Mexico's lower house of Congress voted late last week to charge a $42 immigration levy for every passenger arriving by cruise ship to Mexico. According to an Associated Press story, the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents has criticized that action, saying in a statement that "if this measure is implemented, it would make Mexican ports of call among the most expensive in the world, severely affecting their competitiveness with other Caribbean destinations." Travel Agent has asked the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), the industry's trade association in the region, for reaction but have not received a response yet.
That said, many ports across the globe are posting record 2024 cruise passenger numbers, and cruise industry growth is certainly visible in a big way. Last week, for instance, Princess Cruises recently began home porting for the first time at Port Canaveral, FL, with its 3,140-passenger Caribbean Princess. Disney Cruise Line, additionally, christened its new 4,000-passenger Disney Treasure in New York and that ship will also arrive for Port Canaveral homeporting this month. And on the new ship front, Windstar Cruises floated out its new Star Seeker at a Portugal shipyard.
Hurtigruten has entered a new chapter in its 131-year history. Both that small-ship Norwegian coastal brand and the more globally focused HX expedition brand (formerly called Hurtigruten Expeditions) will now be operated as totally separate entities, following an investment of €140-plus million each by new ownership—a consortium of existing investors. Separately, Hurtigruten and HX were recently recognized by Friends of the Earth as top notch on that environmental organization’s 2024 Cruise Ship Report Card, which compared the environmental footprints of 21 major cruise lines.
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MSC Cruises previewed 19 stateroom options on MSC World America. Options range from balcony staterooms with ocean views to Duplex Suites, Family Suites and 1,600 square-foot Owner’s Suites in the MSC Yacht Club, complete with dedicated entertainment spaces. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection debuted its summer 2026 itineraries, offering 44 new voyages from April through October 2026. Highlights include Estonia, Croatia and Denmark, as well as six new ports: Naxos, Greece; Opatija, Croatia; A Coruna, Spain; London, England, U.K.; Waterford, Ireland; and Turku, Finland.
Viking recently launched two new river vessels on the Nile River. We just returned from several nights in Cairo and an abbreviated round-trip cruise from Luxor on one of those—the 82-passenger Viking Sobek. Here's our firsthand insight about this intimate river vessel and other aspects of our Egyptian journey.
Finally, advisors should know that U.S. Department of State has issued a "Level 4" warning ("Do Not Travel") for Haiti because of violence and street unrest. In contrast, though, Royal Caribbean International's private island-style destination of Labadee, Haiti, is located in a remote area far removed from the unrest. It's also privately owned, fenced and has private security. After stopping calls there earlier this year, Royal Caribbean recently returned, confident of guest safety. That said, the port of San Juan, Puerto Rico, recently cancelled docking for some upcoming cruise ship visits of multiple lines, citing pier issues. For Symphony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean replaced those San Juan calls with Labadee. Some booked guests have publicly demanded a full refund, citing the government's warning. Travel Agent has asked Royal Caribbean for a statement and will post it here when received.
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