Tag Archives: Vacation

Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas to Feature Two-Story Casino

Posted on by
Reply

Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas to Feature Two-Story Casino

Royal Caribbean International recently revealed that the new Legend of the Seas will feature the company’s first two-story casino.

Currently under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, the Icon-class ship is scheduled to enter service in July 2026.

The expanded casino space was announced in an email sent to the company’s Club Royale members earlier this month.

“Your next Icon Class casino is getting a major upgrade,” Royal Caribbean said in the reveal, which also included a rendering of the gambling room.

The image shows that the expanded Casino Royale will feature a large bar, in addition to a staircase connecting its two levels of slot machines and game tables.

In September, Royal Caribbean also revealed plans to introduce the largest casino in its fleet onboard the Harmony of the Seas.

The ship’s Casino Royale will be enlarged during a refit scheduled for the Oasis-class ship in mid-2026.

As part of the refurbishment, the gambling area will take over a room currently occupied by a lounge and a comedy club.

The refit will mark the second time that the ship’s casino is expanded, following a similar project carried out in 2023.

Set to enter service next July, the Legend of the Seas will spend its maiden season in the Western Mediterranean before repositioning to North America.

For its stateside debut, the LNG-powered vessel will offer a series of six- to eight-night cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, departing from Fort Lauderdale.

Royal Caribbean recently revealed other features of the Legend of the Seas, including new dining and entertainment venues.

Building on a similar restaurant introduced by the Utopia of the Seas, the ship will feature Royal Railway – Legend Station.

The speciality venue will offer a themed experience that is said to take guests on a journey along the ancient Silk Routes by train.

Other highlights of the ship’s offerings include a new supper club inspired by the golden age of Hollywood and Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” musical.

Maiden Season Preview: Margaritaville at Sea’s Beachcomber

Posted on by
Reply

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.

AIDA Announces Deployment for 2027-28 Winter Season

Posted on by
Reply

AIDA Announces Deployment for 2027-28 Winter Season

AIDA Cruises opened bookings for its 2027-28 winter season on Wednesday, the company announced in a press release.

The deployment includes over 300 cruises to a wide range of destinations, including the Canary Islands, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, South America, the Indian Ocean and South Africa.

Among the highlights of the season are the itineraries to tropical destinations, including the Caribbean and Central America.

According to AIDA, three ships will sail in the region: the AIDAbella, the AIDAluna and, for the first time, the AIDAprima.

The vessels will offer a series of 14- to 21-night island-hopping cruises departing from ports like La Romana in the Dominican Republic and Bridgetown in Barbados.

Other highlights include the “big winter breaks” onboard the AIDAmar, which offers round-trip cruises to warmer destinations from Hamburg, Germany.

The ship’s lineup includes a 48-day itinerary to Brazil and South America, in addition to a 21-day journey to the Azores and Morocco.

Also sailing from Germany, the AIDAnova is set to offer a series of winter sailings departing from Hamburg that visit ports in Scandinavia, Denmark and major ports in Western Europe.

The Canary Islands are set for a strong season, with the AIDAsol, the AIDAstella and the AIDAcosma offering itineraries that sail to Madeira Island.

The AIDAblu will offer a mix of itineraries that sail to both the Indian Ocean and South Africa, visiting destinations in Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and La Réunion, in addition to Cape Town, East London, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Walvis Bay, Namibia.

According to the company’s press release, guests who book sailings of the new season by April 30, 2027, will receive discounts of up to 975 euros per person.

Additional benefits include free choice of cabin, a Rail&Fly ticket valid throughout Germany for travel by train and two bottles of mineral water onboard daily.

Of note, AIDA did not announce plans to offer itineraries in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf in 2027-28.

Earlier this year, the company decided to cancel all of its sailings in the region scheduled for 2025-26 due to security concerns.