Let’s dig into Cruise Hive’s weekly news recap, keeping you up to date on the industry’s big developments. Some of the top stories this week feature the soon-to-open Celebration Key, a new express coffee service from Carnival Cruise Line, and all-new entertainment planned for Princess Cruises’ newest ship.
Make sure you stay well informed by signing up for Cruise Hive’s Daily Update, so the big cruise stories are delivered right to your inbox.
First Guests Arriving at Celebration Key
The long-awaited opening of Celebration Key, Carnival Cruise Line’s new private island destination on Grand Bahama Island, is a hand, with the first ship set to disembark guests there on July 19, 2025.
The 4,000-guest Carnival Vista, sailing from Port Canaveral, will be the line’s first vessel to call at the $500 million enclave that took three years to build. The ship’s passengers will enjoy a full day at Celebration Key as Carnival Vista will remain in port from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., local time.
Those who embarked the ship at the Florida port were welcomed by none other than Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, who will travel to the destination and host a grand opening ceremony at 10 a.m.
The 8-night cruise will also call at Bonaire and Aruba, with Celebration Key as the final port call before the ship returns to Port Canaveral.
Nearly a dozen more Carnival Cruise Line ships will call at the new destination through July, and by the end of 2025 alone, some 2 million Fun Ship passengers will have visited Celebration Key.
Norwegian Star Experiences a Hiccup at Start of Voyage
It was a momentous start to a cruise — getting stuck in the Hudson River after departing from New York’s Manhattan Cruise Terminal, but thankfully, all turned out well.
It was Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Star’s 14-night Iceland voyage that was temporarily interrupted shortly after the ship left port on July 12, 2025. A power outage hit the vessel, leaving it unable to travel under its own steam.
Tug boats returned the 2,300-guest ship to Pier 88, where workers quickly identified and fixed a propulsion problem. Turns out that Norwegian Star has a history of propulsion issues dating back to 2003. The ship entered service in 2001.
The ship ultimately left Manhattan for the second time at 12:30 a.m. on July 13, 2025, and began her itinerary. The first port call was Halifax, Nova Scotia, on July 14, 2025, and with all systems go the vessel is on track to make all scheduled port calls.
Visits are slated to Nuuk and Paamiut, Greenland; and Isafjordur, Akureyri, and Grundarfjordur, Iceland, before ending in Reykjavik, Iceland, on July 26, 2025.
Galley Fire Prompts Guests to Gather at Muster Stations
From a safety perspective, fire is said to be worst thing that can happen on a cruise ship, and the guests onboard Princess Cruises’ Island Princess can attest to that.
It was the second day of an 18-night cruise from New York to Canada and Greenland when a fire broke out in the ship’s Deck 12 galley. The blaze was reported at 6 a.m. on July 15, 2025, and guests made their way to their muster stations with lifejackets in tow.
An hour later, the ship’s captain gave the all clear, and the scary event was over just like that. Other than some guests reporting on social media that the Lido buffet area smelled like smoke, there were no other disruptions noted.
Also, no injuries were reported, and guests were quick to praise the crew’s fast response to the problem.
The 2,200-guest Island Princess called at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on July 16, 2025, then headed to port calls in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and St. John’s, Newfoundland. Passengers will explore four ports in Greenland — Nanortalik, Qaqortoq, Paamiut, and Nuuk, and return to New York on August 1, 2025.
Propulsion Issue Impacts Ship’s Alaska Itinerary
Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess experienced propulsion issues soon after embarking guests in San Francisco on July 9, 2025, just as the ship was beginning an 11-night Alaska voyage.
The problem forced the ship to travel at a slower speed than normal, and as a result, some port calls were impacted and one day of scenic cruising at Endicott Arm was cancelled outright.
The engine trouble slowed the ship’s speed to about 12.7 knots rather than the usual 23 knots. A port call to Ketchikan was delayed by two days, and guests experienced three at-sea days rather than the two originally planned at the start of the itinerary.
