Tag Archives: Europe

Royal Caribbean Swapping Brilliance and Enchantment Deployment

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Citing changes in maritime regulations, Royal Caribbean International is swapping the upcoming deployment between two ships.  

“The International Maritime Organization recently shared new speed regulations we must adhere to and as a result, we’ve repositioned some of our ships for the upcoming 2023/2024 season,” the company said in a letter sent to booked guests.

With the changes, the Brilliance of the Seas is taking over the itineraries previously announced for the Enchantment of the Seas.

Originally slated for programs in Europe and Florida in 2023 and 2023-2024, the Radiance-Class vessel will now sail in Alaska starting in April. The new schedule includes a series of cruises departing from Vancouver, Canada.

In October, the vessel debuts in the South Pacific, kicking off a winter program in Australia, with cruises departing from Sydney.  

The Enchantment of the Seas, meanwhile, is assuming Brilliance’s place and offering similar itineraries in Europe in 2034 and Florida in 2023-2024.

According to the letter, the Vision-Class ship will sail in the Mediterranean between May and November before returning to the United States for the winter.

Sailing from Tampa, the 1997-built vessel is set to offer five- to seven-night cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Affected passengers are being automatically moved between ships, receiving cruises departing on the same dates as their original bookings.

The guests are also being assigned to like-for-like accommodations and keeping the originally booked amenities.

Still, according to the statement, passengers are being offered other options as well, including the possibility to rebook on other Royal Caribbean International sailings or a full refund of the cruise fare.

In a separate statement, Royal Caribbean also informed booked guests of the redeployment of the other two ships.

Offering short cruises to the Caribbean, the Voyager of the Seas will now be based in Galveston, instead of Port Everglades.

The Adventure of the Seas, meanwhile, will take over its original schedule offering Caribbean and Bahamas cruises departing from Fort Lauderdale.

Musica Marks MSC Cruises’ Full Return to Service

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A Chocolate Tribute to ‘Return to FULL Service’ on the MSC Virtuosa last week, Photo Credit SpaceJunkie2.

The MSC Musica is resuming service today in Italy, marking the return to revenue operations of the entire MSC Cruises fleet.

One of the first cruise lines to welcome guests back during the pandemic, MSC has been sailing since August 2020.

After months of limited operations in Europe, the brand has been gradually adding destinations and ships back into its active lineup for the past year.

With the Musica kicking off its summer program in the Eastern Mediterranean, all of the fleet’s 19 cruise vessels are now in service again.

Sailing from Monfalcone every Sunday, the 2006-built vessel will offer week-long cruises to the Greek Islands and Italy through November.

Passengers will also be able to board the ship in Bari before sailing to Santorini, Katakolon and Heraklion.

After completing its European deployment, the vessel is set to cross the Atlantic, ahead of a winter program in South America.

Starting in December, the vessel will serve the Argentinean market, with cruises to Brazil and Uruguay departing from the Port of Buenos Aires.

The MSC Musica originally entered service in 2006, introducing a series of four ships known as the Musica Class.

Built by the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, the 92,400-ton cruise ship can carry 2,550 passengers in double occupancy and features more than 236,800 square feet of common areas.

Among them are five different dining venues, including two main dining rooms and a Japanese speciality restaurant.

The vessel is also equipped with two outdoor pool decks, a large spa, a two-deck theatre, a mini-golf course, a nightclub, a casino, a cigar room and several lounges and bars.

As the second ship to resume service for MSC Cruises this month, the MSC Musica follows the MSC Orchestra.

After a winter season in South Africa, the vessel returned to Europe on June 4, kicking off a summer program in the Western Mediterranean.

Pacific Explorer Returns Home to Australia

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The Pacific Explorer from P&O Cruises Australia is back in Sydney, having sailed into the iconic harbour on Monday morning.

The company said the ship had returned home. The vessel received a spectacular welcome home with a ceremonial water cannon salute celebrating her arrival – marking the start of the rebuild of the $5 billion a year Australian cruise industry, the company said.

The Pacific Explorer became the first cruise ship to return to Australia in more than two years, passing through Sydney Heads at about 9.30am before gliding into Circular Quay mid-morning with an escort of official vessels and Sydney “boaties.”

Her arrival marked a 28-day voyage from Europe where the ship has been paused for much of the past two years waiting to come home to Australia.

The first revenue sailing is set to depart on May 31.