News

Norwegian Cruise Line has announced a range of exciting new recreational facilities for its upcoming Prima Plus class ships, Norwegian Aqua and Norwegian Luna, set to debut in 2025 and 2026 respectively.

These ships will introduce a whole host of innovative experiences, including the first-ever hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide, the Aqua Slidecoaster, which had previously been announced.

Among the highlights of the new announcements is the new Aqua and Luna Game Zone, an evolution of the popular Galaxy Pavilion.

This venue will feature a mix of virtual reality and classic arcade games, including retro favourites like Ms. Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.

Guests can also enjoy interactive experiences such as Space Racing, a virtual driving game, and Beat Hero, where players use swords to hit targets in time with the music.

Additionally, the revamped Bull’s Eye Bar will offer a modern twist on darts, incorporating video game-style graphics and automated scoring.

Guests looking for outdoor fun will find the new Tee Time mini-golf course, which spans two decks and features 12 interactive holes themed around the Wonders of the World.

The pickleball court will also debut as a new dedicated space, previously part of The Stadium, which will continue to offer shuffleboard, Ping-Pong, and other recreational games.

“We provide our guests with more to do with a variety of fun, exciting, and elevated experiences for every type of traveler…

“The two sister ships will introduce a brand-new venue to the fleet, the Aqua and Luna Game Zone, along with thoughtfully redesigned spaces and bringing back many more of our best-in-class offerings, beloved by our guests and inspired by their feedback.”

David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line

Wellness will also be a priority on these new ships, with the Mandara Spa and Pulse Fitness Center getting significant upgrades compared to the Prima Class.

The spa will offer new services like a clay sauna, IV drip therapy, and thalassotherapy loungers, while the fitness centre will feature a wider range of classes, including yoga, Pilates, and a dedicated spin studio.

The thermal suites will be expanded to include twice as many heated loungers, alongside returning features such as the charcoal sauna, ice room, salt room, and salt flotation pool.

Currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, Norwegian Aqua will be the first of the two ships to launch. She’ll be 10% larger than its predecessors, Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, with a gross tonnage of 156,300 and capacity for 3,571 passengers.

After her debut in April 2025, the ship will homeport in Port Canaveral, offering 7-night Caribbean itineraries, including stops in the Dominican Republic, the Virgin Islands, and Great Stirrup Cay, the cruise line’s private destination in the Bahamas.

Following a repositioning to New York City in August 2025 for voyages to Bermuda, Norwegian Aqua will return to Florida, this time homeporting in Miami for the winter season.

In 2026, Norwegian Luna will join its sister ship in Miami, offering both Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, with stops at Norwegian’s private destinations in the Bahamas and Belize.

Related posts

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

MSC Cruises has announced some of the features guests can look forward to on MSC World America when she launches in April 2025. One of the highlights will be the…

Disney Cruise Line has announced updated prices for daily gratuities, but only guests staying in Concierge Class staterooms or suites will see an increase. However, that increase is significant, with…

Royal Caribbean has announced that it is partnering with Alaskan Goldbelt Incorporated to build a brand-new floating cruise port in Juneau. The move is designed to help reduce traffic in…

The November elections in Bar Harbor, Maine will give residents the chance to repeal a law that limits the number of guest arrivals from cruise ships. The law was instigated…

MSC Cruises has announced some of the features guests can look forward to on MSC World America when she launches in April 2025.

One of the highlights will be the comedy club, a first for MSC Cruises. While many cruise lines have comedy clubs on their ships, it’s a feature that MSC has previously avoided – perhaps because MSC’s ships often host guests from many countries speaking many languages.

However, with MSC World America being a ship very much aimed at the US market, it’s the perfect time to introduce a comedy club for guests to enjoy.

Named The Loft, it’ll be an adults-only space that won’t just host comedians, but also karaoke nights and duelling piano performances.

The ship will have 18 bar and lounge options in total, including Masters of the Seas, a British-themed pub which will have its own micro-brewery onboard.

It’s not the first micro-brewery at sea – Carnival has the RedFrog Brewery – but MSC’s will feature beers developed by Teo Musso, from the Baladin Brewery in Italy, with drinks crafted from desalinated seawater in an American style, including pilsners and lite beers.

MSC World America will also feature an impressive All-Stars Sports Bar which will offer food, drinks and games such as darts and shuffleboard.

