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The 'Symphony of the Seas' barely passed a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sanitation inspection on Feb 9, 2025. The ship scored 86—just one point above the failing threshold—raising concerns about food safety, hygiene, and illness reporting on board. The inspection uncovered 44 violations. The issues ranged from improper food storage temperatures to serious hygiene lapses. Its most alarming findings included: - Raw eggs and hamburgers stored at unsafe temperatures; - Crew members with open wounds handling ice with their bare hands; - Gastrointestinal illnesses among children that went unreported. Royal Caribbean has yet to submit its corrective action report, a document outlining how the cruise line plans to address the CDC’s concerns.

A 38 year old crew member of the 'Excellent' was found dead on the ferry during repairs in Genova on the morning of Feb 23, 2025. The ship has been docked for some time at the Giano jetty for maintenance. The 118 rescue and the port authority intervened on site. From initial investigations, the seafarer died during the night from medical causes.

On Feb 24, 2025, climate activists attempted to block the 'Ventura' at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) to draw attention to the impact of cruise ships on the environment. The 'Ventura' was met by two sloops and several dozen climate activists on them with flags and Bengal lights. Their intention was to squeeze between the PTA quay and the cruise ship and block the ship. It didn't get that far, because the police apparently knew about it and removed three ships in the way. On the IJ, the activists made another attempt to approach the ship, but that was also in vain. The 'Ventura' was calling at Amsterdam for a cruise from Southampton and departed again on Feb 25. Report with photo: https://www.parool.nl/amsterdam/politie-grijpt-in-bij-xr-blokkade-van-cruiseschip-bij-passenger-terminal-amsterdam~b8aba30f/

A suspected norovirus outbreak has hit the 'Iona', wich is currently sailing off the coast of Belgium. It has seen a significant rise in passengers and crew members displaying symptoms such as vomiting in restaurants, on decks, and outside cabins. The ship is on a week-long Northern European cruise, visiting Hamburg, Rotterdam, and Zeebrugge. It departed from Southampton on Feb 15, 2025. Less than 1% of passengers were affected. On Feb 20, the ship's captain addressed passengers, announcing that measures were being taken to contain the outbreak and prevent its spread. Some quarantined guests complained that staff shortages had made it difficult to receive food deliveries, fresh towels, and clean bed linen.

An Indian court in the state of Odisha has released the 'Debi' after a detention of around 15 months on account of 22 kg of cocaine being discovered and for disputes arising out of payment of port fees for the vessel. The vessel had incurred around a million dollars in port fees during its detention, which had started on Nov 30, 2023. Paradip Port Authority filed an admiralty case when the owners refused to pay port fees, leading to a judge ordering the vessel to be seized. The owners reached an out-of-court settlement with Odisha's Paradip International Port for the fees. The settlement was reviewed by the admiralty judge, and the release orders were signed. The judge also ordered the owners to pay the court fees incurred by the Paradip Port authority in the litigation, amounting to around $27,000. During the detention, the 21 crew members were facing harsh conditions, as their electronics had been taken away, causing them to lose communication with their families. One of them jumped off the ship in an apparent suicide attempt, and a junior engineer was hospitalized. In Dec 2024, 11 crew members were released on the condition that nine other crew members arrive to take their place. As of Feb 25, the 'Debi' remained stationary at its mooring off Paradip in pos. 20° 13' N 086° 41' E.