Cruise & Ferry

Cruise ship passengers displaced, flights grounded over Tsunami warnings

Published

5 days ago

July 31, 2025

Tsunami warnings across the Pacific have upended cruise ship operations in multiple countries.

It triggered the relocation of cruise ships and other vessels to deeper waters from Hawaii, Alaska and the US West Coast.

In some cases, such as in Hawaii, guests on shore trips were unable to get back to the ship in time.

This included the NCL’s Pride of America forced to leave Hilo, Hawaii two hours earlier than scheduled ‘in response to local emergency procedures and to prioritize the safety of our guests and crew.’

Norwegian Cruise Line said guests left on land were advised to ‘seek higher ground and follow instructions from local authorities.’

“As a precaution and due to the temporary port closure, Pride of America has remained at sea, a safer location in situations such as this,” the representative said.

Tsunami evacuation procedures were also in place in Japan and California.

NCL said affected ports will now be gradually reopening as the risk of tsunami is over.

Some flights were diverted away from Hawaii.

In Japan ferries and trains in some regions were cancelled.

Ferries connecting Hokkaido and Aomori on the northern tip of Japan’s Honshu island were suspended, as well as those connecting Tokyo and nearby islands.

Flights at Sendai Airport were cancelled while there were dozens of flight delays at airports in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.

Luxury Cruise Fleet Average Age: 12 Year Old Ships – Cruise Industry News

Published

4 hours ago

August 5, 2025

the Editor

Data from the latest edition of the Luxury Market Report by Cruise Industry News shows that a luxury cruise ship has an average age of roughly 12 years in 2025.

After undergoing significant expansion in the past ten years, the luxury market saw newbuild after newbuild enter service over the last decade, led by aggressive growth from Viking, Ponant and others.

Ritz-Carlton, Swan Hellenic, Emerald and Explora are among the brands with the youngest fleets in 2025.

They also represent the newest brands, having all launched service with new vessels after 2020.

Brands such as Ponant, Silversea, Regent, Viking and Hapag-Lloyd have average fleet ages falling between ten and 15 years.

Among the brands owned by major public cruise corporations, Seabourn has the youngest fleet, with ships that are nine years old on average in 2025.

Silversea comes in second with an 11-year average fleet age, followed by Hapag-Lloyd with a 13-year average and Regent Seven Seas with a 14-year average.

Brands including SeaDream, Crystal, Paul Gauguin and Windstar have some of the oldest fleets in the market.

While extensively refurbished over the years, SeaDream’s yachts are among the oldest ships in the market, with a median age of 40 years in 2025.

Fresh from a major drydock in Singapore, Paul Gauguin’s sole ship, the Paul Gauguin, is another industry veteran with a nearly 30-year sailing career.

Amidst a rejuvenation project that includes the debut of two newer through 2026, as well as major refurbishment projects, Windstar fleet has an average age of 28 years in 2025.

Getting ready to welcome a series of newbuilds starting in 2028, Crystal’s fleet currently has an average age of 26 years.

The Cruise Industry News’ report also shows that, with eight newbuilds scheduled to enter service for luxury brands, the market’s fleet median age is set to grow by nearly six months next year.

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