A big financial move from Royal Caribbean, a fleet shuffle in Oceania's world, and infrastructure and deployment news from three continents. Here's what happened in the last 24-48 hours that matters to long-voyage travelers.
Royal Caribbean Group to acquire 50% stake in Sandals Resorts for roughly $3 billion. Confirmed September 22-23, the deal pairs the world's largest cruise operator with the all-inclusive Caribbean resort brand, extending Royal Caribbean's push into land-based vacations alongside its ships.
CNBC · Bloomberg
Ambassador Cruise Line buys Oceania's Sirena, launches a new German-market brand. Sirena, one of Oceania's R-class sisters to Insignia, leaves the Oceania fleet; Semester at Sea will charter the ship for winter operations before Ambassador's German rebrand takes over. A reminder that R-class capacity in the world-cruise-capable small-ship segment keeps shifting between operators.
Cruise Industry News · Cruise Mummy
TUI Cruises reports 2% growth in average daily rates for Q4 FY26 and H1 FY27. The German joint venture's latest guidance points to continued pricing strength heading into next year's booking season.
Seatrade Cruise News
Windstar Cruises unveils its 2028 Europe season: five yachts, 348 itinerary combinations. The small-ship line is expanding Northern Europe options alongside its usual Mediterranean routings, giving long-voyage-style flexibility to travelers who want a taste of extended, multi-region sailing without a full world cruise commitment.
Cruise Industry News · Open Jaw
Singapore Cruise Centre opens its upgraded HarbourFront Terminal after handling more than 720,000 travelers. The terminal overhaul includes new airport-style check-in technology — relevant to the many 2026-2027 world cruise itineraries that route through Singapore as an Asia hub port.
Cruise Industry News · TTG Asia
Crown Princess sails a 35-night Tahiti, Hawaii & South Pacific round trip from Sydney. It's not a full circumnavigation, but voyages like this one show the continued appetite for extended, multi-week sailings outside the classic world-cruise calendar.
Cruise Industry News · ROL Cruise