Mooring News 10/3/2026
Good afternoon, fellow Cruise Sea-kers!
It was morning when we recorded the first edition, but apparently, we overlooked the whole “put the microphone near your face” part of broadcasting. Therefore, welcome to the Mooring Afternoon Edition.
Not only can we not make it morning, but we apparently cannot make it consistent. Rob is always busy, and I am forced to wait for his expertise to remove the bloopers, including cusswords, mispronunciations, drinking, barking dogs and whatever else happens around here.
Let’s get underway.
I know everyone is wondering about Bukangi.
Busan’s most stubborn celebrity has outsmarted rescuers again. Crews spent two hours using boats and a 164-foot net to guide the 11-and-a-half-foot shark toward open water.
The operation was stopped when the net risked becoming caught on rocks along the bottom of the canal. The net has been left in place, limiting Bukangi to a roughly 100-meter stretch leading toward the sea.
Officials hope changing tides and currents will help the shark find its own way out.
After defeating water cannons, boats and a custom-built net, Busan’s honorary ambassador appears unwilling to accept reassignment.
Next, Carnival Panorama has implemented “Ensenada: The Sequel.”
Hurricanes Polo and Rachel forced the ship to cancel Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, La Paz and Cabo San Lucas from its eight-night Mexican Riviera cruise. That left passengers with two visits to Ensenada before returning to Long Beach.
Carnival provided $300 in onboard credit per stateroom. That is not the same as receiving a cash refund, but it was offered as compensation for the heavily altered itinerary.
I happen to love Ensenada, especially the bark, bark, bark of the sea lions. I would happily arrive with fresh fish and attempt to make friends with all of them. I am sure there is an excellent ecological reason why I should not do that, but I still want to.
Virgin Voyages has also removed Cabo San Lucas from Brilliant Lady’s seven-night Mexican Riviera cruise departing Los Angeles today. Ensenada was added, along with an additional sea day, because the remaining swell made tendering in Cabo unsafe. Apparently, Ensenada saw Carnival Panorama visit twice and said, “Save some ships for the rest of us.”
Carnival has also expanded its West Coast plans.
Carnival Adventure, Carnival Legend and Carnival Spirit will operate newly released 2028–29 cruises to Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico. The ships will also offer Carnival Journeys sailings connected to Seattle, San Francisco and Long Beach.
Now for one of the juiciest industry phrases I have heard lately: “fresh wallets.” A Chron.com report examined Carnival Jubilee’s move toward more four- and five-night cruises from Galveston beginning in 2028.
The “fresh wallets” theory is that passengers board short cruises with many basics already prepaid. That may make them more willing to splurge on casinos, specialty dining, spas, shopping and arcades.
Short cruises also bring aboard a new group of passengers more frequently. They appeal to first-time cruisers, busy families and younger travelers looking for quick getaways.
In other words, we board with fresh wallets, and the ship immediately begins seasoning them.
Congratulations are also due to PortMiami, which welcomed its 10 millionth cruise passenger on Sept. 14. That established a new record for fiscal year 2026, surpassing the previous record of approximately 8.56 million passengers. As Rob and I can personally attest, all the construction and congestion can make getting in and out of PortMiami less pleasant than it could be. Nevertheless, the port continues setting records.
Finally, have you heard about China’s cruises to nowhere?
China previously tested these sailings from Shanghai and Tianjin. Officials say the results demonstrated market demand, and the average passenger was approximately eight years younger than a traditional cruise guest.
The program is now being expanded to Xiamen, (pronounced SHYAH-men); Guangzhou, (pronounced GWAHNG-joh); and Shenzhen, (pronounced SHUN-jen). The cruise lines and ships serving those three cities have not yet been announced.
These approximately three-day cruises offer the shipboard experience, entertainment and duty-free shopping without visiting a foreign port.
Honestly, I understand the appeal. Sometimes I want to bathe in the shipboard experience and enjoy the journey without worrying about the destination.
So why do we not offer regular cruises to nowhere from American ports?
The biggest obstacle is not customer demand. It is the law.
Most cruise-ship crew members are foreign nationals working under D-1 visas. Those visas are intended for crew serving aboard vessels operating internationally. A voyage that leaves an American port, enters international waters and returns without visiting foreign territory may be treated as domestic employment. International waters do not count as foreign territory.
The Passenger Vessel Services Act creates a separate restriction on foreign-flagged ships transporting passengers between American ports. Together, U.S. passenger-service, labor and immigration requirements make cruises to nowhere difficult for the foreign-flagged ships and international crews used by the major cruise lines.
The laws were intended to protect the American maritime industry and domestic jobs. Whether rules written for another era still produce the best result today is certainly worthy of discussion.
Personally, I think cruises to nowhere could provide affordable weekend getaways, easy first cruises, themed sailings and more business for American ports, hotels and transportation companies.
On the other hand, staffing costs could raise fares, maritime labor groups could oppose changes, and environmental groups might question burning fuel to go nowhere.
My verdict: It is a terrific little cruise product trapped behind a very large pile of paperwork.
This information was current when recorded, but cruise lines, ports and authorities can change course without notice. Always verify the details for your specific reservation before making changes.
Until next time, whatever shift comes my way, haze gray and underway.
Bye-bye!
SOURCES — NOT READ ALOUD
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