Cruise Hive’s weekly information roundup is a good way to remain knowledgeable on the most important developments throughout the cruise trade. Highlights on this version embody protection of a maritime strike that prevented an MSC Cruises’ ship from docking in Marseille, France; robust winds inflicting a Superstar Cruises’ ship to overlook the one two port calls on her itinerary; and Carnival Cruise Line asserting a rise in its crew gratuity cost.
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Cruising is Booming within the Bahamas
For the third consecutive 12 months, the Nassau Cruise Port set a brand new file in cruise arrivals, reaching 6.1 million. That’s practically half of all guests to the Bahamas, which totals 12.5 million vacationers.
The record-high cruise arrival quantity makes Nassau the world’s busiest transit cruise port, because it obtained roughly 1,600 ship calls.
The 2025 quantity displays a 9.5% hike over 2024, when the vacation spot obtained 5.6 million cruise company from 1,445 ship calls. In 2023, cruise arrivals totaled 4.4 million.
Assured within the port’s progress sample, port officers have invested $300 million in upgrades over the previous few years. These included six further, and bigger, berths that may accommodate the trade’s largest ships — Royal Caribbean’s Icon class.
The port additionally reached a brand new milestone in 2025 by way of day by day passengers. On April 8, 2025, 31,011 cruise passengers arrived in Nassau on 5 ships: Liberty of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Celebration, and Disney Dream.
Climate Entrance Turns Voyage Into Cruise to Nowhere
A 3-night weekend getaway cruise aboard Superstar Cruises’ Superstar Reflection was scheduled to make two port calls — to Key West and Bimini, Bahamas.
However the voyage turned out to be a cruise to nowhere, when excessive winds from an advancing climate entrance pressured the ship to cancel each calls. The ship departed from Port Everglades on January 30, 2026, and was to name at Key West the subsequent day.
Winds of 15-20 miles per hour all through the day and gusts as much as 33 miles per hour had been predicted on the time Superstar Reflection would have been docked. That’s a number of strain on mooring traces, and will create unsafe disembarkation by way of gangways.
In the meantime, the Port of Bimini shut down as a consequence of excessive winds, so that decision was unimaginable to make, too.
It was a disappointment for company; nonetheless, a ship captain’s first precedence is all the time the security of company and crew onboard.
The three,046-guest Superstar Reflection, a Solstice-class ship, has loads of onboard delights, such because the Garden Membership outside recreation space, a number of specialty eating places, and the AquaSpa, providing greater than 100 wellness therapies.
Carnival Cruise Line Hikes Crew Gratuities By $1
For the primary time in three years, Carnival Cruise Line is elevating its crew gratuity price, efficient on April 2, 2026.
The brand new price for company in normal staterooms can be $17 per individual per day, and $19 for these in suites. The will increase mirror a $1 rise in every class, and works out to a 6.25% hike for normal stateroom company and a 5.55% improve for suite company.
Additionally, the road is elevating the price of its Bottomless Bubbles soda package deal, from $9.50 per individual per day to $11.99. Company will nonetheless pay a 20% service cost on every soda order.
Company are invited to pre-pay the gratuities or the soda package deal on any booked cruise earlier than April 2, efficient on the day of departure, locking within the decrease price irrespective of their departure date.
Cruise traces usually elevate gratuity charges each few years. This week additionally noticed a rise in gratuities at Margaritaville at Sea, which raised its price to $22 per individual per day, no matter lodging class. It additionally enacted a coverage change that prohibits company from adjusting or eradicating crew gratuities from their onboard accounts.
Maritime Strike Disrupts MSC Cruises’ Ship
Unionized maritime employees in Marseille, France, organized a strike on the vacation spot’s port on February 2, 2026, an motion that prevented MSC Cruises’ MSC Orchestra from docking there to embark and disembark company.
The French Riviera port is one in every of a number of embarkation/disembarkation ports for the three,223-guest ship, which is crusing a sequence of 7-night Mediterranean cruises.
The protest had been deliberate; the Fédération Nationale des Syndicats Maritimes Union had filed a strike discover for February 2 and three. Native media reported that the demonstrators blocked entry to the port.
The ship waited a number of hours for the protest to finish, however in the end left the area. The ship departed from Valencia, Spain, on January 31, 2026, and Marseille was the second name, after Barcelona. Genoa, Livorno, and Rome, Italy, had been subsequent on the itinerary, earlier than the ship returns to Valencia on February 7, 2026.
