TUI Welcomes Mein Schiff 4’s New Captain Adam Swietlik

TUI Welcomes Mein Schiff 4’s New Captain Adam Swietlik

TUI Cruises promoted Captain Adam Swietlik as the Captain of the Mein Schiff 4.

In a LinkedIn post, the company said: “Swietlik has been part of the TUI Cruises family since 2014 and has taken on various responsible positions within our fleet during this time,  most recently as Staff Captain for several years.”

The company said that Swietlik succeeds Captain Panos Varotsos, and that with more than 20 years of experience at sea and his team-oriented leadership style, he brings the best prerequisites for his new role.

“We wish Swietlik and his crew onboard Mein Schiff 4 all the best, much success and always a hand’s breadth of water under the keel,” TUI Cruises stated.

According to Schiffe Und Kreuzfahrten, Swietlik joined Celebrity Cruises in spring 2010 and, in 2014, moved to TUI Cruises. He worked at the company for five years and was then promoted to Staff Captain in 2019. Świetlik officially assumed command of the vessel on July 19, 2026.

According to the article, Swietlik will first sail the Mein Schiff 4 in the Adriatic Sea.

The ship is currently operating seven-night roundtrip cruises from Trieste, Italy, with visits to ports across Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, and Slovenia. The seasonal program will continue until October.

Swietlik will be the third new TUI Cruises captain brought on in 2026. At the beginning of the year, Kira Schikorr steered the Mein Schiff 6 in Asia for the first time, and Alexander Orendt first captained the Mein Schiff 3 from Bremerhaven.

The company said that the promotions are due, among other things, to the growth of the Mein Schiff fleet.

Deutschland Starts Farewell Season for Phoenix Reisen

Deutschland Starts Farewell Season for Phoenix Reisen

The Deutschland recently sailed from Bremerhaven to kick off its farewell season for German cruise operator Phoenix Reisen.

After undergoing a drydock at the same port in April, the 1998-built vessel started the deployment on May 12, 2026.

The final season includes a series of eight cruises departing from three homeports: Bremerhaven, Cuxhaven and Kiel.

Visiting destinations in Northern Europe, Iceland, the Baltic, and the British Isles, the 520-passenger ship will operate eight- to 22-night cruises.

For the first cruise of the season, the Deutschland offers a 16-night voyage to the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The itinerary is highlighted by visits to 13 destinations, including Belfast, Edinburgh, Douglas, Dover and Portland.

Before ending its summer season for the German brand in early September, the ship also offers a three-week cruise to the Portuguese archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira.

The voyage features calls to Ponta Delgada and Funchal, as well as stops in lesser-visited destinations such as Praia da Vitória and Velas.

Sailing round trip from Cuxhaven, the cruise is also set to visit other destinations in Northern Europe, including Glengariff and Honfleur.

As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, Phoenix Reisen decided not to renew the charter contract of the Deutschland.

Sailing seasonally for the brand since 2015, the vessel will not return to the company’s fleet for the 2027 summer season.

In addition to the ship, the German brand operates the Artania, the Amera and the Amadea on a year-round basis.

After completing its farewell deployment for Phoenix Reisen, the Deutschland is set to be renamed World Odyssey before embarking on another season for Semester at Sea.

As part of the company’s educational cruising platform, the vessel offers two world cruises during the 2026-27 winter season. Further plans for the future of the 22,400-ton ship are still to be announced.

Disney Adventure Embarks on Sea Trials

Disney Adventure Embarks on Sea Trials

The new Disney Adventure sailed from Germany earlier this week to embark on its first set of sea trials.

Currently in the final stages of construction at the MV Werften shipyard, the vessel is now undergoing a series of assessments and trials in the Baltic and North Seas.

Over 1,400 workers are reportedly on board the ship, which is scheduled to be delivered to Disney Cruise Line in late September.

According to Ostsee Zeitung, the Disney Adventure will see testing of technology and systems while sailing to another German port, Bremerhaven.

The week-long trials are also said to include a technical visit to Rügen, an island on the Baltic coast of Germany.

