With Icon of the Seas newly having just entered service and Utopia of the Seas set for summer sailing, Royal Caribbean Group says it is already dreaming up its next vessel, which is a now a step closer with the announcement of an agreement with French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
In a signal that cruising has finally recovered, Carnival Corp. has inked its first order for a new ship since before the pandemic. The fourth Excel-Class ship for Carnival Cruise Line will be built at the Meyer Werft shipyard and be delivered in 2027. And the company confirmed rumors reported in Seatrade Cruise News they are in discussion for as many as four ships to be built by Fincantieri in Italy.
Cunard has announced the first event voyage on Queen Anne with a special British Isles Festival to coincide with her maiden voyage around the British Isles, departing May 24. The 14-night roundtrip voyage is designed to showcase the very best of Britain’s shores, taking in Cunard’s spiritual home of Liverpool and along with Belfast, the Highland cliffs, and the scenic Scottish coast.
Concerned about potential escalations to the conflict in the Middle East, Virgin has announced a major detour for the repositioning cruise of its ship, Resilient Lady, departing Australia on March 27. Leaving from Sydney, the repositioning cruise will sail around the coast of Africa.
Cruise lines are riding the crest of an enormous wave. Could it wash away your options for a cruise getaway? Carnival Corp. reports that almost two-thirds of the capacity of its fleets for 2024 is already booked, with occupancy on its ships over 100 percent.
Holland America Line had the biggest sales day in the brand’s 150-year history in January, up 18 per cent from its previous peak sales day recorded in July, 2023.
Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings ships sailed at 106 per cent of occupancy in late 2023 and advance bookings are 59 per cent higher that they were in the strong fall of 2019.
When Regent Seven Seas Cruises set out to define and deliver “the world’s most luxurious cruise” it understood the lifestyle values of the elite cruise guests it aims to cultivate. In launching Seven Seas Grandeur, RSSC – itself trademarked as ‘The World’s Most Luxurious Fleet’ – ensured its all-suite, all-balcony, all-inclusive new ship would embody the sumptuous cruise environment craved by people accustomed to splendid surrounds, service, and food.
A new cruise destination is coming into focus as Carnival Cruise Line revealed details of Celebration Key, an exclusive destination on Grand Bahama designed to offer guests “a key for unlocking their slice of paradise.” Development of the cruise attraction on the south side of Grand Bahama Island, has been underway since 2017 and is finally set to open in the summer of 2025, Carnival says.
A Carnival cruise ship on its way to Honduras diverted to rescue two men stranded in kayaks in the Gulf of Mexico. Staff on the Carnival Jubilee spotted the two men off the coast of Isla Mujeres, Mexico, and quickly responded.
Quark Expeditions has a new ship set to ply polar waters staring this fall. The 138-passenger Ocean Explorer expedition ship will set sail later this year at the start of the Antarctic 2024/2025 season.
The world’s biggest cruise ship – the size of almost four city blocks – began its maiden voyage Saturday from the Port of Miami. Royal Caribbean International’s 7,600-passenger ‘Icon of the Seas’ departed for Caribbean waters after fittingly being christened earlier in the week by the world’s biggest soccer star – Lionel Messi.
A quick pivot to replace cruises in the Middle East has opened a new opportunity for winter cruising in the Mediterranean. Windstar Cruises has received so much demand it’s decided to keep Star Legend in Europe for a second winter with more varied itineraries. It’s part of a trend that is seeing MSC Cruises operating ships year-round from Italy and Spain and a plan for AmaWaterways to start cruising as early as February on European rivers.
Six months after recording its largest booking day, Holland America Line says it surpassed that mark last week to set a new single-day sales record. The bookings on Jan. 16 topped the previous record from July 11, 2023, by 18%, making it the biggest sales day in the 150-year history of Holland America Line.
With shipping under attack in the Red Sea region, Crystal Cruises is the latest cruise line to take stock of its situation there. Citing safe passage of its cruises as being of paramount importance, the cruise line a statement on future intent.
On St. Bart’s in season, the theme is if you’ve got it flaunt it! The French Caribbean harbour is packed with imposing yachts that are the toys of people constantly looking for ways to one-up the competition. And yet all eyes are on us when the Sea Cloud Spirit gracefully sails in.
