September 22, 2026 – This Week in Cruising: Royal Caribbean Eyes Sandals, Whittier Loses Its New Cruise Dock, and PortMiami Shatters Its Record

Royal Caribbean Group is reportedly close to taking a majority stake in Sandals Resorts, a deal that could reshape how cruise and resort vacations connect. Add a devastating fire at Alaska’s newest cruise dock, record numbers at PortMiami, bigger private islands, and a busy deployment calendar, and there’s plenty to cover. Let’s dig in.

Royal Caribbean Group is reportedly nearing a deal for a majority stake in Sandals Resorts. According to the Financial Times, the deal values the all-inclusive operator at more than $6 billion across roughly 20 Caribbean resorts, with the Stewart family keeping equity in the business and Royal holding an option to buy the rest down the road. We think it’s a smart move. Sandals has a deep base of loyal guests who spend at levels similar to Celebrity, Silversea, and Royal Caribbean guests, and there is likely already plenty of crossover between the two audiences. It also diversifies the business, since what disrupts cruising doesn’t always disrupt resorts, and the reverse is also true. Don’t expect cruise passengers to be popping into Sandals for the day, though. The resorts aren’t built for day visitors, so the value here is more about the guest database, booking systems, and loyalty crossover. (Pinnacle and Diamond members, we are watching for perks!)

Private islands keep getting bigger. Holland America unveiled a new beach club at RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, alongside a new pier, as the island marks 30 years as a private destination. Meanwhile, Princess Cays is seeing fewer calls, and we suspect a major renovation is on the way. MSC is building a second private island from scratch, reportedly aimed largely at Yacht Club and Explora Journeys guests. Carnival Corp, Royal Caribbean Group, and NCLH are all investing heavily in their islands too. More and more, these islands are shaping which Caribbean itineraries win.

On the luxury side, Regent Seven Seas revealed another new feature for Seven Seas Prestige: Solmar Terrace, an alfresco daytime venue. Prestige will also debut upgraded menus at the new Azure restaurant and a revamped Prime 7, which will roll out fleetwide after her launch.

Some sadder news from Alaska: fire destroyed Whittier’s new cruise dock, an $80 million facility developed by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and its partners. Thankfully, no one was injured. Norwegian Jade, which was docked at the time, pulled away safely and even helped fight the fire. Reports indicate it started on a small boat tied to the dock. Affected ships are expected to use the Carnival-built dock in Whittier for now. We’ll share updates as we learn how 2027 embarkations may be affected.

A few quick hits: Zac Brown will be godfather of Margaritaville at Sea’s Beachcomber, and we think she’s shaping up to be the line’s best product yet. Carnival Freedom is getting her third funnel after losing the first to an engine fire and its replacement a few months later.

PortMiami has already passed 10 million cruise guests this year, well above its previous record of 8.5 million, with Q4 just getting started. And a reminder that Legend of the Seas will be named on Veterans Day by her godmother, retired U.S. Air Force General Lori J. Robinson. We’ll be in the AquaDome to celebrate.

Deployment watch: Celebrity’s Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Japan releases go live one week from today. Royal Caribbean’s Alaska deployment opens next week, followed by Europe (part one) in October and seven-night summer Caribbean sailings for April–October 2028 during the week of November 2, with the rest rolling out later. Last year, 100% of our guests on the deployment list got the space they wanted, so email info@harrtravel.com to be added. We’ll be up at midnight grabbing Loft suites and perfectly placed midship balconies the moment space opens.

Pricing outlook: We’re seeing fares soften for late 2026 and Q1 2027, then start climbing for Q2. Expect strong promos in the months ahead. Norwegian just added free prepaid gratuities on many sailings (Celebrity’s double points promo ended September 21).

Want to sail with us? We still have a few spots on our back-to-back hosted Legend of the Seas sailings departing November 8, 11, and 14, plus limited group-rate cabins on Ovation of the Seas to Cabo San Lucas, Celebrity Apex in the Norwegian fjords, Norwegian Encore in Alaska, Symphony of the Seas in the Caribbean, and Celebrity Silhouette round-trip from Boston to Canada and New England. See all Hosted Journeys.

Questions on any of these itineraries? Reach out to Harr Travel or book online!