24 | CRUISE NEWS
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Royal Caribbean Celebrates Major Milestone with Yet-To-Be-Named Ship
July/August 2026
Princess Cruises Reveals Largest Programme for 2028
PRINCESS Cruises has launched its biggest-ever Europe programme for 2028. The programme will feature
ROYAL Caribbean celebrated a major construction milestone for it’s seventh Oasis Class ship with a keel-laying ceremony. Taking lace at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint Nazaire, France, the event officially marked the start of assembly of the new ship and kicks off the next two years of construction ahead of its anticipated 2028 debut. During the ceremony, teams from Royal Caribbean and Chantiers de l’Atlantique placed a layer of freshly minted coins beneath the first steel block in the dry dock, known as the keel. The long-standing maritime tradition celebrates the beginning of the ship’s journey by wishing good fortune to the ship, its crew and future vacationers. The soon-to-be-named ship will join the Oasis Class lineup in 2028.
291 departures with 150 itineraries across six ships including, Caribbean Princess, Regal Princess, Majestic Princess, Enchanted Princess, Sky Princess and Sun Princess. As part of the 2028 programme,
Amadeus River Cruises Launch New Luxury 5-Star Programme
AMADEUS River Cruises welcomed its newest ship, Amadeus Aurea, with a celebratory christening in Amsterdam on 15th May 2026. Amadeus Aurea has now embarked on
its maiden season in Europe’s Rhine and Danube rivers. The ship’s godmother, Kristie Keller,
a long standing partner of Amadeus, ceremoniously christened the ship in maritime tradition. Guest and partners were invited to
MSC Unveils Most Distinctive Experience Onboard MSC World Asia
MSC Cruises has released new images of MSC World Asia’s remarkable onboard experience, The Spiral Tree of Life. Located in the heart of The Harbour, The Spiral Tree of life is set to be the largest dry slide at sea and will become a social hub for guests and families. It will also feature a walkway that wraps around the Tree of Life, leading guests to the 81.3 metre dry slide that stretches across 12 decks. The Tree of Life is Asian inspired, with a focus on contemporary Asian cities and the iconic Supertrees of Singapore’s Marina Bay and will also be a focal point for onboard entertainment. MSC World Asia is currently under construction at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, with the new flagship set to begin Mediterranean cruises from 4 December 2026.
experience the ship firsthand with an exclusive cruise through Amsterdam’s harbour. Wolfgang Lüftner, founder and CEO of Amadeus River Cruises said: “With the launch of the AMADEUS
Aurea, we are continuing our long-term commitment to investing in the future of premium river cruising, “Today’s travellers want meaningful
experiences without compromising on quality, and our goal is to deliver exactly that — a refined river cruise experience that is both responsible and uncompromisingly luxurious.”
there will be 32 late-night calls or overnight stays to allow guests to experience late night vibrant culture.
Late-night calls are featured in
in popular cities such as Belfast, Amsterdam, Oslo, and Tallinn. There will also be 25 ‘Grand Adventure’ itineraries, a new 53 night sailing visiting 128 destinations in 37 countries, the new ‘Ultimate Pole-to-Pole Odyssey’ linking Antarctica and the Arctic as well as Princess first calls to Galway and Killybegs in Ireland. Eithne Williamson, Princess Cruises’ vice president UK, Ireland, and EMEA, said: “This is our most ambitious
Europe programme to date. The 2028 season brings together nearly 300 sailings across six ships, giving agents more opportunities than ever to match their customers
Hays Travel Announce Six Chartered Cruises For Summer 2027
with Europe’s most iconic and culturally rich destinations. “With a broad range of Southampton departures, and more late-night and overnight stays across Europe, we’re giving guests more ways to experience each destination in depth, while making it easier for travel agents to offer greater choice, flexibility and value, and ultimately convert more bookings. “As demand continues for destination-rich
premium
holidays, our 2028 season combines the comfort and service guests expect from Princess with itineraries that allow for deeper, more meaningful exploration across the region.”
EXPLORA III Successfully Completes Sea Trials in the Mediterranean Nash continued, “As the first LNG-powered ship in our
EXPLORA III has successfully completed her sea trials in the Mediterranean, marking another im- portant milestone in the continued expansion of Explora Journeys’ fleet. EXPLORA III is the first LNG-powered ship in the fleet,
and it provides the flexibility to utilise renewable fuels such as bio-LNG and synthetic LNG, alongside continued innovation and energy efficiency. “The completion of EXPLORA III’s sea trials marks
another proud milestone for Explora Journeys as we continue to bring our long-term fleet vision to life,” said Anna Nash, President of Explora Journeys. “EXPLORA III represents the next phase in our growth and reflects our continued commitment to thoughtful innovation, ex- ceptional guest experiences and a conscious approach to luxury ocean travel.
fleet, she also marks an important step in our transition towards lower-emission technologies, supporting our pathway to net zero greenhouse gas emissions for our maritime operations by 2050. This summer, Explora Jour- neys will have three ships sailing – a significant milestone that reflects the strength of our vision and the remarkable momentum behind the brand.” Following her successful sea trials, the ship has re-
turned to Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard near Genoa for interior outfitting and final finishing touches. On track for her delivery, ahead of schedule, EXPLORA III will begin her inaugural season with the Mediterranean Prelude Journey departing on 24 July 2026, arriving in Barcelona for her official naming ceremony on 1 August
2026.
HAYS Travel and
cruise.co.uk have announced six chartered sailings aboard Oceania Nautica for summer 2027, designed specifically for a UK market. The exclusive sailings between 17 July and 26 August 2027, will offer a five-star luxury cruising experience for 650 passengers per itinerary, offering mainly no-fly options from Southampton. This marks the first time Hays Travel Group has chartered a vessel for a complete UK summer season and comes almost a year on since Hays Travel acquired Victoria Travel Group, the parent company of
cruise.co.uk, back in July 2025. Dame Irene Hays said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Chris [Gardner, CEO], Tony [Andrews, MD] and the
cruise.co.uk team on this exclusive charter with Oceania Cruises. Cruise continues to be a key strategic growth area for Hays Travel, and we know our customers will appreciate the luxury experience on board Oceania Nautica and the excellent choice of itineraries.” Jason Montague,Chief Luxury Officer, Oceania Cruises, said: “The British market has long been important to Oceania Cruises, and these exclusive sailings reflect a clear desire for luxury experiences closer to home. Sailing from Southampton aboard Oceania Nautica, our UK guests can enjoy the hallmarks of our brand while exploring some of Europe’s most compelling destinations.”
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