The Disney Adventure is expected to undergo a second set of sea trials later this month.

The 208,000-ton ship is then set to embark on a delivery voyage to Asia ahead of its maiden cruise, which is scheduled to depart from Singapore on December 15, 2025.

As the largest cruise ship in the company’s fleet, the Adventure will be Disney’s first vessel dedicated to Southeast Asia.

Sailing from the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore on a year-round basis, the 6,000-guest ship will offer three- and four-night cruises to nowhere.

The vessel’s schedule in the region was recently extended with the addition of extra departures through December 2026.

In addition to the Disney Adventure, Disney Cruise Line is also welcoming the Disney Destiny to its fleet this year.

The LNG-powered ship is currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany for delivery in the fourth quarter.

As a sister to the Disney Wish and the Disney Treasure, the 2,500-guest vessel is set to welcome guests for its inaugural voyage in November 2025.

Sailing from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades, the Destiny will spend its maiden season offering four- and five-night cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas Marks 10 Years of Service

Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas Marks 10 Years of Service

The Anthem of the Seas recently completed ten years of service for Royal Caribbean International, having been delivered to the company on April 10, 2015.

As a sister to the 2014-built Quantum of the Seas, the vessel was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

Following a delivery ceremony in Bremerhaven, the Anthem sailed for the English port of Southampton to kick off its maiden season.

Before welcoming its first paying guests, the 158,000-ton ship was named by actress Emma Wilby at a special ceremony that took place at its homeport on April 20, 2015.

Sailing round-trip from Southampton, the Anthem offered a series of itineraries to the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands and Northern Europe as part of its maiden season.

The 4,204-guest vessel was later repositioned to the United States for cruises departing from New York Harbour.

For its North American debut, the ship sailed from Cape Liberty Cruise Port to Bermuda and the Caribbean, as well as Canada and New England.

After additional seasons in the United Kingdom and the New York metropolitan area, the Anthem of the Seas recently repositioned to the Pacific Ocean for cruises to other destinations.

As part of a ship shuffle, the vessel debuted in Southeast Asia during the 2024-25 winter, offering cruises from Singapore.

Earlier this year, the Anthem kicked off its first summer deployment in Alaska, offering seven-night cruises that sail from Seattle and also include visits to destinations in Canada.

Before debuting on the West Coast, the vessel also underwent a routine dry dock in Singapore, which included minor updates to staterooms and public areas, as well as technical maintenance.

In mid-October, the ship will reposition to the South Pacific for its inaugural season in Australia. Sailing from Sydney, the Anthem offers itineraries to a wide range of destinations, including Nouméa, Picton and Airlie Beach.

Unscheduled Drydocking for Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience

Unscheduled Drydocking for Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience

Ambassador Cruise Line will go ahead with an unscheduled drydock for the Ambience repairs in Germany following a safety issue found on the ship over the weekend.

The ship was unable to be repaired in the UK, according to the cruise line, and will now sail to Bremerhaven for the work.

While the drydock facility was not named, it could be Lloyd Werft, which is a key drydock in Bremerhaven with a long history of working on cruise vessels.

“We do not compromise on the safety of our guests, staff, or crew,” Ambassador said in a statement. “Therefore, while we have already started work, unfortunately, we are unable to complete it at the Port of Tilbury and therefore Ambience will need to go into drydock.

“She has left London Tilbury this afternoon to go to Bremerhaven where the work and tests will be completed. Regrettably, this will not be concluded in time to operate our Christmas & New Year Canary Islands Cruise, which was due to sail on Wednesday, December 21 2022. We will email all guests this afternoon to further explain and communicate this. We would advise all guests on this sailing to please wait to receive this communication before contacting either us directly or your travel agent.”

The company’s Christmas cruise was set to operate over 15 days to the Canaries. The ship is now expected back in service on Jan 5. 2023 for a 42-night cruise to the Caribbean.