Calls to Juneau and Skagway went ahead as scheduled, but a visit to Victoria, Canada, was replaced with a shorter port call at Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
For their disappointment, guests were given a $50 onboard credit, which could be used for the purchase of goods, like drinks at a bar, or spa treatments, for instance. The ship is due to return to San Francisco on July 20, 2025.
Cruise Line Offers Express Coffee Service Via App
Lots of cruisers love their morning coffee and Carnival Cruise Line’s JavaBlue Cafe is the popular place to get their cup of Joe, but that translates into long lines.
Looking to ease congestion and wait times, the cruise line rolled out a new coffee-ordering function on its Hub app. Now guests can place their order via the app and pick up their coffee at a designated bar.
The new service was revealed by cruise line brand ambassador John Heald on his popular Facebook page. The express service is offered between 7 and 11 a.m. on some ships and will be added to more vessels, Heald indicated.
However, the service seems a bit convoluted, since the quick pick-up option is not covered by the line’s “Cheers!” and “Drinks On Us” packages — those who paid for those packages, which include coffee beverages, will have to pay for the coffee orders placed via the app.
Some commenters balked at that, calling it a money grabber or nickel-and-time tactic by the line. So, guests who paid for either package must go in person to the JavaBlue Cafe to order their coffee. Heald noted that, with the new service, lines at the cafe should be considerably shorter.
Carnival Cruise Line President Addresses Loyalty Changes
Pushback from Carnival Cruise Line’s most loyal guests has prompted brand president Christine Duffy to explain why the line plans to significantly alter the way its loyalty program works.
The VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) loyalty program, which is based on the number of nights a person has cruised with the line, is going away in 2026 and will be replaced with a program based instead on how much a guest spends on cruise fare and onboard goods and services.
The new Carnival Rewards plan also nixes the lifetime status benefit. Duffy on July 14, 2025 said the main reason for the changes is the sheer number of cruise guests. In the past 13 years, the line has carried 65 million vacationers.
The structure of the VIFP plan is simply not sustainable with that many guests, Duffy said.
Under the new plan, guests will earn 3 points for every $1 spent on cruise fares and onboard services. The points will be redeemed for benefits like future cruise credits and onboard amenities.
The lifetime benefit that top-tier Diamond guests enjoy is going away, however, existing Diamond members will have six years to maintain their status, Duffy said.
New Entertainment Unveiled for Star Princess
When Princess Cruises’ Star Princess enters service in October 2025, guests will be treated to two new main-stage productions — “Meridien” and “Illuminate: A Spectacle of Joy.”
The two shows will be staged in the new-build’s Princess Arena, with “Meridien” offering a storyline about a luxury cruise ship and “Illuminate” set in an exciting circus environment.
The ship also will present a Princess Cruises’ favorite, “Viva La Musica,” a dance show with Latin themes that debuted on Sun Princess.
Other entertainment features aboard the new ship include a Candlelight Concert Series held in the glass-enclosed space called The Dome, and Princess Jamz, featuring the 15-piece Princess World Orchestra.
The 4,300-guest Star Princess, second in the line’s Sphere class, is under construction at a Fincantieri shipyard in Italy. She is due to launch on October 4, 2025. The ship’s inaugural voyage will be an 11-night Mediterranean sailing roundtrip from Barcelona.
Scheduled port calls include Marseille, France; Rome, Naples, and Palermo, Italy; Cartagena, Spain; and Gibraltar.
More Cruise Headlines
Don’t stop now! We have even more news on Cruise Hive, including a South Pacific destination reopening to cruising after a major earthquake; a luxury ship accused of damaging a coral reef in Indonesia; and Virgin Voyages unveiling its first true-crime cruise.
Also, Catalina Island moving to create port agreements with the major cruise lines; and an Alaskan port mulling a new, seasonal tourist tax.
