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Cruise News Roundup: Mexico Passenger Fees, Asia-Pacific Deployments, Alaska 2028 and More

Mexico has doubled its cruise passenger fee, while Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises outline major future deployments. The roundup also covers eclipse cruises and Seabourn’s 2028-29 Caribbean season.

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 August 13, 2026.

Today's cruise news roundup covers Mexico's higher passenger fee, Royal Caribbean's 2027-28 Asia-Pacific reshuffle, Princess Cruises' 2028 Alaska season, eclipse-positioned ships in Iceland and Greenland, and Seabourn's 2028-29 Caribbean voyages.

Mexico Doubles Cruise Passenger Fee

Mexico's cruise passenger fee doubled to $10 per person on Aug. 1, 2026, and Cruise Hive reports that it is scheduled to rise again. The charge applies at cruise ports throughout the country, including Cabo San Lucas, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta and Costa Maya.

The fee is collected once per itinerary, even when a sailing calls at several Mexican ports. It will increase to $15 per guest on July 1, 2027, before reaching $21 on Aug. 1, 2028; that rate is scheduled to remain in place through at least Sept. 30, 2030.

Mexico recorded 4.8 million cruise visitors from January through April 2026, a 14.8% year-over-year increase, according to Cruise Hive. Cruise lines are adding the charge to the cruise fare rather than moving away from Mexican ports, the report says.

Mexico initially proposed a $42 passenger tax before reducing it after pushback from the cruise industry. Other destinations cited in the report with cruise-related tourism charges include Greece, where seasonal fees apply at Santorini, Mykonos and other ports, and Amsterdam, where the 2026 charge is €15 per person per day.

Source: www.cruisehive.com

Royal Caribbean Expands Asia-Pacific Deployment

Royal Caribbean is reshuffling ships for its 2027-28 season, with three vessels scheduled to sail from Australia and expanded operations planned for Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, according to Royal Caribbean Blog. Ovation of the Seas will be based in Brisbane, while Anthem of the Seas will sail from Sydney.

Ovation will offer three- to eight-night cruises beginning in Brisbane in November 2027, including two four-night voyages to Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays. The ship's recently added features include a revamped pool deck, Splashaway Bay, private casitas and restaurants such as Izumi Teppanyaki and Giovanni's Italian Kitchen.

Voyager of the Seas will move through five homeports during the deployment: Brisbane, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo. It is scheduled to offer seven Brisbane sailings from October through December 2027, followed by five cruises from Sydney and later voyages timed around Chinese New Year and Japan's cherry blossom season.

Voyager's Asia-Pacific program includes Hong Kong round trips, calls at Ishigaki and Okinawa, and itineraries visiting Taipei and Hue/Danang. In February 2028, four 10- to 12-night cruises from Tokyo will visit destinations around Japan.

Navigator of the Seas will also remain in Singapore longer than previously planned. After debuting in Asia in October 2026, it is now scheduled to stay through October 2027, offering mainly two- to five-night cruises to Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand, along with a 12-night sailing from Tokyo to Singapore.

Source: www.royalcaribbeanblog.com

Princess Opens 2028 Alaska Season

Princess Cruises has opened bookings for its 2028 Alaska season, with eight ships offering 185 departures from late April through late September, Cruise Hive reports. The program includes 14 itineraries ranging from four to 16 days, with departures from Seattle, Vancouver, Whittier, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The fleet will include Star Princess, Discovery Princess, Emerald Princess, Royal Princess, Coral Princess, Crown Princess, Island Princess and Ruby Princess. The ships will visit 16 destinations, including Icy Strait Point, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, along with the Canadian ports of Prince Rupert and Victoria on selected sailings.

Itineraries include round-trip and one-way cruises, as well as options to combine voyages into 14-day trips. Emerald Princess is scheduled to offer a 16-day Inside Passage round trip from Los Angeles, while Ruby Princess will operate 10-day round trips from San Francisco.

Planned scenic cruising includes Glacier Bay National Park, College Fjord and Endicott Arm, although itineraries may change because of weather and safety conditions. Princess will also offer land-based cruisetour extensions featuring places such as Denali National Park, Kenai Fjords National Park and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, with stays at Princess-owned wilderness lodges.

Source: www.cruisehive.com

Cruise Ships Line Up for Iceland-Greenland Eclipse

Multiple cruise ships have positioned across Icelandic and Greenlandic waters for the total solar eclipse on Aug. 13, Seatrade Cruise News reports. The eclipse is scheduled to begin in Reykjavik at 4:47 p.m. local time, with totality at 5:48 p.m. lasting just over one minute.

