Cruise & Ferry

Royal Caribbean Ship Turns Around Back to Homeport With a Problem

Published

3 weeks ago

July 7, 2025

Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas has returned to Vancouver just two hours after setting sail, with as-yet-undisclosed technical issues having a significant impact on her current sailing.

The ship was to have departed Vancouver on Sunday, July 6, 2025 for a 7-night Inside Passage sailing in Alaska. While Serenade of the Seas did in fact leave (albeit a bit later than originally scheduled) she turned back after just two hours and as of Monday afternoon, remains in Vancouver.

Guests onboard have noted that the ship appears to be having engine difficulties and travelers are not being permitted off to explore the Canadian city. No safety systems have been impacted.

The current problems follow difficulties on the previous cruise as well, when Serenade of the Seas was forced to skip a visit to Icy Strait Point as well as a day of scenic cruising so the issues could be worked on.

During that sailing, “speed restrictions from a technical issue onboard” were cited as the difficulty, though the exact nature of the technical issue was not disclosed.

Royal Caribbean did not notify guests now onboard the ship’s July 6 departure of any anticipated itinerary changes or other adjustments to their sailing, though that now seems inevitable.

Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise (Photo Credit: Darryl Brooks)

Serenade of the Seas was to have been arriving in Sitka, Alaska for a visit from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8. Given that the ship is still docked in Vancouver, it would be all but impossible to keep that original itinerary.

Undoubtedly guests will receive updates onboard as the issue is further investigated. It is hoped the ship may be able to sail an adjusted itinerary and guests will be informed as soon as plans are confirmed.

Hopefully, the situation aboard Serenade of the Seas will not be as convoluted as what happened aboard Radiance of the Seas in 2024, with similar propulsion problems that impacted multiple cruises, including a cancelled sailing after guests had already embarked.

The two vessels are sister ships at 90,090 gross tons with a guest capacity of just over 2,450 travelers.

Stay tuned to Cruise Hive for updates as information affecting Serenade of the Seas is confirmed.

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Cruise & Ferry

FBI investigates ‘suspicious’ death on board Carnival cruise ship in Texas

Published

21 minutes ago

July 27, 2025

Zoe Hussain

Multiple federal agencies are investigating a death on board a Texas-based Carnival Dream cruise ship, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

An unidentified person died on the Galveston-based Dream on Wednesday, the FBI Houston office confirmed to the Post.

The incident is being investigated by an FBI Maritime Liaison Agent based out of the Texas City Resident Agency, the US Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection, authorities said.

An unidentified person has died on board the Carnival Dream cruise ship based in Galveston, Texas. KHOU 11

Officials haven’t said if the death appeared to be criminal in nature.

“Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, I am not able to provide additional details at this time,” a spokesperson for the FBI’s Houston office said in a statement.

Passengers aboard the ship, which travels to Costa Maya, Belize, and Cozumel, woke up to sirens around 3 a.m. on the day of the incident, News 4 San Antonio reported.

One man reportedly heard an announcement requesting medical attention on the Serenity Deck, the outlet said.

According to the FBI, multiple federal agencies are investigating the death. KHOU 11

Carnival Cruise Line has since dismissed that there is any investigation regarding a “suspicious death,” the outlet reported.

“There is no investigation about a suspicious death on Carnival Dream, and it’s disappointing to learn that any guests might be spreading rumors about something they know nothing about,” the company said in a statement to the outlet.

Carnival Cruise Line did not immediately respond to a request from The Post for comment.

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Cruise & Ferry

Death investigation underway on Carnival Dream cruise ship

Published

4 hours ago

July 27, 2025

CNN Newsource | Orko Manna, KHOU

GALVESTON, Texas — The Carnival Dream cruise ship, based out of Galveston, is currently the focus of a death investigation. However, law enforcement sources have not confirmed if the incident is criminal in nature.

A spokesperson for the FBI’s Houston office stated, “I can confirm FBI Houston is aware of an incident that occurred around July 23, 2025, on the Carnival Dream cruise ship. An FBI maritime liaison agent, based out of the Texas City resident agency, is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and the cruise line regarding this incident.”

Passengers aboard the ship, which travels to Costa Maya, Belize, and Cozumel, reported waking up to the sound of sirens around 3 or 4 a.m. on the day of the incident. One passenger, speaking off-camera, mentioned hearing an announcement requesting medical assistance at the Serenity Deck.

In response to circulating theories about the incident, Carnival Cruise Line issued a statement saying, “There is no investigation about a suspicious death on Carnival Dream and it’s disappointing to learn that any guests might be spreading rumors about something they know nothing about.”

The FBI is the primary federal agency authorized to investigate potential crimes on the high seas. Their ability to investigate depends on several factors, including the ship’s location, points of embarkation and debarkation, and the nationality of the potential suspect or victim. Additionally, other countries may also seek to investigate certain incidents.

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