🚢 Brilliant Lady Launches, Star of the Seas Debuts & Carnival Shakes Up Ports

🚢 Cruise News Overview: August 28 – September 23, 2025

The cruise industry has had a packed few weeks, with major ship milestones, deployment changes, and brand updates shaping the months and years ahead. Here’s a complete look at everything making waves.

🛳 Changes to Cruise Itineraries & Ports

Royal Caribbean suspends stops to Haiti: Royal Caribbean announced that all calls to Haiti — including its private destination Labadee — are canceled until at least April 2026. Ships that previously called on Labadee will be redirected to alternative Caribbean ports instead.

Carnival refocuses Galveston line-up for 2027–28: Carnival Cruise Line unveiled a major reshuffle of its Galveston deployments, adding Carnival Horizon and Carnival Spirit to the port. They’ll join Carnival Breeze and Carnival Jubilee, creating one of Carnival’s strongest homeport lineups yet.

Carnival expands homeports in Norfolk, Baltimore & Long Beach: Starting in 2027, Carnival Freedom will homeport in Norfolk, Virginia, while Carnival Pride will sail year-round from Baltimore, Maryland. On the West Coast, Carnival will expand in Long Beach, California, including new Hawaii itineraries.

Celestyal adds Arabian Gulf repositioning itineraries: Celestyal Cruises announced two new 14-night repositioning voyages in late 2025 between Athens and Abu Dhabi, signaling its growing focus on longer, destination-rich itineraries.

COURTESY OF VIRGIN VOYAGES

🌟 Ship Launches & New Arrivals

Brilliant Lady begins service from New York: Virgin Voyages’ long-awaited Brilliant Lady entered service on September 5, 2025, with a five-night inaugural sailing from New York City. She’ll sail a mix of Canada & New England, Caribbean, and seasonal repositionings to the West Coast and Alaska. -READ MORE HERE

Star of the Seas makes its maiden voyage: Royal Caribbean’s newest Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas, debuted from Port Canaveral in early September. With 20 decks, 40+ bars and restaurants, an Aquadome featuring a 55-foot waterfall, and even a Back to the Future musical with a life-size DeLorean, she’s already one of the line’s most talked-about ships.

Legend of the Seas floated out in Finland: On August 29, Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas was floated out at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, marking her first touch of water. Scheduled for summer 2026, she will join Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas in the world’s most innovative ship class.

Margaritaville at Sea’s Beachcomber to homeport in Miami: The new Beachcomber will expand Margaritaville at Sea’s presence with 4- to 8-night Caribbean itineraries from PortMiami starting in 2027, moving the brand beyond its traditional short-cruise niche. -READ MORE HERE

COURTESY OF CELEBRITY CRUISES

🔧 Brand Moves & Operational Updates

Carnival to standardize Coca-Cola across its fleet: Starting September 13, Carnival Cruise Line is rolling out Coca-Cola products fleet-wide, replacing Pepsi as the official beverage partner. The rollout will be complete by late 2025.

Celebrity Silhouette charter forces cancellation: An eight-night Celebrity Silhouette sailing was canceled due to a full-ship charter. Guests were offered refunds and rebooking options.

MSC cancels Grand Voyage over security concerns: MSC Euribia’s Grand Voyage was canceled due to security issues in the Red Sea, reflecting ongoing geopolitical challenges in certain regions.

COURTESY OF ROYAL CARIBBEAN GROUP

🌍 Enhancing Onboard & Destination Experience

Celebrity unveils riverboats for new kind of cruising: Celebrity Cruises will enter the river cruise market in 2027 with two new ships, Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker, offering luxury river itineraries in Europe. - READ MORE HERE

Cultural immersion is gaining traction: More cruise lines are leaning into local immersion with regional cuisine tastings, artisan workshops,

live music, and storytelling sessions. These cultural experiences are becoming central to itineraries, especially on luxury and expedition

ships.

🌐 Additional Industry Developments

• Carnival to return to Acapulco in 2027, ending a 15-year absence from the Mexican Pacific coast.

• Princess Cruises expands Mexican Riviera shore excursions, adding 13 new tours across five ports.

• MSC Preziosa to homeport in Southampton for winter 2026–27, expanding UK-based winter cruising.

• Viking lays keel for its first hydrogen-powered ocean ship, the Viking Libra, advancing sustainable cruising.

• Explora Journeys announces Asian deployment for the 2027–28 season, including Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia.

• River cruising demand is growing worldwide, with new itineraries emerging on the Magdalena River in Colombia and the Brahmaputra River in India.