Celebrity Beyond to Return to the UK with New Features in 2028

Posted on 18 August, 2026 by Spacejunkie2

Celebrity Beyond to Return to the UK with New Features in 2028

The Celebrity Beyond will return to the United Kingdom in 2028, offering a series of cruises departing from Southampton.

According to a recent press release, the ship will be part of Celebrity Cruises’ largest-ever season in Europe.

The 2022-built ship will return to the British homeport with new features, including a refreshed pool deck experience and new dining venues.

Celebrity said that the deployment will mark the first time the Beyond will sail in European waters since 2023.

The 3,260-passenger ship is scheduled to offer a series of seven- to 14-night cruises to Norway, Iceland and Scandinavia.

Highlights of the itineraries include two-week sailings to Norway and Iceland, visiting Reykjavik, Isafjordur, Akureyri and Seydisfjordur, as well as Geiranger, Alesund, Flam, Nordfjordeid and Bergen.

Before arriving in Southampton, the Beyond is scheduled to undergo a renovation, which will update parts of its guest areas.

New venues coming to the 3,260-passenger ship include the Mediterranean restaurant Bora and the Celebrity Pool Club, which was described as an “elevated poolside experience.”

The company said that the area will offer two new food and drink offerings: Orange Peel Bar & Grille and Tacos del Sol.

Celebrity will operate eight ships in the region in 2028, with the Apex and the Summit joining the Beyond in Northern Europe and Iceland.

While the first will offer itineraries to Scandinavia, the Baltic and the British Isles, the latter is scheduled to operate roundtrip cruises to Iceland.

The Celebrity Xcel, the Celebrity Ascent, the Celebrity Eclipse and the Celebrity Constellation are scheduled to sail in the Mediterranean and Western Europe.

According to the company, the deployment will mark the first time that four of its Edge-class ships will sail in Europe simultaneously.

The Celebrity Infinity is also sailing in the region as part of its year-round European schedule, which includes Eastern Mediterranean itineraries during summers and cruises to the Canaries during winters.

Madeira Receives Double Nomination for 2026 World Cruise Awards

Posted on 11 August, 2026 by Spacejunkie2

Madeira Receives Double Nomination for 2026 World Cruise Awards

Madeira Ports has announced that it has received a double nomination for the World Cruise Awards, marking the fifth consecutive year that the international awards program has recognized the destination.

“These nominations are an important international recognition of the work that has been carried out in Madeira to develop an increasingly sustainable, high-quality and competitive cruise tourism sector,” said Jose Manuel Rodrigues, regional secretary for economy, who oversees the Madeira Ports Administration (APRAM, S.A.).

He added that the double nomination further strengthens Madeira’s reputation as one of the world’s leading cruise destinations.

For Paula Cabaco, president of APRAM, the nominations “reflect the commitment and dedication” of the company’s employees, as well as all the professionals who make up Madeira’s cruise tourism value chain.

“Being shortlisted for these awards also highlights APRAM’s commitment to environmental sustainability and to continuously enhance the experience offered to both passengers and crew,” added Cabaco.

“More than an institutional recognition, these nominations are an honor for Madeira and for the Madeiran people, whose hospitality makes every cruise call a truly memorable experience.”

The nominations follow the destination winning “Europe’s Best Cruise Destination” in 2022, 2023 and 2025, and being named “World’s Best Cruise Terminal for Sustainability” in 2024.

Madeira is among the finalists in both categories, the ports said in a press release.

In the category of “Europe’s Best Cruise Destination,” Madeira is competing alongside Athens, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Lisbon, Monte Carlo, Nice, Oslo, Rome and Southampton.

For the title of “World’s Best Cruise Terminal for Sustainability,” the Port of Funchal is shortlisted alongside the cruise terminals of Steinwerder, Flam, Kai Tak, Montreal, Copenhagen, Kiel, Valletta and Victoria.

Voting is free and open to the public and takes place online through the World Cruise Awards website until August 21.

The winners of the 2026 edition will be announced on October 14 during the annual gala, which this year will take place in Jamaica.

Madeira stated that it has already won the title of “Europe’s Leading Island Destination” on twelve occasions.

MSC Musica Completes 20 Years of Service

Posted on 10 August, 2026 by Spacejunkie2

MSC Musica Completes 20 Years of Service

The MSC Musica recently completed 20 years of service for MSC Cruises, having been delivered on June 19, 2006.

Built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, the 2,550-passenger ship debuted as the first in a series of four ships known as the Musica class.

After repositioning to the Mediterranean, the vessel was christened in the Italian city of Venice on June 29, 2006. Actress Sophia Loren served as godmother of the ship during the ceremony.

For its maiden season, the MSC Musica offered a series of seven-night cruises from its homeport in Venice, visiting Greece, Croatia, Italy and Turkey.

The weeklong itineraries were highlighted by visits to a range of destinations, including Katakolon, Izmir, Istanbul, Dubrovnik and Bari.

While plans initially called for the ship to reposition to North America for the winter, it remained in Europe year-round until late 2008.

For its first winter, the MSC Musica offered longer itineraries that combined destinations in the Western Mediterranean and the Canary Islands.

In 2026, the ship is offering seven-night cruises in the Western Mediterranean that sail to France, Spain and Italy.

The vessel’s regular itinerary includes visits to Civitavecchia, Genoa, Cagliari, Marseille and Valencia, as well as Ibiza.

Later this year, the MSC Musica is scheduled to enter drydock in Malta for the largest refurbishment of its sailing career.

As part of a fleet modernization project that will see all Musica-class ships undergoing similar updates, the 92,400-ton vessel will spend approximately two months in the shipyard.

The ship is scheduled to emerge from drydock with a new MSC Yacht Club space, as well as new specialty dining venues and updated public spaces.

After sailing to South America with no guests onboard in November, the MSC Musica will introduce the new features during its 2026-27 winter season in Brazil.

As part of MSC’s five-ship deployment in the region, the Musica is scheduled to offer three- to seven-night cruises departing from Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Paranaguá and Itajaí.