By Wallace Immen/ Cruises get planned years in advance, but ship itineraries can be changed overnight. So, there’s some comfort behind the turmoil of the past few weeks that’s seeing cruise lines hastily alter course.
Wave Season – traditionally considered to be January through March – is underway and cruise lines, in addition to some of the suppliers that sell them, are out to make a splash with incentives for clients, and in some cases travel advisors as well in the name of boosting bookings. Here is a sampling of some of the offers currently available.
By Wallace Immen/ It seems everyone got the same idea at the same time: there’s an untapped demand for a small ship that can explore the far corners of the globe in the luxury you expect at the world’s finest hotels or resorts.
From travellers planning holidays centered around sporting events to children influencing family holiday choices, there are six key trends that are shaping guests’ booking patterns and driving itinerary offerings heading into 2026, according to MSC Cruises.
Just days after being given the go-ahead by a U.S. district court judge, a federal appeals court ruling on New Year’s Eve blocked Hawaii from enforcing a climate change tourist tax on cruise ships passengers, a levy that was set to go into effect at the start of 2026.
By Wallace Immen/ No matter how popular their ships are, cruise lines expanding their fleets aren’t content with just more of the same. The big new cruisers launching in 2026 are invariably a little larger than their sisters and packed with inventive added features, options and fun twists to get attention.
By Wallace Immen/ You can’t help but be awed by the beauty of the lush Costa Rican coast. And somehow things get more awe-inspiring as you go into the uplands and jungles. We’re about to experience a panorama of the country’s tropical nature and the plethora of wildlife that calls it home on a tour from Seabourn Encore doing a Central American cruise from Panama.
Cruise Critic, the world’s largest consumer cruise site, offering offer 700,000 cruise reviews, has announced the winners of its 17th annual “Best in Cruise Awards,” naming the best cruise lines and destinations of the year, based on expert insight and traveller ratings.
By Wallace Immen/ Century Cruises is expanding into Europe with a new Danube River ship, Century Star. The Chinese line which has specialized in ships touring the Yangtze River is launching a 78- luxury -cabin ship, being designed and built in the Dutch yard Concordia Damen with delivery scheduled in the fall of 2026 to begin cruising on the Danube.
Carnival is offering a unique opportunity for travel advisors to experience Celebration Key in February and March through a new program called Partners in Paradise. Agents can qualify to get an inside look at Carnival’s newest exclusive destination while learning about the potential for business growth through partnership with the cruise line.
By Wallace Immen/ First it was Ritz-Carlton. Now hotel groups Four Seasons and Orient Express are joining the race to have the most luxurious and personal yachts at sea.
By Wallace Immen/ Crystal Cruises’ first new ship in a quarter of a century, Crystal Grace, promises to live up to her name said Cristina Levis, CEO of A&K Travel Group, who announced the name choice.
By Wallace Immen/ Oceania Cruises has pulled back the curtain on Oceania Sonata, the first in a new class of ship it calls a ‘New Era of Luxury at Sea.’ Set to debut in 2027, the vessel will be the first of four 1,390-guest luxury ships in a new Sonata Class.
U.S. News & World Report, publisher of the Best Hotels, Best Vacations and Best Travel Rewards Programs has released its 2026 Best Cruise Lines rankings. The prestigious 12th installment of the Best Cruise Lines rankings expands to highlight 19 of the most popular ocean cruise lines across 10 categories catering to cruise interests. Notably, one cruise line (Viking) scored four firsts – 40% of the top accolades.
By Wallace Immen/ Crescent Seas, a start-up company planning to sell condos on cruise ships is backing out of a high-profile charter of two well-known ships pushing plans for homes at sea far into the future.
From transatlantic crossings to a permanent berth in Dubai, the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) retains a legacy as one of the greatest ocean liners of all time. Now a floating hotel under the Accor flag, the public at large can step aboard and rediscover its remarkable legacy through guided QE2 Heritage Tours.
