ROME, Italy (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance will lead an American delegation to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy and attend the opening ceremony, the White House said Saturday.

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Vance will be joined by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, second lady Usha Vance, U.S. Ambassador Tilman Fertitta and a group of Olympic gold medalists, the White House said in a statement.

The Milan Cortina Games kick off on Feb. 6. The opening ceremony’s Parade of Nations will feature athletes led by the national flagbearers not only in Milan’sSan Siro stadium, which will be packed with 60,000 spectators, but also, for the first time in Olympic history, in three other locations: the mountain venues of Cortina, Predazzo and Livigno.

U.S. President Donald Trump isn’t on the list of members of the delegation.

The athletes in the Olympic delegation include Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, twin sisters who were members of the ice hockey team that won in 2018. Figure skater Evan Lysacek and Apolo Ohno, who won gold twice in short track speed skating, will also join.

On Oceania Cruises’ new flagship, the spot occupied by the library on her older sister is now The Crêperie on Deck 14, trading the quiet rustle of pages for the alluring aroma of vanilla and caramelized sugar. Celebrity Cruises’ brightest and shiniest answers with a different kind of reinvention: At the aft of Deck 5, the boundary between ship and shore dissolves entirely at The Bazaar, reshaping a once-underactivated space in ways that sensorially redefine the Edge‑class experience.

Whether discovering tasty nooks or cultural crannies, few joys rival boarding a brand‑new ship. With several fresh vessels already welcoming guests and more set to debut in 2026, a wave of new hardware beckons, promising surprises for ocean‑bound travelers drawn to uncharted pleasures. From splashy stage productions to novel dining concepts, these ships brim with reasons to climb aboard.

The new year boasts a boatload of inaugural seasons. The unusually high swell of newbuilds earning their sea legs in 2026 has industry experts projecting that between 30% and 40% of the 21.7 million Americans expected to cruise over the next 12 months will do so on debuting or recently refurbished vessels.

If you’re tempted to join these ocean‑bound early adopters, this roundup of the nautically new should easily float your boat.

Premium/Upper-premium classes

We’ll start with a deep dive into two buoyant beauties from the premium and upper‑premium classes — the middle tiers in the familiar “good‑better‑best” framework that, in cruising, typically aligns with mainstream, premium and luxury. “Typically” is the operative word as the new Caribbean‑bound flagships mentioned earlier are already nudging the definition of “best” forward.

Bridging premium and luxury in several key areas, the latest and greatest from Oceania and Celebrity showcase two distinct interpretations of modern cruising — one boutique and culinary‑driven, the other big‑ship and theatrical.

Oceania Allura — Oceania Cruises (oceaniacruises.com): While Oceania prepares to open bookings Jan. 21 for its next flagship, Sonata, arriving in August 2027, the upper-premium line is already in the spotlight thanks to the just‑out Allura — a 1,200‑guest ship that doubles down on the space and polish that define the brand. The design leans contemporary without tipping into flash: bright lounges trimmed in marble, a Grand Dining Room framed by floor‑to‑ceiling windows and a pool deck that feels more European seaside than megaship resort.

A banoffee crêpe pairs well with a flat white on the Oceania Allura. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Allura expands the line’s culinary footprint with 11 dining venues, including the new Crêperie, which replaces the library found on Vista. The concept adds French crêpes, Belgian and bubble waffles and gelato sundaes to the morning rotation, while refreshed menus at French-accented Jacques and expanded Japanese‑Peruvian dishes at Red Ginger broaden the global mix. Oceania’s hallmark 1:10 chef‑to‑guest ratio remains intact, and the Grand Dining Room’s over-the-top brunch returns with caviar, crab legs and regional specialties that shift with the itinerary, be it to the Caribbean out of Miami or the Mediterranean, for starters.

