Tag Archives: Norwegian

Viking Yi Dun Departs Shanghai, Concludes Its Chinese-Flag Era

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Viking Yi Dun Departs Shanghai, Concludes Its Chinese-Flag Era

The Viking Yi Dun slipped her moorings at Shanghai’s North Bund International Cruise Terminal on June 5, beginning a roughly 60-day positioning voyage across the South China Sea.

The ship will sail past Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope and into the Mediterranean, with a scheduled arrival in Barcelona, Spain, in early August.

Viking said in a press release that the departure also marked the formal launch of what it has promoted as its first Chinese-language transcontinental itinerary, the “60-Day Afro-Euro-Asian Discovery Journey.”

At an onboard ceremony earlier in the day, Brendan Tansey, managing director of Viking China, said the voyage will cross the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, calling at 27 destinations across 16 countries including Singapore, Phuket, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, South Africa, Namibia and Morocco before reaching Tarragona.

Tansey added that the company is marking its 10th anniversary in the Chinese market and framed the sailing as a milestone: Viking’s first all-Chinese-service (long) ocean voyage, designed around a familiar, senior-focused onboard environment (Mandarin-speaking hotel team, Chinese menus and signage, as well as no casino), and the bridge to a regular Chinese-language Mediterranean season starting August 3 in Barcelona.

The departure also closes the book on the vessel’s time as China’s first “five-star-flag” oceangoing cruise ship.

Built as the Viking Sun and later acquired by the China Merchants and Viking joint venture, she was reflagged to the Chinese register and renamed the Zhao Shang Yi Dun.

In recent months, however, that joint venture structure unwound; the hull was repainted and the name formalized as the Viking Yi Dun, and the flag changed to Norwegian.

A Look at the Maiden Season of the Norwegian Aura

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A Look at the Maiden Season of the Norwegian Aura

Set to become the largest ship in Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet, the Norwegian Aura will offer cruises in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean starting in mid-2027.

Cruise Industry News takes a closer look at the inaugural deployment of the new vessel, which is currently being built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy.

Inaugural Cruise in the Mediterranean
Dates: May 21, 2027
Length: 7 nights
Homeports: Trieste (Italy) to Barcelona (Spain)
Itinerary: Valletta (Malta); Salerno and Civitavecchia (Italy)

The Norwegian Aura will make its debut in the Mediterranean as part of a seven-night cruise departing from the Italian port of Trieste.

Sailing to Barcelona, the open-jaw itinerary features visits to destinations in Italy, Spain and Malta, such as Valletta, Salerno and Civitavecchia.

First Trans-Atlantic Crossing
Date: May 28, 2027
Length: 13 nights
Homeports: Barcelona (Spain) to Miami (United States)
Itinerary: Gibraltar (United Kingdom); Motril and Cádiz (Spain)

Following its inaugural cruise in the Mediterranean, the Norwegian Aura kicks off a trans-Atlantic cruise to Miami.

The 13-night cruise sails to three ports before crossing the Atlantic: Cádiz, Motril and Gibraltar. The itinerary also includes eight days of cruising.

U.S. Debut
Date: June 14, 2027
Length: 5 nights
Homeport: Miami (United States)
Itinerary: Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic); and Great Stirrup Cay (Bahamas)

For its U.S. debut, the Prima Plus-class ship offers a short cruise to the Bahamas and the Caribbean sailing from PortMiami.

In addition to a day at sea, the five-night itinerary features visits to Puerto Plata and Norwegian’s private island destination of Great Stirrup Cay.

Eastern Caribbean
Date: Weekly departures starting on June 19, 2027
Length: 8 nights
Homeport: Miami (United States)
Itinerary: Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic); St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands); Tortola (British Virgin Islands); Great Stirrup Cay (Bahamas)

After its first short cruise, the Norwegian Aura kicks off a series of regular seven-night cruises to the Eastern Caribbean for the summer of 2027.

Sailing from PortMiami every Saturday, the ship offers an itinerary that features visits to Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, Tortola and Great Stirrup Cay.

Western Caribbean
Date: Weekly departures starting on October 30, 2027
Length: 7 nights
Homeport: Miami (United States)
Itinerary: Roatán (Honduras); Harvest Caye (Belize); Costa Maya and Cozumel (Mexico)

The new ship will move to the Western Caribbean for the 2027-28 season, offering weeklong cruises to the region starting in late October.

Also sailing from Miami, the itineraries include visits to Honduras, Belize and Mexico with planned stops at Roatán, Harvest Caye, Costa Maya and Cozumel.

Gerolamo Scorza Completes Refit Projects on Norwegian Encore

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Gerolamo Scorza S.p.A., a member of Genova Industrie Navali S.p.A., has completed four refit projects onboard the Norwegian Encore.

The work was carried out during the ship’s recent drydock, which took place in Brest, France, in November 2024.

According to a statement, the challenging project was successfully completed within a two-week deadline and included the conversion of a tender lobby into a store.

Gerolamo Scorza also reinstalled the metallic ceiling and renovated tiles in Encore’s American Diner restaurant.

The Italy-based contractor also installed a new counter at the ship’s Cruise Next office and added new customized furnishings to the onboard photo gallery.

“This project gave us the chance to showcase both our technical skills and our craftsmanship attitude, as some furniture was manufactured in our workshop,” the company said.

After completing its drydock in Brest, the Norwegian Encore welcomed guests back onboard on Dec. 3, 2024, for a trans-Atlantic crossing.

Now cruising from Miami, the 2019-built vessel underwent a major refurbishment that included the creation of new features onboard.

According to Norwegian Cruise Line, the project followed guests’ feedback and included the debut of Spice H2O.

The complimentary adults-only sun deck was created in the area previously occupied by the ship’s laser tag arena.

Other enhancements included the expansion of two of Norwegian’s speciality dining venues, Cagney’s Steakhouse and Teppanyaki, as well as the addition of over 20 new balcony cabins.

The ship’s Haven suite enclave was also updated with the expansion of the Premier Owner’s Suites, which now offer new bedrooms in addition to fully renovated living rooms and a new separate dining room.

Before returning to the Caribbean, the Norwegian Encore also underwent technical work, including class overhauls, planned routine maintenance and more.

During the 2024-25 winter season, the Encore is scheduled to offer a series of seven-night cruises departing from Norwegian’s cruise terminal in PortMiami.