The damage is severe as torrential rains from a storm called Boris that had the Danube peaking at a 10-year high and saw water lapping at the steps of Hungary’s Parliament building in Budapest. It’s meant there’s not enough space for ships to sail under bridges on the central part of the river.
As you start planning your dream cold weather getaway, the first question to ask is where are you headed? It may not clear as you scan cruise websites, but there are two main routes around the Caribbean: Eastern and Western. They go back to the days of sailing ships and originally developed because of the trade winds and the ease of hopping between islands.
Anna Nash has joined Explora Journeys as President of the luxury lifestyle ocean travel brand of the MSC Group reporting directly to Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Group’s Cruise Division.
Even the ground beneath your feet can’t be trusted any more, says Mia Otokiak, describing how her husband was almost swallowed up by a giant sinkhole. Riding a four-wheel drive ATV, he stopped just in time when a big section of the main trail out of Cambridge Bay became a deep crater. Soil that had been permanently frozen just melted and washed away as previously uncommon heat becomes the new normal.
Cruise passengers arriving in Santorini and Mykonos will soon be expected pay a little more for the privilege of visiting the popular Greek islands with the introduction of new fee likely to be implemented by next summer. The Greek government announced the €20 (approximately $30) levy as a means to help manage the strain on the destinations due to a surge in visitors.
Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin gave up life on land to become seaborne nomads on a years-long cruise. Months later, the couple has yet to spend a night at sea. Their ship, the Odyssey, is stuck in Belfast undergoing repair work that has postponed its scheduled May departure for a 3- 1/2-year round-the-world voyage.
We’re ready to devour the scrumptious catches of one of France’s seafood capitals. The small size of our cruise yacht World Traveller gives us the advantage of docking an easy stroll from the middle of Sète, a gorgeous southern French city that larger ships never visit.
Bookings will open Sept. 12 for Disney Destiny, the new “heroes and villains” themed Disney Cruise Line ship that will launch from Port Everglades, Florida (Fort Lauderdale) in November 2025. Sister ship to the Disney Wish and Disney Treasure, the Destiny will sail four- and five-night cruises to The Bahamas and Western Caribbean, including visits to one or both of Disney Cruise Line’s island destinations, Disney Castaway Cay and Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.
Crystal has scored a groundbreaking collaboration with world-renowned chefs Massimiliano Alajmo— the youngest chef ever to be awarded three Michelin stars– and his equally talented brother Raffaele, to bring their unparalleled expertise to specialty dining venue Osteria d’Ovidio on both Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity.
Princess Cruises is planning its biggest summer Caribbean cruise season ever in 2026, with two ships – Regal Princess and Caribbean Princess – sailing to all areas of the region for the first time ever. Now available for booking, clients can choose from over 90 voyages sailing from Ft. Lauderdale/Port Everglades and Port Canaveral respectively.
Following the launch of its first Icon-class vessel Icon of the Seas in January, Royal Caribbean Group has ordered another ship in the class, with further options to build two more. The fourth Icon Class vessel, to be built in Finland, is scheduled for delivery to Royal Caribbean International in 2027.
A table is heaped with a colourful cornucopia of luscious fresh vegetables and fruits, perfectly cooked pasta and exotic garnishes that include a bowl of roasted meal worms. Yes, worms! But keep reading.
Disney Cruise Line has unveiled new details about one of the seven themed areas aboard the Disney Adventure, which will set sail from Singapore in 2025. Disney Imagination Garden, the central hub of the ship, will be an “immersive, enchanted valley inspired by 100 years of heroic and heartwarming Disney adventures.”
We’re docked amid the massive yachts of the super-rich, who compete to have the biggest and flashiest water toys. But sorry, boys, we have you beat. We’re aboard the impressive new mega-yacht World Traveller, 126 meters long and 7 decks tall. Like all good yachts she can sail into practically any port deemed worthy of its elegant presence, carrying a crew that’s almost one-to-one with its nearly 200 guests.
With the opening of Celebration Key on Grand Bahama Island just a year away, Carnival Cruise Line has unveiled details about Pearl Cove Beach Club, which will offer a premium experience for guests 18 and older. Reservations for the exclusive retreat are now available through Jan. 2, 2026.