Creative and enrichment spaces give Allura a sense of purpose on sea days. The Culinary Center features 24 individual workstations for hands‑on classes, while the Artist Loft hosts rotating instructors for drawing, painting and mixed‑media workshops. Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center’s nutrition consultations add to a lineup that leans toward learning and immersion. On port days, small-group outings led by onboard chefs — called Culinary Discovery Tours — involve market visits, vineyard tastings and regional cooking classes that tie directly back to the ship’s culinary program.

Evenings onboard stay intentionally low‑key, with polished lounges, well‑paced entertainment and a bar program built around classics rather than theatrics. It’s a ship designed for travelers who want their days ashore rich and their nights onboard unhurried.

“Oceania Allura is our most innovative and luxurious ship to date,” said Jason Montague, chief luxury officer of Oceania Cruises at the recent christening ceremony in Miami. “She represents our bold vision for an entirely new generation of luxury travel experiences.”

Guests soak in the hot tub overlooking Xcel’s Pool Club. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Celebrity Xcel – Celebrity Cruises (celebritycruises.com): The most culturally expressive ship in the Edge‑series lineup is built around light, space and a deeper sense of place. Floor‑to‑ceiling windows brighten nearly every public room, and the ship’s open‑concept Grand Plaza — three soaring decks anchored by the Martini Bar — sets the tone for a design that feels both expansive and intimate. The guest capacity of 3,246 feels delightfully low considering the mind-blowing variety of venues, including nine superb specialty restaurants (love a good steakhouse at sea) and seven that are winners even without an upcharge.

The headline addition is The Bazaar, a three‑deck aft space inspired by ports on the itinerary. It’s a high‑energy, high‑design venue that replaces Eden on her sister ships, trading ethereal performance art for something more grounded in local culture — indigenous menus, steel‑pan bands, Carnival‑style dancers and goods by local artisans that bring the shore aboard.

Cultural delights await guests at The Bazaar on Xcel. (Photo by David Dickstein)

“The Bazaar is a transformative space that literally changes daily to immerse guests in the destinations they visit longer than their stay in port by bringing them onboard so guests can continue to enjoy the sights, sounds and flavors of that destination even after we set sail,” said Celebrity President Laura Hodges Bethge following Xcel’s christening in Fort Lauderdale. “This is just one example of how we’re elevating what’s possible at sea.”

Life is a cabaret at The Club on Celebrity Xcel. (Photo by David Dickstein)

The fifth ship in Celebrity’s popular Edge series offers several more new spaces and experiences, from an elevated Pool Club with valet service and private cabanas to the Attic at The Club, a late‑night lounge with a playful, adults‑only vibe. The Xcel even has Galaga, the star-fighting, fixed-shooter game that took countless quarters from this arcade lover back in the early ‘80s. What a blast, literally.

The Retreat Pool on Celebrity Xcel offers in-water lounging. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Suites face the sea with beds angled toward the horizon, and the ship’s tri‑fuel‑capable engine marks a step toward cleaner operations. Whether she’s sailing the Caribbean or shifting to Europe and North Africa, Xcel feels like a ship designed to meet travelers where they are now — seeking culture, connection and a little spectacle along the way.

Rounding out the premium and upper-premium picture:

Star Seeker and Star Explorer — Windstar Cruises (windstarcruises.com): With the 224‑guest Star Seeker recently christened, next December it’s Star Explorer’s turn. Both all‑suite yachts introduce a sleeker, more contemporary edge, with nearly every cabin offering a private veranda or floor‑to‑ceiling infinity window. Expanded wellness spaces and upgraded adventure amenities push the brand’s boutique style forward, as does the new “MediterrAsian” specialty restaurant, Basil + Bamboo. After debut seasons in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, the upper-premium ships will fan out to Alaska, Japan and other marquee regions.