P&O’s New Ship Arvia Set for Ems River Conveyance

P&O’s New Ship Arvia Set for Ems River Conveyance

P&O Cruises’ newest ship, Arvia, will depart Meyer Werft in Papenburg on Saturday, November 5, 2022, when it will be transferred on the Ems River to Eemshaven, Netherlands.

The Arvia is expected to arrive in Eemshaven on Sunday, November 6, where it will see technical and nautical trials before departing for Bremerhaven where it will be delivered to P&O Cruises.

The Arvia will be transferred to the North Sea with the help of two tugs, according to the Meyer shipyard. The Ems River barrier will be closed to traffic. The ship is scheduled to pass the docking log around 7:00 a.m. on Saturday and will pass the Ems barrier around 10:30 p.m.

The Arvia, sister ship to the Iona, which was delivered in 2020, is designed to accommodate 5,200 passengers. It is equipped with a SkyDome entertainment area featuring a swimming pool with a glass dome that can be opened.

The conveyance of the ship is expected to be completed on Monday, November 7.

The Arvia is then to embark on its winter itineraries across the Caribbean, starting with a voyage to the Canary Islands. The ship will depart from Southampton, England on December 3 and visit Funchal, Madeira, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Arrecife, Canary Islands, Cadiz, Spain, and Lisbon, Portugal before returning to Southampton, England.

The company’s newest ship will have a busy start to 2023 with a series of cruises in January. The first 2023 cruise aboard the Arvia is scheduled for January 6, when the ship will depart from Southampton, England and make stops at Philipsburg, St. Maarten, Castries, St. Lucia, St. Georges, Grenada before reaching Bridgetown, Barbados.

New AIDAcosma Cruise Ship Delivered

AIDA Cruises took delivery of its newest cruise ship, the AIDAcosma, in Bremerhaven from the Meyer Werft shipyard on Dec. 21.

It is the company's second new building powered by liquefied natural gas, according to a press release, and gives AIDA its 14th ship. AIDA is Carnival Corporation's German brand. 

The ship will enter service in the first quarter, sailing from Hamburg on seven-day so-called metropolis voyages.

On April 9, 2022, the champion athlete Kristina Vogel will christen the new ship in Hamburg.

The new vessel then will sail on a two-week christening voyage, taking passengers to either Mallorca or Barcelona. Further highlights of the itinerary include Lisbon, Cadiz and Malaga as the ship moves to the Mediterranean for the summer season.

From April 23 to October 15, 2022, the AIDAcosma will offer voyages from Palma and Barcelona. The one-week "Mediterranean Treasures" itinerary will also include calls into Florence, Rome and Corsica.

The AIDAcosma will then move to Dubai for the winter 2022-2023 season.

No Delays to Royal Caribbean's Odyssey Despite COVID-19 Issue Aboard

"We anticipate that there will be no delay to Odyssey’s arrival into Israel," said Royal Caribbean International in a statement on Monday following the news that workers aboard the ship had tested positive for COVID-19.

The new ship is due to sail a summer program from Haifa, with fully vaccinated Israeli guests aboard.

"The shipyard workers and crew onboard Odyssey of the Seas are currently preparing the ship for sea trials. They are being tested daily and at this time there are no positive cases onboard the ship," the company said.

It was reported last week there were positive COVID-19 cases aboard the new Odyssey of the Seas with the ship docked in Bremerhaven for her final touches ahead of sea trials.

German news outlets now report that five employees on the ship tested positive for COVID-19 and have since been disembarked and put into quarantine. 

Two Workers Have COVID-19 Aboard Royal Caribbean's New Odyssey of the Seas

Odessey of the Seas transiting the river Emms.

Two workers from the Meyer Werft shipyard aboard the Odyssey of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International's newest cruise ship, have tested positive for COVID-19 with the ship alongside a pier in Bremerhaven, Germany, according to news reports.

Having recently completed its Ems River conveyance to Bremerhaven, the shipyard and its workforce have been putting the final touches on the new Quantum Ultra-class vessel ahead of scheduled sea trials and its eventual delivery later this month. 

According to a German media report, citing a spokesperson from the Meyer Werft shipyard, those two workers and close contacts have been put into quarantine. 

