Iglu Cruise News - September 2025
The glorious summer sun is starting to set earlier and earlier each day, and the temperature is dropping to the point where we're grabbing our sweaters before our shorts; if there was ever a good time to embark on an exciting cruise somewhere sunny, now is the time! But, before you pack your bags, another edition of Iglu Cruise News is here. Below, we have a run-through of this month's biggest cruise industry news and an update on what the Iglu Cruise creative team has been working on over the last few weeks.
So, keep reading to find out more!
A monthly roundup of the biggest cruise news
Celebrity Cruises reveals river ships and details inaugural season
If you were unsure whether Celebrity Cruises’ new river cruises were something to get excited about, it’s safe to say that there’s a lot to look forward to from this innovative new river cruise experience.
Following the interesting announcement that Celebrity Cruises was entering the river cruising industry, the cruise line has now detailed the first ships in its river cruising fleet, and confirmed where in the world those ships will sail first.
Set to sail in 2027, Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker are stylish sister ships that bring Celebrity Cruises’ impressive onboard experience to some of the world’s most iconic rivers. Starting with a selection of itineraries along the Danube and Rhine, this pair of innovative river cruise ships draws on Celebrity Cruises’ Edge-class designs and elevated travel technology to deliver cutting-edge cruise experiences.
Images of Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Compass
Onboard, you’ll encounter multiple dining options, with evolving menus inspired by the region around you, ensuring you’re always enjoying something delicious. You’ll also find several stylish lounge spaces onboard, accompanied by multiple bars, an aft-facing infinity-edge pool, and engaging entertainment that aims to enhance your entire experience further. All the staterooms available onboard, whether River View or Suite, boast fantastic amenities and an elegant, timeless style. While the first batch of sailings sold out in mere minutes, evidence of just how incredible this experience looks, there’s always more to look forward to.
If you’re familiar with Celebrity Cruises’ state-of-the-art ocean-bound cruise ships, you’ll recognise favourites like Martini Bar and Cafe Al Bacio on its river cruise ships; however, these venues have been redesigned to complement the new venues onboard Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker, ensuring the experience is fresh for everyone.
Oceania Cruises confirms improved inclusions for upcoming cruises
Oceania Cruises’ already-impressive Your World Included programme is getting better, with new inclusions to feature on any bookings made on or after September 17, 2025.
Adding to everything already available with Your World Included, Oceania Cruises’ guests will now be able to choose from one of two additional amenities: an extra shore excursion credit or complimentary wine and beer during lunch and dinner. This allows everyone to further customise their cruise experience with Oceania Cruises, selecting an additional inclusion that best suits their travel style.
Specifically, the shore excursion credit available varies depending on the length of your voyage and is offered on a per stateroom basis. On cruises up to 9 days in length, you’ll enjoy an additional $400 Shore Excursion Credit. This increases incrementally to $1,200 Shore Excursion Credit for sailings longer than 26 days. The complimentary drinks include a variety of beers and wines by the glass, though they are only available as part of Your World Included during the set lunch and dinner hours onboard.
Your World Included also includes the following:
- Dining in gourmet specialty restaurants
- Shipboard tips
- Unlimited Wi-Fi, powered by Starlink
- Soft drinks, including specialty coffees, bottled water, juices, and smoothies
- Homemade gelatos and gourmet ice creams
- Launderette services, with additional laundry services for Concierge and Suite levels
Virgin Voyages debuts new cruise fares, offering even more flexibility
Embarking on an adventure with Virgin Voyages just got a whole lot easier, thanks to the cruise line’s new VoyageFair Choices cruise fare programme, which is set to go into effect from October 7, 2025.
Introducing an entirely new cruise fare structure to Virgin Voyages’ Sea Terrace staterooms – meaning all the RockStar and Mega RockStar Quarters available at the moment will remain available using the current (or prior) cruise fare structure – VoyageFair Choices aims to give cruisers even more choice when it comes to booking the Virgin Voyages experience they’re after, while also making the cruise fares available with Virgin Voyages more comparable to other cruise lines – highlighting their value further.
As such, the new VoyageFair Choices cruise fares being introduced are as follows:
- Base Tier - this option boasts the best value, including a new Basic Wi-Fi tier for one device per guest, but is non-refundable
- Essential Tier - this cruise fare is the most similar to Virgin Voyages’ previous cruise fare, offering Classic Wi-Fi for one device per guest alongside additional services like name and date change privileges, a 45-day dining reservation window, and more
- Premium Tier - the Premium Tier gives Sea Terrace staterooms the opportunity to enjoy a 60-day dining reservation window, Premium Wi-Fi for two devices per guest, an included Bar Tab of varying value, and exclusive pre-booking support
With the existing stateroom amenities and general inclusions remaining essentially unchanged for now, with the exception that tips are now not included in Virgin Voyages’ fares (though, there shouldn’t be too much variation with the total price of your cruise), this is an excellent way for travellers to further customise their experience with Virgin Voyages, while still indulging in the fantastic onboard experience and incredible adventures each cruise on this cruise line’s stylish ships offers.
