Oceania Cruises Floats Out New Ship Allura In Italy

Posted on 3 July, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

Oceania Cruises celebrated the float out of its new ship, the Allura, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente, Italy.

The 1,200-guest ship was floated from the drydock and moved to the fitting-out berth to begin outfitting interiors, the company announced.

The Allura was blessed by the shipyard’s chaplain, Father Stefano and christened by Caterina Romeo, a designer in Fincantieri’s technical department.

“Our hearts and minds are with the entire team at Fincantieri as they mourn the passing of General Graziano,” stated Frank A. Del Rio, president of Oceania Cruises.

“The float out is an important moment for all at Oceania Cruises and Fincantieri, as we progress closer to Allura joining our family. Now that we have completed her shell, we are excited to get started on her interior. We have lots of exciting enhancements on Allura, our eighth vessel, further elevating our offerings and firmly cementing Oceania Cruises as the only ultra-premium cruise brand.”

The Allura will enter service from Trieste, Italy, on July 18, 2025, sailing to Athens, Greece, and visiting Rijeka, Croatia; Ravenna, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Kotor, Montenegro. After her summer season in the Mediterranean, the Allura will sail to Canada and New England for a series of voyages in North America before her inaugural winter season in the Caribbean, homeporting in Miami.

Regal Princess Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Posted on 20 May, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

Regal Princess arrives in the World Famous Port City of Liverpool on the 29th June 2023 and Spacejunkie2 took some great photos of the arrival.

Regal Princess in the Famous city of Liverpool, Photo credit Spacejunkie2 Flickr -29/062023

The Regal Princess is completing its 10th year of service this month. Built for Princess Cruises at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the vessel officially debuted on May 20, 2014.

A sister to the 2013-built Royal Princess, the ship is the second in a series of six Royal-class ships for Princess Cruises.

For its maiden voyage, the Regal Princess offered a seven-night cruise to Italy, Turkey and Greece. Built at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard, the vessel departed from Venice on an open-jaw cruise to Athens.

Sailing through the Eastern Mediterranean, the itinerary featured visits to Corfu and Mykonos, in addition to a two-day stop in Istanbul.

Throughout the summer of 2014, the Regal Princess offered Princess Cruises’ signature Grand Mediterranean cruises, with different seven- to 12-night itinerary choices.

In October 2014, the 3,600-guest ship crossed the Atlantic for the first time ahead of a winter season in the Caribbean.

Sailing from Port Everglades on Sundays, the Regal offered week-long cruises to St. Thomas, St. Maarten and the Bahamas during its inaugural program in the region.

The Princess ship is spending another summer in Europe in 2024.

Sailing from Southampton, the vessel is offering a series of 12-night cruises to the British Isles that feature visits to Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. Some itineraries also include stops in Wales, France and the Shetland Isles.

In early October the Regal Princess is scheduled to return to North America for a winter season in the Caribbean.

Now sailing from Galveston, the ship will offer six- to 11-night cruises to the Western Caribbean, featuring calls to ports in Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Belize and Grand Cayman.

Carnival Magic Repositions to Miami

Posted on 30 October, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Magic in Palma, Majorca photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr account)

The Carnival Magic arrived in Miami today to kick off a series of cruises to the Caribbean.

Sailing from its new year-round homeport in South Florida, the 3,650-guest vessel is set to offer a series of six- to eight-night itineraries to different destinations in the region.

The first cruise of the program includes six days cruising to the Eastern Caribbean, with planned visits to Half Moon Cay, in the Bahamas; Grand Turk, in Turks and Caicos; and Amber Cove, in the Dominican Republic.

Cruises to the Western Caribbean are also part of the program, including six-night itineraries to Mexico and Belize, and seven-night cruises to Mexico and Honduras.

The Carnival Magic is also set to cruise to the Southern Caribbean from Miami, offering eight-night itineraries that feature destinations in Aruba, Curaçao, and more.

Other ports of call included in the ship’s itineraries include St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Philipsburg, in St. Maarten, Nassau, in the Bahamas, and more.

With the Carnival Magic now based in Miami as well, a total of five Carnival Cruise Line ships are sailing from the South Florida homeport on a year-round basis.

The Carnival Celebration, the Carnival Horizon, the Carnival Conquest and the Carnival Sunrise complete the company’s fleet in PortMiami.

Offering three- to eight-night cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, the vessels sail to popular destinations in the region, such as Nassau, Princess Cays, George Town, La Romana, Puerto Rico and more.

A sister to the 2009-built Carnival Dream, the Carnival Magic originally entered service in 2011. Built in Italy by the Fincantieri shipyard, the vessel offers several facilities and attractions, including a large casino, a multi-level theater and an extensive array of dining venues.

The Magic also boasts innovative features, including an outdoors sports complex named Sports Square and The Lanai, a wrap-around promenade with whirlpools that extend out over the ship’s sides.