Welcome to the weekly Cruise News Digest.
Let’s dive in!
This Monday, we explored Royal Caribbean International’s Freedom-class–Freedom of the Seas (2006), Liberty of the Seas (2007) and Independence of the Seas (2008). Which have you been on?
Explora Journeys celebrated three separate milestones on July 14, 2025–the float out of EXPLORA III, the coin ceremony of EXPLORA IV and the steel cutting of EXPLORA V. By the end of 2028, the MSC Cruises-owned luxury cruise line will be set to operate six ships in total
Margaritaville at Sea has revealed the name of its newest (and largest) ship–Beachcomber. She will enter dry dock in late 2025 and be rebranded with the Margaritaville at Sea lifestyle, including iconic fan favorites and more than 15 brand-new experiences.
Princess Cruises’ Star Princess is set to debut on October 4, 2025. When she arrives, she will introduce a new entertainment lineup including two original theatrical productions and a candlelight concert series.
Beginning May 2027, Carnival Cruise Line will deploy a larger ship to Port NOLA. Carnival Dream will replace Carnival Valor which increases passenger capacity by about 700 guests per sailing. Carnival Liberty, which recently returned to the Big Easy from an extensive dry dock, will continue to sail from New Orleans alongside Carnival Dream.
Virgin Voyages will sail its first-ever True Crime Cruise in partnership with iHeartMedia this fall. Valiant Lady will sail a 5-night, adults only Caribbean voyage from Miami, Florida on October 10, 2025. Onboard experiences include meet and greet with true crime podcasters, the opportunity to watch podcasts recordings and take part in podcasting workshops.
There you have it–this week’s Cruise News Digest.
Over at the La Lido Loca YouTube Channel, Tony went live with news that Carnival Called BS along with several other episodes of cruise news. All the latest episodes of The Cruise Show are also available wherever you get your podcasts so you can listen on the go. Subscribe to the channel with the notification bell on so you don’t miss out.
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