New ships, new private destinations, new leaders: It’s been a busy year for the cruise industry.
But before you put 2025 completely in the rearview, take a look back through some of the biggest cruise news stories of the year.
Carnival Cruise Line Opens Celebration Key
Carnival Cruise Line opened Celebration Key, its brand-new private destination, on Grand Bahama in July. The company’s leaders—including Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy, Carnival Corporation chief executive officer Josh Weinstein and “chief fun officer” Shaquille O’Neal—were on-site to welcome travelers to the $600 million destination.
The colorful and meticulously planned destination boasts two massive freshwater lagoons, more than 30 food and beverage venues, an 11,000-square-foot infinity pool, a 166-seat swim-up bar, two 350-foot-long waterslides, and eight types of villas, cabanas and daybeds, among other features.
Guests enjoy the day at Celebration Key (Photo Credit: Carnival Cruise Line)
Royal Caribbean Launches Star of the Seas
There was a bit of drama when Diana Ross stepped down as godmother just before the Star of the Seas’ christening in August. However, Royal Caribbean quickly selected a new godmother, Kellie Gerardi, to bestow safekeeping on the ship in Port Canaveral, Florida.
TravelPulse’s Eric Bowman was onboard to get a first-hand look at all the new ship has to offer. He also caught up with Vicki Freed, Royal Caribbean International’s senior vice president of sales, trade support and service to discuss the cruise line’s latest offerings and its future ahead.
AAA Predicts Record Cruise Numbers in 2026
In October, AAA released its cruise outlook for the upcoming year. It’s projecting another record year in 2026, with 21.7 million Americans expected to take an ocean cruise vacation.
Though 2025 is still underway, AAA also projected a final tally of 20.7 million ocean-going American cruise passengers—higher than it had originally predicted.
“These numbers reflect the growing demand for ocean cruises among U.S. travelers,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “Our travel agents see this every day when booking dream vacations for AAA members. Whether it’s an anniversary trip to relax in the Caribbean or a family reunion to explore Alaska, ocean cruises offer variety, convenience and lifelong memories.”
Cruise Industry Wins Big at 2025 Travvy Awards
Cruise lines took home numerous awards at the 2025 Travvy Awards gala in Fort Lauderdale in early November . Produced by TravelPulse and AGENTatHOME, the Travvy Awards spotlight the best suppliers across the travel industry, including cruise companies, hotels and resorts, destinations, tour operations and more. Travel advisors cast thousands of votes in more than 140 categories to determine the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners.
Royal Caribbean Group won 26 total honors, while Royal Caribbean International president and chief executive officer Michael Bayley won Travel Executive of the Year. Travel advisors also voted on the best river cruise lines, the best cruise companies and the best cruise ships.
Norwegian Cruise Line Undergoes Major Leadership Shake-Up
In August, Norwegian Cruise Line president David Herrera left the company as “part of a strategic leadership change.” Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, took over Herrera’s day-to-day duties on an interim basis until a replacement can be found.
In December, the brand announced it had hired travel industry veteran Marc Kazlauskas to be its new leader. He will take the helm January 19, bringing more than 30 years of senior leadership experience to the cruise line.
MSC Cruises’ MSC World America Sets Sail
MSC World America set sail in April, with multiple features to help set it apart. The 6,764-passenger, 215,863-ton liner provides guests with an array of staterooms in multiple configurations, expansive indoor and outdoor activity areas, diverse dining options and a full menu of entertainment options.
MSC World America (Photo Credit: TravelPulse Canada/Natasha Lair-McKenty)
Holland America Line Starts $70M Renovation of Denali Lodge in Alaska
Amid growing demand for trips to Alaska, Holland America Line is investing $70 million to update its Denali Lodge property. The new multi-year expansion and renovation project kicked off this year and will continue through 2027.
“Enhancing and expanding the Holland America Denali Lodge will help meet the growing interest in combined land and sea Cruisetours for our 49th state and further support the Alaska tourism industry,” says Beth Bodensteiner, president of Holland America Line.
Oceania Cruises Welcomes Oceania Allura to Fleet
Oceania Allura, the newest Oceania Cruises ship, debuted in the summer of 2025. The 1,200-guest ship is the eighth vessel in Oceania’s fleet and the second in the Allura Class, following sister ship to Oceania Vista.
Virgin Voyages’ New Ship Brilliant Lady Sets Sail
Virgin Voyages’ new ship Brilliant Lady set sail on her “MerMaiden” voyage from New York in September. The 2,762-guest vessel is the fourth and final ship in the company’s fleet, with new features designed for upcoming sailings to Alaska and through the Panama Canal. TravelPulse was onboard for the inaugural sailing and got to experience the new ship’s spaces, activities, entertainment offerings and more.
Norwegian Cruise Line Welcomes Norwegian Aqua
Norwegian Cruise Line welcomed its newest ship, Norwegian Aqua, to the fleet in the spring of 2025. The 3,571-guest ship was christened in April, with Eric Stonestreet serving as godfather.
Norwegian Aqua (Photo Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line)
Multiple Travel Brands Expand Into River Cruising
The river cruise industry was buzzing in 2025, as multiple travel brands announced their plans to expand into the space. Ocean cruise line Celebrity Cruises announced that it will launch its first-ever European river cruises in 2027, aboard Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker. Trafalgar, which specializes in guided land tours, will launch its first European river cruises in the spring of 2026 aboard Trafalgar Reverie andTrafalgar Verity. National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions revealed that it will launch its first river cruises in Europe in 2026 aboard the Connect. The brand later announced that it will add a second European river ship, Evolve, to its fleet in 2027.