And younger guests (or adults with a particularly sweet tooth) will love Sweet Temptations, a venue that was first introduced on MSC World Europa but has been revamped for MSC World America.

This venue is a candy-lovers haven, with bright colours and treats of all kinds to enjoy, from doughnuts and waffles to chocolates, candies and crepes.

MSC World America is set to make her maiden voyage on 12th April 2025, offering 7- and 14-night cruises from PortMiami around the Caribbean.

The ship will have a maximum capacity of 5,200 passengers, and all cruises will feature at least one visit to MSC’s private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.

Related posts

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

Disney Cruise Line has announced updated prices for daily gratuities, but only guests staying in Concierge Class staterooms or suites will see an increase. However, that increase is significant, with…

Royal Caribbean has announced that it is partnering with Alaskan Goldbelt Incorporated to build a brand-new floating cruise port in Juneau. The move is designed to help reduce traffic in…

The November elections in Bar Harbor, Maine will give residents the chance to repeal a law that limits the number of guest arrivals from cruise ships. The law was instigated…

The official Comic-Con cruise has revealed the celebrity talent that will be onboard the ship, that guests will be able to meet. Previously it had already been announced that actress…

The official Comic-Con cruise has revealed the celebrity talent that will be onboard the ship, that guests will be able to meet.

Previously it had already been announced that actress and singer Felicia Day (The Guild, Geek & Sundry) would be the host of the cruise.

Joining her are a wide array of beloved stars from across the entertainment spectrum. Fans of Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Willow will be thrilled to see Warwick Davis, who has made his mark across these iconic franchises.

Star Trek legend George Takei will also be on board, bringing his celebrated role as Hikaru Sulu to life for long-time Trekkies. Ernie Hudson, the iconic Ghostbuster from the classic Ghostbusters films, rounds out the list of sci-fi icons.

From the critically acclaimed series Battlestar Galactica, a trio of stars – Mary McDonnell, Tricia Helfer, and Grace Park – will reunite for this special cruise event.

Fans of Power Rangers will recognize Amy Jo Johnson, the original Pink Ranger, while sci-fi enthusiasts can look forward to seeing The Orville’s Scott Grimes and Heroes star Greg Grunberg.

Virginia Gardner (Runaways, Halloween) and Grace Caroline Currey (Shazam!) add a dash of superhero flair to the lineup, while comedian Jonah Ray (Mystery Science Theater 3000) will bring his signature humour to the cruise.

Also joining the fun is The Love Boat star Ted Lange, whose presence is sure to make waves!

Robb Pearlman, author and pop culture commentator, will share his industry insights, and Bob Bergen, the voice behind Looney Tunes’ beloved Porky Pig, will provide a behind-the-scenes look at voice acting.

Makeup artist Thomas Surprenant (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) will be on hand to showcase his talents, and professional cosplayers Yaya Han and the cosplay duo Cowbutt Crunchies will make sure the cruise is filled with incredible costumes and creativity.

Just like the conventions on land, there’ll be an Artist’s Alley where guests will be able to buy artwork from talented creators.

The Comic-Con cruise is taking place on Serenade of the Seas, departing 5th February 2025 from Tampa.

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 November elections in Bar Harbor, Maine will give residents the chance to repeal a law that limits the number of guest arrivals from cruise ships. The law was instigated…

Guests enjoying a luxury cruise on Seabourn Pursuit were lucky enough to make a significant discovery, finding the shipwreck of the Titania from 110 years ago. On 14th October, the…

Disney Cruise Line has revealed a ton of new information about upcoming new ship Disney Adventure, the first in the fleet designed specifically for guests in Asia. Set to launch…

A recent cruise aboard MSC Seascape featured a confrontation between passengers that led to one being kicked off at the first port of call, and a second being arrested at…

Royal Caribbean has announced that it is partnering with Alaskan Goldbelt Incorporated to build a brand-new floating cruise port in Juneau.

The move is designed to help reduce traffic in the downtown Juneau area during cruise visits, whilst still giving guests a fantastic experience.

The new port will be built on Douglas Island and have two floating berths for ships to use. It’ll also offer views of the Chilkat Range from the ships while docked, along with a recreated Tlingit village from the 1800s.

The location will help the cruise line to offer whale-watching tours and other sightseeing opportunities in the area, but crucially will do so without causing problems for Juneau residents.

