Carnival Vista Crosses the Atlantic for Drydock in Spain

Posted on 18 January, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

The Carnival Vista just arrived in Europe for its upcoming routine drydock.

After leaving Port Canaveral on Jan. 8, the Carnival Cruise Line ship crossed the Atlantic on its way to Spain.

The 2016-built vessel is now set to undergo a two-week drydock at the Navantia shipyard in the Bay of Cádiz.

Work expected to be carried out onboard the Carnival Vista includes the addition of Carnival’s new hull livery, in addition to scheduled maintenance, class surveys and technical work.

The 135,000-ton vessel is also poised to see upkeep of its common areas and staterooms, as well as updates to facilities and venues.

Following the work, the Carnival Vista is set to cross the Atlantic on its back to North America before resuming service on Feb. 15.

On that day, the vessel sails from Port Canaveral for a three-night cruise to the Bahamas that features a visit to Nassau, in addition to a full day at sea.

After repositioning from Galveston in late 2023, the Carnival Vista kicked off a year-round program out of its new Central Florida homeport.

The ship’s regular schedule features six- and eight-night cruises to the Southern and the Eastern Caribbean.

Itineraries include popular ports of call in both regions, such as Half Moon Cay, Princess Cays, Aruba, Curaçao, San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Nassau.

First in a series of three ships known as Vista Class, the Carnival Vista offers a series of features, including SkyRide, a suspended open-air cycling experience, and the Dreamscape, a three-deck-high LED sculpture located its main atrium.

The 4,000-guest cruise ship was later followed by the 2018-built Carnival Horizon, and the 2019-built Carnival Panorama.

Originally built for Costa Cruises, the 2019-built Carnival Venezia and the 2020-built Carnival Firenze are also considered part of the Vista Class.

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Ambassador’s Ambience Resumes Service Ahead of World Cruise

Posted on 10 January, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience is resuming service today at the Port of Tilbury, in the United Kingdom.

After seeing several of its cruises transferred to a different ship due to a delayed drydock stay, the 1991-built vessel is returning for a 120-night world cruise.

Sailing roundtrip from its British homeport, the “2024 Grand Around the World Cruise” features visits to a total of 34 destinations across the globe.

After sailing to ports of call in Europe, the global itinerary is set to cross the Atlantic before arriving in the Caribbean and Central America.

The Ambience then transits the Panama Canal before continuing its way to the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia.

The worldwide adventure also features a series of destinations in the Indian Ocean, Africa and South America on its way back to the UK.

Before resuming service, the Ambience underwent maintenance at a shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Originally set to be completed in early December, the job was delayed due to metal damage on the ship’s propellor shaft and stern bearings.

According to Ambassador, the problem was found during a routine inspection and required essential repair work, which led to additional time in the German drydock.

The two propeller shafts, each 20 meters long and weighing over 30 tons, together with their bearings had to be transported by sea to a specialist metal repair shop in Denmark, the company explained.

As a result, several cruises previously scheduled to sail onboard the Ambience were transferred to the Ambition – which saw the cancellation of a 38-night cruise to the Caribbean.

Arcadia Embarks on P&O’s 2024 World Cruise

Posted on 9 January, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

The Arcadia embarked on P&O Cruises’ 2024 World Cruise on Saturday. Sailing roundtrip from Southampton, the vessel is now offering a 99-night voyage that will circumnavigate the globe.

Cruising to Central America, the Caribbean, North America, Hawaii, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, the Far East, the Red Sea, the Middle East and the Mediterranean, the full itinerary features visits to a total of 29 destinations.

After leaving the United Kingdom, the Arcadia is set to cross the Atlantic on its way to Freeport, in the Bahamas.

The 2005-built vessel then visits Florida and Aruba before transiting the Panama Canal and arriving in the Pacific Ocean for ports of call in Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Still in the Pacific, the ship visits Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia on its way to Indonesia and the Southeast Asia.

Ports of call in the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia are also on the schedule, in addition to visits to Indonesia and Hong Kong.

On its way back to Europe, the Arcadia sails to other countries in Asia, the Middle East and the Red Sea, including Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Egypt.

The final leg of the 2024 World Cruise features a transit of the Suez Canal, as well as ports of call in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, such as Valletta, in Malta, and Cádiz, in Spain.

Completing the western circumnavigation of the globe, the Arcadia is scheduled to arrive back in Southampton on April 15.

The itinerary is highlighted by extended visits to key destinations across the globe, including overnight calls in Honolulu, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Dubai.

Built by the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the Arcadia originally debuted in April 2005. In 2018, the 1,968-guest ship underwent a major refurbishment that included updates to cabins, public areas, and more.

According to P&O, the project aimed at improving the onboard experience with a fresher and more contemporary feel.