58 | CRUISE NEWS
CELEBRITY the
Celebrity Cruises Announces Amazing Caribbean and South American Itineraries Cruises has revealed
highlights of the Caribbean
Bermuda, Iceland and South America 2025-2026 season. The cruise line’s fleet of 17 award- winning ships will see nine ships sail the Caribbean islands, with four Edge Series ships including the highly anticipated Celebrity Xcel which is set to debut in November 2025. For travellers looking for otherworldly adventures, Celebrity is offering its first mini-season in Iceland and returning to South America, offering an array of awe-inspiring itineraries. Celebrity Cruises is delighted to return
passengers to the turquoise waters of The Caribbean with an abundant offering of sailings to match every traveller’s needs. With new sailings that visit more than 25 countries and 65 of the best places in the Caribbean, guests will enjoy island hopping as they explore the region’s hotspots. Highlights include the return to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Antigua, Bahamas, and the top-rated ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao), famous for their jaw-dropping beaches, colourful architecture, and distinct Dutch flair with even more ways to relax on island time and bask in Caribbean breezes. For winter 2025-2026, Celebrity will
offer nine ships in the region across four different Florida ports, giving guests the ultimate flexibility. For the 2025-2026 summer season, Celebrity will offer three ships in the region with the most comprehensive Caribbean offering to date. Celebrity Xcel – making her debut in
the Caribbean in November 2025, she will sail her inaugural winter season with 7-night itineraries from Fort Lauderdale with alternate itineraries to Bahamas, Mexico and Cayman Islands, and Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. Celebrity Beyond – For the first time
ever, Celebrity Cruises will sail year- round out of Miami, with 7-night sailings to the Eastern Caribbean visiting Antigua, Tortola, and the Bahamas. Guests will have the opportunity to explore and indulge in the Caribbean like never before, as almost every itinerary will include a call at Perfect Day at CocoCay, the ultimate private island destination, with its new exclusive adults-only area – Hideaway Beach. Celebrity Ascent – Allowing guests to
make the most of a longer Caribbean holiday onboard one of the line’s newest ships, Celebrity Ascent will sail 10 and 11-night itineraries through the historic Panama Canal and Southern Caribbean beaches of Antigua, Barbados, and St. Lucia. Celebrity has Florida covered from
coast to coast, as Celebrity Apex will be the first Edge Series ship sailing from Port Canaveral, and Celebrity Constellation returns to Tampa, both offering 7-night sailings for more flexibility. These sailings will visit the iconic Western Caribbean ports of Key West, Bimini, Puerto Rico, Cozumel, and Belize. For the first time, Celebrity Silhouette
and Celebrity Eclipse will sail from Fort Lauderdale, offering guests more of their all-time favourites. Silhouette will offer 8-night sailings to the popular ‘ABC’ islands, and Eclipse will offer 8-night and 6-night holidays to Dominica, Antigua, San Juan, Grand Cayman, Bahamas and Mexico.
Opening February 2024, Celebrity
will be offering sailings on Celebrity Reflection with trips to Perfect Day at CocoCay and Celebrity Summit to Key West & Bahamas.
www.nitravelnews.com
January 2024
Lionel Messi Named Offical Icon For Royal Caribbean’s New Vacation
AN iconic kickoff is set to mark the start of a new era of holidays when Royal Caribbean International’s revolutionary Icon of the Seas debuts January 2024. The world’s largest cruise line has revealed sports icon Lionel Messi is the official Icon of Icon of the Seas. As the Icon of the first-of-its-kind combination of every holiday, the most decorated football player in history will welcome the new ship at an exclusive naming celebration in Miami. Widely regarded as the greatest of all time, Messi has and continues to
set a long list of records throughout his career that includes winning the prestigious Ballon d’Or award eight times and being named TIME’s 2023 Athlete of the Year for ushering in a new era of football in the U.S. when he joined Royal Caribbean partner and new Leagues Cup champion Inter Miami CF. In its own right, Icon has also marked record-breaking moments. The highly anticipated vacation’s reveal in October 2022 spurred the
Hurtigruten and HX Reveal Next Phase of Rebrand
HX and sister brand Hurtigruten are unveiling the next phase of their new brand identities following the initial announcement in September. In anticipation of Wave Season, the
brands launch new visual profiles, websites, social channels, brochures, booking materials, and more to
solidify
advertisements their
distinct
brand identities: Hurtigruten Expeditions launched
the world’s first expedition cruise in 1896. Now transforming to HX, the company is the global leader in expedition cruising. Taking curious travellers to over 250 destinations in more than 30 countries worldwide, HX is committed to ensuring guests return home with a deep understanding and love of the places they explore. Hurtigruten Norway,
which
celebrated 130 years of operating the original Norwegian Coastal Express this summer,
will continue with
the iconic name, simplified to just Hurtigruten, signifying “the fast route”
MSC WORLD EUROPA SUCCESSFULLY
CONNECTS TO SHORE POWER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE MED SEA
MSC Cruises has successfully connected MSC World Europa to shore power in the port of Valetta, Malta – the first operational shore power facility in the Mediterranean.
