The Costa Smeralda left the Meyer Turku shipyard earlier this week to begin her first set of sea trials.

On October 7, the new LNG-fueled ship by Costa Cruises has left the shipyard for to begin sea trials.

The 5,224-guest Costa vessel is one of Carnival's next-generation Excel-class ship platform. The ship has a cost of $950 million.

Virgin Voyages cruise line announced a new on-demand champagne delivery service, Shake for Champagne, which will allow passengers on its cruise ship to request champagne with a shake of their phone.

When the Virgin Voyages Sailor App is shaken, a secret Virgin Voyages Champagne button is revealed and, with just one press, a bottle of Möet & Chandon Impérial will be delivered to the guest.

Delivered in a red champagne bucket, the service includes a 750ml bottle of Möet & Chandon Impérial with two glasses. 

Royal Caribbean announced what upgrades and changes are coming to Explorer of the Seas as part of an upcoming $110 million amplification.

The upgrades will add several new experiences to Explorer of the Seas, including The Perfect Storm waterslides, a reimagined poolscape, The Lime & Coconut poolside bar and more.

Some passengers on the Norwegian Spirit are actively protesting the cruise line and demanding refunds after itinerary changes were made due to refunds.

A large number of guests aboard 14-night sailing gathered in the atrium to protest the itinerary changes due to poor weather conditions.

Princess Cruises announced it will name its sixth Royal Class ship the Discovery Princess.

Based out of Los Angeles, Discovery Princess will be the first new cruise ship for Princess Cruises to be based on the West Coast.

MSC Cruises' Meraviglia arrived in New York City earlier today, marking her first ever visit to the United States and breaking the record for the largest cruise ship to port in Manhattan.

The ship can accomodate more than 4,500 passengers, and will offer two New England and Canada itineraries this fall from the city before she will move to her homeport in Miami for Caribbean itineraries during the winter.

The ship's pool includes a full water park with several slides. The ship also has more than 10 dining areas and a spa.

Carnival Corporation & plc announced it officially began construction of a new cruise terminal in Japan, located at the port of Sasebo.

St Kitts and Nevis announced one million cruise passengers have visited already this year, and greater growth is coming soon.

This  is the second year in a row that the Caribbean country has reached the one million passenger milestone. 

This is expected to grow even further upon the completion of the second pier at Port Zante, whose construction is funded by St Kitts and Nevis' Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme.

On World Animal Day, Royal Caribbean International marks a major milestone in its partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia, focused on saving the endangered hawksbill turtle species from extinction.

A new DNA extraction test will offer scientists and conservationists vital information to track – and ultimately help end – the illegal trade of hawksbill turtle products. This is a significant breakthrough led by WWF Australia, Royal Caribbean the NOAA Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), in California, USA.