When the Carnival Dream entered service in September 2009, the cruise press celebrated it as Carnival’s biggest and boldest Fun Ship to date. Sixteen years on, that framing feels like it undersold what the ship actually was. Look closely at…
If You’ve Ever Wondered Why Some New Ships Feel a Little Different Than Others You’ve Cruised… When Fincantieri quietly unveiled Project Mille at Cruise Shipping Miami back in 2013, it read like a theoretical exercise. It was a shipbuilder’s white…
2026 is shaping up to be another major year for new cruise ships up from 19 newbuils delivered last year, with a mix of megaships, luxury vessels, expedition ships, and coastal cruisers entering service. From billion-dollar giants to intimate yachts…
A Year of Scale, Sustainability, and Strategic Shifts The cruise industry entered 2025 on strong footing and used the year to refine rather than reinvent. After several seasons defined by recovery and headline-grabbing launches, this past year focused on scaling…
After two very different, yet sort of similar sailings this year, I wanted to compare and contrast an MSC Yacht Club cruise versus a cruise on Explora Journeys. TLDR; I find that I preferred the trip on Explora II for…
This past season, I had the chance to experience two radically different styles of cruising. One was a journey through the Mediterranean aboard the 300 passenger Wind Surf, a graceful sailing yacht measuring 14,745 gt. The other was a whirlwind…
1. TUI Cruises – Mein Schiff Relax✅ TUI Cruises introduced the first ship of 2025 in the Mein Schiff Relax, a 161,000gt vessel designed to carry 4,000 passengers. The first in the InTUItion-class she was built by Fincantieri. This ship promises a…
And the timing could not be better. While I’m currently onboard the Explora II, Explora Journey’s just dropped the long awaited news of the launch of a Loyalty Program, Explora Club. Explora Journeys, the high-end ocean travel brand from the…
The concept of residential cruise ships—a floating utopia where you can live, work, and play while circumnavigating the globe—is undeniably alluring. Yet, as history has shown, these ambitious projects often sail into stormy waters long before they ever reach the…
And will it ever be built? MV Narrative: The Narrative The M/V Narrative, touted as a revolutionary residential cruise ship by Storylines, has become a saga of delays, lofty promises, and mounting skepticism. Originally announced with much fanfare and a…
The cruise industry has emerged from the challenging years of the pandemic stronger than ever, with innovation and customer experience driving its resurgence and growth. 2024 was all about resilience and continuing on it’s growth plans post-pandemic. Cruise lines also…
Here’s a highlight from the past 12 months in the cruise industry. The cruise industry surged ahead in 2024, fueled by a mix of innovation, environmental progress, and exciting new ships and itineraries. From record-breaking launches to sustainability milestones, this…
As the year winds down and we reflect on the voyages, experiences, and ships everyone’s been on, it’s time for us to attempt to come up with a “Best of ” list. Of course, any ranking like this is inherently subjective.…
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas has officially started sailing, so now is a good time to revisit our the Largest Cruise Ship list and the Largest Ships List. In this post we will focus on the largest ships in…
In the past we’ve published a list of the largest ships in the world, these include oil tankers, and offshore vessels along with cruise ships. This page will be dedicated to ranking just the largest cruise ships. #1 Icon of…
Now that Wonder of the Seas has officially started sailing, let’s take a look at the list of top 10 largest ships in the world and see where the Oasis-class lands on them. I debuted this analysis a few years…
This post originally posted on July 02, 2019. Carnival has just announced that they will be utilizing a Semi-Submersible Heavy Lift (SSHL) Ship to repair the damaged Carnival Vista. The Carnival Vista was the first neo-panamax ship for Carnival Cruise…
Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on August 26, 2018. It has been updated to reflect what happened to Crystal Cruises after Genting Hong Kong’s collapse and the brand’s relaunch under Abercrombie & Kent. There’s a lot to unpack…
This post originally appeared on CruiseInd eight years ago. At the time, it looked at how Americans could legally cruise to Cuba and why Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas was likely to become the line’s first Cuba ship. As…
The worlds largest cruise ship recently made a stop in drydock last month. The Oasis of the Seas is so large that there are only a select few drydocks cable of handling the 225,282gt ship. Taking place in Rotterdam, Netherlands…
Whoever thought this up is a genius. Royal Caribbean is currently in the middle of a PR frenzy with the debut of the the Quantum. While not as big as the Oasis and the Allure, one can argue that Quantum…
MSC has announced a series of new building initiatives that are nothing short of incredible. The first deal was announced back in March and the most recent one, just last week. STX France Newbuilds High-res Sealevel view: Closeup of lido…
According to CIN’s European sources, executives from Star Cruises are ‘in serious talks’ with a shipbuilder in Europe about a potential new build. Star Cruises is the Asian based line that is Norwegian Cruise Lines parent company. A newbuild option…
Senator Jay Rockerfeller has always been a vocal opponent of the cruise industry. Even calling two special congressional hearings about their safety record. In his most recent one, he stated that he intends on proposing legislation to “close the tax…
Sen. Rockerfeller will introduce legislation to “close the tax loophole.” This isn’t a good sign. If passed, then this means prices will go up. Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean will voluntarily post crime statistics of their ships on their websites. Sen. Rockefeller…