By
Rebecca Gibson |
The Spring/Summer 2026 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review is out now, offering exclusive insights from the leaders of cruise and ferry brands, those managing ports and destinations, and the experts who are designing, building and outfitting the vessels. Subscribe to view the digital edition or order a printed copy.
Cruise ships and ferries are increasingly plugging into the local grid and switching their engines off in ports around the world. Such innovation rarely receives the fanfare it deserves, and passengers are happily nonchalant about the absence of funnel smoke and engine noise – it simply feels normal. That quiet acceptance of a fundamental technological change captures where the passenger shipping industry finds itself in 2026. Many of the ideas CFR wrote about years ago are now operational realities. Sustainability, efficiency and digitalisation are no longer distant ambitions; they are shaping daily decisions across fleets, shipyards and supply chains.
Progress is happening on existing ships, as well as newbuilds. “We’ve continued investing to make our existing ships more efficient throughout their lifecycle,” says Beth Bodensteiner, Holland America Line president, in our keynote interview.
Bodensteiner also discusses why the brand is prioritising partnerships, decarbonisation and listening to guest feedback to drive continuous improvement across its business.
Beth Bodensteiner, president of Holland America Line, says the brand is investing to improve everything from ships to private island destinations (credit: Holland America Line)
Striving for continuous improvement is a key goal for many of the cruise lines, ferry operators, ports and destinations, shipyards, interior design firms and other businesses showcased in this issue.
The cover of our new issue, for example, features AROYA, the first ship in the AROYA Cruises fleet. In February, we spoke with Lars Clasen of the brand’s owner, Cruise Saudi, for our cover story and asked him about the investments the business is making to spearhead a new era of tourism and help the kingdom achieve its aim of becoming a premier global cruise destination in the years ahead.
Saudi Arabia is not the only destination investing to enhance its position as a preferred port of call for cruise lines; multiple ports and destinations around the world are renewing their efforts to attract more visitors in 2026 and beyond. In our ‘Satisfaction guaranteed’ feature, Ioannis Bras, CEO of Five Senses Consulting & Development, and Claudine Pohl, CEO of tourism consulting firm Lemoneight, advise how these ports and destinations can maximise their performance and increase their appeal for cruise lines.
Monica Berstad, CEO of Cruise Norway, and eight ports and destinations also highlight the changes they are making to ensure cruise activity continues to surge in Norway in our ‘Exploring the land of the midnight sun’ feature.
Destinations such as Montreal in Canada are investing in various improvements to encourage more cruise calls (credit: Eva Blue – Tourism Montreal)
Cruise and ferry brands are exploring how to enhance the onboard experience too. In our ‘Crafting connection’ feature, executives from Carnival Corporation and MSC Cruises join multiple interior designers and solution providers to discuss how experiential design is helping cruise lines deliver meaningful guest journeys.
In our experiential design feature, Andrea Bartoli explains how Carnival Corporation used large digital surfaces, lighting effects and sound in Mardi Gras’ Grand Central Atrium (credit: Carnival Cruise Line)
Other notable highlights include a Cruise Business section offering interviews with leaders of Cruise Lines International Association, Quark Expeditions, Seabourn, Silversea, Tauck and other brands. There is also a Ferry Business section published in association with Interferry, which includes interviews with Canadian Ferry Association, Hornblower Group, Lagos State Waterways Authority and Viking Line.
In addition, there are features, interviews, commentaries and reports exploring the global order books, ship refurbishments, the evolution of the engine room, and more. We also profile selected companies in the Featured Partners section.
We hope you enjoy the read!