The Biggest Cruise News Stories of November 2024

by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 7:00 PM ET, Wed November 27, 2024

As 2024 winds to a close, cruise lines are ramping up to their busiest time of the year. Black Friday, Cyber Monday and, soon, wave season deals will ideally motivate travelers to book cruise vacations for 2025 and beyond. In addition to rolling out holiday promotions, cruise lines this month debuted new ships, earned awards and even appeared on reality TV. Here’s a snapshot of some of the biggest cruise news stories of November 2024.

Disney Cruise Line Welcomes Disney Treasure to Fleet

Disney Cruise Line officially welcomed Disney Treasure to its fleet this month. After rescuing multiple people from a sinking catamaran off the coast of Bermuda the brand new ship arrived at Port Canaveral. From Florida, it headed north to New York for a christening ceremony—where its godparents, all the employees of The Walt Disney Company, wished it good fortune and safe journeys.

ASTA Hosts First-Ever Virtual River Cruise Week

Nearly 700 travel advisors attended the American Society of Travel Advisors’ (ASTA) inaugural virtual River Cruise Week in mid-November. The free educational offering included general sessions, panels and educational presentations from seven river cruise lines: Avalon Waterways, Van Loon Cruises, Riverside Luxury Cruises, Amadeus, Viking, AmaWaterways and Riviera River Cruises.

Cruise Lines, Cruise Ships Win Big at the 2024 Travvy Awards

Travel advisors cast their votes for their favorite cruise companies, cruise ships and river cruise lines. Royal Caribbean Group took home 26 Gold, Silver and Bronze awards at this year’s awards gala in Fort Lauderdale on November 7.

The 2024-25 Antarctica Season Is Underway

Intrepid travelers are once again exploring the White Continent, as the 2024-25 Antarctic cruise season gets underway. HX (formerly Hurtigruten Expeditions), Silversea and many other expedition lines returned to Antarctica this month, which marks the beginning of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

Windstar Cruises Plays a Starring Role on “The Golden Bachelorette”

Windstar Cruises, along with Air Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Tourisme, got some major exposure this month on the reality dating show “The Golden Bachelorette.” In honor of Joan Vassos’ search for love, the three partners also teamed up to offer new air, hotel and cruise packages.

Viking Welcomes New Nile River Ships

Viking welcomed sister ships Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek to its fleet on Egypt’s Nile River. The 82-guest vessels are now sailing Viking’s 12-day “Pharaohs & Pyramids” itinerary.

Viking officially named its two newest river ships, the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek

Cruise Lines Offer Black Friday Deals

November is a big month for bookings, thanks to Black Friday. Many cruise lines rolled out tantalizing promotions and deals to inspire travelers to book their dream trip.

Port Canaveral Announces Record Passenger Numbers

Port Canaveral remains popular among cruise lines and their passengers. At his annual “State of the Port” address this month, John Murray, the chief executive officer of the Canaveral Port Authority, revealed that a record-high 7.6 million passengers sailed out of Port Canaveral in fiscal year 2024. That figure represents a 12 percent jump over last year.

American Cruise Lines Welcomes American Legend to the Fleet

American Cruise Lines welcomed its newest Coastal Cat ship to its fleet, American Legend. The vessel embarked on its maiden voyage on November 25, sailing the line’s eight-day “Florida Gulf Coast & Keys” itinerary.

Norwegian Cruise Line Cancels Voyages

Norwegian Cruise Line announced the cancellation of cruises on three ships, between November 2025 and April 2026. The affected voyages were being offered onboard the Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Star and Norwegian Jewel.

“Occasionally, scheduled itineraries may need to be canceled, allowing us the opportunity to introduce enhanced voyages that accommodate strong guest demand and provide a more immersive experience,” the cruise line wrote in a letter to guests and travel partners.

Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Jewel.

Carnival Cruise Line Unveils Duck Mascot

For years, passengers have been hiding small rubber ducks around cruise ships for kids and other guests to find. Carnival Cruise Line is hopping on the passenger-led trend by unveiling an official duck mascot called “Ducky the Duck.”

Travel Advisors, Cruise Executives Gather at CruiseWorld Conference

Travel advisors and cruise executives gathered in Fort Lauderdale this month at Northstar’s CruiseWorld conference. Travel partners got to hear from the leaders of Royal Caribbean Group’s brands, as well as attend educational workshops and seminars.

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