AmaWaterways and Riviera Travel reveal exciting expansion plans
Popular river cruise line AmaWaterways has confirmed its plans to expand its already impressive fleet with eight new river cruise ships by 2030, an expansion that would mean it has doubled its number of river cruise ships since 2020.
Known for offering immersive river cruise experiences and an exceptional onboard experience, this is fantastic news for travellers hoping to explore the incredible plethora of destinations only accessible by Europe’s rivers (when it comes to cruising, anyway). While the details on what these ships will be named, what they will look like, and where AmaWaterways will be travelling to with them are light, you can rest assured knowing the same sensational experience will be available onboard when they make their debut in the coming years.
Similarly, Riviera Travel has announced plans to expand its current river cruise offerings with the introduction of Riviera Alba, a brand-new ship that will sail the Mekong River from 2027.
With a sensational selection of destinations and shore experiences included with Riviera Travel’s upcoming Mekong River itineraries, this expansion offers travellers another excellent opportunity to explore Southeast Asia in complete comfort – that comfort being provided by Riviera Alba and Riviera Travel’s incredible crew.
This stylish river cruise ship boasts stunning panoramic views, restaurant menus featuring authentic regional cuisines, a sun deck with a swimming pool, and bright staterooms with modern amenities. This river cruise ship also features a small spa area and a cosy 24-hour cafe with a library space, ensuring every type of traveller has something to look forward to when exploring Vietnam, Cambodia, and more.
When it comes to cruise-related news, that’s far from everything September has to offer; here are a few other highlights…
- Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady and Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas both embarked on their maiden season recently, with the former sailing from New York to Bermuda and the latter sailing from Port Canaveral to several destinations in the Caribbean
- Brazil’s Ministry of Ports and Airports is set to introduce facial recognition technology ahead of the 2026-27 cruise season in an effort to cut down on embarkation times at Brazilian ports drastically; this should reduce wait times and improve security when visiting Brazil in the coming years
- An impressive new cruise terminal has been opened in Mumbai with dedicated pier space for up to five ships at once; among the largest in the country, it reportedly has a daily capacity of up to 15,000 passengers, something that should make travelling to India via cruise even easier in the future
- Both Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean are set to introduce a nominal ‘no-show’ fee for guests who miss their reservations for specialty restaurants onboard during their cruises; this is dynamic, with more exclusive dining venues having a higher ‘no-show’ fee than others, but the aim is to make these exclusive, limited-seating venues more accessible moving forward
- Carnival Cruise Line introduces new non-alcoholic drinks package across fleet, with a variety of premium non-alcoholic beverages available – including Coca Cola products, bottled water, premium coffees, alcohol-free beers, smoothies, and more
Our top blog posts in September
The cruise lines aren’t the only ones who have been busy this month; Iglu Cruise’s creative team has shared a whole host of incredible blogs for you to read throughout September.
If you’re looking for some destination recommendations supported by facts and figures, the following data-led blogs are the perfect resource for planning your next getaway:
- Top Cities in Europe for the Perfect Proposal
- Fall-ing for Cruises: Five Reasons to Sail This Autumn
- Top 5 Spooky Season Destinations for 2025
We also have a guide to the top travel destinations for September sun, for those of you who want to make sure you’re soaking up some sunshine this time next year, right here.
Beyond this, you can find out more about Carnival Cruise Line’s upcoming loyalty programme changes with our quick guide to Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Rewards, and all the details about Royal Caribbean’s next wave of amplification enhancements in Royal Amplified 2026 - everything you need to know. With a host of new venues and incredible improvements coming to Harmony of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, and Ovation of the Seas, there’s a lot to look forward to next year. You can also read about Chelsea's experience aboard Explora I here; with a toddler, this offers invaluable insight into what luxury cruising with children is like.
Book your next unforgettable adventure with Iglu Cruise today!
And, just as quickly as it arrived, another iteration of Iglu Cruise News is complete.
Cruise talk doesn’t stop there, though; if you’re looking for another adventure somewhere exciting, you’re in the right place. Iglu Cruise is home to an incredible selection of cruise deals for you to take advantage of, from all-inclusive adventures and unforgettable solo getaways to fun family cruises and more. Our cruise deals also extend to sensational luxury cruises, all of which offer an experience unlike anything else, taking you to some of the most stunning places in the world.
For even more inspiration and information, though, here are a few more blogs from the Iglu Cruise team you may have missed: