after a ship, it’s the first ship in that class given the naming right. Typically, but not always. Oceania is making an exception, as Allura is set to become the second ship in the new Allura Class, following her sister ship Vista which launched in 2023.

Expect a continuation of everything that makes Oceania’s ships so great, including incredible dining options as part of The Finest Cuisine at Sea.

There’ll also be beautiful luxury accommodations that you can book, and exciting experiences. Allura will have a focus on mixology, with “experiential beverage carts” taking cocktails to whole new levels.

Allura’s inaugural season will include sailings in the Eastern Mediterranean and then around the Americas.

5. American Patriot

• Cruise line: American Cruise Lines
• Gross Tonnage: TBA
• Capacity: 125
• Expected delivery: June 2025

American Cruise Lines is a smaller cruise company based in the US (and before you say “duh”, Norwegian Cruise Line ISN’T based in Norway, even if it was founded there, so it’s a valid point…).

They offer a mix of coastal and Great Lakes cruises, and American Patriot will be the first of two new Coastal Cat ships, part of a new Patriot Class.

She’s set to offer cruises in the New England region, and will accommodate up to 125 guests across just 56 suites, all of which have a private balcony. Her inaugural sailing will be a 14-night cruise from Boston.

6. Viking Vesta

• Cruise line: Viking Cruises
• Gross Tonnage: 47,000
• Capacity: 998
• Expected delivery: July 2025

Viking Vesta will be the 12^th ocean cruise ship in the Viking fleet – this is one company that loves to build a large fleet, as we’ve already seen with their river cruise arm.

Like her sister ship Viking Vela, which launches in December 2024, she’ll be larger than the previous 10 ships in the fleet, though not by much – she will still offer a luxury experience for under 1,000 guests.

Expect the same high-class facilities as you’d find across the rest of the fleet, including several bars and lounges, a main dining room and two speciality restaurants, a winter garden and two separate pool decks. She’ll also feature stunning accommodations including the Owner’s Suite, which has its own private library, an ocean-view dry sauna and more.

Viking Vesta will offer cruises all across Europe in her inaugural season.

7. Luminara

• Cruise line: Ritz-Carlton Yacht Cruises
• Gross Tonnage: 46,750
• Capacity: 452
• Expected delivery: July 2025

Luminara will be the third superyacht sailing for Ritz Carlton, the company that also owns several of the most luxurious hotels around the world.

She will have 226 suites available to guests with an incredible space ratio, including two categories of suite that have 1,000 square feet of space.

The ship will feature five restaurants and six bars, as well as a wine vault for the wine connoisseurs out there. She’ll also feature an expanded marina, allowing guests to enjoy even more water sports activities directly from the ship.

Her maiden season will be spent in the Mediterranean.

8. Star Princess

• Cruise line: Princess Cruises
• Gross Tonnage: 175,500
• Capacity: 4,300
• Expected delivery: August 2025

The third ship named Star Princess to have sailed for Princess Cruises over the years, this latest vessel will set sail in the second half of 2025 and join Sun Princess in the Sphere Class.

It’s expected that she’ll be an almost identical twin, though Princess Cruises may have some surprises up their sleeves as we get closer to her launch.

She’ll have a huge range of bars and restaurants available and 1,500 cabins with balconies. She’ll also be the second Princess ship to be powered by LNG.

The Signature Suites return, as does the impressive dome, where guests can enjoy a wide variety of entertainment throughout their cruise. Her inaugural season will include cruises throughout Europe.

9. Star of the Seas

• Cruise line: Royal Caribbean
• Gross Tonnage: 250,800
• Capacity: 7,600
• Expected delivery: August 2025

Royal Caribbean has a habit of making very small adjustments to cruise ship sizes when new ships are launched within a class – so, while it is yet to be confirmed, there’s a good chance that Star of the Seas will be the standalone biggest cruise ship in the world when she arrives in 2025.

Failing that, she’ll share the title with her sister ship, Icon of the Seas.

We do know that Star of the Seas won’t be an identical twin when it comes to the features onboard, but we don’t yet know what the differences will be.

She will still retain many of the features that Icon of the Seas guests already love, including the Category 6 waterpark, the Swim & Tonic bar and so much more.

Star of the Seas will sail from Port Canaveral and offer cruises to both the Eastern and Western Caribbean, with every cruise including a visit to the private island Perfect Day at CocoCay.

10. Celebrity Xcel

• Cruise line: Celebrity Cruises
• Gross Tonnage: 141,000
• Capacity: 3,260
• Expected delivery: November 2025

The next and perhaps final ship in Celebrity Cruises’ Edge Class is Celebrity Xcel, set to debut in the Caribbean in late 2025.

While we don’t know a huge amount of detail yet. Celebrity Cruises has said that the ship will blend all the best bits of the Edge Class with some new experiences that will “change the game all over again”, so I can’t wait to see what those involve.

You can view the Celebrity Xcel deck plans already but they are mostly covered up with a “Coming Soon” notice. It does confirm that the Magic Carpet, the moving bar that’s attached to the side of the ship, will be present.

