Construction of New Royal Caribbean Ship Progressing in Finland

Posted on 23 September, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

The construction of Royal Caribbean International’s new Star of the Seas is making progress at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.

Part of the company’s Icon Class, the 250,800-ton ship is scheduled to enter service in the Caribbean in mid-2025.

According to a recent update shared by Meyer Turku, a significant milestone was reached with the lifting of the ship’s AquaDome.

The feature, added to the top deck of the ship, is the single largest glass and steel structure lifted onto a ship in one piece, the shipyard said.

The lifting process took several hours to complete, Meyer Turku added, and required extreme precision, as the entire structure had to remain level.

After debuting onboard the Icon of the Seas earlier this year, the AquaDome became a hallmark feature of Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class, the shipyard said.

The space offers 220-degree ocean views and houses a selection of bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues, including the company’s signature AquaTheater.

According to Royal Caribbean, the 363-ton dome is one of the most anticipated features of the Star of the Seas, standing at 82 feet tall and 164 feet wide.

Set to enter service in August 2025, the new ship will offer cruises departing from Port Canaveral as part of its maiden season.

Sailing to both the Western and the Eastern Caribbean, the seven-night itineraries feature visits to Royal Caribbean’s private island destination in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, as well as other destinations, including Cozumel and Puerto Rico.

Following the Star of the Seas, a third yet-unnamed Icon-class ship is set to debut in the spring of 2026.

Royal Caribbean recently confirmed its plans to build a fourth ship in the series at the Meyer Turku in Finland.

As part of an agreement revealed in late August, the new 5,610-guest ship is set to be delivered in 2027. The contract also includes options for two additional Icon-class vessels.

Norwegian Set to Boost Caribbean Cruise Capacity

Posted on 22 May, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

“We pair our ships with destinations, sending some of our smaller ships to exotic destinations and some of our larger amenity-filled ships to our fun and sun destinations,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, speaking on Monday at an investor event held in New York.

As a result, “Fun and Sun” (Caribbean, Bermuda and Hawaii) capacity will make up 54 per cent of the deployment for the Norwegian Cruise Line brand in 2026, up from 42 per cent this year.

“It gives our guests the opportunity, on the NCL brand, to return over and over and over again, maximizing their lifetime value and driving high fields.”

Sommer said he believed Norwegian’s ships with increased amenities were perfectly suited for millennial and Generation Z guests.

The company will send its biggest ships to its core destinations in the “Fun and Sun” regions.

As a result, by 2026, the company’s average cruise length will be down to eight days from nine in 2023 with more short and week-long Caribbean sailings as a growing part of the deployment mix.

Capacity days are expected to be in the 12 million range in these “Fun and Sun” destinations by 2026, up from 8 million in 2023, according to a company presentation.

In addition, the mix of the company’s top 10 embarkation points (homeports) will be greater, representing 80 per cent of 2026 capacity, compared to 65 per cent in 2023.

“Our increased Caribbean deployment has given us the ability to invest in our private island in Great Stirrup Cay,” Sommer said, noting the coming two-ship pier for the island set to open in 2025.

Other investments will follow in Great Stirrup Cay, including a VIP area, and the company expects to host approximately 700,000 guests on the island by 2026, up from 400,000 in 2023.

MSC Magnifica to Reposition to Europe in 2025

Posted on 13 May, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

MSC Magnifica berthed in Queensferry, Photo credit Spacejunkie2 Flickr

Previously scheduled to offer short cruises to the Bahamas, the MSC Magnifica is now set to sail in Europe during the summer season of 2025.

Joining MSC Cruises’ lineup in the Western Mediterranean, the 2010-built cruise ship will offer a new seven-night itinerary to Italy, France, and Spain.

The itinerary, which is set to run between early May and early October 2025, includes visits to Genoa, Marseille, Valencia and Tarragona.

With only one day at sea, the itinerary also includes stops in Civitavecchia and Livorno, from where guests can visit Rome and Pisa, respectively.

Following the summer program, the MSC Magnifica is scheduled to offer varying itineraries in the Western Mediterranean before kicking off MSC Cruises’ 2026 World Cruise.

Taking over the global voyage from the MSC Poesia, the 2,550-guest vessel is set to depart from Genoa on January 6, 2026.

During the 119-day world voyage,, the 89,600-ton ship is scheduled to travel 36,000 nautical miles and visit 47 destinations in 32 countries and five continents.

Currently sailing from PortMiami, the MSC Magnifica has been offering three- and four-night cruises to the Bahamas and Florida since late 2023.

In addition to Nassau, Freeport, and Key West, the vessel’s itineraries also include visits to MSC Cruises’ private island destination, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.

Now, the MSC Seascape is scheduled to offer three- to seven-night cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas departing from PortMiami in 2025.

After entering service next April, the 5,400-guest MSC World America is also set to sail from the South Florida homeport on a year-round basis.

MSC Cruises fleet in the United States for the summer of 2025 also includes the MSC Meraviglia sailing from New York City and the MSC Seashore sailing from Port Canaveral.