By
Rebecca Gibson |
The Autumn/Winter 2026 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review is out now.
The cover of our Autumn/Winter 2026 issue features Explora III, the first LNG-powered ship in the Explora Journeys fleet. The vessel, which is larger than its predecessors, offers expanded public spaces, enhanced accommodation and new culinary and wellness experiences. In our cover story, president Anna Nash tells us how the ship is helping Explora Journeys redefine the concept of ultra-luxury cruising.
Anna Nash, president of Explora Journeys, talks about the brand’s new ship and its aim to redefine ultra-luxury cruises in our cover story
While Explora Journeys seeks to challenge industry norms, most cruise and ferry operators aren’t looking to reinvent the sector. Instead, they’re making targeted investments and hundreds of incremental improvements to enhance the guest experience, while improving safety, reducing their environmental impact and driving growth. Carnival Corporation, for example, is refining its organisational structures and optimising existing assets to build operational resilience and position the business for long-term growth.
“If we keep doing the boring stuff better, we can understand what our strengths are, identify our weaknesses and work out how to fill these gaps,” says Josh Weinstein, the organisation’s president and CEO in our keynote interview.
Like many other cruise and ferry operators, Carnival Corporation is also taking an incremental approach to accelerating decarbonisation.
“Anything we can do to operate more thoughtfully and lower our carbon footprint goes into the mix, but our main objective is to consume fewer resources – whether that be energy, fuel, water, food, single-use plastic, or something else,” says Weinstein. “The fewer resources we use, the less waste we produce, which is better for both the planet and our bottom line.”
Carnival Corporation’s president and CEO Josh Weinstein (right) discusses exclusive destinations and much more in our keynote (Photo: Carnival Cruise Line)
As the International Maritime Organization’s 2050 net-zero emissions deadline approaches, organisations in both the cruise and ferry sectors are experimenting with battery technology, alternative fuels and various technologies to achieve this goal.
“We recognise that no single technology represents a complete decarbonisation solution for the shipping industry,” says Michele Francioni, senior vice president and chief energy transition officer at MSC Cruises, in our decarbonisation feature.
Francioni joins Heike Naigur, senior director of sustainability at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), to discuss which fuels and technologies are helping the industry reach net zero. They also explain how stakeholders across the sector are working together to make meaningful environmental progress.
Michele Francioni explains that MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys have equipped 22 of their 27 ships with shore power capabilities (Photo: MSC Group)
Naigur also leads our ‘Charting a greener course’ feature, which explores how sustainability expectations are reshaping itinerary planning and destination partnerships. It also showcases the ongoing efforts selected cruise ports are making to operate more sustainably and strengthen their appeal to eco-conscious cruise lines.
Port sustainability initiatives have become an important factor n the itinerary planning process, according to Heike Naigur of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (Photo: Norwegian Cruise Line)
Organisations across the passenger shipping supply chain are collaborating to solve other challenges too. Their aim is to support sustainable growth while ensuring passenger shipping creates lasting value for guests, communities and stakeholders. For example, Cruise Lines International Association is partnering with its cruise line members and ports to overcome issues like overtourism, says president and CEO Bud Darr in his interview. Meanwhile, ferry companies like Wightlink are working with local communities to resolve service issues and upgrade the passenger experience. Read more in our interview with Katy Taylor, chief executive of Wightlink.
Many of the executives featured in this issue believe collaboration will be key to sustainable industry growth in the years ahead.
“We have a stronger voice when we’re united,” says Mike Corrigan, CEO of Interferry, outlining how the global ferry sector can work together to drive sustainable growth in his interview in our Ferry Business section. He also reflects on the organisation’s 50th anniversary.
The Ferry Business section, which is published in association with Interferry, also features interviews with leaders at Chao Phraya Express Boat, P&O Ferries, San Francisco Bay Ferry and other ferry lines around the world.
Mike Corrigan, CEO of Interferry, reflects on the industry’s 50th anniversary and its upcoming annual conference (Photo: Interferry)
Collaboration is helping the expedition cruise sector to capitalise on new opportunities too. In our Expedition Cruise Business section, published in partnership with Expedition Cruise Network (ECN), Akvile Marozaite details how the organisation is driving the responsible growth of the expedition cruising sector.
We also have an ‘Alluring expedition itineraries’ feature, where seven expedition cruise line executives discuss the criteria shaping their deployment decisions and the destinations catching their attention. Gebhard Rainer also shares HX Expeditions’ future plans and Rémi Bouysset reveals how Oceanwide Expeditions responded to a rare hantavirus outbreak.
Expedition leaders from companies like Aranui Cruises discuss destinations such as the Austral Islands in French Polynesia in our ‘Alluring itineraries’ feature (Photo: Aranui Cruises)
You can read the full interviews and features, as well as articles exploring safety at sea, the global order books, ship refurbishments and interior design in the free digital edition. Visit the Subscribe page on our website to order a printed copy.