In Iceland's Westfjords near Isafjörður, totality is expected at 5:44 p.m. and will last one minute and 31 seconds. Some locations in Greenland will reach totality earlier, around 5:18 p.m.

Virgin Voyages has positioned Valiant Lady and Scarlet Lady for eclipse viewing. Valiant Lady is on a 15-night round trip from Portsmouth, while Scarlet Lady is sailing from Barcelona to Rome; the ships are offering approximately two minutes of totality from open ocean, along with programming involving astronauts, astrophysicists and scientists.

Ponant has positioned Le Lyrial near Isafjörður and Le Lapérouse west of Heimaey Island, while Queen Mary 2 is positioned in Reykjavik during a Southampton-to-New York crossing. Expedition operators including HX Expeditions, Lindblad Expeditions and Quark Expeditions have also placed ships along the viewing path, with Scoresby Sund in Greenland hosting the largest concentration cited in the report.

Prices vary across the eclipse cruise market. Virgin Voyages' voyages start at £2,016 per person, while expedition sailings cited by Seatrade Cruise News range from $8,550 to more than $28,000 per passenger.

Source: www.seatrade-cruise.com

Seabourn Opens 2028-29 Caribbean Voyages

Seabourn has opened bookings for its winter 2028-29 Caribbean season aboard Seabourn Ovation and Seabourn Quest, Cruise Industry News reports. The voyages run from Dec. 28, 2028, through March 29, 2029, with 10 itineraries lasting seven to 12 days.

The ships will visit 21 ports across 20 countries and island territories, including St. Barts, Bequia and Little Bay in Montserrat. The schedule includes late departures in St. Maarten, Antigua, Barbados, Aruba and Curaçao, while Ovation will sail between Bridgetown and Philipsburg and Quest will offer round trips from Miami.

Selected holiday voyages include New Year's Day celebrations at Carambola Beach, along with Christmas Eve at Carambola Beach and Christmas Day in Jost Van Dyke on certain 10-day sailings. Seabourn also plans its Caviar in the Surf experience at Carambola Beach in St. Kitts, and guests aboard Quest will see what the company describes as one of its most extensive interior updates.

Source: cruiseindustrynews.com

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Cruise News Roundup: Ponant’s Antarctic Expansion, Greenland Voyages, Royal Caribbean’s Europe Plans and More

Ponant is adding more than 30 Antarctic departures for 2028-29, while AIDAluna begins a 21-night Greenland voyage. Royal Caribbean also details its 2027 European deployment and more.

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 August 1, 2026.

Today's cruise news roundup covers Ponant's expanded Antarctic programme, AIDAluna's 21-night Iceland and Greenland sailing, Royal Caribbean's 2027 European deployment, the work behind AquaTheater shows, advice on choosing an inside cabin, and Carnival Vista's 10-year milestone.

Ponant Plans More Than 30 Antarctic Departures

Ponant will operate more than 30 Antarctic departures during the 2028-2029 season, including its first full circumnavigation of Antarctica, Seatrade Cruise News reports. The programme will use four ships: Le Boréal, Le Lyrial, Le Soléal and Le Commandant Charcot.

The operator's signature 10-night exploration voyages are scheduled from November 2028 through February 2029. The package includes a pre-cruise night in Buenos Aires, flights between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, transfers, Drake Passage crossings and exploration of the Antarctic Peninsula with Zodiac landings guided by naturalist teams.

Wildlife on the programme may include humpback whales, several penguin species, seals and seabirds. Two departures are planned around Christmas and New Year in Antarctica, while other voyages will combine the Antarctic Peninsula with the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Valdés Peninsula.

Three departures will leave from Timaru for New Zealand's Subantarctic islands and the Ross Sea.

Source: www.seatrade-cruise.com

AIDAluna Begins 21-Night Iceland and Greenland Cruise

AIDAluna has departed Hamburg on a 21-night cruise to Iceland and Greenland, Cruise Industry News reports. The itinerary includes eight destinations in the region and an overnight call in Ilulissat.

After leaving Germany on July 26, the 2009-built ship spent two days at sea before visiting Seydisfjordur and Akureyri in Iceland. Following three more sea days, the vessel is scheduled to reach Greenland in early August, with calls planned at Nuuk, Ilulissat, Sisimiut and Nanortalik.

