Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has sent Europa into dry dock in Germany for a three-week overhaul in Bremerhaven that will see the ship’s machinery and equipment upgraded and reclassed. Europa arrived at the shipyard in mid-September and is being worked on by 90 subcontractors, 120 shipyard workers and 265 crew members. During the dry-dock the 24-year-old ship will also be assessed by DNV … [Read more...]

Ross Volk, Managing Director of MSC Cruises South Africa, has called for a national indaba to address the key challenges facing South Africa’s cruise industry and unlock its full economic potential.  Speaking in an interview with MoneyWeb, Volk emphasised that tourism, particularly the cruise sector, can be a significant driver of economic growth, but only if all stakeholders work … [Read more...]

Cunard Line has modified two itineraries for its World Cruises in 2026 aboard Queen Mary 2 and Queen Anne, due to the security crisis in the Red Sea, which prevents cruise lines from being able to transit the Suez Canal. The cruise line, one of nine brands under the Carnival Corporation umbrella, said the changes are being made after consulting with global security experts and government … [Read more...]

Norwegian Cruise Line has expanded its South African cruise offerings for the upcoming 2024/25 cruise season, with two ships set to sail voyages from Cape Town. The cruise line will be offering itineraries on two vessels, Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian Sky, with the latter making her South African debut in December when she sails for Mauritius. Norwegian Sky will depart December 7th, 2024 … [Read more...]

Holland America Line is celebrating the holiday season with themed Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year food and beverage menus across its fleet. Highlights include a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, “Breakfast with Santa,” Christmas Eve and Day feasts and special Hanukkah treats. “Sailing with Holland America for the holidays offers a fun and stress-free way to celebrate,” … [Read more...]

Cape Town’s cruise sector is set for major growth as the new Cruise Cape Town initiative, a public-private partnership, aims to attract more cruise lines, boost the local economy, and promote sustainable tourism. V&A Waterfront, Cape Town Westgro, Cape Town’s official tourism and marketing agency, has partnered with local businesses and other local government agencies to launch the … [Read more...]

MSC Cruises has cancelled its 24-night repositioning voyage aboard MSC Musica from Durban to Genoa, which was due to depart in April next year at the end of the upcoming 2024/25 South African cruise season. The voyage up the coast of East Africa and through the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea with a transit of the Suez Canal has been cancelled on the back of ongoing security concerns in the … [Read more...]

As the security situation in the Red Sea prompts cruise lines to rethink their routes, Africa is growing in popularity as an emerging cruise destination. Cape Town has become a safe haven for cruise lines avoiding the security crisis in the Red Sea. From MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises and Princess, to Cunard Line, Silversea and Holland America Line, more and more cruise lines are choosing to … [Read more...]

Carnival Cruise Line has unveiled food and beverage offerings at its new Caribbean destination Celebration Key in the Bahamas, which is set to open in July 2025. Celebration Key will feature more than 30 food and beverage outlets, including four full-service restaurants, a food hall, nine food trucks, five snack shacks, two counter-service kiosks and 12 bars.  Guests will also be … [Read more...]

MSC Cruises has partnered with Eataly to introduce the restaurant aboard MSC World America, its newest ship and the latest in the World-class lineup. Due to enter service in 2025, MSC World America is a sister ship to MSC World Europa, which are both the largest ships in the MSC Cruises fleet, comparable to Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class, and Carnival Cruise Line’s upcoming new 230,000 gross … [Read more...]

In a sign of the Middle East cruise sector’s ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, this coming cruise season is expected to welcome well north of 1 million cruise tourists to the Arabian Gulf, with four homeports and nine vessels cruising roundtrip during the season. AIDA Cruises at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal The upcoming 2024/25 Arabian Gulf cruise season, which runs from … [Read more...]

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced three new initiatives to improve the passenger experience on cruises to and from the emirate in the UAE during the upcoming 2024/25 cruise season. The DCT Abu Dhabi has revealed that a digital cruise guide will be made available exclusively for cruise passengers, while a new visitor information centre will also … [Read more...]

Rayna Tours, the UAE agent for Resorts World Cruises, has revealed a new Diwali deal for the upcoming cruise season, with a gram of 22 karat gold available for every cabin booked aboard Resorts World One during her debut season in the region.  Rayna Tours has also partnered with jewellery brand Tanishq for the deal, which includes a complimentary UAE visa for all Indian cruise guests … [Read more...]

Norwegian Cruise Line has opened for sale the fourth ship in its Prima Class, and revealed the name of the all-new vessel as Norwegian Luna. Norwegian Luna will be the 21st ship in the fleet, and the second of the Prima Plus class vessels, joining her sister ship Norwegian Aqua, which is due for delivery in April 2025. Norwegian Cruise Line has also opened Norwegian Luna’s inaugural … [Read more...]

Celestyal Cruises has released a series of exclusive shore excursions for its upcoming ‘Iconic Arabia’ itineraries in the 2025/26 and 2026/27 cruise seasons in the Arabian Gulf. The 3- and 4-night cruises, sailing round-trip from Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, and Doha in Qatar, are available from December 2025 through to February 2026, and December 2026 through to February 2027. The … [Read more...]

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) in Oman has signed an agreement with Singapore-based Resorts World Cruises to boost cruise tourism to Oman in the coming winter season, according to a press release.  The partnership is intended to enhance the cruise sector’s economic returns, while also strengthening ties with the Asian cruise tourism market.  As part of the … [Read more...]

Holland America Line is introducing enhanced stateroom décor packages for birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions on all its ships. The new offering will be available fleetwide by December 2024, with guests able to pre-purchase the décor packages and have them set up in their stateroom on embarkation day.  Each package features decorations and exclusive keepsakes. … [Read more...]

Resorts World Cruises will sail the first cruise of its debut Arabian Gulf season from Dubai on November 1st, coinciding with Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. The cruise line’s ship Resorts World One will sail a range of itineraries to Sir Bani Yas, Muscat and Doha from Dubai, offering cruises of 2 nights to one week in length, but the first cruise is expected to be especially popular … [Read more...]

Demand for short weekend cruises out of Dubai have surged ahead of the debut in the region of the Singapore-based cruise line Resorts World Cruises, according to travel agents in the UAE specialising in cruise travel. There is a growing trend toward ‘seacations’, fuelled in part by rising air fare costs and the near-impossible nature of booking a visa appointment for Schengen countries … [Read more...]

Disney Cruise Line has revealed a range of short four-night itineraries to the Bahamas and the Western Caribbean aboard its new ship Disney Destiny for 2025. Due for delivery in November next year, Disney Destiny will join Disney Wish and Disney Treasure as the third vessel in the Wish class of vessels, the largest to date for the cruise line, but soon to be ecplipsed by Disney … [Read more...]