Happy St. Patrick’s Day and 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!
Oceania Cruises announced guests will enjoy its newest vessel, Vista, as they sail the 180-day 2026 Around the World voyage. The circumnavigation will include 101 ports throughout 6 continents, 43 countries, 3 oceans, and 8 seas. Guests will enjoy 81 UNESCO World Heritage sites and 11 overnight stays. Bookings opened March 13, 2024 and several stateroom categories have a waitlist or are closed. Vista will depart from Miami, Florida on January 6, 2026.
Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise company, is continuing to emphasize its commitment to sustainability with the opening of a new solar park at Amber Cover. The solar park is the first of its kind in the cruise industry. The more than 1,800 solar panels at the Amber Cove Cruise Center will supply more than 80% of the energy needed by the port. This shift will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 1,000 tons annually which is comparable to planting over 30,000 trees.
Disney Cruise Line released photographs of parts of its highly anticipated second private island, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. The Bahamian destination will be heavily influenced by the local culture and designed to be fun for everyone. The first guests to visit Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point will be on June 7, 2024 when Disney Magic makes her first call there during a 3 night preview cruise.
Breaking yet another record, Nassau welcomed seven ships simultaneously in its harbor on March 12, 2024. The seven ships–Independence of the Seas, Seacloud Spirit, Carnival Paradise, Disney Wish, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Elation, and Vision of the Seas–brought 20,009 visitors to Nassau. This comes just 10 months after the grand opening of the newly redeveloped Nassau Cruise Port which now has six berths able to welcome the largest vessels in the world. Since Seacloud Spirit is a much smaller ship, the port was able to accommodate all seven ships.
Disney Cruise Line also released its 2025 summer season itineraries. The cruise line will homeport four ships in Florida–three in Port Canaveral and one in Fort Lauderdale–which will offer vacations to the Bahamas and Caribbean. For the first time ever, Disney Fantasy will sail the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. She will offer itineraries from May to late July in Europe and from late July to September, she will sail from Southampton. Disney Wonder is returning to Alaska, and Disney Treasure is making her debut from Port Canaveral in December 2024.
Due to the civil unrest in Haiti, Royal Caribbean International is suspending all visits to its private beach, Labadee, until further notice. Royal Caribbean International President and CEO, Michael Bayley via a social media post assured guests the cruise line would continue to monitor and evaluate the situation on a rolling basis and give 3 days advance notice to impacted guests.
There you have it. This week’s Cruise News Digest. Jump on over to La Lido Loca’s YouTube Channel to find out what ship Tony is sailing in July. While you are there, don’t forget to subscribe with the notification bell on or YOU WILL BE JUDGED! Go ahead and become a patreon member of Loca Extra for extra exclusive live content and more. Follow La Lido Loca on FaceBook for more fun and connection with fellow cruisers.