The Top Cruise News Stories of August 2024

Image: Cruise ship sailing off in the distance (Photo Credit: Adobe)

by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 7:00 AM ET, Wed August 28, 2024

Kids may be heading back to school, but the summer travel season is still in full swing. From total solar eclipse cruises to new ships, these are the biggest cruise news stories of August 2024.

Royal Caribbean Group Orders Fourth Icon Class Ship?

Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Sea is the world's largest cruise ship in 2024 (Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean)

In late August, Royal Caribbean Group revealed that it had entered into an agreement with Meyer Turku to build a fourth Icon Class ship. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2027.

The deal also includes the option to build two more Icon Class ships.

The first ship in the new class, Icon of the Seas, debuted in January as the world’s largest cruise ship

Disney Cruise Line Shares Details About New Ships

Disney Cruise Line shared tons of new details about its forthcoming ship, Disney Destiny. The “heroes and villains”-themed ship will have Marvel-inspired experiences and decor, a “Pirates of the Caribbean”-themed bar, and many other spaces that incorporate Disney characters and stories.

The 4,000-guest Disney Destiny will debut on November 20, 2025, from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The first cruise will be a four-night getaway that stops at Disney Castaway Cay and Disney Lookout Cay.

The line also offered some new intel about Disney Adventure, which is set to debut from Singapore next year. This month, the company offered a sneak peek at the Disney Imagination Garden, which will be the ship’s central hub.

Amadeus River Cruises Is Building a New Ship

A rendering of the indoor pool on the Amadeus Amara

The Amadeus River Cruises’ fleet is growing: The line announced this month that it’s building a new ship, the Amadeus Amara, slated to debut in July 2025. The three-deck vessel will be able to accommodate up to 164 guests and will feature many eco-friendly elements.?

More Cruise Lines Announce Total Solar Eclipse Sailings

The April 2024 total solar eclipse was a massive travel event. Now, cruise lines are gearing up for the 2026 total solar eclipse by rolling out new voyages. This month alone, Carnival Cruise Line, Windstar Cruises and Virgin Voyages all unveiled total solar eclipse cruises for 2026.

Other cruise lines offering total solar eclipse voyages in 2026 include Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Atlas Ocean Voyages.

Windstar Shares More Details About New Ship Star Seeker

A rendering of a Veranda Suite onboard Windstar Cruises' Star Seeker

Windstar Cruises offered up additional details about one of its two forthcoming ships, Star Seeker. The cruise line shared renderings of the 224-guest vessel’s interior spaces and revealed that nearly all of the 112 suites will have either a full private veranda or a floor-to-ceiling infinity window.

Disney Is Building Four New Ships

August was a huge month for Disney Cruise Line. At the D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event this month, Disney Experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro announced that Disney Cruise Line was building four new ships slated to launch between 2027 and 2031. That’s in addition to the four ships already under construction, plus the five existing vessels in the line’s fleet.

New Rules at Grand Turk Cruise Port for Safety and Security

New rules aimed at boosting safety and security at the Grand Turk cruise port took effect August 15. They were developed by the port (the Grand Turk Cruise Center), Carnival Corporation and the Turks & Caicos Islands government.?

The rules don’t affect cruise passengers. But anyone from the community who wants to visit the port must now get a one-day ID badge to enter.

American Cruise Line Christens New Ship

American Cruise Line has welcomed a new ship to its fleet, the American Liberty. The 100-passenger ship is the line’s third Coastal Cat vessel. American Liberty is part of the Project Blue Series, an ongoing effort that will ultimately add 12 new small ships to the line’s fleet.

Princess Cruises Unveils New WiFi, Makes Changes to Packages

A passenger using Princess Cruises' MedallionNet Max premium wi-fi service.

This month, Princess unveiled a new premium tier of onboard internet called MedallionNet Max. The new service will be available as part of the line’s Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages.

A week later, the cruise line also announced that it was updating the Princess Premier package. Now $90 per person per day, the package includes unlimited drinks valued at up to $20 a day; unlimited premium boutique fitness classes; unlimited meals at specialty restaurants and more.?

Princess also quietly raised its daily crew gratuity charges by $1 across all stateroom categories.

Port Canaveral Scraps Plans for New Terminal

In May, leaders at Port Canaveral announced plans to build a new cruise terminal and parking garages at an area called North Cargo Berth 8. They expected to open the new terminal in the summer of 2026 to accommodate new cruise ships.

Then, in early August, Florida commerce secretary J. Alex Kelly and transportation secretary Jared Perdue sent a letter calling on the port to scrap those plans or risk losing state funding. Later in the month, the Port Canaveral Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to halt the redesign of North Cargo Berth 8.

Travel Executives make Forbes “50 Over 50” List

Christine Duffy President, Carnival Cruise Line

Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line; Joanna Geraghty, chief executive officer of JetBlue; and Lisa Paulson, executive director of the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association were named to Forbes “50 Over 50” list. The list honors groundbreaking women in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond in a variety of industries.?

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