Cruise news for September 30, 2026

Sep. 30, 2026 has eight stories. Open each link for the named source and the date it was checked. This page only restates those posts.

Virgin Voyages is fine-tuning 16 Brilliant Lady departures in the 2027 Alaska and Pacific coastal season. Cruise Industry News, dated 28 Sep 2026, reports the advisor statement. Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier replace Tracy Arm on 13 sailings because of landslide risk, the same reason as 2026. VV Insider, dated 23 Sep 2026, lists those dates as May 20 and 27, June 3, 10, 17, and 24, July 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29, August 5, and September 2, 2027. Victoria, British Columbia, replaces Prince Rupert on 12 sailings, from 10am to 6pm, after sailor feedback. The old Prince Rupert day becomes a sea day, then Victoria. Inside Passage cruising now shows as a sea day. The scenic cruising itself stays the same. The August 24, 2027 sailing leaves Victoria at 6pm. The September 10, 2027 Pacific coastal sailing drops Astoria, adds San Francisco time, and refunds $33 per person in Astoria port taxes and fees. Shore Things booked with Virgin are adjusted or refunded automatically. The ship, the voyage length, and the onboard experience stay the same.

Celebration Key on Grand Bahama expects about 3.5 million guests in 2027, up from about 2.7 million in 2026, after the second pier opened. Cruise Industry News, dated 30 Sep 2026, quotes Carnival Corporation CEO Josh Weinstein on the third-quarter earnings call. The first year welcomed almost 2.5 million. Princess begins calling in October 2026. Select AIDA and Costa calls follow late in 2027. That is four brands and 31 ships in 2027, up from 26. In 2027, 35 percent of Carnival Cruise Line Caribbean capacity pairs Celebration Key with RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, on the same cruise. Weinstein said a phase two expansion is premature to detail. A 29 Sep Cruise Industry News piece puts that quarter's net income at $1.9 billion. The island figures are in the 30 Sep article.

Princess says it is the first global cruise line with a native ChatGPT planning app, launched 28 Sep 2026. The PR Newswire release carries the how-to. You install the plugin, tag @princesscruises, and can look across more than 330 destinations and 17 ships, compare itineraries, and check current prices. The app starts on ChatGPT. Princess says more AI platforms may follow.

Warm water flooded a Deck 10 hallway on Harmony of the Seas shortly before 7am on Sep. 29. The ship is on a five-night Port Canaveral sailing from Sep. 26 to Oct. 1, with CocoCay and Cozumel. The water reached the area outside aft balcony cabins 10319 and 10321. Within about two hours, crew had pulled up carpet, set up drying fans, and checked on passengers. Royal Caribbean Blog says several cabins. Cruise Hive says the passenger believes two staterooms flooded. Both outlets are writing up one passenger's Facebook posts. Royal Caribbean has not commented. No itinerary change is reported. Neither outlet reports a cabin move or a compensation offer.

MSC broke ground at Sandy Cay on Sep. 28, with Pierfrancesco Vago and Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis. Construction is underway, and the opening is 2028. The island sits next to Ocean Cay and is only for MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys guests. Ocean Cay is also getting more dining, plus family and adults-only beach areas. Booking rules are not published. Cruise Fever suggests MSC Cruises access may lean toward Yacht Club. MSC's release does not say that.

Brilliant Lady's 3 Oct 2026 Los Angeles sailing still lists Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta. Cruise Hive, dated 30 Sep 2026, quotes a Virgin notice posted 29 Sep. Virgin says no decision is made. It has prepared an alternative itinerary and has not named the ports. Pack a light jacket. Cruise Fever, the same day, reports the same hold. National Hurricane Center Advisory 15, at 5:00pm ET, put Rachel about 310 miles south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas with winds of 85 mph. The 26 Sep Polo reroute is a different sailing, already on this site.

Coral Princess has lost a Puerto Vallarta call because of Hurricane Rachel. Cruise Fever, dated 30 Sep 2026, reports the cancellation. Quadratín Jalisco, published the same day, says Asipona Vallarta removed the Friday 2 Oct arrival from the port calendar. Neither report names a replacement port or a refund. The Quadratín dateline prints 2016. The page timestamp is 30 Sep 2026.

Royal Caribbean opened its 2028 Alaska lineup on Anthem, Ovation, Serenade, and Voyager of the Seas. The PR Newswire release, 11:09 ET on 30 Sep 2026, says Crown & Anchor members can book now. The public opening is Thursday 1 Oct. Cruises leave Seattle, Seward, and Vancouver. The 19 Sep post had the booking week. This lineup names the ships. Cruise Hive adds first and last dates, and some port lists differ from the release. Read the sailing before you deposit.

If you sail Brilliant Lady on 3 Oct, keep the Mexico ports until Virgin names a new one, and pack a jacket. If your Coral Princess date shows Puerto Vallarta on 2 Oct, refresh the app before you keep a tour. If you want 2028 Alaska, Crown & Anchor can try today and everyone else uses Thursday 1 Oct. If you hold a 2027 Brilliant Lady Alaska date, reopen the booking and match the fjord and the Canadian port. If you sail Carnival or Princess in the Caribbean next year, check whether Celebration Key is on the route. If you are shopping a Princess cruise, the ChatGPT steps are in the full post. If you are on Harmony, keep Cozumel and the Oct. 1 return, and ask guest services before you assume a move. If you sail MSC, Sandy Cay is a 2028 island, and Ocean Cay is the call you can book now.