Another estimated 500 crew and workers aboard the ship are being asked not to leave the vessel.

It is unknown whether this will delay the delivery of the ship.

Earlier in the week, Royal Caribbean made big news when it announced the Odyssey of the Seas will be sailing from Haifa, Israel in summer 2021. According to a press release, Royal Caribbean will offer Israelis a combination of three- to seven-night escapes visiting the Greek Isles and Cyprus. The new sailings will go on sale on March 9.

The roundtrip sailings from Haifa will include visits to destinations in the Mediterranean, including Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos, and Athens, Greece, and Limassol, Cyprus, the cruise line said.

According to the press release, residents of Israel will be the first guests to cruise on Odyssey during its inaugural season. The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, said this became possible thanks to an effective nationwide vaccination program.

 

Meyer Werft Floats AIDAnova, the World’s First LNG-Powered Cruise Ship

AIDANova pictured Tuesday, August 21, 2018, after its float-out from Meyer Werft’s covered building dock. Photo: Meyer Werft

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft has floated out the world’s first LNG-powered cruise ship from its covered construction dock in Papenburg.

The float-out of AIDAnova took place Tuesday evening from the shipbuilder’s 504-meter building dock II. The vessel was then berthed at the outfitting pier, where its mast and funnel cladding will be fitted.

AIDAnova is scheduled to make the trip down the river Ems to Bremerhaven in late September. There, the cruise ship will undergo final outfitting and interior fittings, while further testing will be performed on the ship’s LNG-powered engines followed by sea trials. 

AIDAnova is the first of three LNG-powered ships planned for Carnival Corp.’s AIDA brand. The ship is scheduled to join AIDA Cruises’ fleet this Fall as the first-ever cruise ship in the world to be fully powered by LNG. The AIDAnova will have over 2,600 passenger cabins, a gross tonnage of over 180,000, a length of 337 meters and a width of 42 meters.

The second ship in the series will be christened in the spring of 2021, followed by the third in 2023.

As of earlier this year, Carnival had agreements in place with Meyer Werft and its Finish sister yard Meyer Turku to build nine LNG-powered cruise ships across four of Carnival’s nine global cruise brands with delivery dates between 2018 and 2023

A video of the float-out is below:

Norwegian Takes Delivery of New Bliss

Norwegian Cruise Line has officially taken delivery of the new 167,800-ton Norwegian Bliss in Bremerhaven, Germany, following a handover from Meyer Werft shipyard.

The Norwegian Bliss is the 11th ship built for Norwegian Cruise Line by the Papenburg-based shipyard.

“This is our 13th cruise ship we delivered to Norwegian within the last 15 years. Our team made has done a great job. I am proud and thankful for their contribution”, said Tim Meyer, Managing Director of Meyer Werft.

Following the delivery, the ship will sail for Southampton, where the ship will be presented to the public for the first time. After a crossing, she will be previewed to media and VIPs in New York and christened later in May in Seattle ahead of her debut summer season in Alaska.

Norwegian Bliss - Main Data

Tonnage	167,800 GRT
Overall length	333.46 m
Width	41.4 m
Number of decks	20
Draught	8.40 m
Machine output MAN	3x 12 V 2x 14V total 76,800 kW
Propulsion power	44,000 kW
Speed	23.2 kn
Passengers	3998
No. of passenger cabins	2043
Number of outside cabins (incl. suites)	1599
No. of inner cabins	444
Crew max.	1,716
Theatre seating capacity	858
No. of restaurants	18
No. of bars/lounges	12
Total weight of applied paint approx.	300 t
Total length of installed cables.	2,200 km
Total length of installed pipes approx.	400 km
Flag	Bahamas
Class	DNVGL

Norwegian Joy Welcomed to New Shanghai Home Port

PHOTO: Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Joy docked in Bremerhaven, Germany. (photo by Jason Leppert)

Following maiden calls in Singapore, Qingdao, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Norwegian Joy, was welcomed to its new home port of Shanghai, China.

The Norwegian Joy was engineered in Germany and designed specifically for the Chinese market.