By Wallace Immen/ Want a unique winter experience? How about sailing from Barcelona to Rome – in January. Or, trading ski season for a cruise in the Greek Isles? While most cruise ships migrate to warmer oceans in the winter. Windstar is joining a new homing trend with plans to sail its newest ship, Star Explorer year-round in Europe.
By Wallace Immen/ Celebrity Xcel features the line’s widest variety of entertainment, with some of it steered by guests. With three brand-new theatre productions, two interactive club shows, music experiences, high-energy dance parties, interactive activities and surprises in between, every moment onboard will spark connection and delight from morning to night, Celebrity Cruises promises.
Viking named its nine newest river ships – including the company’s 100th ship – during a simultaneous ceremony last week that spanned six countries. The main celebration took place in Basel, Switzerland, on board the Viking Honir, and was connected virtually to the eight other new ships located across five additional countries.
By Wallace Immen/ With a secret announcement to insiders, Scenic Group revealed its latest luxury exploration ship – Scenic Ikon – will join the Scenic Discovery Yacht Fleet for its inaugural season in 2028. And its inaugural voyage from Venice in April 2028 is apparently already sold out.
The final cruise ship of the 2025 season, Coral Princess, departed from the Canada Place cruise terminal in Vancouver today (Tuesday) marking the end of a cruise season in which 301 cruise ships called in the city, delivering 1.2 million passengers since March 5. The successful 2025 season follows several record seasons, with preliminary bookings indicating another strong year to come in 2026.
By Wallace Immen/ Did you know that Royal Caribbean Cruise Line came within hours of being bought by its rival, Carnival? Know what made them decide to cut ships in half? Or why the Swedish Air Force was ready to shoot down a thrill ride planned on the Oasis of the Seas?
In the latest sign of the times, Virgin Voyages and Google Cloud have announced a strategic partnership to embed generative AI across the cruise line’s business, with more than 50 specialized AI “agents” on Gemini Enterprise now deployed company-wide. “Email Ellie,” the first agent from this collaboration, has already driven significant business impact, contributing to a record-breaking sales month and validating the company’s ambitious AI strategy, says the cruise line.
By Wallace Immen/ Dressing up for dinner is something that’s always been special about cruising. Ships are their own floating worlds and every night can be a party where people are dressed in their best. Now, even the most upscale ships are relaxing dress codes into “suggestions.”
With Royal Caribbean’s new Legend of the Sea preparing to set sail next July in the Mediterranean, followed by Caribbean Island hops from Fort Lauderdale in November, the cruise line is offering the latest look at – and opened bookings for – its new Icon class vessel, which it promises will raise the bar for guests with more dining spots, new entertainment and ways to play.
Virgin Voyages is introducing VoyageFair Choices, a new fare model, starting this week. The cruise line says the tiered system was created directly in response to customer feedback and features four primary goals: better price transparency, make fares easier to compare across the industry, offer more flexible and competitive options for different budgets, and to respond to clients’ and travel advisors’ call for more choice.
By Wallace Immen/ Iconic fashion and costume designer Bob Mackie and Julien’s Auctions will join Cunard’s ‘Transatlantic Fashion Week’ voyage aboard flagship Queen Mary 2 this fall. Following Paris Fashion Week, this extraordinary journey will celebrate the world of fashion and style on the high seas.
By Wallace Immen/ John Waggoner is taking a Victory lap. The CEO of Victory Cruise Lines says its inaugural season on the Great Lakes was a race run from a literal standing start, but Victory lived up to its name. He’s confident lessons learned this year will make the 2026 season even stronger.
By Wallace Immen/ Riviera Travel is taking a singular approach with one of its European river ships. Beginning in 2027, its MS George Eliot will exclusively sail solo departures on the Danube, Rhine and Moselle rivers, marking the first time a cruise ship has devoted its entire season to solo guests.
By Wallace Immen/ Looks can be deceiving. While Oceania Cruises’ newest ship Allura is a near twin of fleet-mate Vista, she’s got a personality of her own. That’s especially evident in the innovative cuisine on board.