Come November 10, 2016, Disney Cruise Line will reintroduce the Disney Wonder to the fleet with new improvements, and we’ll be onboard to share them all with you. Until then, let’s take a look at what work has been done to the ship before her next grand unveiling.Gene Sloan at USA Today got a sneak peek at the ship being remodeled during its extensive September 9 to October 23 dry-dock in Cadiz, Spain, showing a little of what went on to soon bring new venues to life. Most significantly, the kids facilities, one of the three main dining rooms and adults-only spaces were retooled.“Frozen” will be integrated into Disney’s Oceaneer Club for ages 3 to 12 and open to all ages during select open house hours to check out. The new Frozen Adventures space we now know will feature Wandering Oaken’s, the trading post from the amusing character known for his signature “woo hoo” call.

Just weeks after speculating that a zip-line roller coaster type of attraction might at some point make its way aboard a cruise ship, Walltopia, a climbing wall manufacturer, has actually modeled what its Rollglider product, called a “safe proximity flight,” would look like onboard.The company has even produced a fully rendered video, embedded below, showcasing what its zip-line roller coaster hybrid product might look like installed on one of Royal Caribbean International’s Sovereign-class vessels like the Majesty of the Seas. While it doesn’t actually show it running, it does give you a sense for how such an attraction would scale and potentially traverse high above and out beyond the upper decks of a relatively small ship.In reality, the Rollglider would probably be better suited to a larger cruise ship like Royal Caribbean’s own Harmony of the Seas, the biggest one in the world currently, where it could really sprawl a much longer distance. The pairing of the video-rendered attraction with a ropes course even suggests it could be well suited to Carnival Cruise Line or Norwegian Cruise Line which already have such structures perched on their decks.

The three largest cruise ships in the world have ‘met’ for the first time in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Royal Caribbean International's Oasis-class ships, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and the new Harmony of the Seas appeared together to mark the latter’s arrival at her new permanent home at Port Everglades.All three feature seven themed ‘neighborhoods’, a Central Park with nearly 12,000 plants and trees, FlowRider surf simulators, an 82-foot zip wire, luxurious multi-level loft suites with floor-to-ceiling windows, an outdoor ‘aqua theatre’ that hosts high-diving, aquatic and acrobatic performances, and a Boardwalk with a hand-carved carousel. Until recently Oasis of the Seas, which sailed in 2009, and Allure of the Seas, which followed in 2010, had held the record as the largest cruise ships in the world.

Disney Cruise Line was named recently named the Top Mega-Ship Cruise Line and Top Mega-Ship Cruise Line for Families by Travel + Leisure readers in the magazine’s World’s Best Awards 2014.

Carnival is going bigger and better. The world's largest cruise line has just announced it's building two new 180,000 gross registered ton ships that will be the largest in its massive fleet.

The ships will also be Carnival's first powered by liquefied natural gas — a decidedly green development by the Carnival Corp., which runs 48 percent of the world's cruise ships.

Carnival Cruise Line is scheduled to take delivery of the two new family-friendly ships, which are now under construction at Turku shipyard in Finland, in 2020 and 2022.

Carnival, which continues to grow by leaps and bounds, has a dozen ships its current fleet that were constructed in Finland, including its eight Fantasy-class ships and four Spirit-class ships. Its next ship, Carnival Horizon, is set for delivery in 2018. 

“This new ship order signifies an extraordinarily exciting future for Carnival Cruise Line and the opportunities that lie ahead to introduce a variety of magnificent new features and innovations to further enhance our outstanding guest experience,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We are also thrilled to be introducing Carnival Corporation’s ‘green cruising’ design platform to North America. Both of these ships will be fully powered at sea and in port by Liquefied Natural Gas, which is the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel. These ships are being designed for maximum energy efficiency and environmental friendliness,” Duffy added.

Stayed tuned for more details, which Carnival expects to announce shortly.

Good news for residents of the greater Los Angeles area, and particularly for those who have always wanted to cruise to Alaska with the least amount of hassle. Starting in 2017, with a short car or train ride,  you'll be able to hop right on an Alaska-bound ship from the port of Long Beach.

Radu Ursu / Courtesy of Carnival Cruise LineCruise out of Long Beach to Alaska on a special sailing on Carnival Miracle on Sept. 2, 2017.

Carnival Cruise Line is offering a 14-day round-trip Alaskan adventure aboard Carnival Miracle departing Long Beach on Sept. 2 and returning Sept. 16, 2017. The cruise will show off Alaska's majestic landscape as it sails through Glacier Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and visits Icy Strait Point, an unspoiled wilderness area offering some of the best whale and bear watching in the state and the world’s longest zipline.

