Welcome to The Deck Briefing — your quick daily read for everyone who loves ships, sea days, and stories from the decks. Here’s what’s making waves on July 30, 2026.
Today’s cruise news roundup covers Santorini’s staircase closure and its impact on cruise calls, Celebrity Cruises’ higher daily gratuities, Viking’s delivery of Viking Dagur, the planned sale of Oceania Sirena, and Miami-Dade County’s berthing agreement with Margaritaville at Sea.
Santorini Staircase Closure Changes Cruise Operations
Karavolades Stairs, the 558-step route connecting Santorini’s old port with Fira, has been closed after part of a private building’s wall collapsed, Cruise Industry News reports. The closure was ordered by the mayor of Fira and will remain in place until further notice.
Cruise passengers normally arrive at the old port by tender and can continue to Fira by staircase or cable car. Fira sits 250 meters above sea level, and vehicle roads are not available for the journey from the port to the town.
Passengers with booked shore excursions will instead be tendered to Santorini’s new port at Athinios, where tour buses will meet them. A previous limit allowing 30 percent of cruise passengers to use Athinios each day will be lifted while the stairs remain closed.
The Athinios limit had been introduced as a civil protection measure intended to keep roads clear for emergencies. More than 25 cruise ships are scheduled to call at Santorini in August, including vessels from Royal Caribbean, Princess, Norwegian, P&O and Celebrity.
Source: cruiseindustrynews.com
Celebrity Cruises Raises Daily Gratuity Rates
Celebrity Cruises has increased its daily gratuity rates by $1.50 per person across all accommodation categories, Cruise Radio reports. The new charges took effect July 29, 2026, including for guests staying in the line’s suites.
Guests in Inside, Oceanview and Veranda staterooms will pay $19.50 per person, per day. The rate is $20.50 for Concierge and AquaClass staterooms, while The Retreat carries a daily charge of $24.50 per person.
Guests who booked before July 29 can still pay the previous rate if they do so before sailing. Reservations made after that date will use the new rates, and the higher charges will apply daily once guests are onboard.
Source: cruiseradio.net
Viking Takes Delivery of Viking Dagur
Viking has taken delivery of Viking Dagur, its newest Viking Longship, Cruise Industry News reports. Meyer’s Neptun Werft built the river ship at its shipyard in Rostock-Warnemünde, Germany.
Viking Dagur accommodates 190 guests in 95 staterooms and is set to sail itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. The ship features Scandinavian design along with Viking’s square bow, indoor-outdoor Aquavit Terrace and asymmetric corridor arrangement for two-room suites.
Viking expects to receive 21 more river ships by 2028, along with nine additional ocean ships and two expedition ships by 2031. The company says those deliveries would bring its fleet to 114 river ships in 2028 and 26 ocean and expedition ships in 2031.
Source: cruiseindustrynews.com
NCLH Agrees to Sell Oceania Sirena
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has agreed to sell Oceania Sirena, Cruise Industry News reports. The 684-guest R-class ship is expected to leave the Oceania fleet after its spring 2028 deployment, although the buyer has not been identified.
The ship entered service as R Four for Renaissance Cruises in 1999 and later sailed for Princess Cruises from 2002 through 2016. It then joined Oceania Cruises as Sirena.
The move continues Oceania’s transition away from its older R-class fleet as the brand has been repositioned in the luxury market. Regatta has been chartered to myCruises for two years, Nautica is scheduled to return as Oceania Aurelia with reduced capacity and longer itineraries, and Insignia is expected to remain the fleet’s only R-class ship.
Source: cruiseindustrynews.com
Miami Approves Margaritaville at Sea Berthing Deal
Miami-Dade County has approved a preferential berthing agreement with Margaritaville at Sea, Cruise Industry News reports. The five-year deal is projected to generate about one million passenger movements and at least $23.15 million in guaranteed revenue.
The agreement is expected to begin with Margaritaville at Sea’s first PortMiami call, scheduled for January 9, 2027, and run through April 30, 2031. Two additional five-year renewals may be added if both sides agree.
Terms include parking and marketing incentives, as well as possible operational incentives for non-peak-day or evening calls. Qualifying non-peak and evening calls could receive a 50 percent reduction in applicable port fees, with only one operational incentive available for each vessel call.
Margaritaville at Sea plans to base its largest ship, Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber, at PortMiami year-round from early 2027. The 2,720-passenger vessel is scheduled to offer three- to eight-night cruises to the Caribbean and Bahamas after a major refurbishment; it currently sails for Costa Cruises as Costa Fortuna.
Source: cruiseindustrynews.com
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