The line is committed to the use of shore power wherever it is available, as it is an integral part of the company’s journey towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Seadream Yacht Club Upgrade Fleet with
Shore Power Connectivity
LUXURY boutique cruise line SeaDream
Yacht Club will
upgrade its entire fleet with shore power connectivity, enabling zero emissions in ports.
Being able to connect to
shoreside electricity enables the yachts to turn off their engines and reduce emissions
in Norwegian. “This marks a defining moment as
HX and Hurtigruten embark on the next phase of their distinct journeys as leaders in global sustainable travel,” said Daniel Skjeldam, CEO of Hurtigruten Group. Both HX and Hurtigruten are wholly owned by Hurtigruten Group, forming a portfolio of sustainable travel brands that includes extensive land-based activities such as hotels, restaurants, and more through Hurtigruten Svalbard.
Additionally, the group
holds a 25-percent stake in Ecuador- based Metropolitan Touring, known for pioneering sustainable travel in the Galápagos Islands.
single largest booking day and highest volume booking week in the cruise line’s then 53-year history, confirming vacationers are looking for a getaway that combines the best of every type of vacation – from the beach retreat to the resort escape and the theme park adventure – now more than ever. With six record-setting waterslides, seven pools, the first neighborhood designed for young families, more than 40 ways to dine, drink and be entertained, and more, Icon is where every type of family and adventurer can make memories together and on their own without compromise. “I’m thrilled and honored to join the Royal Caribbean family to celebrate
the arrival of the game-changing Icon of the Seas,” said Lionel Messi, Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of Icon. “Icon is beyond anything else that’s out there for family vacations, with incredible never-before-seen features, all designed for making memories together.” Messi’s new role follows the recent announcement of Royal Caribbean
and Inter Miami CF’s unprecedented partnership in which the cruise line is the Club’s Main Partner and Official Vacation Partner. United in the sense of leadership, passion and delivering unforgettable moments to fans and vacationers, Royal Caribbean and Inter Miami CF will also celebrate the arrival of Icon with the next phase of the partnership – details which will be revealed at a later date. “Icon of the Seas is the culmination of more than 50 years of delivering
memorable vacations, and it’s set to live up to its name in more ways than one when it changes the vacation industry in January 2024,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “It’s that ability to make such a widespread impact and change the status quo that the Icon of Icon must personify, and Lionel Messi has proven to be the perfect example of that for years in the world of sports and most recently in introducing a new era of excitement and passion for footbal in Miami and the U.S.” As part of a longstanding maritime tradition, Messi will take part in the
iconic naming celebration for Icon in January 2024 in Miami. The Icon of Icon will have the honor of bestowing safekeeping onto the new ship, its crew and the millions of families who will create memories of a lifetime on board in the years to come. Whether “family holiday” means getting away as a family, couple or
friends, everyone can make memories their way every day with Icon’s all-encompassing lineup of firsts and next-level favorites across eight neighborhoods. Each neighborhood is a destination in itself filled with a variety of experiences, live entertainment, restaurants, bars and more. Rounding out the world’s best holiday are the sun-soaked destinations vacationers can visit year-round while on Icon. Each 7-night Eastern or Western Caribbean adventure from Miami is all about island hopping, featuring idyllic locales across the Caribbean – like Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas – and an unmatched day of thrill and chill at Royal Caribbean’s award-winning private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas. Plus, dialing up the perfect on Perfect Day in January 2024 is the private island’s first adults- only oasis, Hideaway Beach, an all-day experience complete with a private beach, pools, spots for drinks and bites, exclusive cabanas, live music and more.
to zero in ports that offer shore power facilities. The upgrades make SeaDream Yacht Club the first luxury cruise line to retrofit its entire fleet with shore power connectivity. “This is a significant milestone and an important step in our journey to more sustainable cruising,”
said Andreas Brynestad of
SeaDream Yacht Club. SeaDream II successfully underwent the upgrade during a recent planned yard-stay at Naval Rocha Yard in Lisbon, Portugal. Identical sister ship SeaDream I will be upgraded during her planned yard stay in April 2024.
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