Disney Adventure — Disney Cruise Line (disneycruise.com): Co‑captains Mickey and Minnie are looking toward a March roundtrip maiden voyage from Singapore. As Disney’s first Asia‑based ship and its largest yet, Adventure debuts with themed zones, family‑forward entertainment and the brand’s first roller coaster at sea. Designed for year‑round Southeast Asia itineraries, the 6,700‑passenger ship brings a full‑scale Disney resort experience to one of the world’s fastest‑growing cruise markets.

Viking Libra and Viking Mira — Viking Ocean Cruises (vikingcruises.com): Viking expands its upper-premium ocean fleet in 2026 with two 930‑guest sister ships that continue the line’s serene Scandinavian design and all‑veranda layout. Viking Mira debuts in June with Mediterranean sailings between Rome and Barcelona, while Viking Libra follows in December with a season of Greek Isles roundtrips from Athens.

Star Princess — Princess Cruises (princess.com): After an October maiden voyage, the newest Sphere‑class ship continues her inaugural season in the Caribbean before shifting to Alaska for the summer. The 4,300-passenger megaship features a striking outward‑facing Sphere that expands the Piazza with sweeping ocean views.

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Mainstream class

Norwegian Luna — Norwegian Cruise Line (ncl.com): Beginning in April, the second Prima‑Plus-class ship will sail from Miami to Caribbean ports including Great Stirrup Cay, where NCL will debut the nearly six‑acre Great Tides Waterpark with 19 waterslides, cliffside jumps, a dynamic river and swim‑up bars. Fleet firsts on the 3,571-guest Luna include the hybrid Aqua Slidecoaster, an expanded Vibe Beach Club and two highly anticipated shows: “Rocket Man: A Celebration of Elton John,” a hit-filled tribute to the legendary icon; and “HIKO,” a mixed-reality show that sounds like a blend of Cirque du Soleil and sci-fi. Luna’s transatlantic, 13-night maiden voyage departs Civitavecchia (Rome) on March 10.

Carnival Encounter and Carnival Adventure — Carnival Cruise Line (carnival.com): Carnival enters 2026 with two former P&O Australia ships that joined the fleet in 2025 and were updated with Carnival’s signature dining, entertainment and casual, high‑energy atmosphere. For their inaugural seasons as 2,600-guest Fun Ships, both vessels are operating short Caribbean and Bahamas cruises from Florida.

Legend of the Seas — Royal Caribbean International (royalcaribbean.com): Royal Caribbean’s third Icon‑Class ship, launches in July with a 7‑night Western Mediterranean maiden voyage in August from Barcelona. The 5,628‑guest ship delivers the line’s biggest thrills – the largest waterpark at sea, seven pools, 28 dining options and new entertainment including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

MSC World Asia — MSC Cruises (msccruises.com): Launching next December, the new 6,762-passenger flagship brings an Asia‑inspired twist to the Mediterranean with seven‑night itineraries and standout design moments, including a 39‑foot stainless‑steel dragon above the World Promenade. It blends returning favorites with fresh concepts — a record‑setting dry slide, a Pan‑Asian street‑food venue, redesigned family zones, an all‑American sports bar and the most expansive MSC Yacht Club yet.

Luxury/Ultra-luxury classes

Seven Seas Prestige — Regent Seven Seas Cruises (rssc.com): Arriving in late 2026, Regent’s first Prestige‑Class ship carries 822 guests with one of the highest space ratios at sea. The design leans grand and architectural, debuting such new venues as the Starlight Atrium and Galileo’s Bar alongside refreshed takes on Regent’s signature restaurants. With expanded suite categories and next‑generation environmental tech, Prestige marks the ultra-luxury line’s first new class in 10 years.

Explora III — Explora Journeys (explorajourneys.com): The newbuild debuts in August, carrying about 922 guests in all‑suite accommodations and introducing the line’s first LNG‑powered design. She extends the brand’s focus on space, calm and oceanfront living with multiple pools, six restaurants and a wellness program shaped around relaxed, resort‑style sailing.

