Cruise Hive’s weekly news roundup is the best way to stay informed about the major developments across the cruise industry. Top stories in this edition include coverage of new ship orders for all three Norwegian brands; the rescue of six people in a makeshift boat off Cuba; and the growing opposition to a new cruise port in Tampa, Florida.
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Technical Failure Prompts Cruise Cancellation
With just one day’s notice before departure, guests booked to sail aboard Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Infinity learned their vacation at sea was cancelled.
The February 16, 2026, voyage, an 11-night Greek Islands cruise, was nixed due to a technical problem that emerged as the ship’s previous sailing ended. The cruise line has not revealed the nature of the technical failure, but guests on the earlier sailing posted on social media about a major power outage.
Celebrity Infinity is a Millennium-class ship that launched in 2001. The cruise line told booked guests that the cruise was cancelled because more time is needed to complete repairs.
The Greek Islands voyage was to operate roundtrip from Athens and call at Mycenae, Crete, and Rhodes, plus destinations in Cyprus and Turkey.
All guests are receiving a full refund of their cruise fare and all pre-paid packages or amenities. Also, they will enjoy a 100% Future Cruise Credit of the cruise fare. The credit is valid for any Celebrity Cruises’ voyage on any ship within the next year.
Cruise Ship Rescues Six in Boat Off Cuba
Six people seen bailing water out of their makeshift boat off Cuba were rescued by Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas on February 15, 2026.
It was around 4:45 p.m. when the emergency unfolded. Seeing what appeared to be the inhabitants of the boat struggling, Radiance of the Seas dispatched its pilot boat and brought the sailors back to the cruise ship.
Radiance of the Seas was operating a 6-night Western Caribbean cruise roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, and was enjoying a day at sea when the boat was spotted. The six individuals were scheduled to be disembarked at the next port of call, Grand Cayman, on February 16.
In cases of rescues, those brought onboard cruise ships are typically provided with food and water, and any needed medical care before they are released to proper authorities on land.
Radiance of the Seas’ itinerary was not affected by the rescue. It is unknown whether the sailors were Cuban refugees, but it is likely that they were.
New Ships Ordered For All Norwegian Brands
Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises each will receive a new ship thanks to an order their parent company placed with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings ordered the vessels for delivery in 2036 and 2037. The ship for Norwegian Cruise Line will be the fourth in a planned new class, still unnamed. For Oceania, the new order will be a sister ship to Oceania Sonata, the line’s first in the Sonata class, debuting in 2027.
At ultra-luxury line Regent, the new order will be a sister ship to Seven Seas Prestige, set to launch in late 2026.
The latest orders add to a massive ship order previously made by the parent company. All told, there are currently 17 ships ordered across the three brands through 2037.
The continuing growth of the brands means that cruisers will have more choices in three distinct levels — the mass market Norwegian Cruise Line, the upmarket Oceania Cruises, and the ultra-luxe Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Investor Issues Rebuke of Cruise Giant Norwegian
One of the biggest investors in Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings told the cruise giant’s board of directors that the company has fallen behind competitors and needs substantial leadership and strategy changes.
Elliott Investment Management, which holds about a 10% stake in the company, also suggested it would take its appeal directly to other shareholders at their annual meeting in March. The holding company owns Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
In a letter to the board, Elliott was highly critical of the company’s financial performance, saying that its share value should be at least $56 — it is hovering this week at around $24.Â
As for leadership, Elliott took issue with the board’s appointment of one of its members, John W. Chidsey, as chief executive officer. Leadership, said Elliott, should reflect direct cruise industry experience; Chidsey is a former CEO of Subway and Burger King.
In its rebuke of current management, the investor also pointed to an inconsistent strategy as one of the key issues the board must address.
New Findings in Elevator Death Aboard Arvia
The investigation continues into the grisly death of a crew member, an electrical technician, aboard P&O Cruises’ Arvia in 2025, but new findings have emerged.
The technician was conducting a maintenance check on an elevator when he was crushed between the elevator and the shaft. The crew member was inspecting the top of the elevator when, apparently, the elevator suddenly began moving upward.
With 5,000 guests onboard, Arvia was sailing from Southampton, England, to the Canary Islands when the accident happened at about 6 a.m. on October 26, 2025.
The ship’s medical officials pronounced the technician dead, and the ship detoured to La Coruna, Spain, where the crew member was removed from the ship.
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is leading the investigation; the ship is registered in Bermuda.
While the cause of death is still pending and the investigation continues, officials say they believe that the tragedy was caused by a combination of equipment defects and safety procedures.
A Heartbreaking Experience on Norwegian Jewel
A sad event unfolded on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jewel, when a pregnant guest went into labor early and, unfortunately, her premature twins both died.
The guest, Paris Singleton-Ajaero, sailed from Tampa with her mother on February 1, 2026, on what was meant to be a fun 4-night getaway. The woman was 21 weeks pregnant; cruise line policy allows guests to sail if they are up to 24 weeks along.
Her husband, John Ajaero, was not onboard. Shortly after embarking, Singleton-Ajaero went into labor. Her son, John Jr., was born on the ship but did not survive.
The guest was quickly evacuated with her mother to a hospital in Cancun, where the second twin, Journey Rose, was born. She also died.
The couple, who live in Maryland, soon encountered a series of regulations surrounding the return of human remains, and learned the twins could not accompany their mother home.
The family is attempting to deal with international rules regarding repatriation, and hopes to have the twins transported to Maryland as soon as possible. A GoFundMe campaign has been activated.
Opposition to New Cruise Port in Tampa Grows
The local population in Tampa Bay, Florida, is putting up quite a fight in a bid to stop construction of a new cruise port.
Close to 20,000 people have so far signed a change.org petition to prevent the project from moving forward.
The proposed cruise port would be located on the oceanside of Tampa’s Sunshine Skyway Bridge, enabling mega-ships to call or be based at the port. Currently, only smaller ships can fit under the bridge, keeping the destination’s cruise-tourism business limited.
Residents opposed to the project say it would impact the marine ecosystem, including fish nurseries, nesting birds, coral reefs, and marine habitats. One state senator agrees, and has filed legislation to block the plan.
But proponents say the new port would result in 31,000 construction jobs and 13,000 permanent jobs once the facility is open. Also, it would bring an estimated $40 million in tax revenue each year. The project is still in preliminary stages, and no decisions have been made.
More Cruise Headlines
Let’s not stop now! Cruise Hive has many more stories you will want to read, such as P&O Cruises revealing the air carriers for its 2026-27 fly-cruise program; a storm near Hawaii forcing a Disney Cruise Line ship to revise her itinerary; and Princess Cruises announcing special sailings to mark the 250th birthday of the US.
Also, a former Royal Caribbean executive eyes a position with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, and Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Conquest emerges from dry dock with several enhancements.
