Disney’s New Ship, Middle East War, and Biggest Cruise News Stories of March 2026

by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 8:00 AM ET, Fri March 27, 2026

The cruise industry is riding a wave of momentum, with new ships and ambitious expansion plans reshaping both ocean and river travel. From headline-grabbing debuts and cutting-edge sustainability efforts to behind-the-scenes challenges and strategic shifts, here’s a look at the biggest cruise news stories from March.

Disney Cruise Line Unveils Name and Design Theme of New Ship: Disney Believe

Disney Cruise Line unveiled the name and design theme of its newest ship, scheduled to debut late 2027. The vessel—the fourth in Disney’s Wish class—will be called Disney Believe.

The “promise and possibilities” design theme will honor the “dreamers and doers who dare to pursue their own happily ever after,” according to the company. Disney Believe will bring to life the magical worlds of “Encanto,” “Frozen,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Moana” and “The Little Mermaid.”

Cruise Lines Affected by Middle East Conflict

The escalating conflict in the Middle East began affecting the cruise industry this month. At least two cruise lines—Celestyal Cruises and MSC Cruises—cancelled sailings and worked tirelessly to get guests home safely.

ASTA Announces 2027 River Cruise Expo Dates and Location, Registration Now Open

Following the success of a sold-out 2026 event in Amsterdam, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) announced this month that its River Cruise Expo will return to Vienna, Austria, next year. Scheduled for March 10–14, 2027, the event is poised to become the largest in the organization’s history. Registration opened immediately following the announcement, and it is expected to sell out once again.

TravelPulse’s Eric Bowman reported on location from the conference, recording an episode of the TravelPulse Podcast featuring an interview with AmaWaterways’ chief executive officer Catherine Powell. He also caught up with Katina Athanasiou, senior vice president of service and sales for the Americas for Celebrity Cruises.

AmaSofia Gets Christened, Suffers Technical Issue

Godmother Sarah Little, the senior vice president of business development for the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), officially christened AmaWaterways’ newest ship, the AmaSofia. The ceremony was held on the dock in Amsterdam during the 2026 ASTA River Cruise Expo, an event that hosted 1600 travel advisors.

Several days later, AmaSofia experienced a major technical issue during its inaugural voyage on the Rhine River with travel advisors and company executives from the conference onboard. Passengers eventually disembarked the ship, which AmaWaterways sent back to the shipyard in the Netherlands for repairs.

Celebrity River Cruises Unveils Details for New Innovative Shore Excursions Program

Celebrity Cruises unveiled the shore excursions it plans to offer on its forthcoming river cruises. Four curated programs include the Storyteller Series, Skillmaster Series, Keys to the City Series and the Celebrity Takeover Series. The programs will be available across all 2027 and 2028 Celebrity River Cruises itineraries along with pre-and post-cruise stays in Prague, Budapest and Amsterdam.

Four Seasons Yachts Debuts With Inaugural Voyage

Four Seasons Yachts made its highly anticipated debut in March, with the line's first vessel, Four Seasons I, embarking on its maiden voyage in the Mediterranean. The debut was symbolic because it coincided with the brand's 65th anniversary and the opening of Four Seasons' first hotel on the first day of spring in 1961.

Actor Robert Downey Jr. Christens Disney Adventure Cruise Ship in Singapore

Actor Robert Downey, Jr. christened Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, Disney Adventure, in Singapore. The vessel, which is Disney’s largest ever, set sail on its maiden voyage on March 10, followed by an inaugural season of three- and four-night sailings.

Disney Cruise Line also hosted a massive three-night drone and fireworks show in Singapore to celebrate the launch of Disney Adventure. The company also debuted a new ad campaign during the Academy Awards. The commercial, called “Midnight Magic,” follows a father and son as they spend time together aboard a Disney ship, from childhood to adulthood and into grandparenthood.

Norwegian Cruise Line Takes Delivery of Norwegian Luna, Welcomes First Guests

Norwegian Cruise Line took delivery of the 3,565‑passenger Norwegian Luna from Fincantieri at its shipyard in Marghera, Italy. The vessel welcomed its first guests before sailing across the Atlantic for its christening at PortMiami.

The Norwegian Cruise Line ship will spend its first year in Miami, offering a variety of three- and four-day Bahamas voyages, as well as seven-day Caribbean itineraries. Guests will be able to visit the newly enhanced Great Stirrup Cay, the cruise line’s private destination in the Bahamas, which features a new pier and several amenities, including an oversized pool, as well as the Great Tides Waterpark scheduled to open this summer. Later this year, the ship will also visit Harvest Caye, the cruise line’s private destination off the coast of Belize.

The Kids Aqua Park onboard Norwegian Luna

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises Shares First Look at New Ships SS Audrey, SS Marlene

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises offered a first look at its forthcoming ships S.S. Audrey and S.S. Marlene. Inspired by European icons Audrey Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich, the sister ships are scheduled to debut next year.

