Cruise Ship News

Seatrium has secured a series of repair and upgrade contracts worth an aggregate of about S$170 million ($131 million). All works are slated for completion by the first quarter of 2026.Seatrium continues to reinforce Singapore’s status as a premier hub for cruise ship upgrades and retrofits. Leveraging its high-quality workmanship and engineering capabilities, the Group attracts a high proportion of repeat business and has been a trusted partner for various major global cruise ship operators.

Fincantieri and Princess Cruises celebrated the delivery of Star Princess, the second LNG-powered (liquefied natural gas) cruise ship in Princess Cruises’ Sphere Class, at the Monfalcone shipyard.The ceremony was attended by Gus Antorcha, President of Princess Cruises, Mauro Bordin, President of the Regional Council of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Ester Fedullo, Prefect of the Province of Gorizia, Luca Fasan, Mayor of the Municipality of Monfalcone, Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Fincantieri…

On Monday, September 8, 2025, Meyer Turku Shipyard celebrated the keel laying of the fourth cruise ship in the Icon Class. The ship, built for Royal Caribbean and known by its working name Icon 4, has thus progressed to the hull assembly phase. The traditional ceremony held at the bottom of the building dock included a symbolic ceremony in which representatives of the customer, the classification society and the shipyard placed coins under the first steel block to bring good luck and protection to the ship.

Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas, which is being built at the Meyer Turku shipyard, floated out during a ceremony on Friday, August 29, 2025. The traditional float out ceremony included speeches by representatives of the shipyard and the vacation company, a salute fired by a gun salute group, and a playful competition to open the water valves of the construction basin. During the weekend following the ceremony, the ship was moved to the outfitting dock, where finishing work will continue for just under a year.At 365 meters long…

MOL Cruises has named its new cruise ship, scheduled to enter service in late 2026, the Mitsui Ocean Sakura.The vessel will enter service as a Japanese-flagged ship in late 2026, offering a wide range of itineraries centered on short- to medium-term cruises departing from and arriving at various ports in Japan.With a gross tonnage of approximately 32,000 tons and a length of less than 200 meters, the new cruise ship can call at ports in various regions, from remote islands in…

The “Viking Mira," a new cruise ship under construction for Viking, was launched at the Ancona shipyard. The ship is scheduled to debut in spring 2026, offering itineraries in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.The ceremony, which marks the ship’s transition to the final outfitting phase, was attended by Gilberto Tobaldi, Director of the Ancona Shipyard, and Gastone Lazzari, New Building Site Team Manager for Viking.With a gross tonnage of approximately 54,300 tons, “Viking Mira” will feature 499 staterooms and accommodate up to 998 passengers on board.

The port of Barcelona, Europe's busiest for cruise ships, will scale back its passenger terminal capacity by 2030 as the city tries to put the brakes on surging arrivals and address concerns about overtourism.The city hall and port authority agreed on Thursday to reduce the number of terminals to five from seven, lowering the port's capacity for simultaneously handling cruise ship passengers to 31,000 from 37,000 by the end of the decade.Barcelona recorded a 21% increase in cruise…

Fincantieri and Oceania Cruises, a brand of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., celebrated the delivery of Oceania Allura at the Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa. The vessel is the latest cruise ship to join the shipowner’s fleet, sister ship to Oceania Vista, which was handed over by the same yard in 2023.The ceremony was attended by Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager of the Fincantieri Merchant Ships Division, Harry Sommer, President & CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Meyer Turku has today handed over the Star of the Seas to Royal Caribbean. Star of the Seas is the second Icon class ship built at the Meyer Turku shipyard. Star of the Seas will leave the shipyard in mid-July and will later in the summer start sailing on the Caribbean from its home port in Port Canaveral.Star of the Seas' eight different neighbourhoods include the largest water park in the seas, the Central Park with live plants, the AquaTheatre with water acrobatics and around 40 different places to eat.

A new informational video launched by Arctic Council’s Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response Working Group (EPPR) in collaboration with the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) aims to improve passenger safety during maritime emergencies in the Arctic.The video covers essential topics such as actions to take upon hearing the alarm, what to expect in lifeboats or life rafts, procedures for transferring to a rescue vessel, and what happens after being rescued.Funded by the Norwegian Coastal Administration…

American Cruise Lines announced their biggest season of New England cruises—featuring nine itineraries and five small ships, including the newest cruise ship in the country, American Patriot.American Patriot is the flagship in the company’s new Patriot Class series. The 130-passenger ship passed Sea Trials and will embark on its first cruise this week, sailing June 21 roundtrip from Boston. Guests will enjoy one of the Line’s premiere New England itineraries, a 15-Day Grand New England cruise…

AS Tallink Grupp has signed a charter agreement with Algeria’s state-owned company Madar Maritime Company for the cruise ship Romantika.Romantika will be chartered along with its technical crew for nine months starting Saturday, May 31. The agreement includes an option to extend the charter for two additional periods of six months each.Romantika has previously operated in the Baltic Sea on routes to Helsinki, Stockholm, and Riga. Built in Finland in 2002, it was the first ferry commissioned by Tallink and the first built specifically for an Estonian shipping company.A few weeks ago…

