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Virgin’s Scarlet Lady Returns to Europe

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Virgin’s Scarlet Lady Returns to Europe

The Scarlet Lady recently returned to the Western Mediterranean as part of Virgin Voyages’ summer deployment in Europe.

After crossing the Atlantic earlier this month, the 2020-built vessel arrived in Barcelona for the season on May 18, 2025.

For its first voyage in Europe this year, the ship embarked on a seven-night itinerary to Spain and France.

Sailing round-trip from Barcelona, the cruise included visits to Cannes, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca and Ajaccio.

Over the next two months, the Scarlet Lady offers a series of seven- to 11-night itineraries in the Western Mediterranean, including Virgin’s “Spanish and Italian Hot Spots” voyage.

The seven-night cruise departs from Civitavecchia, a port near Italy’s capital city of Rome, and sails to five destinations in three countries.

Before arriving in Barcelona, the open-jaw itinerary is set to visit Naples, Palermo, Ajaccio and Marina di Carrara.

The Scarlet Lady is then set to reposition to Northern Europe in late July for cruises departing from Portsmouth, England, and Reykjavik, Iceland.

Itineraries include visits to the British Isles, Scandinavia, Western Europe and the North Sea destinations.

Before repositioning back to North America for the winter, the Scarlet Lady returns to the Mediterranean in late September for a short fall season.

Concluding its European deployment, the 2,770-guest ship then kicks off a trans-Atlantic crossing to PortMiami in mid-October.

As part of its 2025-26 winter deployment, the Scarlet Lady offers four- and five-night cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Most of the sailings also feature a visit to Virgin’s exclusive beach club in Bimini.

In addition to the Scarlet Lady, a second Virgin Voyages ship, the Resilient Lady, is also offering cruises in Europe this year.

Sailing from Piraeus, Greece, the vessel offers itineraries to the Eastern Mediterranean that highlight the Greek Isles and the Adriatic.

Celebrity Unveils $250 Million Solstice-Class Upgrades

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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.

MSC to Add Yacht Club to Magnifica During Big Drydock

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MSC Magnifica under the Forth Bridge, photo credit Spacejunkie2 Flickr account for MSC Magnifica Images

MSC Cruises has announced that the MSC Magnifica will get its Yacht Club concept later this year as part of significant onboard enhancements that will also see the introduction of a new spa and gym.

What the company calls a substantial drydock refurbishment will take place during October and November at the Palumbo shipyard in Valetta, Malta, to transform some of the vessel’s public spaces.

Sales opened today for the MSC Yacht Club on the MSC Magnifica starting from summer 2026 that for the first time includes the luxury product being available on itineraries from Warnemunde in Germany to Baltic and Scandinavian destinations, plus the MSC Magnifica’s 2027 world cruise.

Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said: “The MSC Yacht Club is one of our most highly regarded products, loved by guests for its outstanding level of service, elegant spaces and exclusive facilities, so we are proud to be bringing this to MSC Magnifica. The extensive remodelling is the largest we’ve undertaken in the last ten years and underlines our commitment to offer our guests the best possible guest experience across our entire fleet.”

Guests booking the 63 new MSC Yacht Club suites spanning five upper decks can benefit from an exclusive, all-inclusive experience featuring 24-hour butler and concierge service, elegant and spacious cabins, and access to a range of private facilities including an exclusive restaurant and lounge, and a private sundeck with a pool as well as a grill restaurant and bar.

The refurbishment work will also see a new 270 square metre MSC Aurea spa and a new Techogym fitness centre.

The MSC Magnifica’s Itineraries that will feature the new onboard enhancements include:

  • Summer 2026 – From Warnemunde, Germany on May 16 2026, to destinations such as Ronne in Denmark, Riga in Latvia, Tallinn in Estonia, Stockholm in Sweden and Helsinki in Finland.
  • MSC World Cruise 2027 – The MSC Yacht Club will, for the first time, offer its personalised and luxury service and facilities on one of the line’s global voyages.  The ship departs Civitavecchia to Genoa, Italy, Marseille and Barcelona on Jan. 5, 6, 7 and 8, 2027, respectively, with a new 121-night worldwide sailing that will visit 45 destinations in 25 countries.