Eclipse Cruises, Mega-Ships, and Port Power

Today on Cruise News: Virgin Voyages is turning the total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026 into a bucket-list voyage, sending Valiant Lady and Scarlet Lady to sea with astronaut talks, a Virgin Galactic Q&A, and solar physics sessions across 15- and 12-night sailings through Iceland, the British Isles, and the Mediterranean. MSC Cruises has begun sea trials for MSC World Asia, the 333.3-meter, roughly 6,760-guest third World Class ship built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, ahead of its December 4, 2026 debut from Barcelona. And Royal Caribbean Group is stepping back from port ownership, with Global Ports Holding buying its remaining stake in Turkey's Kusadasi Cruise Port and agreeing to acquire a further 10 percent of Lisbon Cruise Port, reshaping who runs the ports behind popular itineraries.