During a preview voyage that departed from Shanghai June 10, the new ship welcomed more than 1,700 VIP members and guests of the Alibaba Group for a four-day preview cruise.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s preview voyage aboard the Norwegian Joy called on the Japanese port of Kochi before returning to Shanghai, and the ship’s christening ceremony will take place on June 27 with its Godfather, ‘King of Chinese Pop,’ Wang Leehom.

Year-round voyages on Norwegian Joy from Shanghai begin June 28, with sailings from Tianjin from August 26 to September 15. The vessel was designed with several major attractions, including the first race track at sea, virtual reality experiences, plus 28 local and international dining options.

“Norwegian Cruise Line is extremely proud to welcome the newest addition to our fleet, Norwegian Joy, to her home port of Shanghai, China,” NCLH China president David Herrera said in a statement.

“Norwegian Joy's arrival demonstrates our commitment to the Chinese cruise market.  She was custom-built with Chinese cruise guests in mind.”

The Norwegian Joy will cater to the modern Chinese family, with amenities that include staterooms designed for multi-generational families, Las Vegas-style performances and a variety of luxury shopping options.

The new features, services and amenities found on the Norwegian Joy will help Norwegian Cruise Line make a massive impact in the Chinese market.

Norwegian's New Chinese-Bound Ship Offers Clues for America

PHOTO: Norwegian Joy floated out at the Meyer Werft shipyard. (Photo courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line)

Norwegian Cruise Line’s new Norwegian Joy may be slated for the Chinese market, but it also provides hints for what the North American market can expect once the Norwegian Bliss launches.

The Joy will be officially launched on April 27, 2017 in Bremerhaven, Germany, and I will be there to cover a quick preview of the ship and its delivery ceremony.

Before then, it has already emerged outside of the enclosed Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg for a better look.

On March 4, 2017, the 168,800-ton, 3,850-guest Breakaway Plus-class ship exited building dock II where its hull art (by Chinese artist Tan Ping) could be seen in all of its glory for the first time.

Now tied up at the finishing dock, the ship will soon complete construction that first began in September 2015. She follows the Norwegian Escape as the second in the larger Breakaway Plus series, with the Norwegian Bliss scheduled to set sail behind as the third in June 2018. (That ship is initially being built now.)

Here's what's different from Escape: The Joy has a midship go-kart racing track in place of a ropes course, a single longer meandering free-fall waterslide and multi-decker observation lounges above the bow.

We already know that the Bliss will also feature such expansive scenic venues to match, but perusing its currently revealed deck plans neither yet reveals any watersides nor any ropes and racing courses.

Still, as the Bliss already matches the Joy so closely, it makes sense that other attractions will follow suit.

A racetrack would work well in Alaska, where the ship will first deploy, and waterslides would fit in nicely in the Caribbean, where the ship will head in the winter—both are features I plan to capture and share aboard the Joy next month.

After all, the Joy is custom-designed for China and home ports like Shanghai and Beijing, but that doesn't mean some of its venues would not also be perfect in America—most notably the sinuous double-decker racing course which measures in at 833 feet long. The experience is anticipated to last around five minutes.

Otherwise, the Bliss will sport the wildlife artwork of Wyland as the biggest exterior change that is expected from the now floated-out Joy. Other features unique to the Joy, at least for now, will be a laser tag course, hovercraft bumper cars and simulator rides, plus interactive video walls at the Galaxy Pavilion.

Speaking of such thrills, Joy unexpectedly includes a singular free-fall waterslide: Instead of the two racing free-falls on the Escape, the new ship features just one that traverses a longer figure-eight cantilevered far over the side of the ship with translucent tube sections.

Here’s hoping that too makes its way on the Bliss.

Until that time when more is unveiled about the Bliss, David J. Herrera, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings China President had this to say about Joy: “We are thrilled that Norwegian Joy is now one step closer to delivery and one step closer to delivering on our promise to create a First Class at Sea experience for our Chinese guests.”

