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!
Royal Caribbean International announced a partnership with Ponting Wines to deliver memorable holidays on cruises from October 2023 to April 2024 from Brisbane and Sydney, Australia. Ponting Wines is known for its uncompromising, premium wines and six of Ponting’s award-winning wines will be featured on board Ovation of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas.
This week MSC Meraviglia and Europa I made maiden calls at Newport, Rhode Island and New York City respectively. MSC Meraviglia arrived on Monday, September 25, 2023, in Newport, Rhode Island as part of her inaugural Canada and New England Itineraryout of New York City. The 171,598 gross ton Meraviglia-class cruise ship carries up to 5,700 passengers and is the largest ship to visit Newport this year. The call is part of MSC Meraviglia’s inaugural Canada and New England itinerary out of New York City.
Also on Monday, September 25, 2023, Explora I arrived in New York City marking Explora Journeys debut in the United States. Explora Journeys is the luxury brand for MSC Cruises. The traditional exchange of crests celebrating the maiden call took place onboard Explora I while docked at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal
In Princess Cruises news, the cruise line announced they will be elevating the culinary experience at sea with the debut of the cruise line’s first Sphere-class ship, Sun Princess, debuting in February 2024. The largest-ever ship for Princess Cruises will offer 29 new and signature dining and lounge options with everything from speciality to casual dining—something for every cruiser’s palate.
This week also brought the news that some of the major cruise lines and New York City created an agreement between the cruise lines and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) to prioritize sustainability, expand community benefits, and offer a strong boost to tourism for the city.
The cruise industry is a major part of tourism in New York City and brings hundreds of thousands of guests into the city each year as such these agreements are designed to not only benefit the local community but ensure the cruise industry continues to thrive.
Carnival Cruise Line is back in the news again this week with more details of itineraries sailing to Celebration Key. Beginning July 2025, 12 ships will sail regularly from 8 homeports and visit Celebration Key during their voyage. The nearly 400 itineraries visiting Celebration Key in 2025 and 2026 went on sale this past week.
There you have it. This week’s Cruise News Digest. Did you keep up with Tony (and Don) and their Princess cruise this past week? You can get even more cruise news and views at La Lido Loca, along with extra content and the podcast at La Lido Loca Two. Follow along with Tony’s weight loss journey at Have To Lose or join in on the conversation via social media on the La Lido Cruising Community and the Have to Lose Support Crew group pages.