Tag Archives: Cruising

MSC Euribia Sails Around Africa Ahead of Season in the Middle East

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MSC Euribia Sails Around Africa Ahead of Season in the Middle East

The MSC Euribia is currently sailing to the Middle East ahead of its winter season in the United Arab Emirates and the Arabian Gulf.

With its repositioning cruises cancelled due to security concerns in the Red Sea, the LNG-powered ship is currently sailing around Africa.

The long voyage started in Northern Europe in mid-October and included a technical call to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

The MSC Euribia is now expected to arrive in South Africa’s Durban later this month before embarking on the final leg of the repositioning sailing.

As part of its second season in the region, the 2023-built vessel is set to welcome guests in Dubai on Nov. 8, 2025.

The MSC Euribia is then scheduled to offer a series of weeklong cruises in the region that include visits to destinations in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. In addition to Dubai, the itineraries sail to Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas and Khalifa Bin Salman.

The deployment runs through early April, when the 4,888-guest ship is set to start a repositioning voyage back to Europe.

With original plans also cancelled due to security concerns, the vessel is expected to sail around Africa once again before kicking off a summer deployment in the Northern Fjords.

With the Red Sea still off-limits for cruise ship operations, cruise lines took different approaches to their planned seasons in the Middle East.

Two brands, Costa and AIDA, decided to cancel all of their sailings in the region earlier this year, redeploying their vessels to Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Celestyal Cruises recently confirmed its season in the Middle East, revealing plans to bring its ships to the region via the Red Sea. The vessels will sail with guests to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, before deadheading to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

TUI Cruises is operating repositioning cruises to the Arabian Gulf via Africa, with ships sailing around the continent with guests onboard.

Discovery Princess Arrives in Asia for the First Time

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Discovery Princess Arrives in Asia for the First Time

Sailing in the region for the first time, the Discovery Princess recently arrived in Asia as part of a repositioning cruise.

The ship embarked on a 29-night itinerary between Seattle and Singapore following its summer season in Alaska.

The month-long repositioning voyage departed from North America in late September and included visits to four destinations in Alaska before crossing the Pacific.

For its Asia debut, the Discovery Princess visited ports of call in the Far East and Southeast Asia, such as Shimizu, Kochi, and Kagoshima in Japan; Keelung in Taiwan; and Nha Trang in Vietnam, as well as Hong Kong.

The Royal-class ship is also scheduled to offer a single short cruise in the region before entering drydock in early November.

Sailing roundtrip from Singapore’s Marina Bay Cruise Center, the five-night sailing features visits to three destinations in Malaysia: Port Klang, Langkawi and Penang.

The Discovery Princess is then set to enter drydock before heading south for its inaugural season in Australia and New Zealand.

Starting in late December, the deployment includes a series of three- to 14-night cruises departing from Sydney.

In addition to a series of destinations in New Zealand, the itineraries feature visits to ports of call in Southern Australia, Queensland and the South Pacific.

Highlighted destinations include Mystery Island in Vanuatu, Kangaroo Island in South Australia and the Fiordland National Park in New Zealand.

The season runs through early April, when the vessel is scheduled to return to North America via Hawaii and French Polynesia.

As the sixth and last vessel in a series of ships that started with the Royal Princess in 2013, the Discovery Princess entered service in March 2022.

The 3,600-guest ship was built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and spent its maiden season sailing in Alaska, the U.S. West Coast and the Mexican Riviera.

Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas to Feature Two-Story Casino

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Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas to Feature Two-Story Casino

Royal Caribbean International recently revealed that the new Legend of the Seas will feature the company’s first two-story casino.

Currently under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, the Icon-class ship is scheduled to enter service in July 2026.

The expanded casino space was announced in an email sent to the company’s Club Royale members earlier this month.

“Your next Icon Class casino is getting a major upgrade,” Royal Caribbean said in the reveal, which also included a rendering of the gambling room.

The image shows that the expanded Casino Royale will feature a large bar, in addition to a staircase connecting its two levels of slot machines and game tables.

In September, Royal Caribbean also revealed plans to introduce the largest casino in its fleet onboard the Harmony of the Seas.

The ship’s Casino Royale will be enlarged during a refit scheduled for the Oasis-class ship in mid-2026.

As part of the refurbishment, the gambling area will take over a room currently occupied by a lounge and a comedy club.

The refit will mark the second time that the ship’s casino is expanded, following a similar project carried out in 2023.

Set to enter service next July, the Legend of the Seas will spend its maiden season in the Western Mediterranean before repositioning to North America.

For its stateside debut, the LNG-powered vessel will offer a series of six- to eight-night cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, departing from Fort Lauderdale.

Royal Caribbean recently revealed other features of the Legend of the Seas, including new dining and entertainment venues.

Building on a similar restaurant introduced by the Utopia of the Seas, the ship will feature Royal Railway – Legend Station.

The speciality venue will offer a themed experience that is said to take guests on a journey along the ancient Silk Routes by train.

Other highlights of the ship’s offerings include a new supper club inspired by the golden age of Hollywood and Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” musical.