We share a lot of cruise updates and advice on Cruise.Blog, and this is a weekly roundup of everything you may have missed from this week, including a cruise line that's investing millions into its older ships and a new banned item aboard Carnival Cruise Line. 

For busy bees who want to stay updated on all the helpful cruise advice we share, this is an easy-to-digest overview of our recent articles.

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“Help!”

That was the caption I jokingly sent to my friends and family, along with a photo of the ship I was about to board for my first-ever Carnival cruise.

As a cruise writer, I’m always looking to expand my horizons in the industry, but I had been avoiding Carnival Cruise Line for years.

Within the past week, three cruise ships have broken free from their secured moorings in port, disrupting thousands of passengers. 

The chaos started with Norwegian Epic on Friday, May 30. While visiting Catania, Sicily, a powerful wind gust struck the vessel's port side around 1:00pm. Consequently, the mooring lines began snapping one at a time. 

One cruise line is eliminating free room service in certain cabins. 

Starting in June 2025, guests sailing on Cunard ships will be required to pay for meals and snacks delivered to their staterooms after 10:00am. 

The change only applies to passengers staying in Britannia cabins. Those in Princess Grill and Queens Grill suites will continue to enjoy the full room service menu at no additional charge.

Royal Caribbean's biggest ship to sail from Los Angeles has begun its first-ever cruises to the Mexican Riviera. 

Ovation of the Seas, a Quantum Class ship launched in 2016, arrived in California last week. After a short 3-night media cruise, she began offering regular voyages to Baja Mexico and the Mexican Riviera. The first was a short getaway to Ensenada and will be followed by a 5-night cruise to Cabo on June 6. 

Before Oviation, Navigator of the Seas was the largest (and newest) ship to be deployed in Los Angeles.

Carnival Cruise Line announced the cancellation of all sailings aboard one of its newest ships between May 17 and June 14, 2027.

Carnival Adventure officially joined Carnival's fleet in Sydney, Australia, in March. The vessel previously sailed under the P&O Australia brand, which ceased operations after over 90 years in service. 

Carnival Cruise Line recently banned a popular cruise item from certain venues aboard its fleet of "FUN" ships. 

Like other cruise lines, Carnival has a long list of prohibited items that aren't allowed onboard its ships. Many items, including explosives, other dangerous weapons, or illegal drugs, are common sense. 

Costa Cruises is most known for the deadly capsizing of the Costa Concordia in 2012, where over 30 people lost their lives when the ship's captain strayed from the original course and sailed dangerously close to the Tuscan island of Giglio.

Still, many travelers report disappointing experiences aboard Costa ships, and it's often thought of as the worst-rated cruise line at sea. Common complaints include poor-quality food, bad customer service, dirty cabins, and disorganized operations.

Carnival Cruise Line has been around since 1972, with the first cruise setting sail on March 11, 1972. Since then, the cruising industry has changed dramatically. 

In fact, the original Mardi Gras was advertised as being 27,000 gross tons. Her namesake, which was launched in 2021, is a little over 180,000 gross registered tons.