Stay in-the-know about the cruise industry’s most important developments with Cruise Hive’s weekly news recap. Highlights this week include the fees that Royal Caribbean will charge guests to visit its new Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, and how one cruise line is implementing the new cruise-tourism tax in Greece.

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Another Glass-Shattering Incident on Symphony of the Seas

For the second time in a month, a big piece of glass shattered onboard Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas. Thankfully, no injuries were reported in either case.

In the latest event, on June 29, 2025, it was a tempered glass canopy above the Solarium that shattered. The adults-only retreat area features lounge chairs offering great ocean views, and some guests were enjoying the scene from chairs nearby the canopy.

Symphony of the Seas was about to dock at Port Canaveral when the incident happened. The ship, which was built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France and entered service in 2017, is homeported at Cape Liberty, New Jersey.

Port Canaveral was the first port call on a 7-night Bahamas cruise that departed on June 27, 2025.

An earlier accident involving a glass window happened on June 8, 2025, also as the ship was nearing Port Canaveral. In that event, a glass panel at the ship’s Coastal Kitchen restaurant shattered onto the deck below.

Luckily, a crew member noticed the glass breaking and quickly alerted guests who were lounging on the lower deck. They were able to move away from the area seconds before the glass rained down. 

The crew member was later given an award for his quick thinking.

Carnival Cruise Line Ditches PepsiCo For Coca-Cola

Carnival Cruise Line guests who prefer Pepsi to Coca-Cola will have to bring their own, after the line announced it will no longer stock the Pepsi soda brand.

Besides Pepsi soda, other PepsiCo products that will no longer be found on Carnival ships include Mountain Dew, Gatorade, and Sierra Mist.

PepsiCo has been the preferred beverage partner for Carnival Cruise Line since 2020, and the line offered no reason for the switch. 

The swap will take effect on ships operating in North America in summer 2025, presumably as Pepsi supplies run out onboard the line’s ships. Vessels based in Europe will make the switch as they are seasonally repositioned to North American ports.

Guests sailing on all Carnival Cruise Line ships are allowed to carry aboard an unopened 12-pack of cans containing their favorite beverage, so Pepsi lovers can still get their fix.

However, there are other brands besides Coca-Cola that Carnival ships stock, including Sprite, Fanta, and Powerade, among others.

Honduras Appears to Go on Offensive Against Measles

It appears as though Honduras might require proof of a measles vaccine or a negative measles test before tourists are allowed to enter the country, including those arriving by cruise ship.

However, it is not clear that cruise guests will be included in the new rules, which were disclosed by the US Embassy in Honduras on June 28, 2025.

Cruise ships calling at Honduras visit Roatan, an island off the coast, so it is possible that passengers could be exempt from the measles regulations.

John Heald, brand ambassador for Carnival Cruise Line, posted on his popular Facebook page that, so far, there is no measles vaccine or test requirement for cruise passengers. As with other rules subject to change, cruise lines will issue alerts or notifications to guests if there is any change.

An abrupt revision of entry rules, especially one that would require cruise guests to provide medical proof of a vaccine or test results, could be enough to prompt cruise lines to alter itineraries and avoid a destination, at least temporarily. So stay tuned.

Guests Suing P&O Cruises Over Stomach Bugs

A large group of former passengers who sailed aboard a P&O Cruises ship is suing the cruise line’s parent company, Carnival UK, after viral stomach bugs impacted their vacations.

The illnesses all happened onboard the 3,200-guest Ventura, a Grand-class ship that entered service in 2008 and is homeported at Southampton, UK. 

One British family, who sailed on a Spain and France cruise in May 2025, said their trip was ruined when all three members became ill.

Another British couple, who sailed to the Canary Islands in May 2025, were so ill with severe vomiting, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms that they never left the ship at all. The law firm Irwin Mitchell is representing the former guests.

Another firm, Hudgell Solicitors, is suing on behalf of 115 people who sailed on the ship in spring 2024, all of whom suffered from a stomach bug. All of the court cases are pending. 

