Diana Ross Steps Down as Godmother of Star of the Seas
The legendary singer Diana Ross has bowed out as the godmother of Royal Caribbean’s newest Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas, just days before its much-anticipated naming ceremony.
The legendary singer Diana Ross has bowed out as the godmother of Royal Caribbean’s newest Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas, just days before its much-anticipated naming ceremony.
Fincantieri has filed a lawsuit in the United States seeking more than €100 million (approximately $110 million) in damages from Owens Corning and its Finnish subsidiary Paroc over allegedly defective fire-resistant insulation panels installed on multiple cruise ships.
Royal Caribbean has officially welcomed its newest giant, Star of the Seas, to U.S. waters. Weighing in at 248,663 gross tons and carrying up to 5,610 guests with 2,350 crew, she ranks among the largest cruise ships ever built. The ship is the second in the line’s groundbreaking Icon Class and is powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) part of Royal Caribbean’s push toward cleaner and more efficient cruising.
A routine embarkation day for P&O Cruises’ Ventura turned into a tense security incident when a bomb threat forced the evacuation of the ship and surrounding terminal area at the Port of Southampton’s Mayflower Cruise Terminal.
Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Destiny, is almost ready to make waves. The ship is scheduled to leave the construction hall at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, tomorrow, Saturday, August 9, 2025, around 8:30 a.m.
Destiny will feature a “Heroes and Villains” theme and is the third Wish-class ship to roll out of this shipyard, following the Disney Wish (2022) and Disney Treasure (2024). Once it leaves the dock, Destiny will be moved to the shipyard harbor and is expected to remain there until mid-September while final work continues.
At a shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, Disney held a traditional steel cutting ceremony to kick off the build. It’s the first major step in making a cruise ship, where a giant machine cuts the very first piece of steel. This marks the beginning of the ship’s journey from concept to reality.
The Maritime tech firm Marcura has bought Brightwell Navigator, the crew payroll and payment arm of U.S. based Brightwell, to expand its global crew payment services and strengthen its presence in the cruise sector. Brightwell Navigator will integrate with Marcura’s MarTrust platform while retaining its brand during a transition period.
An 18-year-old passenger was rescued alive after jumping overboard from the cruise ship AIDAnova in the Baltic Sea, reports Morgenpost.
A day of fun at Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, took a violent turn on Sunday when a massive brawl involving more than 30 people broke out at the Oasis Lagoon pool.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as “chaotic” and “out of control.” According to passengers posting on CruiseCritic and Reddit, the fight escalated quickly, with multiple groups involved in physical altercations. One man was seen bleeding heavily from the head and was reportedly evacuated from the scene for medical treatment.
A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Pacific coast on Wednesday triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific, activating emergency protocols for cruise ships in Hawaii, Alaska, and along the U.S. West Coast. Among the vessels impacted was Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America, which was forced to depart Hilo, Hawaii, ahead of schedule—leaving some passengers behind amid the chaos.