Viking’s newest ocean ship – the 998-guest Viking Vela – was “floated out” on Nov. 30 marking a major construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water. Scheduled to debut in December 2024, the vessel will spend her inaugural season sailing voyages in the Mediterranean and in Northern Europe.
On any evening, you can find succulent fois gras, classic Dover sole, fresh Maine lobster and Black Angus prime beef on a menu on the new Explora 1. You can head to an oyster bar, enjoy a sushi platter, or find a specialty topped with caviar, and it’s all included.
Swan Hellenic’s Antarctica 2024 season will open on Nov. 13 with a 20-night cruise on SH Diana from Cape Town to Ushuaia, exploring Tristan Da Cunha, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula. The cruise line will boast two boutique five-star ice-class ships in the polar region with journeys continuing into 2025.
Over seven years in the making, including 900 days of construction, Royal Caribbean has welcomed Icon of the Seas to its fleet in gala hand-over ceremony from Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. The ship is set to debut in Miami in January,
A new marine centre will be built by MSC Cruises on its Ocean Cay marine reserve in the Bahamas, along additional new environmental infrastructure, plus amenities for passengers, as the company continues its transformation of the site.
One of many explanations for the island of Antigua’s name is that when Christopher Columbus first saw it he commented that it was “anti-agua”– the island that has no water. That’s ironic because most of the options for shore excursions from Explora Journeys’ new Explora 1 revolve around water. This Caribbean island boasts it has 365 beaches – one for every day of the year.
This is a ship that runs on Champagne. Just kidding. But the corks keep popping from the moment you step on board Explora Journeys’ new ship Explora 1. After a smooth check-in at the Port of Miami, where attendants took care of getting our bags on the ship, we’re greeted at the gangway by smiling staff offering trays covered with flutes of complimentary Moet & Chandon Champagne and mimosas.
MSC Cruises has confirmed the order of two liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered vessels with French ship builder Chantiers de l’Atlantique. The two new ordered vessels – currently referred to as World Class 3 and 4 – will be delivered in 2026 and 2027.
Disney Cruise Line has opened a new dedicated cruise terminal in Port Everglades, Fla., marking the company’s second year-round homeport in the state and the start of the cruise line’s “largest expansion in history.” The Disney Dream will begin sailing from the Greater Fort Lauderdale-area facility on Nov. 20, to be followed by the Disney Magic on May 9, 2024.
Ultra-luxury cruise line Silversea is promising the “most diverse and immersive voyage” in its history when ‘Silver Dawn’ sets sail from Fort Lauderdale on a 140-day world cruise on Jan. 6, 2026. Dubbed ‘The Curious and the Sea,’” the cruise will visit 70 destinations in 37 countries – the most ever on a Silversea World Cruise.
The US announced a $553- million project Wednesday to build a new, deep-water shipping container terminal in the Port of Colombo, in Sri Lanka, as it competes with China in international development financing. The project, financed with private loans, is billed as providing critical infrastructure for the South Asian nation with the potential to “transform Colombo into a world-class logistics hub at the intersection of major shipping routes and emerging markets,” according to the US International Development Finance Corp.
A Saga cruise ship has docked back in the UK with a reported 100 people injured when the boat veered dramatically during a safety manoeuvre on Saturday. Passengers on the Spirit of Discovery have described a state of fear on board the cruise ship after it was hit by a storm in the Bay of Biscay. Most of the injuries were described as minor by cruise company Saga, but five people were taken to hospital when the ship docked in Portsmouth on Monday.
Princess Cruises will celebrate its 40th anniversary sailing the Mediterranean by featuring two of its newest and largest ships there in 2025 – Star Princess and Sun Princess. In total six Princess ships will offer cruise tours in the regions, with departures now on sale.
Crystal has announced its lineup of 2025 itineraries onboard Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony. Following the brand’s acquisition by the A&K Travel Group, the cruise line will offer 144 new destinations, ranging from far-flung destinations such as the Faroe Islands, to Shanghai. And cruises will be timed to match notable events like the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco and the Northern Lights in Norway.
In celebration of Veterans Day yesterday (November 05), Carnival Cruise Line welcomed approximately 200 local Miami-Dade veterans for a special military tribute event and appreciation luncheon aboard Carnival Horizon at PortMiami. Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy presented a 15-passenger van to the Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System to assist with transportation of veterans participating in its programs and services.
