Disney Adding More Cruise Capacity to San Diego and Galveston

Disney Adding More Cruise Capacity to San Diego and Galveston

Disney Magic in Liverpool, UK, photo credit Spacejunkie2, Flickr

Disney Cruise Line has released its full fall 2026 and spring 2027 itineraries, offering West Coast and Texas families more sailings from San Diego and Galveston, as the Disney Wonder will leave Australia in favour of a winter program in North America.

Early bookings open Aug. 25, 2025, for select Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club members, and general bookings open Sept. 2, 2025. For additional information, visit disneycruise.com.

For the first time, San Diego will welcome two Disney Cruise Line ships.

The Disney Magic will set sail in California for two months with three-, four-, five-, six- and seven-night voyages in October and November 2026, before transitioning to Texas on a 14-night voyage from San Diego to Galveston featuring stops in Puerto Vallarta, Cartagena and Grand Cayman.

Joining the Disney Magic for seven months in San Diego, the Disney Wonder will offer three- and seven-night cruises between October 2026 and April 2027, stopping at Catalina Island in California, as well as Cabo San Lucas, Ensenada and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Late 2026 and early 2027 will welcome an extended season of Disney cruising from Texas. The Disney Magic will set sail from the Lone Star State with four-, five- and seven-night voyages from November 2026 to April 2027. Several itineraries also include a Bahamian vacation with time at Disney Castaway Cay and Nassau.

NCL REINTRODUCES COVID-19 TESTS FOR GUESTS EMBARKING IN CHINA

Norwegian Star arriving in Liverpool photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Norwegian Cruise Line has reintroduced Covid-19 testing for all guests who have visited mainland China 10 days before embarkation as cases in the country continue to rise.

The move comes as a result of growing concerns regarding the virus in China, as well as recently implemented travel restrictions by countries including the UK and the US.

 

Between 5-31 January, guests who have visited mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau within 10 days prior to embarkation will be required to submit proof of a negative medically supervised PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to the beginning of travel to the port.

 

This also applies to guests transiting through an airport in one of the countries within 10 days prior to embarkation.

Additionally, guests will be required to take a medically supervised PCR test at the port within eight hours of embarkation and will be required to test onboard the ship every 48 hours until 10 days have passed from their last time in China, Hong Kong, or Macau.

Passengers must also be fully vaccinated and boosted with a World Health Organization-approved vaccine prior to embarkation.

It comes after the EU recommended all passengers travelling from China to the EU should be required to provide evidence of a recent negative test for Covid-19.

 

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson this week said the restrictions being imposed on travellers from China "lacked scientific basis", adding the Chinese government would now consider reciprocal countermeasures.

MSC Cruises Announces Plans for Galveston Homeport

MSC Cruises Announces Plans for Galveston Homeport

MSC Cruises has announced the next phase of its U.S. expansion with plans for a new homeport in Galveston, Texas, according to a press release.

The cruise line said it is in negotiations with Galveston Wharves on the development of a fourth terminal at the port, which has led to both entities signing a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlining parameters of a potential agreement for the development and operation of a terminal at piers 16-18.

MSC Cruises will announce more details next year, including the timing of the launch, ship name and itineraries, the company said in a statement.

The line currently sails from Miami and Port Canaveral (Orlando) in Florida, with year-round service from New York City beginning in April of 2023.

Rubén A. Rodríguez, President, of MSC Cruises USA, said: “The prospect of developing a new homeport in Galveston is exciting because it represents a big step in our ongoing North American expansion.  Bringing our modern, glamorous ships to Texas would provide even more access and opportunities for guests and travel advisors to experience the future of cruising with MSC Cruises and our unique European style.  We look forward to productive discussions with Galveston Wharves as we chart MSC’s future in the U.S. market.”

Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO, added: “Adding MSC to our family of cruise lines homeporting from Galveston would continue to elevate our status as a top U.S. cruise port and boost the regional economy.  It also allows MSC to reach a new market of millions of cruise passengers in the Central U.S.  We’re excited about the huge potential of this mutually beneficial public-private partnership.

