United Kingdom
USACruise news this week comes from a raft of major cruise lines revealing new ship updates and destinations as well as exciting milestones.
Cruise news this week comes from a raft of major cruise lines revealing new ship updates and destinations as well as exciting milestones.
Royal Caribbean has an ongoing offer to save up to £120/€150 on cruises lasting five nights or less between October 5, 2023, and December 31, 2023, as well as all holidays departing from January 1, 2024, to September 30, 2024.
You can take advantage of this Royal Caribbean deal by booking between September 5, 2023, and October 2, 2023.
MSC Cruises is expanding its presence in the Middle East for the winter 2023-24 season.
MSC Virtuosa will offer seven-night voyages from Dubai to Doha, Manama, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island, and back to Dubai, with options for embarkation in Dubai, Doha, or Abu Dhabi. The ship will also serve as a cruise hotel for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November! Meanwhile, MSC Opera will return with seven-night sailings from Dubai to various destinations in the region.
Additionally, MSC Orchestra will operate a new itinerary from Safaga, Egypt, with seven-night sailings to Jeddah, Aqaba, Sharm El-Sheikh, Sokhna Port, and back to Safaga, providing international guests with multiple embarkation options.
To support this expansion, MSC Cruises is offering over 60,000 return air seats as part of its ‘Fly&Cruise’ program, connecting guests from Europe, South America and Canada to Dubai and Doha.
In further MSC news, the cruise line has published data and learnings from the world’s first net zero emissions cruise onboard MSC Euribia in June 2023.
During the four-day journey, MSC Euribia outperformed her digital twin by 11 percent – a virtual ship that simulates the best energy usage. This resulted in a total fuel saving of 43 tonnes.
The ship achieved this by optimising its speed, route, balance and engine settings, as well as efficiently managing energy consumption in areas like HVAC, kitchens, and lighting. MSC Euribia also used only two of its four engines during the voyage and generated all necessary heat for kitchens, heating systems and hot water from its own engines, eliminating the need for boilers throughout the trip.
The brand-new ship in the Celestyal fleet, Celestyal Journey, has embarked on its first voyage in the Aegean Sea. Starting from Piraeus, Athens, on September 2, the ship’s inaugural seven-night “Idyllic Aegean” itinerary took guests on a cultural adventure, with stops in Thessaloniki, Kusadasi, Heraklion (Crete), Santorini, Mykonos and Milos.
To celebrate the maiden voyage of Celestyal Journey and to highlight the ship’s increased premium balcony capacity, Celestyal is offering a special promotion: a complimentary suite upgrade for all Journey bookings made until October 31, valid for the remainder of the year.
This cruise deal includes Celestyal’s acclaimed seven-night “Three Continents” itinerary starting from October 21 and the special 11-, 18-, and 19-night festive sailings in December (departing on December 16 for the 11- and 19-night sailings and December 9 for the 18-night sailing).
Oceania Cruises has unveiled the inaugural season for its new ship, Allura, joining the fleet in the summer of 2025. These 26 voyages, ranging from seven to 34 days, will cover over 92 destinations and will be available for booking starting on September 13, 2023.
Allura, the second ship in the 1,200-guest Allura Class, will feature spacious staterooms, each measuring an impressive 291 square feet, surpassing the size of many entry-level suites on some ultra-luxury cruise lines.
Following the successful launch of her sister ship, Vista, in May, Allura’s maiden voyage will be a seven-day journey from Athens to Istanbul, departing on June 8, 2025. During her European debut season, Allura will visit captivating destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean, including iconic cities and hidden gems such as Cádiz, Cagliari, Messina, Palma de Mallorca, Palermo, and Cinque Terre.
The ship will also offer overnight stays in Istanbul, Monte Carlo, Quebec City, Montreal, and New York. After her Mediterranean summer season, Allura will head to Canada and New England, followed by her inaugural winter season in the Caribbean.
Silversea has started offering an early booking opportunity for a new set of 206 voyages scheduled for summer 2025, running from March to November.