MSC Cruises says the ongoing attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea has obliged it to cancel three repositioning ‘Grand Voyage’ sailings in April from South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Europe because of the risks in the region.
Abercrombie & Kent is building a new Nile riverboat, its fifth in Egypt, which will launch in late 2025. Promising that it will be “the finest new craft on the Nile,” the tour company says the boutique boat will “herald a new golden age of river cruising in Egypt.”
Ensemble continues to extend its offerings in the luxury travel sector with the announcement of several new partnerships and programs. They include a new preferred partnership with Crystal, a strategic relationship with Tully Luxury Travel, and the launch of its second member community, Luxe Circles.
Continuing it’s ongoing expansion in the U.S., MSC Cruises has announced that Galveston, Texas will be its fourth home port in the country and will serve as the new home base for the MSC Seascape starting in November 2025.
Scrambling up the masts of one of the world’s largest sailing ships on rope ladders, crew members gingerly balance on tightrope-like lines to untie knots and let her huge sails unfurl in the wind. On deck below, a ballet begins as other sailors have to use all their weight to manually pull sail lines taut and meticulously loop miles of rope onto belaying pins. A spectacular morning has begun on Sea Cloud Spirit.
After serving up close to 20 million cruise quotes, online travel advisor marketplace CruiseCompete has released its CruiseTrends 2023 Annual Report offering an inside look at what consumers want in cruise vacations based on their requests.
Are we in the south of France – or the Caribbean? It can be deceiving on St. Martin. Navigating the steep hills and winding roads to reach secluded Grand Case Beach Club resembles driving on the Grand Corniche. The resort’s imposing entrance gate features a flagpole flying the French tri-colour, as it should on this overseas outpost of France. But there’s a second flagpole flying the stars and stripes and while the official language is French, everyone speaks perfect English.
MSC Cruises, the world’s third largest cruise brand, is shedding light on five important travel trends that are driving guest holiday decisions for 2024 and beyond. The cruise line says it has observed heightened demand for products that offer extended stays in destinations, holidays rich in cultural experiences, upgraded adventures with touches of luxury, sustained enthusiasm for Europe’s vibrant cities, and guests looking for the biggest experience-value return.
Excitement flew high on the Atlantic breeze as we stood on the top deck of Polaris, counting seconds for the meteorologist to untether the massive weather balloon. As the helium-filled bubble soared 30 kilometers into space and out of view, everyone cheered, thrilled to witness the scientific mission, synchronized with weather stations around the globe, to simultaneously launch balloons to gather crucial atmospheric data for predicting weather.
From a reimagined culinary journey with Chef’s Table and Carnival Culinary Centre curated by Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse to new online enhancements aimed at making debarkation more convenient, Carnival Cruise Line is deploying a series of new features designed to elevate the guest experience in 2024.
Cruise lines are reporting record bookings and that has them expanding their fleets with ever-larger ships. There’s a bumper crop arriving in 2024, each of which seems to offer more features than ever before. Two newcomers will be among the world’s largest, including an Iconic record-breaker with room for more than 7,000 guests.
MSC Cruises says its Yacht Club ‘ship within a ship’ concept offers an exclusive holiday sanctuary on board many of MSC Cruises’ ships, providing guests an unique cruise experience with complete serenity, added exclusivity, and privacy that is not lacking in choice.
With a host of new offerings and enhancements – and agent specialist perks – Uniworld Boutique River Cruises says it’s sailing into 2024 with high expectations and enthusiasm. Highlights will include the launch of a new ship, the SS Victoria, which will debut in Amsterdam at the start of the European river cruise season.
For the first time, luxury river cruise line AmaWaterways will begin its European river cruising season in February, with two ships on the Danube and Rhine rivers. It’s a direct response to the increased demand for new off-season travel options, but it’s only part of a significant evolution of river cruising preferences, the company that’s had record results for 2023 says.
Breaking a bottle of Champagne against the hull, getting blessings from a godmother (or godfather) and making a gala sail-away. It seems there’s a new ship getting christened every few days lately. Here’s a look at some splashy namings in the news.
Disney Cruise Line is polishing up its newest gem, the Disney treasure, which will set sail from Port Canaveral, Florida, a year from now, beginning December 2024. The ship will embark on a roster for cruises in both the Eastern and Western Caribbean.