“Our popularity as a cruise homeport is reflected in the growth of our passenger counts and sailings.  In 2023 we forecast a record 362 sailings, the highest in the port’s 22 years as a cruise port.  This is great news for the port and our region because our cruise business is a major revenue and jobs generator.”

Americans have been warned to avoid cruising – irrespective of their vaccination status

P&O Britannia in the Caribbean, photo credit Spacejunkie2

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday (30 December) strengthened its advice for cruising, upping its warning for cruise travel to level four – its highest level.

The CDC said Covid-19 was continuing to spread quickly in confined spaces, such as on a ship, and said the likelihood of infection was therefore high.

It also said there had been an increase in cases onboard cruise ships following the emergence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, now known to be significantly more transmissible than earlier variants.

The CDC is recommending cruise passengers get tested up to 72 hours prior to embarkation, and again three to five days into their cruise – regardless of their vaccination status.

It is also urging unvaccinated cruise passengers to self-isolate for a week after disembarking.

The health authority is currently monitoring Covid-19 outbreaks on 92 cruise ships, up from 86 earlier this week.

It is colour-coding ships according to evidence of "sustained transmission" of Covid onboard; currently, no ships have been marked red.

US to lift the UK and Europe Travel Ban

The US will reopen its borders to fully vaccinated arrivals from the UK and EU in early November, the White House has confirmed.

Non-US travellers will be required to show proof of full vaccination against Covid-19 as part of the new rules. They will also have to provide evidence of having tested negative for Covid-19 up to 87 hours prior to departure.

 

Unvaccinated arrivals will likely be subject to additional testing requirements, the White House has intimated.

 

White House Covid coordinator Jeffrey Zients confirmed early details of the US’s travel plan to national press outlets in the US on Monday afternoon (20 September).

 

The move will bring to an end what will by November be a 20-month ban on most travel to the US for non-US citizens. The ban was originally introduced by the Trump administration on 17 March 2020 in the early stages of the Covid crisis.

 

Prime minister Boris Johnson travelled to the US on Monday to discuss international travel arrangements with US president Joe Biden.

The World Travel and Tourism Council said the readmission of UK visitors to the US was a vital move.

 

Julia Simpson, WTTC president and chief executive, said: “The UK alone represents 8% of all inbound travel to the US, accounting for $40 million per day to the nation’s economy.

“WTTC has long been calling for the US to reopen and our research shows that by opening its borders to key markets such as the UK, it will pump $198 million back into the US economy every single day.”

Proof of how much the US ban has affected the UK travel industry is underlined by stats from Cirium.

 

They show that from 1 January to 19 September this year, the major airlines flew 8,380 one-way flights across the Atlantic, a 76% drop on the same period in 2019, which saw more than 35,000.

 

The ban led to the demise of Norwegian’s long-haul arm and led Virgin Atlantic to go running to the banks to seek refinancing. It also saw BA permanently axe two US routes, including Charleston.

 

The ban also meant the long-awaited debut of JetBlue’s transatlantic services was more low key, with the New York carrier launching Heathrow-JFK in August and immediately paring back its schedule.

 

JetBlue’s Gatwick launch, on 29 September will also be scaled back, with four flights a week, but the announcement from Washington is timely for the carrier.

 

The reopening will also boost new airline Norse Atlantic Airways, which had gambled on a relaxation of restrictions by early 2022 when Norse will use some of Norwegian’s former fleet to start US flights from Gatwick.

 

Before the announcement, tour operators had reported pent-up demand for the US, but mostly for 2022 and beyond, so the news will only add fuel to demand for next year. In the near term, the relatively small market for winter sports in the US will receive a boost, as will Caribbean cruise departures from Miami.

CANADA TO CONDITIONALLY ALLOW RETURN OF CRUISE SHIPS IN NOVEMBER

Canada to Conditionally Allow Return of Cruise Ships in November

Canada will allow cruise ships back into its waters starting in November as the COVID-19 pandemic fades, but they must fully comply with public health requirements that have yet to be finalized, Ottawa said on Thursday.

Earlier this year, Canada extended a ban on cruise ships until February 2022, citing the need to protect public health. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said in a statement that the restriction would now be lifted on Nov. 1, 2021.

“We will welcome cruise ships – an important part of our tourism sector – back in Canadian waters for the 2022 season,” he said.

