Cruise News October 22, 2017

Fall is officially upon us. The autumn foliage is now in full effect, and the New England and Canada cruise season is in overdrive. Still, we kept our eye on all the travel updates coming from all around the world this week. Not missing a beat, we have the latest cruise line and destination news in this edition of Cruise News October 22, 2017.

Cruise News October 22, 2017

Celebrity Edge to Sail Europe in 2019

It is going to be one hot European cruise season for Celebrity Cruises’ fans. The cruise line detailed its schedule this week, and it included a little surprise. The cruise line will now have five ships sailing in the region. Among those that will offer European and Mediterranean cruises will be the newest ship in the fleet. Celebrity Edge will spend its first summer season in Europe. In addition, the cruise line will be traveling to 90 different ports, including three inaugural visits to new ports, such as Santa Margherita, Italy. Along with Celebrity Edge, the line will deploy Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Reflection, and Celebrity Silhouette visiting various ports of call in the region.

Celebrity Edge Will Sail in Europe in 2019 (Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises)

Ships Returning to St. Thomas Soon

More good news came out of the Caribbean this week. A few days ago, it was announced that cruise lines will be returning to St. Thomas next month. Leading the way is Royal Caribbean. The line’s Adventure of the Seas will be the first ship to return to the island since Hurricane Irma. The November 10th call for the ship is a welcomed sign for many of the businesses and residents on the island. Royal Caribbean also indicated that they are working with government officials to help support local restaurants, tour operators, and other businesses prepare for the ship’s arrival. The line is also assisting efforts to restore the popular Magen’s Bay Beach in time for Adventure of the Seas’ stop.

Ships Will Soon be Pulling into St. Thomas – Cruise News October 22, 2017

Symphony of the Seas Will Set Sail early

The good news just kept coming this week. In more exciting updates, Royal Caribbean indicated that Symphony of the Seas’ construction is ahead of schedule. Given this is the fourth Oasis-class ship, the shipyard and cruise line have become more efficient at building and finishing these innovative ships. The line will now be offering three pre-inaugural cruises. These additional sailings will take place starting March 31st of next year. Departing from Barcelona, Spain, the one five night and two seven night cruises will visit popular ports in the Mediterranean, ahead of the official inaugural cruise on April 21, 2018.

Viking Ocean Cruises’ Sixth Ship Under Construction

Given Viking Ocean Cruises explosive growth, it is no surprise that there is more news from this young cruise line. As the Viking Sun, the fourth ship in the fleet, has just launched, the line has laid the keel for its sixth ship in the class. Yes, the fifth ship, Viking Orion, is already under construction by Fincantieri ship yard and is expected to be delivered sometime next year. The still unnamed sixth ship will begin exploring the Mediterranean and other parts of the global in 2019. Two more ships are expected in 2021 and 2022, bring the fleet’s total number of vessels to 8.

Viking Sun (Courtesy of Viking Ocean Cruises)

MSC Splendida Heading to China

MSC Cruises will be sending one of the line’s largest ships to China in 2018. The line revealed details of the ship’s upcoming refurbishment that will get the ship ready for its new home. Among the changes is a new restaurant created in partnership with celebrity chef, Jereme Leung. The ship will also get an industry first artificial intelligence system. Utilizing the onboard WiFi, this system will be a multi-language translation system, which will allow communication between guests and crew members who speak different languages.

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