By KATIE WORKMAN, Associated Press

You have to become a little crafty at this time of year about getting vegetables onto the table in ways that still feel interesting. In many places, the cold has settled in, farmers’ market offerings have thinned out, and we’re left with the hardiest of fruits and vegetables.

Root vegetables are the stars now, but they do benefit from a bit of inspiration when figuring out how to use them.

Enter soup. Even the most stoic vegetables can be coaxed into something soft, sweet and yielding. In this Creamy Rutabaga, Parsnip and Cheddar Soup, they’re simmered until ready to be puréed into a smooth potage that warms the soul and happily anchors a meal.

A recipe for a creamy rutabaga, parsnip and cheddar soup is displayed in New York on Aug. 31, 2018. (Cheyenne M. Cohen via AP)

This is the kind of soup you can’t stop spooning up, full of earthy flavor from rutabagas and parsnips — the kind of vegetables that linger in the produce drawer, quietly daring us to figure out their fate. But if you ignore them long enough… well, then the rutabaga wins.

Not this time. And yes, I see you too, parsnips.

The color of the cheddar cheese — white, yellow or deep orange — will affect the hue of the soup. There’s no right or wrong, just something to keep in mind. The parsley is optional, and the sour cream adds a lovely creaminess, but it shouldn’t be a deal breaker. This soup is forgiving, flexible and very much on your side.

If you have an immersion blender you can puree the soup right in the pot, which saves time, skips having to pull out the blender or food processor, and eliminates the need to transfer hot contents back and forth.

This could certainly be a first course, but it’s substantial and comforting enough to be the main event, especially when paired with a crisp green salad.

Rutabagas 101

First, some tips on choosing, storing and cooking the rutabagas:

Pick rutabagas that feel heavy for their size with firm, smooth skin.
Medium-size rutabagas tend to be sweeter and less woody.
A food-grade waxy coating is normal, often added to rutabagas to extend their shelf life. Just peel it off before cooking.
Store unpeeled, unwashed rutabagas in the refrigerator crisper. They’ll keep well for several weeks.
If greens are attached, remove them before storing.

And prepping rutabagas:

Trim the ends, then peel with a sharp knife or sturdy vegetable peeler.
Cut into evenly sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.
Rutabagas take a bit longer than potatoes to cook, but they soften beautifully.

Creamy Rutabaga, Parsnip and Cheddar Soup

Serves 6

A recipe for a creamy rutabaga, parsnip and cheddar soup is displayed in New York on Aug. 31, 2018. (Cheyenne M. Cohen via AP)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped onion

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 large rutabagas, peeled and diced

2 parsnips, peeled and sliced

5 cups less-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon pureed chipotles in adobo

1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

To serve (optional):

Chopped parsley

Sour cream or crème fraiche

Directions

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and the celery and sauté for about 4 minutes, until tender. Add the rutabagas and parsnips and stir, then pour in the broth, raise the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

2. Use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables right in the pot, or carefully transfer the vegetables and some of the liquid in batches to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, if needed, and over low heat stir in the chipotles in adobo and sprinkle in the cheese slowly, stirring as you do, until the cheese is melted. Add the sour cream and heat until heated through. Serve hot, with chopped parsley and a bloop of sour cream or crème fraiche if desired.

Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at https://themom100.com/. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.

By BRIAN MELLEY

LONDON (AP) — The third and final round in Prince Harry ‘s battle with the British tabloids began Monday with his lawyer alleging that the Daily Mail and its sister Sunday newspaper engaged in a “clear, systematic and sustained use of unlawful information gathering” for two decades.

Attorney David Sherborne said a longstanding culture of hiring private investigators who practiced “dark arts” to spy on celebrities for scoops had left Harry distressed and isolated.

It was “disturbing to feel that my every move, thought or feeling was being tracked and monitored just for the Mail to make money out of it,” Harry said, according to his lawyer’s written opening statement.