Guests who use the port will be transported into the city via shuttle boats, meaning that the Alaskan capital’s roads will see traffic cut by as much as a third on busier cruise visit days.

“We look forward to the prospect of bringing this sustainable, culture-rich cruise ship terminal to life in partnership with Royal Caribbean Group, providing community solutions to local transportation and economic development issues,“

McHugh Pierre, president and CEO of Goldbelt Incorporated

The new port is set to open in time for the 2027 season.

Compromise found?

The new port announcement comes just days after it was confirmed that Juneau residents had rejected a ban on cruise ship visits on Saturdays and on 4th July.

Residents were voting on the proposal which looked to reduce the impact of cruise ships on the town and its local environment.

However, a sizable majority voted against the proposals, wanting to keep cruise ships visiting on any day of the season, likely thanks to the income generated by tourists when they visit the town.

A new port that helps to reduce the impact on road traffic, while maintaining the visitor numbers, could therefore be the ideal compromise.

And it also follows an announcement that Royal Caribbean is installing Starlink internet access at Juneau’s port, to lighten the digital load on the town.

It’s clear that Royal Caribbean values Juneau as a cruise destination, with so much investment.

Related posts

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 November elections in Bar Harbor, Maine will give residents the chance to repeal a law that limits the number of guest arrivals from cruise ships. The law was instigated…

The official Comic-Con cruise has revealed the celebrity talent that will be onboard the ship, that guests will be able to meet. Previously it had already been announced that actress…

Guests enjoying a luxury cruise on Seabourn Pursuit were lucky enough to make a significant discovery, finding the shipwreck of the Titania from 110 years ago. On 14th October, the…

Disney Cruise Line has revealed a ton of new information about upcoming new ship Disney Adventure, the first in the fleet designed specifically for guests in Asia. Set to launch…

The November elections in Bar Harbor, Maine will give residents the chance to repeal a law that limits the number of guest arrivals from cruise ships.

The law was instigated in 2022 and came into effect for the 2024 season, limiting the number of daily arrivals from cruise ships to 1,000 guests.

However as this now means that many mid-sized ships wouldn’t be able to allow all guests to leave the ship on a port visit, several cruise lines have removed Bar Harbor from itineraries.

Prior to the 2022 vote, the limit was set at 3,500 arrivals, and the new vote in November will look to restore the limit to something close to that with a new cap of 3,200.

The loss of revenue for tour operators and businesses in Bar Harbor is behind the decision, which have taken a hit during 2024 with the cruise lines cancelling visits altogether.

If the new cap is passed into law, there’ll be a daily limit of three ships, and different months will have maximum caps, with April and November only permitting 5,000 guests in the month.

Ships would also be banned from visiting on 4th July during Independence Day celebrations.

Recently, a vote in Juneau, Alaska that would’ve banned cruise ships on Saturdays and on 4th July was rejected by residents who sought to keep the income from cruise guests flowing.

There are measures being taken around the world in certain ports to limit the impact of cruise ships on local life, but it’s clear that banning them or limiting them too much is not in the interests of residents.

Related posts

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 official Comic-Con cruise has revealed the celebrity talent that will be onboard the ship, that guests will be able to meet. Previously it had already been announced that actress…

Guests enjoying a luxury cruise on Seabourn Pursuit were lucky enough to make a significant discovery, finding the shipwreck of the Titania from 110 years ago. On 14th October, the…

Disney Cruise Line has revealed a ton of new information about upcoming new ship Disney Adventure, the first in the fleet designed specifically for guests in Asia. Set to launch…

A recent cruise aboard MSC Seascape featured a confrontation between passengers that led to one being kicked off at the first port of call, and a second being arrested at…

Guests enjoying a luxury cruise on Seabourn Pursuit were lucky enough to make a significant discovery, finding the shipwreck of the Titania from 110 years ago.

On 14th October, the luxury ship had called at Alexander Selkirk Island off the coast of Chile, with some guests booking a tour on a local submarine.

The expedition, led by local fisherman Gino Perez, was seeking the Titania’s wreck – a German supply ship that sunk during the First World War.

Perez had extensive knowledge of the area and history and knew approximately where the shipwreck may be, and with perfect conditions was able to lead guests to a depth of 95 metres, around 4.25 miles off the coast of the island, where they made the discovery.