Everything moves more slowly in Arctic. The seasons are condensed in Canada’s far north as nature takes advantage of a few fleeting months of light and hibernates in the long dark months. There’s a timelessness to the land that has never been altered by roads or development.
MSC Cruises says it has cancelled the full winter program of MSC Orchestra that was planned in the Red Sea from Nov. 8 to April 17 because of the proximity of some of ship’s ports of call to Israel and the number of restrictions in the bordering countries that would have adversely affected the holiday experience for passengers.
“Barcelona closes port to cruise ships” – Many of the headlines on social media have been breathless. But let’s take a deeper breath. While, yes, the city pier called Muelle Barcelona Norte and another small commercial dock will no longer be available for cruise ships to book, Barcelona’s large and best-known port complex is actually going to be upgraded to accommodate extra ships.
Carnival has been ruled negligent by an Australian court for failing to cancel a cruise that led to a major COVID-19 outbreak early in the pandemic. The Ruby Princess left Sydney on March 8, 2020, with 2,671 passengers aboard for a 13-day cruise to New Zealand but returned in 11 days as Australia’s borders were closing. COVID-19 on the ship spread to 663 passengers and claimed 28 lives.
After a pandemic pause, Norwegian Cruise Line returned to Asia for the first time in three years last week as the Norwegian Jewel set sail from Tokyo to begin an extensive six-month season of voyages in the region.
Paying homage to the age of tall ships, with more than 44,000 square feet of sails that are unfurled by hand, the new 136-guest Sea Cloud Spirit combines a romantic windjammer atmosphere with the most modern comforts. The newly built three-masted ship follows the role model of her two classic wind-jammer sisters, the Sea Cloud and the Sea Cloud II while offering a generous number of cabins with balconies.
There’s a polar bear on our starboard side! The first of what would be many encounters with the Arctic’s iconic ice bears woke everyone up early on Seabourn Venture’s Northwest Passage voyage. Guests rushed to the observation decks and trained binoculars on a polar bear on the prowl, regularly raising his head to sniff the air for a potential meal.
From cancelling cruises from Ashdod and Haifa to hasty departures as bombs were falling, cruise lines have had to quickly retreat from Israel due to the sudden eruption of a devastating war. Here’s a look at what we know so far.
Are you ready for an adventure that will make history? We’re about to sail across the top of the world, to explore the fabled Northwest Passage and set foot on places few people have ever been. For decades, Canada’s high Arctic remained terra incognita, a fascinatingly dangerous obsession that drove explorers to commit to three years of hardship on wooden ships with icy decks in an environment that could break ships as well as the resolve of even the most resolute sailors.
MSC Cruises celebrated its return to Canada after four years with a series of visits by travel advisors in Saint John, NB; Charlottetown; and Halifax last week as it heads into the fall season for a series of cruises in the Maritime region on return itineraries out of New York.
Holland America Line is launching a global fresh fish program by engaging a network of 60 ports to source and serve 80 types of fresh fish in all its restaurants,– promising to go from port to plate in less than 48 hours.
It wasn’t that long ago that exploring remote areas of the globe could put you out of touch with the outside world for weeks. Until recently, cruises near either of the poles and even to lesser-populated islands were well out of contact for satellite services. Or, if available, they cost the price of a meal per minute. But all that is changing fast.
It’s life, but not as we know it. Sea angels, sea butterflies and jolly jelly fish glimmer in vivid colors all around us, even though we can see right through them. The ultimate experience on a momentous expedition across Canada’s famed Northwest Passage aboard Seabourn Venture is the unique opportunity to dive into unexplored icy water in a custom built mini-submarine.
Travellers to Greece’s popular island destinations will face disruptions on Wednesday because of a 24-hour strike by ferry crews who cite safety and labour concerns after a tardy passenger was pushed into the sea by a ferry crew member and drowned – a scandal that led to the resignation of Greece’s shipping minister on Monday.
Carnival Cruise Line is preparing to welcome its third BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster as it takes shape atop its next new ship Carnival Jubilee. The roller coaster’s 245-metre track is being installed on Deck 19 at Meyer Werft in Germany where the ship is under construction, a process expected to be complete this month with test runs are scheduled for October.