From an aquapark to an 11-storey dry slide, thematic playground, ropes course and much more, MSC Cruises has revealed the latest details on attractions and experiences awaiting guests in The Harbour, dubbed “the crowning glory” of the MSC World America’s Family Aventura entertainment district.
The Disney fleet currently consists of five ships – Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Magic, Disney Wish and Disney Wonder. The Disney Treasure will join the existing fleet this year, followed by Disney Adventure and Disney Destiny which will launch in 2025. An as yet unnamed fourth ship will launch in 2029. Over the weekend the Disney Cruise Line revealed it is ordering four more ships. The new order which will give DCL a fleet of 13 ships by 2031.
Princess Cruises says its Alaska season for 2026 will be its biggest ever. Highlighted by the debut of the newest ship in its fleet, Star Princess, the program will feature eight ships, 180 departures, and 19 destinations, with a robust roster of Alaska adventures by sea, land, or both.
Everyone’s been here, but hardly anyone’s ever seen it. You’ve visited Civitavecchia if you’ve ever cruised to Rome, but I’ll bet it left no impression as you hit the highway for the hour’s ride to the Eternal City.
Viking has launched a new and improved travel advisor portal designed to provide advisors with the tools and resources needed to sell the cruise line’s river, ocean and expedition voyages. The updated platform offers a comprehensive suite of features to enhance the booking experience and streamline the marketing process.
Norwegian Cruise Line has expanded its Military Appreciation Program to include active Canadian service members, veterans, and their dependents from the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Coast Guard. Eligible members of the Canadian armed forces will receive special onboard experiences, amenities, and a 10 percent cruise fare discount across all sailings on all ships throughout the entire NCL fleet.
Crystal has launched a new booking engine today (Aug. 1). The cruise line say its innovative platform is designed to streamline the booking experience for travel advisors, offering “unparalleled ease of use, advanced features, and robust support tailored to meet the needs of today’s travel professionals.
You can’t make up a place like Portovenere. Its confection of tall candy-coloured homes and ancient stone walls lining a sparkling blue harbour dedicated to Venus has inspired generations of romantic poets and artists. Visitors and locals mingle on narrow streets that stay shaded and naturally cool in the summer heat. Staircases built of lava rock lead to a fantastic cove where poet Lord Byron is said to have brooded while writing odes to beauty and nature.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises’ third ‘Rivers of the World’ cruise in 2026 will highlight the company’s 50th anniversary with a 50-night around-the-world journey where guests will sail on five different vessels across multiple countries and continents with special surprises including the brand’s Uniworld’s signature Mystery Cruise leg to secret destinations.
In an unusual first-look roll-out of details of its newest ship, taking place over three days, Disney Cruise Line (DCL) has revealed the first details of the heroes and villains-inspired Disney Destiny, which will set sail in late 2025 from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Young travellers are driving a cruise boom, according to the CLIA’s 2024 State of the Cruise Industry report. Its surveys find that 88 percent of Millennials and 86 percent of Gen-X who have taken a cruise are planning to cruise again. And the surge is particularly strong in Canada, says Ian Patterson, MSC Cruises Canada country manager.
With a capacity that would hold the entire current population of Goderich, Ont. – nearly 8,000 people – Carnival Cruise Line’s new ships will be the biggest in the world when they entire service in the summers of 2029, 2031 and 2033, respectively. The ships will be a new class of vessel and feature over 3,000 staterooms each.
Taking a page from the Olympics, AmaWaterways has launched its ‘Cruise for Gold’ travel advisor incentives, offering Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals to the three North American travel advisors who book the most river cruises to France with the company during the course of the Summer and Paralympic Games in Paris – July 26 to Sept. 8.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has announced its 2026 spring/summer itineraries to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, and Canada and New England, as well as a new season of voyages from the Port of Philadelphia (PhilaPort) for the first time in many years.
Let’s put it this way: if Waterside restaurant on Crystal Symphony was ashore, you wouldn’t be able to get a reservation even weeks in advance. Seriously. It’s that good. The menus are so varied, the presentations so outstanding and the service so impeccable that it would be a hands-down choice for a memorable splurge dinner anywhere on land or sea. And Crystal’s gourmet restaurants are complimentary.