FIVE TRENDS DRIVING CONSUMER CRUISE CHOICES
- Whether it’s switching traditionally hot getaways for something a little cooler or booking the next trip thanks to the latest hit TV show or film, MSC Cruises is revealing five travel trends that are driving guest holiday decisions into 2025 and beyond.
HALF MOON PLUS MORE EQUALS ‘RELAXAWAY’
- What do you get when you add another half to Half Moon Cay? You get a private island complex big enough for both Carnival and Holland America ships to comfortably visit daily, says Carnival Corp. which owns both cruise lines.
CRUISE CRITIC REVEALS 2024 ‘BEST IN CRUISE’ AWARDS
- Cruise Critic has named the winners of its 16th annual Best in Cruises 2024, featuring the best cruise lines and destinations of the year based on expert insight and traveller ratings. The site features more than 650,000 cruise reviews and hosts the world's largest online cruise community where travellers share experiences and opinions with fellow cruisers.
HEY, CRYPTO BROS., COULD THIS BE YOUR NEW CRIB?
- Virgin Voyages is inviting freebooting entrepreneurs who can “work for anywhere” to make the company’s Lady-ships their home by buying a year-long pass. And they can pay in crypto.
THREE’S A CHARM: Explora Journeys reveals new ship details
- Explora Journeys has revealed details of EXPLORA III, the third of six ships that will be launched by the luxury lifestyle brand of the MSC Group by 2028, with the first two have been introduced earlier this year. The third vessel will set sail in summer, 2026.
AGENTS KEY TO MSC CRUISES’ TRAVEL TRADE MILESTONE
- MSC Cruises’ dedicated online reservations platform for travel agents, MSC Book, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The company says the online tool has been a great ‘success’ thanks to agency support with the registration of nearly 120,000 travel agents and over 10 million guests booked since the online tool was introduced in 2014.
WANT A CRUISE DEAL? HURRY UP AND WAIT
- Looking for a deal on a cruise getaway in the Caribbean this winter? A record number of other people have the same idea and that’s created an unprecedented demand. While the plethora of Black Friday and upcoming January Wave Month cruise sales offer(ed) some amazing deals, many come with a catch – they’re for cruises a year or more in the future.
WINDSTAR GOING EVEN BIGGER ON CANADA
- Windstar Cruises is adding a new itinerary in 2026 to its popular Canada & New England season of sailings, which are fall travel favourites thanks to the line’s ability to visit many smaller, scenic ports where big ships don’t go. The line’s 312-guest motor yacht Star Pride sails in the region during the prime fall colour months of September and October.
A PIECE OF THE WORLD IS MISSING ON CRUISE CHARTS
- It’s clear that cruise lines expect the Suez Canal, Red Sea and the Holy Land to be too conflicted to risk sailing around for a long time to come. How long? Even newly announced 2027 World Cruises are steering far away from the entire Middle East.
PLAN AHEAD TO SNAG THESE UNIQUE EXOTIC CRUISES
- Been there done that? No matter how many weeks you’ve cruised in the Caribbean or the Med, it’s time to shake things up and broaden your horizons beyond the usual suspects. Cruise lines are plotting innovative out-of-the-ordinary cruise options to one-up the growing competition. They’re experiences you haven’t been able to have before and are destined to be remembered for years after they end.
I’M SAILING AWAY: Americans offered unique opportunity to ‘skip’ new Trump term
- A residential cruise tour operator is offering disgruntled American voters facing four more years of Donald Trump a chance to continuously sail around the world and “skip forward” to the end of his administration in 2028. Starting at just under US$40,000, Villa Vie Residences has programs ranging from one to four years that allow guests to join at any time in any port as it circles the globe.
DISNEY TREASURE ARRIVES IN FLORIDA, SET FOR MAIDEN VOYAGE
- Disney Treasure, Disney Cruise Line’s new ship, docked in its home port of Port Canaveral, Florida, for the very first time this week. Following its initial visit to Florida, the ship will sail to New York City for a special christening celebration on the evening of Nov. 19.
MSC CRUISES ENHANCES LOYALTY PROGRAM
- MSC Cruises has announced enhancements to its MSC Voyagers Club loyalty program, highlighted by a refreshed tier scheme and easier-to-access discounted and extended validity. Also from MSC, EXPLORA JOURNEYS has unveiled exclusive access for guests to Monaco’s Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2025.
THREE’S A CHARM: A look at Crystal’s new ship
- Crystal has finalized its order with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for construction of a third ocean ship. The announcement comes two years after A&K Travel Group acquired Crystal in 2022, marking a new chapter for the cruise line.
HOW SWAN HELLENIC IS REINVENTING EXPEDITION CRUISES
- Ever been to Kalso, Kinsale or Kilwa Kivinje? How about Hermanus or the Abrolhos Archipelago? Neither has any cruise line before Swan Hellenic added them to their coming itineraries. The storied brand has been reborn with new owners and a fleet of new eco-friendly expedition ships.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN BUYS MEXICAN PORT
- Royal Caribbean Group has confirmed it is buying the Port of Costa Maya in Quintana Roo, Mexico. The deal is reported to be worth nearly US $300 million and includes adjacent land at Mahahual. The cruise company plans major upgrades at the port and surrounding infrastructure.
HOLLAND AMERICA TO EXPAND CANADA-NEW ENGLAND CRUISES
- Holland America Line is expanding its Canada and New England season in 2026 with more cruises, increased ports of call and added overnights. Sailing from Boston, a new 28-day Legendary Voyage –"Canada, New England and Iceland" – highlights the three regions.
NEW SEATTLE HOME-PORT SAILINGS: MSC Cruises to launch first-ever Alaska sailings
- MSC Cruises will launch Alaska itineraries for the first time, with seven-night sailings available from May to September 2026 aboard MSC Poesia out of the cruise line’s new Seattle home-port – its fifth in the US. The summer season will also feature two itineraries transiting Panama Canal between Seattle and Miami.
WHAT’S DRIVING CRUISING’S TIDAL WAVE OF BOOKINGS?
- Cruise, along with luxury, is a buzzword in travel in 2024 and the sector is primed for a record-breaking year. The trend is borne out by a surge in cruise bookings at Trip.com, which says it has registered a whopping 344% year-on-year growth from January to October. The online retailer has also identified several micro trends within the larger tidal wave of global bookings.
SEABOURN SUB DIVE SOLVES 110-YEAR MYSTERY
- A submersible from Seabourn Cruises’ expedition ship Seabourn Pursuit made a historic discovery during a dive off the coast of Alejandro Selkirk Island in Chile. On Oct. 14, the sub carrying guests aboard the ultra-luxury line’s newest purpose-built expedition ship found the wreck of the Titania, a German supply ship lost for 110 years lying 95 metres below the surface.