Cruise week report: Cruise stuck in port, drink package rumor, celebrities on ships, and more!

Welcome to Cruise Blog's Weekly Roundup for the week of December 19, 2025!

This is a helpful post covering everything you may have missed from this week, including a Carnival ship that was stuck in port because of "connectivity issues" and a drink package rumor that was debunked by a cruise line's spokesperson. 

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Carnival ship is stuck in port while it solves "connectivity issues"

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Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Firenze was stuck in the Port of Long Beach, California, due to connectivity issues.

The Venice Class cruise ship was supposed to depart on a 6-night sailing to Ensenada, Mexico, and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on December 15. However, the crew indefinitely delayed their departure due to a "connectivity matter."

During an announcement made over the ship's public address system, a crew member told guests that technicians were actively working to resolve the issue, but couldn’t provide a clear timeline for when it would be resolved.

Read more: Carnival ship is stuck in port while it solves "connectivity issues"

Carnival Cruise Line debunks drink package rumor

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Despite the high daily price of Carnival's drink package, guests are limited to 15 drinks per day — and that doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. 

A recent rumor caught the attention of the cruise line's Brand Ambassador, who was quick to put the baseless speculation to rest.

John Heald confirmed that Carnival is not planning on increasing the daily drink limit anytime soon. 

Read more: Carnival Cruise Line debunks drink package rumor

9 A-list celebrities who performed on cruise ships

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Sheryl Crow just performed on Princess Cruises’ new Star Princess cruise ship, but she's hardly the first A-list performer to grace the stage at sea. 

While cruise ships may not be as popular with artists as residencies in Las Vegas, they are an increasingly popular choice as a place for concerts, especially to celebrate the ship’s inaugural launch. 

Here's a list of celebrities who have performed concerts on cruise ships.

Read more: 9 A-list celebrities who performed on cruise ships

"Carnival is cheap": Cruise passengers furious after being stuck in port overnight

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After being stranded in the Port of Long Beach, frustrated guests took to social media with complaints. 

Not only was the ship's atmosphere not as lively as Carnival typically promises, but many were upset with the cruise line's compensation offer. 

According to guests onboard the impacted sailing, passengers were only offered $100 in onboard credit per stateroom (not per person) for the inconvenience. 

Read more: "Carnival is cheap": Cruise passengers furious after being stuck in port overnight