These voyages feature a wide range of unique regional experiences, including visits to both lesser-known gems and famous cities. With a global presence that encompasses over 900 destinations, Silversea’s 12 ships will provide access to 409 destinations in 60 countries during the summer of 2025, with 24 of them being maiden calls.
Silversea’s summer 2025 itinerary collection features two new Grand Voyages – Grand Mediterranean 2025 and Grand North Atlantic & Northern Europe 2025.
Additionally, there will be an expanded offering in the Mediterranean with a total of 84 voyages across six ships, enhanced itineraries in the Galapagos with 26 voyages aboard Silver Origin, and thrilling Arctic & Greenland exploration opportunities, comprising 14 voyages, including Silver Endeavour’s historic inaugural Northwest Passage crossing.
Virgin Voyages has introduced 19 new destinations and 27 itineraries available until April 2025.
Among the new ports of call are Morocco on Resilient Lady’s European schedule and Broome, Albany, Adelaide, Newcastle, Willis Island, Mooloolaba, Port Douglas, Brisbane, Eden, and Kangaroo Island on Resilient Lady’s season Down Under.
In exciting news for UK travellers, a series of four-to-six-night voyages will depart from Portsmouth starting in mid-August 2024. Among the new itineraries is “English Sights and European Delights,” which will take you to Le Verdon, La Coruna, and Bilbao.
However, Virgin Voyages also revealed the delay of new ship Brilliant Lady, blaming “unexpected construction, supply chain and staffing challenges” and stating it was “evaluating new possible launch dates.”
Two Virgin Voyages offers are currently up for grabs: “Future Med Memories” offers a 30 percent discount on Med 2024 voyages and up to a $600 USD Bar Tab for bookings made by September 28. Some Caribbean sailings and repositioning voyages also qualify for a $500 discount.
Additionally, special Halloween Voyages are running from October 13 to November 1 on Scarlet Lady, and on October 31 on Resilient Lady and Valiant Lady – if you book now you’ll enjoy complimentary premium drinks — a $300 Bar Tab for sailings of six nights or less and $600 for sailings lasting seven nights or more.
Seabourn has unveiled its 2025 Europe season exploring the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and the Canary Islands. Ultra-luxury ships, Seabourn Ovation, Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Sojourn will offer more than 60 unique sailings between March and November 2025, visiting both well-known ports and hidden gems.
Seabourn Sojourn will take guests to the pristine Canary Islands and culturally rich Moroccan cities, then venture north to explore Norway’s breathtaking landscapes, Iceland’s dramatic coastlines, and the charming British Isles countryside.
Seabourn Encore offers an immersive experience in the local cultures and cuisine of destinations such as Greece, Turkey and the Dalmatian coast. Meanwhile, Seabourn Ovation invites you to discover the treasures and history of the Mediterranean, from the timeless allure of Portofino and St. Tropez to the medieval charm of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter and its elegant boulevards.
The itineraries provide extra time at ports and overnight stays and holidaymakers can choose from itineraries lasting from seven to 24 days and even combine them for longer, more immersive trips.
Holland America Line celebrated the inaugural visit of Nieuw Statendam cruise ship to Dover’s port, marking the first time in a decade that British travellers have the convenience of embarking on full-season roundtrip cruises from Dover, demonstrating Holland America Line’s commitment to the UK market.
At the ceremony, Nieuw Statendam arrived in Dover, greeted by water cannons and the iconic White Cliffs, and before boarding, guests enjoyed special entertainment at the cruise terminal, including Morris Dancers, a pianist, and local delicacies from the Produced in Kent market.
The 2025 Nieuw Statendam voyages departing from the UK will offer sailings lasting from 14 to 42 days, covering destinations such as the Canary Islands, British Isles, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Iberia and the eastern Mediterranean.
Currently, Holland America Line operates from nine European homeports, offering more cruises over 10 days, increased sailings to Iceland, and a total of 62 overnight calls or late-night departures in major cities.