Ovation of the Seas joins Royal Caribbean's fleet following delivery ceremony

Ovation of the Seas joins Royal Caribbean's fleet following delivery ceremony

Richard Fain and Bernard Meyer

There is a new Royal Caribbean ship officially in the fleet, as of today.

Royal Caribbean took delivery of its 24th cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas, in a ceremony held today in Bremerhaven, Germany.  Ovation of the Seas is the third Quantum-class ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet.

Royal Caribbean Chairman Richard Fain took delivery of Ovation of the Seas from Meyer Werft Yard’s Managing Partner Bernard Meyer at the official handover ceremony.

“Ovation of the Seas is magnificent,” said Richard. “Our thanks to the Meyer Werft team for their ongoing partnership in designing and building awe-inspiring ships with us.”

“It’s wonderful to welcome Ovation of the Seas to the Royal Caribbean family of ships,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “We have once again introduced yet another one of the most technologically advanced cruise ships and the very first that has been built for the China market – a market we continue to demonstrate our commitment to expanding. Quantum Class has redefined the status quo, and we are excited for our guests in China and Australia to enjoy their extraordinary vacations onboard this stunner.”

Ovation of the Seas will now sail to Southampton, U.K., where the ship will offer a series of short getaways before she sets sail on her 52-night “Global Odyssey” culminating in the arrival to her homeport in Tianjin, China.

She will begin her first homeport sailing season in China from Tianjin in June 2016. Ovation, together with Quantum of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Legend of the Seas, will make up the largest fleet of any cruise line sailing in China.

Norwegian takes delivery of Escape

Norwegian Cruise Line took delivery of the 4,270-passenger Norwegian Escape Thursday.

The 164,600-gross-ton ship, which was constructed by the Meyer Werft yard in Papenburg and  Germany, will make its way to Miami via stops in Hamburg, Germany, and Southampton, England. 

It is scheduled to arrive in Miami on Oct. 29 and will be christened by Miami-based musician Pitbull on Nov. 9.

The Escape is the first in the Breakaway Plus class and, as its name suggests, is a slightly larger version of the Norwegian Breakaway and Getaway now in operation.

Among its features is a larger VIP-only Haven area, expanded ropes course, a Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, the Food Republic dining hall overseen by the Pubbelly Restaurant Group and the Bayamo restaurant by chef Jose Garces.

Per Norwegian tradition, its hull carries a distinctive, colorful design; in this case, it was designed by Guy Harvey.

Norwegian Escape at Blohm & Voss in Hamburg delayed

Norwegian Escape at Blohm & Voss in Hamburg delayed

The ship will leave on Sunday, October 11 in the evening and arrive in Bremerhaven on Tuesday afternoon, 13 October at Blohm & Voss in Hamburg, the shift is related to processes together with the docking and undocking.

In Dock Elbe 17 adjustments to the water outlet of the scrubber system and a letze inspection be carried out, among other things. In the early morning of 16 October the Norwegian Escape will arrive in Bremerhaven again the final equipment.

The handover of the Norwegian Escape to the shipping company Norwegian Cruise Line takes place as planned on 22 October. Already on 23 October, the first cruise passengers will board the ship.

The 164,600-gt construction has an overall length of 325.9 meters and is 41.4 meters wide. The Norwegian Escape will be traveling from Miami to 7-night cruises in the eastern Caribbean.

Video: Norwegian Escape Heads to the Sea

Norwegian Escape, soon to be the largest ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet, departed Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany on Friday, September 18, for her approximately 24-hour long conveyance along the Ems River.

Measuring 1,069 feet in length and 136 feet in width, the ship is the first in the line’s Breakaway Plus class, with three additional Breakaways on order at Meyer Werft.

Sailing backwards, Norwegian Escape left Meyer Werft at approximately 2:00 pm local time, and made a narrow passage through the shipyard’s locks, with only 1.2 meters of clearance separating the ship from the “bumpers” that were specially installed along the starboard side of the locks. This maneuver took approximately 2 hours at a maximum speed of 0.2 knots.After passing through the locks, Norwegian Escape continued along the river, stern first. Before reaching her final destination in Eemshaven, Netherlands at approximately 12:30 pm on Saturday, September 19, Norwegian Escape navigated through additional narrow passages including the Weener Bridge in Weener; Jann-Berghaus Bridge in Leer; and Ems-Barrier in Gandersum.Following her arrival in Eemshaven, she will head to the North Sea for sea trials later this month.