The island’s harbour master has confirmed that this is the first time any diver or submarine has visited the shipwreck, and while local fisherman had sometimes recovered metal fragments attributed to the ship, this tour marks the official discovery.

“Experiences like these are a testament to the spirit of expedition, and this discovery is nothing short of historic.

“Seabourn’s expeditions and particularly our submarine explorations often take our guests to places where no other human has ever explored. I am so incredibly proud of our expedition team for delivering this once-in-a-lifetime and truly unforgettable ‘Seabourn Moment’ to our guests and the local community on Selkirk Island.“

Robin West, vice president and general manager of expeditions at Seabourn

Irene Blum, a guest who was onboard the submarine, described it as “almost magical”, while the pilot of the submarine Mauricio Fernandez also expressed awe at the discovery.

However it was Perez who perhaps gave the most emotional response:

“I imagined this ship so many times and now I can see where she is, how she looks like and how she is resting at the bottom. Thank you so much, my father manages this sector of the island, this means a lot to us and our family history,“

Gino Perez

About Seabourn Pursuit

Seabourn Pursuit is the cruise line’s newest ship, capable of carrying just 264 guests.

She also carries her own submarines – two custom-built options with acrylic sphere pods that help the cruise line offer incredible experiences in some of the world’s most remote locations.

Demand is high as the submarines have a very limited capacity!

The ship sails unique itineraries to offer guests the chance to see parts of the world that cruises don’t often visit.

The cruise that this discovery was made on was a 20-night trip from Melanesia in French Polynesia to San Antonio in Chile.

Related posts

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

Disney Cruise Line has revealed a ton of new information about upcoming new ship Disney Adventure, the first in the fleet designed specifically for guests in Asia. Set to launch…

A recent cruise aboard MSC Seascape featured a confrontation between passengers that led to one being kicked off at the first port of call, and a second being arrested at…

Several cruise passengers have reported being visited by security on a Royal Caribbean cruise, following complaints about social media posts. The story originates from posts on a Facebook group for…

Carnival Vista has suffered yet more engine problems following a summer of recurring issues, delaying its return to Port Canaveral by several hours. The ship’s engine problem meant that she…

Disney Cruise Line has revealed a ton of new information about upcoming new ship Disney Adventure, the first in the fleet designed specifically for guests in Asia.

Set to launch on 15th December 2025, the ship will sail from Singapore and offer some brand-new features for guests to enjoy.

This includes three new attractions for the adventure zone on the upper decks, all themed around the Marvel Universe. One of these is the Ironcycle Test Run, the longest rollercoaster at sea. Guests can also enjoy Pym Quantum Racers and Groot Galaxy Spin.

There’ll also be a Toy Story-themed water park area and an outdoor pool area themed around Moana, including performances of a Moana live show around the space.

In Disney Imagination Garden, around a charming courtyard, guests will be able to enjoy the Let’s Set Sail dance party, along with stage performances such as “Avengers Assemble!”.

Disney Discovery Reef is an open-air space at the aft of the ship which will draw inspiration from The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Lilo & Stitch, and Luca. There’ll be a sports bar, a Bewitching Boba and Brews bubble tea venue, and Cosmic Kebabs.

San Fransokyo Street (named for the Disney film Big Hero 6) will offer secret entrances to the tweet and teen clubs, a Big Hero arcade, and Baymax cinemas along with shops and more.

And Town Square will feature themed dining venues, the Walt Disney Theatre offering Broadway-style entertainment, and Spellbound – a lounge inspired by the Evil Queen from Snow White.

As well as revealing all of these exciting new details, Disney also announced that the 3-night and 4-night cruises will go on sale on 10th December 2024, with pricing details due to be revealed on 14th November 2024.

Related posts

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

A recent cruise aboard MSC Seascape featured a confrontation between passengers that led to one being kicked off at the first port of call, and a second being arrested at…

Several cruise passengers have reported being visited by security on a Royal Caribbean cruise, following complaints about social media posts. The story originates from posts on a Facebook group for…

Carnival Vista has suffered yet more engine problems following a summer of recurring issues, delaying its return to Port Canaveral by several hours. The ship’s engine problem meant that she…

A young woman, reportedly in her 20s, tragically fell overboard from MSC Cruises’ MSC Virtuosa near the Channel Islands in the English Channel on 12th October 2024. The incident occurred…

A recent cruise aboard MSC Seascape featured a confrontation between passengers that led to one being kicked off at the first port of call, and a second being arrested at the end of the cruise.

