Three New Cruise Lines to Alaska in 2026

Three New Cruise Lines to Alaska in 2026

Three cruise lines are adding cruises to Alaska to their schedule in the summer of 2026: Azamara, MSC, and Virgin.

Returning to the destination after a seven-year hiatus, Azamara will offer a series of ten- to 13-night cruises in Alaska and Canada starting in May 2026.

Sailing in the region for the first time, the Azamara Pursuit will operate open-jaw itineraries that sail between Whittier and Vancouver.

According to Azamara, the voyages were created to prioritize unspoiled destinations, visiting locations such as Kodiak, Dutch Harbor and Icy Strait Point.

The deployment will also include excursions aimed at bringing guests closer to natural beauty, unparalleled wildlife and authentic culture, Azamara said.

MSC Cruises will debut for the first time in Alaska in 2026, with the MSC Poesia offering a series of seven-night cruises from Seattle.

The season runs from early May to late September and includes a regular itinerary that visits Ketchikan, Icy Strait Hoonah, Tracy Arm, Juneau and Victoria.

In a press release, MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato said that the new operation in Alaska and Canada further expands the company’s global offerings by sailing to a must-see region.

Virgin Voyages is also debuting in Alaska in 2026 with the new Brilliant Lady. After entering service in late 2025, the ship is scheduled to spend its first summer season in the region.

From May to September, the Brilliant Lady offers 17 voyages to 12 destinations in Alaska, including Sitka, Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.

Ranging from seven to 12 nights, Virgin’s itineraries sail from Seattle and Vancouver and also include destinations in Canada, such as Prince Rupert and Victoria.

According to the company, the cruises will give guests opportunities to experience Alaska’s wildlife and landscapes while taking part in activities that include salmon fishing, glacier trekking, lumberjack shows and dog sledding.

As one of the most popular cruise destinations in the world, Alaska accounted for nearly five per cent of the industry’s market share this year, according to data from the 2024 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

Azamara Expands Atlas Bar Experience Across its Fleet

Azamara Expands Atlas Bar Experience Across its Fleet

Following the Azamara Onward's debut, Azamara is expanding the ship's exclusive Atlas Bar to the rest of its fleet this spring, starting in August 2022, according to a press release.

The Atlas Bar Experience, which is available in The Den lounge and features some of the speciality venue's most well-liked destination-inspired libations, is available to guests on any of Azamara's ships, according to the company.

This spring, the Atlas Bar debuted as a special addition to the Azamara Onward. The speciality venue serves inventive handmade cocktails inspired by Azamara ships' visits to a variety of interesting locales, which can be matched with an exotic premium menu of small meals served hot and cold.

“The response from our guests about Atlas Bar has been even more positive than we had anticipated. The designer created a beautiful space that really complements the cocktail and food menus that our food and beverage team worked so hard to perfect. I couldn’t be more proud of the team’s work here, and we wanted to be able to offer the experience on our other ships, even if we didn’t have the same physical space,” said Scott Daniels, assistant vice president of hotel operations for Azamara.

The offer will be available on the Azamara Journey, Azamara Pursuit, and Azamara Quest. The Taste St. Tropez aboard the Azamara Journey's seven-night Med Springtime Voyage, Sip the Osaka Spice on the Azamara Quest's twelve-night Hong Kong to Tokyo Voyage and Have a glass of the Grand Bazaar on the Azamara Pursuit's twelve-night Black Sea Intensive Voyage are among the destination-inspired concoctions at Atlas Bar that are perfectly paired with upcoming Azamara voyages.

Royal Caribbean Group Pandemic Exits: 10 Ships Have Now Left the Fleet

Royal Caribbean Group Pandemic Exits: 10 Ships Have Now Left the Fleet

The Royal Caribbean Group has sold a total of ten cruise ships since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the new Secondhand Market Report by Cruise Industry News.

While most of the exits are related to Pullmantur’s liquidation and Azamara’s sale, four ships have also left the fleet of Royal Caribbean International and Silversea Cruises.   

