General

The MSC Poesia is set to offer a series of ten- and 11-night cruises from PortMiami during the 2026-27 winter season.According to published deployment, the 2009-built ship is scheduled to offer longer itineraries to the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean, as well as the Bahamas.The MSC Poesia is set to arrive in South Florida in mid-October, following MSC’s first-ever season in Alaska.After a 19-night repositioning voyage via the Panama Canal, the vessel embarks on a five-night cruise to Grand Cayman and Jamaica before kicking off a series of ten- and 11-night sailings.The longer cruises visit destinations around the[...]

Swan Hellenic has concluded its 2024–2025 Antarctic expedition season, reporting a 25% increase in guest numbers and a 35% rise in net revenue compared to the previous season. The company noted that nearly 3,000 guests participated in its Antarctic voyages, with stateroom occupancy averaging just under 90%.The season featured the introduction of expert-led snowshoeing excursions, allowing guests to explore snow-covered terrains beyond standard landing sites. These approximately 90-minute activities, guided by two experienced mountaineers, were well-received and are set to become a regular feature in future Antarctic itineraries, subject to snow conditions.Looking ahead, Swan Hellenic has unveiled its[...]

On April 13, 2025, the AIDAmar kicked off this year’s cruise season in Warnemünde, opening the summer program in the Baltic.AIDA said that the AIDAmar and AIDAdiva will regularly turn in Warnemünde for the 2025 season and sail in Northern Europe.The AIDAdiva is returning to Warnemünde after an extensive modernization. In time for the first port party of the year, the ship is expected to be in port on Saturday April 26 at 6 p.m. and stay overnight until April 27 at 5 p.m., the company said in a press release.On April 27, the AIDAmar is also expected[...]

On April 17, 2025, the MSC Foundation officially inaugurated its Marine Conservation Center at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in The Bahamas, marking a significant advancement in marine research and coral restoration initiatives.The facility is equipped with a bio-lab, a land-based coral nursery named The Aquaria housing 22 coral tanks, and a 50-seat lecture hall designed for educational programs and scientific collaboration. Additional features include interactive pavilions and a Discovery Pavilion offering guided tours, interactive exhibits, and hands-on coral restoration activities for visitors.Serving as the central hub for the MSC Foundation’s Super Coral Programme, initiated in 2019, the[...]

Hurtigruten is calling for new policies for the large cruise ships that operate in Norway, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Gerry Larsson-Fedde, said at an industry event earlier this month.“We are seeing an incredible increase in the traffic of these big cruise ships,” he explained, noting that Hurtigruten has been operating in the country for 132 years.“We really need to have some kind of strategy in Norway on how we’re going to handle this moving forward because they also go to some of the same ports as we do,” Larsson-Fedde continued.These larger ships are creating challenges, he added,[...]