The incident occurred on October 6, 2024, just a day after the ship departed from PortMiami.

Kelli Lyn Ryan, 49, and her son, Dylan Ryan, allegedly became involved in an altercation with an elderly passenger inside the Chora Theater, the ship’s main entertainment venue.

According to reports, security footage shows Kelli Lyn slapping the elderly individual, followed by her son repeatedly hitting the same victim.

The exact cause of the altercation remains undisclosed, but there are no reports of the elderly passenger getting into any trouble with the cruise line or police ashore.

Following the incident, Dylan Ryan was kicked off the ship at its first port of call, Falmouth, Jamaica, on October 7.

However, Kelli Lyn wasn’t – she was allowed to stay onboard and enjoy the rest of the cruise, which made stops at Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and MSC’s private island, Ocean Cay, before returning to PortMiami.

Upon the ship’s return on October 12, Kelli Lyn was arrested and charged with battery on a person aged 65 or older.

Violence and fights on cruise ships

Most people who book a cruise holiday will enjoy it without any bad experiences, but that doesn’t mean there is never any violence onboard the ships.

Indeed, on an MSC cruise in August, a guest assaulted a comedian on stage by throwing their drink at him, after loudly arguing with them during a performance.

Carnival is another cruise line which has seen some passenger fights in recent months, including a large brawl at the buffet on Carnival Paradise in July which led to several guests getting banned.

And at a similar time, two men were filmed fighting onboard a Royal Caribbean ship sailing out of Galveston.

Related posts

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

Several cruise passengers have reported being visited by security on a Royal Caribbean cruise, following complaints about social media posts. The story originates from posts on a Facebook group for…

Carnival Vista has suffered yet more engine problems following a summer of recurring issues, delaying its return to Port Canaveral by several hours. The ship’s engine problem meant that she…

A young woman, reportedly in her 20s, tragically fell overboard from MSC Cruises’ MSC Virtuosa near the Channel Islands in the English Channel on 12th October 2024. The incident occurred…

Villa Vie Residences has revealed significant changes to the itinerary of its three-year world cruise aboard the Odyssey, which recently began service. Originally planned to explore North America and the…

Several cruise passengers have reported being visited by security on a Royal Caribbean cruise, following complaints about social media posts.

The story originates from posts on a Facebook group for the transpacific cruise on Quantum of the Seas, where a guest made several posts.

These included asking for information on how to speak to the Captain or one of the “Genies” (referring to the Royal Genies, the name that Royal Caribbean gives butlers), and a post where they expressed disappointment that a crew member blocked their photo of a sunset.

These posts were then mocked on a separate Facebook group named Entitlement of the Seas, where cruise passengers like to poke gentle fun at those who act entitled on cruises or make complaints of an entitled nature.

Following these posts, three passengers noted that they were visited onboard by security, who had received complaints from the original passenger, saying that she felt “threatened”.

One of those visited by security noted that she wasn’t given any severe warning but the security team did ask for the guest to take their Facebook post down so that the passenger could enjoy the rest of their trip.

One passenger who was visited by security felt strongly about it, arguing that they weren’t bullying or being threatening, and that the cruise line should’ve then returned to the complaining passenger to warn them about making false claims.

Interestingly, Entitlement of the Seas is a private Facebook group, and the complaining passenger wasn’t a member, according to those reacting in the comments.

Which means that someone in the group found the screenshots and decided to send them to the complaining passenger – the plot thickens!

What do you think? Is complaining to cruise ship security about Facebook activity taking things way too far, or does that guest have a right to feel victimised?

Related posts

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

Carnival Vista has suffered yet more engine problems following a summer of recurring issues, delaying its return to Port Canaveral by several hours. The ship’s engine problem meant that she…

A young woman, reportedly in her 20s, tragically fell overboard from MSC Cruises’ MSC Virtuosa near the Channel Islands in the English Channel on 12th October 2024. The incident occurred…

Villa Vie Residences has revealed significant changes to the itinerary of its three-year world cruise aboard the Odyssey, which recently began service. Originally planned to explore North America and the…

A Carnival cruise passenger has complained that she felt discriminated against during a comedy performance, after being unable to see the comedian from her seat. John Heald, Carnival’s Brand Ambassador,…