Cruise Industry News looks into the vessels that left the fleet and their fates:

Ship: Monarch
Brand: Pullmantur Cruceros
Year Built: 1991
Original Cost: $300 million
Capacity: 2,390 guests
Tonnage: 73,941
Date: July 2020
Fate: Scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey

Ship: Sovereign
Brand: Pullmantur Cruceros
Year Built: 1988
Original Cost: $185 million
Capacity: 2,322 guests
Tonnage: 73,192
Date: July 2020
Fate: Scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey

Ship: Horizon
Brand: Pullmantur Cruceros
Year Built: 1990
Original Cost: $185 million
Capacity: 1,442 guests
Tonnage: 47,000
Date: July 2020
Fate: Laid up in Elefsis, Greece

Ship: Empress of the Seas
Brand: Royal Caribbean International
Year Built: 1990
Original Cost: $170 million
Capacity: 1,607 guests
Tonnage: 48,563
Date: December 2020
Fate: Sold to Cordelia Cruises; now sailing in India as the Empress

Ship: Majesty of the Seas
Brand: Royal Caribbean International
Year Built: 1992
Original Cost: $300 million
Capacity: 2,354 guests
Tonnage: 73,941
Date: December 2020
Fate: Laid up in Greece after being bought by Seajets, a Greek ferry operator 

 

Ship: Azamara Journey
Brand: Azamara
Year Built: 2000
Original Cost: $190 million
Capacity: 718 guests
Tonnage: 30,200
Date: January 2021
Fate: Sold to Sycamore Partners along with the Azamara brand

Ship: Azamara Quest
Brand: Azamara
Year Built: 2000
Original Cost: $150 million
Capacity: 710 guests
Tonnage: 30,200
Date: January 2021
Fate: Sold to Sycamore Partners along with the Azamara brand

 

Ship: Azamara Pursuit
Brand: Azamara
Year Built: 2001
Original Cost: $190 million
Capacity: 710 guests
Tonnage: 30,200
Date: January 2021
Fate: Sold to Sycamore Partners along with the Azamara brand

Ship: Silver Galapagos
Brand: Silversea Cruises
Year Built: 1990
Original Cost: $20 million
Capacity: 100 guests
Tonnage: 4,077
Date: June 2021
Fate: Replaced by a new build; laid up in Panama after being renamed Mantra

Ship: Silver Explorer
Brand: Silversea Cruises
Year Built: 1989
Capacity: 132 guests
Tonnage: 6,130
Date: January 2022
Fate: Sold to a startup named Exploris; leaving the fleet in September 2023

Azamara to Drop Pre-Embarkation Testing

The line will ditch testing on Monday (25 July) in countries where the protocol is no longer legally required

The line will ditch testing on Monday (25 July) but will still require proof of vaccination prior to embarkation from all guests aged over 12.

 

Azamara said it recommends all guests departing from any port undergo testing before getting onboard – but results will not be needed to be shown in order to sail.

 

At ports where pre-cruise testing remains, guests must produce a negative Covid test before sailing.

 

Carol Cabezas, Azamara president, said the easing of the line’s testing policy “marks a step in the right direction towards a return to normalcy for the travel and cruising industry”.

 

“Cruising is one of the safest ways to travel, and our existing health and safety protocols onboard will ensure peace of mind for our guests and crew as we move forward,” she said.

Major Revitalizations

Major Revitalizations

Independence of the Seas in Drydock.

Among the big out-of-water projects for Royal Caribbean Cruises, this year are revitalizations of the Adventure, Mariner and Independence of the Seas, plus the complete refurbishment and transformation of the Adonia into the Azamara Pursuit.

The company’s large-scale drydocking projects are overseen by the newbuild and innovation department, headed by up Kevin Douglas, vice president, who joined Royal in 2004 as a project manager overseeing a large-scale revitalization on the Sovereign of the Seas.

While smaller dry dockings (known as a “shave and a haircut”) are generally run by the brands, Douglas said his group comes together to plan the big changes, working closely with the operations teams to craft a program vision, whether it’s the Royal Advantage or Celebrity’s recent $400 million Edge-upgrade scheme.

With a schedule that calls for dry dockings every five years, the planning starts with a holistic look at each ship, and how they fit into the class and the brand

“The principal goal is how we improve the guest experience, offering a more meaningful product,” said Douglas. That ranges from stateroom upgrades to new restaurants and other features like the FlowRider surfing simulator. “We look at how we can add in IT and the smart ship concept, upgrading the technical experience and entertainment.”

