It’s been a busy information week for the cruise trade, and Cruise Hive has all of it coated for you.
On this week’s top-story round-up, we’re highlighting Oceania Cruises’ determination to change to an adult-only coverage, the journey chaos that erupted within the Caribbean after the Venezuela navy assault, and the arrest of a journey agent who allegedly scammed a gaggle of cruisers out of greater than $35,000.
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Venezuela Assault Causes Journey Chaos For Cruisers
The US authorities’s January 3, 2026, navy assault on Venezuela prompted loads of journey complications for a lot of cruise visitors on their strategy to or from Caribbean locations, since airspace was quickly restricted in some areas.
Virgin Voyages was among the many first cruise traces to problem an advisory to visitors disembarking on January 3 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, one of many locations the place airspace was impacted. Friends must deal with flight disruptions on the island’s Luis Muñoz Marín Worldwide Airport following debarkation from Valiant Girl.
The two,770-guest ship homeports at San Juan. Her subsequent cruise, departing later that day, was altered to keep away from port calls at Curacao and Aruba, that are simply 40 and 18 miles from Venezuela, respectively.
Additionally primarily based at San Juan, cruisers headed to or from Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas encountered related issues, because the 2,100-guest ship was additionally disembarking and embarking visitors on January 3.
As irritating as these situations have been, they weren’t as chaotic as others. Some 5,000 visitors booked on P&O Cruises’ fly-cruise packages from the UK to Barbados needed to fully redo their journey plans.
Three plane carrying visitors to the road’s Arvia, primarily based in Barbados, circled in mid-air and returned to the UK as a consequence of restricted air areas within the Caribbean.
These passengers have been scheduled to embark the 5,200-guest ship on January 3. Friends as a consequence of disembark the ship and head again to the UK as an alternative remained onboard, whereas new transportation plans have been organized for the following day.
Carnival Cruise Line Alerts Friends to Key Modifications
It’s necessary to learn all alerts and notices that cruise traces ship out to booked visitors, since they communicate key info designed to maintain all the pieces working easily earlier than and through a voyage.
Carnival Cruise Line issued three such advisories for upcoming sailings in January. Friends booked on Carnival Miracle’s January 4, 2026, crusing, a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise roundtrip from Tampa, realized that they have to attend an in-person security briefing earlier than the ship departs.
The cruise line usually makes use of a self-mustering security drill via its app, however for an unknown purpose, reverted to the outdated format, whereby all visitors should don their life vests and collect at their muster stations for a security briefing.
In one other advisory, the road reminded visitors about guidelines surrounding the use and storage of mobility scooters. Friends crusing on Carnival Venezia’s January 11, 2026, Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral have been despatched a letter detailing that the units can not hinder emergency exits, for example, nor can they be left unattended, amongst different guidelines.
And at last, visitors booked on Carnival Radiance’s January 5, 2026, crusing and Carnival Firenze’s January 8, 2026, cruise from Lengthy Seashore, California, have been alerted to a parking problem on the port.
The 2 ships collectively can accommodate about 6,200 visitors, and the on-site parking facility at Lengthy Seashore has capability for simply 1,450 automobiles. Passengers arriving by automobile will possible be diverted to an off-site car parking zone, so visitors needs to be ready for that and go away further time to reach on the cruise terminal.
Alleged Journey Rip-off Leaves Cruisers Disillusioned
A New York-based journey agent suspected of bilking shoppers out of 1000’s of {dollars} was arrested by Nassau County police.
Tavia Thomas, who operated Future Journey in East Meadow, New York, stands accused of 5 counts of grand larceny and three counts of scheme to defraud. Among the many alleged victims is a gaggle of 9 individuals who booked a Royal Caribbean cruise via the company.
The group, which was to sail from Bayonne, New Jersey, in July 2024, mentioned they paid Thomas $35,753.98 for the cruise, however on arriving on the port came upon that their bookings have been fraudulent and, due to this fact, have been null and void.
The dissatisfied cruisers weren’t the one individuals allegedly scammed by Thomas, age 47. Authorities say she acquired $5,000 from a pair reserving a vacation spot marriage ceremony at a resort, however the reservation was by no means made. She additionally allegedly took greater than $10,000 to e book a household trip to the Dominican Republic, one other journey that was by no means really processed.
Police cited different circumstances of suspected fraud towards prospects of their January 6, 2026, announcement of her arrest.
Cabin Modifications Revealed on Legend of the Seas
Some cruise visitors booked on Royal Caribbean’s new-build Legend of the Seas have realized they won’t be staying within the cabin class they initially booked.
