Ambassador’s Ambience Celebrates 35 Years

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Ambassador’s Ambience Celebrates 35 Years

Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience recently completed 35 years of service, having been delivered as the Regal Princess on July 20, 1991.

First ordered for Sitmar Cruises, the 70,000-ton vessel was acquired by the P&O Group while still under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

Along with a sister ship, the Crown Princess, the vessel was transferred to the Princess Cruises brand, undergoing project changes before being completed.

After leaving Italy, the Regal Princess was christened by former United Kingdom Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The naming ceremony was held in New York City and took place on August 8, 1991.

The 1,578-passenger ship continued to sail for Princess on worldwide itineraries through 2000, when it was transferred to the company’s resident Australia fleet.

In 2007, the Regal Princess was withdrawn from Princess’ fleet and transferred to P&O Cruises Australia.

Renamed the Pacific Dawn, the ship continued to sail for the Carnival Corporation-owned Australian brand through early 2020.

After spending a few months laid up, the vessel was acquired by Ambassador Cruise Line in early 2021.

Then a startup brand, the company invested in a major modernisation project for the ship before welcoming its first guests in early 2022.

In 2026, the Ambience is offering a series of cruises from ports in the United Kingdom, including itineraries to Northern Europe, the British Isles, Iceland, Scandinavia, the Iberian Peninsula and the Mediterranean.

The vessel will also offer a special 45-night cruise to the Caribbean in early 2027, sailing round-trip from Tilbury.

The itinerary is highlighted by overnight visits to a series of destinations, including Puerto Limón in Costa Rica, Cartagena in Colombia and Belize City in Belize.

Before kicking off its 2026 season, the Ambience underwent a three-week drydock refurbishment at a shipyard in the United Kingdom.

The multimillion-pound refurbishment included technical updates, as well as enhancements to public areas and staterooms.

Explora III Arrives in Northern Europe During Maiden Season

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Explora III Arrives in Northern Europe During Maiden Season

Explora Journeys’ newest ship, the Explora III, recently arrived in Northern Europe during its maiden season.

The vessel is now offering a series of cruises to the Baltic Sea, Scandinavia and the British Isles, having welcomed its first guests in early August.

The Explora III kicked off its schedule in the region a few weeks later, following a repositioning voyage that started in Lisbon, Portugal.

The 15-night itinerary included visits to destinations in Spain, England, France and Norway before ending in Copenhagen, Denmark.

For its debut in the region, the ship is now offering a cruise in the Baltic that sails to Estonia, Sweden and Latvia.

The eight-night itinerary is highlighted by stops in Tallinn, Riga, Visby and Ronne, in addition to an overnight call in Stockholm.

The ship will offer additional itineraries to Scandinavia, the British Isles and Iceland before repositioning to North America.

In late September, the Explora III will cross the Atlantic for the first time ahead of a fall season in Canada and New England.

The vessel will then reposition to the Caribbean in late October, offering itineraries departing from Miami, Puerto Rico and Barbados.

Built at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Sestri Ponente, Italy, the Explora III was delivered to Explora Journeys in late July.

As the third ship in a series that began with the Explora I in 2023, the 922-passenger vessel is the first in the company’s fleet to be powered by LNG.

The 70,000-ton vessel is also slightly larger than its predecessors, offering additional public areas and more suites.

Before arriving in Northern Europe, the ship offered itineraries in the Mediterranean, Iberia and the Atlantic.

Explora is now preparing to welcome the Explora IV and the Explora V to its fleet in 2027, with the Explora VI following suit in 2028.

MSC Showcases 2025 Status of Coral Reefs of the World Report

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MSC Showcases 2025 Status of Coral Reefs of the World Report

MSC Cruises has announced that an MSC Foundation-supported report, drawing on more than 21 million observations, warns that marine heatwaves are reducing the time reefs have to recover.

The report is the largest global assessment of coral reef condition ever produced by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN).

It reveals the scale of the declining coral reef cover worldwide and highlights the importance of science-based conservation and long-term monitoring to help reefs recover and build resilience.

“We are proud to have contributed to this extraordinary global scientific effort,” said Daniela Picco, executive director of the MSC Foundation.

“Coral reefs are sending us a clear message: these vital ecosystems are under increasing pressure worldwide. Yet the report also shows that where local stressors are managed effectively, reefs can recover,” added Picco.

“This is why we strongly believe in the importance of investing in research and monitoring, which helps inform restoration locally.”

“This report provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of the status of the world’s coral reefs,” said Dr Manuel Gonzalez Rivero, lead author of the report.

“The strongest pathway to safeguard coral reefs is rapid emissions reductions, effective action on local pressures and sustained long-term monitoring so action is targeted where it matters most,” added Rivero.

According to MSC, coral reefs cover only 0.2 percent of the ocean floor, but they are home to more than 25 percent of all marine species. The report shows a relative decline of 9.5 percent compared to the baseline average for 1980-2009, with the steepest losses following mass bleaching events driven by marine heatwaves.

Despite the global decline, several regions show that reefs can recover when local threats are managed effectively. This provides an important message for policymakers and reef managers: well-designed local action can make a measurable difference.

MSC said in a press release that the report shows the Caribbean has shown a strong decline in coral cover, especially following strong marine heatwaves and disease outbreaks.

The 2025 GCRMN assessment draws on 40 years of global data, bringing together 21,1 million observations from 36,886 reef sites, more than 10 times the number included in the 2020 report. More than 600 partners worldwide collated the data across many reef monitoring networks.

The full report is available here.