Norwegian Escape will sail weekly seven-day cruises from her year-round homeport of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean beginning on November 14, 2015.

The 164,600 gross ton ship will be the largest ever to home port year-round in Miami, carrying 4,200 guests to Caribbean destinations including St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.

Watch below the Video of the Conveyance, this was filmed by HD1080ide in fantastic HD.

Latest Escape News

Norwegian latest Mega-ship berthed for 5 days at Eemshaven to take onboard her life boats, provisions and the final materials required to finish her fit out. Friday 25th September 2015 she steamed out of the port Eemshaven on her own power for her sea trials. Below is the the exact location and mapping of the sea trial which ended on Saturday night, after the trials she made for the port of Bremerhaven, she docked at 22:19 hours for a well earned rest.

Crystal Cruises parent agrees to buy German shipyard

The parent company of Crystal Cruises has agreed to acquire leading shipyard Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Global cruise and resort company Genting Hong Kong is to pay €17.5 million for 70% of a new shipbuilding business and a 50% ownership of the shipyard’s land.

The company will complete the acquisition of Lloyd Werft subject to the fulfilment of certain final purchase conditions.

The move follows plans for massive expansion of Crystal Cruises with the introduction of Crystal Yacht Cruises in December, Crystal River Cruises and Crystal Luxury Air in 2017 and new cruise ships from late 2018.

Genting Hong Kong signed a letter of intent earlier this year with Lloyd Werft to build Crystal’s ‘Exclusive Class’ polar-class cruise ships.

Lloyd Werft will also build luxury river yachts to sail to destinations in France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria.

Genting Hong Kong chairman and chief executive, Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, said: “Lloyd Werft has built and lengthened six of the ships owned by an affiliate of the company and has the expertise to build a series of world class cruise ships for the company, which will include the ‘Exclusive Class’ vessels for Crystal Cruises.

“Ownership in Lloyd Werft will enable Genting Hong Kong to leverage on the shipyard’s technical expertise and their well-established and long track record in the shipbuilding industry.”

Crystal president and chief executive, Edie Rodriguez, said: “With such great anticipation for Crystal River Cruises and Crystal Exclusive Class ocean vessels, we are incredibly excited about Genting’s groundbreaking investment in the Lloyd Werft shipyard that will contribute mightily to Crystal Cruises’ expansion.”

Royal's Quantum heads to UK for trade preview

Royal Caribbean International took delivery of new ship Quantum of the Seas ahead of a trade preview sailing from Southampton at the weekend.

The formal handover in Bremerhaven from its German shipyard came ahead of the 4,180-passenger ‘smart ship’ arriving in the UK on Friday.

More than 500 agents have been invited on a two-night inaugural sailing before Quantum of the Seas accepts its first passengers on Sunday for a transatlantic crossing to Bayonne, New Jersey.

Quantum of the Seas will then sail from New York to the Bahamas and the Caribbean for her inaugural season before departing for her new homeport of Shanghai (Baoshan) in China next May.

This weekend’s preview will allow agents to gain an insight into the facilities to be offered by sister ship Anthem of the Seas which will be based in Southampton from April 2015 for a summer of Mediterranean itineraries.

The Quantum-class ships feature the line’s largest cabins, including interior accommodation with virtual balconies offering real-time views of the ocean and destinations.

Additional bandwidth allows the ships to offer 500 times more connectivity than any other cruise ship, Royal Caribbean claims, in addition to technology designed to speed up the boarding process with passengers able to track their luggage.

Other features include the first skydiving simulator at sea, a viewing pod that lifts passengers more than 300 feet above the ocean, the SeaPlex indoor sports and entertainment complex with bumper cars and roller skating, and a Bionic Bar featuring the world’s first robotic bartenders.