Tag Archives: refurbishment

Aroya Set For First Season in the Mediterranean

Posted on by
Reply

Aroya Set For First Season in the Mediterranean

Aroya Cruises is ready to begin its inaugural season in the Eastern Mediterranean later this month.

The Aroya recently arrived at the company’s new homeport in Istanbul after embarking on a repositioning voyage from Jeddah.

The 3,400-guest ship is now set to undergo some routine maintenance before kicking off its inaugural cruise from the Galataport on June 28, 2025.

“We’re excited to be bringing Aroya to some of the Mediterranean’s most popular cruise destinations this summer,” said Dr. Joerg Rudolph, president of Aroya Cruises.

“Aroya Cruises first set sail just six months ago, and we’re incredibly proud of all we’ve achieved so far, with passenger numbers in the Red Sea exceeding expectations. We look forward to welcoming our valued guests aboard this season,” he added.

As part of its inaugural season in the region, the Aroya will offer a series of six- and seven-night cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Extending through September, the season includes two itineraries to ports in Turkey, Greece and Egypt, such as Kas, Bodrum, Marmaris, Athens, Mykonos, Rhodes, Alexandria and Souda Bay.

According to Aroya, the product blends iconic destinations with its Arabian-inspired onboard experience.

“The move to the Mediterranean marks a strategic next chapter for Aroya Cruises as it expands its itineraries and brings a taste of Arabian culture and hospitality to Europe,” the company stated in a press release.

Aroya also celebrated the successful completion of its maiden season in the Red Sea, which started in December 2024.

Sailing from Jeddah, the company welcomed more than 70,000 guests onboard for sailings that visited Egypt, Jordan and the Saudi Red Sea private island of Jabal AlSabaya for Saba Beach.

Originally in service for Dream Cruises, the Aroya was acquired by the company in late 2023 and underwent a year-long refurbishment before launching service for its new owners.

Celebrity Unveils $250 Million Solstice-Class Upgrades

Posted on by
Reply

Celebrity Cruises is investing more than $250 million to modernise its Solstice-class vessels, starting with Celebrity Solstice in March 2026.

The company said guests can look forward to eight new experiences, including four new-to-sea spaces, and many redesigned favourites.

Innovations include reinvented outdoor escapes with enhanced views, new restaurants and entertainment designed to create moments of connection with loved ones, as well as a redesigned stay with all-new stateroom categories and ship-wide stateroom upgrades.

“Our Solstice Series ships represent the best of classic cruising, and now we’re elevating this vacation experience even further by adding brand new experiences and enhancements at every turn,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises. “Guests will enjoy more ways to explore and restore, all while staying true to what made our guests fall in love with these ships in the first place.”

Highlights:

  • Boulevard Lounge – Good times and glamorous vibes will take centre stage at this brand-new, intimate entertainment venue. With always-on programming, from interactive daytime activities like new game shows and trivia to elevated evenings of candlelit concerts and duelling pianos, this cabaret-inspired lounge offers a dramatic new take on showtime.
  • Boulevard Bar – Just steps away from the lounge, guests can pull up a seat for handcrafted cocktails before or after the show—or both.
  • Celebrity Barcade – Guests should bring their A-game to this new, elevated sports bar, the perfect place to both watch and play games. Guests can catch their favourite sports teams from multiple screens positioned so well they’ll never miss a pass, or challenge their friends to a round of billiards, darts, or their favourite retro board game.
  • Trattoria Rossa – Step into an Italian hideaway that blends opulence with modern design to experience a restaurant that bursts with charm from every corner. The perfect setting to reignite date night, guests will have a front row seat to the action with authentic tableside preparations of dishes inspired by Italian classics, including fresh pasta made from scratch daily.
  • Fine Cut Steakhouse – The Forbes Travel Guide-rated, Edge Series favourite steakhouse will bring upscale dining with service that’s elevated to an art form. There’s something for everyone at Fine Cut Steakhouse, which offers 30-day dry-aged steaks, fresh seafood, the elevated service Celebrity is known for, and elegance at every turn.

In addition, Sunset Park transforms the top deck of Celebrity Solstice, where guests can enjoy unparalleled views from this half-acre outdoor oasis. Plus, with elevated cuisine, refreshing cocktails, lawn games, open-air concerts, and more, a day at the park never looked so good.

Celebrity noted all staterooms will be refreshed, and four new categories will be added: the Panoramic Infinite Veranda Suite, Deluxe Panoramic Oceanview Suite, Panoramic Ocean View Suite and Deluxe Panoramic Ocean View.

Bow-to-stern enhancements also include a design refresh for more venues: Café Al Bacio, Cellar Masters, World Class Bar, Martini Bar, Pool Bar, Passport Bar, Blu—exclusive to AquaClass guests, and Luminae—exclusive to guests of The Retreat, the Fitness Centre, and Camp at Sea.

Norwegian Bliss Completes Drydock in Europe

Posted on by
Reply

Norwegian Bliss arriving into Southampton port, photo credit Spacejunkie2 Flickr account,

The Norwegian Bliss is currently returning to the United States following a drydock in Europe.

With the project done, the Norwegian Cruise Line vessel embarked on a trans-Atlantic crossing in England on Feb. 2, 2025.

Sailing from Southampton to Miami, the 13-night cruise is scheduled to make visits to destinations in Spain, France and Portugal before arriving in Florida.

The ship is then set to offer a weeklong cruise in the Caribbean before repositioning to the West Coast ahead of a summer deployment in Alaska and Canada.

As part of its two-week refurbishment project in Damen at Brest, the Norwegian Bliss underwent technical updates and routine maintenance, as well as class work.

The 2018-built ship also saw the creation of new public areas and venues onboard, including the Horizon Park.

Making its fleetwide debut onboard the Bliss, the new outdoor area serves as an entertainment and gathering space that offers lawn games, giant Jenga, reclining loungers for sunbathing and more.

The vessel underwent updates to its food and beverage offerings as well, with the expansion of two popular speciality dining restaurants: Cagney’s Steakhouse and Teppanyaki.

Palomar, which is described by Norwegian Cruise Line as an elevated seafood specialty dining venue, also made its debut on the ship.

After being first introduced on the Norwegian Prima in 2022, the restaurant replaced Ocean Blue onboard the Norwegian Bliss.

Other changes include updates to the vessel’s stateroom offerings, with the introduction of three-bedroom Premiere Owner’s Suites created in The Haven ship-within-a-ship complex.

These top-tier suites now include three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and a separate dining room, in addition to fully refurbished living areas, master bedrooms and outdoor balcony furnishings.

Similar to its sister ships, the Norwegian Encore and the Norwegian Joy, the Norwegian Bliss also saw part of its Observation Lounge being replaced with 26 new balcony cabins.