IN THIS ISSUE
IN SUMMARY
The U.S. raised its travel advisory for Grenada to Level 2 on January 5, citing violent crime against American citizens. This is the first change for a destination with hundreds of thousands of annual cruise visitors and 31 ship calls still on the January schedule. A Long Island travel agent was arrested for allegedly selling $36,000 in fake Royal Caribbean bookings. Stocks surged across the board, led by Royal Caribbean's 6.3% gain.
⚠️ TRAVEL ADVISORIES
ADVISORY
Grenada Just Got Riskier
U.S. State Department upgraded Grenada from Level 1 to Level 2 on January 5, violent crime including robbery and deaths of American citizens cited; no cruise calls have been canceled
The U.S. government officially flagged Grenada as elevated risk on January 5. Cruise lines haven't skipped it yet, but now you know.
🌊 Cruise 101: Level 2 means "exercise increased caution." It's not a ban. Level 4 is "do not travel." Grenada moved from Level 1 to Level 2.
The State Department added a new "crime" risk indicator to Grenada, citing armed robbery, assault, rape, and murders of American citizens with slower-than-expected police response times.
31 ship calls are still scheduled in January from Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Cunard, Holland America, and Princess at Port St. George's.
The advisory arrived two days after U.S. strikes on Venezuela on January 3, though the State Department cited crime, not regional tensions, as the reason.
❓ Should Grenada-bound cruisers worry? No cruise line has skipped the port. Level 2 means stay aware, avoid walking alone at night, and don't resist a robbery. Check with your travel insurer about port-incident coverage.
🚢 FLEET WATCH
POLICY UPDATE
Labadee Stays Dark All Year
Royal Caribbean suspends all 2026 visits to its private destination in Haiti, 12 ships rerouted amid ongoing gang violence
Royal Caribbean is canceling every Labadee port call for all of 2026. Twelve ships are affected.
Royal Caribbean confirmed the full-year suspension, citing gang violence and civil unrest in Haiti, a country that has destabilized faster than anyone anticipated.
Ships affected include Adventure, Allure, Brilliance, Explorer, and Freedom of the Seas, among others. Alternate ports will be substituted.
Labadee is Royal Caribbean's private beach destination on Haiti's northern coast, long considered insulated from Port-au-Prince's instability.
❓Labadee was on your itinerary? Royal Caribbean will swap in an alternate port and notify you before sailing. Swapped private destinations don't automatically entitle you to a refund, but call and ask about your options if the change is significant.
🏝 PORT CHANGES
MILESTONE
A New PortMiami Terminal Is Rising
Royal Caribbean Group breaks ground on $345M Terminal G on January 8, single-berth, Icon-class ready, targeting late 2027 opening
The biggest new terminal at the world's busiest cruise port breaks ground in two days.
Cruise Hive reports the ceremony is set for 10 a.m. January 8 with PortMiami and Royal Caribbean Group leadership both on shovels.
The terminal handles one ship at a time, designed specifically for Icon-class vessels like Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas.
A parking garage and full ground-level transport hub for rideshares, taxis, and buses is part of the plan.
❓Sailing from Miami before late 2027? Nothing changes. Your terminal stays the same. Budget extra time for construction traffic near the port.
💳 REWARDS WATCH
REWARDS
Royal Caribbean Points Just Got Portable
Points Choice launches January 30, Crown & Anchor, Captain's Club, and Venetian Society members can redirect earned points across all three Royal Caribbean Group brands
Starting January 30, loyalty points earned on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, or Silversea can be moved to whichever program benefits you most.
Royal Caribbean Group announced Points Choice, submit a transfer request via the app or website before your sailing or within 14 days of disembarkation.
Exchange rates apply between programs. The transfer isn't 1:1. Check the conversion table before submitting.
You must already be enrolled in the destination program. Enrollment is free at royalcaribbean.com.
🚨 Action step: If you sailed Celebrity or Silversea in 2025, enroll in your preferred destination program now, before January 30, so you're ready to redirect those points immediately.
💰 DEAL RADAR
NOTICE
Princess Opens Europe 2027 Early
Princess Cruises launches 48 Northern Europe voyages for summer 2027, four ships, 18 countries, sailing from Southampton, Copenhagen, Reykjavik, and Helsinki
48 Northern Europe sailings for summer 2027 are bookable today. Early pricing is live.
Four ships cover the season: Regal Princess, Majestic Princess, Sky Princess, and Caribbean Princess, all home-ported to cut repositioning costs for passengers.
