Welcome to the weekly Cruise News Digest. Here you can catch up on the past week’s cruise news and all things La Lido Loca.
Let’s dive in!
Due to conflict in the Red Sea, Royal Caribbean is making necessary itinerary changes to the third segment of its 274-night Ultimate World Cruise aboard Serenade of the Seas and in an unprecedented move, guests have been given the opportunity to choose the changes to their itinerary and ports of call. Voting began on Wednesday, February 21st and the winner will be announced on Tuesday, February 27th.
AIDA Cruises will begin its largest and most extensive modernization program in its fleet. Dubbed “ADIA Evolution,” the program will begin with the renovation of three of its Sphinx-class ships–ADIAdiva, AIDAbella and AIDAluna–in 2025 and 2026. AIDA Evolution will upgrade the interior design and spaces as well as its technical equipment and systems.
MSC Cruises has introduced a new “Open Booking” program. Onboard guests are able to make future cruise reservations for as little as a $100 deposit but do not need to know which ship, itinerary or date they plan to cruise. If they make their decision within 60 days of deposit they will also receive $200 in onboard credit per stateroom. This deal offers MSC Voyagers Club Members who book while onboard double points and the ability to stack their booking discount with other offers.
Back in the news is AIDA Cruises with the announcement of their 2025/2026 World Cruise aboard AIDAdiva. Her 128-day XXL grand voyage is the longest in the company’s history. She will sail from November 10, 2025 to March 18, 2026, visit 53 ports, 28 countries and four continents. One of the many highlights of the cruise is the celebration of New Year’s Eve in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Carnival Corporation has announced plans for a $100 million pier expansion at Celebration Key, the cruise line’s private destination on Grand Bahama Island that is expected to open in the summer of 2025. Once completed, the four berths will be able to handle Carnival’s Excel-class ships, the largest ships in the fleet, simultaneously.
Carnival Cruise Line also shared details of the new Currents zone onboard Carnival Jubilee. The under-water themed zone spans Decks 6 and 7 and showcases “Seaquest: A Fun Sub Adventure.” Seaquest features six huge LED Portals to the Sea and a 100-foot-long wave-like ceiling which is intended to make guests feel like they are in an actual submarine.
There you have it. This week’s Cruise News Digest. You can watch the replay of CruiseDay Night Live with Tony and the lovely Jenny B on the La Lido Loca channel as they talk about their upcoming transatlantic cruise. Tony also welcomed Ilana from Life Well Cruised to the podcast this week as she offered a wealth of information about how to make your cruise vacation more efficient and enjoyable.
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