Cruises reroute due to Bahamas alcohol ban; virus hits luxury ship
After cruise lines and their passengers were caught off guard by a temporary ban on alcohol sales in The Bahamas on April 30, some cruise lines are taking action to avoid the next one.
The Bahamas bans alcohol sales during polling hours for its elections, including during advance polling that happened on April 30 ahead of the country's election day on May 12. That means that passengers visiting Bahamas ports on May 12 will not be able to purchase alcohol anywhere on land, including at cruise line private destinations.
After being unable to serve alcohol at its Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau on April 30, Royal Caribbean ended up providing refunds in the form of onboard credits to passengers who purchased beach club day passes including unlimited open bar.
Now, ahead of the next Bahamas alcohol sales ban on May 12, other cruise lines are making changes in order to offer passengers an experience that's more in line with their expectations. Doug Parker shared more details on how cruise lines are responding to the election day alcohol sales ban in The Bahamas, and more cruise news, on the May 6 edition of Cruise News Today.
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Carnival cruisers told to enroll in new loyalty program or lose status
Cruise News Today Transcript:
Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, here's your cruise news for Wednesday, May 6th.
Carnival Cruise Line is warning millions of loyal passengers that they could lose their cruise status if they don't take action before the company's new rewards program launches this fall.
Related: Carnival cruisers must opt in to new loyalty program to keep status
New screenshots shared to our tip line by guests show Carnival warning that VIFP benefits will only carry if passengers click enroll and accept before the new rewards program launches on September 1st. The cruise line says the requirement is tied to privacy laws and updated terms and conditions.
The new program will shift Carnival's loyalty system from cruise days sailed to a spend-based model that rewards fares, onboard purchases, excursions, and casino play - which has a lot of passengers absolutely thrilled.
Cruise lines reroute ships due to election day alcohol sales ban in The Bahamas
And cruise passengers visiting The Bahamas next week could find one major thing missing. Yeah, alcohol. The Bahamas bans alcohol sales on election day and the country's general election is set for May 12th. That means cruise guests won't be able to buy alcoholic drinks ashore, including at private destinations in The Bahamas.
Now, some cruise lines are already changing course to avoid the restriction. For instance, NCL moved a call from Great Stirrup while Carnival replaced a stop at Half Moon over to Grand Turk on one sailing.
Other private destinations like Royal Caribbean's CocoCay and Disney's two spots are still expected to operate without alcohol sales as well.
Luxury expedition cruise ship stuck at sea due to suspected hantavirus outbreak
And an expedition ship linked to a suspected hantavirus outbreak remains stranded offshore as passengers wait to disembark. Now, this is a very fluid story.
Oceanwide Expeditions says only one confirmed hantavirus case has been identified so far aboard the MV Hondius involving a passenger evacuated to South Africa in critical but stable condition. Three passengers have died during the voyage but officials say it has not yet been confirmed whether those deaths are connected to the virus.
The ship is currently off the coast of Cape Verde while authorities work with the cruise line and the World Health Organization for safe disembarkation plans.
Related: Can you bring alcohol on a cruise ship?
And cruise stocks were mixed on Tuesday. Carnival Corporation: up a half percent, 25.77. Royal Caribbean: up 2%, 263.98. Norwegian: down 1.5%, 16.94. And Viking: up 3.4%, 81.71.
If you have a lead on a story, let us know: tips@cruiseradio.net, and have yourself a great Wednesday. I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.
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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 9:50 AM.