New additions include longer sailings, overnight port stays, and expanded Iceland, Baltics, and British Isles routes.
💵 Why this matters for your wallet: Northern Europe books early and prices climb fast. Reykjavik and Helsinki departures historically sell first. Book at princess.com now to lock early-saver rates.
⚓ PEOPLE WATCH
INCIDENT
She Sold Cruises That Didn't Exist
Nassau County police arrested a 47-year-old woman, of Destiny Travel in East Meadow, NY. Nine victims paid $36,000 for a Royal Caribbean cruise with no actual booking; they found out at the pier
A Long Island travel agent is accused of pocketing nearly $36,000 for a Royal Caribbean cruise that was never booked. Her clients showed up at the terminal to find nothing.
Nassau County police say the travel agent, sole operator of Destiny Travel, collected the money from nine people for a Royal Caribbean sailing that had no reservation on record.
She allegedly also took money for a destination wedding and a Dominican Republic family trip, also never booked, never refunded.
She faces multiple felony charges. Police believe additional victims may surface.
📌 Worth knowing: "Travel agent" is an unregulated title in most U.S. states. Verify any booking directly with the cruise line's website or app before you travel, not just your agent's confirmation email.
🧭 TRAVEL HACK
NOTICE
Check Your Reservation Right Now
The Destiny Travel arrest is a reminder that every cruise line lets you independently verify your booking in minutes. Here's where to look
Don't rely solely on your travel agent's confirmation. Log into the cruise line directly and confirm your booking exists.
Royal Caribbean / Celebrity / Silversea: royalcaribbean.com or the Royal Caribbean app
Carnival: carnival.com → My Cruise Manager
Princess / Holland America / Cunard: princess.com or hollandamerica.com, online check-in opens 75 days out; if you can't check in, something is wrong
Norwegian: ncl.com → My NCL
🚨 Action step: After any booking, log in to the cruise line's own site within 48 hours using your confirmation number. If the reservation isn't there, call the cruise line directly not your agent.
🛳 CRUISE BUSINESS
BUSINESS
The Industry Just Bet $76.5 Billion on Itself
74 ships on order through 2036, adding 205,250 berths at a cost of $76.5 billion. MSC and Norwegian lead the orderbook with 14 ships each
The global cruise orderbook enters 2026 at its largest ever. 74 ships, $76.5 billion, and 14 new vessels delivering this year alone.
Cruise Industry News reported the full orderbook data on January 6. MSC and Norwegian each have 14 ships on order, the largest individual commitments in the industry.
Royal Caribbean Group adds 37,000+ berths across eight ships by 2032. Carnival has seven ships through 2033. The average new ship now costs over $1 billion.
14 ships deliver in 2026 alone, adding 33,000 berths to the global fleet this year.
🌍 Bigger picture: More supply historically means more promotions to fill berths. For cruise shoppers, this orderbook is good news with competition will keep pricing in check.
📈 CRUISE STOCK
UP
Cruise Stocks Roar Into 2026
Sector-wide rally on the first full trading week of the year with Royal Caribbean up 6.3%, Norwegian up 5.5%
Every major cruise stock finished higher Tuesday. Royal Caribbean and Norwegian led the way.
Closing prices for Tuesday January 6, 2026.
Ticker | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|
CCL | $32.30 | ▲ 2.6% |
RCL | $297.27 | ▲ 6.3% |
NCLH | $23.80 | ▲ 5.5% |
VIK | $74.08 | ▲ 2.3% |
Carnival (CCL) closed at $32.30, up 2.6%, joining a broad leisure travel rotation to open the new year.
Royal Caribbean (RCL) closed at $297.27, up 6.3%, the sector leader on the day, likely driven by strong 2026 demand signals and pre-positioning ahead of the January 30 Points Choice launch.
Norwegian (NCLH) closed at $23.80, up 5.5%, market rewarding its large orderbook and improving yield outlook.
Viking (VIK) closed at $74.08, up 2.3%, steady gains in the premium segment continuing.
🌍 Bigger picture: All four cruise stocks opened 2026 in positive territory. A signal that institutional investors are entering the year constructively on cruise demand. If the sector holds this momentum into earnings season, expect analyst upgrades to follow.