You can watch this news update at: https://youtu.be/xY0ke7S24gI?si=HQGzuZLC0fBPaSwZ
Hey, everyone! Get ready for a dose of diverse cruise news, because today we’re diving into changes, dry docks, and a shocking reality check about where your favorite cruise line’s priorities truly lie.
The Bottom Line: Don’t Take It Personally
It’s easy to assume that when you own a company, your customers should be your top priority. But when we talk about large, publicly traded companies, there’s one overriding goal: to make money, make profits, and drive revenues higher for their shareholders.
So, when cruise lines make a change you don’t like, remember that it’s all about money. They try to put out the best product possible, and then they try to make the most money possible after that.
The one major exception currently? MSC. Since they are a private company, they have a little more flexibility, meaning you can hope most of their changes are customer-focused, though they still seek profits.
The Bad News: Policy Headaches & Hidden Costs
Grab a strong cocktail, because we have a few updates that might leave you less than satisfied.
1. Princess Makes Non-Refundable the Default
Princess Cruise Lines (part of the Carnival company) is setting non-refundable deposits as the default option for booking. While this move makes things smoother for the cruise lines, it’s understandable why passengers are upset—it used to be nice to cancel without penalty.
• Can you still get a refundable deposit? Yes, but be ready for extra fees or a higher cruise fare, similar to booking a refundable deposit with Royal Caribbean.
• A Travel Agent’s Take: As travel agents, we understand the financial hurt. They noted that 15–20% of the hundreds of cruises we book often cancel before final payment, causing us to lose time and work. However, we still want deposits to be refundable!
2. NCL Doubles Down on Strange Room Service Limits
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is receiving criticism for its new room service rules, but they are sticking to their guns.
• The Quantity Limit: You can now order a maximum of two meals per person per delivery from the all-day menu. For a couple in a double room, that’s four meals, which is seen as reasonable.
• The Bizarre Breakfast Rule: Breakfast now has a limitation of only one cold item and one hot item per person. This seems weird—what if you just wanted a muffin and an omelet?.
• The Cost: The fees remain: $4.95 for breakfast and $9.95 plus a 20% gratuity on top of both charges. This is likely aimed at combating food waste, as full plates of food are often seen abandoned in hallways.
3. Carnival Cracks Down on Late Diners
Carnival is becoming less tolerant of people who are late for dinner in the main dining room.
If you arrive significantly late, it affects the serving staff trying to manage subsequent seatings and other tables. Recently, people who arrived a whopping 35 minutes late for their early dinner were sent to the Lido deck to eat at the buffet. Moral of the story: try to be on time!.
4. Port of Miami Fuel Crisis?
There’s a massive issue brewing at the Port of Miami—the largest cruise port in the world. The port’s fuel depot, located on Fisher Island (where super wealthy people live), was sold last September to a developer who wants to tear it down and build condos.
Miami-Dade County doesn’t want this change, as the cruise industry brings in billions of dollars a year. The situation is in mediation, and if things change quickly, it could affect cruise pricing out of Miami.
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The Good News: Ship Updates and Anniversaries!
It’s not all doom and gloom! We have some great news about ships getting fresh looks and celebrating big milestones.
1. Mardi Gras Gets Refreshed
Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras—the first of the Excel class ships—is back from an extensive dry dock. The goal was to make the ship look newer and feel better.
• Family Focus: 100 staterooms received new connecting doors, allowing more families to sail together and book bigger, connected rooms.
• Shopping & Fun: The casino layout was changed, new slot machines were added, and retail venues (including Tag Heuer, Breitling, Pandora, and Swaroski Crystals) were cleaned up.
• Accessibility: Significant updates were made to improve accessibility in public areas and guest cabins to accommodate the growing number of people using scooters.
2. New Specialty Dining on Sapphire Princess
The Sapphire Princess has returned from its dry dock featuring two new specialty restaurants, opening to guests on November 16, 2025:
• Makoto Ocean: This sushi restaurant, created by Chef Makoto Okuwa, is the first non-Sphere class ship to receive this venue. It features dishes like truffle salmon, snow crab Tamaki, and Toro tartar.
• Crown Grill: Princess’s signature steakhouse is also moving in.
• Pricing: Both venues are priced at $60 per person.
3. Happy 25th, Explorer of the Seas!
Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas has completed its 25th year of service, showing that cruise ships are lasting longer and longer. i have really fond, nostalgic memories of sailing on the Explorer in 2011 for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary—congratulations to the ship!
4. NCL Goes Paperless (Mostly)
In slightly ambiguous news (good for the environment, potentially frustrating for guests), NCL is no longer automatically delivering the paper Freestyle Daily newsletter to cabins every evening. Guests are encouraged to get information digitally via the stateroom TVs or the NCL app.
• The Catch: While I don’t mind the change, the NCL app needs improvement! It currently lacks the interactive features found on apps like Royal Caribbean’s, such as the ability to click on things, save activities, highlight events, or set reminders. If you really want a paper copy, you can still pick one up.
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That wraps up the cruise news for today! Remember, you take the good, you take the bad, you take them all, and there you have the facts of life.
Have a great Sunday, and happy cruising!