Company left behind in Marseille posted on social media that the cruise line was internet hosting them that night time at a resort and would bus them to the subsequent port name, Genoa, the place they may embark.
It’s probably that comparable plans had been made for the company who had been to debark in Marseille.
Spa Gross sales Pitch Angers Royal Caribbean Visitor
Most cruisers who’ve skilled a spa remedy on a cruise ship know that, generally, a spa consultant will attempt to squeeze more cash out of a visitor by trying to upsell a remedy or promote associated merchandise.
It just lately occurred to 1 Royal Caribbean visitor, who posted on social media about what turned out to be a really irritating expertise.
The passenger described a 20- to 30-minute gross sales pitch they had been subjected to once they arrived for his or her scheduled therapeutic massage. So intense was the expertise that the visitor turned indignant and left the spa earlier than the $200 therapeutic massage even began.
They demanded and obtained a refund, however that wasn’t sufficient. Additionally they went to the visitor companies desk and, after complaining concerning the incident, demanded a refund of all pre-paid facilities and excursions.
Visitor companies employees complied. The passenger’s story went viral on social media, with different cruisers relating comparable experiences.
Relying on the cruise line, some spa employees are employed by the spa vendor, not the cruise line, and are generally, sadly, beneath strain from the seller to upsell merchandise.
Cruising? Carry Your Personal Umbrella
Nobody likes to consider a wet day spoiling a part of a cruise trip, however it does occur sometimes.
One Carnival Cruise Line visitor reached out to model ambassador John Heald, asking whether or not they need to carry their very own umbrella or will crew make them obtainable if wanted. If not, requested the visitor, why not?
Heald, who interacts with company on his widespread Fb web page, replied that no, the cruise line doesn’t present umbrellas. First, they would want hundreds of them on every ship — practically 95,000 fleetwide, and a few would probably not be returned on the finish of a crusing.
The trade prompted different company to chime in, and a few prompt that plastic ponchos had been a greater concept than umbrellas, which may break within the wind or blow overboard from open decks.
Company are welcome to pack their very own umbrellas — the merchandise is just not listed as a prohibited merchandise. Small, compact umbrellas don’t take up a lot room in a suitcase.
Whereas cruisers crusing within the Caribbean or different tropical areas count on and hope for heat, dry, sunny days, it’s all the time potential {that a} climate sample will carry showers. Greatest to be ready.
‘Beetlejuice’ to Depart From Norwegian Viva
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Viva has introduced the Broadway-style present “Beetlejuice: The Musical” for greater than two-and-a-half years, however the run is ending.
The 90-minute musical, a few useless couple who hang-out their nation property, is proven on the ship’s leisure notes as having its ultimate efficiency on the March 21, 2026, cruise. No formal announcement has been made.
The transfer follows the information that one other present, “Jersey Boys,” is ending its run on Norwegian Bliss after that ship’s February 8, 2026, cruise.
Norwegian Viva relies in Galveston, Texas. Her March 21 cruise is a 7-night Western Caribbean crusing calling at Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; Harvest Caye, Belize; and Roatan, Honduras.
The ship’s leisure notes additionally point out that two new productions will quickly be supplied.
“Motor Metropolis Strikes,” that includes “Detroit’s iconic sound,” can be carried out throughout the ship’s first seasonal Mediterranean crusing, departing April 29, 2026, from Barcelona. Later within the season, “Burn the Ground” can be carried out. It’s a ballroom dance ensemble.
Different leisure choices aboard Norwegian Viva embody the sport reveals “Deal or No Deal,” “The Value Is Proper,” and “Wheel of Fortune,” together with comedy reveals and different musical occasions.
Extra Cruise Headlines
Now that you just’ve learn the information recap, Cruise Hive has much more protection from the previous week, together with two Cunard ships assembly up for a rendezvous in California, Holland America Line rolling out new Pacific Coast and Hawaii voyages, and Carnival Cruise Line asserting it’s going to base two ships in Baltimore in 2027-28.
Additionally, Royal Caribbean provides profitable compensation to lure company away from an overbooked cruise, and injury from storms causes a momentary closure of the Nice Stirrup Cay non-public vacation spot.