HX Expeditions has launched an excursion program in Arctic Canada developed in partnership with Inuit Elders, local residents and community-born staff.It marks the first time a global cruise company has introduced a community-led program of this scale in the region. Launching in summer 2025, the community-led excursions will be offered on HX’s 25-day Northwest Passage sailings: westbound from Greenland to Alaska aboard MS Fridtjof Nansen, HX’s newest hybrid-powered vessel, and eastbound from Alaska to Greenland aboard MS Roald Amundsen…

Lloyd's Register launched its Cruise Ship Centre of Expertise (CCoE) at Seatrade Cruise Global (April 7-10) in Miami, USA.Operating globally, the CCoE integrates LR's classification, advisory and digital services to ensure cruise operators benefit from enhanced safety, operational efficiency, and sustainability guidance.The Centre brings together operational specialists, in-service and newbuilding SMEs, plan approval specialists and commercial experts to address unique industry challenges focusing on exceptional client care…

Lloyd’s Register (LR) and vacation company Royal Caribbean Group announced today at Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami, a partnership aimed at driving safety, innovation, and sustainability across the cruise industry. Under this partnership, LR will provide expert classification, risk management, and technical consultancy services to ensure Royal Caribbean Group’s fleet remains at the forefront of maritime safety and efficiency. This includes overseeing the transfer of more the 25 ships into LR class and integrating Marine Management Systems and Ship Emergency Response Services.

This past month Maritime Reporter TV has taken a close look at two hydrogen fuel cell projects: the new research vessel planned for Scripps Institution of Oceanography and e1 Marine’s methanol-to-hydrogen technology which is being adopted by STAX Engineering for its emissions capture barges.The Scripps California Coastal Research Vessel will feature a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system that will allow it to operate with no greenhouse gas or other emissions for 75% of its missions – and for all of its time operating in state waters.

Greece's tourism jewel, Santorini, welcomed its first cruise ship of the year on Sunday after thousands of small earthquakes in February created a state of emergency, forced thousands to flee and had locals fearing the season would be lost.Millions of tourists flock to Santorini every year, squeezing along its whitewashed cobbled streets to view its famous cliff-top sunset. The increased seismic activity - unprecedented even in a country as quake-prone as Greece - had prompted authorities to shut schools…

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest cruise company, is advancing greater fuel efficiency for propulsion through hull designs and new hardware and technology, along with underwater drone inspection and cleaning trials.This work is done through complementary strategies focused on maximizing hydrodynamic performance and enhancing ongoing hull maintenance, which reduces a ship’s underwater drag. Here's a synopsis of the CCL strategy:Hull Designs: When selecting the optimal hull design…

Resorts World Cruises announced the return of two iconic Asian cruise brands – StarCruises and Dream Cruises. The Resorts World Cruises brand was used temporarily to restart cruising in Asia post-Covid and will be reverting to its roots over the last 30 years. The brand transition period will take approximately three months with the renewed ambition to reinforce StarCruises and Dream Cruises as pioneers of the Asian and global cruising industry.Launched in June 2022, Resorts World Cruises has welcomed close to 2 million passengers, setting the foundation for this momentous transformation.

German shipyard Meyer Werft has launched the zero4cruise project with project partners including Freudenberg e-Power Systems and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).The project aims to develop climate-friendly and low emission energy systems for cruise ships, focusing on fuel cell technology powered by green methanol.The hybrid energy system will combine PEM fuel cells with a methanol reformer and battery systems to optimize efficiency and ensure ships can operate carbon-neutral…

The Greek parliament on Wednesday approved a bill increasing a daily tax on short-term rental and hotel accommodation and charging cruise ship visitors a levy to cope with the impact of natural disasters on its economy.Due to climate change, Greece is facing an increased number of extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts and forest-fires, which strain its public finances. Tourism is the main driver of its economy, which emerged from a debt crisis in 2018.From 2025, the…

SunStone Maritime Group has launched its latest expedition cruise vessel, Douglas Mawson, at China Merchants Heavy Industry.With a capacity up to 170 passengers and 102 crew, the vessel features advanced safety systems, energy-efficient operations and eco-friendly technologies designed to minimize environmental impact.Built with Ulstein’s revolutionary X-Bow® design, the vessel is IceClass 1A and Polar Class 6, ensuring safe and efficient operations in some of the world’s most challenging environments.

HX (formerly known as Hurtigruten Expeditions) has partnered with the University of Tasmania, Australia, and its Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) on a training program for Antarctic cruise passengers.For the first time, HX’s guests and expedition teams will have the opportunity to explore Antarctic and polar science with world-leading researchers in a university-developed program that blends immersive learning with real-world experiences – with the online course…