Ventura is not the only P&O Cruises’ ship that has had viral outbreaks. The 5,000-guest Iona experienced a viral event that affected about 50 passengers and crew members in February 2025.

Cruise Line Reveals Prices For Beach Club in Bahamas

Royal Caribbean will soon open its much-anticipated Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, just offshore from Nassau, Bahamas, and has revealed what it will cost guests to spend the day there.

While prices will fluctuate based on the date of a ship’s visit and other factors, the base rates disclosed by the line include an all-inclusive option at $169.99 per person. That rate is for adults 21 and older, and covers a day pass with unlimited specialty dining and all beverages.

Those who choose a day pass with only non-alcoholic beverages and no specialty dining will pay $129.99 for guests 13 and up, and $109.99 for kids 4 to 12. Children age 3 and younger pay no fee. (The beach club will have three complimentary dining venues.)

Day passes include the use of a lounge chair, umbrella, towel, locker, WiFi access, and ferry transfers to and from the island. Guests looking for a luxury experience can rent private cabanas, some of which come with a water slide and dedicated staff.

Day passes at Royal Beach Club can be packaged with admission to up-charge areas at Perfect Day at CocoCay, another private destination. A package deal can be a money-saver for guests looking to experience the highlights of both areas.

The new club on Paradise Island is set to open in December 2025.

Cruise Line Details Payment Plan For New Greek Tax

With six ships scheduled to make port calls at Greek islands in summer 2025, MSC Cruises is reminding booked guests that the country is implementing a new tourism tax on cruise arrivals.

The tax takes effect on July 21, 2025 and is expected to raise about $60 million (USD) each year for port infrastructure and over-tourism mitigation.

MSC Cruises has notified guests that the new tax will be paid by the cruise line and then charged to each cruiser’s onboard account. Any passenger who does not debark the ship in a Greek port will have the charge automatically refunded.

During peak season, June 1 to September 30, the per person tax for those going ashore in Santorini or Mykonos will be €20 ($23.61 USD). Less popular ports will carry a tax of €5 ($5.90 USD).

The tax amount drops in the shoulder season, to €12 ($14.17 USD) per person to visit Mykonos and Santorini and €3 ($3.54 USD) at other ports. In winter, the off season, the tax is further lowered to €4 ($4.72 USD) in Mykonos and Santorini, and  €1 ($1.18 USD) elsewhere.

MSC Cruises’ ships sailing in the Greek Islands during summer 2025 include MSC Armonia, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Lirica, MSC Opera, MSC Fantasia, and MSC Divina.

Carnival Guests Cry Foul at Cost of Floatation Device

It could be argued that there are few activities as relaxing as floating with a foam noodle in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. But that simple enjoyment carried a price tag of $19.99 for the use of a noodle at Celebration Key, Carnival Cruise Line’s new private destination set to open on July 19, 2025.

Guests are already balking at the price, considering that a foam noodle typically costs $2, maybe $3 apiece at local and national retailers. So Carnival Cruise Line has lowered the fee by nearly half — to $10.99. That’s just for using the noodle for a day; guests do not get to keep the floatation device.

Some cruisers took to social media to criticize the cost, with one saying that the cruise line had lost its mind. Others vowed to bring along their own noodle. (They can be smooshed fairly easily into a suitcase.)

But will that be allowed? The cruise line has a list of items banned from the onboard pool areas, including floatation devices, which would seem to include noodles. However, they are not specifically prohibited from being used at ports of call.

Expect to hear more about this issue once Celebration Key opens up.

More Cruise Headlines

Get even more cruise coverage from Cruise Hive with stories about Royal Caribbean promoting the concept of cruise-ship-based astrocartography; Holland America Line planning a special sailing to mark the 250th birthday of the US; and cruise ships steering clear of a hurricane in the Pacific.

Also, some cruisers giving a thumbs-down to pet-friendly voyages, and a little girl and her father making headlines after a mishap on a Disney Cruise Line ship.

Cruise News Update: Insane Prices, Glass Shatters, Drinks, and More!