The news should please major operators who complained that Canada’s ban was hurting their business on the West Coast. U.S. law obliges foreign-flagged cruise ships sailing from Washington state to Alaska to make a Canadian stop.

Canada, however, has not yet lifted a ban on non-essential travel with the United States. A Canadian government official said Alghabra’s announcement would allow both countries to work on ways of safely managing the cruise sector.

“We’re working hard through our embassy, through our officials, myself, through our department, and ensuring that we maintain business as usual,” Alghabra told reporters.

He gave no indication of when the border between the United States and Canada would reopen to tourists.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Montreal on Thursday that Ottawa would make an announcement on the next steps to reopening the border in the coming weeks.

A day earlier he had said it “would be catastrophic and heartbreaking to have to go back into lockdown, as some countries are now looking at with surges in the Delta variant because we were overly eager to reopen by a few weeks.”

'Positive Signs' as Holland America Moving Six Ships Toward U.S.

Holland America Line is preparing for a gradual restart and is said to be moving six cruise ships toward the U.S. citing positive signs and a new conversation around the return to service.

The news came in a letter sent to crew from President Gus Antorcha, reported by Crew Center, and also obtained by Cruise Industry News.

"Following in-depth discussions with the CDC, other government agencies, and medical and science authorities, we have decided to start moving six Holland America Line ships toward U.S. waters over the next several weeks to begin completing the requirements for conditional sailing," Antorcha said in the letter sent to the crew.

The ships heading to U.S. waters are the Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam, and Noordam. Holland America did not specify port information but the line has traditionally had a strong presence in the winter from Port Everglades and Tampa, which would pull from a large drive-to market.

“While there is still much to be done, this is an important first step toward our goal of resuming cruise operation," the letter said.

"Holland America Line will continue to work with the CDC on our eventual return to guest cruise operations. We are fully aligned with the CDC on our top priorities for compliance, protecting the environment, and the health, safety, and well-being of our guests, the people in communities we touch, our crew, and shoreside employees."

Carnival: Optimistic For Restart in the U.S. By Year’s End

“At this time, we have every reason to be optimistic we will be sailing in the U.S. before year’s end,” said Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation, on today’s third-quarter earnings call.

The company’s Costa Cruises brand has already returned to service with two ships in the Mediterranean, soon to be joined by a third ship, the Costa Smeralda, according to Donald. They are sailing weeklong cruises from different Italian homeports. The sister brand, AIDA, is set to launch service later this month, also in the Mediterranean, with German passengers.

Donald explained that the ships are sailing with lower occupancy levels enabling the cruise lines to test and assess their health and safety protocols.

With national brands, Donald said Carnival is ideally positioned for a phased-in return to service, as each brand can be restarted independently, and in most cases with ready access to drive-to markets.

Also, with a small percentage of the fleet entering service, for now, he said, there will be less reliance on new-to-cruise, compared to all previous growth cycles that required the brands to tap more new passengers.

In addition, as Carnival is disposing of some 18 older ships and right-sizing its shoreside organization, Donald said a leaner and more efficient company would emerge.

“All initiatives going forward will be focused on maximizing cash generation and creating shareholder value. The delivery schedules of new ships have been stretched out and there is only one new ship on order for 2024 and one for 2025. This will further reduce our capital expenditures and allow us to repay debt,” he added.

Added David Bernstein, CFO and chief accounting officer: “We are focused on assets that are cash generative, so we can pay down debt, rebuild our balance sheet and get back to investment-grade rating.

“We are working through a number of different financial scenarios, but there is a lot of uncertainty involved so it is difficult to give (financial) guidance. (However), we expect over time to build occupancy up to generate positive cash flow and reduce the cash burn. The start-up occupancy level is less than 50 per cent. Over time, once we know we have things right, we will increase occupancy, while keeping social distancing in mind as well.”

Bernstein noted that the break-even point ranges from 30 to 50 per cent occupancy for different ships.

MSC Cruises USA's Rick Sasso

By Tom Stieghorst

Rick Sasso was appointed president of MSC Cruises USA in 2004. Earlier this month he spoke about MSC and its 3,502-passenger MSC Divina's year-round presence in North America with cruise editor Tom Stieghorst.