Projects are evaluated not only on cost but in the number of containers and raw materials needed.

“We know how much material we can deal with on a daily basis, and that determines how much time we need,” Douglas said.

The technical scope of jobs is increasingly complex.

“Then we look at the stability of the ship with the increase in weight and the increase of the centre of gravity, and whether we have to add a ducktail to the stern.”

Another major technical project has been installing scrubbers (the company prefers to call them Advanced Emissions Purification Systems).

“They are about the size of a school bus,” Douglas noted.

Royal Caribbean has had its scrubber program going for five years, with some 20 ships outfitted with various systems from a number of suppliers with the project being overseen directly by Matti Heikkinen, vice president of newbuild.

“He and his team have done an awesome job,” added Douglas.

Under the waterline, the company has an on-going initiative to study hull coatings, with a new direction expected to be announced in early 2018.

“There is a massive benefit on fuel efficiency on drag and resistance,” Douglas said.

That project is being spearheaded by Captain Patrik Dahlgren, senior vice president of global marine operations, and Anshul Tuteja, director of energy management.

“We are looking at every type of paint, and which coatings work best in what areas,” Douglas explained. “Patrick and Anshul are looking very carefully, and we can actually track the performance of a hull coating relating to efficiency and how much fouling they are getting.

“We probably have every type of paint coating in the fleet, and are now starting to review final recommendations for future coatings.”

Royal Caribbean has also grown the scope of its drydocking work along with its shipyards, continually working to get leaner and manage bigger projects.

“Twelve years ago we were doing 12 to 16 containers a day and thought ‘wow.’ Now we are doing 50 containers a day and think nothing of it.”

And the spending is skyrocketing.

“We used to be at $800,000 per day, and now its $2.8 million; and we want to go even higher,” Douglas said.

The next hurdle may come in Asia, with a number of company ships in China. One of those ships has already been in a Chinese drydock for a repair, which Douglas said went well. SkySea also recently drydocked at a yard in China for a small refit.

Years of planning, million-dollar decisions and executing on a tight schedule, Douglas said it all came down to partnerships, whether internal, whether with the shipyards or with turnkey suppliers.

“It’s about how we do these projects in a short period of time, minimizing the risk and maximizing the planning.”

Azamara Pursuit to sail Norway itinerary for the first cruise

P&O Adonia to become Azamara Pursuit.

The first Azamara Pursuit cruise will depart Southampton, England, on Aug. 1 and visit eight Norwegian destinations, including Kristiansand, Flam and Haugesund, with overnight stays in Oslo and Bergen.

The Azamara Pursuit is being acquired from P&O Cruises, where it sailed under the name Adonia. It was built for Renaissance Cruises in 2001. It will be Azamara Club Cruises' third ship.

Prior to its first Azamara departure, the ship will be refurbished at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland, by outfitting specialist MJM Group. Work will begin in the spring and will be completed by the end of July.

Following the Norwegian voyage, the Azamara Pursuit will sail a cruise in Iceland departing Aug. 13, a christening voyage on Aug. 28, and then a "wine and romance" itinerary departing Southampton on Aug. 30.

Azamara Pursuit to be christened in Southampton

Azamara Pursuit to be christened in Southampton

Azamara Club Cruises’ new ship Azamara Pursuit will be christened in Southampton after agents helped to double the usual sales from the UK market.

It will be the first time the brand has christened a ship, as both Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest went straight into service after refit when purchased.

Neither ship has a godmother.

The decision to christen Azamara Pursuit in the UK comes after the ship received double the demand of bookings from the UK market than its sister ships achieve.

The brand put the success down to the “speedy response of the trade” in pushing marketing messages to their customers and to a surge of interest from fans of P&O Cruises’ Adonia (the name of the ship before it changes hands to Azamara).

Azamara chief operating office Carol Cabezas said there would be “strong representation from UK agents and media” at the christening and two-night celebratory cruise.

She said: “This ship has a very strong British heritage and it has a fantastic following here. Plus we have seen a tremendous amount of demand from the UK audience – the general sourcing has doubled in Pursuit against the normal UK contribution.”

“We’ve never had a christening in our brand’s history and we want to do that in Southampton.”

After being revamped, the ship will leave the dry dock for Barcelona on August 3 to sail to Southampton. When it reaches the British port, it will sail on an Icelandic itinerary before returning to Southampton to be christened on August 28.

