You may notice a new look around here. CruiseInd is currently transitioning to an updated theme to improve readability, navigation, and overall performance.
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…
Not long ago, a cruise ship calling at Portsmouth, New Hampshire was a rare enough event to be noteworthy on its own. For decades, the Pease Development Authority’s Market Street Marine Terminal sat largely on the sidelines of New England’s…
Rumors are beginning to circulate in New Hampshire about a possible return of overnight ferry service between Nova Scotia and New England, a route that has been absent from the region for two decades. According to local reporting, a representative…
Having sailed aboard Oasis of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas from the Oasis-class, as well as Quantum of the Seas, it becomes clear that Royal Caribbean was not simply scaling ships up or down. These two classes represent…
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…
In the world of cruise ships, few stories are as dramatic and unusual as that of Genting Hong Kong’s Global-class vessels. What began as an ambitious vision to create the world’s largest cruise ships for the Asian market ended in…
The 2025 Perspective on LNG and the upcoming, fuel cells on cruise ships Royal Caribbean’s newest ship Star of the Seas is the latest in the LNG powered newbuilds that are being launched. In early August, she completed her first…
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…
If you’ve ever sailed in a cabin close to the bow of the ship, you may have been woken up in the early hours by a loud vibration as the ship is maneuvering into her berth at the pier. Well…
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.…
In 2016, Carnival Corporation introduced fathom, (stylized with a leading lowercase ‘f’) a new cruise brand that sought to redefine the industry by blending tourism with volunteerism, commonly known as “voluntourism.” Fathom’s mission was unique: it promised travelers a chance…
In our first part we cover the origins, design, and career of the Carnival Tropicale. In this post we will look at her life after she left Carnival Cruise Lines. Editors note: we will use the names ‘Carnival Tropicale’ and…
A well-coordinated flow of logistics ensures a smooth sail away day for thousands of passengers. Here’s a glimpse into the organized chaos that turns the pier into a bustling hub of excitement. As a 150,000gt ship slowly sails into a…
At the turn of the 20th century, European giants Cunard, Hamburg-Amerika Line, and White Star dominated the transatlantic market, but few know that plans for a major American competitor were in the works. Ever notice that at the turn of…
And most importantly why these are not a measure of how much the ship weighs. When discussing ships, people often like to compare ships to one-another. Frequently we can use which ship is longer; or which ship has more cabins;…
Many historians consider the Tropicale to be one of the first in an era of cruise ships that set a standard for what was come later. She was considered by many to be the first modern day liner. Editors note:…
The U.S. Jones Act, formally known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, is a piece of legislation that has significant implications for various maritime industries, including the cruise industry. The Jones Act primarily governs the transportation of goods between…
In a continuation of Cunard Month here at CruiseInd, I wanted to explore what Grill Class is on Cunard and what the various facilities look like. Probably the most striking difference with Cunard Line is their utilization of Grill Classes.…
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…
With the increasing concerns and regulations around global emissions from vehicles of all types, cruise ships, and the larger maritime industry at large, has taken to scrubbers as a way to get old ships up to par. As the world…