Tag Archives: Europe

Carnival Sunshine Drydocking in Europe

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The Carnival Sunshine is drydocking ahead of arriving at its new homeport in Norfolk, Virginia.

After completing a final cruise from Charleston earlier this month, the vessel started a trans-Atlantic crossing to France on January 4, 2025.

The Carnival Cruise Line ship was expected in Marseille for its shipyard stay on January 15, 2025.

During the routine drydock, the 2,964-guest ship will undergo technical maintenance, in addition to class work and general upkeep of its hotel spaces.

After the project, the 1996-built vessel is set to return to North America for a series of cruises departing from Norfolk starting in mid-February.

As part of its new deployment, the Carnival Sunshine is scheduled to sail from the Virginia homeport on a year-round basis, offering six- to eight-night cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

The Carnival Sunshine is also set to make regular visits to two of Carnival Corporation’s private destinations in the region: Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays.

After offering itineraries to Bermuda during the summer, the vessel adds visits to Carnival Cruise Line’s new private destination, Celebration Key, in late September.

Originally built as the Carnival Destiny, the Sunshine underwent a major refurbishment project in 2013, which essentially rebuilt its interiors and public areas.

Norwegian Cancels Most of Jade’s 25-26 Season, Redeploys Ship

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After cancelling 38 cruises onboard three ships, Norwegian Cruise Line also informed guests booked on the Norwegian Jade that many sailings onboard the vessel will no longer go ahead.

In a statement, the company said that all sailings scheduled to depart between Oct. 18, 2025, and Feb. 16, 2026, are now cancelled.

The 2,400-guest ship was set to offer six- to 14-night cruises to the Panama Canal and the Caribbean during the timeframe.

Norwegian said that the cancellations are a result of a fleet redeployment, which will see the Norwegian Jade offering cruises from Southern California.

“The Norwegian Jade will be redeployed and will soon be offering seven-day round trip sailings from San Diego to the Mexican Riviera where guests can explore a blend of stunning coastal landscapes, rich cultural experiences, and unforgettable culinary delights,” the company said.

According to the statement, the ship’s new schedule on the West Coast will be available for booking soon.

A full monetary refund of the fare paid for the canceled cruise will be automatically returned to the original form of payment provided at the time of reservation, Norwegian added.

Reservations paid via a previously issued Future Cruise Credit (FCC) will see the credit returned to the guest.

Affected passengers will also receive a 10 per cent discount in the form of an FCC. The credit can be used towards any of Norwegian’s published sailings through Dec. 31, 2026.

“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment this cancellation may cause,” Norwegian said.

Earlier this week, Norwegian Cruise Line also cancelled the winter schedule of the Norwegian Dawn, the Norwegian Star and the Norwegian Jewel.

While the Norwegian Dawn was scheduled to offer itineraries in Africa and the Indian Ocean, the Norwegian Star was set for a season in South America and Antarctica and the Norwegian Jewel was poised to offer itineraries to the Caribbean departing from Tampa.

Holland America’s Rotterdam Returns to Fort Lauderdale for Winter Season

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Holland America Line’s Rotterdam returned to Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades to kick off its winter season in the Caribbean.

After completing a summer deployment in Europe, the vessel docked at Port Everglades on Oct. 27, 2024.

To open its season in the region, the Rotterdam is offering a 12-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean and Panama Canal.

Named “Panama Canal Sunfarer,” the itinerary features visits to six destinations, as well as a partial transit of the Panama Canal.

After departing Fort Lauderdale, the 2021-built ship sailed to Holland America’s private island destination in the Bahamas, Half Moon Cay.

The Rotterdam then visited Willemstad in Curaçao and Cartagena in Colombia before entering the Panama Canal.

Before returning to South Florida, the ship is also scheduled to sail to Colón in Panama, Puerto Limón in Costa Rica and George Town in the Cayman Islands.

Through mid-April, the Rotterdam continues to offer a series of seven- to 12-night cruises to the Caribbean.

The itineraries also sail to the Eastern Caribbean and feature visits to additional destinations, such as Grand Turk (Turks and Caicos), Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands).

Following the winter season, the Rotterdam is scheduled to return to Europe for a summer program sailing from the Netherlands.

The cruise program features departures from Rotterdam and Amsterdam, with itineraries that visit Scandinavia, Iceland, the British Isles, the Baltic, and more.

The Rotterdam is currently the newest ship in the Holland America Line fleet. It was built by the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and entered service in late 2021.

A sister to the 2016-built Koningsdam and 2018-built Nieuw Statendam, the 2,650-guest ship is the seventh in the company’s fleet to carry the Rotterdam name.

As part of Holland America’s Pinnacle Class, the vessel offers 11 different dining experiences, as well as a series of entertainment venues and other facilities.