Ponant Explorations Group Buys Majority Stake in Aqua Expeditions
Ponant Explorations Group made headlines this year when it announced that it had bought a majority stake in Aqua Expeditions. The company, which also owns Paul Gauguin Cruises and the Ponant cruise brand, is now adding the small-ship river and ocean cruise line to its portfolio.
Aqua Expeditions currently sails in the Galápagos Islands, Raja Ampat, Komodo, Spice Islands, the Mekong River and the Peruvian Amazon River. The brand is also preparing to launch new East Africa itineraries in the Seychelles and Tanzania.
Celebrity Xcel Makes Waves With Bold New Spaces and Experiences
Celebrity Cruises welcomed its newest ship in November with the debut of Celebrity Xcel.
Celebrity Xcel is the fifth ship in Celebrity Cruises’ Edge Series, with Captain Kyriakos “Kirk” Matragkas at the helm. It features seven new spaces and experiences, plus an array of new entertainment offerings. Brazilian chef Janaína Torres, who was named Best Female Chef in the World 2024 by World’s 50 Best, is the vessel’s godmother. The ship can accommodate up to 3,260 guests across an array of stateroom categories.
Princess Cruises’ New Ship Star Princess Sets Sail
The Princess Cruises fleet got a little bigger in 2025, as Star Princess set sail on her maiden voyage in November. The vessel is the sister ship to Sun Princess and is spending her first season in the Caribbean before transiting the Panama Canal to Seattle for a series of seven-day summer 2026 Alaska cruises along the Inside Passage.
Disney Cruise Line Launches Disney Destiny
Disney Cruise Line debuted its newest cruise ship, Disney Destiny, in November. The brand selected Susan Egan, the voice of Meg from the animated movie “Hercules,” to be the ship’s godmother. Disney Destiny is the third ship in the Wish-class ships, which first featured the Disney Wish in 2022 and the Disney Treasure in 2024. The theme of this new cruise ship is all about heroes and villains, with two prominent characters displayed on the ship’s exterior. Spider-Man and his Spider-Bots are featured on the Disney Destiny’s stern, while Hero Minnie Mouse adorns the ship’s bow.
Disney Destiny cruise ship docked at Castaway Cay (Photo Credit: Eric Bowman)
Viking Celebrates 100-Ship Milestone
Viking achieved a major milestone in October when it simultaneously christened nine new river boats. The new additions brought the brand’s total fleet size to 100 river, ocean and expedition vessels.
“Over the last 28 years, we have grown from four ships to more than 100—a fleet size that no other line has achieved—and we have done so because of our innovative approach,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman and chief executive officer of Viking. “First, we modernized river voyages; then we reinvented ocean voyages and perfected the expedition experience. We look forward to continuing our leadership in experiential travel in the years to come.”
ASTA River Cruise Expo Sees Record Attendance
In 2025, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) once again hosted its popular River Cruise Expo, with a record number of travel advisors and suppliers in attendance. TravelPulse’s Eric Bowman was in Vienna for the event and shared all the top news and notes. In 2026, an expanded version of the expo will be returning to Amsterdam with more ships, more brands and more travel advisors.
Riviera Travel Makes a Play for the North America Market
Riviera Travel is making a big push into the North American market. Until now, the 40-year-old company has mostly catered to British guests, earning a reputation as a leading tour and river cruise operator in the United Kingdom.
To appeal to North American guests, Riviera Travel undertook a major rebrand, opened a new U.S. headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, expanded its North American sales team, debuted a new booking website and training platform for travel advisors, and created a new North American agent advisory board. Next year, Riviera Travel will also debut a new all-inclusive drinks package and will begin offering new “Grand Tours” itineraries designed specifically for North American travelers.
The brand also launched a new ship, Riviera Radiance, in the summer of 2025 and will debut another new vessel, Riviera Resplendence in 2026.
The new Riviera Radiance docked in Spitz, Austria (Photo Credit: Sarah Kuta)
Cruise Lines Help With Hurricane Melissa Recovery Efforts
Hurricane Melissa ravaged much of Jamaica in late October, completely disrupting the island nation’s tourism industry. But not long after the storm made landfall, cruise lines and other organizations stepped up to help with the recovery efforts.
Carnival Cruise Line made multipledeliveries of supplies and medical necessities, using its ships to transport items like bottled water, baby food and diapers, canned goods, cereal and hygiene supplies. Carnival Corporation also partnered with the Miami HEAT and the Micky & Madeleine Arison Family Foundation to donate $1 million to support recovery efforts. Holland America Line also delivered relief supplies, as well as cruise guests and volunteers to support Jamaica in the aftermath of the disaster.
In December, Jamaica reopened all four of its major cruise ports.
Cruise Lines Embrace the ‘Sober Curious’ Movement
Many Americans are rethinking their relationships with alcohol. As a result, when they go on vacation, they’re less inclined to pay for an all-inclusive drinks package. Several cruise lines are catering to this “sober curious” trend by offering new, zero-proof options.
This year, Carnival Cruise Line launched a new premium non-alcoholic beverage package called “CHEERS! Zero Proof.” It includes various alcohol-free refreshment options, including handcrafted zero-proof cocktails, alcohol-free sparkling wine, coffee drinks, smoothies and sodas. The beverage package was “a direct response” to guest feedback, according to Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
Similarly, Princess Cruises debuted a new non-alcoholic cocktail menu across its fleet. Called the “Amore Princess Zero Alcohol Collection,” the new offerings are included in Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages.
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