“One-of-a-kind design has always been central to the Uniworld experience,” says Ellen Bettridge, president and chief executive officer of Uniworld. “With the S.S. Audrey and S.S. Marlene, we’re celebrating two women whose style defined an era. These ships bring their spirit to life through thoughtful details and spaces created to deepen our guests’ connection to the destinations along the journey, and we’re excited to share a sneak peek inside.”

American Cruise Lines' Newest Ship American Encore Passes Sea Trials

American Cruise Lines celebrated a key construction milestone for its newest ship, American Encore. The riverboat passed sea trials this month and started the month-long journey to the Pacific Northwest. American Cruise Lines’ Columbia and Snake itineraries range from 9 to 16 days and include popular adventures in Yellowstone, Glacier, and Grand Teton national parks. American Encore’s inaugural season will begin on May 5 and conclude in mid-November.

TUI River Cruises Announces New European River Ship

TUI River Cruises announced this month that it plans to add a new ship to its European fleet. The 138-passenger, adults-only TUI Elara—which means “bright” in Greek—is scheduled to debut in March 2027. The vessel will be the eighth ship in the TUI River Cruises fleet when she sets sail on the Rhine and Moselle rivers, as well as Dutch and Belgian waterways. With the launch of TUI Elara, the company is also adding Brussels as a new port of call.

Viking Takes Delivery of Newest European Longship

This month, Viking took delivery of its latest 190-passenger Longship, Viking Eldir, from Germany’s Meyer’s Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock-Warnemünde. Like its sister ships, Viking Eldir features a refined, clean Scandinavian design, the Aquavit Terrace for indoor/outdoor dining, the Viking Lounge and Bar, a Sun Deck with a walking track and a library. Viking Eldir will sail on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers.

Amadeus River Cruises Announces New Ship Coming to Douro River

Amadeus River Cruises announced that it will debut a new ship on the Douro River in 2028, adding to the continued growth of the river cruise market. The ship will be named the Amadeus Douro, and it will launch in April of 2028, featuring 55 cabins and offering a seven-night round trip from Porto, Portugal. The company unveiled the new ship at the 2026 ASTA River Cruise Expo.

Viking Celebrates Float Out of World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Cruise Ship, Viking Libra

This month, Viking celebrated the float out of its new first hydrogen-powered cruise ship, the Viking Libra. The float out ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Ancona Shipyard in Trieste, Italy, beginning with a ceremonial cord cut that signaled water to flow into the ship’s building dock.

Scheduled for delivery in November 2026, the 54,300-ton ship, capable of operating with zero admissions, will spend the inaugural season sailing itineraries in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Viking Astrea, the line’s subsequent ocean ship also under construction and scheduled for delivery in 2027 will also be hydrogen-powered and capable of zero emissions.

NCLH CEO: Company Has 'Fallen Short' and Must 'Act Urgently' to Address Problems

On the heels of a major leadership change and investor criticism, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings reported its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 financial results.

Though the results were “solid,” new president and chief executive officer John W. Chidsey noted in early March that the company has work to do to improve.

“My initial assessment is that our strategy is sound, but execution and cross-functional alignment have fallen short,” he said. “Our priority is to act urgently to address these gaps by improving coordination, reinforcing accountability and strengthening financial discipline across the organization.”

"The good news is that we have strong assets and have recently enhanced our leadership team with the right combination of new and tenured talent," Chidsey continued. "Now, with a clear focus and necessary rigor, I am confident in our ability to create sustainable long-term value."

Residential Cruise Line Avora Residences Charters Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Seven Seas Navigator

Residential cruise line Avora Residences officially chartered Seven Seas Navigator from Regent Seven Seas Cruises this month. After undergoing renovations, the vessel will debut in January 2028 as Avora Lumina, serving as Avora’s flagship for long-term living at sea.

Avora Residences has entered into a nine-year charter agreement with a nominal purchase option with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, the parent company of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Avora plans to preserve the operational DNA of Seven Seas Navigator wherever possible, maintaining established systems, standards and key vendor and service relationships.

After undergoing renovations, the vessel will debut in January 2028 as Avora Lumina.

Explora Journeys Celebrates Construction Milestones for Growing Fleet

Explora Journeys celebrated several construction milestones in March. The brand hosted another triple ceremony at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, Italy, with leaders gathering to mark the float out of EXPLORA IV, the coin ceremony for EXPLORA V and the steel cutting of EXPLORA VI.

It’s the third triple ceremony for Explora Journeys in 18 months. The brand has two ships sailing, plus EXPLORA III on track to launch in July. Three other vessels are under construction at Fincantieri’s Genoa shipyard, as the brand works toward its goal of having six ships on the water by 2028.

Scenic Group to Build Three Additional New Ships

The Scenic Group fleet is growing. The company announced this month that it plans to add three new river ships to its portfolio—one for Emerald Cruises, and two for Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours.

Emerald Nova will launch June 2027 on the Douro River, joining Emerald Radiance in Portugal with two itineraries. Scenic Aria will launch September 2027 on the Douro River, joining Scenic Azure in Portugal and operating both signature itineraries. Scenic Spirit II will launch in early 2028 on the Mekong River, flowing through Vietnam and Cambodia.

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