UK managing director Richard Twynam applauded how quickly key partners “jumped on board” with Pursuit. He particularly referenced the work of Bolsover Cruise Club and Reader Offers.

“Bolsover had a huge Adonia base and that’s been brilliant,” he said. “And Reader Offers has created some beautiful and extremely clever print marketing campaigns around our deployment announcements.”

The search for the ship’s godmother is underway, but Cabezas said it would be a woman who embodied the line’s love of destinations and travel.

Azamara's third ship going places the line has never been

Azamara Pursuit, how the P&O Adonia will look.

Azamara Club Cruises announced the itineraries for its ship coming in 2018, saying they include 15 ports of call never before visited by an Azamara ship.

Currently sailing as P&O Cruises' Adonia, the Azamara Pursuit will be refurbished in drydock before making its initial voyage for Azamara, a 15-day "Wonders of Iceland" voyage departing Aug. 13, 2018. From there it will move to a 13-night "Wine and Romance" cruise from Southampton to Barcelona. The Pursuit will be Azamara's third ship.

The ship's first year will also include South America voyages, including an initial call in Antofagasta, Chile, where guests can go star-gazing in the northern Chilean desert. The ship will also visit the Chilean fjords and cruise the Beagle Channel at the tip of South America, and stop for two more Azamara maiden calls in Chile -- Laguna San Rafael and San Antonio -- as well as three such stops in Peru -- Lima (Callao), Pisco (San Martin), and Salaverry (Truhillo), along with Maceio in Brazil.

Other maiden calls for Azamara on the Pursuit will be Monemvasia, Samos and Spetses in Greece and Seyoisfjorour in Iceland.

While in Iceland, guests will be able to take an elevator into the magma chamber of dormant volcano Thrihnukagigur.

Azamara said that altogether the Pursuit will increase the brand's destination offerings by 40%. Guests will also be offered a total of 48 late nights in port and 26 overnights.

Royal Caribbean Cruises to buy Adonia from P&O Cruises

Royal Caribbean Cruises to buy Adonia from P&O Cruises

Azamara Club Cruises is to buy P&O Cruises’ ship Adonia, taking its fleet to three ships.

The 30,000-ton ship will join Royal Caribbean Cruises’ upmarket Azamara fleet in March 2018.

It will be renamed Azamara Pursuit and will join two similar-sized ships – Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest.

The 704-passenger ship will undergo refurbishment before Azamara takes delivery. Information about deployment and itineraries will be released in October.

Adonia’s last cruise for P&O will be on February 23 to March 9 starting and ending in Barbados.

Guests booked on any Adonia cruises after March 2018 will be contacted directly either by P&O Cruises or their travel agent.

Adonia returned to P&O’s fleet in Southampton in June after a year on secondment to social impact brand Fathom when it ran the first US sailings from Miami to Cuba in 50 years.

Most recently, the adults-only ship has been running a series of “discovery” itineraries with P&O, including a seven-night cruise to Bordeaux, Honfleur and Guernsey.

P&O Cruises senior vice president Paul Ludlow said: “During her time with us Adonia has captured the hearts of many thousands of P&O Cruises guests. She has ventured into new ports of call around the globe and has negotiated Icelandic Fjords, European rivers and Caribbean coves. We will ensure that these discovery itineraries are continued on other ships in the fleet.

“With almost six months until Adonia leaves the fleet, we will ensure that each of the cruises in her final season with us are extra special and celebratory.”

President and chief executive of Azamara Club Cruises Larry Pimental said: “We are pleased to expand our portfolio by 50%, allowing us to visit even more regions of the world through the acquisition of this sister ship.

“Our loyal guests and travel partners have asked for this expansion for a long time; we are very pleased to deliver this to them.”

Last year, Pimentel described extra capacity in the luxury cruise sector as “too much, too quick and too fast” and warned it would drive down prices.

Earlier this month Silversea Cruises announced it would launch a new ship in 2020 and unveiled plans to build two more.

Ritz-Carlton also revealed its plans to enter the cruise sector with three yachts, while Celebrity Cruises has three ships on order, Ponant has four, and Crystal Cruises, Scenic, Seabourn and Star Clippers also have new vessels set to launch.