Crew Member Dies in Accident at Sea on P&O Cruise Ship

Posted on 28 October, 2025 by Spacejunkie2

Crew Member Dies in Accident at Sea on P&O Cruise Ship

British cruise ship Arvia was at sea when the accident occurred killing one crewmember (P&O file photo)

The British press and maritime authorities are reporting that a crewmember was killed yesterday aboard the P&O cruise ship Arvia. The ship was two days into a two-week cruise to the Caribbean from the UK.

The Arvia, which is 185,581 gross tons, is one of the largest cruise ships in the world, and with her sister ship Iona, is the largest operating from the UK. The Arvia was introduced by the UK’s P&O Cruises in 2022 and is 344 meters (1,128 feet) in length with accommodations for more than 6,600 passengers and approximately 1,800 crew.

P&O confirmed in a brief statement that there had been an onboard accident. It said its thoughts and prayers were with the onboard friends and family members. The company provided no further details.

While registered in Bermuda, the cruise ship is under the authority of the British, and the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch listed the incident today. It is posted it as a “lift shaft” (elevator) accident that happened on October 26. MAIB reports that it will investigate on behalf of the Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority.

The cruise had been en route to its first port in Tenerife. However, Puerto de A Coruña, on the northern Spanish coast, reported that the Arvia made a stop on October 26 from 3:00 p.m. into the night “following a workplace accident.” The ship stayed till around midnight and has resumed its trip to Tenerife.

Maiden Season Preview: Margaritaville at Sea’s Beachcomber

Posted on 20 October, 2025 by Spacejunkie2

Maiden Season Preview: Margaritaville at Sea’s Beachcomber

Set to become the largest ship in Margaritaville at Sea’s fleet, the Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber will mark the company’s debut in PortMiami when she launches service in early 2027.

Cruise Industry News takes a closer look at the inaugural deployment of the 2,720-guest vessel, which was acquired from Costa Cruises.

Inaugural Cruise and Eastern Caribbean
Dates: January 9, 2027, followed by four additional sailings through April
Length: 7 nights
Homeport: Miami (United States)
Itinerary: St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands); San Juan (Puerto Rico); and Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic)

The Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber will welcome its first guests on Jan. 9, 2027, embarking on a seven-night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.

With four additional departures scheduled through April, the weeklong cruise features visits to destinations in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, including St. Thomas, San Juan and Puerto Plata.

Mexico and Western Caribbean
Date: January 23, 2027
Length: 7 nights
Homeport: Miami (United States)
Itinerary: Cozumel (Mexico); Belize City (Belize); and George Town (Cayman Islands)

The ship’s inaugural season also features weeklong itineraries to the Western Caribbean, including the Jan. 23, 2027, departure.

Sailing to Mexico, Belize and the Cayman Islands, this seven-night cruise features visits to Cozumel, Belize City and George Town, in addition to three days of cruising.

Short Cruise to the Bahamas, Florida and the Dominican Republic
Date: February 9, 2027
Length: 4 nights
Homeport: Miami (United States)
Itinerary: Key West (United States) and Bimini (Bahamas)

The Beachcomber is also set to offer a series of short cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas during its maiden season. This four-night cruise, for example, sails from Miami in early February and features visits to Key West and Bimini.

Other short cruises available include four-night cruises to Nassau and Freeport in the Bahamas, or to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, as well as five-night cruises to Puerto Plata and either Nassau or Freeport.

ABC Islands and Southern Caribbean
Date: April 16, 2027
Length: 8 nights
Homeport: Miami (United States)
Itinerary: Oranjestad (Aruba); Kralendijk (Bonaire); and Willemstad (Curaçao)

In April, the Beachcomber offers the only longer cruise of its inaugural season, an eight-night itinerary to the Southern Caribbean and the ABC Islands.

Sailing round-trip from PortMiami, the cruise is highlighted by visits to Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, as well as four days cruising the Caribbean.

Florida, Bahamas and Western Caribbean
Date: March 27, 2027
Length: 7 nights
Homeport: Miami (United States)
Itinerary: Key West (United States); George Town (Cayman Islands); Nassau (Bahamas); and Montego Bay (Jamaica)

In late March, the 2003-built vessel also offers a seven-night cruise to Florida and the Western Caribbean.

The one-time sailing features visits to Key West, George Town in the Cayman Islands, Nassau in the Bahamas and Montego Bay in Jamaica.

Oceanwide Expeditions Completes Upgrades on Ortelius

Posted on 15 October, 2025 by Spacejunkie2

Oceanwide Expeditions Completes Upgrades on Ortelius

Oceanwide Expeditions has completed two maintenance and upgrade projects on the Ortelius, improving the vessel’s operational speed and increasing fuel efficiency, the company said in a press release.

The fitting of new propeller blades and hull blasting forms part of an ongoing investment into the expedition fleet as part of a broader ESG and sustainability strategy.

The company stated that during a dry dock in September, four new bronze propeller blades were built and fitted by Dutch Propeller Repairs BV (DPR), replacing the existing stainless steel propeller blades that had been in place for several decades.

Previously, during a May dry dock, hull blasting was performed on the Ortelius’s hull, removing accumulated paint layers and reestablishing a smoother, more consistent hull surface.

Piet Vink, chief vessel officer at Oceanwide Expeditions, said: “With the completion of both projects, the Ortelius is now more ready than ever to take guests into some of our planet’s most extreme environments.”

“Both upgrades directly improve fuel efficiency and operational consistency, which, in turn, helps us further reduce operational emissions. We are delighted with the professionalism and high standards of our partners, including DPR and Shipyard Reimerswaal, in completing both projects during busy docking periods,” added Vink.

According to the company, these upgrades enhance the polar capabilities of the Ortelius.

Both projects were completed at Shipyard Reimerswaal, a long-time partner of Oceanwide Expeditions, which facilitates drydocking, restocking and maintenance for the fleet on a biannual basis.