Royal Caribbean Group will open an office in Cyprus which will serve as a center of its cruise activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The Marine Hotel Association’s new Culinary Advisory Council will be awarding scholarships to talented culinary professionals working aboard cruise ships in a first-of-its kind initiative. The not-for-profit MHA will host its annual Conference & Trade Show, taking place at Naples Grand Resort in Naples, Florida, April 2-4. 

CLIA strengthened its structure by appointing Sascha Gil as Vice President in charge of sustainability. The Cruise Lines International Association, which is the main voice of the cruise sector worldwide has chosen an experienced professional to further encourage environmental innovation in the sector. 

On board the AIDA fleet, a traditional raffle is held every year for a good cause on Christmas and New Year cruises. 

At the end of 2022, donations were collected in various campaigns, which will enable many children around the world to access education in the new year with AIDA Cruise & Help: 

In spite of the popularity of e-muster drills, which have been implemented as part of the COVID protocols by all major cruise lines, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has decided to go back to the old way. 

NCL also released the following operational announcement:

Celebrity Cruises' newest cruise ship Celebrity Ascent, has reached a major construction milestone at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. 

During the peak "wave" booking season, Princess Cruises is restructuring its sales team in order to meet the surge in demand. The line saw a "double-digit" increase in sales in January, according to new UK and European sales director Nick Hughes, who revealed a 47% increase in bookings on January 17 compared to the same day last year. 

In 2023, Starboard Cruise Services, the cruise retail arm of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, launched key promotions aimed at enhancing guest experiences and accelerating future growth. 

As of January 1, Lisa Kauffman has been promoted to Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, and Mike Turek to Chief Data Analytics Officer. 

Holland America Line is adding more than 140 of the newest and most popular slot and video poker machines to its Pinnacle and Signature Class ships. 

Due to engine problems, the itinerary of MSC Cruises' new ship MSC Seascape has been altered less than two months after its debut. 

The ship's original itinerary for is a seven-night Western Caribbean voyage from Miami with calls at Ocean Cay, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios. But now one of those ports-of-call has been canceled.