Q: Can the importance to MSC of homeporting Divina in Miami be overstated?

A: We've been gearing up for this for about a decade now as we started to introduce ships during the winter season only. Now we've made that decision to position our strongest hardware, a remarkable ship, and she'll be very competitive here in this market.

Q: How have agents reacted to the Divina?

A: We've just recently concluded an advisory board meeting, which represents about 80% of the cruise traffic that gets produced here in North America, and these very select, high-profile sellers of travel are very enthusiastic with us. They have offered their fullest support knowing that we're bringing such a magnificent ship and we're going to be here with some continuity.

Q: What type of agents are you focusing on the most?

A: You have to have more than one front. You have to make sure you're with the online producers, because that's what the consumers are using very frequently to search for cruises, to book cruises. So you have to have your hand very tight on the big online guys. But there's also a lot of opportunity in the group arena and the retail arena. We have done a good job penetrating the likely producers of groups and those who are looking for magnificent ships in the premium-plus category, and even those who want a luxury component, because we have Yacht Club on the Divina, as we do on the other three ships that also feature the Yacht Club. So I think we're now able to set up a little more penetration for those who are looking for a very high-quality product.

Q: Agents say they have to focus their business, and that means selling the cruise lines that have a big presence in North America. Your response?

A: I don't think that's something unusual. When you have the gorillas in the marketplace that have dozens of ships in one marketplace like North America year-round, there's certainly a lot activity going on and a lot of relationships. But we offer an extraordinary alternative, because we are a serious group of managers, there's incredible talent in our organization, so they like working with people they can trust. They also know that we are growing, that we have a presence in Europe, we're the No. 1 cruise line in the Mediterranean in Europe. And that alone is a lot of source [business] in North America that's going on for those products.

Q: A travel agent said, "I did send some of my clients over on MSC and they came back and said, 'This isn't our cup of tea.'"

A: I think that was probably very, very true three years ago, not so true two years ago and a lot less a year ago, and today we have taken the steps to actually re-engineer the product. So there's very few places to smoke on board. There is a very strong emphasis on all the culinary items that an American would want, whether they're cruising in Europe or cruising in the Caribbean. We've super-trained our crew in fluent English, there is an abundance of TV channels in the cabins, and we really take quality and service as a main priority now.

So I think we are a different cruise line than we were 12 months ago, and if you have some comments of a historical perspective, they can now start seeing the new MSC. And [after] Divina comes on Nov. 20, people are going to start talking about that

Blasts rock finish line at Boston Marathon

UPDATED: Blasts rock finish line at Boston Marathon

By Danny King

Two explosions near the Boston Marathon finish line killed at least three people and injured more than 100 people Monday afternoon.

The blasts took place at about 2:50 p.m. Eastern time about 200 feet apart on downtown Boston’s Boylston Street. Federal authorities have been brought to the city to lead the investigation to determine the cause of the incident.

“It is a criminal investigation that is a potential terrorist investigation,” said FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers in a press conference broadcast Monday evening.

Additionally, a fire or explosion took place at Boston’s John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum at about 4:15 p.m., though the Boston Police Department said that incident may have been a fire and may not have been related to the first two explosions. No one was injured in that incident.

Many of the blocks surrounding the blast site will be on lockdown through at least Tuesday as federal, state and local investigators canvas the area for additional information, while law enforcement will be conducting random searches on Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority subway lines, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said during the press conference.

Both the 212-room Lenox Hotel and the 148-room Mandarin Oriental Boston, which are about a half-block and one block west of the finish line, respectively, were evacuated and closed by the Boston Police Department until further notice.

Mandarin Oriental spokeswoman Danielle DeVoe said that no injuries occurred at that hotel.

Additionally, the Fairmont Copley Plaza, which is about a block-and-a-half east of the explosions, is only letting guests and hotel employees into the building, the 383-room hotel said on its Facebook page.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has restricted air space over downtown Boston.

In Washington, Pennsylvania Avenue in the vicinity of the White House was evacuated and closed to pedestrians and vehicles on Monday afternoon as a precaution.

“We will find out who did this. We’ll find out why they did this,” President Barack Obama said in a briefing. “Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice.”