Royal Caribbean officially welcomed the Icon of the Seas into its fleet on Monday November 27, 2023. After nearly three years of meticulous construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, this colossal vessel has emerged as the world's largest cruise ship, shattering records and redefining the possibilities of cruising.

As the Israel-Gaza conflict continues to intensify, major cruise lines have made the difficult decision to either cancel or indefinitely postpone multiple voyages to the Middle East. The Israel-Hamas war, which erupted on October 7, has seen violence escalating in the past month.  Majour cruise companies have taken proactive measures to revise their itineraries, specifically avoiding the Red Sea and the surrounding region, with sailings impacted until the year 2024.

This morning, a cruise ship arrived at the port of Haifa to carry out a humanitarian mission to evacuate U.S. citizens who wish to leave Israel due to the ongoing conflict.

The U.S. Embassy in Israel has informed residents that the voyage is subject to available space, and those permitted to depart will be allocated a place on the ship, which will set sail for Limassol, Cyprus.

The crew member who was reported missing from the Royal Caribbean International cruise ship, Serenade of the Seas, has been located and is safe. The Serenade of the Seas arrived at the port of Sydney, Nova Scotia, on Tuesday, September 26, as part of its 7-day round-trip Canada cruise from Boston. However, after the ship departed from Sydney, the crew failed to return by 5 p.m.

Silversea Cruises has taken a step to recognize the contributions of its dedicated crew members. The company has announced its latest initiative, the "Job Well Done" (JWD) Card program, which aims to celebrate outstanding performance within its crew ranks. The program is a token of appreciation and an opportunity for supervisors, managers, officers, and petty officers to recognize and reward a job well done by any fellow crew member. 

Royal Caribbean International's newest Oasis-class cruise ship, the Utopia of the Seas, emerged from dry dock at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The float-out was a meticulous process, taking nearly 15 hours to complete. It commenced with the shipyard filling the dry dock with a staggering 46 million gallons of water, allowing the vessel to glide into an outfitting dock.

Cruise passengers booked on a voyage on Royal Caribbean International's Radiance of the Seas received disappointing news recently. The cruise, scheduled to depart from Seward, Alaska, on September 1, was canceled due to unforeseen mechanical problems with the vessel. 

After rerouting due to Hurricane Idalia, the cruise ship Wonder of the Seas encountered further deviation from its planned course on Tuesday evening due to an incident involving a person falling overboard. At approximately 7:55 p.m., an announcement was made aboard the ship, notifying passengers that an individual had fallen or jumped into the sea.

Jamie Oliver is set to breathe new life into the culinary offerings aboard Royal Caribbean cruise ships with a revamped menu at his signature restaurant, Jamie’s Italian. Starting from August, passengers can anticipate a fresh array of delectable dishes, enriching their onboard dining experience.