Celebrity Eclipse Repositions to the Mediterranean for the Fall Season

Posted on 11 September, 2026 by Spacejunkie2

Celebrity Eclipse Repositions to the Mediterranean for the Fall Season

The Celebrity Eclipse arrived in Barcelona earlier this month to kick off its fall season in the Mediterranean.

The ship was one of Celebrity Cruises’ vessels in the region for the summer, having spent the past few months offering itineraries in Northern Europe.

In late August, the Solstice-class vessel embarked on a repositioning voyage that sailed from the Netherlands to Spain.

The 12-night cruise departed from Amsterdam and included visits to destinations in France, Spain and Portugal before arriving in Barcelona.

Highlights of the itinerary included visits to Le Havre, Lisbon and Palma de Mallorca, as well as a transit of the Strait of Gibraltar.

The Celebrity Eclipse is now scheduled to offer ten- to 11-night cruises that sail to destinations in both the Western and the Eastern Mediterranean.

In addition to Barcelona, the itineraries depart from ports in Italy and Greece, including Ravenna and Piraeus.

Sailing to the Adriatic and the Aegean, the cruises are highlighted by visits to the Greek Islands, Croatia, Turkey and Italy.

Among the destinations set to be visited are Dubrovnik, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Rhodes, Santorini, Split, Naples and La Spezia.

The season runs through early November, when the Eclipse is scheduled to embark on a repositioning voyage to Florida.

Sailing from the Port of Barcelona, the 2,850-passenger ship offers a trans-Atlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale.

The 14-night cruise will feature stops in destinations in Spain, the United Kingdom and Bermuda, such as Málaga, Gibraltar and King’s Wharf.

The vessel is then scheduled to offer cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas from Port Everglades before returning to Northern Europe in May 2027.

In related news, the Celebrity Eclipse underwent a refurbishment project during a drydock in early 2025.

As Cruise Industry News reported at the time, the 2010-built ship introduced an enhanced suite enclave following the refit, as well as a slight increase in its guest capacity.

Semester at Sea Opens Applications for Fall 2027 Voyage

Posted on 14 July, 2026 by Spacejunkie2

Semester at Sea Opens Applications for Fall 2027 Voyage

Semester at Sea recently opened applications for its Fall 2027 World Voyage, which will take place onboard the World Odyssey.

According to an update shared by the company, the 104-day itinerary will sail to four continents and two oceans starting on September 9, 2027.

Departing from Ijmuiden in the Netherlands, the 140th voyage will be highlighted by visits to destinations in Portugal, Morocco, Brazil, St. Helena and South Africa.

Before ending in Thailand in late December, the cruise is also scheduled to sail to additional ports in Southeast Asia and the Far East, including Sri Lanka, Singapore, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

Semester at Sea noted that the voyage will feature six days in most ports, allowing for deeper immersion in destinations.

The company said passengers will move “beyond tourism to engage with local community leaders, environmental experts and historic heritage sites.”

A seven-day visit to Cape Town is returning by popular demand, the brand continued, noting that the South African city has been consistently ranked as a favorite destination by its alumni and guests.

For the first time in recent years, the voyage will feature a visit to Singapore, which Semester at Sea said offers a unique opportunity to experience one of the world’s most sophisticated green cities.

The company also highlighted days at sea, noting that the World Odyssey is transformed into a “floating campus” for its voyages.

“Students will take comparative coursework that brings the world outside their cabin window into the classroom, led by a world-class faculty dedicated to global perspectives,” it added.

Applications for the Fall 2027 Voyage for both students and Lifelong Learners opened on July 1, 2026.

Operating for Semester at Sea as part of a charter deal, the World Odyssey usually spends summer seasons sailing for Phoenix Reisen as the Deutschland.

With Phoenix Reisen deciding not to renew its contract beyond 2026, plans for the ship’s 2027 summer season are unclear.

Originally built for Peter Deilmann in Germany, the World Odyssey entered service in 1998 before making its debut for Semester at Sea in late 2015

AIDA Ship to Enter Drydock with Passengers

Posted on 4 June, 2026 by Spacejunkie2

AIDA Ship to Enter Drydock with Passengers

The AIDAmar is scheduled to enter drydock with passengers onboard as part of a special itinerary in Northern Europe.

According to the company’s website, the new 10-night itinerary allows guests to live a “shipyard experience,” with a visit to a facility in the Netherlands.

The unique cruise departs from the German port of Warnemünde on June 28, 2026, and visits destinations in the Baltic and the North Sea.

But the highlight is a 24-hour call to a shipyard in Rotterdam.

“This very special journey takes you not to the typical tourist terminals but directly into the vibrant, industrial heart of Europe’s largest seaport,” AIDA stated.

The company added that the visit to the historical shipyard in Rotterdam offers AIDA fans and seafaring enthusiasts a rare opportunity to accompany the AIDAmar during its drydock.

AIDA noted that passengers will enjoy a unique atmosphere onboard as the ship undergoes scheduled maintenance at the facility.

The Carnival brand also described the cruise as an “authentic maritime experience, far from the usual holiday routes.”

AIDA said it is currently studying the possibility of allowing guests to disembark the vessel during its drydock.

“As this is an active industrial site subject to strict security regulations, disembarking on foot across the shipyard grounds is strictly prohibited for safety reasons,” the company explained.

“Any possibilities for leaving the ship depend on the operational procedures on site and, if feasible, will only be carried out in an organized manner.”

In addition to the visit to the shipyard in Rotterdam, the cruise will also sail to Visby, Stockholm and Karlskrona.

The theme cruise will cater to soccer fans as well, with a series of activities designed to celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Part of AIDA’s Sphinx class, the AIDAmar was built at the Meyer Werft Shipyard in Germany and entered service in 2012.

The 71,000-ton vessel is scheduled to undergo a major refurbishment in November 2026 as part of the AIDA Evolution refit program.