The intrusions were “terrifying” for his loved ones, created a “massive strain” on his personal relationships, and the distrust and suspicion they caused left Harry “paranoid beyond belief,” Sherborne said.

Tens of millions of dollars are on the line in the privacy invasion case in which the Duke of Sussex is joined by Elton John, actors Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, and others who claim the publisher of the Mail hired private investigators to bug their cars, obtain their personal records and eavesdrop on phone calls.

Associated Newspapers Ltd. has denied the allegations, called them preposterous and said the articles in question were reported with legitimate sources that included “leaky” associates willing to dish dirt on their famous friends.

The prince vs. the publishers

The trial in London’s High Court is expected to last nine weeks and will see the return of Harry to the witness box Thursday for the second time since he made history in 2023 by becoming the first senior member of the royal family to testify in more than a century.

Harry, wearing a dark blue suit, cheerfully waved at reporters as he entered the court building via a side entrance. He took a seat in the back row of the courtroom near Hurley and Frost as John watched the proceedings online.

The case in the High Court follows two cases Harry brought against the other major tabloids that grew out of the widespread phone hacking scandal in which some journalists intercepted voicemail messages around the turn of this century.

Harry won a court judgment in 2023 that condemned the publishers of the Daily Mirror for “widespread and habitual” interception of phone messages. Last year, Rupert Murdoch’s flagship U.K. tabloid made an unprecedented apology for intruding on Harry’s life for years, and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle his privacy invasion lawsuit.

The litigation is part of Harry’s self-proclaimed mission to reform the media that he blames for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi in Paris. He also said persistent press attacks on his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, led them to leave royal life and move to the United States in 2020.

Defense says ‘leaky’ friends among sources of articles

Defense lawyer Antony White said the lawsuits were based on weak inferences by trying to connect articles to payments made to investigators.

But he said witnesses, from editors to reporters who have worked for the newspapers for decades, were “lining up” to dispute the allegations and explain their sources, which he said were often very close the subjects of the articles.

“This is in reality little more than guesswork — it involves jumping to conclusions based on insufficient evidence, or worse, artificially selecting and presenting evidence to fit the preconceived agenda,” White wrote in his opening statement. “It also ignores the fact that references in articles to a ‘friend’, or similar, as a source can be accurate.”

In addition to Harry’s social circle, royal press officers, publicists and freelance journalists and photographers were also good sources, White said.

Associated Newspapers also argues that the claims, dating as far back as 1993, were brought too late when the suits were filed in 2022. Judge Matthew Nicklin refused to throw out the cases on those grounds but will reconsider that defense after hearing the evidence.

Skeletons in the closet

Sherborne said the company’s vigorous denials, destruction of records and “masses upon masses of missing documents” had prevented the claimants from learning what the newspapers had done.

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“They swore that they were a clean ship,” Sherborne said. “Associated knew that these emphatic denials were not true. … They knew they had skeletons in their closet.”

Sherborne said his clients had not been aware they were phone hacking victims until private eye Gavin Burrows came forward in 2021 to help those he targeted.

Burrows said he “must have done hundreds of jobs” for the Mail between 2000 and 2005, Sherborne said in a previous hearing. Harry, Hurley, Frost, and John and his husband, David Furnish, were “just a small handful of my targets,” Burrows said in a statement read in court.

But Burrows has since disavowed that sworn statement and said he never worked for the Mail.

White said a substantial part of the case collapses without Burrows on the side of the claimants.

“Indeed, in the case of several of the claimants, their explanations of their ‘personal watershed moments’ show that without Mr. Burrows they would never have brought their claims,” he said.

But Sherborne, who said other witnesses have said Burrows did work for the newspapers, downplayed the investigator’s significance to his case.

“Mr Burrows is just one of a large number of private investigators Associated used and, we say, engaged in unlawful activities,” Sherborne said. “He was just the original whistleblower.”

The other claimants are anti-racism activist Doreen Lawrence and former politician Simon Hughes.