CRUISES CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE
by Wallace Immen - By Wallace Immen/ With the Middle East conflict spreading at an epidemic rate, cruise lines are scrambling to avoid disruption and planning far ahead to steer clear of an epic storm. Some were caught in the crosshairs. Three cruise ships in the United Arab Emirates cancelled upcoming sailings.
CONFESSIONS OF A ENCHANTED CRUISE TIME TRAVELLER
by Wallace Immen - By Wallace Immen/ What if every other day was 25 hours long? What if you could make an entire day vanish – or jump from one year to the next and back again? And what if you could fly home from halfway around the world and arrive before you left?
WAIT FOR IT: Cruise ships getting ordered 10 years in advance
by Wallace Immen - By Wallace Immen/ Talk about ordering ahead. Two upscale cruise lines have just inked contracts for new ships not due to arrive for more than a decade. It’s the kind of optimism that comes from seeing record-breaking sales across the entire cruise industry.
WHY A 15-YEAR ALASKAN DREAM ENDED SO SUDDENLY
by Wallace Immen - By Wallace Immen/ A small, niche cruise line sailing in Southeast Alaska has called it quits.
EVERY SPACE TELLS A STORY: Designing a Floating World
by Wallace Immen - By Wallace Immen/ Think of cruise ships as planets. They’re self-sufficient floating worlds that imaginative designers create into unique environments. Read the second part of this exclusive story in The Cruisington Times.
DESIGNING NEW WORLDS: Like home, only better
by Wallace Immen - By Wallace Immen/ In a bathroom, three guys are standing in a shower – each trying to grab a towel. In a public room, a team of designers is brainstorming ways to turn a staircase into a chandelier. And yet another team is sketching ways to pay homage to Michaelangelo on the ceiling of a lounge.
WHO’S STEERING THE SHIP?: Younger and luxury travellers are reshaping cruise industry
by Staff Writer - Demand for cruises remains strong for 2026, with clear signs that younger travellers and luxury consumers are reshaping the industry, according to research from Internova Travel Group, with new data from the leading travel service company revealing rising interest in luxury yachts, short cruises and expedition voyages.
CELEBRITY PLANS TO FLOOD EUROPE WITH RIVER CRUISES
by Wallace Immen - By Wallace Immen/ Make that 20! Celebrity River Cruises has announced a commitment for 10 more new ships that will expand its European river cruise fleet to 20 vessels by 2031. All this while construction of the first of the fleet – Celebrity Compass – has just started. And it’s already a sellout.
NEW LUXURY ATLAS YACHT TO SPORT HIGH-TECH SAILS
by Wallace Immen - By Wallace Immen/ Atlas Ocean Voyages has revealed it’s building a state-of-the-art luxury expedition sailing yacht with sails and an eco-friendly hybrid propulsion system that can run almost silently.
AS THE WORLD CHURNS, CRUISES SAIL AROUND TROUBLE
by Wallace Immen - 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.
CRUISE LINES MAKE A SPLASH WITH WAVE SEASON INCENTIVES
by Staff Writer - 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.
DISCOVERING AN ADVENTUROUS NEW GALAXY OF INTIMATE SHIPS
by Wallace Immen - 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.
SETTING SAIL INTO 2026: Six key trends that will shape cruising in the New Year
by Staff Writer - 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.
HAWAII CRUISE TAX BLOCKED: Reprieve for island-bound passengers
by Staff Writer - 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.
ADD IT UP: Big new ships offer more than ever
by Wallace Immen - 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.
WHAT A CROC: Discovering Laws of the Jungle in Costa Rica
by Wallace Immen - 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.
TWO MILLION CRUISERS CAN’T BE WRONG: Cruise critic reveals annual ‘Best in Cruise’ awards
by Staff Writer - 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.
CHINA MEETS EUROPE WITH NEW DANUBE RIVER SHIP
by Wallace Immen - 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 INVITES TRAVEL ADVISORS TO CELEBRATION KEY
by Staff Writer - 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.
ULTRA YACHTS MAKING THEIR LONG-AWAITED DEBUTS
by Wallace Immen - 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.