It's a not-to-miss experience that will stop at Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau and Sitka, as well as Vancouver, British Columbia — destinations rich in history and culture as well as lots of diversions from bicycling and hiking to just milling around the towns. Shore excursions, which cost extra, will feature helicopter flightseeing and rainforest canopy tours as well as hiking, canoeing and kayaking expeditions, and alpine lake snorkeling (bring a wetsuit).

Carnival Legend will also offer 38 seven- and eight-day Alaska voyages in 2017 and 2018, including seven weeklong Glacier Bay cruises next year — the most voyages by Carnival to this region, which features majestic glaciers and other ice formations and is home to numerous whales, bears and other wildlife. The seven- and eight-day voyages operate either round-trip from Seattle or from Vancouver to Seattle, visiting a variety of stunning ports, including Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria, BC, plus a full-day cruising Tracy Arm Fjord or Glacier Bay.

Both gigantic Carnival Miracle and Carnival Legend provide scads of dining and entertainment choices from the upscale American steakhouse serving U.S.D.A. prime aged beef and other gourmet cuisine and the Caribbean-inspired RedFrog Pub. Carnival caters to kids, who will love the Alaska adventure, with waterslides and supervised programs for three age groups and the popular Seuss at Sea program with fun activities like the Seuss-a-palooza parade, story time and more.

Earlier this year Norwegian Cruise Line revealed details on their new Western Caribbean destination Harvest Caye, Belize. The resort style port of call is set to open in November this year.

For a closer look at what Norwegian Cruise Line has planned for guests sailing on Western Caribbean cruises from mid-November onwards, visit our post: Harvest Caye… paradise by Norwegian Cruise Line.

International Environments Ltd., the company which was hired to conduct a socio-economic and environment impact assessment, is providing the architectural and engineering services for the $50 million project. This includes taking designs to 100% completion, project administration and construction supervision.

We’ve all been there.

The trip is all set, but things aren’t fitting together quite as smoothly as one might like. Between this, that and the other thing with connecting flights, drive time to and from the airport and all sorts of life’s little hurdles, you’re left with hours — sometimes a full day — between getting to Florida and the departure time for that dream cruise. 

Don’t stress out or hole up in a boring hotel room. Instead, enjoy the best of what Cape Canaveral and the surrounding area has to offer. This is vacation! You’re supposed to have fun! Start now and do it in style.

After more than 18 months of hype and teaser photos and an inaugural positioning cruise, the Carnival Vista began a summer of European cruising with a 10-day tour beginning in Barcelona and ending in Spain.

One of the signature strengths of Carnival Cruise Line is its entertainment programs and Camp Oceans kids day camps, the best among family-oriented cruise lines in my humble opinion. The former specifically shines during sea days when boredom is near impossible with activities launching at least every half hour.

So my son and I wondered what would fill our time during the nine port days, an oddity for those used to the Caribbean sailings of the cruise line. Yes, we’d explore shore excursions in some and wander on our own in other ports. But the activities schedule is streamlined by about 80 percent during port days, so what would fill our time?

Disney Cruise Lines will add two new cruise ships to its fleet.

Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger made the announcement at today's annual shareholder meeting.

The company has entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. The schedule calls for the new ships to be completed in 2021 and 2023.

Disney Cruise Line already has four ships. The Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder are 85,000-ton 877-stateroom ships, and the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy are 130,000-ton 1,250-stateroom ships.

The secret's out that value-packed cruises make for great family getaways, what with fun-for-everyone, multigenerational appeal at every port, and via the plentiful activities, entertainment, and dining options on board.

Now, cruise lines are upping the ante on their accommodations, too, in response to the ever-rising demand of multigenerational family travelers.

These days, you can choose from a wide selection of suites and connecting staterooms that are specifically designed to keep the whole clan connected at sea. Touting plenty of space for you to spread out in comfortable digs (with must-have features like multiple bathrooms), these 5 leading cruise lines are your best bets for finding the perfect suite for your family.

Royal Caribbean International [links go to Cruiseable's 2016 Family Cruise Guide]

Norwegian Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line

Holland America Line

Disney Cruise Line

Just when you think it's gone for good, they pull it back in.

With apologies to The Godfather's Michael Corleone (yeah, we know the quote isn't quite right), that's the story for a beloved Royal Caribbean ship that will be returning to the line's fleet this year after an eight-year absence.

The Miami-based line over the holidays confirmed that the 2,020-passenger Empress of the Seas would return to the fold to sail short cruises out of the city starting in April.

Unveiled in 1990, the 48,563-ton vessel left the Royal Caribbean fleet in early 2008 and has been sailing ever since for Spanish line Pullmantur. Pullmantur is owned by Royal Caribbean's parent company.