The voyage also includes Isafjord and Reykjavik before AIDAluna returns to Hamburg. The ship is scheduled to operate another Iceland and Greenland cruise in late August, followed by a 43-night Caribbean and Bermuda voyage later in the year.

AIDAluna carries 2,030 passengers and underwent a seven-week drydock in 2023 through the AIDA Evolution modernization programme. The work added new features and restaurant concepts, updated public areas and staterooms, and created six family-friendly suites with private sun decks at the stern.

Source: cruiseindustrynews.com

Royal Caribbean Sets Seven-Ship Europe Deployment for 2027

Royal Caribbean's 2027 Southern Europe programme will include seven ships and 50 itineraries, according to Cruise Industry News. The season will include the return of Legend of the Seas to the Western Mediterranean, where it is scheduled to sail to Spain, Italy and France.

Legend of the Seas will be joined in the Western Mediterranean by Mariner of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas. Their itineraries will include Italian destinations such as Rome, Florence, Capri and the Amalfi Coast.

Four ships are scheduled for Eastern Mediterranean cruises: Odyssey of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas. Their Greek Islands itineraries include Mykonos and Royal Beach Club Santorini, which is available through the Ultimate Santorini Day excursion with transportation to and around Oia and Fira.

Odyssey of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas are also scheduled to visit Alexandria, Porto and Casablanca. Royal Caribbean's wider European programme includes Freedom of the Seas in Northern Europe and the United Kingdom, with the company redeploying both Freedom and Mariner to increase European capacity.

Source: cruiseindustrynews.com

How Royal Caribbean's AquaTheater Shows Come Together

AquaTheater performances combine diving, acrobatics, aerial stunts and water effects, but Royal Caribbean Blog reports that each show also depends on professional divers, performers, stage technicians and other crew members working behind the scenes. Their preparations include adjusting underwater lighting, coordinating the movable floor and cleaning the pool.

A former crew member said the pool may be drained on sea days so technicians and support divers can clean it, inspect equipment and test that everything is operating correctly. The water's chlorine level is also checked to help prevent discomfort for divers and dancers.

Safety divers support performers who jump from three, 10 and 17 meters into water that can reach nearly 18 feet deep. In an emergency drill shown in a video, divers secured a performer to a rescue board before the stage floor was raised to remove her from the pool.

The AquaTheater pool has three sections: stage right, a center lift and stage left. Performances can take place in water only a few inches deep or in the pool's deepest section, while the adjustable lifts move throughout the show.

Royal Caribbean introduced the AquaTheater on Oasis of the Seas in 2009. The feature is now present on nine ships in the fleet, including Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas, Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas and Legend of the Seas.

Source: www.royalcaribbeanblog.com

When an Inside Cruise Cabin May Be the Better Choice

Choosing an inside cabin instead of a balcony can make sense when keeping the cruise within budget is the priority, Royal Caribbean Blog says. Money saved on the room could instead be used for shore excursions, specialty dining and souvenirs.

Inside rooms may also suit light sleepers because they can become completely dark when the lights are off. The lack of direct sunlight can help keep the cabin cooler as well, particularly for travelers who prefer a cold room.

A cabin with no outside view may be less important on a ship with a long list of activities, including shows, laser tag, restaurants, water slides, pools, music and mini-golf. The source also suggests considering an inside room for port-intensive cruises, such as itineraries in Alaska or Europe, where passengers may spend much of their time ashore.

Source: www.royalcaribbeanblog.com

Carnival Vista Marks 10 Years in Service

Carnival Vista has completed its 10th year of service with Carnival Cruise Line after being delivered on April 28, 2016, Cruise Industry News reports. Built at Fincantieri's shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, the ship was the first in Carnival's Vista class.

The 135,000-ton vessel introduced several features for the line, including the suspended SkyRide cycling experience, Family Harbor staterooms, Carnival's first at-sea IMAX Theater and an expanded WaterWorks park with the company's first inner-tube slide.

Carnival Vista began its service with eight- to 10-night Mediterranean itineraries and a 13-night inaugural voyage from Trieste to Barcelona. The ship later crossed the Atlantic to New York, moved to Miami for the 2016-17 winter season and began year-round Caribbean and Bahamas cruises.

Now sailing from Port Canaveral, the 4,000-passenger ship operates six- and eight-night cruises to the Southern and Eastern Caribbean. Current calls include Celebration Key, RelaxAway Half Moon Cay, San Juan, Amber Cove, Oranjestad and Willemstad.

Source: cruiseindustrynews.com