NCL Dining Fee, Shutdown, Cancellations, and More

It’s time to get going with Cruise Hive’s weekly information recap that retains you updated on main trade developments in addition to distinctive cruise tales from throughout the globe.

In the present day’s version contains protection of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings unveiling a loyalty-match program throughout its three manufacturers, a cruiser having to pay a hefty price for bringing an enormous amount of money into Canada, and a widely known Hollywood couple being chosen as godparents to Princess Cruises’ Star Princess.

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NCL Provides Payment for Ordering A number of Entrees

Friends choosing a meal in the principle eating rooms aboard Norwegian Cruise Line ships must fork over $5 for every further entree they order. 

The brand new cost, which was quietly added to menus just lately, is probably going supposed to discourage meals waste and to forestall “journey influencers” from ordering a number of entrees simply to take photographs of them.

There continues to be no cost for ordering one entree. Additionally, there may be unlikely to be any further cost if an entree is shipped again to the kitchen, as an example, as a result of it’s overcooked or undercooked.

Different cruise traces additionally cost for a number of entrees. Carnival Cruise Line, for instance, permits visitors to order as much as two entrees however then provides a $5 price for every further entree.

And most cruise traces will add an up-charge for premium objects, akin to lobster or caviar, served in complimentary principal eating rooms. These costs are sometimes clearly proven on menus.

The coverage change adopted an earlier resolution by Norwegian Cruise Line to start charging a $10 per particular person price to those that make a reservation in a specialty restaurant however then don’t present up.

Norwegian to Honor Loyalty Tiers Throughout Manufacturers

Beginning with cruises departing on and after October 15, 2025, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings will match visitors’ loyalty tier standing throughout its three cruise manufacturers.

The brand new Loyalty Status Honoring Program matches standing ranges for members of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Latitudes Rewards, Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Membership, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Society.

The three manufacturers mixed function 34 ships, and the concept behind the loyalty match is to encourage visitors to sail on multiple model. Norwegian Cruise Line is taken into account a mass market model, whereas Oceania is a premium line, and Regent presents an ultra-luxury expertise.

The cross-brand loyalty matches aren’t automated, as visitors should request the match at the least 10 days earlier than every cruise. For every request, visitors’ loyalty ranges will probably be honored at every model’s nearest corresponding tier.

The transfer follows an identical tactic by Royal Caribbean Group, which just lately unveiled a loyalty match program for its three manufacturers, Royal Caribbean, Superstar Cruises, and Silversea Cruises.

Cruise Ship Rescues Refugees From Raft Close to Cuba

Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas was crusing an alternate route between Mexico and Cuba attributable to poor climate within the Bahamas, and the revised itinerary proved to be a fortunate break for a gaggle of refugees stranded on a raft.

On September 28, 2025, the ship was crusing from Tampa to Mexico for port calls at Costa Maya and Cozumel when she encountered the unstable raft with eight or 9 folks onboard. It was simply after sundown, and the refugees used lights to sign the cruise ship for help.

The two,252-guest Enchantment of the Seas instantly launched a lifeboat and introduced the refugees onboard, the place they obtained medical care and meals. Applicable authorities have been notified, together with the Mexican Coast Guard.

It isn’t uncommon for refugees to be positioned in boats and different watercraft within the waters close to Cuba, and below maritime regulation, ships that come across them are required to help.

There was no impact on the cruise itinerary, and Enchantment of the Seas proceeded as deliberate. The unique itinerary was to be a 5-night Bahamas and Good Day at CocoCay cruise, however storms swirling close to the Bahamas within the western Atlantic triggered the voyage to be altered.

Cruiser Makes Costly Mistake in Canada

The failure by a cruise visitor to reveal that he was carrying a considerable amount of money into Canada left him $1,000 within the pink. 

That was the penalty the traveler paid for not declaring he was bringing about $23,000 into the nation throughout his Canada/New England cruise aboard Princess Cruises’ Enchanted Princess.

The visitor, who hailed from India and has not been recognized, ought to have revealed the money upon arrival at Saint John, New Brunswick, on September 3, 2025. Canada has no restrict on the quantity vacationers can convey into the nation — they merely must declare something over $10,000 Canadian.

The cash was found by officers of the Canada Border Providers Company (CBSA), who had boarded the ship as a part of their routine customs course of. Brokers seized the funds, and the visitor was required to pay the $1,000 advantageous with the intention to get the cash again.

