Tag Archives: cruise

Three Princess Ships to Undergo Drydocks in April

Posted on by
Reply

Three Princess Cruises ships are set to undergo drydocks in April: the Emerald Princess, the Grand Princess and the Regal Princess.

The first ship to enter dry dock was the Emerald Princess, which recently arrived at the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, Italy.

After repositioning to Europe earlier this month, the 2007-built vessel arrived at the facility for scheduled maintenance, in addition to class inspections and technical work.

Set to spend the upcoming summer season sailing from Southampton, the Emerald Princess will resume service on April 29, 2025.

Before kicking off a summer deployment in Alaska and Canada, the Grand Princess is also undergoing a dry dock.

The 1998-built ship arrived at the Vigor Shipyard in Portland in mid-April and is now going through regular maintenance.

Before welcoming guests back in early May, the Grand Princess is also scheduled to undergo class inspections, as well as upkeep and minor updates to public areas and staterooms.

A third Princess ship is undergoing a dry dock later this month, the Regal Princess.

Currently sailing in Northern Europe, the vessel is set to arrive at the Damen Shiprepair Yard in Rotterdam on April 25, 2025.

The 3,600-guest ship is expected to undergo technical work and general maintenance before resuming service in early May.

Sailing from Southampton, the Regal Princess is set to offer 12-night cruises to the British Isles during the summer of 2025.

Earlier this year, the Majestic Princess also visited a shipyard in Europe, emerging from dry dock with new venues and reimagined spaces.

According to Princess, the 2017-built vessel saw the addition of new bars and restaurants, including O’Malley’s Irish Pub, Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria and Good Spirits at Sea.

Sailing in Europe for the first time in eight years, the ship is currently offering itineraries in the Mediterranean.

MSC Poesia to Offer Longer Cruises from Miami in 2026-27

Posted on by
Reply

The MSC Poesia is set to offer a series of ten- and 11-night cruises from PortMiami during the 2026-27 winter season.

According to published deployment, the 2009-built ship is scheduled to offer longer itineraries to the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean, as well as the Bahamas.

The MSC Poesia is set to arrive in South Florida in mid-October, following MSC’s first-ever season in Alaska.

After a 19-night repositioning voyage via the Panama Canal, the vessel embarks on a five-night cruise to Grand Cayman and Jamaica before kicking off a series of ten- and 11-night sailings.

The longer cruises visit destinations around the region, including Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao in the Southern Caribbean; Roatán, Colón and Puerto Limón in Central America; as well as St. Thomas, St. John’s and St. Kitts in the Eastern Caribbean.

The deployment also includes visits to Cartagena de Indias in Colombia, Montego Bay in Jamaica, and Cabo Rojo in the Dominican Republic.

With sailings currently scheduled through late March, the ship’s winter season includes nearly 20 cruises.

The Poesia joins two other ships scheduled to sail from PortMiami in 2026-27: the new MSC World America and the MSC Seaside.

While the World-class vessel offers seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, the Seaside is set to operate three- and four-night sailings to the Bahamas.

All itineraries onboard the two ships include visits to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the company’s private island destination near Bimini.

In addition to the three ships sailing from Miami, MSC is deploying four vessels in other homeports across the United States in 2026-27.

The MSC Meraviglia is set to return to New York City for the season, while the MSC Seascape continues to sail from Galveston. Port Canaveral will welcome two vessels: the MSC Seashore and the MSC Grandiosa.

Robbie Williams Headlines Mein Schiff Relax Christening in Málaga

Posted on by
Reply

TUI announced in a press release that the Mein Schiff Relax was christened on April 9, 2025, in the port of Málaga. The event was attended by more than 12,000 guests.

Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises, opened the official christening show with presenter Judith Rakers, who hosted the evening.

According to the company, the occasion was the first to include three of its ships and a christening in its history: Robbie Williams performed for guests onboard the Mein Schiff 5, Mein Schiff 7 and Mein Schiff Relax, as well as for other visitors, in a concert held for the christening of the ship.

Williams said: “The Mein Schiff Relax embodies the perfect blend of relaxation and diversity; she is truly an incredible ship. I loved performing at the christening ceremony in this stunning setting in the old town of Málaga.”

“The christening of Mein Schiff Relax is the beginning of a new era for TUI Cruises and another milestone in our success story. Mein Schiff Relax offers numerous innovations that make it unique. And that’s why it was important to us to welcome this new feel-good ship to the fleet in a special way,” said Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises.

The christening event included musical highlights such as local artists Mitchy and André Katawazi and MOKABY and performances by Giovanni Zarrella and Robbie Williams.

According to the press release, the staging culminated with the smashing of the champagne bottle, which was initiated by Giuliana Rizzo, godmother and spa and sports manager of Mein Schiff Relax.

The Mein Schiff Relax will offer seven- to 10-day cruises from/to Palma/Mallorca this summer. Highlights include Italian cities such as Rome, La Spezia and Naples; the Spanish mainland; and coastal cities Valencia, Barcelona, Málaga and Cádiz.

The ship will also sail to Marseille or Ajaccio in France, Lisbon in Portugal, and Sardinia or Sicily in Italy. Highlights include the port city of Tangier and an overnight stay in the port of Palma on selected routes.