The Port of New Orleans was awarded $947,280 in recently announced Port Security Grant funding from the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Carnival Cruise Line will deploy the 2,124-passenger Carnival Legend to continue its seasonal offerings from San Francisco in 2025, replacing Carnival Miracle.

Oceania Cruises' Allura will debut in summer 2025 with a wide variety of seven- to 34-day voyages, starting in the eastern Mediterranean.

Virgin Voyages is introducing 19 new ports and 27 new itineraries through April 2025, including a UK return and new destinations in the Caribbean and Australia.

Baltic states will need to rebrand in order to attract cruise lines, with the removal of St Petersburg from itineraries continuing to hinder a number of cruise ports in the region.

‘Australia will welcome 70 cruise ships over the 2023-24 season, which is well above the 60 or so scheduled to visit in 2019-20,’ Cruise Lines International Association MD Australasia Joel Katz told delegates at Cruise360 in Brisbane on Thursday.

Biometrics could lead to greater productivity and passenger satisfaction, in addition to making port processes more secure, but the cost could be ‘considerable.’  

Global Ports Holding was awarded a 10-year concession for Bremerhaven Cruise Port with a potential five-year extension option.

Meyer Floating Solutions, part of the Meyer shipbuilding group, put forward a concept for sustainable, floating cruise terminals.

Mauritius expects to receive 24 cruise calls during its 2023 season and 30 in 2024, hinting at a gradual return to pre-pandemic figures.