Thursday 22 October 2026 · Issue 2

Ashore Today

The cruise industry's news, in five minutes

Carnival Freedom makes its first call at Valletta

Carnival Freedom called at Malta for the first time on 15 October, during an eight-night Western Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona that also visited Marseille, Livorno, Civitavecchia and Naples. Valletta Cruise Port says it is the fifth Carnival ship to visit Malta. The ship came to Europe in September for a drydock at Chantier Naval de Marseille, which included a new funnel, and returns to short Bahamas cruises from Florida in November.

Source: Cruise Industry News

Capital Cruising wraps up its Scottish season and expects more growth in 2027

Forth Ports' cruise business, Capital Cruising, is finishing its season in Scotland this month, with AIDAsol among the last calls at the deep-water anchorage off Newhaven. The Scotsman reports 155 ship calls into the Forth and Tay this year, and Capital Cruising expects further growth next year.

Source: Seatrade Cruise News

Portsmouth and the south coast make their pitch to cruise lines

Tourism leaders from Portsmouth and the wider south coast of England met representatives from across the cruise industry to promote the region as a destination, with a focus on keeping the benefits of cruise tourism local.

Source: Seatrade Cruise News

Royal Caribbean's two-ship Australasia season gets under way

Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas have started Royal Caribbean's 2026/27 season in Australia and New Zealand, sailing a mix of itineraries from Brisbane and Sydney.

Source: Seatrade Cruise News

Mein Schiff Flow will spend a second winter sailing from Germany

TUI Cruises has opened bookings for Mein Schiff Flow's 2027/28 winter. From November the ship sails five- to seven-day cruises from Hamburg and Kiel to Norway and the Baltic, then longer Hamburg round trips along Europe's west coast, including a 12-night Christmas cruise calling at Lisbon, A Coruña, Bilbao and Le Havre, and a 19-day voyage to the Canary Islands. A Caribbean voyage via Madeira follows in February 2028.

Source: Cruise Industry News

Carnival sets out "The Next Course", its new dining plan for the fleet

Carnival Cruise Line has announced four new restaurants for its next Excel-class ships, Festivale (2027) and Tropicale (2028), including Emeril's Coastal Seafood with chief culinary officer Emeril Lagasse, plus music-themed bars on Festivale. Across the existing 29-ship fleet it has added earlier dining times, a shorter three-course Express Dining option and new menu dishes, guided by data from the more than 100 million meals it serves a year.

Source: Cruise Industry News

Antarctica21 opens bookings for its biggest air-cruise season yet

Expedition operator Antarctica21 has opened bookings for its 2028/29 Antarctic season: 47 departures, its largest air-cruise programme so far. Every itinerary begins and ends in Punta Arenas, Chile.

Source: Seatrade Cruise News

Holland America marks 80 years in Alaska with heritage tours

Holland America Line is running heritage tours to mark eight decades in Alaska. Its business there goes back to Chuck West's company, founded in 1947 and later known as Westours, which Holland America went on to acquire.

Source: Seatrade Cruise News

Phoenix Reisen buys Oceania's Insignia, which will sail as Alvara from November 2027

German operator Phoenix Reisen is adding the 700-guest Insignia, built in 1998 and now sailing for Oceania Cruises, to its fleet; terms were not disclosed. The ship goes to Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven in September 2027 for Phoenix's turquoise livery and changes on board, starts sailing as Alvara that November and will be named in Hamburg on 26 November 2027. Online bookings open on 23 October.

Source: Cruise Industry News

Princess brings its Sanctuary Collection to five more ships

Princess Cruises is adding the Sanctuary Collection, so far only on Sun Princess and Star Princess, to five Royal Class ships: Royal, Discovery, Enchanted, Regal and Sky Princess. It includes a private pool club, a Sanctuary restaurant, a suite lounge with concierge and the Princess Premier package. Royal Princess goes on sale first, from 22 October, as part of the line's multi-year fleet update.

Source: Porthole Cruise

MSC World Atlantic will have a two-storey villa for families of up to eight

MSC Cruises has unveiled the Grand Hamptons Villa, a single suite of more than 230 square metres on MSC World Atlantic with a double-height living room, a cinema loft, a kids' suite and a terrace with a whirlpool. Guests get MSC Yacht Club service. The ship will sail seven- and 14-night Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral.

Source: Cruise Industry News

Azamara Journey will get its Azamara Forward update in late 2028

Azamara Journey is the next ship scheduled for the line's Azamara Forward refurbishment programme, in late 2028. Azamara Quest goes first in November this year, followed by Azamara Onward in November 2027.

Source: Seatrade Cruise News

Helsinki Shipyard is busy with icebreakers but still wants expedition cruise ships

Helsinki Shipyard's order book is led by icebreakers and Arctic cutters, but its sales head says cruise and passenger ships remain a core part of its strategy. The yard's last cruise deliveries were Swan Hellenic's Minerva, Vega and Diana between 2021 and 2023. Its covered 280-metre dock can build ships of up to 70,000 tons, and a €200 million investment programme is under way at Helsinki and Pori.

Source: Cruise Industry News

All three NCLH brands will run reservations on Versonix's Seaware

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is extending its use of the Seaware reservation platform from Versonix: Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises will adopt it, and Norwegian Cruise Line will move to the latest version. Versonix describes Seaware as the base for reservations, inventory, pricing and distribution. Atlas Ocean Voyages, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection and StarDream Cruises have also adopted it recently.

Source: Cruise Industry News

Explora Journeys names Lara Koslow president, North America

Lara Koslow joins Explora Journeys as president, North America, on 30 November, based in Miami and leading commercial, marketing and sales across the US, Canada and Mexico. Chris Austin moves to a new role as president, luxury travel partnerships, including work with MSC Cruises North America on MSC Yacht Club distribution. Explora plans six ocean ships by 2028.

Source: Cruise Industry News

Oceanwide Expeditions publishes its first ESG report

Polar expedition operator Oceanwide Expeditions has published its first environmental, social and governance report. Chief executive Rémi Bouysset described it as a step towards being open about where the company stands, what it has achieved and where it still needs to improve.

Source: Seatrade Cruise News

NUMBER OF THE DAY

100 million+

Meals Carnival Cruise Line serves a year. The line says that data is shaping its new menus.