CBSA posted the motion on social media, with a cautionary warning to others that such sums of money should be disclosed upon entry into Canada.

The US has the identical disclosure restrict, of $10,000 USD. There was no indication that the cruise visitor bumped into comparable bother in any US port throughout his crusing.

Hollywood Superstar Couple to Title Star Princess

A-list Hollywood celeb Matthew McConaughey is thought for his excellent performing expertise and his philanthropy towards youngsters’s well being and teaching programs, and he’ll quickly add one other achievement as godparent, along with his spouse Camila, to Princess Cruises’ new Star Princess.

The cruise line chose the couple for his or her “signature heat and spirit.” They’re additionally the founders of their very own firm, Pantalones Natural Tequila, which is a part of Princess’ Love Line Premium Liquors assortment, bought on the road’s ships.

The christening ceremony is about for November 6, 2025 at Port Everglades, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the new-build’s US homeport. Extra particulars concerning the festive occasion are but to return.

The 4,300-guest ship, second within the line’s Sphere class after Solar Princess, will make her debut in Barcelona on October 4, 2025, when she sails her inaugural cruise from the Spanish metropolis.

The ship will sail a second cruise from Barcelona earlier than working her transatlantic crossing to Florida. After the christening occasion, the ship will sail a 3-night cruise to Princess Cays, Bahamas, after which start working 7- and 14-night Jap and Western Caribbean sailings via mid-April 2026.

Star Princess will deploy to Seattle in April 2026 and sail Alaska cruises through the summer time season.

Norwegian Cruise Line Broadcasts a Massive Homeport Swap

The Norwegian Cruise Line ships now homeporting in Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida — Norwegian Gem and Norwegian Daybreak, respectively, are swapping deployments beginning in November 2026.

It implies that Norwegian Daybreak will sail from Jacksonville, on the East Coast, and Norwegian Gem will function from Tampa, on the Gulf Coast. There may be not a lot distinction between the 2 ships besides that Norwegian Daybreak is barely smaller when it comes to double occupancy capability.

The cruise line has not disclosed a motive for the swapped deployments.

All beforehand revealed cruises on each ships, from November 2026 to spring 2027, are cancelled, and booked visitors have been notified. New itineraries are anticipated quickly. 

The road additionally revealed that, attributable to port availability, a number of sailings in late 2026 aboard Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Pleasure are also being cancelled. 

In 2026, Norwegian Getaway’s November 16, 20, and 25, and December 14 and 18 cruises are cancelled, as are Norwegian Pleasure’s December 18, 21, 24, and 28 voyages.

Friends on the cancelled sailings are being supplied future cruise credit, as the road hopes to garner as many rebookings as attainable.

Shutdown Has Restricted Impact on Cruise Vacationers

Vacationers getting ready for his or her cruise holidays can anticipate little impact on their plans ensuing from the US authorities shutdown, since federal airport and cruise port staff proceed to work, albeit on an unpaid foundation.

This contains TSA brokers, FAA workers, together with air site visitors controllers, and Customs and Border Management brokers, who’re all thought-about important staff and should report back to their posts as scheduled.

The federal government shutdown, which started on October 1, 2025, pressured the closure of some federally operated points of interest, akin to nationwide parks and museums, regularly visited on port calls. It will have an effect on some shore excursions, together with, for instance, to the Virgin Islands Nationwide Park on St. John.

The largest problem for cruisers is probably going coming from attainable delays in airport safety traces and customs processing at air and cruise ports. With hiring and coaching applications paused, staffing shortages may have an effect on some operations.

Cruisers ought to proceed to reach at their departure airport two hours forward of home flights and three hours for worldwide flights. Nevertheless, to keep away from any critical delay, it’s at all times a good suggestion for cruisers to reach of their departure port metropolis the day earlier than their ship sails.

Extra Cruise Headlines

Listed below are much more high tales from Cruise Hive previously week: Carnival Cruise Line will move Carnival Venezia from New York to Miami in 2027; the dreaded norovirus stomach bug impacted a Royal Caribbean cruise crusing from San Diego; and a storm with excessive winds triggered an MSC Cruises’ ship to ditch a port call in Norway.

Additionally, Royal Caribbean unveiled the Bahamian-vibe tender boats it is going to use to move visitors to its new seaside membership in Nassau, and Marella Cruises has lost out on a plan to have two new-builds be part of its fleet.