Disney Cruise Line has launched its new cruise terminal in Port Everglades in greater Fort Lauderdale, its second year-round homeport in Florida. The more than 104,000-square foot terminal was reimagined by Walt Disney Imagineering exclusively for Disney Cruise Line guests and is themed around Disney and Pixar’s film, “Finding Nemo,” with some of their favorite friends … [Read more...]

MSC Cruises has confirmed an order for two World-class liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered vessels with French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique, expanding its largest class of ship to four. The order included an option for a fifth ship, with the two confirmed vessels, currently referred to as World Class 3 and 4, due for … [Read more...]

Cruise Saudi, the parent company of Saudi Arabia’s first homegrown cruise brand, Aroya Cruises, has appointed DL Services to develop the catering spaces aboard Manama, the cruise line’s first ship. Manama is the working name for the cruise line’s first ship, the former World Dream, which is currently undergoing a mammoth refurbishment and refit in Europe following her aquisition from the … [Read more...]

Regent Seven Seas has taken delivery of its new vessel Seven Seas Grandeur from the Italian shipyardFincantieri in Ancona.  With a gross tonnage of 55,500, a staff of 548, and capacity for 746 guests, Seven Seas Grandeur has one of the highest space and staff to guest ratios in the industry, along with 8 dining … [Read more...]

Oceania Cruises has launched its Best-Ever Black Friday Sale, with savings of up to $5,400 per stateroom on more than 100 global voyages in 2024, including a grand voyage from Singapore to Cape Town.  This limited-time offer is valid on bookings made between November 14th and December 5th, 2023, and features itineraries in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Asia, … [Read more...]

Durban Tourism Authority has marked the start of the 2023/24 cruise season in Kwa-Zulu Natal with the arrival of Nicko Cruises’ ship Vasgo de Gamma, the first of an anticipated 70 cruise ship calls for the season. The South African cruise season runs from November to March annually, and although Cape Town is the primary cruise port in the country for ship calls, and turnarounds (where … [Read more...]

The launch of Aroya Cruises, the first domestic Saudi Arabian cruise line and the Arab world’s first homegrown cruise brand, will be transformative for the regional cruise industry. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="639" height="355" data-attachment-id="22682" … [Read more...]

As cruise travel continues to gain popularity, one destination that’s steadily attracting international cruise lines is Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Jeddah, historically known as the “Bride of the Red Sea”, presents a fascinating fusion of the old and the new, with its deep roots in tradition and a sparkling vision for the future.  <img fetchpriority="high" … [Read more...]

Disney Cruise Line’s new ship, Disney Treasure, takes inspiration from the worlds of Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel as well as beloved Disney Parks attractions, offering passengers an immersive experience on the high seas. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="639" height="360" data-attachment-id="23262" … [Read more...]

V&A Waterfront has invested in upgrading the passenger experience at the Cape Town Cruise Terminal as South Africa’s 2023/24 cruise season gets underway.  During a tour of the cruise terminal, Cape Business News reported on some of the enhances made to the terminal building ahead of what the city expects to be its busiest cruise season on record in terms of cruise calls … [Read more...]

Oman looks set to almost double the number of cruise passengers and cruise ship calls during the current 2023/24 cruise season, on the back of a strong cruise sector recovery last season, led by Dubai’s robust homeporting season. The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism anticipates that before the end of the year more than 150,000 cruise tourists will have been welcomed in the Sultanate … [Read more...]

The fourth Edge class ship for Celebrity Cruises, Celebrity Ascent, was delivered to the cruise line Wednesday by the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France. Celebrity Cruises took delivery of the newest Edge class vessel on the same day that they celebrated the steel cutting for the fifth ship in the class, Celebrity Xcel. Celebrity Ascent will … [Read more...]

MSC Cruises has expanded its Young and Teen Program across the fleet, with extended opening hours and eight hours of daily live entertainment. The new program was launched alongside a new MSC Cruises’ original teen music video dedicated to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, its private destination in the Bahamas. The expanded entertainment will be … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean International has revealed the entertainment options onboard the upcoming Icon of the Seas with full-scale shows across the cruise line’s four “stages” and more live music and comedy than ever before. Icon of the Seas is set to launch in January 2024 and is Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise ship to date, and the largest cruise ship in the … [Read more...]

Celebrity Cruises has announced that its fifth Edge class cruise ship will be named Celebrity Xcel during a steel cutting ceremony at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The cruise line also announced that the methanol-ready cruise ship would debut in November 2025, sailing a maiden cruise season of 7-night cruises out of Fort Lauderdale to either … [Read more...]

Virgin Voyages has praised the efficiency of turnaround operations at Dubai Harbour following the cruise line’s first-ever call in Dubai, and cruise from the city, aboard Resilient Lady. Dubai Harbour welcomed Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Voyages to the Arabian Gulf for the first time over the weekend, with Resilient Lady docking at the new Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal ahead of … [Read more...]

Costa Serena has commenced her 2023/24 cruise season in India, homeporting in Mumbai throughout the winter until January next year. The ship will sail 23 roundtrip itineraries of 2 to 5 nights from Mumbai to Kochi, Goa and, for the first time ever, the beautiful Lakshadweep islands. The last roundtrip cruise of the season will also include a port call in the Maldives. In a sign of the … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean International has adjusted different itineraries in the Caribbean and the U.S. Northeast following the cancellation of the 2024 Israeli cruise season aboard Jewel of the Seas. Jewel of the Seas will now be re-deployed to the US Northeast in the summer/fall of 2024, instead of repositioning to the Eastern Mediterranean as planned.  The 2024 Israeli cruise season … [Read more...]

Virgin Voyages marked its maiden cruise call to the UAE on Sunday with the arrival of Resilient Lady in Dubai. Resilient Lady docked at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal as part of her series of repositioning voyages from Europe to Australia, where she will spend the summer. The ship is due to depart Dubai Sunday for a two-week cruise to Singapore. The docking of Resilient Lady is the second … [Read more...]

As cruise lines alter their itineraries to exclude Middle Eastern ports of call amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, passengers have been left unhappy with itineraries that no longer feature bucket-list destinations. The case of two passengers booked to cruise with Oceania through the Red Sea from Istanbul to Dubai this month is instructive of the kind of disappointment many will be facing … [Read more...]