The ship, beneath building on the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland and as a consequence of launch on July 11, 2026, affords greater than 20 cabin classes. For an unexplained purpose, some staterooms have been “recategorized,” which means that some visitors are getting new cabin assignments.
The ship’s inaugural cruise is a 7-night Western Mediterranean crusing roundtrip from Rome. Some passengers acquired a discover from the road explaining that they’ve been reassigned.
As an example, in a single case, visitors who booked a Surfside Household View Balcony are getting a free improve to an Ocean View Balcony. The Surfside stateroom is inside going through, whereas the ocean view faces outward.
Each can sleep as much as 4 visitors, however the ocean view stateroom is barely bigger, at 205 sq. toes versus 196 within the Surfside cabin.
Some visitors welcomed the change, however others didn’t. For instance, a gaggle that particularly selected a set of staterooms close by one another — with some in connecting cabins, usually are not so happy that they gained’t be as shut collectively as deliberate.
Oceania Cruises Shifts to Grownup-Solely Coverage
The trade’s adult-only cruise line area of interest simply obtained significantly greater, now that Oceania Cruises is accepting reservations from visitors 18 and older.
The upmarket line joins Virgin Voyages and Viking Cruises within the no-kids market, bringing its eight ships (with 4 new-builds on the best way) into the fold.
Beginning with bookings made on and after January 7, 2026, Oceania now not accepts reservations for anybody beneath 18. All current bookings made earlier than that date usually are not affected by the brand new coverage.
Oceania Cruises pointed to suggestions from previous visitors and journey advisors, and its personal analysis, as causes for the change.
The model, which seems to be taking steps towards the posh market, was by no means referred to as a child-friendly line, because it supplied no devoted areas or packages for youngsters, though to date, they have been welcomed onboard.
Oceania Cruises operates smaller ships, accommodating between 700 and 1,200 visitors. Its new-build Sonata, debuting in 2027, would be the largest, with capability for 1,460 visitors.
Getaway Cruise Experiences a Main Delay
A 2-night getaway crusing on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas skilled a big delay in embarkation on January 5, 2026, as a result of ship’s late arrival again to Los Angeles that day.
The ship sails Mexican Riviera cruises, however this crusing had only one port name scheduled, in Ensenada, Mexico. Booked visitors have been alerted that the cruise terminal and car parking zone could be closed till 3:30 p.m. on embarkation day, so visitor arrival appointments have been pushed again by 4.5 hours.
The rationale was tied to the ship’s earlier cruise, which was delayed in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, after a visitor wanted to be evacuated as a consequence of a medical emergency, based on passengers’ social media posts. Because of this, the ship’s arrival in Los Angeles was far later than deliberate.
The parking state of affairs was impacted because the disembarking visitors had not but returned to the port.
As soon as the ship obtained on her method, the time in Ensenada was lengthened by two hours, giving visitors extra time within the vacation spot. Quantum of the Seas arrived in Ensenada at 8 a.m. on January 6, 2026, and remained till 6 p.m., moderately than the initially deliberate 4 p.m.
Hawaii Cruise Tax Halted As CLIA Enchantment Continues
Hawaii’s so-called “inexperienced payment,” a tax on cruise ship visitors calling on the state’s port, didn’t take impact as deliberate on January 1, 2026.
The ninth US Circuit Court docket of Appeals issued a non permanent injunction on December 31, 2025, blocking the brand new regulation that may have added an 11% tax on gross cruise fares. The tax was to be prorated primarily based on the variety of days a cruise ship spends docked on the Hawaiian Islands ports.
Act 96, its official title, taxes cruise traces, lodge rooms, and trip leases, and is also called the transient lodging tax. The act is estimated to boost $100 million per yr to deal with environmental and climate-related points.
In addition to the 11% tax by the state, particular person counties in Hawaii might implement one other 3%.
Cruise Strains Worldwide Affiliation (CLIA) sued the state, resulting in the Court docket of Appeals ruling. The injunction, whereas non permanent, allows CLIA’s enchantment of the regulation to proceed.
Extra Cruise Headlines
Prepared for much more information and options? Cruise Hive invitations you to take a look at our protection of Princess Cruises increasing its roster of 2027 Northern Europe voyages, Norwegian Cruise Line opening new points of interest at Nice Stirrup Cay, and Royal Caribbean breaking floor on its new cruise terminal at PortMiami.
Additionally, discover out why an MSC Cruises’ ship arrived 10 hours late to her port name in Brazil, and why Holland America Line is experiencing a reserving surge in 2026 Europe voyages.
