Carnival Firenze to Offer Third Casino on Selected Sailings

Carnival Firenze to Offer Third Casino on Selected Sailings

The Carnival Firenze will offer a third casino during selected sailings later this year, according to an update shared by the Carnival Players Club.

An additional non-smoking casino will be added to the ship for its SEA cruises, which sail between October and November 2026.

Carnival said that the third gambling venue will create even more opportunities for guests to enjoy their favorite games at sea.

The new venue will include additional slot machines and table games, the company added, giving passengers more ways to play during the adults-only sailings.

Members of the Carnival Players Club who reach the Elite tier will enjoy preferred access to the new gaming experience.

Originally built for Costa Cruises, the Vista-class ship currently offers two gambling areas, including a smokers-friendly main casino and a smaller, smoke-free casino.

As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, Carnival cancelled a series of sailings onboard the Carnival Firenze earlier this year to make room for the new SEA cruises.

The adults-only sailings will take place between October and November 2026, sailing to the West Coast and the Mexican Riviera.

Sailing from Long Beach, the seven- to 12-night itineraries will visit a wide range of destinations, including Manzanillo, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada.

As part of the company’s casino program, the sailings will cater to gamblers, with a series of gaming-focused activities and initiatives.

Following its SEA schedule, the Carnival Firenze is scheduled to offer additional sailings from California before repositioning to the East Coast in early 2027.

As part of the Carnival Fun Italian Style product, the 4,232-passenger ship offers Italian-themed spaces and venues.

Highlights include the Amari Italian-Style Bar, which serves traditional herbal liquors and bitters, in addition to favorites from the company’s signature Alchemy Bar.

Turkey, Egypt Block LGBTQ Cruise Entry Over ‘Moral Values’

Jul 12, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Turkey and Egypt have blocked a cruise ship carrying more than 1,900 LGBTQ tourists from entering their ports, with the former citing a supposed threat to Turkish society.

Egyptian port authorities ordered the Scarlet Lady to turn back as it was approaching the Mediterranean city of Alexandria on Thursday, tour organizer Atlantis Events Inc’s Chief Executive Officer Rich Campbell told Bloomberg by phone.

Atlantis had added Alexandria to its itinerary after Turkey canceled scheduled stops in Istanbul and the Aegean beach town of Kusadasi.

“From a general travel perspective, I find this to be highly disturbing,” said Campbell. “The idea that a country can pick and choose who their travelers are based on any criteria – based on sexual orientation, religious beliefs or color of their skin or anything else.”

Campbell said Atlantis has organized multiple past tours to Turkey and Egypt without issue and had been given clearance to dock in Turkey in advance. Both countries are heavily dependent on tourism revenue.

The provincial government encompassing Kusadasi said in a statement that the visitors would be “at odds with the fabric of our society and moral values” and that the ship’s planned arrival “had caused significant distress.”

Campbell said Egyptian authorities did not offer the ship any reasoning. The Turkish and Egyptian tourism ministries didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Atlantis’s 11-day tour, organized with Virgin Voyages, is marketed to gay men. It touts onboard drag shows and opportunities to visit gay clubs in cities like Istanbul and Athens.

The ship set off from the Greek capital on July 5, and after turning back from Egypt moored on the island of Crete, according to tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. It will add an unplanned stop in Montenegro before returning to the original itinerary in Croatia and Venice, Campbell said.

Turkish officials have put increasing pressure on LGBTQ communities in recent years, banning pride events and shutting down advocacy groups.

In Egypt, authorities “use vague, abusive penal code provisions” to imprison LGBTQ people, Human Rights Watch said in its latest annual report.

Campbell warned that the incident could have repercussions for Turkey’s tourism industry. “Large groups will avoid it — we will avoid it,” he said. “It’s a fantastic destination and it should be friendly to all.”

© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.

Princess Cruises Adds Third Solar Eclipse Voyage for 2026

Princess Cruises Adds Third Solar Eclipse Voyage for 2026

Princess Cruises has announced a third voyage in its 2026 Total Solar Eclipse series: a 14-day Mediterranean & Adriatic with Total Solar Eclipse cruise onboard the Enchanted Princess, departing from Rome.

The new Enchanted Princess sailing joins two other eclipse-focused Princess cruises onboard Sky Princess (August 8, 2026, from Southampton) and Sun Princess (7-, 14- and 21-day itineraries departing from Barcelona and Athens).

Highlights of the Enchanted Princess itinerary, sailing August 4-18, 2026, include:

• Civitavecchia (Rome)
• Naples (for Capri & Pompeii)
• Kotor, Montenegro
• Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Corfu, Greece
• Messina & Palermo, Sicily.
• Gibraltar
• Alicante, Spain
• Barcelona, Spain

 

“Adding Enchanted Princess to our 2026 solar eclipse lineup allows more guests to be part of this extraordinary moment at sea while exploring breathtaking Mediterranean and Adriatic destinations,” said Terry Thornton, Princess Cruises' Chief Commercial Officer. “With limited availability on Sky Princess and Sun Princess, we’re excited to give our guests a new opportunity to be part of this rare astronomical event aboard another of our spectacular ships.”

During the eclipse, guests will gather on the top decks with Princess eclipse viewing glasses, and enjoy lectures from astronomy experts, themed treats and drinks, stargazing at night, solar system trivia and more.

Princess said guests are encouraged to set up their own telescopes on deck and wear festive eclipse-themed apparel and accessories.

Crime Meets Cruise on Vasco Da Gama

Crime Meets Cruise on Vasco Da Gama

Following the success of the first crime thriller cruise in 2023, Nicko Cruises is once again hosting a crime-themed cruise onboard the Vasco da Gama, according to a press release.

Sailing from August 8 to August 20, 2024, the 17-day cruise around Great Britain with moderator Uwe Bahn is all about mystery, criminal cases and investigations, as well as visiting destinations across the UK such as Edinburgh, Dundee and Belfast.

The onboard program ranges from crime quizzes to crime talk and live podcast hearings to crime readings and more. Guests will have the opportunity to find out how realistic their favorite crime films and series are and what a real court reporter does. 

Real crime scene fans can also meet actor Dietmar Bär at the Meet&Greet who will join guests for crime readings.

Guests onboard the Vasco da Gama will also get to explore Ireland and Scotland on this journey.

Navigator of the Seas to Host Two Taylor Swift Themed Cruises in 2024

Navigator of the Seas to Host Two Taylor Swift Themed Cruises in 2024

Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas will host special Taylor Swift-themed cruises in 2024, sailing from Los Angeles, according to a press release from the travel agency organizing the cruises.

Inspired by the singer’s tour and concert movie, four travel agents teamed up to plan a celebration of Swift at sea, calling it the Bestie Cruise. They noted they are not affiliated with Taylor Swift or TASRM.

The four-night sailings to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico depart on April 29 and July 22, 2024.

“Fora Travel takes care of it all. From selecting cabins and booking pre/post cruise hotels, to planning dance parties, friendship bracelet making and other fun activities, we handle the details so you can focus on the fun. Our curated activities will celebrate all things Taylor, and there’s even a special surprise in store! Visit BestieCruise to learn more and sign up. We’ve got Blank Spaces; will you write your name?,” the company said in its statement.

The two sailings are in addition to the previously announced fan-led cruise for “Swifties” departing aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas from the Port of Miami on October 21, 2024.