Welcome to the weekly Cruise News Digest. Here you can catch up on the past week’s cruise news and all things La Lido Loca.
Let’s dive in!
The Cruise Capital of the World, PortMiami, welcomed a record number of ships on February 8, 2025, when it hosted 10 cruise ships and nearly 68,000 passengers. The 10 ships represented seven different cruise lines which homeport from PortMiami. PortMiami is scheduled to welcome seven new ships in 2025 and will undoubtedly continue to set and break records.
Celebrity Cruises released more information about its newest ship, Celebrity Xcel, which is set to debut in late 2025. The ship will offer guests The Bazaar–a three–story space unlike anything else at sea. The space will transform daily to combine its current destination with on board experiences in an unusual way.
Princess Cruises is expanding its cruisetours in Alaska for the 2025-2026 season. The cruise line will deploy seven ships to Alaska in 2025 and offer cruisetours in various lengths that will each include the 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise and visit up to 5 national parks.
Carnival Sunshine began calling Norfolk home this week. Her permanent year-round deployment from the Port of Norfolk will bring about 150,000 cruisers annually to the city. She will offer 6-day cruises to The Bahamas or Bermuda and 8-day cruises to the Eastern Caribbean.
Royal Caribbean International is entering the next phase of construction of its Royal Beach Club on Paradise Island in The Bahamas. The company is making an open call for Bahamian business to submit proposals for everything from landscaping to music to medical to pool maintenance. There will even be development of a new venue.
Cruisers aboard two Holland America Line Grand Voyages are using their sea days to make blankets for children that might be in need of a big hug. For more than 20 years, blanketeers have gathered with their yard and knitting needles in support of Project Linus. Currently, they are meeting in the Ocean Bar to complete their blankets for distribution across the United States.
There you have it–this week’s Cruise News Digest.
Tony and Jenny B have been on Margaritaville at Sea’s Islander this week. Did Jenny B say, “I do” again? You can find updates on the La Lido Loca FaceBook page as well as connect with the entire La Lido Loca family.
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