11. American Pioneer

• Cruise line: American Cruise Lines
• Gross Tonnage: TBA
• Capacity: 125
• Expected delivery: November 2025

The second of the new Patriot Class ships for American Cruise Lines, American Pioneer will debut six months after her sister ship the American Patriot. Like her sister, she’ll offer comfortable accommodation in the biggest suites for the cruise line.

The new ships will also feature the very best in stabilisers, designed by Rolls Royce, along with special designs to make sure that the coastal cruises are as smooth as can be, even when the seas aren’t particularly calm.

American Pioneer will sail around the Florida Coast and Florida Keys, with the maiden voyage being a 14-night cruise from Jacksonville to St. Petersburg.

12. Disney Adventure

• Cruise line: Disney Cruise Line
• Gross Tonnage: 208,000
• Capacity: 6,000
• Expected delivery: TBA 2025

In 2016, Disney Cruise Line announced two new ships that would ultimately become the Wish Class, with a third ship confirmed in 2017.

But amongst that, an opportunity arose – Dream Cruises, a company owned by Genting Hong Kong, went out of business and put its under-construction ship Global Dream up for sale. Disney bought it, and is now putting the finishing touches to what will be the Disney Adventure.

She’s set to be the biggest Disney cruise ship by quite some margin – the Wish Class ships are all around 144,000 GT,

While we don’t know a huge amount about the ship, we know that she will be based out of Singapore for her inaugural season, and will serve the Southeast Asian market throughout the year.

13. Disney Destiny

• Cruise line: Disney Cruise Line
• Gross Tonnage: 144,000
• Capacity: 4,000
• Expected delivery: TBA 2025

That third Wish-class ship I mentioned above is also due for delivery in 2025, and is set to be called Disney Destiny.

She will have a Heroes & Villains theme, and will feature a range of encounters with characters from movies like The Lion King, Hercules, and One Hundred and One Dalmatians – plenty for guests young and old to get excited about!

Beyond that, we don’t know a huge amount of detail yet, but expect that she’ll feature a version of the AquaMouse attraction at sea, along with several themed kids’ club areas drawing on the Disney, Pixar and Marvel universes.

14. Four Seasons Yacht

• Cruise line: Four Seasons
• Gross Tonnage: TBA
• Capacity: Approximately 200
• Expected delivery: TBA 2025

Four Seasons has decided to follow in the footsteps of Ritz Carlton and move from the luxury hotels game into the world of cruising, with the launch of its first superyacht later in 2025.

But there’s a catch, which makes this quite unique from a cruising perspective – for the initial season at least, cruises are by invitation only.

So, you won’t be able to book onto a cruise unless Four Seasons invites you, with priority going to loyal hotel guests.

This is shaping up to be a seriously special ship. She is being designed around immersive luxury experiences and will have just 95 suites, with the best being the Funnel Suite.

This stunning accommodation option will be the first four-storey suite at sea, with a huge outdoor terrace and an incredible 9,500 square feet of space. That’s considerable, seeing as the suite is designed for a maximum of six guests.

The ship will have a massive 20-metre (66 feet) pool, a marina that stretches the entire length of the ship, and plenty of space to relax with a glass of Champagne and some fine dining. She will sail in both the Mediterranean and the Caribbean when she launches.

15. World Seeker

• Cruise line: Mystic Cruises
• Gross Tonnage: 9,934
• Capacity:  Approximately 200
• Expected delivery: TBA 2025

The World Seeker is a delayed cruise ship that is expected to launch at some point in 2025. She’s designed as an expedition ship, and will offer cruises in the polar regions.

Mystic Cruises doesn’t reveal a huge amount about its fleet of ships, even those already sailing for the cruise line.

But you can expect luxurious service and comfortable accommodations in both balcony and infinite suites, and signature dining with menus designed by renowned chefs.

I’ll keep you updated if the cruise line reveals any more information on the ship, including a more specific debut date.

To Conclude

There’s a real mix of ships due to launch in 2025, including a new biggest ship in the world, some fantastic luxury cruise ships, and some that are packed with family-friendly activities.

It’s going to be an exciting year, that’s for sure, so let’s cross our fingers that all the ships on this list launch as planned.

Bookings are already open for many of them, so don’t hang about – inaugural seasons sell out quickly and you’ll want to secure your place if you want to be one of the first onboard.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me

The Port of Baltimore has suspended cruise operations during the state of emergency, following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

In the early hours of the morning on 26th March 2024, a large container ship named Dali struck a support pier for the bridge, which resulted in the entire structure collapsing.

At the time of writing, there are still six people missing, believed to be construction crew repairing potholes on the bridge.

The bridge is key infrastructure for the port, with both Carnival’s Carnival Legend and Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas currently on cruises that were scheduled to return to the port on 31st March and 4th April respectively.

The port remains open, but cruise operations are on hold and officials at the port have said that they don’t currently know when they will be resumed.

It may be that those cruise ships are diverted to another port at the end of their cruise, and that future cruises from Baltimore are cancelled or offered from another port.

Cruise lines will update passengers as soon as possible, but rightly the immediate focus is on the tragic events unfolding and the search for the missing people.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

Read more about me